2. Rciii/ious Belief — The Perfectionists hold to the Bible as the '• text-book of the s|)irit of truth," to .Jesus Christ as " the eternal Son of (iod."and to "the apostles and Primitive (,'hnrch as the exponents of the everlasting Oospel." They believe that the second advent of Christ took place at the period of the destruction of .Jerusa- lem; that the final kingdom of (Jod then began in the heavens; that the manifestation of the kingdom in the visible world is now approaching ; that its approach is
SOCIALISM
843
SOCIALISM
ushering in the second and final resurrection and judg- ment; that a Church on earth is now rising to meet the approaching kingdom in the heavens, and to become its dupHcate and representative; that inspiration, or open communication with God and the heavens, involving perfect holiness, is the element of connection between tlie Church on earth and the Church in the heavens, and the power by which the iiingdom of God is to be estab- lisiied and to reign in the world. They also teach that '' the Gospel provides for complete salvation from sin," which, they say, "is the foundation needed by all other reformers." Community of goods and of persons they believe" to have been taught by Jesus, and hold that communism is " the social state of the resurrection." In their system, " complex marriage takes the place of sim- ple," they affirming that there is no intrinsic ditter- ence between property in person and property in things; and that the same spirit which abolished exclusiveness in regard to money would abolish, if circumstances al- lowed full scope for it, exclusiveness in regard to wom- en and children. "Complex marriage" means that, within the limits of their community, any man and woman maj' freely cohal)it, having gained each other's consent through a third partv. They are firm believ- ers in the efficacy of the "faith cure," and quote in- stances in which invalids have been imtantly restored to perfect health in answer to prayer.
This community has lately taken an important step towards reorganization by formally abandoning the sys- tem of complex marriage that father John Humphrey Noyes has consistently advocated for so many years. Considerable opposition having been experienced be- cause of the promiscuous commerce of the sexes asserted to exist, father Noyes has decided to abandon his scheme called stirpiculture in practice, while retaining it in theory. He accordingly wrote (Aug. 20, 1879) a mes- sage to the community, containing moditications in their platform, of which the following is a summary :
I. To give up the practice of complex marringe, not as vendUMciiig belief in the principles and prospective linality of that institution, but in deference to the public sentiment evidently risiug against it.
II. To place themselves as a community, not on the plat- form of llie Shakeis, on the one hand, nor on that of the world, on the other, but on Paul's platform, which, while allowing mairiage aa a concession to human weakness, prefers celibacy as the holier and more perfect state.
HI. To continue to hold their business and property in common; to continue to live together, and to eat at the same table; to retain the common department for infants and juveriiles, and to maintain the practice of regular evening meetings for mutual criticism.
The platform containeil in the communication was adopted by a formal vote on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 26, abolishing the offensive abomination of com- plex marriage at a stroke. The society will hereafter, therefore, consist of two classes of members — celibates, and married persons living together as husband and wife under the laws of marriage as generalh' under- stood. Tiie family idea is left, it is true ; but with per- manent families witliiu the community family it is shorn of its main significance, and takes the form of a common work, a common interest in commercial vent- ures, and a common property. Among the literary pro- ductions of this community are, Paul not Carnal; The Perfectionist ; The Way of Holiness ; Berean Witness ; Spiritual Mar/azine; Free Church Circular ; Bible Com- munism; History of American Socialism; and Essay on Scientific Propagation (the latter two by J. H. Noj'es).
HI. A urora and Bethel Communes. — The founder and present ruler of these communities is Dr. Keil, a Prus- sian, Ijorn in 1811. At first a man-milliner, he became a mystic, and afterwards, at Pittsburgh, made open pro- fession of his belief. He gathered a number of Germans about him, to whom he represented himself as a being to be worshipped, and later as one of the two witnesses in the Book of Revelation. He began to plan a commu- nism somewhat resemljling that of Rapp, but without the celibate principle. His followers, in 1844, removed
to Bethel, Mo., and took up four sections of land, or 2560 acres, to which they added from time to time, until they possessed 4000 acres. In 1874 they numbered about 200 persons. In 1855 Dr. Keil, with about 80 persons, removed to Oregon, and the following year set- tled at Aurora. They numbered in 1874 nearly 400 people, and owned about 18,000 acres of land.
The government at Aurora is vested in Dr. Keil, who is both president and preacher, and has for his advisers four of the elder members, chosen by himself. The preacher and head of the Bethel Commune is Mr. Giese, with six trustees, chosen by the members. The people of both communes are plain, frugal, industrious (Ger- mans, with simple tastes, and seem contented and hap- py. They hold to principles which are chiefly remark- able for their simplicity. 1. That all government should be parental, to imitate the parental government of God. 2. That society should be formed upon the model of the family, having all interests and property absolutelv in common. 3. That neither religion nor the harmony of nature teaches community in anything further than property and labor. Hence the family life is strictly maintained, and all sexual irregularities are absolutely rejected. Religious service is held twice a month, and after the Lutheran style.