Chap. VII.] DUTY OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE. 235

cheaply to be fed, and clothed, and saved from that desperationof want, under which lawlessness, and depredations, and everyform of violence are to be apprehended ? And the leadingmeasures, resorted to for the resolution of these questions, were,as far as philanthropists were concerned with them, the establish-ment of institutions for feeding the hungry, and clothing thenaked, at the smallest possible cost; and, where eleemosynaryprovisions of this kind were found inadequate, legislative aid wasinvoked in the form of new poor laws, or the modification andfresh adaptation of those existing, to new demands, circum-stances, and emergencies.

I do not mean to say, or to imply, that in the times to whichI refer, there was not much very active and very wise alms-giving. But I do mean to say, that almsgiving was too gener-ally under a very unwise direction ; that the true principles ofChristian almsgiving were not understood, as they are now un-derstood ; that incidental, but great evils had sprung up underthis injudicious course of action, and were growing, and contin-ually becoming more aggravated ; that they were extensively anddeeply felt, but that their true causes were not, until lately, ex-tensively or clearly perceived. The conviction is now deep andstrong in many minds, and is extending, that no great and perma-nent improvement of outward condition among the poor is to beexpected, but through an improvement of character; that thebest resources for improving their condition are within them-selves; that they often need enlightenment respecting these re-sources much more than alms ; that alms may be a means ofperpetuating poverty, and even of ministering to vice.

I shall avail myself of the most successful and authoritativeof the late investigations to which I refer ; and attempt to com-bine and illustrate the results, which seem to be well established,or entitled to the greatest confidence. In doing this, I shallexamine, — I. The chief abuses of almsgiving. II. Discussthe chief modes of almsgiving, —which, if judiciously conduct-ed, will unquestionably benefit the poor.

I. My general position, in regard to the abuses of almsgiving,may be laid down thus. Almsgiving is abused, whenever itministers in any way to a neglect of forethought and providence ;