MR FORBES MONCRIEFF, whose booklets we have had pleasure in commending often in the Magazine, has again done excellent service in issuing a pamphlet, “Socialism Examined and Found Wanting”—in which he gives extracts from the writings of those who are competent to deal with the subject. In his preface Mr Moncrieff says:—”I am impelled to issue this and other publications by an irresistible conviction that the growing power of Socialism and Communism tends towards the ruin of our country, and should be resisted by every patriot, and certainly by every Christian.” It is well that one should be fully acquainted with the principles of this new menace, and we strongly advise our readers to procure this pamphlet and circulate it as widely as possible. For there can be no doubt that when Socialism gets into real power the easy-going methods of the present Government will give place to the more drastic measures that Socialists advocate in season and out of season. Mr Moncrieff gives interesting quotations from “Christ or Socialism,” a book by Mr H. Musgrave Reade, who before his conversion was a prominent Atheist and Socialist, and at one time secretary of a branch of the Independent Labour Party, from which we take the liberty of quoting. Mr Reade says:—”Socialism is a generic term, and may mean anything or nothing. No definition, at once true and precise, has ever been given, or ever will be given. There are scores of schools of Socialism, and all promise some delusion or other. The one fact that appeals to the man in the street is that it will remove the undesirable restraint that present society imposes upon him, and he gladly accepts the promised change, not caring much to what it will lead.”
The present order of society is to be turned upside down on the strength of “vague vapourings as to what will replace the civilisation which has taken centuries of toil and sacrifice, but ‘carte blanche’ must be given to an irresponsible crowd of political experimenters, to gamble with the wealth of the nation, uproot the religion of our country, and destroy the sanctity of home and marriage life, and introduce a slavery more intolerable than the mind of man has ever conceived.”
* This pamphlet may be had from Pickering and Inglis, Bothwell Street, Glasgow, price 2d each; 2s 4d per dozen, post free.
After giving some specimens of the sort of morality taught by leading Socialists, Mr Reade goes on to say—“Can we wonder then, that there should be a moral twist in all the doctrines preached by the rank and file of Socialist orators in the various clubs, and at the street corners, if this is the poison that is given in the text-books of scientific Socialism as the true doctrine of progress? The student of Socialism, the seeker after ‘liberty, equality, and fraternity,’ may be earnest and start out with good motives; but, as the Scriptures truly say, ‘there is a way which seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.’ Communism is the perfection of the Socialist goal. The inevitable tendency of modern Socialism, I believe, leads to a laxity of moral restraint, and to practical Atheism in daily walk and life. The menace of Socialism is not only a political and economic factor, but must be now met in the region of religion. Many P.S.A.’s, Adult Schools, and Brotherhoods are openly recruiting agencies for Socialism, and are led by young ministers who are hardly aware of the dangers that await their compromising attitude to this great peril. . . . I am aware that there are persons who call themselves Christian Socialists, and even ministers and clergymen are declaring their adherence to the principles of Socialism as being compatible with the doctrines and teachings of Christianity. Without in any way apologising for my temerity, I boldly assert that they must have a very superficial knowledge of their Bibles, and the basis of the Christian religion, if they can in any way harmonise the theories of Socialism with the sacred revelation of God’s will as it is recorded in the Holy Scriptures.”
Mr Reade, after stating that he had received many letters asking if, in his opinion, a follower of Christ could be a Socialist, gives copies of his replies, which are in the negative. Among other things, he says:—“That Christians are found to accept Socialism only shows that they have accepted assumptions without going back to the basic principles of their religion.” Professing Christian Socialists “are relying upon human wisdom instead of Christ to save society, and so are practically helping Christ’s opponents. Their error is that they reject the Lordship of Christ and place their confidence in human wisdom and in materialistic theories. You ask, “Is a man justified in describing himself as a Christian Socialist?” For my part, I reply emphatically, No. The title Christian does not admit of any addition to it. If it did it would mean that Christ and human wisdom were the remedy.”
One of the strange features in connection with the Socialistic movement is its association with the Church of Rome. We see this strange combination at work in Scotland, and the “Protestant Advocate” has commenced a series of articles dealing with the subject. The same feature characterises Socialism in Australia, as is indicated by a letter from Queensland to the “John O’ Groat Journal.” The writer says:—
“Protestant workers have been led to believe that they have been voting for high and lofty ideals in supporting Labour; but they have been tricked and fooled and sold through the insidious influence of those who are active in the interests of the Papacy. The ‘Brisbane Daily Standard,’ the official organ of the Catholic Labour Party, has never at any time criticised the priest or the Roman Catholic Church. On the contrary, it is ever prone to refer to the clergymen of other Churches as parsons and ‘wowsers.’
“In the Queensland A.L.P. Executive, the Metropolitan District Council, the New Trades Hall Board, Rome is well entrenched, with the result that the great bulk of State Federal Labour candidates are good henchmen. I appeal to Protestant working men to consider this; and if they have any doubt, let them ascertain the truth. In a country like this, and in dear old Scotland, with the forces of darkness and domination in control, working men, if they examined the situation, could save the British Empire from the present blight. It is worth while.”