ike all other natural ones,
has a true and pure purpose, and ought always in a worthy way to be
satisfied.

All men ought to be in this sense "noble"; known of each other, and
desiring to be known. And the first law which a nation, desiring to
conquer all the devices of the Father of Lies, should establish among
its people, is that they _shall_ be so known.

72. Will you please now read Sec. 22 of 'Sesame and Lilies'? The
reviewers in the ecclesiastical journals laughed at it, as a rhapsody,
when the book came out; none having the slightest notion of what I
meant: (nor, indeed, do I well see how it could be otherwise!).
Nevertheless, I meant precisely and literally what is there said,
namely, that a bishop's duty being to watch over the souls of his
people, and _give_ account of every one of them, it becomes
practically necessary for him first to _get_ some account of their
bodies. Which he was wont to do in the early days of Christianity by
help of a person called "deacon" or "ministering servant," whose name
is still retained among preliminary ecclesiastical dignities, vainly
enough! Putting, however, all questions of forms and names aside, the
thing actually needing to be done is this--that over every hundred
(more or less) of the families composing a Christian State, there
should be appointed an overseer, or bishop, to render account, to the
State, of the life of every individual in those families; and to have
care both of their interest and conduct to such an extent as they may
be willing to admit, or as their faults may justify: so that it may be
impossible for any person, however humble, to suffer from unknown
want, or live in unrecognized crime;--such help and observance being
rendered without officiousness either of interference or inquisition
(the limits of both being determined by national law), but with the
patient and gentle watchfulness which true Christian pastors now
exercise over their flocks; only with a higher legal authority
presently to be defined, of interference on due occasion.

And with this farther function, that such overseers shall be not only
the pastors, but the biographers, of their people; a written statement
of the principal events in the life of each family being annually
required to be rendered by them to a superior State Officer. These
records, laid up in public offices, would soon furnish indications of
the families whom it would be advantageous to the nation to advance in
positi