The Labor enquirer., 1885-05-16
K0ulls' tllNE ER.
The Christian Socialist Has
Something . Say in Re-
gard ID n. G. W.
A Few More Quohtions From
the Bible 70 SHOW His
Position.

the Bible 20 NnOW HIS
Position.
The sTsms" Cut Ne Figure Amongst
the Argument that Socialism
is Christianity
Editor Labor Enquirer.
The criticism Of the pamphlet entitled
sGod and Man Ulityn which ap-
peared n your paper for April II, must
stand upon its own merits, and is per-
haps strong enough and Just enough to
stand soi In spite of the vigorous, literary
bombardment it has received from the
acute and learned IN. G. w." in the
number for May 2.
In the article of April II, your types
say, "the eighth and eleventh chapters
of First Samuel are the first and only
perfect essay on liberty" 1t is imma-
terial now to enquire how the error oc-
cured, but the statement ought to Eave
been "the eighth and twelfth chapters"
as the eleventh chapter does not sustain
the position upon which it is errone-
ously cited, to wit: "that the Jewish
Kingdom of Heaven was the negation
of human authority, and when they in
sisted upon electlng a king, Samuel de-
clared to them that he was divinely in
structed that 1t was "a great wickedness'
for them to place any human authority
over themselves"
There are some other errors in the
print, but of less important kind.
do not know how far mere contro-
versy may be profitable to your readers,
but being fully persuaded that the church
of Christ, as it existed in the world for
nigh three centuries, affords the only
possible basis upon which true liberty
and true religion can ever be possible to
the masses of mankind, it seems i'm
proper to remain silent when men who
seem to know better persistently charge
against Christianity all crimes commit
ted, or countenanced, by that ecclesias-
ticism which Constantine substituted for
Christianity. tits not true that Christ,
or his apostles, or his church, ever
wronged or prosecuted any man, or any
class of men, or ever authorized others
to do 50 !; and Intelligent writer's who
know this statement is true, ought not
to speak, or write the contrary. Let
Mohammedanism, Romanism and Prot
estantism answer for their own crimes,
wrongs, tYrannies and injustices; don't
charge them to Christianity. 1t never
committed any of them; it alone offers
equal justice and right to all men it
alone can Danish the selfshness which
is the curse of the world and if men
would only learn and act upon the sys-
tenn which Christ proposed, crime, ha-
tired, selfshness and violence, would
speedily be banished out of human life.
He taught as religion the very same So
cial and political truths which the fore
most thinkers of this age are teaching as
| the highest utterances Of craftsmanship
and law, and He proposed faith and love
as the bond of union among those who
might unite to realize perfect social
state. If the philosophers have any
higher incentive to secure the perform
ance of duty, l have never heard of it.
But to attempt to hold Christianity re-
sponsible for the crimes committed by,
and in the name of Constantlnes eccle-
iastical system (Roman or Protestant)
argues rather dense ignorance, or invin-
chile prejudices.
The editorial under the caption "The
Poor and the Church" in the number
! for May 2, states the matter very coz
rectly except that it fails to state the
truth that Jesus not only taught cor
rectly, but ne established kingdom or
church into which no man was admit
ted without conforming his life and con-
duct to the truths taught The usurers,
extortioners and demagogues who main
tain the ecclesiasticism and subsidize'its
ministers could never have gained ad-
mission into the church of the first three
centuries, and many of those whose
trade is to preach the gospel of Constan-
tine for coin, are perfectly we'll aware Of
the fact.
IN. G. w." has fallen into some errors
which perhaps deserve rectifcation.
"Tnen he quotes this: And God said
not good that man should be one.' l
suspect that the printer happened to
omit the two words it was after said,
but with or without such correction, the
passage is not in the bible"
The objector is entirely mistaken. The
words of the accepted version king
James translation) are as follows: "And
the Lord God said It is not good that
the man should be alone" (Gen. ii : 1S)
4 but the words ut is" are not in the orig
nal, and the word translated "alone" has
not precisely that Specification. The
true reading of the verse is this: "And
Jehoyah-Elohim said: not good that
man should be one," i. e. one form Of