in darkest england and the way out-第61节

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From　the　time　when　the　Salvation　Army　began　to　acquire　strength　and　to　grow　from　the　grain　of　mustard　seed　until　now；　when　its　branches　overshadow　the　whole　earth；　we　have　been　constantly　warned　against　the　evils　which　this　autocratic　system　would　entail。　　Especially　were　we　told　that　in　a　democratic　age　the　people　would　never　stand　the　establishment　of　what　was　described　as　a　spiritual　despotism。　It　was　contrary　to　the　spirit　of　the　times；　it　would　be　a　stone　of　stumbling　and　a　rock　of　offence　to　the　masses　to　whom　we　appeal；　and　so　forth　and　so　forth。

But　what　has　been　the　answer　of　accomplished　facts　to　these　predictions　of　theorists？　　Despite　the　alleged　unpopularity　of　our　discipline；　perhaps　because　of　the　rigour　of　military　authority　upon　which　we　have　insisted；　the　Salvation　Army　has　grown　from　year　to　year　with　a　rapidity　to　which　nothing　in　modern　Christendom　affords　any　parallel。　It　is　only　twenty…five　years　since　it　was　born。　　It　is　now　the　largest　Home　and　Foreign　Missionary　Society　in　the　Protestant　world。　　We　have　nearly　10；000　officers　under　our　orders；　a　number　increasing　every　day；　every　one　of　whom　has　taken　service　on　the　express　condition　that　he　or　she　will　obey　without　questioning　or　gainsaying　the　orders　from　Headquarters。　　Of　these；　4；600　are　in　Great　Britain。　　The　greatest　number　outside　these　islands；　in　any　one　country；　are　in　the　American　Republic；　where　we　have　1；018　officers；　and　democratic　Australia；　where　we　have　800。

Nor　is　the　submission　to　our　discipline　a　mere　paper　loyalty。　These　officers　are　in　the　field；　constantly　exposed　to　privation　and　ill…treatment　of　all　kinds。　　A　telegram　from　me　will　send　any　of　them　to　the　uttermost　parts　of　the　earth；　will　transfer　them　from　the　Slums　of　London　to　San　Francisco；　or　despatch　them　to　assist　in　opening　missions　in　Holland；　Zululand；　Sweden；　or　South　America。　　So　far　from　resenting　the　exercise　of　authority；　the　Salvation　Army　rejoices　to　recognise　it　as　one　great　secret　of　its　success；　a　pillar　of　strength　upon　which　all　its　soldiers　can　rely；　a　principle　which　stamps　it　as　being　different　from　all　other　religious　organisations　founded　in　our　day。

With　ten　thousand　officers；　trained　to　obey；　and　trained　equally　to　command；　I　do　not　feel　that　the　organisation　even　of　the　disorganised；　sweated；　hopeless；　drink…sodden　denizens　of　darkest　England　is　impossible。　　It　is　possible；　because　it　has　already　been　accomplished　in　the　case　of　thousands　who；　before　they　were　saved；　were　even　such　as　those　whose　evil　lot　we　are　now　attempting　to　deal　with。

Our　fifth　credential　is　the　extent　and　universality　of　the　Army。　What　a　mighty　agency　for　working　out　the　Scheme　is　found　in　the　Army　in　this　respect！　　This　will　be　apparent　when　we　consider　that　it　has　already　stretched　itself　through　over　thirty　different　Countries　and　Colonies；　with　a　permanent　location　in　something　like　4；000　different　places；　that　it　has　either　soldiers　or　friends　sufficiently　in　sympathy　with　it　to　render　assistance　in　almost　every　considerable　population　in　the　civilised　world；　and　in　much　of　the　uncivilised；　that　it　has　nearly　10；000　separated　officers　whose　training；　and　leisure；　and　history　qualify　them　to　become　its　enthusiastic　and　earnest　co…workers。　In　fact；　our　whole　people　will　hail　it　as　the　missing　link　in　the　great　Scheme　for　the　regeneration　of　mankind；　enabling　them　to　act　out　those　impulses　of　their　hearts　which　are　ever　prompting　them　to　do　good　to　the　bodies　as　well　as　to　the　souls　of　men。

Take　the　meetings。　　With　few　exceptions；　every　one　of　these　four　thousand　centres　has　a　Hall　in　which；　on　every　evening　in　the　week　and　from　early　morning　until　nearly　midnight　on　every　Sabbath；　services　are　being　held；　that　nearly　every　service　held　indoors　is　preceded　by　one　out　of　doors；　the　special　purport　of　every　one　being　the　saving　of　these　wretched　crowds。　　Indeed；　when　this　Scheme　is　perfected　and　fairly　at　work；　every　meeting　and　every　procession　will　be　looked　upon　as　an　advertisement　of　the　earthly　as　well　as　the　heavenly　conditions　of　happiness。　　And　every　Barracks　and　Officer's　quarters　will　become　a　centre　where　poor　sinful　suffering　men　and　women　may　find　sympathy；　counsel；　and　practical　assistance　in　every　sorrow　that　can　possibly　come　upon　them；　and　every　Officer　throughout　our　ranks　in　every　quarter　of　the　globe　will　become　a　co…worker。

See　how　useful　our　people　will　be　in　the　gathering　in　of　this　class。　They　are　in　touch　with　them。　　They　live　in　the　same　street；　work　in　the　same　shops　and　factories；　and　come　in　contact　with　them　at　every　turn　and　corner　of　life。　　If　they　don't　live　amongst　them；　they　formerly　did。　They　know　where　to　find　them；　they　are　their　old　chums；　pot…house　companions；　and　pals　in　crime　and　mischief。　　This　class　is　the　perpetual　difficulty　of　a　Salvationist's　life。　　He　feels　that　there　is　no　help　for　them　in　the　conditions　in　which　they　are　at　present　found。　They　are　so　hopelessly　weak；　and　their　temptations　are　so　terribly　strong；　that　they　go　down　before　them。　　The　Salvationist　feels　this　when　he　attacks　them　in　the　tap…rooms；　in　the　low　lodging　houses；　or　in　their　own　desolate　homes。　　Hence；　with　many；　the　Crusader　has　lost　all　heart。　　He　has　tried　them　so　often。　　But　this　Scheme　of　taking　them　right　away　from　their　old　haunts　and　temptations　will　put　new　life　into　him　and　he　will　gather　up　the　poor　social　wrecks　wholesale；　pass　them　along；　and　then　go　and　hunt　for　more。

Then　see　how　useful　this　army　of　Officers　and　Soldiers　will　be　for　the　regeneration　of　this　festering　mass　of　vice　and　crime　when　it　is；　so　to　speak；　in　our　possession。　　All　the　thousands　of　drunkards；　and　harlots；　and　blasphemers；　and　idlers　have　to　be　made　over　again；　to　be　renewed　in　the　spirit　of　their　minds；　that　ismade　good。　　What　a　host　of　moral　workers　will　be　required　to　accomplish　such　a　gigantic　transformation。　　In　the　Army　we　have　a　few　thousands　ready；　anyway　we　have　as　many　as　can　be　used　at　the　outset；　and　the　Scheme　itself　will　go　on　manufacturing　more。　　Look　at　the　qualifications　of　these　warriors　for　the　work！

They　have　been　trained　themselves；　brought　into　line　and　are　examples　of　the　characters　we　want　to　produce。

They　understand　their　pupilshaving　been　dug　out　of　the　same　pit。　Set　a　rogue　to　catch　a　rogue；　they　say；　that　is；　we　suppose；　are　formed　rogue。　　Anyway；　it　is　so　with　us。　　These　rough…and…ready　warriors　will　work　shoulder　to　shoulder　with　them　in　the　same　manual　employment。　They　will　engage　in　the　task　for　love。　　This　is　a　substantial　part　of　their　religion；　the　moving　instinct　of　the　new　heavenly　nature　that　has　come　upon　them。　　They　want　to　spend　their　lives　in　doing　good。　Here　will　be　an　opportunity。

Then　see　how　useful　these　Soldiers　will　be　for　distribution！　Every　Salvation　Officer　and　Soldier　in　every　one　of　these　4；000　centres；　scattered　through　these　thirty　odd　countries　and　colonies；　with　all　their　correspondents　and　friends　and　comrades　living　elsewhere；　will　be　ever　on　the　watch…tower　looking　out　for　homes　and　employments　where　these　rescued　men　and　women　can　be　fixed　up　to　advantage；　nursed　into　moral　vigour；　picked　up　again　on　stumbling；　and　watched　over　generally　until　able　to　travel　the　rough　and　slippery　paths　of　life　alone。

I　am；　therefore；　not　without　warrant　for　my　confidence　in　the　possibility　of　doing　great　things；　if　the　problem　so　long　deemed　hopeless　be　approached　with　intelligence　and　determination　on　a　scale　corresponding　to　the　magnitude　of　the　evil　with　which　we　have　to　cope。


SECTION　2。HOW　MUCH　WILL　IT　COST？

A　considerable　amount　of　money　will　be　required　to　fairly　launch　this　Scheme；　and　some　income　may　be　necessary　to　sustain　it　for　a　season；　but；　once　fairly　afloat；　we　think　there　is　good　reason　to　believe　that　in　all　its　branches　it　will　be　self…supporting；　unless　its　area　of　operation　is　largely　extended；　on　which　we　fully　rely。　　Of　course；　the　cost　of　the　effort　must　depend　very　much　upon　its　magnitude。　If　anything　is　to　be　done　commensurate　with　the　extent　of　the　evil；　it　will　necessarily　require　a　proportionate　outlay。　　If　it　is　only　the　drainage　of　a　garden　that　is　undertaken；　a　few　pounds　will　meet　the　cost；　but　if　it　is　a　great　dismal　swamp　of　many　miles　in　area；　harbouring　all　manner　of　vermin；　and　breeding　all　kinds　of　deadly　malaria；　that　has　to　be　reclaimed　and　cultivated；　a　very　different　sum　will　not　only　be　found　necessary；　but　be　deemed　an　economic　investment。

Seeing　that　the　country　pays　out　something　like　Ten　Millions　per　annum　in　Poor　Law　and　Charitable　Relief　without　securing　any　real　abatement　of　the　evil；　I　cannot　doubt　that　the　public　will　hasten　to　supply　one…tenth　of　that　sum。　　If　you　reckon　that　of　the　submerged　tenth　we　have　one　million　to　deal　with；　this　will　only　be　one　pound　per　head　for　each　of　those　whom　it　is　sought　to　benefit；　or　say　ONE　MILLION　STERLING　to　give　the　present　Scheme　a　fair　chance　of　getting　into　practical　operation。

According　to　the　amount　furnished；　must　necessarily　be　the　extent　of　our　operations。　　We　have　carefully　calculated　that　with　one　hundred　thousand　pounds　the　scheme　can　be　successfully　set　in　motion；　and　that　it　can　be　kept　going　on　an　annual　income　of　#30；000　which　is　about　three　and　a…quarter　per　cent。　on　the　balance