第118章 A PRACTICAL CONCLUSION.(2)

Those who have followed me thus far will decide for themselves to what extent they ought to help me to carry out this Project,or whether they ought to help me at all.I do not think that any sectarian differences or religious feelings whatever ought to be imported into this question.

Supposing you do not like my Salvationism,surely it is better for these miserable,wretched crowds to have food to eat,clothes to wear,and a home in which to lay their weary bones after their day's toil is done,even though the change is accompanied by some peculiar religious notions and practices,than it would be for them to be hungry,and naked,and homeless,and possess no religion at all.It must be infinitely preferable that they should speak the truth,and be virtuous,industrious,and contented,even if they do pray to God,sing Psalms,and go about with red jerseys,fanatically,as you call it,"seeking for the millennium"--than that they should remain thieves or harlots,with no belief in God at all,a burden to the Municipality,a curse to Society,and a danger to the State.

That you do not like the Salvation Army,I venture to say,is no justification for withholding your sympathy and practical co-operation in carrying out a Scheme which promises so much blessedness to your fellow-men.You may not like our government,our methods,our faith.

Your feeling towards us might perhaps be duly described by an observation that slipped unwittingly from the tongue of a somewhat celebrated leader in the evangelistic world sometime ago,who,when asked what he thought of the Salvation Army,replied that "He did not like it at all,but he believed that God Almighty did."Perhaps,as an agency,we may not be exactly of your way of thinking,but that is hardly the question.Look at that dark ocean,full of human wrecks,writhing in anguish and despair.How to rescue those unfortunates is the question.The particular character of the methods employed,the peculiar uniforms worn by the lifeboat crew,the noises made by the rocket apparatus,and the mingled shoutings of the rescued and the rescuers,may all be contrary to your taste and traditions.

But all these objections and antipathies,I submit,are as nothing compared with the delivering of the people out of that dark sea.

If among my readers there be any who have the least conception that this scheme is put forward by me from any interested motives by all means let them refuse to contribute even by a single penny to what would be,at least,one of the most shameless of shams.There may be those who are able to imagine that men who have been literally martyred in this cause have faced their death for the sake of the paltry coppers they collected to keep body and soul together.Such may possibly find no difficulty in persuading themselves that this is but another attempt to raise money to augment that mythical fortune which I,who never yet drew a penny beyond mere out-of-pocket expenses from the Salvation Army funds,am supposed to be accumulating.From all such I ask only the tribute of their abuse,assured that the worst they say of me is too mild to describe the infamy of my conduct if they are correct in this interpretation of my motives.

There appears to me to be only two reasons that will justify any man,with a heart in his bosom,in refusing to co-operate with me in this Scheme:--1.That he should have an honest and intelligent conviction that it cannot be carried out with any reasonable measure of success;or,2.That he (the objector)is prepared with some other plan which will as effectually accomplish the end it contemplates.

Let me consider the second reason first.If it be that you have some plan that promises more directly to accomplish the deliverance of these multitudes than mine,I implore you at once to bring it out.

Let it see the light of day.Let us not only hear your theory,but see the evidences which prove its practical character and assure its success.If your plan will bear investigation,I shall then consider you to be relieved from the obligation to assist me--nay,if after full consideration of your plan I find it better than mine,I will give up mine,turn to,and help you with all my might.

But if you have nothing to offer,I demand your help in the name of those whose cause I plead.

Now,then,for your first objection,which I suppose can be expressed in one word--"impossible."This,if well founded,is equally fatal to my proposals.But,in reply,I may say--How do you know?

Have you inquired?I will assume that you have read the book,and duly considered it.Surely you would not dismiss so important a theme without some thought.And though my arguments may not have sufficient weight to carry conviction,you must admit them to be of sufficient importance to warrant investigation.Will you therefore come and see for yourself what has been done already,or,rather,what we are doing to-day.Failing this,will you send someone capable of judging on your behalf.I do not care very much whom you send.It is true the things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned,but the things of humanity any man can judge,whether saint or sinner,if he only possess average intelligence and ordinary bowels of compassion.

I should,however,if I had a choice,prefer an investigator who has some practical knowledge of social economics,and much more should I be pleased if he had spent some of his own time and a little of his own money in trying to do the work himself.After such investigation I am confident there could be only one result.

There is one more plea I have to offer to those who might seek to excuse themselves from rendering any financial assistance to the Scheme.Is it not worthy at least of being tried as an experiment?