A plan for establishing a charity-house, or charity-houses, for the reception of repenting prostitutes. To be called the Magdalen Charity / [Anon].

  • Hanway, Jonas, 1712-1786.
Date:
[1758]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A plan for establishing a charity-house, or charity-houses, for the reception of repenting prostitutes. To be called the Magdalen Charity / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the moft eftedual method to recover thofe who are enthralled, loft and un¬ done. The law of God ; zeal for liberty j the love of our country, and the duty we owe to our fellow-creatures, call on us to try the experiment, what can be done for their fervice. We all know what great difficulties thefe unhappy women labor under, and how important our affiftance may be to fuch as would repent, if they knew how to obtain, were it only a bare fupport. To urge that they are felf-punifhers ; that their mifery is the effed of their own folly ; and that they may Jleep in the bed which they have made, would be fubfcribing to our own condemnation. We are all finful, and our world¬ ly misfortunes, as well as our fpiritual diftreffes, generally arife from our own weaknefs or perverfe inclinations; and if no fuccor is to be afforded in fuch diftrefs, when is it to be afforded ? Does not this dodrine deftroy all the diftindions which religion and humanity have made ? Let us there¬ fore determine to infure the fuccefs of this bufinefs, by every means in our power; and by the help of God, refolve to conquer all difficulties, not frighten ourfelves by talking of them j or dilplaying our parts in writing pamphlets. After all that can be faid, much will depend on the piety, the vigilance,, the moderation and good fenfe of the governors> who are appointed as a; committee to conduct this buftnefs, and not lefs on the integrity and abilities of the officers who ad under them. Every precaution muft be ufed : any effential failure in the condud of this enterprize, at firft fetting out, may he irretrievable. The officers (hould be men capable of making refledions on their own experience,, and of furnifliing fuch hints as they may draw from