The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-06-06
pEABoDy's GREAT CHARITY.

George Peabody. an American bank
or residing in London. died in 1866,
leaving the sum OF s2.50O.oO0 to be
spent in ameliorating the condition Of
the poor Of that city. lie did not leave
II to missions and churches, but with
worldly wisdom saw that no true reli-
gion could exist among the poor un-
less their physical conditions were ad-
equa.e. He declared that the placing
OF money in the hands of trustees with
sectarian prejudices would increase
sectarianism and make the physical
amelioration OF the poor a secondary
object. II was not a pleasant refiec-
ton that those who profess to act for
the good of all would act only for the
good of the few who professed, hon
estly or not, their own sectarian views
The Peabody fund has now increased
by iudicious management until 1t
amounts to over six million dollars. II
has already built up 5000 separate
dwellings, with II 900 rooms. Peabody
undertook to make charity profitable
He more than believed, he acted upon
the maxim that He that giveth to-
the poor lendeth to the Lord, and that
the Lord Endorsed the poor mans
note. when the giving was wisely done
according to the best wisdom of man.
Peabody also said that If his ideas
were wisely followed. that in a century |
the fund would give every laboring |
man in London a home. One-third of
the century has passed, This Unitari- |
ans project has given more decent |
homes TO the poor than the Establish |
ed Church with its millions of wor
shippers has given in England for a
century. He may have degraded Christ
by believing only his humanity, but he
alone, fearless. confident. and with
simple faith, walked in His steps"
DR.. Brown the secretary of the Pres
byterian Board Of Foreign Missions. in
a recent sermon, said: There was a
great decline of interest in the work of
missionaries among the people. as was
indicated by the decreased cOntribu- |
tons. 1t was not only among the Pres
but also among the Congregationalists, |
the Baptists, and other churches. In |
seeking for an explanation Of this, the |
clergyman said 1t could not be due to
q lack Of money, for never before in
the history of the country was there |
such prosperity.
The course OF the world never for a |
moment goes backward, any more than |
the earth in its revolutions ever re-
verses its movement. If the interest |
in missions declines, it Is because
better sorts of missions are about to
take their place. Peabody saw that
the heather of London would never b.
improved with tracts and sermons, un-
til their environment was changed.
The men of wealth in America, seeing
the splendid results of Peabody's work.
are following also in His steps" as
Peabody followed. Whenever the
preachers cease to describe the beau |
ties of walking in His steps" and
their feet ring in the highway over
which His steps have fallen, wealth |
now begins to follow them There
lives a newer and stronger faith
IL at the close Of a century from the
date OF the conservation of this Pea
body fund even large percentage Of
the poor OF London are well housed. |
the scheme may not explain how evil
got into the world. but II will show
how evil can he enttnn out Of IL IL