I know well that
there has been much work done in the right direction; but when I
look at the ugly fact, that the population of London is increasing
far faster than its schools; that in 25 of the poorest parishes
thereof there are now nearly 60,000 children who go to no school at
all; and that the proportion of scholars to the population is lower
in Middlesex than in almost any county in England, while the
proportion of crime is highest; I cannot but sigh over the thousands
which I see squandered yearly on rash novelties by really pious and
generous souls, and cry, Ah, that one-fourth, one-tenth of it all
had been spent in the plain work of helping elementary schools; I
cannot but call on all London churchmen of the plain old school, to
stand by the organization and the doctrines of the Church to which
they belong; to rally in this matter round their bishop; and work
for him, and with him.
And now, there may be some here who will ask, scornfully enough, And
do you talk of nostrums? and then, after confessing that the masses
are hungering for the bread of life, offer them nothing but your own
nostrum, the Catechism?
Yes, my friends, I do. I know that the Church Catechism is not the
bread of life. Neither, I beg you to remember, is any other
Catechism, or doctrine, or tract, or sermon, or book or anything
else whatsoever.
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