in the main correct as far as it goes, yet it must be fatally deficient, because it has no soul. The statue may be faultless in its outlines, proportions, and faithfulness to the truth, but it is cold, hard, unyielding, and without sensation or affections.

The whole field of Protestantism being too wide for our purpose, we return to England, and confine our remarks to what is observable there, not in an invidious spirit, but because the facts are most easily ascertained and verified, and because, if English Protestants, with their world-wide reputation for liberality, have failed to fulfil the duties of Christian charity, there will be small ground for others to stand upon in the day of scrutiny.

If we have been successful in bringing to view the pressing obligations of our duties to our fellow-men in poverty, in sickness, and in confinement, few will deny the propriety of immediate obedience to every such call. But whilst we cheerfully give the cup of water to the thirsty, whilst we feed those who are actu

158

CHARITY NOT ONLY FOR INDIVIDUALS,

ally starving, and clothe those who are actually naked or in rags, because these duties are specifically enjoined, does not the great law, "love thy neighbour as thyself," claim · something more than these temporary acts of kindness and relief. We must not let these occasions of charity slip; we must not turn our back upon those who are suffering for what we can give them. But are we not equally bound to exert ourselves to afford permanent succour-to raise our suffering brethren to the same level in comfort with ourselves? We owe a duty not only in every particular case, but we owe a debt of love to every individual; and we are bound to pay that debt, not only in special acts of kindness, but in general efforts, not merely for the benefit of individuals, but of the whole human family. The obligations of Christian charity. are as wide as the field of our action and of our influence; but we are not acquitted of these obligations by our individual efforts. We are bound as Christians to unite in the great work

of bettering the condition of the human family. That which is the duty of every individual Christian in reference to his fellowmen, is the duty of the whole body; and the obligation upon the body is increased with the power and opportunity of doing good.

There can be no doubt that in any community where the individuals are full of the benign spirit of their great Exemplar, the whole mass will be enlivened and inspired by the same beneficence. If the community has not performed its duty, the responsibility lies upon the individuals.

We have thus imperfectly referred to the obligations of charity, because few will be disposed to question either their nature or extent. What has England, under such responsibilities, done for her millions of poor-poor so crushed and broken and pressed down, that the picture transcends the power of pencil, of pen, or of tongue? For those poor who have for three centuries been increasing in proportional numbers, and sinking to a deeper

160 WHAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR THE SOCIAL

and deeper degradation, what has been done? We cannot reply, "nothing!" for though multitudes have sunk, from age to age, under the ills of poverty, yet masses have been kept alive to hand down their woes to increasing generations succeeding them. The church having repudiated the charge, the government has discharged the duty of saving, perhaps, the greater number of these outcasts from death by starvation or exposure. But what measures have been devised to lift these multitudes from their depths, and restore them to the level of living by their labour? Where shall we find the traces of any great movement among English Christians to redeem their poor from the chains of their hopeless bondage? They rouse themselves into energetic action to abolish the slave-trade-to emancipate the slaves of their West Indian colonies; they send Bibles by millions over the whole earth; they send missionaries to preach Christ to every people; yet how little will all this profit them, if they have neglected charity

at home. Christianity can only be successfully propagated by those who practise it. English Christians have done nothing worth naming to redeem the poor from their abject condition. They have looked upon their myriads paupers in hopeless inaction: the problem of relief seemed too difficult for solution, much more of accomplishment.

of

The church of England has signally failed in the fulfilment of her chief duty. Besides having left unperformed every other duty to the poor, she has, worst of all, not preached the gospel to the poor. Whatever pre-eminence the Papist may claim over the Episcopalian in this respect, even the Papal church has in this fallen very far behind the line of duty; and so, indeed, has every other church or sect. The truth is, the work of the real disciples of Christ must be performed by them individually, and not by the church. The good which flows from works of love and charity must benefit the giver as well as the receiver. No church has ever discharged, in its ·