Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-11-20

pioNeu thdH OtneIs, UT may CHoOse W suiitT ioT
others; nor the wicked always in prosperity.
No two lives alike yet all are mingled, all
touching and twisting In together, as particles Of
wool are united in cloth; and yet what seems
tangled and confused in our sight, and defes our
reason, is plain life-weaving in the sight Of him
"who numbers the hairs of our head.
AT THE CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH.
Rev. Mr.. Wright preached upon the "Com-
munism of the New Testament" using two pas
sages of Scripture as texts First "And the
multitude Of them that believed were Of one heart
and of one soul; neither said any of them that
ought Of the things which he POSSESSED was his
own; but they had all things common. Acts iv:
80. Second, Let him that stole steal no more;
but rather let him labor, working with his hands
the thing which is good, that he may have to give
to him that needeth. "-Ephesians iv: 20. It was
argued that the words, they had all things com
mon, should be taken with some qualification;
somewhat as in the familiar adage all things
are common among friends Benevoence rather
than greed, brotherly love and friendly sympathy
rather than sef-assertion characterized the first
converts to Christianity. And there were at that
time peculiar reasons for marked and unusual ex-
pressions Of disinterestedness. For the espousal
OF the cause of the despised and crucified Naza-
rene brought upon many Jews the loss of their
means of support; and many of those converted
at the Pentecostal season were strangers from
dstance-PaIthians Modes, Cretans, Libyans,
Arabans, etc who were likely, under the circum-
stances, to remain longer in Jerusalem than they
originally intended and thus to gain a special
claim upon the hospitality Of well-to-do ellow-be-
levers. Them too, the expectations cherished then,
and lately conspicuously set forth in New York of
the speedy personal return of Jesus, and the utter
overthrow Of the existing order of things, made
the accumulation and the boarding of property
appear altogether out of place.
1t is evident from many passages in the New
Testament that such community OF goods as was
practised at that early day was purely voluntary.
Peters words to Ananias indicate that As it
was not required, so it was not universal; nor
was 1t long continued by any considerable num-
Der. This appears from the early arrangements
for the care of widows from the instructions to
the rich In regard to their duties to the poor, from
contributions made in behalf of the destitute, and
from occasional references to the ownership of
real estate by disciples of Jesus.
So that the second text quoted expresses, more
accurately than the first, the actual teaching Of
the New Testament in regard to holding property.
1t does not repeat the cry Property is robberyi'
it does not encourage lazinsss and unthrift to
perpetuate their miserable existence by feeding
on industry and frugality; but it saws neither
Work with the nope VI aud'us ~ ,~-- ~.---i-..s
not however, with merely selfish aims. Have IN
mind MIN that needeth, the SICK the WIDOW
the orphan, the manned, the unfortunate ano
gam Tor benevolence'
The communism OF the New Testament would
not at once oDlterate all distinctions founded OF
property. Such sudden changes are likely to leave
many sad wreck IN their course Multitude'
OF attempts in this direction have proved ute
failures. Charles Nordhoh reckons forty-sevel
in the United States, while the experiments o
Owen in England and OF Saint Simon, Fornie