The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-09
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
THE LIFE IN COMMON, WILL CHRIS
fIAN SOCIALISM BE REALIZEDt
By the Rev. II. Hcber Newton, ID. ID,
Church, New York City.

an as every man had need Acts ii, A.
From our studies OF the origins of Chris
tianity we have come TO suspect that one Of
the most powerful forces at work In the
early church was nothing less than a
Christian socialism. There are scattered
hints left us in the history of early Chris
tianity which warrant US in suspecting that
there were many churches and societies
which actually tried to realize the holy
dream of the first disciples; which seriously
believed that the example and teachings of
Jesus had ordained as the law Of the new
humanity a Christian communism.
1t is perfectly plain to my own mind that
that beautiful vision of the early church,
embodying the innermost principle Of the
spirit of Jesus, has never wholly faded from
the soul OF Christianity; but that. in every
period OF renewing life. II has come forth
again, alluring men TO seek a true human
brotherhood. What else meant the monas-
ticisms OF the dark ages and the middle
ages? Men and women who were weary OF
the strife Of the world and the care Of
riches hocked into these brotherhoods, re-
nouncing all their private possessions, glad
to live thenceforth as those who had all
things common" From these living brother
hoods went forth the power Of unconscious
devotion, OF absolute conservation, Of COM
plete surrender, OF the utmost mastery OF
the world; the power in which the moral
miracles of mediaevalism were wrought
With the incoming of the new tide which
set toward the reformation there was re-
newal OF the aspiration after some realiza-
ton OF a Christian commonwealth. Breth-
rem OF the Free Spirit and other kindred
orders all grew out Of the irrepressible
movement OF the soul toward the ideal Of the
Life In common. Each society thus arising
was a protest against the selfish strife. the
greed OF gain which prevailed in the world
around; each was sigh for a perfect ideal
Of human life.
From that time on church history has
shown In each period of quickening life
the continued action OF the ancient spirit.
When German pietism arose in pro-
test against the deafness of theologi-
cal and ecclesiastical Christianity its eff
feet was to quicken again in the souls of
ardent men the dream Of human brother
hood and TO inspire the effort to realize 1t.
Over to our shores have come. one after an
other, little bands OF simple, devout Chris
tian people, really believing that the teach
fngs and example of Jesus Christ were to be
literally followed, and seriously proposing
to set themselves to the task of following
their Master. Below the surface OF our
worldly Christianity there run deep, quiet
streams Of Christian feeling which may at
any time throw themselves to the surface
IN strange. unlooked-for movements, pat
terning themselves after the early example
OF Jerusalem
AN UNCEAsING ASPIRATION.
A bird's-eye view of history suffices to
show that deep in the heart of Christianity
there Is an aspiration after a social order
which shall embody the spirit of Jesus
Christ = an aspiration which stirs afresh
whenever there is fresh inspiration from
on high. That early communism was but
the outward form in property Of the inner
lie in common which filed them all; and
the life in common Is the essential spirit OF
Christianity. Selhshness Is the root of the
evil life, whose fruitage is all around us in
the world. The love Of self is to be over
come by the sense OF life in common,
which draws Us out to love one another,
and, therefore, TO deal justly with one an
other, remembering that word OF ST.
Paul: Lie not one 20 another, for We are
members one OF another"
The Christian spirit discerns in our pres
ent stage of civilization an order which
ministers needlessly. and. therefore. wrong
fully, attribute to the selfishness which Is
latent in us all. The Christian spirit dis
Germs. therefore. In this characteristic of
our civilization the chief feeder of the vice
and crime which attend our civilization.
We have grown so used to our distressing
disorders that We fail TO recognize the fact
that they are the direct outgrowth of our
system; that they need not be in the extent
to which they are developed among US; that
snrns Wod Oh do axa ovr i fhe condisnnr
engendering our worst tmmoraiities. We
may reason with the Christian spirit and
persuade II OF the difficulties IN the way OF
Its aspiration We may convince IL that its
dreams are not practicable as yet. We may
ccnciusiveiy show II that there are other
OF Providence, In the development OF which
even our imperfect and seifish civilization
do no more than lead the Christian spirit
70 wait In the patience OF hope for the COM
ing Of sns better r,d DAY. We ay smile n5
then only retire within and sigh the more
deeply. The kingdom come, o Lord
AN IMPRACTTCABLE DREAM.
AS q law Of life for to-day this dream may
he utterly impracticable. Nothing Is more
conclusively demonstrated by history than
that. with all its advantages (and they are
neither few nor trifiing), communism will
not work In our present stage Of Develop
ment- II 1t could be realized 1t would sim
ply prove the arrest Of civilization. The
spur Of necessity. the goad of hunger, the
pressure or poverty, the fires OF emulation,
the strife OF competition--these forces of
the natural man are being used under the
hand Of Providence TO push man forward,
to build up the wealth that is needed as the
basis OF civilization, to develop the mental
life OF humanity, 10 sharpen, 10 quicken all
our human powers, to train the will, to
evolve the free individuality which IS the
essence OF character. No sane man dreams
Of the practicability OF realizing such q
dream this OF the early Christian COM
munism for generations. for ages II may be.
We distinguish between an ideal and a
law: between principle and a method; be-
tween an example or the spirit or the Chris
ton life and the institutional form OF that
life: between the life in common which IL is
our duty to. cherish in every practicable way
and the possession OF al property in COM
mon. which. as a social institution, or
dafned for the average man, would soon
leave him without any property at all; be-
tween a commonwealth and a communism.
Jesus gave the principles of human conduct,
the moral laws OF all life. His beautiful
communism was an ideal of the soul; as
Renan finely called IL, the delicate COM
To translate this ideal into a law would
be to anticipate progress: TO precipitate upon
an immature civilization the vision OF its
maturity; TO try 10 bring forth the rose in
January IL our competitive civilization Is
J the appropriation OF the weak by the strong.
communism would be the appropriation OF
the strong by the weak. We must sigh that
we cannot transform our world into a COM
munism such as that which the early church
realized In brief moment OF enthu-
siasm. but while we admit the fact that we
are Christian men. hold the ideal thus lifted
above Us real vision or the soul, after
which we are to strive. toward which we are
20 press. and which must fain believe
will one day come forth somehow, at some
time. upon our earth in a real commonwealth