A method concerning the relief and employment of the poor humbly offer'd to the consideration of the king and both Houses of Parliament / taken out of Sir Josiah Child's writings ; with somewhat added which the late renowned judge Sir Mathew Hale, writ in his book intituled, A discourse touching provision for the poor.

This following, Judge HALE writ (with much more to the same purpose) in his Book, Intituled, A Discourse touching Provision for the Poor.

WE have very severe Laws against Theft, possi∣bly more severe than most other Nations, yea, and than the Offence simply considered deserves; and there is so little to be said in defence of the severity of the Law herein, but the multitude of the Offen∣ders, and the design of the Law rather to terrifie them punish: ut metus in omnes paena in paucos: But it is most apparent that the Law is frustrated of its Design therein; for altho more suffer at one Sessions at Newgate for Stealing, and Breaking up Houses, and Picking of Pockets, and such other Larcenaries, than suffer in some other Countries for all Offences in three Years, yet the Goals are never the emptier: Necessity and Poverty and want of a due Provision for the Employment of Indigent persons, and the custom of a loose and Idle Life, daily supply with advantage, the number of those who are taken off by the Sentence of the Law: And doubtless, as the mul∣titude of Poor and necessitous, and uneducated Per∣sons increase, the multitude of Malefactors will in∣crease, notwithstanding the Examples of Severity.

So that upon the whole account, the Prudence of Prevention, as it is more Christian, so it will be more

effectual that the Prudence of Remedy. The pre∣vention of Poverty, Idleness, and a loose and disor∣derly Education, even of Poor Children, would do more good in this Kingdom, than all the Gibbets Cau∣terisations, and Whipping-Posts and Goals in this Kingdom, and would render these kind of Disci∣plines less necessary and less frequent Pref.

In that State that things are, our Populousness, which should be a blessing to the Kingdom, becomes the Burden of it; by breading up whole Families, and Succesful Generations, in a meer. Trade of Idle∣ness, Thieving, Begging, and a Barbarous kind of Life, which must in time prodigiously increase and overgrow the whole face of the Kingdom, and eat out the heart of it, unless care be taken to prevent it. p. 32.

He Concludes his Book thus, viz.

That it would be a Work of great Humanity (to relieve and imploy the Poor) and such as we owe to those of our own Nature as we are men. The wise GOD did tell his ancient People that the Poor should be always among them; 1. to exercise their Liber∣ality and Charity in supporting the wants of some by the abundance of others And 2. to Exercise their Discretion and Industry to think of and set on foot such means as might put them in a Course of honest Imployment, and encourage them in it. They that are Rich are Stewards of their Wealth, and they that are wise are Stewards of their Wisdom unto the Great MASTER of the Family of Haven and Earth, to whom they must give an account of both, and one (I am sure) of the best accounts they can

give of both is, to imploy them in the ••••formation and Relief of those that want both or either.

2. A work that as well becomes a Christian as any: Christianity commending Charity as one of the Principial Vertues, and indeed the ill Provision for the Poor in England, is one of the greatest Repro∣ches to us in relation to our Christian Profession.

The want of a due Provision for Education and Relief of the Poor in the way of Industry, is that which fills the Goals with Malefactors, and fills the Kingdom with Idle and unprofitable persons, that consumes the Stock of the Kingdom without improv∣ing it, and that will daily encrease even to a Deso∣lation in time. And this Error in the first Concocti∣on is never remediable but by Gibbits and Whipping. But there must be a Sound Prudent and Resolved Method for an Industrious Education of the Poor, and that will give better remedy against these Cor∣ruptions than any Penalties can.

FINIS.