THE CHURCH AMD STUDY OF SOCIALISM.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2561, 8 December 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE CHURCH AMD STUDY OF SOCIALISM.

On Thursday September :20th the Bishop of Rochester preached at St. John's church, Waterloo-road, London, to Mr. Stewart lleadlam's "Guild of St. Matthew." At the gates large posters displayed the words "Socialism, Secularism, and the Church" ! The church was well filled with a mixed congregation, mostly of the middle and lower middle classes. There were no signs of obvious poverty. There was a sprinkling of clersy. Many of those present seemed to be more accustomed to secular lecture halls, and a repetition of the exclamation " Hear, hear," caused the Bishop to pause and remark, "This is a church." The music was well rendered. Mr Stewart Headlam read the lessons. Taking his text from Luke xii., verses 13 to 15, the Rishop dwelt on the importance of not waiting for God to do what He ex pected us to do for ourselves. "This day, as eighteen centuries ago, there rises up to Heaven a great murmur of voices, tremulous with bitter anguish, saying, ' Speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.' " Christ's answer, said the Bishop, contained the root of all he had to say. Addressing his hearers as "English citizens and English Churchmen met together to survey the social condition of our wage-earning classes, and to enquire if anything could he done besides talk to make life brighter, home purer, and self respect more possible for the millions," the Bishop said the work of the guild was profouudly interesting. If he did not mingle his words with too many sugar plums, they must not blame him. They owe eacli other kindness, courtesy, sympathy, justice; but before everything else in the world, truth. Modern society in England, though better than on the Queen's accession 51 years ago, was still in a complicated condition. The zone 3 of enormous wealth and degrading poverty, unltss carefully considered, would presently generate to a tornado, which, when thestorm cleared, must leave a good deal of wreckage behind. " In every community there is much destitution which is not likely to disappear until human nature is changed." Chiefly through the competition of wage-earning labour, many a man only just made his expenses, and could hope for nothing of tho joy of recreation. "Socialism,"continued his lordship, " which it is impossible to define, for everyone has his own notion about it, is for some an aspiration, for some an organisation, and for some a conspiracy of those who do not possess against those who do- In another aspect it is a confederacy of those who feel that they ought to be better off than they are. and who reasonably mean to try and become so. It is not to be dismissed with a few haughty and flippant words, if we would avoid a grave responsibility." Different schemes of Socialism were then recited and criticised by the preacher. Touching on the sweating system, he observed, " England will have as little Government interference as possible" ; and of small allotments he said, " It is not our way in England. Observing that the philosopher stands on the river bank calmly preaching the survival of the fittest, the weak and despairing throw up their arms and sink, and only the fishes are the better for it, the Bishop addressed himself to the guild as follows : —" We leave pessimism to those who scoff at God ; you of tho guild of St. Matthew are right iu feeling that this great social problem must be faced, and not run away from ; you are right in thinking that you have something to do towards the solution of it by discussion, sympathy co-operation, and example ; you are right in hoisting the flag of the English Church, and in recognising that it is her privilege to listen to thoneeds of Englishmen, and to help them out of their misery. You are right in thinking it is better to make occasional mistakes iu efforts to do good, rather than make no such efforts whatever. I do not think you are right in yovir proposal to weaken the Church by depriving her of her material resources, duly bequeathed, and as much as her property as law and equity can make them, 1 think you are wrong if you arc tempted to use words of invective against those in authority, who, if wrong, will certainly receive rebukes from other sources Do not sap locality, and spoil lofty aims by the smoke of stage artillery. It does not hurt those against whom it is directed, and sours yonr own better nature, and fills your best friends with real regret. There is every reason for hope and faith. The world was not made in a day, and is not to be mended ia .i generation. The public conscience is stirred ; keep it stirred." The study of Socialism, said the Bishop, was one of the noblest pursuits of those who strive to follow in the footsteps of Christ.