The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-04-13 00:00:00

it is on facts so palpable and so universal—ought
surely to have weight with society, and to:have
influence greater, uty, far greater, than, alas ! it
has, even with the world. For ',even the merest
worldling that ,ever turned away from high and
.holy:lhoughts, ..when he sees such evidences as
thoSe that we here point to, of the reality of the
religion which, if he does not despise, he yet dis-
regards, might not unreasonably be expected to
exclaim with one who was himself in that " gall
of bitterness" which comes of being worldly,—

" I do believe,
Though I have found them not, that there may be
Words which are things—hopes which will not deceive,
And virtues which are merciful,"—

and all of which have their source in our common
Christianity.

"By their fruits ye shall know them." And
Christians are known by such fruits as these.
So early as the second century was it put on
record—as it has come down to us at this distant
day—how Christianity had already succeeded in
resisting the wicked and licentious popular prac-
tices which law and public usage had established.
" Neither in Parthia," says the ancient writer we
refer to, "do the Christians, though Parthians,
use polygamy; nor in Persia, though Persians, do
they marry their own daughters ; nor among the
Bactri or Galli, do they violate the sanctity of
marriage; nor, wherever they are, do they suffer
themselves to be overcome by ill-constituted laws
and manners." Such were among the earliest
corrective and repressive influences of Christianity,
which, however, could never be satisfied with
merely negative results, but must also evidence
its vital principles in deeds of positive and active
charity and beneficence.
We shall be excused, we trust, for dwelling on
this religious view of the subject, because not
only is the whole question a religious one, but
religion, it will be seen, is the living element of
its whole system. The very inauguration to
which we allude was appropriately sanctified by
the• services of religion ; and as to this divine
principle the asylum owes its very existence,
and as by the same principle it can alone be sus-
tained, very naturally and fittingly is it provided
therein that the poor orphans there, so mer-
cifully rescued from desolation and destitution—
illustrating so strikingly and admirably the
hopeful sentiment,
"That goodness is no name, and happiness no dream,"
—3hall be carefully trained up in the Christian
faith,—shall duly have imparted to them its
religious instruction, and be made constant par-
takers of the blessings of its sanctuary—so as to
prepare them, in the familiar words of the cate-
chism which they are taught, "to do their duty
in that state of life unto which it shall please
God to call them."

We cannot leave this interesting subject of
yesterday's inauguration, without some slight
allusion to him to whose Christian benevolence
the town of Liverpool is mainly indebted for so
valuable an addition to its charitable institutions.
The world knows but very imperfectly, we
believe, either the earnestness of that individual
benevolence, or the extent of that personal bene-
ficence, so happily, so blessedly realised in this
admirable institution. Never, probably, were
heartier efforts made in the cause of charity—
seldom, perhaps, has greater liberality been exer-
cised in sustaining them. The truly charitable
founder of this Infant Orphan Asylum must rank
prominently among the most large-hearted of
the benefactors of the town—of those who have
not been content to live and pass away without
humbly, but earnestly seeking to leave a blessing
behind them. It has been said that "in life we
shall find many men that are great, and some
men that are good, but very few men that are
both great and good." If it be true, however—
and we are well assured it is—that although
that which is great may not always be
laudable, yet that which is laudable must
always be great, then have we here, in the
founder of so inestimable an institution most
undoubtedly one who is both great and good,—
great, at any rate, as such an one himself will
most esteem greatness ; and good, as it will not
fail to be testified by the work he has accom-
plished. All honour, then, to so truly noble-
minded and christian-hearted a fellowtownsman.
Long may he be spared, to behold the blessedness
of his truly charitable work. But for all time
to come-,--so long as the work itself endureth—
will such an institution bear its own witness,
that there, in that very asylum, if nowhere else,
"Goodness and he fill up one monument."