The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-10-29
PEOPLES PULPIT.
Christian Versus
nti-Christian
Socialism.
Text. Goodness With Content
ment Is Great Gain" Il Timothy VI, o..


ooO.-.".~.-.-.-.-.-.-." .~.~.-.".~.-.-...-.".-.O
Of the world how To be rid OF all those
letters of the soul which material
emancipation will but rcudcr more ap.
parent, BIT for christianity, as iOo
often nOlr. 10 prOfeSS desire 10 free men
VI spiritual 6Onddge. while rcpudiuting
any call or need to strike fearless
blows ut their material prison bars. Is
to lay itself open to jHSiihabie charges
Of hypOcriSB. This must yield to Drawer
counsels. though the striving be even
unto blood against the sin of slavery
which still dpties modern industraliSm.
with widest meaning, then -inc'u-
sive of all that the most ardent and
uncompromiSing Socialist lover of lib
erty has demanded. and embracing be-
sides all that the Christian means
when he proclaims the glory of spir-
ituul freedom. Christianity must now
take up the challenge aud cry with
world. wide voice like the sound of
many waters and mighty thunder
Amen. even SO. unite. We workers;
you have II world to gain"
Brother White and the other dear
souls who propose to get Labor ont
OF the slavery OF modern Industrial
ism" should be willing to concede that
II now is the proper time for it, God
is as much interested in that release
as they or we or Others could possibly
be-yea. much more so. IL. then,
Brother White and others have re-
ceived some special commission au-
thOriZing them to preach a new Cos
pei or a new edition to the old Gospel
they should produce the proofs Of this
authorization. Until we see the proofs
we must doubt their existence.
On the contrary, the Scriptures de-
clare that there Is but the one hope
set before us in the Gospel, even as
there is but the one Lord. the one
Faith and the one Baptism. Brother
White and his coadjutors have not
succeeded and will not succeed In
making the world more happy by
preaching to them the Gospel of dis
content. Labor today is hundred
fold better fed. better clothed and bet
ter housed than in the days of Broth
er Whites grandfather. and 1t Is safe
to say that it is hundredfold more
disconnected And Brother White.
with doubtless the very best and no.
blest of intentions. neglecting the
Word of God. the "wisdom that
cometh from above" Games iii. ~.
is really doing injury by his gospel
of socialism. Our Lord was surround
ed by conditions OF sickness. sorrow.
erly declare. THE poor We have al
ways with you" Matthew XVI. III.
The apostles were similarly situated.
Yet have we any evidence whatever
that any of these attempted to break
the chains Of the slavery Of Labor"
Most assuredly not.
The Redeemer's Example.
While our Lord went about doing
good. and healed many of the sick. he
by no means healed all of the sick nor
comforted all the mourning ones. His
favorS were specialized. as in the case
of the impOtent man at Bethesda.
There were mutTudes of impotent
folks there" (Iohn V. 81. But only the
one was miraculously healed by our
Lords Word. Many widows were be-
reft of their sons. but only the widow
of Main had her son restored to her
by the all-powerful Word of our Saw
Tor. He came not into the world to
heal the sick. but to die for the world
as its Redeemer. He left the great
work. the important work of healing
all the sick-the mentally. morally and
physically sick. and of awakening all
the dead. until the establishment of his
Millennial Kingdom.
We likewise may do good unto all
men as we have opportunity and eSpe-
cially to the "hOuSehOld of faith" But
we likewise must wait for Gods time
and manner for the general healing OF
the worlds sorrows and troubles.
When in fultillment Of the prayer our
Lord taught us. Gods Kingdom shall
come and his will he done on earth as
II Is done in heaven. then all the bless
ing, all the hPlpfulneSs necessary 10
brought into operation. And 1t Is not
possible for any man or set of men.
Christians or otherwise either to i'm
prove upon Gods great Plan of the
Ages nor to hasten his Plan.
Is it urged hat the early Church at
its beginning established communist
ic society? We answer that this was
not worldly establishment. nor with
those who recognized worldly princi-
pies. IT was merely a social arrange
ment whereby the Church at Jerusa-
lem only sought 10 deal with each 9th
er as one family. 1t was not success
full. 1t did not persist, 1t did not
have apostolic commentator to other
Churches. W. may suppose. there
fore. that the arrangement was Divine
~ permitted so as TO show the Lords
people throughout the age the imprac-
ticability OF such an arrangement at
the present time.
Heavenly Hopes Not Desired.
Brother White and others would
probably tell us that socialists are cry
ing out that heavenly hopes are not