Morning journal and courier., 1884-01-08
aunsnd auh Courier.
Tuesday, January 8, 1884.
Our Charitable Institutions.


 Our Charitable Institutions. A Sermon Preached by Rev. Newman
 smyth, D. D., at Center Church-VaIua-
 bIe and Important SugRestIOns-A
 Glance Over the Hi eld of Charitable En
 de avOr and Usefulness in Oar City.
 And Israel look all these citGe5. Int Israel of God is called now to go forth and take all the cities of the world. The tasl and the trial of Christianity now is to mak'
 the city Christian. The Israelites undo their first leaders had short method of talk ing the cities of the plain. They we're th' pioneers of the Lords purpose of reclaiminl mankind, and they had ths rough work-o the axe and the sword to perform. The wars of Jews were the first military necessi ties of pfevidence among the idolatrous nations. But with the utmost practical urgency providence led the history of Israel beyond it's first hard pioneer age on to thu hour when the Christ walked in the streets c Capernaum, and his disciples were sent forth to preach ia all cities the gospel of the king dom of heaven. Now the Lords servants are not bfdden to blow Joshus's trumpets HRhlubG Luc SltSs SOAA OCAN4A AAA0A OS N~ something like that in Geneva, and failed. Christianity has no further use for Israeli early and once necessary weapoCs, as we dc not need now the block houses of our fathers against the Indians. But though the method or our warfare has changed since grace came by Jesus Christ, the duty still remains for us to take the city, and in the most Christian way. Our present first obligation is to make our own city approach nearer the ideal of the Christian city. The church should cherish in its heart of hearts the prophetic vision of the city of God. All the interests of human life and liberty are staked now in the battle of our Christianity with the cities of the world. Give us Christian cities, and our government is safe. Give us Christian cities, and the. rights and Iiberties OF men are secured. All
 the problems of modern social life are in
 volTed in the evangelization of the citiss.
 Let a pure, hsalthful Christian life flow through the streets of our cities, and we could laugh at any prophet of political evil
 But let misery be heaped up in tenement
 houses end breeding places of intenperaace and crime be left in the midst of the city,
 unsalSed by its Christianity; let us go on crowding populations into small areas, and shutting our eyes to all evils which do not yet touch us directly either in our property or our own child en; and the sun of our national prosperity shall surely bs daIkened and political plague blight the land of our fathers.
 I wish to say some things which seem to me to need to be said concerning our Chris tian ways and means of taking our city. l shall confine my remarks this morning par ticalarly to our various charitable attacks upon the evil of 8 city, and our own proper relation os church to these endeavors to build Christian city.
 Theoretically the parochial idea of Chris tisn work is the simplest and the true idea If every church was the center of 8 definite ly marked parish, under the responsibi of a Christian oversight for the inhabitants a ithin that defined territory. the work of church would be very plain and simple matter. And even under the disadvantage of pndefned parishes. some churches have succeeded in accomplishing in our cities an excellent amount of parochial work; there are churches which are local provldences In the communities. But the parish idea oi church work, however commendable ip itself, cannot possibly be stretched around all tue good needing to be done in city. Between the ruts worn by the regular courses of church activities whole tracts of heathenism may remain in city. 1t IS per feetly possible for child to grow up ID New Haven without ever going to school to Chris tianity. canvRss of this city some time since discovered seven hundred heather children growing up in our streets practl- cetIy outside the pale of Christianity. The individual Protestant churches must meet, therefore, in the unity of evangelical love for the proper Christianization of city.
 Taking for granted, thus. without further argument, the need of undenominational be nevolent and religious organizations for the sake of making the city Christian, pass now to the consideration of what constitutes the right of any such society to exist in our common Christianity. If any Christian soci- sty or charity is proposed, and it's claims are to be urged upon our benesolence it ought, as it seems to me, to satisfy these conditions: First, doss 1t stand directly over against real want or evilr Unless it pro- poses to meet directly some want, or to put itself squarely in the way of some incoming evil we do not care to be troubled with it, appeals and it will be likely, if organized, to cumber the ground of our benevolence. Secondly, it must show that the work 1t pro poses to accomplish is not already part of the benevolenc0 of some other society and cannot be better done by strengthening the existing means of overcoming evil with good. Up to a certain limit the multiplication of benevolent societies may be means of in creased contributions; but, beyond a certain limit, too great number of calls upon tne benevolence of human nature tends to dimin- ish the sum total of contributions. If we go before the public holding up, say, ten causes for their contributions, we shall probably ob tain more money than we should if we did not have some variety in OUT forms of ap- peal; but if we go to men fifty times we shall exhaust their patience without increasing ma teriaily their benevolence. It would be better beyond certain req sonable limit to make our contribution boxes larger. and less numerous. For this very practical reason, I would earnestly en- treat these who may be interesting them selves in any new forms of benevolent work in the city, and preparing to make an appeal 10 the churches. to consider carefully wheth- or some good society already in the field, and possessing the confidence of the charitable, may not rather be helped to undertake the additional work which they think needs to be done. A third condition of successful be- nevolent work would urge. The organizs ton should grow from work begun, and not be built upon the prospects of work which may be done. We must avoid benevolent upon 8 speculative basis. Let two or three people do something which needs to be done in a community, and by doing the little which they can, prove how much more needs to be accomplished and may OS OOAc, hAG tAoA lAGJ VIII 1AAChNs to help them. We should not take up con tribution simply upon the promises to pay of any proposed benevolence.
 Having thus stated generally three tests which I think may proftably be proposed to charitable and religious societies, would venture now to inquire into the existing state of benevolence in our own city.
 We have in all in this city, exclusive of mis .ions and charities connected with individual churches. some eighteen separate benevolent and enterprises; but there may be g few others of which I have not yet heard. The first reflection which this state ment woild naturally occasion is the need of some simplifcation and consolidation of these benevolences. I suppose that the re- organization of our city benevolent work and it's simplifcation, as well as its greater practical efficiency, would be promoted if we had one building under whose roof many of these charities might be gathered. This building is one of the dreams of some who are most conversant with the needs and benevolent opportunities of the city, and the of this dream in a solid structure planned for the accommodation of our city charities would be a monument which would keep in remembrance the nams ofits builder, or builders, among the benefac- tors and Christian fathers of the city.
 Wishing to bring before you a birds sye view of the work already under taken to make here 8 Christian city, [ will classify our benevolences under the fol- lowing general heads: First, work against Tho experience of those who have attackad khiS rrohlono ip otha~ nitia,