Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-22
CHRISTIAN VS.. ANTI
CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM
Goodness with contentment is great gain."-.

The only proper contentment Is that WHICH
combines with goodness and which sees from
The standpoint of Gods Word the divine uower
able to correct the difficulties which assail us
and all mankind The godly believer thus in
structed is able to appropriate to himself the
divine promises of providential care ana thus
10 be content with conditions which are not
satisfactory.
On the other hand those who either do not
know Of the divine power, or have lost theIr
faith In divine wisdom, chafe more and more
under present condi ions. And the more ul5
contented they become, the greater Is tnelr Ter
dency toward ungodliness-doubt of divine love
wisdom and power. Self-dependence Is poo
substitute and. as disappoin tments come, the
combative find anger, malice, hatred, envy ano
strife surging through their minds ThHn thes
become rabid socialists and are In the way l"
eventually become rabid anarchists.
Again we have those who term tnemseNees
Christian Socialists. Those well meaning souLS
perceive the situation of their brethren anu say
Yes the world should be socially transformed
Its riches should not flow. ss at present, INTO
the favored channels. but should be scattered
everywhere for the general refreshment and COM
fort of mankind as whole. They phllo5opnl1e
on what God surely would and surely would not
approve amongst men. and then declare that all
Christians should at once set about to secure TO
the world of mankind n just division or Gods
bountles. Their love and zeal for right prln-
ciples should and do admire and commend.
But we cannot commend their course. their
hopes their preaching, by which they seek TO
obtain the ends desired Recognizing the prln'
forgetful of IN efnct that they have not the
divine wisdom necessary TO proper application
They seem to forget that justice has been the
same for several thousand years past ana tnat
divine wisdom has not yet seen fit to es abllSh
divine justice amongst men. If they think thar
this Is a neglect on Gods part which they are
wise enough to rectify, the thought is evidently
an erroneous one. II they believe. on the con
trGry. that the time for the establishment OF
Justice was not I'm the past, but has now come,
they should be able 10 find and point us to a
divine revelation to This effect, practically au-
thoriZing them to take their stand now for So
cialism and explaining that the time for the
prosperity of justice has come and how they
shall proceed and what shall be the outcome
But do they offer such evidences from the
Bible? Do they offer such proofs as these?
Nay, verify. Like the other socialists, they are
merely discontinued, and, becoming discontinued.
seek a remedy and, because Of religious TURN
of mind. seek to justify their course as Chris
tian and biblical, without thinking 1t necessary
to study the Isible the subject and to con-
form their message and expectations to Its out
lines OF the divine plan of the ages. From the
Bible standpoint the world is not properly ready
for its own control under any form OF govern
ment. 1t is a rebellious province In the divine
empire-one In which sin and selfishness and
death cons flute the ruling elements The Bible
declares that what the world needs is a mon
archy-a strong, centralized government In which
the masses must not be allowed TO have a
voice al all. because, in their fallen condition.
they know not what Is for their own highest
good. The Bible tells us that present instltu'
tions under the power Of selfishness. driving
the wealthy in one direction and the masses In
the opposite direction, IS about to bring uni
versai crash-anarchy. This end atheistic social
ism and chris. ian socialism. and. in a larger
sense. general sefishness and discomfort are urg-
ing upon the two great combatants. both OF
whom will fall in the struggle never r, TO Test
They will be succeeded by the kingdom OF Gods
dear Son-the millennal kingdom-the media
torial kingdom-for which pray, Thy king
dom come; thy Will he done earth, as 1t Is
{ in heaven. Matt. $40
That strong government. that theocracy TO
aud fDnU
confess to the glory of God is the kingdom
that the world needs. Its rule of righteousness
alone will bring to mankind the Joy and peace
and blessing which all crave. but which none
of us are wise enough 10 know how TO bring
about--not socialist friends. The part
of faith and the part Of wisdom is to look unto
the Lord from whom comelh help. Nor
should we look to Him TO approve our methods,
but rather to be informed respecting His meth
DDS and to approve them and to cooperate to the
CHURCH CONGRESS OF BOSTON.
At church congress recently held in Boston
a day. was given 10 the discussion of Christian
Socialism Both sides of The question were per.
mitted to be presented. One minister. Rev.
Elioy White. is reported In the Christian So
cialist," as having made the following state
LET us answer Hasten the day when labor.
united. shall shake off ats chains! Our part
as Christians is to help men out OF every bond
age. We are not perturhed that socialism. in
its eagerness 20 rid labor OF material bonds.
has not yet REALIZED the weight Of bonds spirit
and Christianity must be ready to show the
workers of the world how to be rid of all those
letters of the soul which material emancipa-
tion will but render apparent. But for
Christianity. too often now, to profess desire
to free men of spiritual bondage, while repudi-
atinR any call or need 10 strike fearless blows
at their material prison bars. is to lay itself
lopen to justifiahle charges Of hypocrisy This
must yield to Drawer counsels, though the striv-
ing be even unto blood against the sin of slav-
ery which still defiles modern industrialism.
with widest meaning then-inclusiye of all
that the most ardent and uncompromising So
! ciaIist lover of liberty has demanded. and en-
bracing besides all that the Christian means
when he proclaims the glory of spiritual free
dom, Christianity must now take up the chal-
lenge and cry with worldwide voice Ike the
sound Of many waters and a mighty thunder:
Amen! even so, unite, We workers: you have
but your chains to lose, and you have world
Brother White and the other dear souls who
propose to get labor out Of the slavery of mod
ern industrialism' should be willing to eoncede
that II now is the proper time for 1t, God is
as much interested In that release as they or
we or others could possibly be--yea. much more
so. II, then. Prother White and others have re-
ceived some special commission authorizing them
to preach a gospel 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 declare that
there is but the one hope set before us In the
gospel, even as there is but the enc Lord. the
one Faith and the one Baptism. Brother White
aud his cO-adjutors have rot succeeded ano
py by preaching TO them the gospel Of dscon-
tent Labor today is hundred fold better fed.
better clothed and better housed than in the
DAYS OF Brother Whites grandfather and 1t Is
safe to say that IL is hundred-fold more dis
contented.. And Brother White with doubtless
the very best and nohleSt Intentions neglectinR
the Word Of God, the wisdom that ,cometIl
from above" (James 3:17(, Is really doing injury
ib- his gospel of socialism. Our Lord sur
: rounded by conditions Of sickness, sorrow. pow
, | erty etc, that he could properly declare,
! The poor We have always with you Matt
26:1n. The apostles were similarly situated.
Yet have we any evidence whatever that any of
. | these attempted to break the chains OF the
| 'sslavery of labor?'' Most assuredly not
THE REDEEMER'S EXAMPLE.
| While our Lord went about doing good and
heal~nQ many Of the sick. he by no means
healed all the sick nor comforted all the mourning
. ones His favors were specialized, in the
p case OF the impotent at Bethesda There
were multitudes Of impotent folk there" (Johu
5:3) But only the one was mtraculousy healed
! by our Lords word. Many widows were beTetl
OF their sons but only the widow Of Main had
her son restored TO her by the all-powerful word
heal the sick but to die for the world It's
Redeemer. He left the great work. the import
ant work of healing all the sick-the mentally
morally and physically sick, and of awakening
all the dead. until the establishment Of his Nil
lennal kingdom.
We likewise may do good unto all men as We
have opportunity, and especially to the house
hold OF faith" But likewise must wal
for Gods time and manner for the genera
healing of the worlds and troubles
when in fulfillment Of the prayer our Lore