The Labor enquirer., 1886-12-25
Owen Has Something to Say
of the Sermon Of Robert
Laird Collier. ,
He Thinks We Are Too Prone
to be Thankful for
the Crumbs.
The Reverend Gentleman's Little For
mula Into Which He Tries to
Fit Eternal Verities.
For .he ENQUIRER.

| For The ENQUIRER.
In your issue of the tenth instant %
pears sermon upon Socialism by the
Reverend Robert Laird Collier, which
is think worthy of more than pass :
ing notice as illustrating the points of
contact and of divergence between those
who advocate Socialism as logical de-
duction from scientific research, and
those who advocate it as being. in their
opinion, identical with the teachings of
the inspired Christ. Belonging myself
to the former school read as much cf
the sermon as was contained on the first
page with growing interest; l turned
over to the third page of your paper and
read with hearty satisfaction almost to
the bottom of the following column, and
then, sir, what then? Then I had got
to the end of the region of generalities,
to the end OF that destructive criticism
in which grumblers of every shade of
opinion-radical, Anarchist and conser-
vative, trades unionist, employer and
employed, politician and priest-all
harmoniously unite.
See with what gratitude we, strug-
Cling minority, accept even the smallest
crumb that falls from the rich mans
pulpit l had barely read the two first
columns of this sermon when the discus.
sion at the K. of L. meeting was at
tending commenced. 1 took occasion to
refer TO it IN terms of the warmest praise
saying that it was indeed happy omen
to see an influential member of the most
conservative class in the world, the
clergy, telling his congregation that un-
der existing circumstances Christianity
was mockery; that our whole civlliza-
ton was based upon social philosophy,
itself rooted and grounded IN sI"verY and
feudalism; that no movement since the
world began has been 80 in line with
pure religion as Socialism, and so forth;
all of which l most assuredlY believe.
Had |, sir, read that sermon to the end
prior to rising to my feet the note of my
criticism would have been different in
deed; it would have been upon the
lines of text from Revelation which
has doubtless ere this furnished the
preacher with many an argument; 81
would that thou vert either hot or
cold; but as thou art lukewarm l will
spew thee out of my mouth"
The preacher quotes John Stuart Mill,
and in quoting him he does but men
ton one out of the hundreds of those
who have made this century distinc
lively the century of criticism, critl-
cism that has spared not single insti-
tuition high or low, and that has espe.
cially devoted itself to dissecting the
philosophy of religions, and to sounding
the depths of our inherited codes of
morality. In his speech at Harpe RS
Ferry-if my memory serves me right
Wendell Phillips stated that real
Christian, a Christian Of the true Puri-
tan type, such as John Brown was, if he
saw SIN in front of him was bound to
spring at its throat regardless of Conse-
ouences, either to himself, or others.
That was doubtless Christianity as
Wendell Phillips understood it, as John
Brown understood it, and as Jesus of
Nazareth understood it, when he over
threw the tables of the money changers
and sCourged them from the temple.
1t is unfortunately not the sense in
which the masses have understood
Christianity as taught by its hired ex'
ponents. John Stuart Mill is bold
name for the orthodox to conjure with,
since upon this very question of Chris
tianity he has spoken in no hesitating
tones. In his three ESSAYS npon religion
he points out that, while Christianity
has bequeathed to humanity certain
beautiful truths which will never die,
Chr. ,tianity itself ~ doomed, and he
gives he reason. 1t is saturated with
the old Oriental idea of passive resist,
ance, its virtues are all negative. Her
bert Spencer has followed in similar
strain in his invaluable data of Eth
ics;" to my mind probably the most
Revolutionary book of the century. He
points out there the IncalCulable evils
that spring trvn acQuiescence in the
tyranny of others; he shows conclu-
siyely, to my mind, that our duty to a
neighbor has to be active as we'll as pas
sive; that, if we would refrain from do,
ing him an injustice. We must not permit
him to do one to US, since by 80 refrain
ing we deliberately demoraiz9 him; he
points out, again to my mind conclu'
siyely, that a higher humanity has ab-
solute need of higher morality, which
shall be resistant as well as submissive
how does the orthodox church regard
these philosophical questions, even when
it Is so unorthodox as to ally itself t.
Socialism, I have before me a copy oi
the London Commonweal in which ap.
pears short letter that the Christian
Socialist had refused to insert. Th'
Christian Socialist had apparently beer
discussing marriage. and the writer o
this letter said that he could not se
how marriage as an institution could bs