Reform or Ruin: Take Your Choice! In which the Conduct of the King...
Reform or Ruin: Take Your Choice! A Critique of British Morals for Counter-Revolutionary Propaganda Bowdler, John, [1746-1823]. Reform or Ruin: Take Your Choice! In which the Conduct of the King: The Parliament, the Ministry, the Opposition, the Nobility and Gentry, The Bishops And Clergy, &c. &c. &c. Is Considered. And That Reform Pointed Out, Which Alone Can Save the Country! London: Printed for J. Hatchard; and F. and C. Rivington, St. Paul's Church Yard, 1798. [iv], 42,[2] pp. Octavo (8" x 5"; 20.3 x 12.7 cm). Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate shelfwear and soiling. Rear leaf loose. Internally clean. A good copy. $250. * Fifth edition. A highly influential 1798 political and moral treatise written by British reformer John Bowdler. Written during the height of the French Revolutionary Wars, the text critiques the moral failings across all strata of British society including the monarchy, parliament, clergy and nobility. It argues that only deep personal, moral and religious reform can save Britain from political collapse and revolution. Unlike radical contemporary thinkers who demanded institutional or constitutional overhauls, Bowdler argued that true structural "reform" must begin internally with individual piety, morality, and adherence to Christian values. He meticulously reviews the behaviors of King George III, the Ministry, political opposition, high-ranking bishops and general gentry, holding them accountable for the nation's spiritual state. The tract was immensely popular, running through dozens of editions and widely distributed abridged versions designed to instruct the working classes on the dangers of civil unrest.
Price: $250.00
Book number 86494