Salt of the Earth

 

Encourage believers to serve as “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” as Jesus said, with this compelling example of 19-century English Evangelicals (cited from The Call to Seriousness: The Evangelical Impact on the Victorians by Ian C. Bradley [New York: Macmillan Publishing Co, 1976]).

19th century English Evangelicals…

• Ended the British slave trade,

• Abolished sati (burning widows) in India,

• Abolished infant sacrifice in India,

• Banned child labor and many such abuses, and set the pace for other nations,

• Initiated reforms to ban the torture of animals for sport, and similar abuses,

• Rehabilitated prostitutes,

• Reformed the English Parliament, creating guidelines for just government,

• Brought education and other forms of relief to the destitute of England,

• Initiated prison reforms that set the pace for almost all nations,

• Brought about insane asylum reforms that set the pace for much of the world,

• Started the first hospitals in many countries,

• Started schools and universities in many countries that had few or none,

• Introduced literacy into many people groups.