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

George Peabody. an American bank
or residing in London, died In 1866,
leaving the sum Of s2,500.000 to be
spent in ameliorating the condition Of
the poor OF that city. He did not leave
h to missions and churches, but with
worldly wisdom saw that no true reli-
gion could exist among the poor I'M
less their physical conditions were ad-
equate. 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 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
The Peabody fund has now increased
by judicious 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 II his idea
were wisely followed. that in 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 Chris,
by believing only his humanity. but he
alone, fearless, confident, and with
simple faith, walked lin His steps"
DIR. Brown, the secretary Of the Pres
byterian Board Of Foreign Missions. in
recent sermon, said: There was a
missionaries among the people, as was
indicated by the decreased contribu- |
tiOns. 1t was not only among the Pres
byterians that this interest had wancd,
but also among the Congregationalists,
the Baptlsts, and other churches. In
seeking for an explanation Of this, the |
al cnil n could mot ha Iua N
. 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. 1t is because
better sorts Of missions are about to
take their place. Peabody saw that
the heather of London would never BE-
improved with tracts and sermons. un-
Ill their environment was changed.
The men Of wealth in America, seeing
the splendid results of Peabody's work,
are following also lin His steps" as
Peabody followed Whenever the
preachers cease to describe the beau
ties OF walking lin His steps" and
their feet ring in the highway over
which His steps have fallen. wealth
now begins to follow them. There
lives newer and stronger faith.
II at the close Of century from the
date Of the conservation OF this Pea
body fund even a 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 be gotten out of it, 1t
will settle the miserable controversy
which has lasted for eighteen centu-
ries, about the natural depravity of
man. The results OF the vast philan-
thropy of the late Baron Hirsch will
he apparent, also, and the theological
chemists will have TO admit that the
old analyses are very incorrect