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476 RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA social Service

this process, of which the attendant dangers are, obvious. It can only be hoped that the motives which have hitherto inspired philanthropic action will in the future inspire the conscientious and sympathetic discharge of their new duties on the part of the central and local administrations and their officials. In this connection the influence of the Christian Social Union, a body under the guidance of Bishop Gore of Birmingham, Canon Scott Holland, and other distinguished Anglicans both lay and clerical, which studies social and economic problems and seeks to control industrial and commercial relations in accordance with the principles enunciated in the New Testament and by the Church, may have a great future open to it.

C. H. d'E. LEPPINGTON.

III. Philanthropy in America: The development of philanthropy in the modern western world is illustrated by the parable of the seed growing secretly, " First the blade, then the ear, then

x. Colonial the full corn in the ear." In the pioneer Practise. communities there is little poverty and no pauperism; the few who need assistance are cared for by their neighbors; organized charity is not needed. The churches in the early New England colonies included practically the whole population, and any of their members who were in need or in suffering were relieved by the voluntary compassion of the brotherhood. As the communities grew older, and families decayed, and the number of the defective and the decrepit and the helpless multiplied, some communal provision was made for the care of the poor; each town contracted with some citizen for the keeping of its dependents. Later, poorhouses were erected and yearly appropriations were made, at the town meetings, for the support of the poor. In these poorhouses the hopelessly insane were also confined, no provision yet being made for restorative treatment. Outside of New England the county was generally charged with the care of the poor; the almshouses and infirmaries were county institutions. Thus it will be seen that the tendency pointed out above (I., § 7) as prevailing among the Lutheran and Reformed churches at the time of the Reformation was active in the American communities. The care of the poor was turned over to the public authorities. When the town and the church were practically one this was of no importance; but when the standing order was disestablished, and the secular community was discriminated from the religious community, this virtual abandonment by the church of one of its primary functions was a serious matter for the church and perhaps for the poor.

At the present day, therefore, the American churches do not consider themselves wholly responsible for the care of the poor of the com-

b. Church munity. The same thing is true of

and Volun- Great Britain. This work has been tary Philan- largely taken over by the civic author-

thropies. ities-by the town or the parish or the city or the county. The churches do, however, find work of this kind to do. Many churches have in their own membership those who, from misfortune or accident, are in want, and

something is done for the relief of these, though, even here, the ministry often lacks much of being all that could be desired. The churches, also, through mission Sunday-schools and other such agencies, extend their acquaintance among the poor aad the unfortunate, and thus the rich and the poor are brought together and want is supplied and sorrow comforted. Services of this nature are not noised abroad, but it is probable that the amount of help thus quietly extended to needy persons is considerable. A great variety of voluntary philanthropies are also maintained in every populous town or city. Hospitals, homes for the aged, orphanages, cr6ches,. Magdalen asylums, societies for the relief of the poor in their homes, free dispensaries, diet kitchens, convalescent homes, district-nursing organizations, social settlements, and many other such organized methods of compassion and friendship are everywhere in operation. By these voluntary philanthropies a large part of the charity of the community is administered. These are, in good part, the inspiration of the churches; most of the workers in them are church-members. Generally these voluntary charities are undenominational; representatives of all the churches unite in maintaining them; they furnish a grateful occar sion for the manifestation of Christian unity.

The administration of this voluntary philanthropy by the churches and the various charitable organizations, is apt to be defective in two ways; there is, first, much overlapping, and

3. Defects unscrupulous mendicants are often Remedied able to secure aid from several differ- by Organi- ent sources at the same time; and, zation. secondly, the relief is apt to be ren dered without adequate investigation, and upon sentimental and emotional, rather than practical, considerations, so that habits of mendi cancy are encouraged and the character of the re cipients is damaged. For these reasons the organ ization of the voluntary charities has been found necessary, so, that cooperation migfit be secured and relief be administered by more rational and conservative methods. The " Charity Organiza tion Societies " or " Associated Charities " have been, for the last quarter of a century, effective agencies in the improvement of the methods of charitable relief. They have not always been able to secure so large a degree of cooperation as they have sought, for there are many sentimental per sons in the churches and the charitable societies who have but dim comprehension of the amount of harm that may be done by fostering mendicancy, and who are more disturbed by a tale of physical discomfort than by the spectacle of a ruined charac ter. But the principle of the charity organization societies, " Not alms but a friend," is the sound Christian principle; the aim is to stimulate self respect, self-reliance, industry, and frugality; to give temporary relief when that is needed, but, above all, to help the poor to help themselves. Much criticism has been bestowed on this work by those who view the matter superficially; these organizations have sometimes been called " socie ties for the prevention of charity." It is quite probable that the repressive features of the work