“Liberty will not descend to a people, a people must raise themselves to liberty; it is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed.”

— Charles Caleb Colton

Vol. II; CLXXVIII
Lacon (1820)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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Charles Caleb Colton 38

British priest and writer 1777–1832

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“A sinless God, for sinful men,
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“Don't kneel to me, that is not right. You must kneel to God only, and thank him for the liberty you will hereafter enjoy.”

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Context: Don't kneel to me, that is not right. You must kneel to God only, and thank him for the liberty you will hereafter enjoy. I am but God's humble instrument; but you may rest assured that as long as I live no one shall put a shackle on your limbs; and you shall have all the rights which God has given to every other free citizen of this republic.

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General sources

“Liberty of the people is not my liberty!”

Max Stirner book The Ego and Its Own

Cambridge 1995, p. 190
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“Liberty will not descend to a people, a people must raise themselves to liberty; it is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed.”

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Charles Caleb Colton 38

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