The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1855-10-11
For the Kcho and Advertiser.
FAve Points House Of Ind ustry
No. 4.
(Concluded.)

NO. 4.
(Concluded)
Did Christian ministers universally
take this view of the subject, and act
accordingly, how much less of starva-
ton, misery, and death, should we be
constrained to witness in our otherwise
" fair and happy land They would
then see more clearly the consistency
and beauty Of their true relations to
their fcllow.men and that in aiding
and promoting them, they were thereby
virtually aiding and promoting them
selrss. They would then see the i'm
portauce of dealing with the poor of
every class, not as things, but as human
beings, in every respect like themselves.
And then, how few of those mortifying
spectacles presented to the ungodly
world, should we witness in the charac-
ter of professed Christian Churches, who
having solemnly coveuanted before God
and man to sympathize with, watch
over, protect, and aid their members /;
when, in the Providence Of God, mis-
fortune overtakes one Of their number,
in the face of their solemn obligations !;
AMI the most solemn, explicit, and i'm
peritive injunctions of the Word of God ,
and of the holy religion which they pro-
fess to eIemplify; avowedly disregard
the claims of their poor bretbreaand
sisters. Such Churches, instead of i'm
pairing to their unfortunate members
the word of Christian kindness, often
rcproach them with deeper sense, il
possible, of their misiortunes, and their
consequent results; instead of throwing
around them the shield of Love and
sympathy, leave them to seek commits,
seration, consolation, and protection from
a cold and unbelieving world and in,
stead of lending the helping hand and
trifling aid, in the time of need, abandon
them to the tender mercies "--ironic-
ally speakiug-of those prison houses
of-the-poor, usually denominated "Cha-
ritable Poor Houses - aud frequently
Christian Institutions" established by
/" the favorable laws with which we are
blessed" as the " Poor Laws" are often
termed, even by those who professedly
deprecate their mischisvous influence.
: How much more in accordance with
the true spirit of the Gospel would it be,
in place of seeking to countenance and
perpetuate such abomnations, to labor
for the revival Of Gospel Charity; and
to enforce, illustrate, and perfect the
true economy of Bcnevolence, which iu-
vigorates and elevates the poor, instead
Of weakening and degrading them The
question may have arisen in the minds
Of some, if .he system of paupersm is to
give place to industry, what is to be
done with that class Of poor who are un-
able to labor, and thereby render any
assistance toward their support Our
only reply to this question is, do with
them what the Church in the days of
Jesus Christ and His apostles did with
just such helpless poor. This we pre-
sumo is familiar to every professed
Christian; if not, it should be, and very
easily may become SO by consulting the
Word Of God.
All when will the Christian Church
come to understand its true mission
its chief interest When will it come
to understand and practice that, which
. constitutes the very foundation principle
of Gospel Church-CHARITY-in its
broadest sense : When will it come to
understand that in beneitng and elevat-
. ing the creature, it is thus effectually
gloritying the CREATOR /? How unwise
unchristian, and insulting to humanity
is that course pursued so generally, il
: comforting both public and private bens.
: fits, Of bcstowing the favor with on,
hand, so to speak, while with the othel
we seek to tear from the object of ou
benevolence--falsely so calcd---that
e which above all else that the God o
e Nature has implanted in the human
{ breast, should, particularly when reform
alton is the object sought, be preserved
with the most inviolable sacredness. w,
mean sclt-respect and independence
f When these are gone-farewoll t,
{ hope.
The system upon which the Five
Points House of Industry is operating
, aims, instead of making men and womcl
d paupcrs, to elevate paupors to the tru
5 standard Of MEN aud woMEs In sbor,
= this system is; la its application to tn
q peculiar necessities of the poor, no othc
!, than the Gospel of Christ, at ono
y taught and erempiifed.
o We might here mention as anothe
J. consideration highly important to tn
e prosperity of this Institution, the quail
G. A A