The Progress., 1893-08-12

thing That Approx imates Its True Chris
tian Basis.
CAPE CHARLES. Va. Aug. G.--Rcv.
Thomas Dixon, Jr.. continued at Cobb's
island the series of sermons on The Fl
nancial Isoblom." the subject of today's
discourse being Communism AMI 50.
cialism." The text chosen was Matthew
XIV. -. And unto one he gave five
talents. 20 another two. to another one;
TO each according to his several ability.
Standing before the great problem of
money. we ask ourselves the question
What will be its ultimate solution;
II is not question that can be settled
by manipulation of a gold standard or
silver standard or grecnback standard
of the mechanism of exchange. The
mechanism of exchange is a very small
part of the commercial problem. The
commercial problem is n larger question
than the mechanism of exchange. The
commercial problem is the problem of
the organization of human society. 1t is
n problem that can never he settled until
the question of the organization of so
Ciety is settled upon something that ap-
proximates its true Christian basis.
Hence the tremendous agitation of the
last decade i'm the social theories of the
world
There have arisen various schools of
social reform through the past century
which have felt and felt fully the seri-
ous import of this problem. The French
and German socialists of the last cen
tury have laid the foundations for the
deepest thinking upon this problem. and
that thinking is bearing fruit today IN
the active organization of society.
There are two schools of reformers who
claim the iield-the one destructive, the
other constructive The word socialist
has grown to have dangerous meaning
90 the conservative members of society
because of the wild lunatics who are in
reality anarchists and who have mas
queraded IA socialists.
A socialist is simply one who believes
i'm better social order than the present.
who believes in the reorganization of so
ciety upon basis of fraternal co-opera-
tion rather than the present basis of cold
blooded war.
Socialism has also been confused with
certain theories of communism that were
proclaimed within the past 80 years and
that today have loud mouthed advocates
in every country. This school of com
munism is in reality school of anarch-
lists. who have caused reaction from
true social reform that has been most
lamentable and has set back the prog
ress of the race practically generation.
hris-ianity is a system of socialism.
Jesus Christ was the first great socialist
of the world. The work of Christianity
is the construction of a new kingdom on
the remains of the old. Ii is the build
ing of new heaven and a new earth.
1t is this constructive socialism that
must give TO human society the true an
swer for its present ills.
The communism which demands di.
vision of property on a per capita basis
is in reality scheme of madmen and
anarchists and has nothing to do with
true social reform. Christianity has
nothing in common with the ideal Of
deaf. equality in the distribution of prop.
erty. Such scheme enforced would b.
the destruction OF society, not its CON
struction. And its destruction is nos
the aim of Christianity save as the prep
grafton for construction. Our text has
given MS the true principle of Christian
socialism as contrasted with the spurious
ideal of an equal communistic division
of property. 1t is equal ability and re
sponsibility, and reward in proportion to
ability.
The ideal of pure communism enforced
could only result in the destruction to
humanity
First-Bocause it is immoral.
5 II is contrary to Gods law. The BiblG
support of communism is apparent, not
real The New Testament. gives us ac'
counts of cooperative communities of
Christians. Each man did not claim hii
possessions as sacred to his own use. He
put his property in common, subject to
the use of his necessitous brother. Tho
right aud title of his property he always
maintained. The Bible condemnation of
n dead level communism is real. full.
overwhelming. We have the parable OF
the talents. God distinctly declares to
us that one man has five talents, another
two. another one. To one man is given
50 many pounds, to another so many. 70
another so many. and each man is re-
quired to give an account of the talent
he has possessed; to account for them IN
proportion to his possession. The judg
ment pronounced by the Bible is thi;
Judgment in proportion to mans de
serts. Those who are guilty of much ART
punished with many stripes; those whC
are guilty of little are punished with few
There are the greatest and the loves
even in the kingdom of heaven. In tn
organization of this ideal world. around
the very throne of God. there is recog
nized the inequality of the individual
an inequality that arises from unequa
distribution of powers. Each man i
equally responsible--that is to say. eacl
,oan IL raenonsihla to the full limit of hi