SOCIALISM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 101, 22 January 1908, Page 7

SOCIALISM.

. ■—_— IDENTICAL WITH;,THE CHRISTIAN SPECIES. A WIDE CHURCH MOVEMENT. BY TELEGKAPII— PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYniCHT. \ ' London, January 20. Ono hundred arid twenty clergy of various i 'including -the Rev. R. J. (Jampboll .(Cong'regationalist) and tho Rev. Stowart Headlam, havo signed a manifesto declaring that Christian Socialism- is essentially tlio samo' as Socialism, and involves public ownership and management of the means of production, distribution, and exchange. ' , - / CLERGY'S ATTITUDE. MARKED EFFECT IN THE ANGLICAN fj CHURCH. . The Rev. R. J. Campbell, of "New Theology" fame, recently throw in his lot with the Labour : and - Socialist j parties, and lias been spoken of more than once as a candidate for a seat in .-'Parliament The Eev! Stewart Hoadlam is an Anglican* clergyman, who has been well known for many years as a pro--nounced out-and-out Socialist. He is tho writer ,of ono of a .recent series of Socialist books, his subject being "The Socialists' Church,'.' and ho is tho author of a Fabian tract on Christian . Socialism. It is a well : known | fact that many of the younger section of the' Anglican clergy (especially among the High Church party) are Socialists. • A friendly conference between clergy and representatives of Labour was re-' ccntly held at Mirfield. The Community of the Rosurrectioo .has been .accuscd of teaching; Socialism, and undoubtedly some of Father Bull's passionate denunciations of the existing order of .things'could hardly be surpassed by tho most uncompromising' anti-capitalist..The oldest-Socialist sociotv in England is said to be the Guild, of St. Matthews, of which, the Rev. Stowart Headlam is 'Warden.

SUPPORTING THE SOCIALISTS. In his book on' "Tho Labour Party," published after the last general election' in England, the ■ Rov. Conrad Noel states" It is noticeable how largo an amount of spaco is given to Labour questions in the 'Church Times.' ' Before writing this chapter, I' picked up the current issue. Half a page is devoted to correspondence on tho Labour party; a full page'to Pother Bull's Catholic Socialism;, another to the. Bishop of Stepney's sermon at St. Paul's Cathedral welcoming the Labour party;- aiiother to a fnll report of a grent Christian Social Union meeting at Church House, Westminster,. with Canon 11. Scottllolland in the chair, and tho Bishop of Birmingham . (Dr. Goro) as chief speaker, supported by. thoßishops of Southv,'ark, Rochestor, Southwell,' and Kensington, tho Dean of Westminster, Canon Harnett, and others. . '. Hundreds of the i clergy who would not dream of voting for official Liberalism are now inclined to support the Socialists, tho Labour party, and even Liboral Collectivism. Tho widosprovl notion that the priest ought not to interfere in politics prevents • many from appearing on Labour platforms, but, to my .certain la'owlodge, clergy, of the Church of England supported tho Independent Labour and Socialist : candidates at Burnley, Newcastle, Chester-le-Stveet, South 'West Ham, West Bradford, East Leeds, South Leeds, Wakefield, Dowsbury, Leicester, Birmingham, .and, 1 believe, Livorpool, Blackburn; Halifax, and other.place.?. . Some who had no, Labour candidate in their vicinity ' assisted the Lnbonr party by letters and articles in the ■Press." OTHER VIEWS. It should; howevor, bo explained that the Christian Social Union, 'ni'ontioned.' above, is not a political 1 organisation, its chief-object being to study social problems in tho light of the teaching, of, Christ. It should also be explained that many Anglican and Nonconformist clergy who aro working for far-rcach-ing sbciaP roforms; and who are ardent sympathisers ivith tho efforts that are being mado to improvo the conditions of the workors, emphatically protest against the Church being identified' with, economic Socialism or with' any political party. The Bishop of Birmingham (Dr. Gore) recently declared that: ""With'Socialism iu-its economic and political aspects Christianity was not identified, for Christianity must always tell men that if thoy expected to gain 1 tho real good and avoid tho real evil • through oconomie and political change, they would be disappointed—it was in tho heart; and mind ' that change must bo wrought. But there was a great moral claim for a.juster distribution of tho profits of industry becoming more clamant throughout Europe. The Christian Church as a whole had had very littlo to say about it. And yet in a large measure it spoke tho language of the Prophets. Why had we forgotten it? Why had we allowed it to come from outside the Church? Thero was time to make, amends. Wo should try really to loam again the blind of our God, spoken by the Prophets, and put ourselves, by tho side of Christ, listen to His words, and see whether their mpaning did not smito our souls." > . '

AN EMINENT OPPONENT. Socialism occupied a prominent place at the Church Congress in October last, tho antiSocialist point of view being very ably stated by the Rev, Dr. Cunningham, fellow and director of economic studies in Trinity College, Cambridge; who is, one of the leading modern authorities on economic ciuestions. Dr. Cunningham said that Socialism as an ideal and an inspiration appealed to an immense and a rapidly growing number of people in the present day; but from the Christian point of .view it seemed a yery meagre ideal, because it could not be universal for all mankind alike, and because it involved a materialistic assumption. If .they took up any one social scheme, and treated it as the thing that was absolutely right, .then they' were condemning all other social schemes as wrong. Was a modern social 'ideal to be imposed ready-made on all backward; peoples, or was it held out as the gofil at which they would'eventually arrive? llow, for example, in countries like Natal were the English and Dutch, the Asiatics and tho Kaffirs to be worked into one amalgam? In the world as they knew it any modern social ideal was of very narrow applicability;, it had no pretension to be a gospel for all men everywhere, and modern Socialism always, seemed to assume that 'it could be counted upon for certain that human sentiments would grow to order if tho right conditions were supplied, ai\d that in an environment of brotherhood men would easjly become brotherly.lie was inclined to think that this opinion, so far as it had been tested, was quite untrue; but it was worth while to note that the doctrine was very difficult to reconcile with Christianity. Tho Christian belief was that life developed from within; that it was by .spiritual influence in tho heart that good might be attained in the outward sphere. However much it might be a duty to removo external obstacles to right and good, it was from the heart within that the creative and regenerative principle worked. Those who recognised the good intentions of social idealists might yet regard modern social ideals with alarm, partly because they seemed likely to prove injurious to the community generally, and to the poor in particular, and partly becauso they distracted men from engaging stiadily in humble but practicable reforms. Dr. Cunningham's views were vigorously assailed by several of the Socialist clergy and laity present at the congress. PRONOUNCEMENTS EXPECTED. It has been stated that tho Lambeth Conference of bishops, representing every branch of tho Anglican Communion, which is to meet in London this year undor the presidency-of, tho Archbishop of Canterbury, will ho asked to make a pronouncement on Socialism from the Christian standpoint. At tho PanAnglican Congress, which is also to be held during tho present yonv, the. question of Christianity and Socialism will be discussed under the headings "What is Christian in Socialism?" and "What is now practicable in such ideals?" This question is touched on in the preliminary paper, entitled, "Tho Church and Human Society," by tho Rev. Dr. Pry and the llev. E. J. Palmer.