The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-07-22
SERMON ON SOCIALISM
Preached by Former Pastor OF Second
Congregational Church


At the Second Congregational
church last Sunday Rev. e. G. Reed,
a former pastor of the church and a
man who ranks high in the councils of
the church preached a sermon on
| "Paternalism and Individualism" that
several of those present have asked
the Banner to print. 1t is as follows:
Romans 14:12-"So then every one
of us shall give account of himself to
God"
Personal responsibility is the teach
ing OF this text, as of so many other
passages in the New Testament It
was one of the novel and revolution
izing doctrines of Christ, not indeed
wholly ignored in the Old Testament
yet not so clearly brought out and EN-
phasized there. We find in the older
dispensation stress laid upon Gods
dealings with His people at large-as
a nation, a commonwealth, a civil
and religious organization. Com
mands were laid upon them as such;
rewards for obedience and punish
ment for disobedience were distribu-
ted to them in their organized capac-
ity. Prophets sought to purify and
TIC StdlG IdlUGI ludn W idDOi
| for the reclamation of individuals. Ad-
herence to the established religious
system was dwelt upon more than per-
sonal and private virtues, although
these also received attention. In
short men were for the most part
treated in the aggregate under Old
Testament methods.
And | scarcely need say that this
was to a much greater extent true in
all the ancient civilizations outside of
Israel. Before Christ came the social
structure in the great empires of the
old world was based on care only for
the state and the religious cult adopt
| ed. Men existed for the sake of these
institutions; not these institutions for
the sake of men. The welfare of the
state, the interest of the hierarchy,
were alone considered. Whatever
benefit came to the masses descended
to them through the well being of the
community as cared for and admins
tered by the ruling classes. Under
this principle of paternalism, as we
call it, the vast majority of citizens
were reduced to the condition of chill
dren; restricted in freedom of choice
and action; permitted no initiative;
rendered irresponsible. They were
dealt with in bulk as wards of the
state; which prescribed their occupa-
tions, their hours of labor, their re-
muneration provided them with
work with food, with amusement,
with religion. The individual counted
for little; he was lost sight of in the
mass.
Now Christ was the liberator of the
individual. He did not undertake dir
ectly to reform the political ana social
and religious organizations, but began
by appeal to each soul as personally
related to God; made His offers of
grace and salvation to each; invited
to a personal trust in Himself, de-
manded love and obedience from
every one whether rich or poor, learn
ed or unlearned, master or slave, rul
er or subject. He taught the value of
every single soul, and laid upon every
one distinct responsibility for the use
of God-given powers. Whether one
has few or many talents, according to
Christ, account must be given to the
One Master of all for the use made of
them. He provided rewards to the
faithful and denounced punishment
upon the negligent and disobedient
He declared that there is joy in the
presence of the angels of God over
one sinner that repenteth;" and show
ed His own participation in this JOY
by laboring zealously for the CONVEX
sion of individuals. HIS conversat-
ions with Nicodemus, one of the rul-
ers of the Jews, and with the woman
nf apfn OF Tanphfc Wall out
cast, may be taken as illustrations of
his equal eagerness to gain the lofty
or the lowly and to spend time and
thought in the effort to gain only one
soul. Christ certainly magnified the
importance of the individual as it had
never been magnified before.
And His disciples followed Him in
this course. They evidently Under
stood His last command Go We into
all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature" in its obvious
meaning, that their aim should be to
offer salvation to every separate soul:
| (They were TO convert individuals
not to attack or try to change by dir
ect means a social system, nor to set
up such a religious establishment in
conjunction with the state as had ex-
listed in all countries. So they carried
out the teaching and example of their
Master. They made converts one by
one, and gathered them into churches
! for instruction. They insisted upon
the necessity of personal piety on
the part of these converts; as is
shown by Peters treatment of Anani-
as and Sappheia or of Simon the ma
gician. They taught not only public
| ly but from house to house." as Paul
reminded the elders of Ephesus; ties
| tifying both to the Jews and also to
the Greeks repentance toward God
and faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ" They reiterated constantly
Christ's doctrine of the accountability
of every man, and allowed none to
evade it even by pleading membership
in the theocracy of Israel. AS Paul
wrote,-"God will render to every
man according to his deeds; to them
wno by patient continuance In well
doing seek for glory and honor and
immortality, eternal life; but unto
them that are contentious, and do not
obey the truth. but obey unrighteous-
ness, indignation and wrath, tribula-
ton and anguish, upon every soul of
man that doeth evil, of the Jew first
and also of the Gentle"
This new principle If individual ac-
countability proved revolutionary in
the world. 1t released conscience
from the tyranny of human authority,
teaching men that God alone is Lord
of the conscience. 1t disenthralled