The Labor enquirer., 1886-06-19
TO-DAY's CHRISTIAN
How the Majority of Them
Differ From the Carpen-
ter'S Son.
The ChriStS Who Suffer To-Day
For Humanity's
Sake.
The Miserable Doctrine of Content
ment With Vice, Misery, Dis
honesty and MeanneSS.
From London Justice.

1t ls indeed to be regretted that the
doctrines of Socialism are opposed with
such resolute determination, unbounded
by any regard for truth, by many who
profess to take Jesus of Nazareth as
their leader. For all history proves
that the ideas of the early Christians
were decidedly Communistic, and that
for the first 300 years of the Christian
period the rich were denounced by the
entire sect. Surely we Socialists can
claim to be related in thought to st.
Jerome who said, "Opulence Is always
the result of theft, if not committed by
the actual possessOr then by his ances-
tors )" to st. Ambrose who said, Mature
establised Communism, usurpation pri-
vate property ;" and to st. Clement who
said, "In Justice all ought to belong to
all. 1t is iniquitv that has produced
private property.'
Alas, the Christianity of the present
day would seem to be as much unlike
the Christianity of Jesus and Paul as the
Socialism of Marx differs from that of
Bismarck. The wolves ha We put on the
clothing of the sheep and have become
missionaries of the middle class.
Those active and numerous indlvid-
uals who are always to be found in our
parks, at our street corners, and wher-
ever debate or address is possible have
always one aim in view, Cne thought
uppermost. So also with their fellows
who frequent the lodging houses, parade
the streets, establish themselves in the
midst of the homes of the wage slaves,
and busy themselves with poking their
endless literature into the hands of the
passers bv, or leaving it at the poor
mans dvor The gospel which they
preach is only burlesqued distortion of
that of the Jewish reformer. In his
name thev speak, but their language is
the language of Judas. "Be We content"
is their message to the wage slave. For
every i'll YOU sufftr here recompense
shall be made you in another world.
Dives here has sway, you will be great in
heaven"
"Ah," said missionary of this type
in Hyde park last Sunday, eff the
thought of Christ diving in humiliation
and shame on the cross will not break a
mans heart nothing will" What a
mockery Here are millions of Christs
suffering under capitalistic rule and We
are told to turn all our attention and de-
vote all our pity to one who died nearly
1000 years ago.
Surely the'e men who every day
Judas-like sell their brothers and sisters
to the capitalists and landlords by
keeping them in ignorance of the truth
have forgotten that he hom they pro-
fess to follow has declared against the
rich. Communism breathes through
every word of his recorded in the book
they hold in such high esteem. 1T is
easier for camel to pass through the
eye of needle than<for rich man to
enter the Kingdom Of God" Sell all
that thou hast and give it to the poor"
can IN no way be construed into meaD-
ing, LET those who are crafty prey on
those who are helpless"
Undoubtedly he differed from us in
many ways. In different age other
ideas naturally dominate. He hoped to
regenerate mankind from within, by
making the man himself an unselfSh,
loving being. We. considering that
mans conditions regulate his thought
and action, wish to change entirely his
surroundings. But the same idea ami
mated the early Christians which moves
to action the RevOIntionist to-day the
establishment of a fraternal society IN
the place of one decidedly fratricidal
Many Socialists work after the manner
of Christ, few Christians adopt the
latter-day methods of the Social Demo
Gratis.
What az insult to the memory OF
such great reformer it is that the vast
by his name 800 years after he toiled
for humanity's good should preach q
vile, miserable doctrine Of contenIm Mt
with vice, crime, misery, uncleanliness
dishonesty and meanness. Keeping its
hold on the people simply through tn eli
ignorance and superstition, serving as an
instrument in the hands of the class
whose fosefathers butchered the carpen.
ter's son and his followers to keep in
suhiection the wage slaves of to-day
robbed of all Its former bright and glo-
rious ideality, the Christianity which il
welded to capitalism falls into decay be
fore the truths of science and reason
its founder frequently slandered and
revlled by those who would probably
have been his friends and fellow workers
had they lived in his time.
To those Christians who may chance
to see these words. and who wish to re.
alize the ideal of the man whose memory
they revere-the brotherly communion
of the human race-I appeal to consider
, carefully why they are Christians and
, what Christianity is.
| If they decide to accept as Christianity