Page:The Parochial System (Wilberforce, 1838).djvu/146

 Such have been God's judgments upon others; and shall we escape? we have sinned greatly as a nation: we have never repented of our sin: we are now tried with a great national evil, which we may as yet remedy, by God's blessing, if we retrace our steps; but if not, ruin lies before us, ruin self-sought and self-invited. What then shall be our choice? Shall we leave to our children a Christian or a heathen land, God's blessing or His curse? Here is a noble opportunity of exercising all our influence for the good of our country, for the salvation of our brethren, for the honour of our God. Blessed surely will that man be, above all other Englishmen, who shall be the honoured instrument of calling his country to repent of this her sin, and shall thus turn away from her the fierce anger of Almighty God. Neither let us think the task hopeless; hopeless it appears at present, because no earnest effort has yet been made; but let the voice of the Christian people of England be raised, demanding that large grants be immediately voted from the public resources, to supply churches, and ministers, and Christian education, to the poor of our land; and that voice will quickly be obeyed. God has given us our political power and influence, for God and for our country let us employ it. It is not for the sake of economy, nor even from hatred to the Church, that nothing has yet been done by the parliament of England, for those of our poor who are destitute of all