RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Christian Socialism
ernment put Wellington in charge of London, and 150 000 householders were sworn in as special constables. But the assemblage was a mere rabble, since sober workingmen stayed away, and O'Connor, the Irish agitator, absented himself. A heavy downpour of rain cowed the crowd completely, so that the meeting dispersed in confusion.
But the danger was not yet passed. In order to prevent the recurrence of similar or more dangerous meetings, three men, Frederick Denison Maurice, Charles Kingsley, and John M. Ludlow, decided after consultation to write and publish Politics for the People (May 6, 1848). Only seventeen weekly numbers appeared, but these succeeded in turning the impending revolution into a peaceful social evolution. The writers declared their sympathy with the workingmen, warned them against violence, appealed to the justice and charity of the rich, and expounded their principles with skill and zeal. Others joined them, and numerous meetings were held, both for the instruction of workingmen and for mutual encouragement. Henry Mayhew had contributed a series of articles to the Morning Chronicle of London during 1849 on the sweating system, and these called forth in 1850 Kingsley's tract Cheap Clothes and Nasty. In the same year the little group of friends decided to issue Tracts on Christian Socialism, with the keyword: Association, i.e.. Cooperation versus Competition. In order to alleviate at least the direct poverty among the laboring classes, the Christian SociaUsts started in 1850 the Society for the Promotion of Workingmen's Associations. Since cooperative societies were not legal at that time, Ludlow exerted all his influence to have the Industrial and Provident Societies' Act passed in 1852. Maurice and his friends immediately used this opportunity to establish a number of cooperative concerns. The principles underlying them, adopted at Manchester May 15, 1853, were: (1) human society is a body consisting of many members, not a collection of warring atoms; (2) true workers must be feUow workers, not rivals; (3) the principle of justice, not of selfishness, must govern exchanges.
These societies thus established have prospered to a remarkable degree. In 1906 the turnover of the Cooperative Wholesale Society, with more than 2,000 local branches, was $500,000,000, with a surplus of over $12,000,000. In 1876 the Guild of St.
Matthew was formed for the purpose 2. Results, of drawing the Church and the workingmen closer together, and to close as far as possible the social chasm between the rich and the poor. It was absorbed in 1880 by the Christian Social Union, under the leadership of Canon Scott Holland, although it still maintains an mdividual existence within the larger body, and has a spokesman in the Church Reformer. The Union consists of men of all classes who are willing to work for the following purposes: (1) to claim for the Christian law the ultimate authority in social practise; (2) to study how the truths and principles of Christianity may be applied to the social and economic difficulties of the present time; and (3) to present Christ as the living king and
master, the enemy of wrong and of selfishness, and the power of love and righteousness. The earlier Christian Socialists also worked in other fields, such as village improvement societies, drew up a programme for the National Health League, founded the Workingmen's College in London, and secured the passage by Parliament of a number of laws for the benefit of workingmen. They encountered much bitter opposition both in and out of the AngUcan Church. Some of them suffered persecution, as when Maurice was removed from his professorship at King's College in 1853, although he was later (1866) appointed to one at Cambridge. Nevertheless, their fearless and sincere conduct and self-sacrifice made many friends for them. While the movement as a separate organization has died, it has been the seed of many reforms throughout England in every sphere of life, while the United Kingdom itself has been greatly improved socially and morally by the lives and teachings of these men. The conference of 194 ^Anglican bishops assembled in 1897 practically adopted as its principles the platform of Maurice and of the Christian Social Union (see Lambeth Conference). The non-conformists have also caught the spirit, and the Rev. John Clifford and many others are members of the Christian Socialist League.
2. Continental Europe: Analogous Continental movements can not properly be called Christian Socialism. They were always Christian, but never socialistic. They were started largely with the purpose of undermining secular socialism. But the principal objection to applying the term to the
1. Basal Continental movements is that they Principles, never formulated a philosophy of life and of the State such as Maurice and Kingsley gave to England. As a result they were unable to present a world-view as systematic, farreaching, and comprehensive as that offered to English workingmen. This difference may explain why in Great Britain the socialist party and other extremists did not develop great strength after the appearance of the Christian Socialists. The English workingman has been taught to look at the economic problem as only one among many, whereas German and French laborers came to consider that of supreme, if not of sole, importance. Marx simply systematized that view in his Kapital. The Christian workers of France and Germany had nothing to put into the hands of workingmen which could compare with that book. There is another difference of prime importance between the two schools. The Continentals always leaned on the arm of the Church, of the State, or of both; whereas Englishmen were not afraid to attack either or both whenever necessary. Continental laboring-men regarded these leaders as hirelings of the State or emissaries of the hierarchy, while in fact they were defenders of society on Church and State principles, and sought to ally the altar and the crown.
For these reasons the Continental movement was doomed to failure. The laboring class has kept aloof, and adopted Marxism. The leaders were, nevertheless, in earnest, and began work along other Unes. The Roman Catholics founded nu-
Christian Socialism Christians