The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-02-02
By WILLIAM Il. ELLIS.

iS socialis1n: perhaps not Socialism
spelled with a big S, but the spirit of
socialism which IS one with the spirit
of brotherhood. There are on every
hand significant evidences that the
ideal Of a human society dominated by
laws Of h~elpfulness and altruism has
gained a tremendous hold upon the
leaders Of p~resent-day thought. so
powerful is his current within the
churches that a considerable BODY or
cIergymen have even gone over to the
political Soeiaiistic organization. Dis
corning leaders Of the hur perceive
that this living issue must be met and
pioneered by Christianity.
For in its beginning. the Christian
church as we have it set forth in the
present Sunday school lesson was the
most perfect ~communistic o~rganiZa-
ton ever recorded. 1t was Il yerita-
bic Utopia, in ~sinpleness, gladness and
SinglenssS of heart. the members OF
the apostolic Church held all things
in common, and each r~ejoiced in his
possessions, only that he might share.
There seems to have been no lcgiela-
ton on the subject. and no ecclesias-
teal ruling, but all were animated hy
the one spirit. SO that there we're
among them no poor, for the rich vol
unfairly shared their possessions with
their brethren.
The Real Golden Age.
JhG picture Is one OF which the
reader quickly becomes enamoured.
The simplicity and beauty Of this So
cial life: the absence Of selfish ambi-
ions and all desire to excel: the lack
OF Ostentation. and the manifest all
p~ervasive spirit of brotherhood. were
really q practical fulfilment Ct the
~achin and example Of Jesus. This
was indeed the golden age come TO
earth i%nTeality.
At the present moment tharp are
under way on this continent and else
Where experiments in communism
which are endeavors to reproduce the
practical socialism Of the early church.
Fine spirited men and women turn
with from the greed and
rivalry and cruel selfishnees and
hideOus injuStices and inequalities Of
our modern social organization, and
try to live as brethren should live.
Pfobably experiments Of this sort will
continue for generations to come, as
they have continued for generations
past. Alas, that most OF them should
all so ignominiouslyt
The Serpent in the Garden.
The reason our modern Utopias go
10 smash Is that human nature is so
human. even the idyliic community
at Jerusalem had it's Ananias and
Sanphifa, who, like the members of
the Sanhedrin OF whom John wrote,
love the praise Of men more than
Nc 1870 - ~ GIN - IL
q reputation for singular virtue, but
who were not willing to make the
necessary sarcrifice. Thus early did
they furnish the Church with her first
hyDOcriteS. Human nature is in
stinctivcly selfish. one does not have
to travel to the uthless conditions Of
heathendom to find this. The nearest
bargain counter. or street car. or
restaurant, or public entertainment,
will reveal the same disregard for the.
rights Of ones fellows in a mad en-
deayor TO serve self first. The ser
pent, with bis Law, Look out for
Number one vas in the Garden of
Eden; and Aranias and Sapphira,
ruled by the am law, were in the
early Church.
Kin hby | etaion shrd1u etaoin sh
1t you'd seem as if the hypocrite
were an anomaly. Why should q man
80 to such troublesome lengths to pre-
tend to a pfety which he does not
possess? Why cloak Wickedness by
outward righteousness? Would it not
be more comfortable openly to Join
the company of seekers after pleas
ure, whatever the sin involved? WHY
should AnaniaS and s. -:~a have
gone THROUGH the pretence Of giving
the price Of their lands to the apos-
ties for the benefit of the community.
al the while holding back q part for
themselves? Why shOuld the Phari-
sees pray ostentatiously in public
places. and 10 deeds of darkness in
ms inner office? Is not this an
eternal tribute that wrong pays to
GlghtI Is it not again q case OF Satan
borrowing Heavens livery? II in
stlnct1Ve sense Of the superiority Of
virtue Is IN every mans heart. He
Knows that goodness is the supreme
thing. ana therefore he goes to such
extraordinary lengths to secure ~
least its\ outward seeming.
\threcd in Religion.
Two mplFes seem to have under