THE RIGHTS OF THE POOR, AND Christian Almsgiving. CHAPTER I. Entroduction. THE PREVALENT OPINION OF THE POOR IS A HARSH AND UNCHARITABLE ONE THE HISTORY AND THE present disposition of writers upon charity is to depreciate the poor, to enumerate their crimes, to magnify their impostures, to prove that they bring their own misfortunes upon themselves by their vices, and that the alms which are given to them do in general more harm than good. The abundance of charity in this country, and the too great liberality of the English character, is another point generally assumed by them. These B topics are the burden of the writings of private theorists and philanthropists, of several parliamentary reports, and especially of the reports and other publications which have emanated from the Poor-Law Commissioners. This doctrine respecting the poor had its rise so soon as the effects of the policy of Henry and Elizabeth towards the poor and vagrants had begun to be apparent. From the time when the principal resources of the poor were taken away from them, by the dissolution of monasteries and religious houses, the complaint arose and increased of their bad character and rapacity, and of the too great proportion of the wealth of the country which they obtained. Several publications upon this subject appeared in the 17th century; of which I will mention one, a tract by Sir Josiah Child, written shortly after the fire of London. He thus easily excuses the want of liberality in the rich at that time: a Proposals for the Relief and Employment of the Poor. By Sir Josiah Child. (No date.) "As to the second answer to the aforesaid question, wherein want of charity is assigned for another cause why the poor are now so much neglected, I think it is a scandalous, ungrounded accusation of our contemporaries; for most that I converse with are not so much troubled to part with their money, as how to place it that it may do good and not hurt to the kingdom; for if they give to beggars in the streets, or at their doors, they fear they do hurt by encouraging that lazy, unprofitable kind of life; and if they give more than their proportions in their respective parishes, that (they say) is giving to the rich, for the poor are not set on work thereby, nor have they more given them; but only their rich neighbours pay the less. And for what was given in churches to the visited poor, and to such as were impoverished by the fire, we have heard of so many and great abuses of that kind of charity, that most men are under sad discouragements in relation thereunto." During the last century this system and |