in darkest england and the way out-及70准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
den with all manner of pleasant fruit察I cannot even venture to form a conception。 But I have a definite idea as to how much would be required to set it fairly in operation。
Why do I talk about commencing拭 We have already begun察and that with considerable effect。 Our hand has been forced by circumstances。 The mere rumour of our undertaking reaching the Antipodes察as before described察called forth such a demonstration of approval that my Officers there were compelled to begin action without waiting orders from home。 In this country we have been working on the verge of the deadly morass for some years gone by察and not without marvellous effect。 We have our Shelters察our Labour Bureau察our Factory察our Inquiry Officers察our Rescue Homes察our Slum Sisters察and other kindred agencies察all in good going order。 The sphere of these operations may be a limited one察still察what we have done already is ample proof that when I propose to do much more I am not speaking without my book察and though the sign I ask for may not be given察I shall go struggling forward on the same lines察still察to seriously take in hand the work which I have sketched outto establish this triple Colony察with all its affiliated agencies察I must have察at least察a hundred thousand pounds。
A hundred thousand pounds That is the dew on my fleece。 It is not much considering the money that is raised by my poor people for the work of the Salvation Army。 The proceeds of the Self´denial Week alone last year brought us in #20000。 This year it will not fall short of #25000。 If our poor people can do so much out of their poverty察I do not think I am making an extravagant demand when I ask that out of the millions of the wealth of the world I raise察as a first instalment察a hundred thousand pounds察and say that I cannot consider myself effectually called to undertake this work unless it is forthcoming。
It is in no spirit of dictation or arrogance that I ask the sign。 It is a necessity。 Even Moses could not have taken the Children of Israel dry´shod through the Red Sea unless the waves had divided。
That was the sign which marked out his duty察aided his faith察and determined his action。 The sign which I seek is somewhat similar。 Money is not everything。 It is not by any means the main thing。 Midas察with all his millions察could no more do the work than he could win the battle of Waterloo察or hold the Pass of Thermopylae。 But the millions of Midas are capable of accomplishing great and mighty things察if they be sent about doing good under the direction of Divine wisdom and Christ´like love。
How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of Heaven It is easier to make a hundred poor men sacrifice their lives than it is to induce one rich man to sacrifice his fortune察or even a portion of it察to a cause in which察in his half´hearted fashion察he seems to believe。 When I look over the roll of men and women who have given up friends察parents察home prospects察and everything they possess in order to walk bare´footed beneath a burning sun in distant India察to live on a handful of rice察and die in the midst of the dark heathen for God and the Salvation Army察I sometimes marvel how it is that they should be so eager to give up all察even life itself察in a cause which has not power enough in it to induce any reasonable number of wealthy men to give to it the mere superfluities and luxuries of their existence。 From those to whom much is given much is expected察but察alas察alas察how little is realised It is still the widow who casts her all into the Lord's treasurythe wealthy deem it a preposterous suggestion when we allude to the Lord's tithe察and count it boredom when we ask only for the crumbs that fall from their tables。
Those who have followed me thus far will decide for themselves to what extent they ought to help me to carry out this Project察or whether they ought to help me at all。 I do not think that any sectarian differences or religious feelings whatever ought to be imported into this question。 Supposing you do not like my Salvationism察surely it is better for these miserable察wretched crowds to have food to eat察clothes to wear察and a home in which to lay their weary bones after their day's toil is done察even though the change is accompanied by some peculiar religious notions and practices察than it would be for them to be hungry察and naked察and homeless察and possess no religion at all。 It must be infinitely preferable that they should speak the truth察and be virtuous察industrious察and contented察even if they do pray to God察sing Psalms察and go about with red jerseys察fanatically察as you call it察 seeking for the millennium;than that they should remain thieves or harlots察with no belief in God at all察a burden to the Municipality察a curse to Society察and a danger to the State。
That you do not like the Salvation Army察I venture to say察is no justification for withholding your sympathy and practical co´operation in carrying out a Scheme which promises so much blessedness to your fellow´men。 You may not like our government察our methods察our faith。 Your feeling towards us might perhaps be duly described by an observation that slipped unwittingly from the tongue of a somewhat celebrated leader in the evangelistic world sometime ago察who察when asked what he thought of the Salvation Army察replied that ;He did not like it at all察but he believed that God Almighty did。; Perhaps察as an agency察we may not be exactly of your way of thinking察but that is hardly the question。 Look at that dark ocean察full of human wrecks察writhing in anguish and despair。 How to rescue those unfortunates is the question。 The particular character of the methods employed察the peculiar uniforms worn by the lifeboat crew察the noises made by the rocket apparatus察and the mingled shoutings of the rescued and the rescuers察may all be contrary to your taste and traditions。 But all these objections and antipathies察I submit察are as nothing compared with the delivering of the people out of that dark sea。
If among my readers there be any who have the least conception that this scheme is put forward by me from any interested motives by all means let them refuse to contribute even by a single penny to what would be察at least察one of the most shameless of shams。 There may be those who are able to imagine that men who have been literally martyred in this cause have faced their death for the sake of the paltry coppers they collected to keep body and soul together。 Such may possibly find no difficulty in persuading themselves that this is but another attempt to raise money to augment that mythical fortune which I察who never yet drew a penny beyond mere out´of´pocket expenses from the Salvation Army funds察am supposed to be accumulating。 From all such I ask only the tribute of their abuse察assured that the worst they say of me is too mild to describe the infamy of my conduct if they are correct in this interpretation of my motives。
There appears to me to be only two reasons that will justify any man察with a heart in his bosom察in refusing to co´operate with me in this Scheme此
1。 That he should have an honest and intelligent conviction that it cannot be carried out with any reasonable measure of success察or
2。 That he the objector is prepared with some other plan which will as effectually accomplish the end it contemplates。
Let me consider the second reason first。 If it be that you have some plan that promises more directly to accomplish the deliverance of these multitudes than mine察I implore you at once to bring it out。 Let it see the light of day。 Let us not only hear your theory察but see the evidences which prove its practical character and assure its success。 If your plan will bear investigation察I shall then consider you to be relieved from the obligation to assist menay察if after full consideration of your plan I find it better than mine察I will give up mine察turn to察and help you with all my might。 But if you have nothing to offer察I demand your help in the name of those whose cause I plead。
Now察then察for your first objection察which I suppose can be expressed in one word;impossible。; This察if well founded察is equally fatal to my proposals。 But察in reply察I may sayHow do you know拭Have you inquired拭 I will assume that you have read the book察and duly considered it。 Surely you would not dismiss so important a theme without some thought。 And though my arguments may not have sufficient weight to carry conviction察you must admit them to be of sufficient importance to warrant investigation。 Will you therefore come and see for yourself what has been done already察or察rather察what we are doing to´day。 Failing this察will you send someone capable of judging on your behalf。 I do not care very much whom you send。 It is true the things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned察but the things of humanity any man can judge察whether saint or sinner察if he only possess average intelligence and ordinary bowels of compassion。
I should察however察if I had a choice察prefer an investigator who has some practical knowledge of social economics察and much more should I be pleased if he had spent some of his own time and a little of his own money in trying to