in darkest england and the way out-第79章

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lagged　terribly　behind；　that；　in　plain　words；　we　have　in　our　midst　a　nation　of　heathens　to　whom　the　ideals；　the　practices；　and　the　commandments　of　religion　are　things　unknownas　little　realised　in　the　miles　on　miles　of　tenement…houses；　and　the　factories　which　have　produced　them；　as　though　Christ　had　never　lived　or　never　died。　　How　could　it　be　otherwise？　　The　great　mass　of　men　and　women　have　never　had　time　for　religion。　　You　cannot　expect　them　to　work　double…tides。　　With　hard　physical　labour；　from　morning　till　night　in　the　surroundings　we　know　and　see；　how　much　mind　and　leisure　is　left　for　higher　things　on　six　days　of　the　week？　。。。　We　must　look　this　matter　in　the　face。　　I　do　not　pretend　to　establish　the　proportion　between　different　sections　in　which　these　things　happen。　　Still　less　am　I　willing　to　lay　the　blame　on　those　who　are　houseless；　landless；　and　property　less。　　What　I　say　is　that　if　the　Government　of　a　country　allows　millions　of　human　beings　to　be　thrown　into　such　conditions　of　living　and　working　as　we　have　seen；　these　are　the　consequences　that　must　be　looked　for。　　〃A　child；〃　said　the　Anglican　Bishop　South；　〃has　a　right　to　be　born；　and　not　to　be　damned　into　the　world。〃　　Here　have　been　millions　of　children　literally　〃damned　into　the　world；〃　neither　their　heads　nor　their　hands　trained　to　anything　useful；　their　miserable　subsistence　a　thing　to　be　fought　and　scrambled　for；　their　homes　reeking　dens　under　the　law　of　lease…holding　which　has　produced　outcast　London　and　horrible　Glasgow；　their　right　to　a　playground　and　amusement　curtailed　to　the　running　gutter；　and　their　great　〃object…lesson〃　in　life　the　drunken　parents　who　end　so　often　in　the　prison；　the　hospital；　and　the　workhouse。　　We　need　not　be　astonished　if　these　not　only　are　not　Christians；　but　have　never　understood　why　they　should　be。。。。

The　social　condition　has　created　this　domestic　heathenism。　Then　the　social　condition　must　be　changed。　　We　stand　in　need　of　a　public　creedof　a　social；　and　if　you　will　understand　the　word；　of　a　lay　Christianity。　　This　work　cannot　be　done　by　the　clergy；　nor　within　the　four　walls　of　a　church。　　The　field　of　battle　lies　in　the　school；　the　home；　the　street；　the　tavern；　the　market；　and　wherever　men　come　together。　　To　make　the　people　Christian　they　must　be　restored　to　their　homes；　and　their　homes　to　them。




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