SECT。IToamanofcommonsensibilitynothingcanbemoredistressing，thantohearthecomplaintsofwretchedness，whichhe
hathnopowertoredress，andtobedailyconversantwithmisery，whichhecanneitherflyfrom，norrelieve。Thisatpresent
isthesituationoftheclergy，who，invirtueoftheiroffice，areobligedtovisitthehabitationsofthepoor。Heretheysee
helplessinfancyanddecrepitage，thewidowandtheorphan，somerequiringfood，andothersphysic；allinsuchnumbers，
thatnoprivatefortunecansupplytheirwants。Suchscenesaremoredistressing，when，asitsometimeshappens，the
sufferingobjectshavebeendistinguishedforindustry，honesty，andsobriety。Thelawsindeedhavemadeprovisionfortheir
relief，andthecontributionsaremorethanliberal。whicharecollectedfortheirsupport；butthen，thelawsbeinginadequate
tothepurposesforwhichtheyweredesigned，andthemoneycollectedbeinguniversallymisapplied，theprovision，which
wasoriginallymadeforindustryindistress，doeslittlemorethangiveencouragementtoidlenessandvice。Thelaws
themselvesappearbeautifulonpaper，andwillbetheadmirationofsucceedingages，when，intherevolutionofempires，
thewholefabricofourgovernmentshallbedissolved，andournation，asaseparatekingdom，shallexistnomore。These
laws，sobeautifulintheory，promotetheevilstheymeantoremedy，andaggravatethedistresstheywereintendedto
relieve。TillthereignofQ。ElizabeththeywereunknowninEngland；andtothepresentmoment，theyhaveneverbeen
adoptedbyanyotherkingdomuponearth。Ithasbeenmostunfortunateforus，thattwoofthegreatestblessingshavebeen
productiveofthegreatestevils。TheRevolutiongavebirthtothatenormousloadofdebt，underwhichthisnationgroans；andtotheReformationweareindebtedforthelawswhichmultiplythepoor。Atthedissolutionofthemonasteries，thelazyandtheindigent，whoweredeprivedoftheiraccustomedfood，became
clamorous，and，havinglongsinceforgottowork，werenotonlyreadytojoinineveryschemeforthedisturbanceofthe
state，but，asvagrants，bytheirnumbers，bytheirimpostures，andbytheirthefts，theyrenderedthemselvesapublicand
mostintolerablenuisance。Tostoptheirmouths，andtomakethememploytheirhandsinhonestlabour，wastheintention
ofthatday。Butatthesametimethelawstookundertheirprotectionsomeobjectsofdistress，whoforneartwohundred
years，fromanoblekindofpride，refusedtheprofferedaid，orreceiveditwithreluctance；andwhoatthepresentmoment
wouldbemoreeffectuallyrelieved，ifnootherlawsexistedbutthefirstgreatlawsofhumannature，filialaffection，andthe
generalbenevolenceofmankind。Theworld，itmustbeconfessed，iswickedenough:Yetamidstalltheirwickednessmen
seldomwantcompassion，unlessthecircumstancesinwhichtheyfindthemselvesarepeculiarlydistressing。Shouldwe\"in
thestraitnessofasiegebeholdmeneatingthefleshoftheirsonsandoftheirdaughters；shouldweseeamongthemaman
tenderanddelicate，whoseeyeshouldbeeviltowardshisbrotherandtowardsthewifeofhisbosom，andtowardsthe
remnantofhischildren，sothatheshouldnotgivetoanyofthemofthefleshofhischildrenwhomheshouldeat；\"（1）we
mustnotfromsuchinstancesconcludethatallmen，orevenmostmen，aredestituteofmercyandcompassion，orthatman
ingeneralcanbekindandbeneficentonlybycompulsion。Nodoubtineverydistrictwillbefoundsome，whoarestrangers
tothefinerfeelingsofthehumanheart；butatthesametimeineverydistrictwillbefoundsome，whoareenduedwith
generosityofsoul；andothers，whoundertheinfluenceofpietywillrejoicetorelievethewantsanddistressesoftheir
fellowcreatures。Ineveryplacesomewillbedistinguishedforbenevolence，othersforbrutality；butingeneralmaniswhat
hissituationmakeshim。Ishehappyhimselfintheenjoymentofeaseandaffluence？Insuchcircumstances\"hewillbeeyes
totheblindandfeettothelame；hewillbeafathertothepoor；theblessingofthosethatarereadytoperishwillcome
uponthisman:hewillcausethewidow\'shearttoleapforjoy*。\"（2）Letthesamemanbestraitenedinhiscircumstances，let
himbeburthenedwithtaxes，lethimbeharassedbytheclamoursanddistractedbytheincessantdemandsofthemost
improvidentandlazyofthesurroundingpoor；andhewillhavelittleinclinationtoseekforobjectsofdistress，ortovisit
thesequesteredcottageofthesilentsufferer。Itisgenerallyfound，thatmodestworthstandsatadistance，ordrawsnigh
withfalteringtongueandbrokenaccentstotellanartlesstale；whilstthemostworthlessarethemostunreasonableintheir
expectations，andthemostimportunateintheirsolicitationforrelief。Ifthelatter，fromanyimperfectionofourlaws，get
abundantlytoomuch，theformermustofnecessityobtaintoolittle。If，agreeabletothegeneralpracticeofthelabouring
poor，aman，previoustohismarriage，orwhilsthisfamilyissmall，hasmadenoprovisionforhisfuturewants；ifall，to
whomhemightnaturallylookforaid，areinthesamecircumstanceswithhimself；andifthecharityofthoseamonghis
neighbours，whoaredistinguishedforbenevolence，nayofallwhohavethecommonfeelingsofhumanity，isexhausted；if
theywhoaremostwillingareleastabletorelievehim；wemustexpecttoseedistressandpovertyevenamongthosewho
areworthyofcompassion。——ThisatpresentisthecaseinEngland。Thereneverwasgreaterdistressamongthepoor:there
neverwasmoremoneycollectedfortheirrelief。Butwhatismostperplexingis，thatpovertyandwretchednesshave
increasedinexactproportiontotheeffortswhichhavebeenmadeforthecomfortablesubsistenceofthepoor；andthat
wherevermostisexpendedfortheirsupport，thereobjectsofdistressaremostabundant；whilstinthosecountriesor
provincialdistrictswheretheleastprovisionhasbeenmadefortheirsupply，wehearthefewestgroans。Amongtheformerweseedrunkennessandidlenesscloathedinrags；amongthelatterwehearthechearfulsongsofindustryandvirtue。Iflawsalonecouldmakeanationhappy，ourswouldbethehappiestnationuponearth:idlenessandvicecouldnotexist；
povertywouldbeunknown；weshouldbelikeaprosperoushiveofbees；allwouldhaveenoughandnonetoomuch。The
reverseofthiswefindtobethecase:povertyandviceprevail，andthemostvicioushaveaccesstothecommonstock。Ifa
manhassquanderedtheinheritanceofhisfathers；ifbyhisimprovidence，byhisprodigality，byhisdrunkennessandvices，
hehasdissipatedallhissubstance；ifbyhisdebaucherieshehasruinedhisconstitution，andreducedhimselftosucha
deplorableconditionthathehathneitherinclinationnorabilitytowork；yetmusthebemaintainedbythesweatandlabour
ofthesoberandoftheindustriousfarmer，andeatthebreadwhichshouldbegivenonlytovirtueindistress。——Ifinall
cases，thisbread，soillbestowed，weresuperabundant；iftheindustriousfirmerwerehimselfineaseandaffluence；the
grievancewouldyetbetolerable。Butinthisdayitoftenhappensthattheindustriousfirmerisoprestwithpoverty。Herises
early，anditislatebeforehecanretiretohisrest；heworkshardandfareshard；yetwithallhislabourandhiscarehecan
scarceprovidesubsistenceforhisnumerousfamily。Hewouldfeedthembetter，buttheprodigalmustfirstbefed。He
wouldpurchasewarmercloathingforthem，butthechildrenoftheprostitutemustfirstbecloathed。Thelittlewhich
remainsaftertheprofligatehavebeencloathedandfed，isallthathecangivetothose，whoinnaturehavethefirstclaims
uponafather。Ifthisevilcouldbestemmed，whilstthepresentlawssubsist，hemightyethavehope:butwhenheconsiders，
thatalltheefforts，whichhavebeenmadeinhisownparishorinothers，havebeenvain，andthattheevilisconstantly
increasing，heisdriventodespairofhelp，andfearsthatheshallbehimselfreducedtoworkfordailyhire。
