Correspondence

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 124, 11 April 1891, Page 2

Correspondence

(We are not responsible for the opinion oF our correspondents). "THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH;"" TO THK EDITOR OF THB STAR. Sifi,— ln. your last issue appeared ftcontributed article. under the above head- ; ing with reference to a sermon preached! in the Wesleyan Church on- Sunday laßt !by Mr Grant; I would like to contribute--1 a word or two relative to Mr Grant's al«---lusion to- the socialistic question. Thewriter of the article says : — " Socialism was. compared to a vast engine lacking" the motive power,, and whose. object cai* never be attained apart from Christianity."' Now the correct way of putting t would, haye been' the other- way about,, viz., that Christianity will never be attained apart from socialism, for the latter is the very essence of the- former. MrGrant is further reported to- have said i "We believe the- great commune wilL come, but only by the power of Christianity." What I say is the great commune is surely but gradually coming, but that the Church is doing very little if" anything to bring it about. I would like? Mr Grant to> tell us where are the Chrirf tians ? To quote from one of the hymns of the founder ot his own Church « "Your stronger proofs divinely give, and show me where the Christians live." I repeat Mr Wesley's question, and ask where Hothe people liye, who " lay not up for themselves treasures upon carth r " who- " sell all they have and give to the poor,.' r who " love their neighbors ■as them^selves," who "give to him that asketh, and from, him that would borrow turn, not away ?" Mr Wesley's hymn, from , which I quote, is based on the latter pori'tion of the second chapter of Acts, wherewe read : " And all that belieyed were together and had all things common,, and sold, their possessions and goods and parted them to all men, as every man had need." In other words, they were socialists, nay more, they were real communists ; and again I ask, where do these people,, or their descendants, reside at the 1 present time 1 Point to any number of their true followers,, and I will- point to, the same number of Christians, The fact is Christianity, which I have shown is socialism, is neither preached nor practiced in the the Church now-a-days, but the reverse,, viz., the veriest individualism, is the principal characterestic of Christendom. In any orthodox church it is fine rarest thing in the world to hear the numerous socialistic passages of thoNew Testament either preached from* or alluded to- with a view to being carried into practice. The Church talks about ' the ■" millenium," But this " motive power," as Mr Grant styles it,, will have to alter very considerably before it brings about such a millennium as that depicted in " Looking Backward."—l am, &c; Looking Forwabd..