CHRISTIANITY AXD SOCIALISM. 



81 



takes in the present day. With a strong sense of the grinding 

 poverty and degradation in which niilhons of their fellow men 

 are sunk, the generous spirits of our day can hardly fail to be 

 intensely eager to give to every human being the opportunity 

 of developing the best that is in him, and of sharing in the 

 heritage of culture and knowledge that has come to the heirs of 

 all the ages. And this new and eager desire, wdiich so many are 

 hailing as a gospel, seems to have a very intimate relationship 

 with Christianity. That, too, has been an " enthusiasm for 

 humanity" ; it cherishes a hope for a new heaven, but it also 

 labours for a new earth. The moral character of Socialism is 

 high, its philanthropy is deep and genuine, as if it had the 

 closest affinity with practical Christianity, so that to many clergy 

 it seems possible to blend the two, and by their combined forces 

 to bring about a new society that shall be better materially 

 and more truly religious. If Socialism can be brought to accept 

 the leadersliip of Christ, it seems that enormous progress might 

 be made for the ennobling of man and the service of God. 



On the other hand it appears that there are many socialists 

 who do not recognise this kinship or desire to strengthen any 

 affinities which may exist betw^een Christianity and the move- 

 ment they have at heart. They may indeed feel an admiration 

 for the Founder of Christianity, but they beheve that the move- 

 ment He inaugurated has proved a failure, and that it is 

 necessary to give their energies to something else. To their 

 minds Christianity, as it is at the present time, is embodied in 

 powerful institutions closely allied to the social forces which 

 they find most hostile ; and they believe that in its true inward- 

 ness, Christianity has little or nothing in common with Sociahsm. 

 Personally I believe that the insight of the non-Christian 

 socialist is not mistaken ; whatever superficial resemblances 

 there may be betw^een Christian philanthropy and socialistic 

 schemes, I hold that Christianity is quite inconsistent with 

 socialism as a doctrine of life ; and that those Christians who 

 dally wdth Socialism, are in danger of losing their hold on the 

 very essentials of Christianity. 



The forms of Socialism are so various that it is not easy to 

 indicate its essential character in a few words, but in all 

 its shapes it aims at procuring more enjoyment for the mass 

 of individuals — both intellectual and physical — by govern- 

 mental action and organisation. The range of its vision is 

 bounded by the present w^orld, and it neither knows nor greatly 

 cares what there may be beyond. This attitude of mind is 

 always tempting — Let us eat and drink for to-morrow we die 



