THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
merous societies under the leadersiiip of Baron von Ketteler (q.v.), archbishop of Mainz, who exerted a great influence. The object of these societies was partly ecclesiastical, partly political — the people were to be guarded from the infidelity of the socialists, and were to be used because of their possession of the ballot. The Roman Cathohc Church has in Germany succeeded so well in tliis that it has been able through the votes of artisans, laborers, and peasants to secure a large number of seats in the Reichstag. There has been no hesitation at times to form an alliance with the socialists, when the Church's purposes were served, and the State has been several times compelled to capitulate before the imion thus effected. But along with this political and ecclesiastical activity an immense amount of valuable practical Christian work has been done — a description of which would be foreign to this article.
The Protestant Church in Germany began practical Christian work in the early part of the nineteenth century, which made rapid headway after 1S50. Hardly any Church in Christendom does so much valuable work as the Lutheran, but — it is all done under the auspices or in alliance with the g State, and is, therefore, discredited
suits" among the socialists who showed their opposition by withdrawal en masse from the Church. Men of influence like Drs. Stocker and Kogel failed after earnest endeavors to organize an independent political or Christian party, while they have been eminently successful in uniting various charitable and philanthropic movements in the Innere Mission (q.v.). In France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, and elsewhere no distinctively Christian Socialist movements have developed. The Christians of eminence in these countries, such as the Comte de Mun in France, Laveleye in Belgium, and Prince von Lichtenstein in Austria, who might have led in this direction, were either dependent on the Roman Catholic Church for the expression of their views, or did not imitate a distinctive independent Christian Socialism. They simply contributed to literature or founded charitable and philanthropic institutions.
3. The TJnited States: The seed which was sent out from England found a much more favorable soil in the United States. This country had been the camping-ground of numerous communistic and other societies (see Communism), and the experimental station for such idealistic organizations as Brook Farm near Boston. No hostility was manifested by either State or Church to independent movements along Christian Socialist lines, nor was the attitude of the people unfavorable. Nevertheless, no movement of any national importance has been inaugurated. A number of men prominent in the Church and in business became interested in the work of Maurice and Kingsley. A paper, the Equity, was published irt 1874-75 in Boston. An organization was formed in that city April 15, 1889, largely under the leadership of W D. P, Bliss, called the Society of Christian Socialists. The constitution emphasized the stewardship of all gifts and of property, the fatherhood of God, and
the brotherhood of man, it deprecated the present industrial and commercial systems as individualistic, unjust, and contrary to the law of God; recommended socialism (without defining it) as the necessary outcome of Christian teachings; and invited all Christians and Churches to join the new movement. But the ideas did not take root, and the movement to-day is a mere sentiment which finds a channel for its activities in charity and philanthropy. Some journals, such as the Outlook, the Kingdom, the Christian Statesman, advocate Christian Socialism to a limited extent, but as a whole the movement has taken the shape of practical reform. See Socialism.
Rudolph M. Binder. Bibliography: Besides the publications mentioned in the text, the sources are contained in Tracts on Christian Socialism, London, 1850 sqq.; the Christian Socialist, a journal issued from Nov. 2, 1850, to June 28, 1851; Charles Kingsley's two novels. Yeast, London, 1848, and Alton Locke, ib. 1850; F. D. Maurice, Moral and Metaphysical Philosophy, 2 vols., ib. 1871-72; and other writings of these two leaders. Further light is to be gained from the biographies of these two men. For different phases of the subject consult: A. V. Woodworth, Christian Socialism in England, London, 1903 (contains a full bibliography); E. R. A. Seligman, Owen and the Christian Socialists, in Political Science Quarterly, June, 1886; B. F. Westcott, Social Aspects of Christianity, London, 1887; idem, The Incarnation and Common Life, ib. 1893; M. Kaufmann, Christian Socialism, ib. 1888; W. D. P. Bliss, What Christian Socialism Is, and The Social Faith of the Catholic Church (tracts). New York, 1894; G. D. Herron, The New Redemption and the New Society, Boston, 1894; F. S. Nitti, Catholic Socialism, London, 1895; W. D. P. Bliss, et alia, Encyclopedia Social Reform, New York, 1908.
CHRISTIAN UNION, THE: A religious organization of the United States, founded by James F. Given in the first year of the Civil War. Mr. Given (d. 1869) was a graduate of Marietta College and an ordained minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1860, when political excitement and prejudice were high and bitter, he found himself out of sympathy with his Church. He began the publication of a religious paper, the Christian Witness (Columbus, O.), and called a meeting of others who shared his views to organize an antipolitical and antisectarian brotherhood. Ministers and laymen of several denominations, chiefly from Ohio, met in Columbus in 1861, where they chose the name " The Christian Union," declared the Bible the only rule of faith and practise, and adopted strict congregational government for each local church. The first general council, held in Terre Haute, Ind., in 1863, adopted the following principles: (1) Christ the only head of the Church; (2) the Holy Bible the only rule of faith and practise; (3) good fruits the only test of fellowship; (4) each local church to be self -governed; (5) the union of all Christians to be worked for; (6) political preaching discountenanced. The Christian Witness was made the organ of the society.
The membership of the Union is found chiefly in the country and small villages, there being no city churches. It stands for Evangelical Christianity and pleads for the union of all Christians on the basis of the Bible. At first its numbers increased rapidly, but in recent years losses and gains have been about equal. There are now