r ; ., ; ; / 1 & : ^i^ffm^:fM : - ' : ^ ^ - $p ^^__ mmiMm it ipi m GIFT OF EVGENE MEYER^JR. PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM OF THE TRUE SYSTEM OF HUMAN SOCIETY; IN THREE PARTS, VIZ: I. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. II. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. III. SUPERIORITY TO OTHER SYSTEMS. BY ADIN BALLOU. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Cor.-m : 10, 11. * HOPED ALE : PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. NEW YORK: FOWLERS AND WELLS. 1854. PREFACE. THE author desires that this book should be read and thor- oughly studied by all who are capable of appreciating it. It was not written to amuse the votaries of light literature, but to instruct susceptible and ingenuous minds. It is commended to honest, earnest, patient, discriminating, comprehensive thinkers, who are endeavoring to be judicious, uncompromising, indom- itable workers for humanity. It is the fruit of patient reflection and ripe experience. It is not perfect, and will hereafter be improved ; but it is worthy of all the consideration solicited in its behalf. It claims to be an EXPOSITION OF THE TRUE SYSTEM OF HUMAN SOCIETY ; and such it is. It presents, theoretically, a complete Social Superstructure, from foundation to pinnacle. Let friend and foe inspect every part of it critically. The Work naturally divided itself into THREE PARTS, and was executed accordingly. Part I. exhibits the foundation of the System ; its grand cardinal principles of Theological Truth, Personal Righteousness, and Social Order ; all which are ac- curately defined, clearly illustrated, substantially proved, and consistently applied. Part II develops the Constitutional Polity of the System in all its outlines and with reference to every necessary detail. Part III. shows its Superiority to other Systems to the old and prevailing order of society, Fourier- ism, Owenism, Shakerism, Noyesism, Individual Sovereignty- ism &c. Every important idea involved in the vast subject of Practical Christian Socialism has received more or less atten- 341870 iv . PREFACE. tion in some part of the Work. And the author has faithfully declared his highest convictions of TRUTH and RIGHT on every point discussed, without mystification of language, compromise, or the fear of man. He has studiously endeavored to make himself understood on all topics, even the most delicate, re- gardless of fashionable fastidiousness. Some may deem his plainness of speech too great on sexual matters, and his sever- ity against certain alleged errors extreme. But he has no pardons to ask, nor apologies to offer, with reference to these demonstrations. He has written in love of the truth, and without ill will to any human being. He has sought the glory of God in the highest good of all mankind ; and, having done his duty, he has no distrust of consequences. Nevertheless, if convinced of error, injustice, wrong, or even impropriety, he holds himself bound to make the best correction in his power. He has done as he would be done unto. Particular portions of the Work will probably be read with different degrees of interest by different persons. Some will be interested most in its theology, some in its personal right- eousness, some in its principles of social order, some in its Constitutions and practical details, some in its educational elu- cidations, some in its discussion of marriage and divorce, some in its presentations of other social systems, and some in its controversial criticisms. Let each follow his or her own pref- erence. And yet the author hopes that no one who may become deeply interested in what is said on a favorite topic will long neglect to read the book as a ichok. To secure for it such a reading, he elaborated it in the Conversational form. This relieves it in part of that formidable solidity which renders many valuable books uninviting and difficult of mental masti- cation. Though its themes are all of grave importance, and PREFACE. v are treated accordingly, still it will not be found tedious read- ing to persons who think, and who care to be acquainted with its contents. If any do not think nor care, they must be ex- cused. The booksellers will accommodate them with whatever will suit their taste. There are several classes of persons to whom this Work will be eminently useful. 1. To those who are already Practical Christian Socialists, or strongly inclined to become such. Here they will find a Treatise which states, illustrates and defends their peculiar doctrines in the most systematic, thorough and conclusive man- ner. They can study it every day with profit. They can confidently place it in the hands of all who inquire into the nature of their Socialistic Movement. They can draw from it inexhaustible munitions of mental and moral strength where- with to contend successfully against opposers. And they can safely challenge their adversaries to examine and refute it at their leisure. 2. To writers, preachers and lecturers engaged in promul- gating Practical Christian Socialism. These will have a com- plete system of objects, principles, polity and institutional arrangements always before them. Such a multitude of themes, propositions, texts, suggestions and hints, admitting of endless amplifications, will enable them to serve the cause effectually on all occasions ; leaving them, at the same time, full scope for originality of thought, peculiarity of illustration and excellence of expression. 3. To parents, educators and all who are devoted to mental improvement. Such will find in the educational Conversations a fund of information, direction and suggestion which must afford them invaluable aid. Those also who are seeking light on the subject of marriage and the questions therewith con- vi PREFACE, nected will find, under that head, much profitable instruction. 4. To inquirers strongly predisposed to connect themselves with a new order of society, but imperfectly informed as to the different social systems proposed. Here such will obtain in one volume a large amount of information, relating to every important phase of Socialism, no where else so accessible and understandable. 5, To persons who, either as disinterested students of the general subject for their own satisfaction, or as public oppo- nents of Socialism, desire to know what it really is in all its principal kinds. Here such can learn all they need to know. Then if they desire only to make impartial and reliable state- ments to their friends, or before the public, relative to Social- ism, they will be able to do so. And if they are resolved on controversy, they will spare themselves the mortification of having mistaken a wind mill for a giant. But all classes of readers are respectfully entreated to examine the Work patiently, carefully and thoroughly, before passing judgment for or against it. Many of its doctrines, ideas and views will at first seem strange to the majority of minds. They will find it difficult to adjust their old habits of thinking and educational prejudices to such singular inculca- tions. Yet, if they will candidly peruse the whole volume, and take ample time for reflection, they will probably be con- vinced that nearly all the author's positions are impregnable. Let them give due consideration to the following characteris- tics of the Treatise : 1. It comprehends a vast field of primary, secondary, col- lateral and incidental subjects. Theology, Christology, Pneu- matology, Ethics, Anthropology, Natural and Moral Philosophy, Social Polity, Political Economy, Education, Amusements, PREFACE. vii Marriage, the various Social Systems ideal and actual, &c.> &c., are all more or less expounded and discussed. 2. It is discriminating, definite and specific with reference to- all these themes and their subordinate topics. It does not confound natural distinctions. Things, names, terms and ideas are carefully defined. The reader can clearly see just what is stated, asserted, denied, accepted, rejected, conceded, condemn- ed or recommended. 3. It is methodical, systematic and orderly. It begins at the natural beginning of its subjects, follows them through their natural development, and ends them at their natural acme. Common sense will find the links of each elaborated chain very nearly in their proper consecutive order. 4. Its leading conceptions and ideas are large, generous, sublime and magnificent, without being fanciful, romantic, ex- travagant, unreal and impracticable. 5. It is self-consistent and unitary. Fundamental objects are kept in view from beginning to end. Its fundamental principles are constantly held sacred, and their just application is made universal. Its fundamental social polity runs in straight lines from center to circumference. The just critic will find no contradiction or incongruity of essential ideas. He may scrutinize its theology, piety, morality, philanthropy, and social order as closely as he pleases ; he will find every where an invulnerable consistency. The author does not expect that this Work will receive much attention from the general public at present. It is not of a nature to excite, dazzle, amuse or please the popular masses, nor their leaders. It will not suit their taste. It is above their standard of motive and action. They cannot feel an interest in it, nor appreciate its worth. The devotees of viii PREFACE. mammon will stick to their idol, the lovers of self and pleasure to theirs, the politicians to theirs, the worshipers of Mars to theirs, the popular sectarians to theirs, the philosophers to theirs, the light literati to theirs, the ignorami to theirs, the petrified conservatives to theirs, the high flying radicals to theirs, the fashionables to theirs, and the nothingarians to theirs. It is a pity ; but so must it be for a long time to come. Yet there is progress. A noble few scattered here and there, through all these bustling, jostling masses, are aspiring after truth and goodness, after light and love, after a purer and higher order of society, after individual and social regeneration, after universal righteousness, harmony and happiness. These will gradually come to the knowledge of this Work, and will read it with delight. They will espouse the cause it advo- cates, and will noiselessly flow together into Practical Christian Communities. It is to such minds, regardless of their present associations, positions and denominations, that this book makes its special appeal. Such will welcome, rejoice in, and profit by it. The author would be happy to believe that such minds were numerous ; but he knows that they are not, and has no disposition to flatter himself with false anticipations. He therefore commences with an edition of only one thousand copies, and expects to be a considerable time in disposing of these. Before the first edition shall have been exhausted, the Work will probably be revised and stereotyped. While the author firmly believes that in process of time the purest, most disinterested and most enlightened minds will embrace the system of religion, moral order and social polity expounded in this Work, with perhaps minor modifications and improvements, he expects that many Socialists of the present day will deem it objectionable. With some it will be too re- PREFACE. ix ligious and illiberal ; with others the reverse. Some will deem its theology too orthodox ; others too heterodox. Some will object to its creedlike Declarations and iron-bedstead tests ; others to its want of external ordinances, ceremonies and forms. Some will revolt at its asceticism ; others at its too great conformity to the world. Some will dislike its uncom- promising Non-Resistance and non-participation in sword- sustained governments ; others its spiritual and moral intolerance its discipline and disfellowship of evil doers. Some will think it too Individualistic ; others too Communistic. All these differences will develop themselves as matters of course. Be it so. Let each class of dissenters stand aloof from our Republic and experiment to their heart's content on their own wiser systems. It is their right to do so uninjured, at their own cost. It is desirable that they should do so, in order that it may be demonstrated as soon as possible which the true social system is. When the radically defective have failed, there will be a harmonious concentration of all the true and good around the Practical Christian Standard. Meantime the author confides this Cause calmly to the guidance, guardian- ship and benediction of God, even that heavenly Father who once manifested his divine excellency in Jesus Christ, and who ever manifests himself through the Christ- Spirit to all upright souls. He sincerely believes the movement to have been originated and thus far supervised by that Holy Spirit. He is confident that well appointed ministering angels have watched over it, and will never cease to do so. This strong confidence has sustained him from the beginning, under all temporary discouragements, and now animates him with un- wavering hopes for the future. The Hopedale Community, the first constituent body of the new social order, commenced 2 x PREFACE. the settlement of its Domain, in the Spring of 1842, very small in numbers and pecuniary resources. Its disadvantages were so multiform and obvious, that most Associationists of that period regarded it as little better than a desperate under- taking alike contracted in its social platform, its funds, and other fundamental requisites of success. Yet it has lived and flourished, while its supposed superiors have nearly all per- ished. Such was the will of God; such his promise to its founders ; such their trust in him ; such the realization of their hopes ; and such the recompense of their persevering toils. And such is the benignant Providence which will bear The Practical Christian Republic onward through all its struggles to the actualization of its sublime destiny. Its citizens " seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." Therefore will all things needful be added unto them. Let the future demonstrate whether such a faith and such expectations are the dreams of a shallow visionary, or the divinely inspired, well-grounded assurances of a rightly balanced religious mind. But the author will not be further tedious in his Preface. To all who are willing to read this Volume with candor and care, he respectfully commends it. He long contemplated its execution, and has been enabled at length to complete it. He has done so with a good degree of self-satisfaction, with . devout gratitude to God for his assistance, with the pleasant consciousness of having discharged faithfully a great duty, :and with the cheering assurance that it will exert a regen- erating influence on mankind. Go then, faithful Volume, to thy task. Thou art sent forth on an arduous and responsible mission; but thou goest not forth unprepared Thy loins are girded about with truth. The breast-plate . Such a harmonic order of Society is possible here on earth, and ought to be instituted. This is Socialism. It is a Theory of Society. 4 26 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Inq. Then I am to understand, that all who embrace this Social Theory are Socialists ; and that all opposed to it are Anti- Socialists ? Ex. Yes. These are the two parties. But you will not thence conclude, that all Socialists agree in other particulars. They differ as widely as do the Anti- Socialists in respect to principles, opinions, plans of arrangement, morals, forms, meth- ods, ways and means. Inq. But how is this ? I always hear Socialists spoken of and denounced in toto, as one homogeneous class of visiona- ries, fanatics, disorganizers, levellers and destructives, against whom the friends of religion, the family, the state and the present order of society, ought to be on their guard. So I sup- posed them to be all very much alike. Ex. It is not strange that you fell into this error. It is a very common one. Anti- Socialists, like all other anti-progress- ives, are sometimes very ignorant, prejudiced and undiscrimin- ating. Whatever evil such may know, suspect, or imagine of the most exceptionable Socialists in any part of the world, they ascribe to Socialism per se, and so denounce all Socialists together as infamous. We might with equal justice treat all Anti- Socialists in the same manner. The most notorious mur- derers, pirates, robbers, oppressors, extortioners, &c., &c., have been found among Anti- Socialists, from Cain to our modern kidnappers. What then if we should represent all who are opposed to Socialism as one common gang of murderers, pi- rates and robbers ! Would it be truthful and just? No. But it would be quite as truthful and just, as the indiscriminate de- nunciations thundered from many pulpits and presses against Socialism and Socialists. Inq. I admit it. And now I should like to have you name some of the principal classes, sects, or schools of Socialists. Ex. In ancient times there were the Pythagoreans, the Pla- tonists, the Essenes, the primitive Christians, the Egyptian CcBnobites, &c. In modern times there are the Moravians, the Shakers, the Rappites, the Zoarites, the Owenites, the St. Si- monians, the Fourierists or Phalansterians, the Icarians, the French and German Communists, the Church of England Vil- FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 27 lagers calling themselves Christian Socialists, the Noyesite Perfectionists, and, besides several others, our Practical Chris- tian Socialists. Now all these agree substantially in the great doctrine of Socialism, as before stated; but in almost every thing else they differ as widely from each other, as do the dif- ferent sects of professed Christians, or as do Pagans, Jews, Christians, Mahometans, and Mormons. All these believe in the social harmony of heaven in the next world. In this they are all agreed, but in very little else. We, Socialists, all be- lieve in the social harmony of a rudimental heaven to be es- tablished on earth. In this we are all agreed, but in very lit- tle else. Inq. I think I understand you ; but it occurs to me that in your own case, it would be good policy to drop these terms, Socialism, Socialist, &c., and to substitute others less obnox- ious to popular prejudice. Ex. Nothing would be finally gained by such a policy. " Speak the truth, and shame the Devil," is a good maxim. The truth is, we really are Socialists ; we believe in Socialism ; Socialism must be ultimately accepted by mankind ; its day is coming ; and it is not a doctrine for honest, noble souls to be ashamed of. As to justice from the opposition, no great Re- former ever received it ; and Reformers only betray their cause, when they resort to a timid, evasive and time-serving policy. I cannot accept your suggestion. Inq. Perhaps you misapprehend that suggestion. The public misunderstand and misapply the terms in question. They do not give them the same meaning that you do. They are odious to many people, chiefly on account of principles, practices and peculiarities prominent in certain classes of Socialists, with whom you have little or no fellowship. Why then is it improp- er for you to avoid terms which must confound you with them in popular opinion ? It seems to me unwise that you should subject yourselves to such a martyrdom. Ex. I might yield to your suggestions, had I not two good reasons to the contrary. The first is, I am certain that Anti- Progressives hate the vital principles and requirements of true Socialism more than they hate what is really abominable in its 28 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. wrong-headed and vicious professors. Therefore they would hate the same thing no less under another name, with right- headed and virtuous advocates. The second is, I am certain that I can make the world understand the merits of Practical Christian Socialism, in contradistinction to all other kinds, as well without substituting new terms, as I could by means of them. Therefore more would be lost than gained by the sug- gested expedient. Inq. Very well ; proceed then to define the two words which designate your particular kind of Socialism. Ex. I will endeavor to do so. /The word Christian denotes that our kind of Socialism is based on the essential principles of the Christian Religion. The word Practical denotes that the essential principles of the Christian Religion, as held by our kind of Socialists, are interior to all external ceremonies, formalities, ecclesiasticisms, scholasticisms, sectarianisms, lo- calisms, temporisms and mere incidentalisms ; are of universal application to human relations and conduct ; are such as imper- atively require of all individuals, and all societies, divine love in their affections, divine purity in their motives, divine wisdom in their understandings, divine rectitude in their conduct, and divine order in their relations. Practical Christian Socialism proposes to harmonize all the important interests of individuals and families in a true social state on this basis, by the moral force of these principles rightly expounded, organized and ap- plied. And it affirms that such a result can never be effected in any other way. Inq. Your views strike me as new and singular. I must therefore be excused for inquiring into them somewhat minute- ly. I wish to understand your exposition, step by step, in all its important points. Your kind of Socialism claims to be found- ed on the Christian Religion. Now there seem to be a great many Christian Religions. I mean that we have a multitude of sects, all professing and extolling the Christian Religion, and yet all giving it an aspect to suit themselves ; so that vir- tually there are many Christian Religions. I would like to escape from this jargon, and ascertain precisely what ilmt Christian Religion is on which your kind of Socialism rests. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 29 Ex. You shall have every explanation yon demand. Be as critical as yon please. Practical Christian Socialists do un- doubtedly regard the Christian Religion in a very different light from that in which it is viewed and represented by the great mass of nominal Christians comprising what is called Chris- tendom. And yon shall know in due time distinctly what our peculiar views are. In the first place, the term Religion should be understood. It is a generic term. There are many Religions in the world, both general and particular. This term is said to be derived from the Latin verb religo, to tie hard, to bind, to make fast to impose solemn obligation. Religion consists of truths to be believed, and duties to be performed, or at least of what are as- sumed to be such. Truths and duties thus prescribed are collectively termed Religion, because they impose the highest obligations of faith and conscience on the human soul. Every Religion claims that mankind are under the highest and most solemn obligation to venerate its declared truths, and practice its prescribed requirements. This is true of what is called Natural Religion, of all the Pagan Religions, of the Jewish Religion, of the Mahometan Religion, and of the Christian Religion. They all assume, that unless mankind believe cer- tain declared truths, and obey certain precepts of duty, they cannot escape indescribable privations and woes, cannot be acceptable to God, cannot be happy, either in this life or in that which is to come. All Religions recognize a God, or a plurality of gods, as their central and supreme Authority, to whom every thing stands in a subjective relation. Hence all the Worships, and Priesthoods, and Externalisms of the vari- ous Religions that have prevailed in our world. Have you now a clear idea of the term Religion in its generic meaning ? Inq. I have. You have rendered my understanding of it very definite and satisfactory. What I next wish to know is, whence you derive your views of the Christian Religion ; or, in other words, how you ascertain what it really is ? Ex. I depend entirely on the Scriptures of the New Testa- ment, together with their necessary references in the more ancient Scriptures, and in Nature. 30 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Inq. Then you pay no deference to the dogmas, opinions, expositions and representations of the Christian Religion, as now held by the nominal Church of the various denominations ? Ex. None at all ; nor to the decisions of Councils ; nor to Ecclesiastical traditions, commentaries, glosses, catechisms, systems of scholastic divinity, or creeds ; nor to any Writings subsequent to those of the Evangelists and Apostles. I go di- rectly to the Bible, especially to the Scriptures of the New Testament, and most confidently to the four Gospels so called. Inq. It seems to me that this is prescribing very narrow lim- its to yourself. I learn from the closing paragraph of St. John's Gospel, that if all the things said and done by Jesus Christ had been written, " even the world itself could not contain the books." I infer from this that the New Testament Scriptures do not record a hundredth part of Christ's words and works. Ex. This is probably true. But neither of us ought to infer that any thing absolutely essential was left out of these records ; nor that professed Christians of later generations have reliably supplied any important deficiencies. We must depend on the primitive histories and expositions alone. What cannot be learned from them must remain unknown. We cannot depend on the mere opinions and judgments of men who had no higher sources of information than are accessible to ourselves. Inq. Perhaps not. But it was always unaccountable to me, why Jesus Christ did not leave Writings under his own hand, containing a complete statement of the doctrines and duties of his Religion. Instead of this, we are left without one word purporting to have been penned by him ; and with nothing from his disciples but synoptical reports of his teachings and life very brief sketches of the more important particulars of what he said, did, and experienced. Is not this a very con- tracted foundation on which to erect your superstructure ? Ex. I think differently. What you regard as a defect, I regard as a capital excellence. To systematize, expound in detail, and amplify the applications of Religion, is a work which can be done by second and third rate minds by subordinate teachers. Ordinary divine inspiration, and well -cultivated intellect can do this. But to be the oracular Medium of essen- FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 31 tial divine principles eternal, fundamental, universal princi- ples, required a mind at the very head of the human race, a representative of its highest spiritual capabilities, one through whom the Divine Love and Wisdom might flow forth to all ages in uncorruptible purity. Such an One was the man Christ Jesus. His Religion is one of essential divine principles. It is therefore a universal Religion, proper for all men, and all spiritual intelligences, in all progressive states of existence. It does not consist of mere words. It was never designed to wear the livery of any one particular nation, or age. It cannot be petrified into external forms, nor crystallized into mere human language. Therefore its Mediator did not write it out in sys- tematic detail, nor provide for its being so written out. He well knew that mankind are prone to worship mere words, phrases, texts and forms, rather than ever-living divine principles. He knew that the language in which he must then express his Religion, and the external forms which it must then take on, would become obsolete to after generations. He knew that change is inevitable in all mere human externals, and that there must be ceaseless progress, as well as change. He knew that the same Spirit of Truth which had spoken through his visible humanity, would flow into the minds of men in all com- ing time, and would magnify the same divine principles, in ever-living applications to the wants of each succeeding age. Hence those memorable words : " I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth ; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak : and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me ; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine : there- fore said I, That he shall take of mine and shew unto you." That is, he shall reiterate my divine principles, only with end- lessly new diversifications, and applications to human necessi- ties, John xvi : 12 15. Do you not see then, that it was far wiser for Jesus to have taught and exemplified his Religion in its essential principles, as he did, leaving just such sy- noptical, artless sketches of it as have come down to after 39 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. times, than to have given it an artificial, systematic elaboration in Writing ? It is declaratively a Religion, " not of the letter, but of the spirit" not in mere "word, but inpoiver," Therefore, if we have only enough of letter and word to signify plainly what its principles are, we need no more. Indeed, more would embarrass, rather than facilitate, the progress of such a Religion. Even as it is, nine-tenths of nominal Christians pay nearly all their reverence to the " letter" which has reached them ; very little to the essential divine principles and " spirit." Do you see any reason in this view of the subject ? Inq. A great deal. I am much enlightened by this present- ation of the case. I am so far satisfied that I shall not press my difficulty further. I begin to see why you attach so much importance to what you call essential divine principles. But do you affirm that none of these principles were ever revealed or taught except through Jesus Christ ? Ex. I affirm no such thing. They have been partially and imperfectly taught in all Religions, and in all spiritual Philoso- phies. What is called the light of Nature reveals some of them. Divine inspiration, wherever it has acted strongly on human minds, has revealed them to a greater or less extent. The Seers, Prophets and Sages of all ages and countries have discovered and inculcated these principles with more or less distinctness. The Hebrew Religion, as set forth through the Patriarchs, Moses and the Prophets, in the Old Testament Scriptures, contained many of these principles. But Jesus Christ taught and exemplified them all in their purity, in one complete embodiment. He focalized all the scattered, fragmentary and obscure illuminations of the then Past into one resplen- dent Sun of truth and righteousness ; and this Sun will radiate the ever-waxing luminosity through all the Progressive Future. Such is the Christian Religion. It transcends all other Relig- ions, because it contains the essential truth and good of them all, without their errors and evils ; because it contains higher unfoldings of divine principles than any or all of them together ; and because, in its cardinal principles, it is a universal, perfect, and immortal Religion. If those principles were heartily em- braced, and reduced to practice, by individual and social man FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 33 the Earth would be an Eden, swarming with the holy and happy millions of a redeemed race. Inq. I cannot gainsay your exposition thus far ; and though obliged to suspend our conversation a short time, I shall gladly resume it at my earliest convenience. 34 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. CONVERSATION II. Who or what is Christ ? Origin and definition of the name Christ Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ Jesus of Nazareth applied these and similar predictions to himself The proofs of it Was Jesus Christ divine or human ? The divine and human natures were both manifested in him The exterior Christ, and the interior Christ the Christ-form of divine manifestations Explanations called for The numberless earths and heavens The Infinitarium of universes God exclusively local nowhere His manifestations of himself by means of his Christ-hood ; also his sub- ordinate and less personal manifestations through the Holy Ghost Precise explanations of meaning and idea on all these points. Inq. I am glad to meet you again. The subject of our recent conversation has scarcely been out of my mind since I left you. I have been thinking what your views of Christ might be. You seem to attach immense importance to him, but not exactly in the same way that I have been accustomed to hear him rep- resented. Before you proceed to specify the essential divine principles of the Christian Religion, I request you to state ivlio or ivhat Christ is, according to your conception of his nature, office and character. I think this will prepare me to understand and appreciate, much better, your views of his Religion, and of Practical Christian Socialism throughout. Ex. I am perfectly willing to do so ; though it may require more time than will seem agreeable. The word Christ, is of Greek origin, and signifies literally The Anointed. The He- brew word, Messiah, has precisely the same signification. Prophets, Priests and Kings were anointed in ancient times with holy oil. Thus consecrated, they were considered God's representatives before the people. Their persons were held sacred, and their authority divine. To treat them with con- tempt was to insult, and rebel against, God himself. They were regarded as divinely commissioned, divinely consecrated, and divinely protected. They acted declaratively in the name, FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 35 and by the authority of God. Through them God spoke and acted. In fine, they stood forth as God's visible representa- tives. They were his Messiahs or Christs his ANOINTED ONES. But all the Hebrew Prophets appear to have been inspired with the prophetic conception of a coming Christ, incomparably more exalted than any of these. He was to combine in him- self all the dignified functions of Prophet, Priest and King. He was to be transcendently and emphatically, THE ANOINTED of God his most illustrious representative to mankind. Inq. Will you have the kindness to quote some of the Old Testament prophecies concerning this transcendent Christ ? Ex. I present you the following : " Thou art fairer than the children of men ; grace is poured into thy lips ; therefore God hath blessed thee forever." " Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness ; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Psal. xlv : 2, 7. " The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion ; rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning ; thou hast the dew of thy youth. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Mclchisedek." Ib. ex : 1 4. " Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder ; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Coun- sellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his king- dom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever." Isa. ix : 6, 7. " There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots ; and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord ; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears, But 36 PEACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. with righteousness shall he judge, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth ; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins r and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together ; and a little child shall lead them. * * % They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain : for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Ib. xi : 1 9. " The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me ; be- cause the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek ; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound ; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord," &c. Ib. Ixi : 1, 2. "I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heav- en, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one which shall not be destroyed." Daniel vii : 13, 14. " Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, &c., &c. r and to anoint the Most Holy, * * * the Messiah the Prince." Ib. ix : 24, 25. These are samples of the prophecies to which I alluded. Inq. Have you any evidence that Jesus ever applied these and similar predictions to himself? Ex. Certainly. In proof of it, I refer you to the following passages in the New Testament : " When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am ? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist ; some, Elias ; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am ? Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Barjona; FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 37 for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven." Matt, xvi: 13 17. "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up ; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and stood up to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me, &c. * * * And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture ful- filled in your ears." Luke iv: 16 22. "The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, who is called Christ : when he is come he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he." John iv : 25, 26. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, say- ing, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool ? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son ? And no man was able to answer him a word." Matt, xxii: 41 46. Are these passages satisfactory? Inq. Perfectly. It is plain enough that Jesus claimed to be the predicted Messiah, and unqualifiedly applied various pro- phetic Scriptures of the Old Testament concerning Christ to himself. There is no denying this. And now what was he in his nature ? Was he divine, or was he human ? Ex. Both the divine and human natures were manifested in him. He was truly and properly a man a model man the best possible specimen of a rightly generated, rightly organ- ized, rightly balanced, rightly developed man. Hence he was appropriately and most significantly called " the Son of man." This pure and true man was the exterior Christ. But the Spirit of the Infinite Father flowed into him, pervaded him, anointed him, spoke through him, and wrought wonders by him. God effected all this by what may be called his Christ- hood. I mean that mysterious manife stability of his divine nature whereby at pleasure he personalizes, adapts and ex- presses himself to his finite children, according to their various 38 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. capacities and wants, in all earths, heavens and universes, without really limitizing his absolute Infinity. This interior Christ dwelt within, spoke, and wrought at pleasure, through the exterior Christ. The latter became a perfect Medium for the former. The exterior and interior Christs were exactly adapted to each other. Both the Man and the Spirit, could speak and act freely, either separately, or jointly, without dis- cord. The properly human, and the properly divine natures, acted in complete unison, the interior Christ within the exterior Christ. And because of the interior Christ, the person, Jesus Christ, was appropriately and most significantly called " the Son of God." Inq. Your ideas and terms are new to me. Your views of Christ are striking, but very singular. I do not understand you on some points. You speak of God's Christ-hood, as that mysterious manifestability of his divine nature whereby at pleasure he personalizes, adapts and expresses himself to his finite children, according to their various capacities and wants in all earths, heavens and universes, without really limitizing his absolute Infinity. I must crave some explanation of such terms and expressions as these. How many earths and heavens would you intimate there are ? I have not been accustomed to think of more than one Earth, one Heaven, and one Universe. Ex. Then your mind needs to be expanded. An earth is a globe, or orb of matter, more or less dense, moving in the measureless expanse of space. We inhabit one of these earth-orbs. But all the planets are earths. The sun itself is a superior earth. The fixed stars are probably suns, each having its attendant planets. All these, with their satellites, are earths, superior or inferior. The most pow- erful telescopes enable us to discover stars in every direction, so far from our earth, that it would take their light hun- dreds if not thousands of years to reach us. All these are probably superior earths, each with a group of inferior earths revolving around it. If we could be transported with such tel- escopes to one of these far distant earths, probably we should there discover as many others beyond, mere specks in the re- mote skies. And so we might dart forward (twelve millions FUNDAMENTAL PKINCIPLES. 39 of miles a minute, that is, with the velocity of light), from year to year, from century to century, from one thousand years to another, from one eternity to another, without ever finding a sky unadorned by earth-orbs glistening in its blue depths. Space is illimitable, and the earths thereof are innumerable. Now it is equally probable that at least one, out of every two of these earths, is inhabited by beings having a moral nature, like those of this earth. They are, in fact, men of higher or lower development. Probably all earths throughout the Infin- itarium of existence have their birth, growth and dissolution ; so that as many are always generating, as are dissolving, and as many maturing, as are declining. Matter on the whole, though perpetually changing its forms, positions and conditions, is never annihilated, never diminished, never increased. Each earth may be presumed to have its appropriate corresponding heaven or heavens. Thus there are heavens innumerable, as well as earths, wherein spirits from each earth have their suit- able abodes during successive stages of progress. And as human beings have a social nature, whether in earth or heaven, it may be rationally presumed that they associate in appropri- ate -societies, smaller or larger, in the spirit-world, and in all the heavens. There are estimated to be a thousand millions of human be- ings alive at one time on our earth. Within thirty-five years this vast number will have passed through death into the low- er or higher circles of the circumjacent heavens ; and their places on earth will be filled by a new-born generation equally numerous. This multiplication of human beings has been going on for at least six thousand years, in respect to our earth and will continue for an unknowable duration to come. The same may be assumed as true, in respect to the innumerable earths and heavens I have been contemplating. And as there never was any absolute beginning to the great WHOLE OP THINGS, this same process has been going on in heretofore existing earths from all eternity of eternities, throughout unnumbered uni- verses. Inq. Pause ; I am already confounded ! How can you know all this? 40 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Ex. I blow almost nothing. But all this forces itself on the conceptions and convictions of the reflecting mind. We are obliged to admit the truth of it, if we open our eyes on what is around us, and allow ourselves to think comprehensively. How can we come to any other conclusions ? Inq. It is all so new, amazing and overwhelming to my mind, that I know not what to admit, or to contradict. It may all be so ; I cannot gainsay it. But return, I beseech you, to the main subject. I was anxious to understand your views re- specting what you call the Christ-hood of the Infinite Divine Father, whereby he manifests himself at will as a Deific Per- sonality, in all earths, heavens and universes. Ex. That is what I have been preparing to do. I have not wandered from the subject at all. Before I could speak intel- ligibly concerning the divine Christ-hood, it was necessary to give you more enlarged conceptions of God's Infinitarium. Inq. And what, pray, do you mean by God's Infinitarium ? Ex. I mean the absolute infinity of things and beings which God governs. Space is without any common center, or circum- ference. It has innumerable grand centers. It is infinite. Duration had no beginning, and can have no end. It is infinite. There are things and beings everywhere throughout all Space. Their number must be infinite. There have been things and beings in all Space, throughout all past Duration, and will be through all coming Duration. Therefore I speak of all these together as God's Infinitarium. Now if there never was a time of NOTHING ; never a time when God did not exist ; never a time when he existed in solitude ; and never a time when he had not this Infinitarium of universes, earths, heav- ens, things and beings to govern, then what follows ? It follows that God cannot be limited, either in Space or Duration. He must be as old and endless as Infinite Duration, and he must be as diffusive and omnipresent as Infinite Space. Else there would be supposable periods of Duration in which God was not ; and there would be regions of Space in whose earths and heavens God is not. But this cannot be. God is a Spirit. He fills immensity. He is the most interior, vitalizing Essence of the Infinitarium. All motion, formation, organization, sensation, FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 41 affection, sentiment, reason, happiness all power, love and \visdom, in all universes, earths and heavens, must originate in him as the Infinite Father- Spirit. If so, God cannot be sup- posed to have any one exdmice local residence. There is no one grand center of the Infmitarium, in which he has an exclusive personal presence. He must be essentially an omni- pivsent Spirit. Hence the Israelites were strictly forbidden to make any visible image, likeness or similitude of God. This was the second commandment of their Decalogue. Hence David truly apostrophized God, when he said : " Whither shall 1 go from thy spirit ? or whither shall I flee from thy presence ? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there : if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." Psal. cxxxix : 8 10. Hence also Solomon, in his ded- icatory prayer, impressively said : " But will God indeed dwell on the earth ! Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee ; how much less this house that I have builded." 1 Kings viii : 27. Now such is the Infinite Spirit, God the Father. It is cer- tain, therefore, that no one finite mind, no one society, no one earth, no one heaven, no one universe of minds, can see God as a WHOLE, or conceive of him in his absolute Infinity. His WHOLE cannot be contained within any prescribed bounds of Space. To be seen and known, even finitely, he must manifest himself in some manner conceivable and comprehensible by finite spiritual intelligences. He must adapt himself to their limited capacities. This is a necessity of the case. At the same time, it is indispensable to the progress and happiness of all moral intelligences that God should make all such adaptable manifestations to them of his divine nature, attributes and will. Accordingly, we find that he does so by what I have termed his Christ-hood. By means of this he is able, at will, to appear to his creatures as a Deific Person ; adapting his di- vine personality precisely to the necessities of the case in whatever manifestation he may make in any particular earth, or heaven. Thus he may manifest his perfections, with very 6 42 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. different yet equally suitable degrees of excellence, in each earth, and each heaven. He can do this at different times, or, if he please, in numberless earths, heavens and universes, at the same time ; all his personal manifestations being only va- rious and multiform demonstrations of one Infinite Spirit, perfect in Love, Wisdom and Power. In eveiy such adaptable manifestation, the Apparition or Image, of the otherwise invis- ible God, is called Christ, or the Son of God ; and it represents God to finite minds in the most perfect personality which for the time being they are capable of conceiving. Minor and less personal manifestations of God are also made in every part of the Infinitarium, to individuals, and circles of minds, as occa- sion requires. Hence come extraordinary divine revelations, inspirations, visions, impressions, gifts and excellences. These minor manifestations are spoken of in Scripture as immediately wrought by the Holy Ghost ; which, in fact, is only a certain concentration of the universal Christ- Spirit, or Divine Spiricity, whereby God acts communicably within and upon his crea- tures. Hence God, contemplated in the Wholeness of his Infinity, is called the FATHER. "When contemplated through his manifestive Christ-hood, as a comprehensible Deific Per- sonality, his Apparition or Image is called the Christ, or Son of God. When his Spiritic Essence gives forth its less personal manifestations, it is called the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. So there is really one and but one God one omnipresent, all- interiorating, all-vitalizing, Infinite Parental Spirit, however manifested. Inq. Shall I understand you that the one Infinite God is properly a Person ? Ex. He has all the attributes of Mind, and of Spiritual Per- sonality, and therefore is a Person. But being INFINITE, he cannot be recognized and comprehended by finite minds as a Person, except through the manifestations of his Christ-hood. Inq. Do I understand you that Christ is the Infinite God ? Ex. Certainly not. Christ is only a comprehensible Appari- tion, Image or Personalized Manifestation of the invisible God, made in condescension to the necessities of finite minds. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 43 Inq. Did yon mean to be understood that there are number- less Christs in the Infinitarium ? Ex. Doubtless there are innumerable Personalized Manifest- ations of God, considering the countless universes which exist ; and in this sense innumerable Christs ; but the Divine Appari- tions or Images are all of one essence. There is but one Holy Christ Spirit, and one Christ-hood whereby God manifests himself. Inq. You mean that there is but one Divine Spiricity or Christ- Spirit, and one Divine Manifestability or Christ-hood, whereby God personalizes himself to finite comprehension; yet that by means of this, God can cause himself to appear as a comprehensible Deific Person, at will, in any earth, or heav- en, at different times, or in all the earths, and all the heavens at the same instant, whether to single intelligences, or millions of congregated angels ? Ex. Yes ; and all this without the least real division, or con- fusion of his own absolute Unity. Inq. Did I understand you to say that the Holy Ghost is God? Ex. God in Spiritic Essence ; not God in his infinite Whole- ness ; the Divine Spiricity concentrated for partial manifesta- tion ; the Christ- Spirit focalized at particular points to effect specific results. Inq. Well, my mind is overcharged with your strange and peculiar ideas. I will ponder them awhile, and then meet you again. 44 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM, CONVERSATION III. The Inquirer recapitulates the principal positions and ideas which he under- stands Expositor to hare set forth in the preceding Conversations, and Expositor pronounces the statement of them to he correct Is there any difference in essence between the interior and exterior Christ ? Between the Infinite Father- Spirit, the Christ-Spirit and the Holy Ghost ? Explan- atory replications Inquirer calls for passages of Scripture which speak of the Christ-Spirit, as existing prior to and distinct from the man Christ Je- sus Given Light of the Christ-Spirit universal in a greater or less degree, allusion to Pythagoras, Confucius, &c., &c. How to determine as to what is Christ-like wherever found Passages of Scripture showing the Deific Personality of the Christ-Spirit speaking through, yet as above the Christ-man Some passages in which the exterior Christ or mere man spoke Some in which the Christ-Spirit and Holy Ghost appear to be the same in essence Conclusion respecting Christ and the necessity of his Religion to man's individual and social regeneration. Inq. My mind was heavily freighted with new, strange and sublime ideas, by our Conversation concerning Christ. I ter- minated it rather abruptly, because I felt that I could contain no more. I have been revolving, and trying to digest your doctrine. It is so peculiar, and in some respects so overwhelm- ing, that I feel incompetent to do it justice. I confess, however, that I have felt my whole soul quickened and enlarged by it. And so far as I clearly understand you, I am inclined to regard your views with much favor. Before we proceed, I wish to recapitulate your leading positions, as I have apprehended them, in order that, if I have mistaken your meaning at all, you may correct me. I understand you to hold that there are earths and heavens innumerable ; that at least one out of every two of these, and perhaps a greater proportion, is inhabited by moral and spiritual intelligences radically similar to human be- ings in their nature, however above or below in grade of de- velopment; that there are innumerable solar systems, and uni- verses of worlds ; that there is no vast region of space without FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 45 earths and heavens; and that there never was a time when no earths and heavens existed ; in fine, that there is, always v/v/.v, and always icitt be an Infinitarium of existing worlds, beings and things, passing through their appropriate changes. Is tin's so ? Ex. You have rightly apprehended my views thus far. Go on. Inq. I understand you to hold, that the Infmitarium is now, ever was, and ever will be vitalized, through its inmost interi- ors, by one all-pervading, omnipresent, absolutely Infinite Spirit, who is its Soul, the origin of all its motific power, sensific life, affectional love, rational intellect, spiritual sentiment and en- tire good ; that this Spirit is God the Father ; that this universal Spirit-Father can have no one exclusive local residence ; that no finite mind, nor congregation of minds in any earth, heaven or universe, can see this One God as a WHOLE, in his absolute Infinity of being ; and that he can be known to finite intelli- gences only by particular manifestations adapted to their ca- pacities. Am I still correct ? Ex. Entirely so ; proceed. Inq. I understand you to hold, that the moral and spiritual intelligences of all earths and heavens, whether lower or high- er, all need particular manifestations of the divine nature and perfections, in order to their progress and happiness. That God accommodates all minds, in all earths and heavens, by making such manifestations of himself to them as are most suitable to their wants. That he does so as a Deific Person, and less personally in minor demonstrations of spiritual power. That all these various manifestations, personal and impersonal, higher and lower, are effected by means of one universal Christ- Spirit, or God-expressing Spiricity, called the Father's Christ-hood. That this Christ- Spirit flowed into the interiors of Jesus of Nazareth in extraordinary plenitude ; thus pervading and anointing him, as its consecrated personal temple. That as a man Jesus was the highest and purest of earthly humans ; was fitly chosen to be the external Medium of the divine inter- nal Christ, and thus became the Infinite Father's highest 46 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. spiritual manifestation to mankind. Are these your positions and ideas ? Ex. They are. Inq. Well then, I have a few inquiries to add. What radi- cal difference, according to your views, is there between the exterior, and the interior Christ ? Ex. The exterior one was constituted of human nature in its best personalization ; the interior one was constituted of the divine nature, fitly personalized within the human, so as to speak and act through it without repulsion, obstruction or dis- cord. In Jesus Christ the human and divine occupied their respective places in true relative harmony ; thus illustrating the perfect subordination and reconciliation of universal man to God. Inq. I think I understand you. Is there any difference in essence between the Infinite Father- Spirit, the Christ- Spirit, and the Holy Spirit, otherwise termed the Holy Ghost ? Ex. None. But there are differences of degree and func- tion. The Infinite Father- Spirit is .God in his Wholeness, interior and exterior, who, filling boundless immensity, cannot be limitized, nor localized. The Christ- Spirit is that Divine Spiricity of the Father, which constitutes what I have called his Christ-hood, or perfect capability of manifestation. By this exteriorizing aura he can communicate at will with finite natures, can express his attributes, can personalize and repre- sent himself in any earth, heaven or universe. The Christ- Spirit is indeed coeval, and co-omnipresent with the Father, but is peculiarly communicable, expressive, personalizable and manifestive. Hence it constitutes the Christ-hood or manifes- tability of the Divine Nature. The Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is this same Christ- Spirit acting by efflux, concentration or focalization, at particular times and places, chiefly on moral intelligences, so as to produce the innumerable minor divine manifestations. Such, I think, are the true distinctions to be made between the Father, Son and Holy Ghost of the Chris- tian Scriptures. Inq. Well, you have defined and explained, for my satisfac- tion, till you must be weary of the labor. I believe I have now FUNDAMENTAL PEINCIPLES. 47 a tolerably clear perception of your leading ideas. I do not know exactly what to make of your theological doctrine. You are neither a Trinitarian, nor a Unitarian, of any class known to me. But if you are a Practical Christian, I suppose that is enough. All I now desire is, to be shown that your views of Jesus Christ are such as he himself, and the sacred writers, taught. And first, can you refer to any passages of Scripture which speak of what you call the Christ- Spirit, as existing prior to and distinct from the man Christ Jesus ? Ex. I think I can. " Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you ; searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufierings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Pet. i : 10, 11. Here it is plain that the Christ- Spirit, in the ancient prophets, predicted the sufierings of the Christ-man. " Our fathers were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea ; and did all eat the same spiritual meat ; and did all drink the same spiritual drink ; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them ; and that Pvock was Christ." 1 Cor. x: 2 4. So then the Christ- Spirit manifest- ed itself under the similitude of a rock, long before the Christ- man was born. " In the beginning was the Word, [Logos, the God-manifesting Spirit, the Christ- Spirit] and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [Was God's communica- ble., self- expressing, exteriorizing essence.] The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made [mediately] by him ; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life ; and the life was the light of men." " This was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by [by means of or through] him. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh [tabernacled in the man Jesus of Nazareth], and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the 48 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." " No man hath seen God at any time, the only begot- ten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." Jolmi: 1 18. This same word is spoken of in the eighth chapter of Proverbs, as the eternal "Wisdom of God. " The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his "works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the be- ginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths I was brought forth ; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth. * * When he prepared the heav- ens, I was there : * * : When he appointed the founda- tions of the earth : then I was by him, as one brought up with him ; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. # * * Whoso fmdeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul : all they that hate me love death." This was no other than the Christ- Spirit the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Are not these passages plain, pertinent and conclusive ? Inq. They are much more so than I believed you could ad- duce. But some of them seem to imply that the Christ- Spirit this divine Light whereby God manifests himself, is in some degree the illuminating inspiration of all mankind. Is it so ? Ex. Certainly it is. All men, in all ages and countries of the world, who have formed any just conceptions of the Deity, of man's spiritual nature, relations and obligations who have unfolded any great truths of Wisdom, or practically illustrated any heavenly virtues, have done so tinder the inspirations, more or less impressive, of the eternal Christ- Spirit, the Wisdom element, which is the true Light that lighteth every man in all earths, and in all heavens. Inq. So then, if some of this light shone through Moses, some through Pythagoras, some through Confucius, some through Zoroaster, some through Plato, Socrates, &c., &c., you accredit it all to the one Christ- Spirit, wherever you can identi- fy it? Ex. 1 do. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 49 Inq. Well, tliis is making out a very expansive and compre- hensive Christian Religion. But how will you determine what is Christ-like, in all these manifold illuminees ? Ex. By reducing eveiy tiling to fundamental principles, and comparing them with the essentials clearly illustrated by our great Prince Messiah, the man Christ Jesus. His teachings, life and death, will enable me to settle all these questions. The manifestation of God through him is obviously the highest ever made to man. He is above all human Media. God gave him the Christ- Spirit " without measure." The interior Christ spake the truths of God through him without obstruction, and with absolute personal authority. Inq. Do you feel able to quote passages of Scripture, which show that the Christ- Spirit in Jesus sometimes exercised Deific Personality, and spoke as one superior to the Christ-man ? Ex. Yes. The following are samples of such passages : " My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giv- eth life unto the world. * I am the bread of life. * * I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." " I am the living bread which came down from heaven." Johnvi: 32 38, 51. "lam the light of the world : he that followeth me shall not \valk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." " I speak that which I have seen with my Father." " Before Abraham was I am." Ib. viii : 12, 38, 58. " He that hath seen me hath seen the Fa- ther." " Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?" Ib. xiv: 9, 10. " O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee be- fore the world was." Ib. xvii : 5. Are not these to the point? Inq. They appear to be. Now will you give me a specimen of those passages wherein the exterior Christ, the man, as distinguishable from the interior Christ, spoke ? Ex. " Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God." Mark x : 18. " I do nothing of myself ; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." John viii: 28. "The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself; but the Father, that dwelleth in me, he doeth the 7 50 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. works." Ib. xiv : 10. " My soul is exceeding sorrowful ev.en unto death." Matt, xxvi : 38. " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" Ib. xxvii : 46. In these instances the exterior Christ, the simple Christ-man, spoke. Is it not plain ? Inq. I cannot deny it. I would further only ask for a few texts in which the Christ- Spirit, and the Holy Ghost, are rep- resented as the same in essence. Ex. The following are samples of such texts : " Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan." Luke iv : 1. " He breathed on them, and saith, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." John xx : 22. " God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost, and with power ; who went about doing good, and heal- ing all that were oppressed of the devil ; for God was with him." Acts x : 38. " He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God ; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." John iii : 34. " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, be- cause he hath anointed me to preach the gospel," &c. Luke iv : 18. " But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin." Rom. viii : 9, 10. " The first man Adam was made a living soul ; the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit." 1 Cor. xv : 45. " That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man ; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith," &c. Ephes. iii : 16, 17. I trust these texts are sufficient. Inq. You have sustained all your points from the Scriptures, and very satisfactorily to my judgment, so far as they are con- cerned. Nor do I see any thing in your views of Christ repugnant to enlightened reason or sound spiritual philosophy. The name of Christ will henceforth signify to me incomparably more than I ever before conceived it to express ; and the Christian Religion will hereafter be to my soul an inexhausti- ble mine of truth and good. You have prepared my mind to receive, not only with respect and patience, but with the live- liest interest, your promised development of its essential principles. It was necessary that I should understand and FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 51 appreciate the Christ in whom you believed, in order to under- stand the Religion which you honor with his name. Ex. I rejoice in having been able to render you the service, and afford you the satisfaction you so generously acknowledge. I shall go forward with courage and cheerfulness. You begin to see that Practical Christian Socialism is SOMETHING ; that it has a broad and solid religious basis ; that there is nothing narrow and superficial about it ; that it is not a petty, arbitraiy, purblind sectarianism ; but an infinitarian harmonialism, recog- nizing the Deific Interior Spirit of innumerable earths and heavens, with his various manifestations, as affecting the prog- ress and happiness of all spiritual intelligences. You will henceforth understand why Practical Christian Socialists, un- like some other Socialists, cannot ignore Christ, nor contemn his authority, nor hold his Religion in light esteem ; but feel impelled to reverence him as the exteriorization, the Appari- tion, " the Image of the invisible God," and to exalt his name " above every name." For to them Christ is not only a beau- tiful and perfect man, one " altogether lovely" in the highest attributes of humanity ; but he is a heavenly and divine Spirit, the outer and perceptible essence of the one Deific Nature that inherently and most interiorly vitalizes the whole Infinita- rium of worlds and beings the manifested Father the communicable Life, Love and Wisdom of God to all moral and spiritual beings. All they expect to know of THE ABSOLUTE God, even in the highest heavens, they expect to know in his Christ-form of Deific Personalization, and by the Christ- Spirit of Love and Wisdom illuminating their own spiritual Interiors. All they have yet known of the true God, they have learned in these ways. They see all Truth by the Christ- Light. They feel all absolute Good by the Christ- Heat. Therefore it does not stumble them to read the uncompromising testimonies of Jesus Christ, that men must believe in him, or abide in spir- itual darkness and condemnation ; for they see that this is the simple truth, necessitated by the moral and spiritual constitution of human nature. He says : " I am the Way, the Truth and the Life ; no man cometh unto the Father but by me" ; and truly this is so. He says, " God so loved the world that he 52 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever belie veth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life ;" and it is even so. He says, " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life : but the wrath of God abideth on him ; [i. e. he necessarily remain etli in spiritual darkness and moral death] ; and surely this is so. He says, " He that hateth me, hateth my Father also" : and elsewhere, " all they that hate me love death." Practical Christian Socialists see that all this is truth. They see that when any individual soul is brought right, the Christ- Spirit must have done it, and that this Spirit must have taken up his abode within such a soul ; even as it is written : " If a man love me, he will keep my words ; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John xiv : 23. They see that when Society is brought right, the Christ- Spirit will have done it, and must take up its abode in the constitutions, laws and organic administration of such Society ; because Society is a man, a complex man, a Social man. Therefore, they have no more hope of regenerat- ing Society without faith in Christ, without reconstructing it on Christ- Principles, and breathing into its organism the Christ- Spirit, the true breath of divine Life, than they have of regen- erating individual sinners without the Faith, Hope and Charity of the same eternal Christ- Spirit ; or than they have of saving a wicked man in his sins. This is their grand reason for making the interior, essential principles of the Christian Relig- ion the basis of their Social Superstructure. Inq. I now see and admire this fundamental characteristic of your Socialism, and shall expect you to enter, in our next Con- versation, on an explicit presentation of those principles. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 53 CONVERSATION IV. Statement of essential divine principles given in a Table of three general divisions I. Principles of Theological Truth II. Principles of Personal Righteousness III. Principles of Social Order Explanations of certain terms 1st Principle considered 2d Principle considered 3d Principle considered. Inq. I am now prepared to consider your statement of es- sential divine principles. Ex. And I am ready to present that statement. I shall do so in a Table of three general divisions, as follows, viz : TABLE. I. Principles of Theological Truth. 1. The existence of one All- Perfect, Infinite God. 2. The mediatorial manifestation of God through Christ. 3. Divine revelations and inspirations given to men. 4. The immortal existence of human and angelic spirits. 5. The moral agency and religious obligation of mankind. 6. The certainty of a perfect divine retribution. 7. The necessity of man's spiritual regeneration. 8. The final universal triumph of good over evil. II. Principles of Personal Righteousness. 1. Reverence for the Divine and spiritual. 2. Self-denial for righteousness' sake. 3. Justice to all beings.. 4. Truth in all manifestations of mind. 5. Love in all spiritual relations. 6. Purity in all things. 7. Patience in all right aims and pursuits. 8. Unceasing progress towards perfection. III. Principles of Social Order. 1. The supreme Fatherhood of God. 54 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. 2. The universal Brotherhood of Man. 3. The declared perfect love of God to Man. 4. The required perfect love of Man to God. 5. The required perfect love of Man to Man. 6. The required just reproof and disfellowship of evil doers. 7. The required non-resistance of evil doers with evil. 8. The designed unity of the righteous. Here are twenty-four cardinal principles ; eight of Theological Truth, to be embraced by faith, or at least acknowledged as undeniable ; eight of Personal Righteousness, to be illustrated in practice ; and eight of Social Order, to be acknowledged and acted upon in the constitution, organization and establishment of a true harmonic Society. These are the essential divine principles of the Christian Religion. With their sub -principles and indispensable cognates, they include all that is vital in that Religion. Taken together in their blended interfusion and unity, they constitute its soul, its spirit. Practical Christian Socialists hold these to be essential, eternal, universal, divine principles ; positively practical in their natural tendency, and interior to all external ceremonies, formalities, scholasticisms, ecclesiasticisms, sectarianisms, localisms, temporisms and mere incidentalisms. Inq. I admire the perspicuity and comprehensiveness of your Table, so far as I am now able to understand it ; though it presents a very different statement of essential Christianity from any I have elsewhere seen. I expect you will now pro- ceed to demonstrate that these are the cardinal principles of the Christian Religion, and, in so doing, illustrate adequately their nature and scope. But before you commence, I wish you would define what you mean by external ceremonies, formali- ties, scholasticisms, ecclesiasticisms, sectarianisms, localisms, temporisms and incidentalisms. Ex. I think it is very proper I should do so. By external ceremonies I mean what are commonly called the public ordi- nances of religion, such as water baptisms, the Lord's supper, the several sacraments, &c. By formalities I mean all stated forms and observances as to days, times and seasons, places, postures and modes of address, in the professed worship of FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 55 God, ill fasting, prayer, thanksgiving, praise, &c. By scholasti- cisms I mean studied propositions in which metaphysical doc- trinarics of different ages, either individually or in conclave, have artificially stated the articles of their faith, or what they assumed to be the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, such as the Trinity, Transubstantiation, Election and Reprobation, Foreordination, Total Depravity, Vicarious Atonement, &c., &c.; which may have more or less of truth as their original basis, but are not warranted by the simplicity of Scripture, or its plain testimony as a whole. By ccclesiasticisms I mean Church Constitutions, Confessions, Covenants, Clerical Orders, and all kinds of Ecclesiastical Polity, Rules, Regulations and usages ; which may be good, bad or indifferent, according to their na- ture, use or circumstances. By sectarianisms I mean those peculiarities of faith or practice which only appertain to a par- ticular sect as such, and which merely distinguish it from other sects, but are not of the nature of essential, universal principles of truth and righteousness. By localisms I mean those peculi- arities of religious action or manner, observance or form, which obtain currency and become customary in particular countries, cities, or localities, and are proper enough there, but not neces- sary to be insisted on in other countries, cities and localities. By temporisms I mean peculiarities of religious action or man- ner, observance or form, which, for any reason, become cus- tomary in a particular age, or period of time, and may be proper, or even indispensable then, but are neither necessary, nor use- ful at later periods when circumstances have greatly changed. By incidentalisms I mean all little peculiarities of fashion, cus- tom, habit, or of eccentricity, into which religious leaders sometimes fall, as it were accidentally and without considera- tion, certainly without intending to make them any way essen- tial, or expecting them to be insisted on by their followers ; but which, nevertheless, through human weakness, become sancti- fied, and magnified into great importance. Now I asserted that the essential divine principles of the Christian Religion, stated in my Table, are INTERIOR to all external ceremonies, formali- ties, scholasticisms, ecclesiasticisms, sectarianisms, localisms, temporisms and mere incidentalisms. In so asserting, I did 56 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. not mean to condemn and discard all these as necessarily evil, or useless, nor to raise a quarrel against them, but to affirm that the PRINCIPLES are absolutely essential to the Christian Religion, as its vital, unchangeable interiors ; whilst all these are, at best, non-essentials mere changeable exteriors of the Religion, every one of which may pass away, or be modified, without impairing its inherent life. Have I made my meaning plain ? Inq. Very plain, to my understanding. But your plowshare runs so deep into the venerated superficialism of popular Christianity, that I am afraid many will think you have torn up the very foundations. I see that your Practical Christianity is altogether a different thing from nominal Christianity. Ex. Certainly it is ; but I will show you that it is the Chris- tianity of Jesus Christ. Inq. Proceed with your exposition. Ex. 1. I commence, then, with my first stated principle of Theological Truth ; viz : The existence of one All Perfect, Infinite God. That the Christian Religion distinctly reaffirms the existence of one, and but one, self-existent God an All Per- fect, Infinite Spirit the Source, Sustainer and Controller of Universal Nature, will not be questioned. Yet it may not be superfluous to quote a few passages from the New Testament, as samples of the manner in which this truth is set forth. A certain scribe questioned Jesus, saying, " Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel ; The Lord our God is one Lord : and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." " And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth : for there is one God ; and there is none other but him :" &c. " And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." Mark, xii : 28 34. " Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, &c. ; that ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven ; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." " Be FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 57 ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect." Mutt, v : 44 Itf. "The hour corneth, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit ; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John iv : 23, 24. " God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. For in him we live, and move, and have our being." Acts xvii : 24 28. " Of him, and through him, and to him are all things ; to whom be glory forever. Amen." E-om. xi : 36. " There is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Ephes. iv : 6. He " is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords ; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto ; whom no man hath seen, nor can see ; to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen." 1 Tim. vi : 15, 16. " Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no vari- ableness, neither shadow of turning." James i : 17. " God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." 1 John i : 5. " Love is of God ; and every one that loveth is born of God," " God is Love." Ib. iv : 7, 8. Such is the manner in which our first fundamental jmncipld is declared in the Scriptures of the New Testament To. deny the existence of one All- Perfect, Infinite God, ox to hold that there is more than one such God, or to make God imperfect and finite in any of his attributes, is to discard the Christian Religion. Can there be any doubt of this? Inq. I see not that there can be. This principle is plainly enough a divine essential of the Christian Religion. And you maintain, I suppose, that it is a practical, as well as theoretical one? Ex. Certainly I do. I am confident that Atheism, Polythe- ism and Pantheism, each and all of them, are incompatible with the living of a true individual, or a true social life. They either 8 68 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. make a man, a family and a society vicious and miserable, or at least prevent the attainment of any high degree of righteousness and happiness. Human nature needs to recognize, confide in and worship One All- Perfect, Infinite God, The individual needs this, the family needs it, the community needs it, the nation needs it, the race needs it. And without this, solid virtue, order and happiness are impossible to mankind. Practical Christian Socialists expect to accomplish nothing towards the establishment of their grand superstructure without this first essential divine principle of the Christian Religion. Inq. I fully believe you are right ; proceed. Ex. My second stated principle of Theological Truth is : The mediatorial manifestation of God through Christ. This principle has already been so fully elucidated and demonstrat- ed, in our lid and Hid Conversations, that I need not now go into formal proofs and illustrations. My views are these : God is an All- Perfect, Infinite Spirit. Men, angels and all created spirits are finite. An All- Perfect, Infinite Being cannot manifest himself as a WHOLE to finite ones. Therefore if God manifests himself at all to angels or to men, he must accom- modate himself to their finite comprehension. If God mani- fests himself personally to his finite children, he must cause himself to appear to them in the highest personal form known to them, and in that form must illustrate such degrees of divine excellence as are calculated to demonstrate his presence. The human form, being the highest and most perfect known to man, must have been assumed by the Deific Spirit as the suitable one in which to manifest himself to men in the flesh, and in that form he must needs illustrate superhuman excellences ; otherwise we could not have recognized any divine manifes- tation. Human beings innately desire, and absolutely need personal manifestations of the Divine Nature, in order to their progress and happiness. God actually makes such manifesta- tions of himself to his finite children whenever proper. This is done by a certain capability of his divine nature, exercised at will, which concentrates any requisite measure of his omnipresent Spirit, personalizes it within a chosen exterior form, and inspires that form in the degree necessary to make FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 69 any manifestation he pleases. The form so chosen is the exterior Christ of the manifestation made through it. The concentrated personalization of the Divine essence within that form is the interior Christ. The omnipresent Spirit or essence, thus concentrated and personalized at will, is the Eternal Christ- Spirit, concerning which John says, " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The state in which God is, when manifesting him- self by concentrating and personalizing his omnipresent Spiricity so as to constitute an interior Christ within an exterior one, I have called his Christ-hood. And this mode of manifestation, I have inferred might enable the Divine Nature to manifest itself personally in numberless earths and heavens at the same instant, without the least disunity or confusion of his Essence. It may also be inferred that these Christ-hood manifestations of God are the only personal ones which his finite creatures ever have seen or can see. As a whole personal Infinity, God can neither be seen nor conceived of by finite natures, however exalted. Now to come to the grand personal mani- festation of God, with which men and angels in our part of the universe are concerned, we contemplate Jesus Christ as having a perfect human exterior and a perfect divine interior. And being so constituted, he was truly the Son of man and the Son of God. In him the human and divine natures sub- sisted together without a jar. Thus constituted, he takes the preeminence in our earth arid heaven ; as it is written : " The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." " No man hath seen God at any time : the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." John i : 14, 18. The Father judgeth no man: but hath committed all judgment unto the Son ; that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father who sent him/' Ib. v : 22, 23. " He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father. I am in the Father, and the Father in me. The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself; but the Father, that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." Ib. xiv : 9, 10. " God 60 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself." 2 Cor. v : 19. " For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell ; and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself, whether things in earth, or things in heaven." Col. i : 19, 20. " Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name ; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth ; and that every tongue should confess tbn.t Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil, ii: 9, 11. Such is the mediatorial manifestation of God through Christ. Embracing this great Theological Truth as an essential divine principle of the Christian Religion, we look up to Jesus Christ as the Head of the true Church; the Lord, Judge and Savior of the world ; the Mediator between God and men ; the Way, the Truth and the Life ; by whom alone we can truly know the Father ; whose principles and spirit must govern us in all things ; and without whom we can do nothing for ourselves or the world, as it ought to be done. Have I said enough on this point ? Inq. I think I understand you sufficiently respecting the na- ture and office of Christ. I would only inquire what your views are concerning the Atonement. This, you know, is held to be of the highest importance in the popular church. Ex. The popular doctrine of Atonement, if I understand it, affirms that the death of Jesus Christ on the cross was of the nature of a punishment suffered in the place of guilty man ; whereby divine justice was satisfied, the divine wrath appeas- ed, and divine forgiveness purchased for all the penitent. I do not believe in any such atonement This doctrine is what I call a scholasticism, invented by the metaphysical Doctors of the Church. The word atonement occurs but once in the Christian Scriptures, viz : " We also joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atone- ment." Rom. v: 11. The original word, here rendered atonement, is elsewhere rendered, more properly, reconciliation. The entire manifestation of God through Jesus Christ in the FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 61 flesh constitutes the true Christian atonement. It was a com- plex demonstration of truth declared, vighfawiMtsss exemplified and self-sacrifice suffered, for the reconciliation of mankind to God. It was necessary to that end ; not as a vicarious punish- ment, to appease divine justice ; but as an efficacious illustra- tion of divine Truth and Love, appealing to the deepest spiritual and moral sensibilities of human nature. Nothing less than such a demonstration could make man feel how low, sinful and lost he was ; how much God loved and desired to save him ; and how holy salvation would render him, by mak- ing him Christ-like. The work of atonement culminated in the death of Jesus on the cross; and therefore the sufferings a*id bloodshed of that great event have often been made to stand for the entire process. But it was not literally the whole ; it was rather the finale and consummation of the work. We must never separate the self-sacrifice of the cross from tho chain of its inductives, nor the efficacy of literal blood, shed for the remission of sins, from that spiritual life of which it was only the external representative. All that Jesus Christ said, did and suffered, as the Medium of Divine Manifestation, through his entire life in the flesh, is comprehended in and con- stitutes the atonement. The atonement was as necessary, and is as important to man's salvation, as it has been represented to be in the popular Church ; but is of a very different nature, and was necessary for very different reasons. It is an insepa- rable accompaniment of the mediatorial manifestation of God to mankind through Jesus Christ Is my reply to your last inquiry satisfactory ? Inq. It is ; and you may pass to your next stated principle. Ex. The next is my third, viz : Divine revelations and inspi- rations given to men. That this is an essential of the Christian Heligion is very obvious. It is either affirmed or taken for granted, all the way through the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testaments, that God gave supernatural revelations of his existence, attributes, will, law and purposes to particular persons, and special inspirations to enlighten and guide their thought, speech, writing and action. Hence it is written : " God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in e2 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." Hebrews i : 1, 2. " For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man ; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter i : 21. "Of which salvation the proph- ets have inquired and searched diligently ; * * * searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was* in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the siilferings- of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minis- ter the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel." 1 Pet. i: II, 12. " All Scripture, given by inspiration of God, is profitable for doctrine, for re- proof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 2 Tim- iii : 16. " Ye are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.'* Ephes. ii : 20. I need not quote passages of Scripture to sus- tain this point. The entire Bible is characterized by records of divine revelations and inspirations given to patriarchs, prophets, apostles, &c. To deny that God ever has revealed, or ever does reveal himself to man, except in the ordinary course of Nature, that he ever has inspired man, or ever does, except through the ordinary activities of the mind, is to discard the Christian Religion. Inq. How do you understand these divine revelations and inspirations to have been given to man ? Ex. In various ways. That all-pervading, omnipresent divine essence, which I have called the Christ- Spirit, and which in Scripture is called the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, &c., I have described as concentrable and personaliza- ble in any degree, at any point, or within any susceptible created mind. I have said that God can do this, at will, when- ever and wherever necessary to the good of his finite children. It is by means of this concentrating and personalizing capabil- ity that all special divine revelations and inspirations are given. Sometimes they are given through angels and departed spirits, who render themselves visible and audible, or manifest them- .;/ FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 63 selves in a striking manner to tire senses of the recipient. Sometimes through extraordinary visions, trances and dieam. Sometimes by powerful impressions and presentiments of a purely mental and spiritual nature. And sometimes by deep, distinct and irresistible suggestions to the inmost soul. Under- lying all these there is a general, perhaps I may say universal, divine inspiration acting with greater or less effect on human -nature. Inq. When you speak of supernatural and special divine revelations, do you mean that they are contrary to Nature, and that they imply a suspension of natural laws ? Ex. I mean by supernatural, not cottfra-natural, but higher- natural. It is as natural for the Divine Nature to act in its own way, as for any subordinate nature to act in its own way. There are higher and lower natures. The activities and mani- festations of a higher nature are ^e/natural to every lower nature. As to natural laws, they are only the modes by which different natures under certain conditions operate or act. Min- eral natures have their modes of action under given conditions, vegetable natures theirs, animal natures theirs, rational natures theirs, angelic natures theirs, and the Divine Nature its own. All these differ more or less, and the higher is always capable of transcending, modifying and even suspending the modes of action peculiar to a lower nature. And yet superior natures act as naturally in their sphere as inferior ones do in theirs. But the higher are supernatural to the lower, and are miracu- lous to them only because above their plane of natural action. Inq. Do you understand Divine revelations and inspirations to have ceased ? Ex. By no means. What I have denominated general inspi- ration certainly has not ceased, and never can. Nor do I see why special revelations and inspirations should cease. I do not believe they have ceased, or ever will cease, till " God shall be all in all." The ancient revelations and inspirations intimate no long cessation of their like, but plainly point forward to fresh and even more glorious ones to be enjoyed by mankind. In q. Do you regard Divine inspiration as perfect or plenary, 64 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. in any case, so as to preclude all possibilty of human error on the part of the inspired person? Ex. Jesus Christ alone claimed such perfection for himself, and stands honored by prophets and apostles, as the only ("MIC plenarily inspired, or perfectly God-possessed. All the Bible impirecs are declared to have received the Divine Spirit " by measure"; but he without measure. All the prophets and apostles, under both Testaments, confess the limitation of their inspiration, and that they were more or less erring and frail. But they all make him perfect in the Divine Spirit, Wisdom and Love and sinless. And, without the least seeming vanity or boasting, he represents himself as dwelling perpetually in God, and having the Father within him; as speaking the words, doing the works, and cherishing the Spirit of the High- est ; as always pleasing Him. He alone, then, stands forth the living illustration of a perfect, plenary, infallible inspiration. All others, ancient and modern, .however gloriously and reliably inspired at times, and on occasions, have been, are and must be, liable to error in a greater or less degree. Do you under- stand me ? Inq. I think I do; and I shall give every part of your exposition the most careful and just consideration. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. CONVERSATION V. The 4th principle of Theological Truth considered Inquiries answered respecting the existence of evil angels and spirits ; respecting the resurrec- tion of the mortal body, Christ's body, &c.; and respecting the general resurrection Manifestive resurrections, as distinguished from the universal, absolute resurrection 5th principle of Theological Truth considered, with the proper qualifications thereof Recess. Inq. I am ready to consider what you have to say concerning your remaining principles of Theological Truth. Ex. I resume with the fourth of them ; viz : The immortal existence of human and angelic spirits. That there is a world of spiritual and immortal existence, into which all mankind pass at or soon after the death of the body a world wherein are innumerable angels and spirits of various grades is cer- tainly a cardinal principle of the Christian Religion. The world to come, the resurrection of the dead, and the existence of angels and spirits, are prominently spoken of throughout the Christian Scriptures, as realities of the sublimest importance. The following passages are samples : " The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage ; but they who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage ; neither can they die any more ; for they are equal unto the angels ; and are the children of God, being the chil- dren of the resurrection. Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living ; for all live unto him." Luke xx : 34 38. " And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resur- rection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." Acts xxiv : 15. " We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made 9 66 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven ; if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being bur- dened ; not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord : (for we walk by faith, not by sight). We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him." 2 Cor. v : 1 9. Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit : By which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison ; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah." 1 Pet. iii : 18 20. He " is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For, for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live accord- ing to God in the spirit." Ib. iv : 5, 6. " For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." Rom. xiv : 9. " And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." Luke ii: 13, 14. " And behold, there talked with him two men, who were Moses and Elias ; who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." Ib. ix: 30,31. " Think- est thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels ?" Matt, xxvi : 52. " When he bringeth the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." " He maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minis- ter for them who shall be heirs of salvation ?" Heb. i : 6, 7, 14. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 67 " Ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly of the church of the first born which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect." Ib. xii : 22, 23. These and a multitude of similar passages show conclusive- ly that the immortal existence of human and angelic spirits is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian Religion. Inq. I have no doubt that it is ; and I am curious only to obtain your views on two or three points relating to this doc- trine. First, do you believe there are evil angels and spirits in the immortal world, as well as good ones ? Ex. I think both Scripture and reason lead us to the conclu- sion, that there are evil angels and spirits, as well as good ones. Many passages either declare, or plainly imply it, all the way through the New Testament ; and reason cannot show us how the millions of men who leave this world in wickedness should suddenly and radically change at the instant of death. My belief is, that there are many grades of angels and spirits in the other world, including every conceivable variety of intellectual and moral character. I do not, however, believe that any are totally and absolutely evil there ; nor that any are so low as to be incurable, or incapable of final progress to a higher grade. I see no reason why the beings of that world should not be good and evil comparatively, as men are here ; though the scale of gradation, variety and comparison is probably greater there than in this mortal state ; since if none are lower than our low- est, innumerable millions must be higher than our highest. Is this satisfactory ? Inq. It is in respect to the understanding I obtain of your belief and views of the subject ; but as to the subject itself, I cannot fathom it. I would be glad to believe that evil is con- fined wholly to this mortal state, and that the worst who quit it are pure and happy forever in the next world. But I cannot say I think the Christian Religion teaches this, nor that it is quite reasonable to presume that all mankind are so radically and instantly changed at death. I shall not controvert your views ; I leave the matter in suspense. My next point of in- 68 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. quiiy is whether you reject the common idea of the literal resurrection of the body ; which I rather infer from your man- ner of stating and proving your fourth principle ? Ex. I did not mean to imply that man has not a body in the resurrectioiial or immortal state, as truly as in this life. I believe he has, and that it corresponds to the mortal body in every respect necessary to personal identity. But I do not believe that the gross substance of bones, flesh and blood, constituting the mortal body, ever goes into the immortal state. So far as the popular scholastic Theology teaches this, I reject it. Inq. But do not the Christian Scriptures very positively affirm the literal resurrection of Christ's body ? Ex. I think they do, but not as finally immortal. Inq. How then, and for what purpose ? Ex. As an absolute and unmistakable demonstration to his doubting disciples, that he had risen to the immortal existence. They needed such a demonstration to bring their faith to a sufficient intensity for the work before them. They needed to see, feel and know that he whom, in black despair, they had seen crucified, was alive again. It was granted them, and the end was answered. But being answered, it is altogether prob- able to my mind, either that Jesus laid aside his flesh and bones to mingle with their kindred dust, or that their substance was dissolved by some equivalent decomposing process. Inq. Have you any direct proof of this ? Ex. No. But I infer it from several facts and considerations. 1. His- appearance, sometimes in a manner to vanish out of sight, and sometimes with a tangible body that could be felt and handled, indicates to me that he sometimes used his mor- tal body, and sometimes manifested himself to the spiritual senses of his disciples in his immortal body alone. When he said, " A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have ;" and when he said to Thomas, " Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands ; and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side ;" I think he must have had his body of flesh and bones with him. But when he vanished out of sight on break- FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 69 ing bread with the disciples at Emmaus, when he suddenly stood in the midst of his disciples sitting with the closed doors, and when he ascended into a cloud out of their sight, when Saul heard his voice on the road to Damascus, and also when he was seen of more than five hundred brethren at once, I think he appeared in his proper resurrectional, spiritual, immor- tal body. 2. It is plainly declared by the apostle Paul, that " flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" ; that the body sown is not the body that shall be raised ; that there is a natural body and a spiritual body ; that the resurrection body is the spiritual one ; that this earthly body is dissolved before we are clothed upon with our incorruptible one ; and that then we are absent from our fleshly body, being present with the Lord. 3. It is contrary to the order of ascending nature, that Christ's earthly body, or any of our earthly bodies, should go into the immortal state. These are my reasons for believing that the fleshly body of Christ did not enter with him into final immortality. Inq. The question is not quite clear to my mind ; but having ascertained your views, I am not disposed to controvert them. I am not at all confident I can substitute any better ones. My remaining question relates to the time of the resurrection. The common doctrine of the Church is, that the human soul leaves the body at death, and exists in some intermediate state of being until a certain appointed time, when there is to be a gen- eral resurrection of men's bodies, and the soul and body are to be reunited forever. You plainly imply in your statements, and quotations of Scripture, that all mankind enter the immor- tal or resurrection state, at or soon after the death of the body. How is this ? Ex. You apprehend me correctly. This is my view of the subject. And what then ? Inq. Then, I should like to know how you reconcile certain passages of New Testament Scripture relating to the resurrec- tion, with your views. I allude to those texts which speak of a general resurrection at a particular period, such as the follow- ing : " The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,, and shall come forth ; they that 70 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. have done good to the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation." John v : 28, 29. " Behold, I show you a mystery ; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump ; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Cor. xv : 51, 52. " For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the tramp of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air ; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thess. iv : 16, 17. What do you do with such passages ? Ex. I endeavor to construe and understand them so as not to contradict those which I have already quoted in proof of the principle before us. I understand them to speak, not of the universal absolute resurrection of man into the immortal state, which takes place at or soon after physical death, but rather of a manifestive or demonstrative resurrection ; whereby either the moral character or the personal condition of the immortals should be manifested in a conspicuous manner to others. It must be remembered that the word resurrection is used in Scripture with somewhat different significations. It does not always signify the renewal of man's conscious existence. Its radical generic meaning is a raising up of something which is in a fallen, or low, or unobservable condition. Hence that is properly called a resurrection which raises up persons or things so as to render them conspicuous, eminent or publicly observa- ble. Now the passage in John describes a judicial resurrection of the departed dead ; i. e. of departed spirits. It asserts that they should be so raised up, and rendered publicly observable, as that their true moral character, whether good or bad, should be unequivocally known. They that had done good were to come forth to life, i. e. to divine approval and universal honor ; and they that had done evil to condemnation and rebuke. All this would be perfectly proper, as a judicial process executed in the immortal state. Its design must be to remove all obscurity from the moral character of the departed, and to reveal all con- FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 71 spicuously to themselves and each other in a true light. That such judicial processes are executed in the world of spirits, at certain proper times and seasons, I have no reason to doubt. If so, they are manifestive resurrections of the departed to each other and to the public of that world, for some necessary, wise and beneficent purpose. And if so, the text in John has a truthful and solemn signification, which is perfectly consistent with my views of the immortal existence. I believe this to be substantially the true meaning of that passage. It speaks not of the universal absolute resurrection, but of a judicial manifcs- tive resurrection to take place within the immortal world. The passages quoted from 1 Cor. and 1 Thess. also relate to a manifcstive resurrection; but to one of a different character. In both these passages Paul points forward to a grand consum- mation of the immortalizing process, when Jesus Christ shall manifest himself on earth in his perfect glory, together with the departed saints in their immortal forms, and when the liv- ing saints shall be instantly changed, without passing through death, into immortals. Inq. Do you believe in such a consummation ? Ex. These, and several other passages, appear to me to de- clare that such an one will be realized ; and I can see nothing in the idea contrary to reason. I am therefore strongly inclined to believe it will ultimately take place. Indeed, the idea is to me delightful and sublime, as well as Scriptural and rational. In this understanding of these passages, they present no incom- patibility with those which teach the universal and absolute resurrectional immortality of mankind at or soon after physical death. Because the immortalization of all may very fitly and gloriously culminate in just such a manifestive resurrection. Probably all the earths of all the solar systems in the Infinita- rium have their grand cycles and epochs of change through which their respective races of human inhabitants pass onward and upward to perfection. Our earth is not likely to be an exception. If so, the period will come when " mortality shall be swallowed up of life ;" when " there shall be no more death ;" when all things shall have been made new ; when the taber- nacle of God shall be made with men : when our glorious Lord 72 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Jesus Christ, with innumerable angels and saints, shall freely- manifest themselves to the dwellers on earth ; and when the communion shall have been rendered complete by the immor- talization of all. This perfectly accords with the holy prophe- cies and prayers of all ages, and with the ineffable design of the mediatorial manifestation of God through Christ ; who must reign till he hath put all enemies, even death the last enemy, under his feet. " And when all things shall be subdued unto- him, then shall 'the Son also be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." 1 Cor. xv : 28. Inq. All I can say is, let this most glorious consummation come, and the will of God be done in the earth as it is done in heaven. I feel myself enlightened and spiritually elevated by your answers to my inquiries. I will not detain you ; please proceed with the main thread of your exposition. Ex. The next and fifth principle of my Table is, The moral agency and religious obligation of mankind. The whole Chris- tian Religion assumes as self-evident, that man is by nature a moral agent and a religious being ; that is, that he is capable of distinguishing between right and wrong, and that he is conscious of a religious obligation to choose the right, and to eschew the wrong. All its addresses and appeals to mankind presuppose this. It instructs, commands, warns, encourages, admonishes, exhorts and comforts man, as such a being. To deny the moral agency and religious obligation of mankind ; to say that man is incapable of distinguishing right from wrong ; that he has no sense of religious obligation ; that he is not at all accountable to God for what he does or is ; that he is a mere automaton of fate, or of necessity, or of circumstances ; and that he is in no degree deserving of approbation or condemna- tion for his conduct ; is to trample the Christian Religion under foot as of no divine authority. Inq. You do not mean to say that all human beings are equally and unqualifiedly moral agents ? Ex. By no means. I speak of man generically, and of hu- man nature in general. I speak of the proper normal, moral and religious capabilities of mankind, at the proper age of FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 73 understanding, when of ordinary mental development and san- ity. The infantile, idiotic, non compos, insane and abnormally eccentric, are to receive proper consideration, as undeveloped or diseased humans. Christianity shows them proper consid- eration, and treats them both justly and kindly. It also recognizes all the inequalities and conditional differenced of those who are proper moral agents, their constitutional pecu- liarities, education, ignorance, knowledge, natural talent and powers of mind, circumstances and whatever increases or diminishes their moral responsibility. Where much is given much is required ; where little, less in due proportion ; and where nothing, of course, nothing. He who has one talent is required to improve and account for it ; he who has two to improve and account for two ; and he who has five to improve and account for five. It is required of a man according to what he hath, not what he hath not. The Christian Religion assumes the moral agency and religious obligation of mankind to be just what it is, and represents the Divine Father as treat- ing all accordingly, with due reasonableness, equity and merci- ful consideration of circumstances. Inq. Then you recognize the great influence of circumstances over human nature, as affecting moral agency and accountabil- ity to a considerable extent ? Ex. Most certainly I do. The Christian Religion does. Circumstances affect all more or less ; some extremely ; others partially ; but none, who are moral agents at all, so as wholly to do away their responsibility. Some are eminently capable of creating and controlling circumstances ; others less capable ; others very incapable. Moral responsibilities are proportionate. But the doctrine that man is a mere creature of circumstances, of blind fate or of irresistible necessity that he is no moral agent by nature is as repugnant to Christianity as it is to common consciousness, reason and moral order. Practical Christian Socialism can have nothing to do with such a perni- cious negation of essential divine principles. Inq. I concur entirely in your exposition of this principle. I believe it to be unnatural and impracticable for men to act on any other. At the same time, I must bespeak your charity for 10 74 PRACTICAL CIIHISTIAN SOCIALISM. some very well-meaning and benevolent persons of my ac- quaintance, who have philosophized themselves into the theo- ry that mankind are in no degree moral agents ; but are the mere creatures of circumstances, totally unsuitable subjects of command, prohibition, reward, punishment, praise or blame. Ex. I think I can be amply considerate and generous to- wards such philosophers, as well as just to all their good per- sonal qualities. But I should as soon think of commencing a house at the ridge of the roof, or of building a granite to \ver on quicksand, as of establishing a permanent Community with minds cherishing such irresponsible and impractical no- tions. Man must be taken for what he really is in natural ca- pabilities and normal development, and as such made the most of. While nothing is unjustly required of him, or laid upon him, he must be made to feel the full responsibility of his proper moral agency and religious obligation. Without this he remains at best only a good-natured animal, and is always in danger of becoming a very troublesome one to his fellows. But bring him up to his capabilities, quicken his conscience, enlighten his understanding, inspire him with high aims and hopes, subject him to patient discipline under the yoke of ac- knowledged duty, attach him to Jesus Christ, enlist him fully in the great work of human progress, and make him feel all his responsibility to God, man and himself, and he becomes a noble being, a true child of the Highest, an angel of light and love, a happy realizer of his heavenly destiny. Inq. It is even so. I feel the force of your doctrine, and I honor the fifth principle of your Table as an uncontrovertible Theological Truth, viz : The moral agency and religious obliga- tion of mankind. IT X I ) AMENTA L PRINCIPLES. CONVERSATION VI. The sixth principle of Expositor's Table considered Sample of proof texts What i.s meant by divine retribution Inquiry about natural laws answer- ed Characteristics of a perfect retribution Inquiry about endless pun- ishment answered The day of judgment The seventh principle considered What spiritual regeneration is ; definitions and explanations Sample of proof texts Extreme doctrines of total native depravity and perfect native purity, both discarded True doctrine defined, with sundry answers to inquiries. EJC. I now proceed to the consideration of my sixth principle of Theological Truth, viz : Th,e certainty of a perfect divine retribution. That God causes all mankind to experience, at one time or another, in one way or another, a perfect retribu- tion, is clearly a fundamental principle of the Christian Religion. This appears from many passages in the Christian Scriptures, of which the following are samples : " I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Matt, xii : 36. " He shall reward every man according to his works/* II). xvi : 27. " That servant who knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required." Luke xii : 47, 48. " God will render to every man according to his deeds;" "for there is no respect of persons with God." Rom. ii : 6, 11. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. v : 10. " Be not deceived ; God is not mocked ; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ; but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the 76 . PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. spirit rea/p life everlasting." Gal. vi : 7, 8. " He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done ; and there is no respect of persons." Col. iii : 25. Inq. I am not certain that I clearly understand what you mean by divine retribution. Ex. I mean that causation by God of all enjoyment and all suffering in mankind, whereby the right and the wrong of their conduct is perfectly attested, as approved or condemned. The nature and qualities of a tree are perfectly known by its fruits. Principles are also known by their fruits. The essential right or wrong of motives, feelings, words and actions is finally attested by their good or evil effects ; i. e. by the good which God causes to be enjoyed, or the evil which he causes to be suffered, on account of them. This enjoyment and this suffer- ing are experienced primarily and chiefly by the right and wrong doers, but secondarily, in some degree, by all connected with the prime actors. This enjoyment of good and suffering of evil, on account of the conduct of moral agents, I call divine retribution. Inq. Do you make no distinction between natural consequen- ces and special judgments ? Ex. No radical distinction. All divine retributions are natu- ral consequences in their way and place ; and all natural consequences are special judgments, so far as regards the ever-present, living, causing agency of God. Inq. But do you not think natural laws have a great deal to do with these things ? Ex. The common notion of natural laws is a fallacy. They are presumed to constitute a code of rules, which, having been established a great while ago by the Deity, have ever since executed themselves with perfect precision, without any accompanying and positive exercise of his will. That this is n. fallacy may be seen at once, by just reflecting and question- ing thus : Was there ever a time when these natural laws did not exist and operate ? If so, did God before that time do every thing by a positive exercise of his omnipresent will ? If so, have natural laws been any improvement on the ancient FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 77 specialty plan ? If so, is not God imperfect, and gradually making progress ? And if so, may not natural laws themselves be abolished sometime in favor of "a more excellent way?" But if God from unbegun eternity operated perfectly until a certain time, without this self-executing Code of natural laws, what need was there of establishing any such Code ? Or again, if there never was a time when these natural laws did not exist, then are they not as old as God, and as unmade as God? If so, why talk of their having been framed and estab- lished by God at a certain period of eternity ? And if as old and as self-existent as God, are they any way separable from God ? If separable from God, and self-executing, what need is there of a God ? Is not this Code of natural laws a compe- tent and all-sufficient God? Why then have two Gods, to cause results which one might accomplish alone ? But if these natural laws are inseparable from God, then they are nothing but modes of his causation and operation. And if so, God is every where present and acting, with a positive will and judg- ment, just as much and as truly, as if there were no natural laws ; which is undoubtedly the fact. Therefore the notion of a sometime established code of self-executing natural laws, which take care of Nature, is a fallacy. The one All- Perfect, Infinite God is omnipresent, and by a positive unwearied exer- cise of his own proper power, will and judgment, carries on all processes of causation throughout the Infinitarium. And thus, from moment to moment, he causes that to take place which is best, all things considered ; regard being had to the grade of nature, the 'circumstances of the case, and all the proper result- ing effects. Hence I make no radical distinction between natural consequences and special judgments. All the difference to be made between them is, that ordinary effects or conse- quences, which to human apprehension seem to be regular and uniform, are called natural; whilst those which seem very peculiar and extraordinary are called special In truth they are ull natural and all special. Finite creatures make the distinc- tions, according to their imperfect apprehensions of cause and effect. Inq. I thank you for the light and relief your explanation has 78 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. afforded me on this point. What are the charasteristics of a perfect divine ivlrihutioii, in your judgment ? E.r. 1, It must he a just retrihutioii ; 2, a benevolent retribu- tion ; arid 3, a salutary retrihutioii. A just retribution must he one which is universal, impartial and equitable. It must take effect on all the proper subjects of retribution. It must be without respect of persons. It must be according to the exact deserts of all, with such adaptations, discriminations and mod- ifications as strict equity demands. It must truly express and demonstrate the divine approbation or disapprobation of the conduct to which it relates. Such would be a just retribution. To suppose a retribution which, was not executed on all moral agents impartially, equitably and fitly, would be to suppose an 'HHJ-ust retribution. But the divine retribution is perfectly just. It is also benevolent. God can do nothing that is not benevo- lent. " God is Love." A benevolent retribution must be one which aims at the highest good of all the parties concerned. God himself is a party concerned. Each individual rewarded or punished is a party concerned. All the individuals closely connected with the retributed one, or cognizant of the case, are parties concerned. The general public are parties concerned. The whole race, yes, the whole universe, are parties concerned. The Father, the child, and the whole family are concerned. The highest good of each and all these parties must be desired and aimed at in a benevolent retribution. To imagine any act of divine retribution which disregards God's highest good as the Supreme Father, or the highest good of any individual recompensed, or the highest good of any connected relative, or witness, or the highest good of the whole, is to imagine an ?-mbenevolent retribution. But the divine retribution is a per- fectly benevolent one. It is also salutary. A salutary retribu- tion is one which has the effect, on the whole, to make right, understood and received, wrong understood and detested, duty loved and delighted in ; i. e. it must be an exemplary and cor- rective retribution. To suppose a divine retribution which makes any of its recipients or beholders, worse in moral char- acter, or no better, is to suppose an unsalutary one, a useless, or worse than useless retribution. But the divine retribution FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. ?j is n perfectly salutary one. And so it is written : " We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence ; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live ? For they verily for a few days chnstened us after their pleasure ; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." Hub. xii : 9, 10. Inq. I can but admire the fitness and excellence of divine retribution, as you set it forth. But are you sure that the pop- ular doctrine of divine retribution is not warranted by the Christian Scriptures ? I refer particularly to the doctrine that God will punish the wicked after death to all eternity without any regard to their good. Ex. I am very sure that no such abominable doctrine is warranted by a fair construction of the Christian Scriptures. Inq. What do you mean by a fair construction ? Ex. I mean a construction which always respects clearly declared fundamental principles, and makes due allowance for the mere sound of figurative and intensive language. Now I contend that the clearly declared fundamental principles of the I^ew Testament, those which set forth the moral attributes, perfections, will, character, purposes and government of God, make it an utter impossibility that he should punish the wicked to all eternity without any regard to their good. If there are any passages of Scripture the words or phrases of which seem to teach any such doctrine, their literal import is contrary to clearly declared fundamental principles, and probably contrary to their true internal import. And whoever makes the literal import of such passages override fundamental principles, and withal their own true internal import, gives them a grossly unfair construction. Inq. What you say appears perfectly rational ; but I should like to know how you construe such a text as that in the twenty -fifth chapter of Matthew, 46th verse : " These shall go- away into everlasting punishment ; but the righteous into life eternal." Here Jesus puts the punishment of the wicked in exact contrast with the happiness of the righteous ; both are to be everlasting, Why should he have done so, if the one is- 80 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. to end and the other not ? It is such passages as these that perplex me, in reading the Christian Scriptures. Ex. They would perplex me, if I did not know that such terms and phrases are often used in an accommodated sense throughout the Scriptures, not in a strict, literal and philosoph- ical sense ; and if I did not also know that the clearly declared fundamental principles of the Christian Religion preclude the possibility of Christ's having intended to teach that God's ret- ributions will ever be repugnant to justice, love and wisdom. It is absolutely impossible that the same Teacher, who enjoins us to love and do good to our enemies that we may be like God, should have intended to teach us that the same God will consign his enemies to a hopeless, endless punishment. It is much easier for me to presume that his language, in such pas- sages as those under notice, requires an accommodated con- struction. Therefore I give it such a construction. Nor do I find the least difficulty in so doing. The original terms rendered eternal, everlasting, forever and forever and ever, have not a strict and literal meaning, nor a uniformly precise meaning, either in the Old or New Testaments. But they are used with a wide latitude and variety of meaning. Every person decently informed on the subject knows this. The everlasting covenant of circumcision, everlasting priesthood of Aaron, everlasting- possession of the land of Canaan, eternal God, everlasting hills, everlasting reproach of the Jews in the Babylonian captivity terminating in seventy years, eternal damnation of wicked men, everlasting life of the righteous, eternal judgment, everlasting gospel, &c., &c,, are all spoken of in these terms with a various,, general, but accommodated meaning, which may be easily enough understood by minds that have a proper veneration for fundamental principles, are not precommitted to make out a a case, and are not idolaters of the mere letter of Scripture. Such truthful and enlightened minds know very well that though the covenant of circumcision, priesthood of Aaron, possession of Canaan and reproach of the Babylonian captives, were not literally and philosophically endless, there was no im- propriety in their being called everlasting. They see that though God and the hills are both called eternal or everlasting, FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 81 yet that the hills are not as everlasting as God is. They see that though the gospel is called everlasting, it is not necessarily to be preached to all eternity. They see that eternal life has nothing in the mere adjective to guarantee its endlessness, and that the naked word life in many passages just as certainly means unlimited happiness, as does the phrase everlasting life ; because in the nature of the case there is nothing to limit its duration. They see that " eternal damnation" and " everlasting punishment" must have a limitation somewhere ; because nei- ther the plainly declared justice of God, benevolence of God, wisdom of God, nor promises of God, admit the idea of a literally endless punishment. At the same time, they see that there was no falsehood nor impropriety in Christ's denomina- ting the damnation of the willfully wicked eternal, or their punishment everlasting; because that damnation and punish- ment will be of long continuance, will extend into the future world, will be administered in accordance with immutable divine principles, and will be everlastingly effectual and salu- tary on its subjects. Therefore, rooted and grounded in funda- mental principles, enlightened as to the usage and meaning of Scripture terms, and full of confidence both in the justice and love of God, such texts no longer give them the least perplex- ity or uneasiness. Inq. Nor will I, after this satisfactory explanation, allow them to give me any. I see the whole matter in a new, discrimina- ting and convincing light. I will only ask a word of explana- tion respecting the judgment day, and then allow you to proceed. You know that the popular doctrine of the nominal Church is, that the life of man in this world is his only abso- lute probation for all eternity beyond, and that at death his case is sealed up till the final judgment day. How do you regard this doctrine ? Ex. That the life of man on earth is more or less probation- ary for the next life in the immortal state is very natural, reasonable and probable. But that this earthly life is man's only and absolute probation, for all the eternity or eternities to come is unnatural, unreasonable, improbable, and without one particle of warrant from Scripture, either in the letter or spirit. I know 11 8:2 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. what I say and whereof I affirm, in respect to this point, and consent to be held responsible for my assertion. As to the day of judgment, it is a Scripture term, but has been greatly mis- construed, misapplied and overstrained. That God has ap- pointed a particular day of judgment, at which all mankind are to be assembled, tried and finally sentenced to heaven or hell, is a fiction, founded partly on a falsely literal construction of a few parabolical and highly figurative passages of Scripture, but chiefly on the speculations of imaginative and scholastic theo- logians. It is indefensible by either Scripture or reason. But it has this underlying truth beneath it, that there are periods of judgment, harvest periods, for nations, cities, families and individuals ; some in this life and others in the immortal state. These are judgment days to their respective subjects. They are periods of judicial visitation, marked and distinguished by strong demonstrations. Nations, states, cities, communities, families and individuals, all have their seed time and harvest, their probationary and retributionary periods in orderly succes- sion. This is true to some extent on earth, and is probably more completely illustrated in the world to come, at least with respect to individuals and the race at large. So all mankind have had, are having or will hereafter have, their respective day or days of judgment, in the true and proper meaning of that Scripture term. This is plain and reasonable. But there is no reason for believing in one exclusive, universal, final DAY OF JUDGMENT for the entire human race. It is a mere scholas- ticism. Inq. I now understand your views on this topic, and wish you to resume your main thread of exposition. Ex. Well then, I may conclude, respecting the sixth princi- ple of my Table, that it is an essential Theological Truth of the Christian Religion, viz : The certainty of a perfect divine retribution. My next and seventh principle is : The necessity of man's spiritual regeneration. What do I mean by spiritual regen- eration ? What is generation ? It is that process of nature whereby human beings are developed into sentient and mental life, so as to be conscious of natural existence, and to exercise FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 83 its appropriate loves. What then is regeneration? It is that process whereby human beings are developed into spiritual, moral and eternal life, so as to be conscious of their true spir- itual existence, and to exercise its appropriate loves. The appropriate loves of man's first or mere natural existence are essentially selfish. He loves himself supremely, and all others only as subordinate to the presumed good of self. This is the condition of all merely generate ; i. e. amregenerate human beings. The appropriate loves of the true spiritual existence are unselfish ; love to the great Parent Spirit with all the heart ; love to the neighbor as one's self; love of all goodness ; and love of the universal highest good. This is the condition, and these are the predominant loves of all truly regenerate human beings. The unregcnerate man is governed by essen- tially carnal, animal, selfish loves ; and his intellectual faculties are chiefly exercised in searching out and employing the means of self-gratification. The germ of spiritual life is within him, but is undeveloped. He has no distinct consciousness of being an immortal spirit, or of his proper relations to God or to fellow man. He is not inherently and necessarily evil in his nature. But he is yet clue fly an intellectual animal. He therefore acts out the intellectual animal. And if the great spiritual law of truth and love presses upon him, he resists it as a cross upon his loves. How could 'it be otherwise? The ovum of his spiritual nature is latent within him, but it must be impregnat- ed by the Divine Spirit, and caused to germinate. He must be begotten and born again born from above spiritually regenerated born of God. All must be. This is an indis- pensable process in the grand order of human progress. With- out it man cannot see the kingdom of God, and enter into the joy of its pure filial and fraternal loves. There is nothing eottfra-natural, nothing unreasonable, in this doctrine of regen- eration. It is a fundamental principle of the Christian Religion. This accounts for the universal sinfulness of mankind in their natural development, before spiritual regeneration. It could not be otherwise with human nature, in its first plane of devel- opment. 'Hence the entire Christian Religion justly assumes that all mankind need to be regenerated, that they must be 84 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. enlightened, quickened, called to the exercise of faith and repentance, placed under the wholesome discipline of the cross, and sanctified by the all-cleansing influence of the Holy Spirit. Just assume that mankind in their primary development are truly spiritual, governed by heavenly and unselfish loves, naturally addicted to spiritual truth and good, and what then ? If this were true, you would have naturally a sinless, holy, happy world of human beings, already unfolded for the king- dom of God blooming and fragrant trees of the divine paradise. Then, what need of a gospel, a Savior, a universal regeneration ? None at all. But it was not, is not so. It is quite the reverse. Eschewing the scholastic doctrine of absolute and total depravity, with all its overstrained accompaniments ; and also eschewing the equally scholastic doctrine of man's ab- solute, native purity and heavenly mindedness ; let us take the facts as they are, viz : that universal human nature is generated and developed jtittti on the low plane of animal intellectuality, innocent indeed at birth, but naturally selfish, and therefore universally manifesting various degrees of folly and sin ; that in the order of progress the spiritual man is developed after the animal man; that the process of this second development is spiritual regeneration ; and that this spiritual regeneration is necessary for mankind. The necessity of man's spiritual regeneration, as an essential principle of the Christian Religion, is plainly attested by many passages of New Testament Scrip- ture, of which the following are samples : " Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." " That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John iii : 3, 6. " But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name : which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Ib. i : 12, 13. " The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ; for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things." 1 Cor. ii : 14, 15. " Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 85 passed away : behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor. v : 17. " For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." Gal. vi : 15. " And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins ; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of tliis world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience ; among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind ; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ." Ephes. ii : 1 5. " Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Titus iii : 5. " Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." 1 Pet. i : 23. " Love is of God ; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God ; for God is love.,' 1 John iv :- 7, 8. Inq. Do I understand you that you reject the doctrine of absolute total depravity ; and also the opposite doctrine of ab- solute native purity and holiness ? Ex. Yes. I regard both these doctrines as mere scholasti- cisms and untrue in their extreme assumed facts. Inq. And yet you insist that man has his first development on a plane of essential sefishness ; and that hence, though without any conscious or imputable sin in infancy, all men grow up into various degrees of folly and sin by a natural proneness. Ex. Yes ; and hence the universal absolute necessity of spiritual regeneration. Inq. Do you believe in the popular doctrine of the Fall of human nature in Adam ? Ex. No. I regard that doctrine as another theological scho- lasticism. I have no objection to the idea of Adam's fall from original simplicity and innocence into transgression, physical 86 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. perversion and moral perversion. Nor have I any objection to the idea that mental and moral qualities are hereditarily trans- missible from generation to generation, in a greater or less de- gree. All this seems natural and reasonable. But I do object to the notion that our first parents fell from a state of pure holiness and moral perfection into a state of total depravity, and thereby involved universal human nature in such depravi- ty. I see nothing in Scripture, nature or reason, to warrant such a sweeping and extravagant doctrine. Man is born un- spiritual, carnal. He is selfish, frail and prone to sin, as nat- urally developed on the primary plane of his being. But his selfishness, frailty, sinfulness is of all grades, shades and mod- ifications, from very low and hateful, to very tolerable and amiable. The differences and varieties of manifestation in individuals of the race have this wide range. The suscepti- bility and the undeveloped germ of spirituality are latent in all ; and so all are capable of spiritual regeneration under the proper excitabilities and conditions. Inq. What do you understand to be the grand agent in pro- ducing spiritual regeneration ? Ex. The holy Spirit of God the Christ Spirit, as I have called it the Divine Spirit of Truth, Wisdom and Love. Inq. Is man active and cooperative in regeneration ? Ex. Always and necessarily. He exercises faith in the divine and spiritual, and in the possibilities of his higher de- velopment. He prays, seeks, knocks, strives. He repents, denies himself for righteousness' sake, and struggles after reformation. Inq. Do you consider regeneration instantaneous or gradual ? Ex. Necessarily gradual ; but of variously gradual degrees in different individuals. It may commence very suddenly and strikingly, or very insensibly and noiselessly. So it may pro- gress, and develop the spiritual nature, rapidly or slowly. First there is the seed, then the germ, then the blade, and then in due time the full corn in the ear. Inq. What do you regard as the infallible evidence of spiritual regeneration ? Ex. A developed consciousness of spiritual, moral and etei> FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 87 nal life in the soul ; selfishness mortified willingly by the cross of self-denial ; true love of God, of brother man, of divine principles, and of the universal good. These are the appropri- ate fruits of regeneration. There is no other sufficient evidence that any human being has experienced spiritual regeneration. I need add no more. I think you must see that The necessity of spiritual regeneration is a cardinal principle of the Christian Religion ; and that without this grand essential we cannot ex- pect ever to build up true Practical Christian Communities, much less hope for the regeneration of universal humanity. 88 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. CONVERSATION VII The struggle of human nature from its lowest state of imperfection, internal and external, through the long career of progress upward to harmony with God Scriptures relating to this struggle The final, universal triumph of good over evil proved to be a cardinal truth of the Christian Religion Inquirer's objections and difficulties answered ; showing that God's con- stitution of the universes, under conditions of progress from the lowest imperfection to final perfection, with all their variety of contrast, is an All-Wise system Quotations from Pope and from Thompson. Inq. I have come to hear what you can say on your eighth principle of Theological Truth. I am very anxious to under- stand your views on that theme. Ex. I will endeavor not to disappoint you. The principle to be considered is, The final universal triumph of good over evil. The Christian Religion contemplates human nature as strug- gling through a long and severe conflict for deliverance from its frailty, error, sin aud misery. This is a struggle of the spiritual mind with the carnal mind. It is a conflict of truth with error, light with darkness, love with selfishness, right with wrong, good with evil. Once commenced, it constantly goes on in each individual until truth and love, right and good, gain the victory. Likewise between lower and higher souls, the more carnal and the more spiritual. Likewise between the carnal and the carnal, the selfish and the selfish, the revengeful and the revengeful. Likewise between classes, parties, sects and nations the wicked against the wicked, the wicked against the righteous, the less righteous against the more righteous, and the less progressive against the more progressive. Hence Jesus declared that he came not to bring peace, but a sword of division among mankind ; well knowing that so long as the world was low, dark, corrupt and unwilling to reform, in re- spect to the great majority, opposition, hatred and persecution*, would certainly be drawn forth against those who should em- FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 80 brace truth and righteousness. Hence also he knew that the animal man would war with the spiritual man, so soon as the latter should be born in every individual ; and that the cross must be taken up daily, in order to the triumph of the spiritual mind over the carnal. Hence Paul wrote as in the following passages : " Is the law sin ? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin but by the law : for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came sin revived, and I died." " Wherefore the law is holy, and the command- ment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which was good made death unto me ? God forbid. But sin that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good ; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual ; but I am carnal, sold under sin." " For I know that in me (that is in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing : for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not." " I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captiv- ity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?" Rom. vii : 7 24. " They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh ; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death ; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God : for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh [in the fleshly mind] cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Ib. viii : o 9. " Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh ; and these are contrary the one to the other ; so that ye cannot do the things that ye 12 90 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. would." Gal. v: 16, 17. " The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Cor. x : 4, 5. " Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood ; but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Ephes. vi : 10 13. Inq. According to your ideas then, this individual, social, universal conflict, or warfare, is going on and will go on in the soul between the carnal and spiritual minds, between souls vari- ously more or less carnal or spiritual, between societies variously carnal or spiritual, in fine, between all the powers of Light and Darkness manifestable in human nature, till at last Truth and Righteousness shall triumph over their opposites. Ex. Yes. Inq. And you are sure that the Scriptures affirm your eighth principle, as a cardinal truth in the Christian Religion, viz : The final universal triumph of Good over Evil ? Ex. I am ; and I present the following passages as samples of their class : " I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance ; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear : he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner ; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matt, iii: 11, 12. " Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." John i : 29. " Think not that I am come to de- stroy the law or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 01 till all be fulfilled." Matt, v : 17, 18. " Behold my servant, whom I have chosen ; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased : I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry ; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory." Matt, xii : 18, 20. " For the Son of man is come to save that which is lost." Ib. xviii : 11. " All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Ib. xxviii : 18. " After this manner therefore pray ye, Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy king- dom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Ib. vi : 9, 10. " The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a -man took, and sowed in his field ; which is indeed the least of all seeds ; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." " The king- dom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." Ib. xiii: 31 33. "Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." "And suddenly there was with the angel a multi- tude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." Luke ii : 10, 11, 13, 14. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." John iii : 17. " The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hands." Ib. iii : 35. " I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will who hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day. Ib. vi ; 38, 39. " And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Ib. xii : 32. " And he shall send Jesus Christ, who be- fore was preached unto you ; whom the heavens must receive until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world 92 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. began." Acts iii : 20, 21. " And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he who was ordain- ed of God to be the Judge of quick and dead." Ib. x : 42. " The law entered that the offense might abound ; but where sin abounded grace did much more abound ; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righte- ousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. v : 20, 21. " The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creature also itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." Ib. viii : 19 22. " For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord ? Or who hath been his counsellor ? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again ? For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." Ib. xi : 32 36. " Whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord ; whether we live there- fore or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." Ib. xiv : 8, 9. " For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." " For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last en- emy that shall be destroyed is death." " And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that did put all things under him, that God may be all in all." " Then- shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting ? O grave where is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin ; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, un- FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 93 movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Cor. xv : 22, 25, 26, 28, 54 58. " Wherein he hath abounded to- ward us in all wisdom and prudence ; having made known unto us the mystery of his .will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself; That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him." " He raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far ab(3ve all principality and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come ; and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church ; which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all." Eph. 1 : 8 10, 20 23. " Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and 'gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things, And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teach- ers ; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the minis- try, for the edifying of the body of Christ ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Ib. iv: 8 13. " Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name ; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things un- der the earth : and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil, ii : 9 11. " For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell : and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven." Col. i : 19, 20. "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all 04 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. men : * # ; for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior ; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus ; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 1. Tim. ii : 1 6. " We see Jesus, who was made a little low- er than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor ; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part f Christianity on this point altogether. The popular Christian Religion of the Sects makes the principle of love perfectly compatible with the infliction of the greatest injuries on offenders and enemies, and with a total disregard of their good ; I speak of offenders and enemies who carry their offen- ses and enmity beyond certain sufferable bounds. God, we are taught, consigns his offenders and enemies to an endless hell, 16 122 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. where they must sin on, and suffer unutterable miseries to all eternity. And Christians may kill their intolerable offenders outright, in personal self-defense, in justifiable war, or on the gibbet, or by some other penal process : and they may inflict a great variety of cruel and injurious punishments, short of death, on their criminal fellow creatures, having little or no regard to their good, but only to the supposed public good. Indeed, the popular doctrine is, that when offenders and enemies pass a certain point of forbearance, they forfeit all right to have their good regarded, and it would be a wrong to the rest of mankind to regard the good of such wicked beings. All this the popular expounders of Christianity, as well as Jews, Mahometans, Pagans and infidels affirm. But I say your interpretation and rendering of the Love Principle of Christianity transcends all this. Ex. It does indeed. But does it transcend the Christianity of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and throughout the New Testament? " Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you ; that ye may be the children of your Father Which is in heaven. For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye ? Do not even the publicans the same ? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others ? Do not even the publicans so ? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt, v : 43 48. Do I transcend this ? Inq. Certainly not ; you only reecho the same sublime doc- trine. And let popular Christendom be ashamed of its infidel- ity to this divine primitive Christianity of the Son of God, Ex. I mean to do what little I can to make it ashamed of such infidelity, and to bring it to repentance. And now what need I add ? You see and feel that Love in all spiritual rela- tion* is a grand fundamental principle of the Christian Religion. And though we have given our views a wide social FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 123 range, .you sec and feel that this love is a principle indispensa- ble to personal righteousness. What would God be without it ? What would Christ be without it ? What would any angel, spirit or man be without it? Nothing. It is that charity with- out which Paul said, " I am nothing." As to personal righteousness and happiness, no moral intelligence is any thing, without this LOVE. " Did sweeter sounds adorn my flowing tongue Than ever man pronounced, or angel sung ; Had I all knowledge, human and divine, That thought can reach, or science can define ; And had I power to give that knowledge birth In all the speeches of the babbling earth ; Did Shadrach's zeal my glowing breast inspire To weary tortures, and rejoice in fire ; Or had I faith like that which Israel saw, "When. Moses gave them miracles and law ; Yet gracious Charity, indulgent guest, Were not thy power exerted in my breast, Those speeches would send up unheeded prayer ; That scorn of life would be but wild despair ; A cymbal's sound were better than my voice, My faith were form, my eloquence were noise." COWPBR. 124 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. CONVERSATION X. Principle sixth of Personal Righteousness considered, viz : Purity in all things The seventh considered, viz : Patience in all right aims and pur- suits The eighth explained and established, viz : Unceasing progress towards perfection All universes and individuations of Soul -Spirit and Matter thereto belonging, have their Cycles of revolution their generation, progress, perfection and dissolution Man's progress through all states of being, from animal imperfection up to celestial and divine perfection The great principle of unceasing progress towards perfection plainly one of the Christian Religion Principles recapitulated. Inq. I come to enjoy another of these refreshing interviews. Will you now unfold to me your remaining principles of Person- al Righteousness ? Ex. With pleasure. The next in order is the sixth, viz : Purity in all things. By purity is meant freedom from defiling or polluting admixtures. That which exists in its own proper simplicity, unmixed with and undefiled by any thing repugnant to its own nature, order or right condition, is said to be pure. The principle of purity has numerous applications, relations and branches. Hence we speak of purity of heart, purity of mind, purity of conscience, purity of faith, purity of conversa- tion, purity of life, purity of principle, &c., &c. Also, purity in our relation to God, purity in our sexual relations, purity in our various social relations, and purity in our own persons. Holi- ness is spiritual and moral purity. Chastity is sexual purity. Temperance is purity in the indulgence of the appetites, &c. Impurity is the opposite of these, in whatever application, relation or branch existing. Thus we may be impure in our hearts, impure in our minds, impure in our consciences, impure in our faith, impure in our conversation, impure in our life, impure in our principles. We are impure in our relation to God, if we are insincere, hypocritical, ungrateful, rebellious or impious in any degree. We are impure in our sexual relations, FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 123 if we commit adultery, fornication, lasciviousness, lewdness, self-pollution, or allow ourselves to cherish the desire to commit such acts ; i. e. to lust after impure sexual indulgence. We tire -impure if we arc unjust, untruthful, malicious, revengeful, envious, or in any way injurious to our fellow moral agents. We are impure, if we are abusing ourselves by any habitual I ier version, of our bodies or our minds. We are impure, if we are unholy in any respect ; if we knowingly violate any law of our being. Impiety, selfishness, injustice, falsehood, hatred, cruelty, drunkenness, gluttony, debauchery, sexualistic pollution, idleness and all the vices of the carnal mind, are manifesta- tions of impurity ; and by parity of reason I may add, all physical personal filthiness, voluntarily and habitually indulged. Liq. Then you make a clean sweep, from center to circum- ference from the inmost affection to the most exterior act and habit even to physical personal cleanliness ? Ex. Certainly. How can I do otherwise ? The principle of Purity in all things mental, moral, physical internal and ex- ternal God-ward and man-ward ; in feeling, purpose, thought, word, deed ; in the exercise of every propensity, appetite, pas- sion, sentiment and faculty ; in the use of all that is within our reach ; in eating, drinking, sleeping, dressing, recreating ; in our stomachs, our mouths, our skins, our clothes, our habitations, our door yards, our gardens, our fields and our streets ; in ALL THINGS. Filthiness, uncleanness, disorder, impurity, are to bo eschewed every where, at all times, in all things ; that our whole body, spirit, soul and condition may be more and more sanctified ; till " HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD" be inscribed on our entire being and all its accessories. " All filthiness of the flesh and spirit" is to be put away ; that true holiness may be "per- fected." Need I quote Scripture to prove that this principle of Purity is a fundamental of the Christian Heligion ? Liq. Not for my information or conviction. A score of texts throng to my recollection this instant. All must admit what you claim for Purity. You give the principle a more sweeping and thorough application than I ever before contemplated ; but my best convictions and feelings cordially assent, and I will not detain you by any queries or comments. 126 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Ex. I will pass, then, to the seventh principle in this Division of my Table, viz ; Patience in all right aims and pursuits. Webster gives a very good definition of patience : " 1. The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper. 2. A calm temper, which bears evils without murmuring or discontent 3. The act or quality of waiting long for justice or expected good, without discontent. 4. Perseverance ; constancy in labor or exertion. 5. The quality of bearing offenses and injuries without anger or revenge." Thus Patience includes calmness, firmness, con- stancy, endurance, perseverance, meekness, forbearance, gentle - 'ness, longsuffering, &c. And it stands opposed to restlessness, ficklemindedness, instability, despondency, fretfulness, resent- fulness, rashness, vindictiveness and all manner of violence. Now we are to cherish and cultivate Patience in all right aims and pursuits, as a cardinal principle of personal righteousness. Being sure that our aims and efforts are right, that they are in accordance with essential divine principles, that they look to the highest good of all moral beings, we are to confide ourselves to God without distrust of consequences ; we are to be calm, firm, steadfast and persevering ; we are to hope on and ever' to toil on and ever, to suffer whatever calamities may overtake us with unmurmuring composure ; we are to face all opposition, meet all contradictions, endure all persecutions, bear all provo- cations and suffer all evils, resolutely, meekly, gently, forgiv- ingly, heroically ; without fretfulness, without resentment, without returning evil for evil, and without seriously doubting that the right, the good and the true will finally triumph. Do you not see the necessity and importance of this principle ? Inq. Very clearly. The severe and protracted struggle through which human nature passes in its progress, from its rudimental to its celestial and divine development, has already been considered. This struggle involves innumerable inci- dental trials which cannot be endured and overcome without Patience. All this is now perfectly plain to my understand- ing ; and I admire, more and more, the excellence, consistency and order of these essential divine principles, as set forth in your Table. Each seems indispensable and glorious by itself. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 127 K:irh is comprehensive of the requisite sub -principles. Each follows the other in orderly gradation. And they all form in combination a symmetrical whole. I think you need not en- large on tliis principle of Patience, nor expend time in emoting texts from the Scriptures to prove that it js one of the funda- mentals of the Christian Religion. No one can read the New Testament, or call to remembrance its teachings, with the least doubt that Patience is an essential of the personal righteous- ness inculcated by Jesus Christ and his apostles. Nor do I require any illustrations to render me sensible that a person greatly deficient in Patience would be unfit to cooperate in building your new social edifice. I may seem to anticipate you, and to foreclose your work in part ; but if so, it is because your very careful definitions, explanations and demonstrations, in preceding Conversations, have given me an insight into your system, and prepared me to understand many things readily, which had otherwise occasioned queries and criticisms. I am rather pleased with the conceit, that I shall give you less trouble hereafter, as an inquirer. I begin to feel as if I should like to become a teacher, by and by, of these essential divine principles. Ex. God grant you may become one in due time. But I trust you will not abate your inquiries and criticisms, during these Conversations, in any such degree as to allow me to assume for Truth and Right any thing really questionable. Inq. I will look out for that. But I shall not compel you to multiply words in demonstration of what every reasonable mind must admit as either self-evident or undeniably obvious. So, if you please, proceed to the exposition of your eighth principle of personal righteousness. Ex. I will do so. 8. Unceasing progress towards perfection. I have declared my belief to be that each universe of worlds in the Infinitarium is composed of Soul- Spirit and Matter, interiorated by the Deific Spirit, and has its grand Cycle of revolution ; i. e. its seasons of generation, progress, perfection and dissolution. The same I hold to be true of all the individ- uations and associations, which make up the Diversity of each universe. The suns, planets and lesser bodies of a universe 128 PIIACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. arc individuations of the Matter belonging to that universe.. The angels, men and all moral beings of a universe are indi- viduations of the Soul- Spirit belonging to that universe. Each grand cycle of a universe may be called its eternity, as includ- ing all the ages of Duration from its generation to its dissolution, Then commences another generation of individuations in that universe, another grand Cycle, another of the eternities through which the aggregate of its Soul- Spirit and Matter exists, per- petually changing, but, in its elements and aggregate, neither increased nor diminished. So each earth has its birth, growth, perfection and dissolution. So each race of animated beings. So each race of moral beings ; and therefore man. So each man in particular. So of the body of man in each sphere of his progressive existence. In this sphere that body is a gross one of flesh and blood. In the next sphere he will have a far more refined body. In the next a still more refined one ; and so on till the acme of his absolute perfection. Inq. And I understand you to hold that when a man arrives at his absolute perfection, his essence will no longer consist of Soul- Spirit and Matter conjoined, but of Deific Spirit alone ; and then the affection, will, action and bliss of each man will be strictly DIVINE, so that his very consciousness will be one with God's. Ex. Yes. Inq. But I do not clearly understand how all this can be. Ex. I will further explain. Have I not said that the Deific Spirit interiorates all Soul- Spirit, and thus all matter ? Inq. Yes ; and I see that it must be so. Ex. And do you not see that from the moment a man's soul is conscious of moral development, there must be in his inmost an ever-present portion of the Deific Spirit ? Inq. I grant it. Ex. But you never imagined t/tat indwelling portion of the Divine Essence to be the whole Infinite God ? Inq. No ; certainly not. Ex. Yet that same portion of the Deity lias divine conscious- FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 129 noss, affection, will, intelligence and power ; in me, in you, in all moral beings ; has it not ? Inq. Truly, it seems to have. Ex. And these portions of divine love and divine wisdom in us all have a common consciousness, a common affection, a common will, a common intelligence, and a common good. They do not constitute so many distinct Gods, do they ? Inq. Certainly not. I never thought of this before ; but it must be so. The least conceivable portion of the Deific Spirit must have the attributes of the Divine Nature, whether in my spiritual inmost, or yours, or another man's, or an angel's, or an arch-angel's. And yet the consciousness of divine personal identity must be one, however existing in all individuations ; because divine essence, divine nature, Deific Spirit, has every where precisely the same perfect love, wisdom, will and good. Ex. "Well, you readily comprehend that the more divine Love and Wisdom a man comes to have in him, the more like God he is ? Inq. That is plain enough. Ex. You may see, then, that the more room God occupies in a man, the larger his inmost must be ; and consequently that the .more he is conscious of being actuated by God's Love, God's Wisdom and God's Will, the less he is conscious of dis- tinguishing his own original self-hood. Thus as he consists more and more of the Divine Nature, he will consist less and less of Soul- Spirit and Matter; or, in other words, as God expands within him, his external self-hood diminishes and van- ishes away. But that which vanishes away is not annihilated, any more than the Matter of our bodies is, when superseded by fresh supplies received within. It goes to its own place to be used over again. So with the Matter in all our personal indi- vidualities, and so finally with the Soul- Spirit of our interior personal individualities. But not so with Deific Spirit, which by degrees comes to constitute our most interior identities. That has an essential, unchanging perfection of its own. When, therefore, after the process of incomputable ages of progress towards perfection, we finally reach it, the last particle of our self-hood will have passed away, and our consciousness of 17 130 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. existence, love, wisdom, will and bliss, will be undistinguishable from God's, not lost, but perfected in his own divine unity. Hence the sublime expression, "Goo ALL IN ALL." Accordingly we find that the highest and purest of human beings on earth, as they approximate God, long to be one with him. It is their meat and drink to do his will ; their very life to feel, think, speak and act only as moved by him. Hear how the good Kempis expressed himself: " Thou, O Lord God ! art above all, in all perfection ! Thou art most high, most powerful, most sufficient, and most full ! Thou art most sweet, and most abundantly comforting ! Thou art most lovely, and most loving ; most noble and most glori- ous ! In thee all good centers, from eternity to eternity ! Therefore, whatever thou bestowest upon me, that is not thy- self; whatsoever thou revealest or promisest, while I am not permitted truly to behold and enjoy thee ; is insufficient to fill the boundless desires of my soul, which, stretching beyond all creatures, and even beyond all thy gifts, can only be satisfied in union with thy all-perfect Spirit." " When will it be grant- ed me, in silent and peaceful abstraction from all created being, to taste and see how good thou art, O Lord, my God ! When shall I be wholly absorbed in thy fullness ! When shall I lose, in the love of thee, all perception of myself; and have no sense of any being but thine !" Imitation of Christ. B. III. Chap. xiv. If the best of men here in this imperfect state are capable of such yearnings for unition with God, how must it be with the " high seraph," " Who countless years his God has sought" ? Inq. The subject is now open and unveiled to my under- standing. I see and I adore the Truth. Ex. Well, then, the principle before us impels the man who embraces it to make all the progress he can towards this per- fection; and by every means in his power to promote the progress of the whole human race toward their destined perfection. In himself he unceasingly aspires after, and press- es towards perfection ; perfection of Reverence for the divine FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 131 nnd spiritual ; perfection of Self-denial for righteousness' sake ; perfection of Justice to all beings ; perfection of Truth in all manifestations of mind ; perfection of Love in all spiritual relations ; perfection of Purity in all things ; perfection of Pa- tience in all right aims and pursuits ; absolute divine perfection. Hence the following testimonies : " Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt, v: 48. "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may be one, even as we are one : I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." John xvii : 22, 23. " And this also we wish, even your perfection." 2 Cor. xiii : 9. " Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am appre- hended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended ; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Phil, iii : 1214. " We pjeach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Col. i : 28. " Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Ephes. iv : 13. Can there be any doubt that unceasing prog- ress towards perfection is a cardinal duty, an essential divine principle of the Christian Religion, in the department of Per- sonal Righteousness ? And whoever is governed by this principle, must he not evince a noble activity for the improve- ment of himself, his associates, his degraded fellow creatures and the human race ? If so, what must be thought of the man who is indisposed to progress ; who is good enough, wise enough, holy enough ; who cares not whether his family, or his neighborhood, or his country, or the world, makes any progress : who has neither faith in the possibility of progress, nor one ardent desire to see himself, his neighbors, and society, advancing toward perfection ! Has he true personal righteous- ness ? Has he any real faith in the Cliristian Religion ? Is he 132 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. a living stone, ready for the grand social superstructure, which is to be the tabernacle of God on earth in the glorious future ? What says my friend in response ? Inq, What can he say, less or more than that he sees, feels and rejoices in the Truth. Theological Truth and Personal Righteousness, as you have set forth their Principles, are in- comparably more heavenly and beautiful than formerly I had the faintest conception of. I thought I understood what the Christian Religion was ; but I was ignorant of it, as a Religion of essential divine principles. I looked only at the Sectarian hydra which passes in Christendom for Christianity. I was grossly ignorant of the Practical Christianity you have been expounding. I was roving among the Philosophies to find something which might redeem humanity. But now I see and know the Christ, that is indeed the Savior of the world, the true Light of life. I see that to have faith in the great truths declared by this Christ, and to be governed by his essential principles of personal righteousness, is the only way of salva- tion for mankind. May I be enabled sincerely and firmly to believe in The existence of one All- Perfect, Infinite God ; The mediatorial manifestation of God through Christ ; Divine revelations and inspirations given to men ; The immortal existence of human and angelic spirits ; The moral agency and religious obligation of mankind ; The certainty of a perfect divine retribution ; The necessity of man's spiritual regeneration ; and The final, universal triumph of good over evil. With stich a faith, and all the glorious hopes thereof born, may I be aided from above to " enter in at the strait gate," and to walk in the " narrow way" of Christ's own Personal Righte- ousness, whose cardinal principles are, Reverence for the Divine and spiritual ; Self-denial for righteousness' sake ; Justice to all beings ; Truth in all manifestations of mind ; Love in all spiritual relations ; Purity in all things ; FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 133 Patience in all right aims and pursuits ; and Unceasing progress towards perfection. Ex. Be it even so with you, my inquiring friend, with me, and with a host of chosen ones, raised up in the east, west, north and south, to work the arduous and glorious work of Practical Christian Socialism, and to build the living temple of God on earth, from its deep foundations to its apex. " And when its cap-stone resteth Upon the topmost height, And all the earth confesseth The majesty of Right, Creation's glad hosanna Shall rend the vaulted skies, And God's unsullied Banner O'erwave its lofty spires." 134 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. CONVERSATION XL The Principles of Social Order The first, second, third, fourth and fifth Principles of Social Order, successively considered The sixth Principle criticised, defended and demonstrated. Ex. The principles of Theological Truth, and of Personal Righteousness, being now understood, I come to those of So- cial Order. By Social Order I mean the true harmonic com! i - tions, relations and operations of Society in the family, in the neighborhood community, in the municipality, in the state, in the nation, in the human race, in the universe of spiritual 'races. The least form of Society is the family, the greatest form on earth is a fraternity of nations. When we extend our thoughts to other earths, suns, systems and universes, we only follow Social Order into its more and more comprehensive combina- tions. The Infinitarium is every where replete with individu- ation and association. But I need not contemplate Society, for the purposes of this exposition, beyond the limits of our own earth. I believe that human Society may be happy. But 1o be happy, it must be harmonic ; and to be harmonic, its condi- tions; relations and operations must be in true order. There is. I am confident, a true and right Social Order somewhere among the possibilities and destinies of human nature. That right Social Order must have its fundamental principles. And as man must have a very responsible part to act in the estab- lishment of true Social Order, it is obvious that he should un- derstand, embrace and practically carry out these principles. What then are the Principles of Social Order ? I have affirmed that the Christian Religion presents the following eight, viz : 1. The supreme Fatherhood of God. 2. The universal Brotherhood of Man. 3. The declared perfect love of God to Man. 4. The required perfect love of Man to God. 5. The required perfect love of Man to Man. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 135 6. The required just reproof and di.s fellowship of evil doers. 7. The required non-resistance of evil doers with evil. 8. The designed unity of the righteous. These are the Socialistic principles of the Christian Relig- ion. Let us give them due consideration, each in its place. 1. The supreme Fatherhood of God. Does the Christian Religion declare that God is the supreme common Father of the human race? Or does it leave us to presume that some of the human race are the offspring of one Father, and some of another ? Inq. For myself I can answer promptly, that it declares God to be the Father of us all. And to spare you the trouble, I will try my hand at quoting Scripture in proof of the principle. Ex. That would suit me well. Inq. I will try it then. If you will allow me to go back a little way into the Old Testament, I will cite a pertinent one from its very last book, Malachi : " Have we not all one Fath- er? Hath not one God created us? Mai. ii : 10. And I think these questions are quite conclusively answered in the New Testament. FATHER is the profoundly significant and adorable appellation by which Jesus almost uniformly designated God. The four Gospels are every where adorned with this name. " My Father," " your Father," " the Father," " heavenly Fath- er," " Father which is in heaven," &c. &c., are phrases which every where glisten like precious stones sprinkled with a liberal hand over that hallowed ground. We are enjoined to believe in God, to pray to him, confide in him, obey him, imitate him, worship him, as our Father ; who is more ready to give good things to them that ask him than earthly parents are to their children ; who is " kind to the unthankful and evil ;" and who meeteth his penitent prodigals on their return to his house with compassion and holy rejoicings. He even says in one in- stance, " Call no man your father upon the earth ; for ONE is your FATHER, which is in heaven." Matt, xxiii : 9. The apos- tles appear to have become thoroughly imbued with your prin- ciple of the supreme Fatherhood of God, which is evident from such texts as the following : " God, that made the world and all things therein, * * hath 136 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth ; * * for we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the God-head is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to re- pent." Acts xvii : 24 30. " Though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many, and lords many). But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things and we by him." 1 Cor. viii : 5, 6. " There is one God and Father of all, who is above all r and through all, and in you all." Ephes. iv : 6. " We have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence ; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live ? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their pleasure ; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." Heb. xii : 9, 10. "Ev- ery good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning." James i: 17. Ex. Very well, my friend; I see that you are making prog- ress, and will not much longer need to be taught what " be the first principles of the oracles of God." But permit me to try your skill a little, by asking an explanation of the following passage : The Jews said, " We have one father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your father, ye would love me ; for I proceeded forth and came from God. * *. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do : he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own ; for he is a liar and the father of it." Is not this text against our principle of the supreme Fa- therhood of God ? Does it not involve the existence of two hostile Fathers of mankind, God and the devil ? God, the Father of the righteous ; and Satan, the father of the wicked ? Inq. It certainly does in the letter. But you have taught me to regard the sjrir-U of texts, rather than the mere letter; "be- FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 137 cause the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." In this case the letter, if blindly reverenced, would kill one of the sublimest truths of the Christian Religion. I shall therefore cleave to the spirit of this passage which agrees with and upholds all truth. The Jews, as I learn from the context, were justifying their hatred and persecution of Jesus, by the plea that they had Abraham for their honored ancestor, and acknowledged one God as their Father. But Jesus truly charged them with being actuated by a spirit the reverse of Abraham's, and doing works morally unlike his. As to God being their father, he would not allow them to cover up their sins under that mere profession. Their spirit, conduct and character were diabolical, not divine. Morally they were the children of Diabolos, the Adversary, the spirit of hatred and falsehood, which from the beginning has prompted mankind to murder and falsehood, and which worketh ever in the " children of disobedience." All tradition had personified this spirit as God's Adversary. Jesus therefore spoke of it as such, with perfect propriety ; neverthe- less, figuratively, not in any such sense as to imply that it was a Creative Spirit, the literal Father of a part of mankind. Nothing like this is to be inferred. The fatherhood of the devil is one which relates, not to the proper being of men, but to their affections, temper, intentions, will, conduct and moral character. When these are perverse and ungodly, alias sens- ual and devilish, they are credited to the fatherhood of the devil ; and in this sense wicked men are said to be of their fa- ther the devil. They are carnally minded, anti-divine, per- verse. But whoever should hence conclude that wicked men were created by a great infernal Spirit, called the devil ; or that there is a single human being not created and paternally treated by the one All- Perfect, Infinite God ; would virtually discard the Christian Religion. Such a conclusion would not be less absurd than impious. For then the devil would be made the rival of God, and so we should have no Supreme. Also the devil would have as good a right to demand the wor-, ship, love and service of his children, as God those of his. Al- so, it would be as just to render to the devil his due, as to God his. Also, if all are sinners before becoming saints, and God 18 138 PKACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. has nothing but sinners out of whom to make saints by con- version, then it would follow that the devil created all mankind, and God only converts a part of them into his children. So it is utterly absurd, as well as impious, to say that the devil is any man's father, save only in a figurative and moral sense. Really and absolutely, God is the Universal and Supreme Father. Ex. You have done the subject justice, and obviated all the difficulties of the text cited. Now then let us see what is im- plied in the supreme Fatherhood of God. 1. A Father's love for all mankind. 2, A Father's care and providence toward them all. 3. A Father's authority, government and discipline over them all. 4. A Father's right to be loved, trusted, honored and obeyed by them all. This brings out my second Principle of Social Order, viz : The universal Brotherhood of Man. It is necessarily involved in, and evolved from the Supreme Fatherhood of . God. So if we have established the first of these principles, we have as certainly established the second. No more proof then is want- ed from Scripture, or reason. We have already enough. So we may pass on to inquire what is implied in the Universal Brotherhood of Man. 1. It is clearly implied that they have a common Father. 2. That they owe him a common love, worship, confidence and obedience. 3. That they have a common nature, as to wants, capabilities, rights and responsibilities. 4. That they are equals in their essential rights. 5. That they have a common good, which involves the obligation of each and all to seek it. 6. That they have a common final destiny. And 7. That they ought to love each his neighbor as himself. And where are we now ? We are already acknowledging by anticipation the third, fourth and fifth principles of Social Order, viz. The de- clared perfect love of God to Man, The required perfect love of Man to God, and The required perfect love of Man to Man. How naturally, consistently and beautifully do these principles grow out of their divine root ! Perhaps it would be a pleasure to you to exercise your skill in quoting a few strong FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 139 passages from the Christian Scriptures, showing what is The declared perfect love of God to Man, The required perfect love of Man to God, and The required perfect love of Man to Man. Inq. I think I can readily do this. The declared perfect love of God to man appears in such passages as these : " God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever- lasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to con- demn the world ; but that the world through him might be saved." John hi : 16, 17. " Be the children of the Highest; for he is kind to the unthankful and the evil." Luke vi : 35. " God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Pvom. v : 8. " God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ ; (by grace ye are saved)." Ephes. ii : 4, 5. " God is love." " In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." " We love him because he first loved us." 1 John iv : 8, 9, 10, 19. The sum of all this and all such testimonies is condensed into those three words above quoted, " GOD is LOVE." The required perfect love of Man to God is comprehended in the first great commandment, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." Mark 'xii : 30. The required perfect love of Man to Man is set forth in the second great commandment, " Thou shalt love thy neigh- bor as thyself." Mark xii : 31. It is urged and enforced in such passages as the following : " All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Matt, vii : 12. " Love worketh no ill to his neighbor ; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Rom. xiii : 10. " Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy ; and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge ; and though I have all faith, so 140 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. that I could remove mountains ; and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind ; charity envieth not ; charity vaunteth not herself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked ; thinketh no evil ; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth ; beareth all things, believeth all tilings, hopeth all things, endureth all things." 1 Cor. xiii : 1 7. " He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer : and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of Christ ; because he laid down his life for us ; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him ?" 1 John iii : 14 17. " No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." " God is love ; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." " If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar ; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen ?" Ib. iv : 12, 16, 20. And lest men should plead that they arc not required to love their enemies, but their friends only, Jesus was explicit and special, in his injunctions, to include all enemies and offenders in the obligation of the second great commandment. " Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy : but I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which de spitefully use you and persecute you ; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven ; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth his rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have you ? Do not even the publicans the same ?" Matt, v : 43 48. Will not these passages suffice in proof of the three prin- ciples stated ? FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 141 Rr. Amply. They are conclusive. Our case is made out. Our first five principles of Social Order are certainly funda- mentals of the Christian Religion. And now we may proceed to consider the sixth, viz : The required just reproof and dis- fdlou-sJtip of evil doers. This is a principle not inferior in importance to the others. We must give it a serious and critical consideration. It is a great stumbling stone to many. One class of minds stumble over it into vindictiveness, violence and cruelty to evil doers ; and another class stumble at it as irreconcilable with the great Love -Principle, which ever seeks the good of evil-doers. The first class persecute evil-doers ; the second class indulge them to their own hurt, as well as to the corruption and damage of others. Evil-doers are those who violate the principles of Personal Righteousness and Social Order, and especially those who knowingly and persistently vio- late these principles. Every violation of these principles is a sin against one's own soul, against mankind, and against the Supreme Father. Its legitimate and inevitable effect is, dis- turbance and pain in the moral and social sphere. It is there- fore an imperative dictate, both of charity and justice, that evil-doing should be justly reproved and disfellowshiped by all who acknowledge themselves under the government of divine principles. And this can be done only by making evil-doers understand and feel, that their conduct is regarded as evil, and will neither be sanctioned nor morally tolerated. Therefore the Christian Religion requires us to be true to divine princi- ples and to human welfare, by always opposing sin. We must never approve, fellowship, countenance nor connive at evil- doing, though it be in our most intimate, beloved and honored friends. If our brother commit sin, we are to reprove him, either by word or significant action. If he repent, we are to forgive and comfort him. If he persist, we are to reprove again, and to rebuke faithfully with all long-suffering and doctrine. We are to bring to our aid the choicest and most efficient of mutual friends. If this fail, we are to bring against his evil-doing the united influence and testimony of his and our religious associates. If he still persist, we are to give him up in pity, as unto us " a heathen man and a publican." If an 142 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. evil-doer acknowledge no fraternity with us, and work his iniquity boldly, or hypocritically, or self-righteously, or presump- tuously, he must be rebuked and even denounced sharply in the sphere of his evil-doing, whether it be private or public. The true and faithful adherent of divine principles must place himself in unmistakable, uncompromising protest against all persistent evil-doing. But he must never reprove, rebuke and disfellowship evil-doers with hatred, vindictiveness, cruelty or any kind of injury to their bodies or their souls. If he does, he becomes an evil-doer himself, and deserves to be reproved, rebuked and corrected, or disfellowshiped. He must abide in the spirit of God, whose rebukes, disfellowships and chastise- ments all flow out from love, and are directed in wisdom to the highest good of those who experience them. Thus the Chris- tian Religion prohibits with equal explicitness all approval and fellowship of evil-doers on the one hand, and all hatred and injury to them on the other. This latter prohibition will be considered under the next head. Inq. What passages of the Christian Scriptures most plainly inculcate this duty of reproving and disfellowshiping evil- doers ? Ex. Such as the following : " Think not that I am come to send peace on earth ; I come not to send peace but a sword." " He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me ; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me ; and he that taketh not his cross and follow- eth after me is not worthy of me." Matt, x : 34 38. " Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Ib. xv : 13. " Moreover, if thy brother shall tres- pass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church ; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican." Ib. xviii : 15 17. ".What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighte- ousness ? and what communion hath light with darkness ? FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 143 And what concord hath Christ with Belial ? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel ? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? for ye are the temple of the living God ; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them ; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, 'and I will receive you ; and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 2 Cor. vi : 14 is. " Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." Ephes. v: 11. "Now we command you, brethren, in, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly," &c. 2 Thess. iii : 6. It is quite unneces- sary to multiply texts. Both precept and example in Jesus and his apostles demonstrate conclusively the great fact, that there are essentials of faith and practice which the Christian Religion insists on as indispensable to human salvation, prog- ress and happiness. And it requires its disciples to reprove and disfellowship as evil-doers all who set at nought these essentials. Indeed the Christian Religion would be worthless without such essentials. Inq. And you assume that no true church, community or order of society can be founded and maintained, without making these essentials the standard of righteousness and fellowship ? Ex. I do. Inq. Then do you not virtually set up a test of faith and practice, and justify excommunication, as well as exclusion, from your proposed Communion ? Ex. I do, to a certain extent. Inq. Will not this be a serious objection to your system of Socialism among liberal minds ? There are many such minds who detest all creeds, tests and exclusiveness. It seems to me that this reproof and disfellowship of evil-doers, as you are disposed to carry it out, will be as prejudicial against you with those progressive minds, as it must be difficult in practice. The creeds, covenants, tests, bigotries, exclusiveness, and above 144 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. all, the excommunications of the old Sects, are a stench in the nostrils of nearly all the liberals and progressives of my ac- quaintance. And I fancy most of them will suspect your scheme of society to be only a revised edition of the old book. I am sure that this feature of your system will displease that whole school of thinkers. It does not commend itself to me as practical or politic ; and I wish you would show me how you expect to overcome these difficulties. Ex. I have a very short method of settling all such ques- tions. I ask, What is True, what is Right ? Make me sure of these, and I will risk all issues. Are there any fundamental principles of truth, righteousness and social order, which man- kind must acknowledge and conform to, or be miserable ? If any man says No, he is not a guide or companion for me. If a man says Yes, then I ask, Are those principles any where declared, or made knowable to mankind ? If no, then it is use- less to talk of truth and error, right and wrong. If yes, What are those principles, and where are they declared? If any man assumes to state them, he states a creed, a confession of faith, a standard of righteousness. If any Society attempts to be governed by them, it has a religious and moral test of fel- lowship. If that Society takes in members, or knowingly re- tains members, who persistently set at nought its fundamental principles, it is false to its own standard, and will suffer accord- ingly. If it excludes such members, then, to that extent, it is exclusive and excommunicative. Can you come to any other conclusion ? Inq. I do not see that I can. But I suppose most liberals and progressives would disclaim Nothingarianism. They hold to fundamental principles of truth and duty right and wrong, as well as you. Ex. If so, they know what those fundamentals are, and in common honesty ought to hold them up as such to the rest of mankind. And if so, have they not a creed, and a test ? Inq. Perhaps they have, in some sense; but they dislike written, formal creeds, and tests of fellowship. Ex. Then it is not the thing itself that they dislike, but only an open, unmistakable written statement of it ? FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 145 Inq. Not exactly so ; they want to preserve freedom of faith, opinion and action. Ex. What ! Freedom to violate and trample under foot prin- ciples of truth and duty which they deem absolutely essential to human welfare ? Inq. Not exactly that, either ; they are afraid of insisting on principles as essential which may not turn out to be really such. Re. Then they have no principles which they are sure ought to be deemed essential ? Inq. They differ among themselves very much as to what are settled fundamental principles, and being devotees of prog- ress, as well as,of liberty of thought, they dread tying them- selves down, to a declaration of faith and practice, which future light may show to have been mistaken. Ex. And so they are only modestly waiting the march of progress, and the light of futurity, to find out what their funda- mental principles are ? And then, when they are sure they have not mistaken error for truth, nor wrong for right, they ex- pect to have a perfect creed, standard and test of fellowship ! I much admire their chameleonship, as a game of hide and seek, but not at all for the sober work of regenerating the hu- man race. A whole continent of such minds would accomplish very little towards establishing a true order of society. They aim at nothing, and will be sure to hit it. Their mission is noise not constructive action. Inq* Well, I see that you do not hold the liberalism of my friends in much higher estimation than they are likely to hold your new fashioned bigotry ; but I trust you will consider, that they have good reasons for dreading creeds, standards and tests of fellowship, when you look back on the exclusiveness, des- potism and persecutions of the Past. Ex. I have often considered their reasons, and found them superficial. The Past has not erred in having uncompromising standards of religious truth and moral obligation ; for without something of this nature one step of human progress was nev- er made, and never can be. But its errors were these : 1, making that essential which is now-essential : 2, omitting that 19 146 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. which really was essential : and 3, most important of all, re- sorting to violence and injurious force for the maintenance of their standards. Ing. And are you sure you have transcended those errors ? Ex. I am quite sure of it ; absolutely sure as to the third error mentioned. And with regard to the other two, if I were less sure than I am, it would be no reason for giving up my attempt to establish the highest standard of fundamentals I can conceive of; since it is one that eschews all injurious force, and must rest on its own intrinsic merits. Therefore if it needs amendment, it will be sure to receive it in due time. Inq. If you do not bar out progress, it will. Ex. And certainly I do not ; for progress is one fundamental article in the standard itself. Inq. And are you sure that you can reprove, rebuke and disfellowship evil-doers without doing them injury? Ex. I am sure that no intentional, and no vital injury will be done to evil-doers by applying my test principles to practice. Incidental weaknesses and mistakes may occur, as in every case of human action. Such will be comparatively slight and correctable. In the main, good, and only good, will be done to the reproved, or disfellowshiped individuals, to all parties im- mediately concerned, and to the whole human brotherhood. " Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." Whom his true children love they also will reprove, admonish, and if necessary faithfully disfellowship, as God does, till the time of reforma- tion ; which they will ever seek. Love of the sinner's real be- ing must involve proportionate abhorrence of his sins, and of course the just rebuke of them. To natter the sinner in his sins by approval, or by fellowship, or by acting towards him as if he needed no correction, would not only rain him, but greatly undermine the community of which he was an acknowledged member. Inq. I think you are right, after all, and have gained your case. I will ponder the subject till we meet again. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 147 CONVERSATION XII. The sixth Principle of Social Order further criticised and defended The seventh Principle taken up, expounded and proved The eighth Principle considered and demonstrated End of Part I. Inq. Since our last conversation, I have thought much on the knotty questions raised respecting the just reproof and disfel- lowship of evil-doers. I am convinced that the principle is a sound and fundamental one, however difficult to carry out in practice. But there is one objection to your sweeping appli- cation of this principle, which I did not present, and which seems to me a very serious one. It is this : the holding and treating of persons as evil-doers, who are not actually, but only theoretically or opinionally such, as tried by your test. For instance, suppose a man should honestly avow that he did not accept as true some one, or two, or ten, or even, if you please, your whole twenty-four essential Divine Principles ; but that he believed in. doing what appeared to be best for him from moment to moment, and could profess nothing more detinite ; yet this man should be unexceptionably upright, moral and congenial in the externals of life. Would it be right to hold such a person in disfellowship as an evil-doer, according to your standard ? Ex. You present a very strong case, but not a very supposable one. However, I shall meet it squarely. One of two conclu- sions must be adopted in this case. Either the Principles in question are not essential, or the man is a veiy dangerous evil- doer. Therefore the Principles must stand aside, or the man must. The test is useless, or the man is dangerous. So the question is simply this : Shall the basis of fellowship be one of acknowledged immutable Principles, or shall it be one of mere external tnorality for the time being, without any acknowledg- ed essential Divine Principles ? Without hesitation I say, 148 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. acknowledged, immutable Principles must be the basis. I would not trust the mere morality out of sight. Having no foundation but human caprice, it would be like a bank of quick-sand in the midst of rolling floods. Inq. But have you a right to assume that my moral man has no immutable Principles as the foundation of his external virtues ? Ex. You said that he believed only in doing what to him appeared to be best from moment to moment. Is that any immutable Principle of morality for a being as changeable in circumstances, passion, purpose and conduct as mortal man ? Inq. Rather an unreliable one, I confess. But perhaps the man trusts to the instincts and intuitions of his own nature, which he believes to be unerring, and which to him supersede all necessity for definitely acknowledged Principles. Ex. You now give your man a creed and a standard, viz : the unerring instincts of his own unrestrained nature. This is either a true and sufficient standard, or a false one. If a true one, it ought fco be proclaimed as such, and made the basis of social fellowship ; for all others must be false and injurious to human nature. If your man honestly believes this, he will act accordingly. And in that case, he will not desire to be in our fellowship ; neither can he consistently offer us his fellowship, except under his own standard. So both parties will honestly disfellowship each other, until one of them shall have been converted to the standard of the other. And if we stick to our principles of justice and love, it is certain that we shall never intentionally injure your man, whatever his unerring in- stincts may lead him to do. Besides, the world will afford both parties room to solve their respective problems, without any serious interference of the other. And thus in due time each tree will be known by its own fruits. Until then, he would be an evil-doer in our esteem, and we should be evil-doers in his ; both mutually reproving, disfellowshiping and trying to reform each other. Inq. Well, all this seems perfectly fair, and I do not see how the two parties, if really sincere and in earnest, could act otherwise or complain much of each other. But I will state FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 149 my objection in another form, by supposing a case like^the following : Here is a good man who accepts all your acknowl- edged essential Principles in full confidence, excepting one or two of the less important, if you will allow any such distinc- tion. For instance, he may say, I do not believe in the mediatorial manifestation of God through Christ, but I believe in God's direct manifestation as a Spirit to each true soul. I believe nothing and care nothing about Christ as a mediator between God and men. What would you say Of such a case ? Ex. I should be instantly certain in my own mind, that such a man would make an uncomfortable member of our fraternity, if admitted into it, and that his influence on the whole would be demoralizing. Inq. Would it be demoralizing, if he were otherwise unex- ceptionable ? Ex. Such a man would not be otherwise unexceptionable. The interior causes which would make any man say he be- lieved nothing and cared nothing about Christ as a mediator between God and men, while pretending to have manifestations of God within himself, would be causes inevitably operating to demoralize, in a greater or less degree, the man himself, and all his adherents. Inq. How so ? Ex. Because, Christ was characterized by Divine Love and Wisdom. As a man he was an embodiment and illustration of them so preeminent that no one who ever knew any thing of his history could possess the same divine Spirit, and be indif- ferent to his excellence. As a focalizatioii of the eternal Christ- Spirit in a glorious personality, Christ is Love and Wis- dom is God communicable ; and no good man, inspired of God, i.e. possessing the Christ- Spirit, can contemn him. Now here is your supposed good man sneering at Christ, at faith in Christ, at the manifestation of God through Christ, at the very name of Christ. He believes nothing and cares nothing about Christ as a mediator between God and men. But he believes in One All-Perfect Infinite God, and claims that this God is manifested in and through his own soul. Indeed he believes in all the great cardinal principles taught and exemplified by 150 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Jesus Christ, yet believes not in Christ himself as being what he claimed to be. A wondrous good man is this same, who surely ought not to be disfellowshiped as an evil-doer a de- moralizer ! Alas ! there is a screw loose some where in this man's moral nature. There is an evil cause for his believing nothing and caring nothing about Christ as a divine mediator. He has the vanity and self-conceit perhaps to set up for a Christ himself. Or, he has too much pride to acknowledge that he is indebted for divine manifestations to any mediation except that of his own natural faculties. Or, there is some peculiar object of personal ambition which he has in view, that makes it convenient to get rid of the New Testament Christ. Or, he is swayed by old disgusts, prejudices and an- tipathies excited by people who in the name of Christ have become abominable to him. In either case, his bias of mind, and his egotism, will prove to be mischievous. He will not build up, but undermine and pull down the true social fabric. If he can do any good, let him have an open field to work out his ideal, with his own tools, or in cooperation with kindred spirits. Let 'him not be injured. Let him have a fair oppor- tunity to illustrate his real character. But let not those who honor Jesus Christ as the highest manifestation of God to man- kind approve and fellowship him. His career will ultimately prove a failure, though in some respects and for a time he may flourish like the green bay tree. He will diffuse a leaven of evil in the long run, which cannot fail to prove as mischievous to human welfare as it shall be anti- Christian. These are my firm convictions. Inq. I cannot say I am fully convinced that you are right in this particular; for I can imagine cases of partial dissent from your Standard, in which it would seem very hard for the dis- senter to be disfellowshiped by your people as an evil-doer, or a heretic. But I do not feel inclined to press my objections further at this time. Ex. I think all your difficulties, under this head, must arise from a doubt in your own mind, whether the twenty-four fun- damental divine principles of my Table are all really essentin] to human salvation, progress and happiness. If so, I beg you FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 151 to remember that I am perfectly ready to have each of them thoroughly discussed, and if found to be false, or non-essential, then discarded. Or, if I have left out any essential, I desire it may be added. But you must see that so long as I honestly and firmly believe that Table to contain all these divine essen- tials, and no wow-essentials, I am obliged to make it a test of fellowship. And, if I and my fellow adherents act to our ac- knowledged obligations under it, where is the evil-doer, or the heretic, on whom we can inflict any absolute injury ? Can you imagine one ? Inq. Perhaps not. Your Standard is high, heaven high ; and your bigotry, if it be bigotry, is so hemmed in by justice and charity that your sternest reproofs, oppositions and disfellow- shiping testimonies cannot vitally harm even their occasionally mistaken victims. Please now take up your non-resistance principle. Ex. I will do so. This is my seventh Principle of Social Order, viz. The required non-resistance of evil-doers with evil. This great prohibitory principle is exceedingly radical and sweeping. It forbids us to carry our reproof, rebuke, disfellow- ship, restraint, opposition and resistance of evil-doers beyond the bounds dictated by Charity, which seeks every neighbor's good as our own. We have already seen that the evil-doer must be reproved, disfellowshiped, resisted and restrained. This has been shown in discussing the sixth principle. Now here is another principle which confines us within the limits of the second great commandment, viz. " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." It restrains us from hating and injuring any one of our neighbors, under pretext that such neighbor is an evil-doer and may rightfully be injured for the sake of oth- ers. Such has hitherto been the selfishness and darkness of the human mind, that nearly all mankind, from the lowest to the highest classes, have held it perfectly justifiable to resist evil-doers with evil, especially in extreme cases. Hence the common doctrine of self-defense, that an individual may right- fully preserve his own life, &c., by killing, or to any necessaiy extent, partially killing, his assailant ; provided he cannot place himself under the protection of the civil authorities. Hence 152 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. the assumed right of civil society to maintain its authority and laws by the halter, and other less deadly penal injuries, when disturbed by outrageous evil-doers. And hence also the assumed right of nations to make war against each other for the maintenance of independence, territorial claims, honor, &c., &c. War, capital punishment, all injurious penal inflic- tions and all authorized resistance of deadly force with deadly force, rest on this one universal assumption, that evil-doers may rightfully be killed or injured when necessary to the protection of the injured party, or the safety of society, or the maintenance of national integrity. This is the predominant private feeling and the public opinion of the civilized, as well as uncivilized world. It is the chief corner stone of the present order of human society. Nevertheless it is anti-christian and evil. It must and will be transcended. The new order of society which I am endeavoring to recommend excludes it utterly. It installs, in lieu of the old bloody, injurious principle, the holy injunction of Jesus Christ, which prohibits all resist- ance of evil-doers with evil. This I call an essential divine principle of Social Order. I call it so, because I am certain it must be one of the fundamentals of the new and true social state. It presupposes, 1. That every human being is neighbor, in the comprehensive sense of the term, to every other human being. 2. That every neighbor is bound to love every other neighbor as himself. 3. That this love of neighbor to neigh- bor is not one of mere personal affection, fondness or attraction, but one of absolute benevolence, which seeks the highest good of every human being as such, with equal regard to that of all others. 4. That this love necessarily embraces evil-doing neighbors, as truly as it does well-doing ones, and never per- mits the highest good of either to be disregarded or sacrificed under any pretext whatsoever. 5. That the infliction of any absolute injury on an evil-doer's person, whether physical or moral, knowing it to be such, is absolutely EVIL. 6. That to render evil for evil, or to resist evil-doers with evil, is a radical violation of the divine law committed under a false pretext ; which violation not only injures the evil-doer, but indirectly FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 153 many well-doers, and tends to the perpetuation of all evil. 7. That to oppose, resist, restrain, reprove, dis fellowship and endeavor to reform evil-doers benevolently, and without resort- ing to any absolute injury, tends to the highest good of all parties concerned, to maintain the authority of the divine law, and to do away with all evil from the human race. Such is the nature and scope of this principle. I wrote a work, some years since, entitled " Christian Non- Resistance" &c., in which this principle will be found to have been thoroughly illustrated and defended. I refer you to that Work, as conclusive of all I need to offer on this subject. Inq. I will examine the Work at my leisure, and shall take for granted now, that you have fairly answered all the impor- tant objections to the principle under notice. But I should like to see a sample of the texts which you regard as teaching it. Ex. I will quote the following as unequivocal, viz : " Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil ; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also." " Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you ; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven ; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth his rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye ? Do not even the publicans the same ?" " Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt, v : ob 48. " Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves : be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves." Ib. x : 26. " Put up again thy sword into his place ; for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." Ib. xxvi : 52. " Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did ? But he turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye 20 154 PRACTICAL CHKISTIAN SOCIALISM. are of; for the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." Luke ix : 54 55. " My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews : but now is my kingdom not from hence." John xviii : 36. " Bless them which persecute you ; bless and curse not." " Recompense to no man evil for evil." " Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves ; but rather give place unto wrath ; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink : for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom. xii: 14, 17, 19 21. "We do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds ; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ," 2 Cor. x : 3 5. " See that none render evil for evil unto any man ; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men." 1 Thess. v : 15. " This is thank worthy, if a man for con- science toward God, endure grief, suffering wrongfully." " For even hereunto were ye called ; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps : who did no sin, neither was guile found in t his mouth : who when he was reviled, reviled not again ; when he suffered he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgetji righteously." 1 Pet. ii : 19 23. " He that saith he abideth in him, ought also to walk even as he walked." 1 John ii : G. How Jesus himself walked, as the great exemplar of Christian Non-Resistance, the Record very explicitly sets forth up to the dreadful crisis of the crucifixion, the wormwood and gall of his dying hour, when he prayed for his enemies, saying, " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Are these samples sufficient ? Inq. They are. I have no doubt that Jesus Christ and his apostles taught your seventh principle of Social Order The non-resistance of evil-doers with evil. But how such a principle FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 155 can be carried out into practice, in the present state of this selfish, and often outrageously wicked world, is more than I know. I irrently doubt whether the thing is practicable. That would be my chief difficulty in joining one of your Practical Christian Communities. I should acknowledge the principle to be Christian and most excellent, and should fear nothing but the trial of it under evil circumstances. Ex. If you had a firm faith in two truths respecting this principle, you would give yourself no further anxiety about its practicability. Inq. What are those ? Ex. I. That this principle will cost vastly less of human suffering in practice than its opposite does. 2. That it will certainly make this wicked world better, and ultimately do away with all evil aggression. Inq. -When I can believe all this, no doubt I shall stand shoulder to shoulder with you in attempting to carry it into practice. But let me not detain you from your eighth principle of Social Order. Ex. This is the last in my Table, viz : The designed unity of the righteous. This I need not affirm to be a most impor- tant principle. Very little reflection will convince you that it must be so. Discord, contention and confusion are the infalli- ble fruits of wickedness its legitimate manifestations its inseparable hell. The more sensual, selfish, cruel, hateful, vindictive and devilish mankind are, the more war, violence, strife, quarrelling, confusion and misery must they have. So, on the other hand, concord, unity and order are the infallible fruits of righteousness its legitimate manifestations its in- separable heaven. The more spiritual, benevolent, humble, truthful, forgiving and Godlike mankind, are, the more peace, harmony and happiness will they possess. Inq. But do you mean to say that righteousness necessarily tends to concord, harmony and order among those who pos- sess it ? Ex. Certainly I do. Inq. Then what do you make of this Ishmaelitish Christen- dom of ours ? Its principal business is war. It is a boiling 156 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. whirlpool of contention. Every part of it throws up the dregs and scum of wrathful selfishness. You can find scarcely a church, or even a choir of singers, that has not a quarrel on foot. And in property matters nearly all our saints are as greedy to get, as snug to keep and as selfish in expending, as were the money-changing sharpsters whom Christ expelled from the temple. The old maxim of Cain has become christen- ed into a sacred precept, " Am I my brother's keeper ?" And the almost universal watchword in the market place is, Look out for number one. Is all this the infallible indication of righteousness in Christendom ? Ex. No ; these are the fruits of wickedness. They demon- strate how low even so-called Christendom is in genuine Christian righteousness. Its few, (oh how few !) not its profess- ing multitude, are the exemplars of that righteousness. As a ivhole, Christendom must be born again, or it cannot see the kingdom of God. Now it is devoted chiefly to the service of Mammon. But what if it be so, do you question the sound- ness of my principle ? Inq, No ; but to confess the truth, I never before saw the idea distinctly set forth, that unity was the necessary fruit, proof and demonstration of righteousness among men ; and discord of the opposite. But I now see at a glance that a family, a community, a church, a state or a nation, may be correctly gauged, as to their goodness, by the degree of their internal harmony. Devils and wicked men must be in a quarrel among themselves, except when they have a war outside of their clan, or are restrained by fear, or by some strong selfish motive. War is the breath of their life. Heavenly angels, and holy human beings, must love, do good, and be united in the bonds of peace, just in proportion to the measure of their absolute righteous- ness. Harmony is the breath of their life. Henceforth I shall know that where war, wrath and discord prevail, in a family, a community, a church, or a state, there Hatred and Folly reign, and Wickedness is at home. And where peace, good will and unity prevail, there Love and Wisdom reign, and righteousness is established. Ex. And if so, of course you would naturally expect, could I FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. ir,7 convert twenty minds, or twenty thousand, or twenty millions to the essential divine principles of my Table, that those minds would be drawn into proportionate concord, unity and order with each other. Inq. Certainly I should. Ex. But if you should see them still isolated, selfish, conten- tious, and ready to thrive by devouring each other, as is now generally the case, you would doubt whether my so called Practical Christianity was better than the Nominal Christianity which it denounced ? Inq. Cetainly I should, if there was any room left for doubt in the case. But I think I should know that your fine profes- sions were as " sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal." Ex. Solely because we brought not forth the good fruits of love and wisdom ! You would be justified. And when I see two members of the same church, as unlike in condition as Dives and Lazarus, the one faring sumptuously every day, the other a breadless beggar, with dogs only to soothe his sores, I have a strong suspicion that such a church has not the spirit of Christ ; that it is far from the unity of heaven. So when I see two professedly regenerate beings spitting venom at each other in a personal quarrel, or expending their resources in a law-suit, before a worldly Court, about a few dollars' worth of property ; when I see one saint shooting another dead because Ciesar, Herod, Pilate, or some mere Human Authority com- mands it ; when I see one member sell another on the auction block, though it be even to raise money for the conversion of foreign heathen ; when I see hosts of Christians more zealous as sectarians and politicians, than they are to unite themselves in establishing a higher order of society ; and above all, when I hear them sneering at the mere idea of a Practical Christian Community ; I wonder how they ever happened to imagine themselves disciples of Jesus Christ ! And I turn round to look for a people concerning whom I may exclaim, in the language of the Psalmist, " Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity !" Inq. I think I understand your last stated principle in its beauty, as well as importance. But I do not recollect the pas- 153 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. . sages of Christian Scripture which directly inculcate it. I think a sample of them would be gratifying as well as instruc- tive to me. Ex. I will cite you the following, viz : " Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation ; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." " He that is not with me is against me ; and he that gathereth not with inc. 1 scattereth abroad." Matt vii : 25,30. "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you ; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among yon, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ran- som for many." Ib. xx : 25 28. " Then there arose a reason- ing among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name, receiveth me ; and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me ; for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great." Luke ix: 46 18. " Other sheep I have which are not of this fold : them also must I bring ; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." John x : 16. " Ye call me Master, and Lord ; and ye say well ; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to yoii. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord ; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." " A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my dis- ciples, if ye have love one to another." Ib. xiii : 13 17,31, 35. " Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word ; that they all may be one ; as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have, given FUNDAMENTAL riUNCIPLES. 159 them ; that they may be one even as we are one." Ib. xvii : 20 22. " And all that believed were together and had all things common ; and sold their possessions and goods, and pajrted them to all, as every man had need." Acts ii : 41, U. " And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul; neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed wns his own ; but they had all things in common. *. Neither was there any among them that lacked." Ib. iv : 32 34. "I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, $e yourselves know, that these hands have ministered to my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak ; and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to re- ceive." Ib. xx : 33 36. " For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office ; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love ; in honor preferring one another." " Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits." Rom. xii , 4, 5, 10, 15, 16. " We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neigh- bor for his good to edification." " That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ib. xv : 1, 2, 6. " For ye are yet carnal : for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men ? For while one saith, I am of Paul ; and another, I am of Apollos ; are ye not carnal ?" " For we are laborers, together with God : ye are God's husbandry, God's building." 1 Cor. iii : 3, 4, 9. " Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints ?" " I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you ? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren ? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore 160 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong ? Why do ye not rather he defrauded?" Ib. vi: 1,5 7. " Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. Ib. x : 24. " For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free ; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body : is it therefore not of the body ? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body ; is it therefore not of the body ?" " But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him." " And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have 110 need of thee ; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble, are necessary :" " That there should be no schism in the body ; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it ; or one member be hon- ored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." Ib. xii : 12 27. " I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowli- ness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love ; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling ; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ." " From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Ephes. iv : 1 16. " Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people ; that ye should shew forth the praises of him FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 161 who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." 1 Pet. ii : 9. I must not attempt to quote all the striking passages which suggest themselves to my recollection. I have given you a sample of the Socialistic texts ; is it sufficient ? Inq. Abundantly sufficient. I did not imagine you could cite me half so many. I supposed I was well read in the New Testament Scriptures ; but I am astonished to find that it abounds with passages, most important ones, which never struck my attention as containing the sublime ideas evolved in this your Exposition. Least of all was I aware that the design- ed unity of the righteous is set forth as a cardinal principle of the Christian Religion in so many impressive testimonies. Why has the nominal Church so overlooked, ignored, misun- derstood, or trampled under foot this great doctrine of fraternal and communal unity ? Ex. I cannot answer for all this delinquency in others. But I am resolved to correct my own, and to induce as many others to correct theirs as I may be able. The remainder of my earthly life, with its^ best powers, stands consecrated to this cause of Practical Christian Socialism. And let me hope that I may have you, my inquiring friend, for a faithful fellow laborer in the same great movement. You now understand its fundamental Principles, and shall next be made acquainted with its constitutional Polity. 21 END OF FART I. PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. PART II. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. CONVERSATION I. What is meant by Constitutional Polity The grand aim of the new Social System, viz : the promotion and harmonization of all real human interests The seven spheres of human interest, viz : Individuality, Connubiality, Consanguinity, Congeniality, Federally, Humanity and Universality The wants, rights and duties of Individuality, &c., &c. Inq. I think our twelve Conversations on the Fundamental Principles of your Social System have enabled me to under- stand that part of the subject. I now accept your invitation to enter on an exposition of what you designate as the Constitu- tional Polity of your System ; which term I would thank you to define and explain. Ex. I mean by Constitutional Polity the compacts, laws and arrangements according to which my proposed new order of Society is to be constituted and governed. Every thing im- portant in the constitution and operation of organized society belongs to its Constitutional Polity. It includes whatever is properly Institutional. Having laid the foundation, I am now to erect the superstructure. The twenty -four essential divine principles of the Christian Religion, expounded in Part I. of this general Exposition, have been set forth as the foundation. The whole edifice must be framed and completed in just cor- respondence with that basis. I will proceed accordingly. Suppose then, I find twenty souls, or one hundred, or one thousand, or ten thousand, with the distant prospect of millions, who heartily accept my fundamental principles, and who say to me, Please show us how we can communitize and establish an order of society in accordance with your principles. This is precisely what I now propose to do ; and thereby I shall 166 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. present the Constitutional Polity of what, in my judgment, is the true Social System. That System has for its grand aim the promotion and harmonization of all human interests. If actualized in any established order of Society, all the real in- terests of the members will be secured to their utmost extent, and yet so secured as to harmonize in the highest common good. Inq. Then you do not propose to annihilate individual inter- ests, nor sacrifice them to societary interests in the least de- gree ; nor, on the other hand, to sacrifice the common good to individual good? Ex. Certainly not. Inq. This will be a very difficult problem to solve, I must think. I have been accustomed to regard it as impossible to institute Society without compromising conflicting interests, and sacrificing those of individuals to the public good. And I supposed your Social System would carry this compromise of individual interests much farther than is done in the existing order of society. Ex. By no means. I will explain. Understand me to take for granted that all real human interests, -could we but see them in the true light of nature and the divine order, are perfectly consonant with each other ; the highest good of each and all being identical in every possible case. Inq. I concede that, in the metaphysical abstract. Ex. Very well. Now the desideratum is, a Social System which shall illustrate real interests, as distinguishable from im- aginary ones, and actualize their divinely ordained harmony in all human relationships. It is not enough to have the truth in metaphysical abstract ; we want it in the practical concrete. Inq. Go on then and exhibit it, if you can. Ex. Remember, that as a Practical Christian Socialist, I propose a System of Society which keeps distinctly in view the preservation and promotion of all real human interests. It must not destroy, override or impair one of them. It must recognize, promote, secure and harmonize them all. Neither individual, nor social good, must be sacrificed. Both must stand together on a common foundation, upheld by common CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 167 bonds. If I do not present such a Social System, my work will be a failure. Inq. God grant it may not be a failure. Ex. I trust it will not. First then, let us inquire what the retil interests of human nature are ? They must all be involved in wants, rights and duties. If man's real wants are well sup- plied, his real rights well secured, and his real duties well per- formed, it follows that all his real interests are promoted, and so happiness must be the result. Thus man's real interests all relate to the proper supply of his wants, the proper exercise of his rights, and the proper discharge of his duties. What then are man's wants, rights and duties ? I think we may look for them in the seven spheres of his activity and relationship, viz. 1. Individuality. 2. Connubiality. 3. Consanguinity. 4. Con- geniality. 5. Federality. 6. Humanity. 7. Universality. Inq. Please explain these terms. Ex. Man acts and has relations in seven spheres. 1. He is a unit, an individual identity, a man. This is the central reality of his existence. Should he cease to be an individual, sentient, intellectual, rational, moral being, he would be no man. Nothing then could be predicated of him. As an individual being he has wants, rights and duties consequently real inter- ests. This is the sphere of his Individualitv. 2. Man was created male and female. Thence comes the union of two in- dividuals in marriage. This is the sphere of Connubiality. 3. From marriage results offspring and blood relationship, which comprehends ordinarily, besides the immediate family, a larger or smaller circle of kindred. This is the sphere of Consan- guinity. 4. Next comes the sphere of Congeniality, embracing a larger or smaller circle of persons, who, by reason of similar tastes and pursuits, or on account of strong interior sympathies, become strongly attached friends. 5. Beyond the sphere of Congeniality man confederates with his fellows in the Com- munity, the Municipality, the Nationality, &c., to maintain an orderly Social and Political System of relationship. This is his sphere of Federality. 6. -Outside of all federal compacts lies our common humanity, to which we stand in a certain re- lationship, and must act accordingly. This is man's sphere of J6S PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Humanity. 7. But still outside of this humanital sphere, man- holds relationship to all beings and things in the whole con- ceivable Infinitarium, from the invisible atom to the sun, and from the lowest insect to the highest angel above all to the Infinite Spirit-Father. This is his sphere of Universality. Am I understood ? Inq. Sufficiently in respect to your terms. Ex. Well, man has real wants, rights and duties, in all these spheres ; and consequently he has interests which must be pro- moted and harmonized in them all. Each successive sphere, you perceive, is wider than the preceding. But nothing in a narrower sphere is necessarily destroyed or impaired by the peculiarities of the more expanded one. Rather, every thing ought to be conserved. None of man's real interests in the sphere of Individuality should be injured by entering into mar- riage. There must be something wrong in a marriage which makes either husband- or wife a more diminutive being than before, which impairs the real interests of either, or renders either on the whole less happy. True Connubiality must there- fore be conservative of true Individuality. The same may be said of each widening sphere. All the real interests of those below should be promoted, as well as included in, the next higher. The good of Connubiality ought not to be impaired by any thing in the relations of Consanguinity. Nor ought the good of family and friendship to -be impaired by Federality. Community, Municipality, Nationality, ought to foster, promote and secure not absorb up and devour man's real interests in Individuality, Connubiality, Consanguinity and Congeniality. So in the sphere of Humanity and Universality. All should be harmony in the motion of these " wheels within a wheel." And if man could be brought to act truly in all these spheres, he would be greater and happier in each, for acting well his part in every other. His proper Individuality would then realize its greatest importance, integrity and happiness. What do you think of these views ? Inq. I admire them greatly. Your theory is sublime. If it can only be made practical, the human race will certainly be redeemed. I am glad to see that you do not propose to CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 169 socialize man's Individuality out of him, nor his legitimate Connubiality. But go on. Ex. I am perfectly aware that the work proposed must be a difficult and a protracted one. But I am proceeding in strict accordance with my fundamental principles. Every one of them requires and justifies such a Social System as I have indicated. And if human imperfection should necessitate a long and somewhat tedious process of actualization, that ought not to discredit my theory ; since the most meritorious and magnificent plans may be slow of consummation, merely by reason of men's reluctance to conform to their conditions of success. I will now endeavor to set forth the great interests of man's Individuality which must be recognized, preserved and promoted by the true Social System. What then are man's wants, rights and duties in the sphere of his Individu- ality ? What is man ? He is a physical, affectional, intellectual and moral being. The Scriptures represent him as consisting of body, soul and spirit. We are accustomed to speak of his physical, intellectual and moral nature. Perhaps I can point out his interests better under this three-fold view than any other. So he has physical, intellectual and moral interests to be promoted. Let us look at his physical interests. He needs food, clothing, shelter, exercise, rest, recreation, and, when distressed from any cause, relief ; that is, he needs a comfort- able home and subsistence, in which we may include whatever is necessary to the physical enjoyment of life. The inter- ests involved in securing these necessaries of physical enjoy- ment are so pressing on mankind, that all are sensible of them. Look at man's intellectual interests. He needs food, clothing, shelter, exercise, rest, recreation and relief for the mind. I mean, he needs knowledge, instruction, use of language, men- tal training, opportunities for intellectual activity, with the requisite rest and recreation. He needs teachers, books, edu- cational institutions, and all the necessaries of proper mental culture, improvement and usefulness ; in tine, all that affords true intellectual enjoyment. Once more, look at man's moral interests. Here we contem- 22 170 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. plate him as an afFectional, passional, sentimental being, and of course a social one. The true passional loves of the soul, I mean the normal and legitimate ones, yearn for gratifications which ought to be as promptly and adequately provided, as those demanded by the physical and intellectual departments of his nature. Among these I include his Connubial, Consan- guinal, Congenial, Federal, Humanital, and highest religious loves. The afTectional and sentimental soul is a living foun- tain of loves all innocent when normal, legitimate, unpervert- ed and harmoniously exercised. They do not all manifest themselves with equal intensity in all individuals. But I may safely affirm that they exist in human nature ; that they involve man's profoundest interests ; that they include his highest wants, rights and responsibilities ; and that they must not be disregarded. Ample provision must be made for the innocent gratification of these wants, for the just exercise of these rights, and for the faithful discharge of these responsibilities. I sum up man's interests in the sphere of Individuality thus : Physically, intellectually and morally he wants all the necessa- ries of happiness ; he has the right to all those necessaries p and he is in duty bound to do all he is fairly able towards pro- viding them for himself Inq. But what if people will not do their duty towards providing these necessaries of physical, intellectual and moral enjoyment ? Ex. Then they must suffer, more or less, the lack of them. Inq. Yet you contend that the true Social System should guarantee, to the utmost extent, all these necessaries of Indi- vidual culture and enjoyment? Ex. I do ; and any system which should propose less would be unworthy of respect. Inq. And I suppose you will say the same in respect to Connubiality, Consanguinity, Congeniality, Federality, Hu- manity and Universality with all the wants, rights, duties and interests appertaining to human nature in those several spheres ? I mean, that your System may be expected to make the like CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 17 l guaranties as to the necessaries of happiness in all these, as in the sphere of Individuality ? Ex. Certainly. Inq. Well, I can only say that you are undertaking a great deal ; and I should rejoice to hope that half of it could ever be realized. Ex. Give me the concurrence of those whose happiness is sought only a tolerable concurrence and the result is to me certain. God wills it ; Angels minister towards its consumma- tion; and Creation groans in the travail of progress for deliverance from the bondage of existing selfishness. Nothing else is necessary but the fraternal cooperation of mankind in realizing their destiny. If they help themselves and help each other, this glorious work of their redemption will be accomplished in due time. Inq. But they are generally so undeveloped, so low minded, so ill educated, so blind to their real interests, so selfish, envi- ous, contentious and vindictive, so much more disposed to thrust each other down than to lift up, so full of violence and war, so proud and ambitious, so willing to prey on one another, and to flourish af each other's expense, that I fear the present coercive, sword-sustained order of society is the best they are fit for. I am sure few could be worked into an order of society like the one you propose ; in which nearly all government would be self-government within the individual, or in com- munal public opinion ; in which all injurious force, even against the most outrageous criminal, is prohibited ; and wherein self- ishness must be checked at every corner and angle of life's intercourse. If mankind were high enough, wise enough, good enough, your system would certainly succeed and operate admirably. Ex. I acknowledge the truth of what you say to a great extent, and am painfully sensible of the present unfitness of the majority of mankind to maintain a much better order of society than the one in which they live. But I wish you to consider three important facts, which I rely upon for my en- couragement. 1. My proposed order of society is purely voluntary. None will be compelled to enter into it, or to 172 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. remain in it against their will. 2. There are a few, perhaps a respectable minority of mankind, high enough to form and maintain voluntarily something like my proposed social order. 3. The few who are prepared for this higher order of society will not only accelerate their own progress in Love, Wisdom and Happiness by ascending into it, but will thereby do more than they otherwise could to elevate all below them. Do you admit and appreciate these facts ? Inq. I admit and appreciate the first, I cannot deny the second ; though I doubt whether so many as you imagine are high enough to unite in the new order of Society. It is true we have many millions of professedly experimental Christians, who hope they have become regenerate, have renounced their sins, and laid up their treasure in heaven. How many of these are unselfish and heavenly minded enough to dwell together in unity, under the sovereignty of divine principles, without the sword for their dernier resort, I cannot calculate. It would be a shame if there were not enough to form several of your Communities. We have hosts of educated people, too, philos- ophers, refined in mind and manners, besides zealous philan- thropists and reformers not a few. I confess I think you have reason to calculate on mustering volunteers enough to make a respectable beginning. It would be deplorable if so many Churches, Theological Seminaries and Sunday Schools ; Uni- versities, Colleges, Academies and Common Schools ; printing presses, books and publications ; literary, humane, philanthropic and reform Associations ; and the ten thousand other instru- mentalities of the civilized world for regenerating, elevating and refining people ; should all be insufficient to furnish you a goodly number wherewith to carry forward your experiment. I yield you this point ; but remember this prediction : You will find a great many who say they have been born of God, or have become philosophers, or have been elevated by education to great refinement, or are profoundly interested in philanthropy, or are devoted reformers, or have become sincere spiritualists, who nevertheless need high and strong fences to keep them from devouring each other, and the mighty arbitration of a military and penal government to determine their strifes. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 173 Not all \vho can titter fine words on set occasions are good enough to live together in peace on your principles. Ex. I thank yon for your words of truth and caution. But I will content myself with what you have granted, viz : .that I may calculate on volunteers enough to make a commencement. Give me this fulcrum for my lever, and I will ultimately move the world. Do you admit my third fact ? Inq. I admit its truth as probable ; though I might have my doubts. Demonstration of its truth or falsity will come with experience. I should hope, certainly, that those who entered your new order of society would advance more rapidly ; and if so, I see not why their good example may not stimulate the aspirations of others for higher attainments in the same direc- tion. Ex. I am sure the influence must be elevating; for the common and almost universal doubt is, whether the principles of my Social System can be made the basis of any practicable form of society. " Show us your new order of Society in actual, steady operation, and we will then believe," say most of these skeptics. If therefore the thing can be thus shown, the moral effect must be great and salutary, both within and without the new Social State. Inq. I presume you are right on this point ; and now I should like to see the plan of your proposed social superstructure, in all its important institutional details ; that I may carefully ex- amine them, and inquire particularly into their various bearings. Ex. I will endeavor to gratify your wishes. In order to real- ize the vast and complex good contemplated, we have actually commenced the establishment of a universal Practical Chris- tian Republic ; within which an indefinite number of local Communities may be formed, all acknowledging the sove- reignty of divine principles as set forth in Part I. of this Exposition, and all intimately confederated together, yet differ- ing in many respects from each other as to domestic arrange- ments and matters of mere local concern. Permit me then to place in your hands for critical and deliberate examination the Constitution of The Practical Christian Republic. When you 174 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. shall have examined it sufficiently, we will discuss its merits in further friendly Conversations. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY 175 CONSTITUTION OF THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN REPUBLIC. A new order of human society is hereby founded to be called THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN REPUBLIC. It shall be constitu- ted, organized and governed in accordance with the following fundamental articles, to wit : ARTICLE I. OBJECTS. The cardinal objects of this Republic are and shall be the following, viz : 1. To institute and consolidate a true order of human society, which shall harmonize all individual interests in the common good, and be governed by divine principles as its supreme law. 2. To establish local Communities of various grades and peculiarities, all acknowledging the sovereignty of divine prin- ciples, and so constituted as to promote the highest happiness of their respective associates. 3. To confederate all such local Communities, wheresoever existing throughout the earth, by an ascending series of com- bination, in one common social Republic. 4. To ensure to every orderly citizen of this Republic a comfortable home, suitable employment, adequate subsistence, congenial associates, a good education, proper stimulants to personal righteousness, sympathetic aid in distress, and due protection in the exercise of all natural rights. 5. To give mankind a practical illustration of civil govern- ment maintained in just subordination to divine principles ; which shall be powerful without tyranny, benignant without weakness, dignified without ostentation, independent without defiance, invincible without resorting to injurious force, and preeminently useful without being burdensome. 6. To institute and sustain every suitable instrumentality for 176 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. removing the causes of human misery, and promoting the conversion of the world to true righteousness. 7. To multiply, economize, distribute and apply beneficently , wisely and successfully, all the means necessary to harmonize the human race, with each other, with the heavenly world, and with the universal Father ; that in one grand communion of angels and men the will of God may be done on earth as it is in heaven. ARTICLE II. PRINCIPLES. We proclaim the absolute sovereignty of divine principles over all human beings, combinations, associations, governments, institutions, laws, customs, habits, practices, actions, opinions, intentions and affections. We recognize in the Religion of Jesus Christ, as he taught and exemplified it, a complete annunciation and attestation of essential divine principles. We accept and acknowledge the following as divine princi- ples of Theological Truth, viz : 1. The existence of one all-perfect, infinite God. 2. The mediatorial manifestation of God through Christ. 3. Divine revelations and inspirations given to mankind. 4. The immortal existence of human and angelic spirits. 5. The moral agency and religious obligation of mankind. G. The certainty of a perfect divine retribution. 7. The necessity of man's spiritual regeneration. 8. The final universal triumph of good over evil. We accept and acknowledge the following as divine princi- ples of Personal Righteousness, viz : 1. Reverence for the divine and spiritual. 2. Self-denial for righteousness' sake. 3. Justice to all beings. 4. Truth in all manifestations of mind. 5. Love in all spiritual relations. 6. Purity in all things. 7. Patience in all right aims and pursuits. 8. Unceasing progress towards perfection. We accept and acknowledge the following as divine princi- ples of Social Order, viz : CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 177 1. The supreme Fatherhood of God. 2. The universal brotherhood of man. 3. The declared perfect love of God to man. 4. The required perfect love of man to God. 5. The required perfect love of man to man. 6. The required just reproof and disfellowship of evil-doers. 7. The required non-resistance of evil-doers with evil. 8. The designed unity of the righteous. We hold ourselves imperatively bound by the sovereignty of these acknowledged divine principles, never, under any pretext whatsoever, to kill, injure, envy or hate any human being, even our worst enemy. Never to sanction chattel slavery, or any obvious oppression of man by man. Never to countenance war, or capital punishment, or the infliction of injurious penalties, or the resistance of evil with evil in any form. Never to violate the dictates of chastity, by adultery, polyg- amy, concubinage, fornication, self-pollution, lasciviousness, amative abuse, impure language or cherished lust. Never to manufacture, buy, sell, deal out or use any intoxi- cating liquor as a beverage. Never to take or administer an oath. Never to participate in a sword-sustained human govern- ment, either as voters, office-holders, or subordinate assistants, in any case prescriptively involving the infliction of death, or any absolute injury whatsoever by man on man ; nor to invoke governmental interposition in any such case, even for the accomplishment of good objects. Never to indulge self-will, bigotry, love of preeminence, covetousness, deceit, profanity, idleness or an unruly tongue. Never to participate in lotteries, gambling, betting or perni- cious amusements. Never to resent reproof, or justify ourselves in a known wrong. Never to aid, abet or approve others in any thing sinful ; but through divine assistance always to recommend and promote, 23 178 rilACTICAL CIIUISTIAN SOCIALISM. with our entire influence, the holiness and happiness of all mankind. ARTICLE III. RIGHTS. No member of this Republic, nor Association of its members, can have a right to violate any of its acknowledged divine principles ; but all the members, however pcculiarized by sex, age, color, native country, rank, calling, wealth or station, have equal and indefeasible rights, as human beings, to do, to be and to enjoy whatever they are capable of, that is not in vio- lation of those Principles. Within these just limits no person shall be restricted or interfered with by this Republic, nor by any constituent Association thereof, in the exercise of the following declared rights, viz : 1. The right to worship God, with or without external cere- monies and devotional observances, according to the dictates of' his or her own conscience. 2. The right to exercise reason, investigate questions," form opinions and declare convictions, by speech, by the pen and by the press, on all subjects within the range of human thought. 3. The right to hold any official station to which he or she may be elected, to pursue any avocation, or follow any course in life, according to genius, attraction and taste. 4. The right to be stewards under God of his or her own talents, property, skill and personal endowments. 5. The right to form and enjoy particular friendships with congenial minds. 6. The right to contract marriage, and sustain the sacred relationships of family. 7. The right to unite with, and also to withdraw from any Community or Association, on reciprocal terms at discretion. In fine, the right to seek happiness in all rightful ways, and by all innocent means. ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP. Sec. 1. Membership in this Republic shall exist in seven Circles, viz : the Adoptive, the Unitive, the Preceptive, the Communitive, the Expansive, the Charitive, and the Parent - ive. The Adoptive Circle shall include all members living in CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 170 isolation, or not yet admitted into the membership of an Inte- gral Community. The Unitivc Circle shall include all members ofPuirnl :uid Joint Slock Communities. The Preceptive Circle shall include all members specially and perseveringly devoted to teaching ; whether it be teaching religion, morality, or any branch of useful knowledge, and whether their teaching be done with the living voice, or with the pen, or through the press, or in educative institutions. All such teachers, after having proved themselves competent, devoted and acceptable in the Communities to which they belong, shall be considered in the Preceptive Circle. The Communitivc Circle shall include all' members of Integral Common Stock Communities, and Families, whose internal economy excludes individual profits on capital, wages for labor, and separate interests. The Expansive Circle shall include all members who are especially devoted to the expansion of this Republic, by founding and strengthening new Integral Communities ; who have associated in companies for that express purpose, and are employing the principal portion of their time, talents or property in that work. The Charitive Circle shall include all members who are espe- cially devoted to the reformation, elevation, improvement and welfare of the world's suffering classes, by furnishing them homes, employment, instruction and all the requisite helps to a better condition; who are associated in companies for that express purpose, and are employing the principal portion of their time, talents or property in such works. The Parentive Circle shall include all members, who, on account of their mature age, faithful services, irreat experience, sound judgment or unquestionable reliability, are competent to advise, arbitrate, and recommend measures in cases of great importance. They shall be declared worthy of a place in the Parentive Circle by their respective Integral Communities in a regular meeting notified for that purpose by a unanimous vote. Sec. 2. The members of no Circle shall ever assume to exercise any other than purely moral or advisory power ; nor claim any exclusive prerogatives, privileges, honors or distinc- tions whatsoever, over the members of other Circles ; but shall be entitled to respect and inlliience in consideration of intrinsic 180 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. worth alone. Nor shall there be any permanent general organ- ization of these Circles as such. But the members of either may unite in cooperative associations, companies and partner- ships for the more efficient prosecution of their peculiar objects ; and may also hold public meetings, conferences and conven- tions at pleasure in promotion of those objects. Sec. 3. Any person may be admitted a member of this Republic by any constituent Community, or other authorized public body thereof in regular meeting assembled. And any twelve or more persons, adopting this Constitution from con- viction, may render themselves members of the Republic by uniting to form a constituent and confederate Community thereof. Sec. 4. Any person may resign or withdraw membership at discretion, or may recede from either of the other Circles to the Adoptive Circle, by giving written notice to the body or principal persons concerned. Any person uniting with a Soci- ety of any description, radically opposed in principle, practice or spirit to this Republic, shall be deemed to have relinquished membership ; likewise any person who shall have ceased to manifest any interest in its affairs for the space of three years. Sec. 5. Any constituent Community, or other organized body of this Republic, competent to admit members, shall have power to dismiss or discharge them for justifiable reasons. And no person shall be retained a member after persistently violating or setting at nought any one of the sovereign divine principles declared in Article II. of this Constitution. ARTICLE V. ORGANIZATION. Sec. 1. The constituent and confederate bodies of this social Republic shall be the following, viz : Parochial Commu- nities, Integral Communities, Communal Municipalities, Com- munal States, and Communal Nations. Sec. 2. Parochial Communities shall consist each of twelve or more members belonging chiefly to the Adoptive Circle, residing promiscuously in a general neighborhood, associated for religious and moral improvement, and to secure such other social advantages as may be found practicable. CONSTITUTIONAL POLTIY. 181 Sec. 3. Integral Communities shall consist eacli of twelve or more members, inhabiting an integral territorial domain so held in possession and guarantied that no part thereof can be owned in fee simple by any person not a member of this Republic. There shall be three different kinds of Integral Communities, viz : Rural, Joint Stock, and Common Stock Communities. Rural Communities shall hold and manage the major portion of their respective domains in separate homesteads, adapted to the, wants of families and to small associations, under a system of Individual Proprietorship. Joint Stock Communities shall hold and manage the major portion of their respective domains in Joint Stock Proprietorship, with various unitary economies, under a system of associative cooperation ; laying off the minor portion into village house lots, to be sold to individual members under necessary restrictions. Common Stock Communities shall hold and manage their respective domains and property in Common Stock, without paying individual members profits on capital, or stipulated wages for labor. Common Stock Fam- ilies may also be formed within Rural and Joint Stock Communities, when deemed desirable and practicable ; in which case such families shall not be considered Integral Communities, but as constituent portions of the Communities on whose domains they respectively reside. Sec. 4. Communal Municipalities shall consist each of two or more Communities, whether Parochial or Integral, combined, as in a town or city, for municipal purposes necessary to their common welfare and impracticable or extremely difficult of accomplishment without such a union. Sec. 5. Communal States shall consist of two or more Com- munal Municipalities, combined for general purposes necessary to their common welfare and impracticable or extremely diffi- cult of accomplishment without such a union. Sec. 6. Communal Nations shall consist each of two or more Communal States, combined for national purposes necessary to their common welfare and impracticable or extremely difficult of accomplishment without such a union. Sec. 7. When there shall be two or more Communal Nations, ': 182 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. 1hcy sliull be represented equitably, according to population, in a Supreme Unitary Council, by Senators elected lor the term of years. Sec. 8. The several constituent bodies of this social Repub- lic, herein before named, shall all be organized under written Constitutions, Compacts or Fundamental Laws, not inconsis- tent with this general Constitution, and shall exercise llu: governmental prerogatives and responsibilities defined in the next ensuing Article. ARTICLE VI. GOVERNMENT. Sec. 1. Self-government ill the Individual, the Family, and the primary congenial Association, under the immediate sove- reignty of divine principles, being the basis of moral and social order in this Republic, shall be constantly cherished as indis- pensable to its prosperity. Therefore all governmental powers vested in the confederate bodies of this Republic shall be such as are obviously beneficent, and such as cannot be conveniently exercised by the primary Communities, or their component circles. And such confederate bodies shall never assume to exercise governmental powers not clearly delegated to them by their constituents. Sec. 2. Each Parochial, and each Integral Community, shall exert its utmost ability to insure all its members and dependents a full realization of the guaranties specilied in Ob- ject 4, Article I. of this Constitution, viz: a comfortable home, suitable employment, adequate subsistence, congenial associ- ates, a good education, proper stimulants to personal righteous- ness, sympathetic aid in distress and due protection in the exercise of all natural rights. And whereinsoever it shall find itself unable to realize the said guaranties, it may unite with other Communities to insure them, by such means as shall be mutually agreed on for that purpose. Each Community shall have the right to frame, adopt and alter its own Constitution, and laws ; to elect its own officers, teachers and representatives ; and to manage its own domestic affairs of every description, without interference from any other constituent body or author- CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 183 ityof this Republic; excepting, always, the prerogatives which it shall have specifically delegated, or referred to others. Sec. o. Each Communal Municipality shall be formed l>y a Convention of delegates, chosen for that purpose by the Com- munities proposing to unite in such Municipality. The dele- gates shall he chosen equitably on the basis of population. These delegates shall frame a Constitution or Fundamental Compact, clearly denning the governmental powers to be exercised by the Municipal authorities ; which, having been submitted to the voting members of the Communities con- cerned, and adopted, the Municipality shall be considered established, and shall go into organized operation accordingly. But cither of the Communities composing such Municipality sh:ill have the right to secede therefrom, after giving one year's notice, paying all assessments due the corporation at the time of such notice, and relinquishing its share of public property therein. Or the union of two or more Communities, constitu- ting a Municipality, may be dissolved at any time by mutual agreement of the federative parties. Sec. 4. Each Communal State shall be formed by a Con- vention of delegates from the Municipalities proposing to unite in the same, through a process substantially similar to the one prescribed in the preceding Section, but without the right of secession therein reserved. And each Communal Nation shall be formed by the States proposing to unite therein, in general accordance with the same process. Sec. 5. The duties and powers of the Supreme Unitary Coun- cil shall be denned in a Fundamental Compact, to be framed by delegates from all the Communal Nations then existing, and adopted by at least two -thirds of the citizen members of this Republic present and acting in their respective primary Communities, at meetings duly notified for that purpose. And all questions throughout this Republic, excepting the election of officers, shall be determined by a two-thirds vote. Sec. 6. No official servant of any grade in this Republic shall ever assume to distinguish himself or herself by external display of dress, equipage or other artificial appliances, above the common members; nor shall receive compensation for 184 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. official services beyond the average paid to the first class of operatives at large, with a reasonable allowance for incidental expenses ; but every official servant shall be considered bound to exemplify the humility, modesty and benevolence inculcated in the Christian precept, " Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be the servant of all." Nor shall it be allowable for any of the constitutional bodies of this Republic to burthen the people with governmental expenses for mere worldly show, or for any other than purposes of unquestionable public utility. ARTICLE VII. RELIGION. Sec. 1. Acknowledging the Christian Religion as one of fundamental divine principles, to be practically carried out in all human conduct, this Republic insists only on the essentials of faith and practice affirmed in Article II. of its Constitution.. Therefore no uniform religious or ecclesiastical system of exter- nals shall be established ; nor shall any rituals, forms, ceremonies or observances whatsoever be either instituted, or interdicted ; but each Community shall determine for itself, with due regard to the conscientious scruples of its own members, all matters of this nature. Sec. 2. Believing that the Holy Christ- Spirit will raise up competent religious and moral teachers, and commend them, by substantial demonstrations of their fitness, to the confidence of those to whom they minister, this Republic shall not assume to commission, authorize or forbid any person to preach, or to teach religion ; nor shall any constituent body thereof assume to do so. But each Community may invite any person deemed worthy of confidence, to be their religious teacher on terms- reciprocally satisfactory to the parties concerned. Sec. 3. It shall be the privilege and duty of the members of this Republic to hold general meetings, at least, once in three months, for religious improvement and the promulgation of their acknowledged divine principles. In order to this, Quar- terly Conferences shall be established in every general region of country inhabited by any considerable number of members. Any twenty-five or more members, wheresoever resident, shall be competent to establish a Quarterly Conference, whenever CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 135 they may deem the same necessary to their convenience. In so doing, they shall adopt a written Constitution, subsidiary to this general Constitution, and no wise incompatible there- with ; under which they may establish such regulations as they shall deem promotive of their legitimate objects. All such Conferences shall have power to admit members into the Adoptive Circle of this Republic ; and also, for sufficient rea- sons, to discharge them. And each Quarterly Conference shall keep reliable records of its proceedings, with an authentic copy of this general Constitution prefixed. ARTICLE VIII. MARRIAGE. Sec. 1. Marriage, being one of the most important and sacred of human relationships, ought to be guarded against caprice and abuse by the highest wisdom winch is available. Therefore, within the membership of this Republic and the dependencies thereof, Marriage is specially commended to the care of the Preceptive and Parentive Circles. They are hereby designated as the confidential counsellors of all members and dependents who may desire their mediation in cases of matri- monial negotiation, contract or controversy ; and shall be held preeminently responsible for the prudent and faithful discharge of their duties. But no person decidedly averse to their inter- position shall be considered under imperative obligation to solicit or accept it. And it shall be considered the perpetual duty of the Preceptive and Parentive Circles to enlighten the public mind relative to the recmisites of true matrimony, and to elevate tlie marriage institution within this Republic to the highest possible plane of purity and happiness. Sec. 2. Marriage shall always be solemnized in the pres- ence of two or more witnesses, by the distinct acknowledgment of the parties before some member of the Preceptive, or of the Parentive Circles, selected to preside on the occasion. And it shall be the imperative duty of the member so presiding, to see that every such marriage be recorded, within ten days thereafter, in the Registry of the Community to which one or both of them shall at the time belong. Sec, 3. Divorce from the bonds of matrimony shall never be 24 186 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. allowable within the membership of this Republic, except for adultery conclusively proved against the accused party. But separations for other sufficient reasons may be sanctioned, with the distinct understanding that neither party shall be at liberty to marry again during the natural lifetime of the other. ARTICLE IX. EDUCATION. Sec. 1. The proper education of the rising generation, being indispensable to the prosperity and glory of this Republic, it shall be amply provided for as a cardinal want ; and no child shall be allowed to grow up any where under the control of its membership, without good educational opportunities. Sec. 2. Education shall be as comprehensive and thorough as circvimstances in each case will allow. It shall aim, in all cases, to develop harmoniously the physical, intellectual, moral and social faculties of the young. To give them, if possible, a high-toned moral character, based on scrupulous conscientious- ness and radical Christian principles, a sound mind, well stored with useful knowledge, and capable of inquiring, rea- soning and judging for itself, a healthful, vigorous body, suita- bly fed, exercised, clothed, lodged and recreated, good domestic habits, including personal cleanliness, order, propriety, agreeableness and generous social qualities, industrial exec- utiveness and skill, in one or more of the avocations necessary to a comfortable subsistence, and, withal, practical economy in pecuniary matters. In fine, to qualify them for solid useful- ness and happiness in all the rightful pursuits and relations of life. Sec. 3. The Preceptive Circle of members shall be expected to distinguish themselves by a zealous, wise and noble devotion to this great interest of education. And every individual, family private association and constituent body of this Republic, in their respective spheres, shall cooperate, by every reasonable effort, to render its educational institutions, from the nursery to the university, preeminently excellent. ARTICLE X. PROPERTY. Sec. 1. All property, being primarily the Creator's and pro- vided by Him for the use of mankind during their life on earth, CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 187 ought to be acquired, used and disposed of in strict accordance with the dictates of justice and charity. Therefore the mem- bers of this Republic shall consider themselves stewards in trust, under God, of all property coming into their possession, and, as such, imperatively bound not to consume it in the grati- fication of their own inordinate lusts, nor to hoard it up as a mere treasure, nor to employ it to the injury of any human being, nor to withhold it from the relief of distressed fellow creatures, but always to use it as not abusing it, for strictly just, benevolent and commendable purposes. Sec. 2. It shall not be deemed compatible with justice for the people of this Republic, in their pecuniary commerce with each other, to demand, in any case, as a compensation for their mere personal service, labor or attendance, a higher price per cent., per piece, per day, week, month or year, than the average paid to the first class of operatives in the Community, or gen- eral vicinity, where the service is rendered. Nor shall it be deemed compatible with justice for the members, in such com- merce, to demand, as a price for anything sold or exchanged, more than the fair cost value thereof, as nearly as the same can be estimated, reckoning prime cost, labor or attention, incidental expenses, contingent waste, depreciation and aver- age risks of sale ; nor to demand for the mere use of capital, except as partners in the risk of its management, any clear interest or profit whatsoever exceeding four per cent, per annum. Sec. 3. It shall not be deemed compatible with the welfare and honor of this Republic, for the people thereof to owe debts outside of the same exceeding three-fourths of their available property, rated at a moderate valuation by disinterest- ed persons ; nor to give or receive long credits, except on real estate security ; nor to manufacture, fabricate or sell shammy and unreliable productions ; nor to make business engagements, or hold out expectations, which are of doubtful fulfillment. Sec. 4. Whenever the population and resources of this Re- public shall warrant the formation of the first Communal Nation, and the government thereof shall have been organized, a uniform system of Mutual Banking shall be established, 188 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. based mainly on real estate securities, which shall afford loans at the mere cost of operations. Also, a uniform system of Mutual Insurance, which shall reduce all kinds of insurance to the lowest terms. Also, a uniform system of reciprocal Com- mercial Exchange which shall preclude all needless interven- tions between producers and consumers, all extra risks of property, all extortionate speculations, all inequitable profits on exchange, and all demoralizing expedients of trade. Also, Regulations providing for the just encouragement of useful industry, and the practical equalization of all social advantages, so far as the same can be done without infracting individual rights. And all the members shall be considered under sacred moral obligations to cooperate adhesively and persistently in every righteous measure for the accomplishment of these ob- jects. ARTICLE XI. POLICY. It shall be the fundamental, uniform and established policy of this Republic : 1. To govern, succor and protect its own people, to the ut- most of its ability, in all matters and cases whatsoever, not involving anti- Christian conflict with the sword-sustained governments of the world under which its members live. 2. To avoid all unnecessary conflicts whatsoever with these governments, by conforming to all their laws and requirements which are not repugnant to the sovereignty of divine principles. 3. To abstain from all participation in the working of their political machinery, and to be connected as little as possible with their systems of governmental operation. 4. To protest, remonstrate and testify conscientiously against their sins on moral grounds alone ; but never to plot schemes of revolutionary agitation, intrigue or violence against them, nor be implicated in countenancing the least resistance to their authority by injurious force. 5. If compelled in any case, by divine principles, to disobey their requirements, or passively to withstand their unrighteous exactions, and thus incur their penal vengeance, to act openly, and suffer with true moral heroism. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 189 G. Never to ask their protection, even in favor of injured innocence, or threatened rights, when it can be interposed only by means which are condemned by divine principles. 7. To live in peace, so far as can innocently be done, with all mankind outside of this Republic, whether individuals, associations, corporations, sects, classes, parties, states or nations ; also to accredit and encourage whatever is truly good in all ; yet to fellowship iniquity in none, be enslaved by none; be amalgamated with none, be morally responsible for none, but ever be distinctly, unequivocally and uncompromis- ingly The Practical Christian Republic, until the complete regeneration of the world. ARTICLE XII. AMENDMENT. Whenever one -fourth of all the members of this Republic shall subscribe and publish a written proposition to alter, amend or revise this Constitution, such proposition, of whatso- ever nature, shall be submitted to each Community for con- sideration. Returns shall then be made of all the votes cast in every Community, to the highest organized body of the Republic for the time being. And the concurrence of two- thirds of all the votes shall determine the question or questions at issue. If the proposition shall have been a specific alteration or amendment of the Constitution, it shall thenceforth be established as such. If a Convention shall have been propos- ed to revise the Constitution, a Convention shall be summoned and held accordingly. But no alteration, amendment or revis- ion of this Constitution shall take effect until sanctioned by two-thirds of all the members present and acting thereon in their respective Communities, at regular meetings duly notified for that purpose. 190 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. CONVERSATION II. Inquirer expresses his admiration of the Constitution Proposes questions, difficulties and objections which he has heard raised, to call out a full ex- position of the Document The title "Practical Christian Republic" explained and defended Article I. defended against the objection that too nuich is proposed too wide a grasp of objects attempted Article II. taken Tip, " Principles" Objections of a human governmentist, of an individual sovereigntyite Minor difficulties allowable as to explicatory ideas of fun- damentals Constitution open to amendment, progress a fundamental, secession a right Creedo-phobia Article III. taken up, " Rights" Rights limited only by divine principles, broad scope of rights in this Republic Property rights, the leveller's selfishness Right to enjoy par- ticular friendships. Inq. I meet you again with pleasure. I have carefully ex- amined the Constitution of your Practical Christian Republic. It has inspired me with profound admiration and interest. I feel incompetent to do justice to its merits, but trust I shall be able to converse on it understandingly, as an inquirer. I have shown it to numerous friends, most of whom have expressed a high opinion of the social scheme it unfolds. At the same time, many questions, objections and difficulties have been raised concerning it by these friends, the larger portion of which I have been able to solve to their satisfaction. I pro- pose now to submit to you the substance of these questions, objections and difficulties, together with such as have arisen in my own mind. I do so to call out your own exposition of the Document, that I may be sure of its design, scope and bearings. Ex. I will do the best I can to gratify you in these respects. Please proceed. Inq. I will begin then at the beginning, with the name of your new Social Order, The Practical Christian Republic. Why have you chosen this name ? and what is its true import ? Ex. We chose this name or title, because it seemed most CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 191 indicative and significant of the real nature of the thing de- signed. It is proposed to establish by voluntary association a new, grand and comprehensive body politic, such as has never heretofore existed on earth. It is not to be a mere church or ecclesiastical communion. Nor is it to be a mere civil govern- ment or political state. Nor yet a duplicate organization of church and state in mutual alliance. But it is to be a perfectly homogeneous organization, at once religious, social and civil in its inherent structural characteristics. It is intended to combine all the useful attributes of a true Christian church and a true civil state, to the utter exclusion of those malign forces which in past time have vitiated both church and state. It is to be preeminently a religious, social and civil Commonwealth, de- claratively based on the essential divine principles taught and exemplified by Jesus Christ, and completely subordinate to the sovereignty of those principles. We call it a Republic, because its governmental functions are to be exercised for the common good of the people confederated in it through their chosen offi- cial servants. We call it a Christian Republic, because its acknowledged fundamental and sovereign principles are dis- tinctively Christian. We call it a Practical Christian Republic, because it magnifies and insists on that personal, social and political righteousness which is absolutely practical, but treats as non-essential that mere external righteousness which con- sists in professions, forms, ceremonies and observances. We call it The Practical Christian Republic, because there is no other of the kind on earth. So much for the name. Could we have selected a better one ? Inq. Probably not. It is certainly very truthful, significant and appropriate. You have sufficiently justified the selection, I will proceed. Article I, entitled OBJECTS, is so lucid that I cannot ask you to make it more so by explanations and com- ments ; especially as the prominent details involved in its seven grand particulars will come up for consideration further along. The principal objection I have heard made to tin's Article is, the gigantic magnitude of its propositions. Some have exclaimed, Here are objects vast as the habitable globe, which require ages for their attainment, and can hardly be 192 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. grasped by the most expansive imagination ! Why does this handful of beginners presume to look so far into the future, and to aim at results at present so impracticable, if ever possible ? Why lay out more than Herculean labors for great nations, and for generations unborn ? Wliy not content them- selves with undertakings suited to their present actual capabil- ities ? Are they not reaching out to embrace a huge shadow, at the imminent risk of losing the little substance they already hold ? How do you reply to such cautionary exclamations and interrogative appeals ? Ex. I respond thus : 1. The objects proposed are in accord- ance with the revealed will of God and the divinely predicted destiny of the human race. 2. They are in accordance with the mission of Jesus Christ into our world, with the genius of his Religion, and with the imperative dictates of its essential divine principles. 3. They are such as should be the animat- ing and controlling motives of minds engaged in founding a new state of human society, in order to their making even a fair beginning. 4. Grand and comprehensive objects aimed at as ultimate results do not relax exertions to maintain present possessions, but strengthen and stimulate them. 5. Nothing is proposed to be done towards building up the Practical Christian Republic but what will be practicable from stage to stage of its growth. The outlines of a vast social superstructure, from foundation to dome, are presented in design, that all the builders may know what they are about while constructing its component parts, and do nothing which shall require undoing. But the cooperatives are required only to labor faithfully in that con- stituent portion of the Confederacy which immediately concerns their respective communal companies. None need leave his proper sphere to assume the responsibilities of a wider one. None need be anxious for any thing but the faith- ful performance of his own duty at the post he engages to maintain. Each needs only to feel that he belongs to a grand army of human regenerators, all devoted to a common glorious cause, under a Supreme. Commander who will certainly lead his invincible hosts to complete victory. With such motives CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 1>. That would be nothing strange. It is just what happens to a majority of those who in the old social order undertake to live by trading. Nine fail where one succeeds in getting rich. Inq. But ought I not to have some guaranties from my pur- chasing brethren, to insure me against losses ? Ex. Not if yon go on your own hook* and price your nrticlcs CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 25U \\l\li reference to the contingencies and risks of trade. "Why should yon ? But we intend to kill out this trading of individ- uals on their own hook, (I mean trading thus as a business), before long, by socializing, unionizing and systematizing the whole range of commercial transactions. Then individuals will be in 110 danger of failing, in the common meaning of that term. Associate bodies will employ and pay all the persons needed to conduct trade, and the supernumeraries may go to useful pursuits. Meantime the common people will rise to the enjoyment of their rights ; paying no more than they ought to pay for goods bought, and receiving what they ought for goods sold. Have you any objection to this ? Inq. No ; but if you should prosper in your scheme you would spoil trade. Ex. Do you mean that we should destroy free exchanges and distributions of property 1 Inq. O no ; I only mean that you would take away the money-making charm from trade ; since there would be no more fortunes to make, or to lose, by commercial pursuits. Ex. You are right in that view. We go against all kinds of gambling ; and we trust all the winners, as well as losers by such games, will rejoice with us when the last of their " hells" is cleared of its enticements. Jix/. Very well, I will not stand in your way. I should like now to know why you tolerate four per cent, interest, and in- terdict all higher rates ? Tell me first why you sanction the taking of interest at all. Is it right to take interest on money? Ex. That depends on the answer to a prior question, Is it right for any individual, or association of individuals, distinct from the rest of mankind, to take net increase on property of any description whatsoever, except a fair compensation for labor and care bestowed thereon ? Apply the question to lands, houses, orchards, cattle, &c. &c, For instance, I own one hun- dred acres of land, which, in consequence of God's rain, air and sunshine superadded to my labor and skill, or in conse- quence of some Railroad built near it, or in consequence of something else taking place without expense to me, has become twice as valuable as its actual cost. I may mention the rear- 254 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. ing of an orchard, or a flock of sheep, or a yoke of oxen, or a horse, no matter what. Now here is a net increase beyond actual cost, and a handsome payment of all labor bestowed on the property in hand ; to whom does that net increase rightfully belong ? Inq. Have you taken into consideration all contingencies, liabilities to depreciation, and risks of sale, according to your own rule of appreciation ? Ex. Well, if I have not, put them in yourself. Still, the ap- praisal overlays all cost, and there is a large net increase ; whose is it ? To make the case a little stronger, suppose I discover a rich mine of gold, silver or other valuable metal, which has cost me absolutely nothing ; whose is it ? Inq. Well, I suppose the net increase in all such cases would belong to him or them who held the capital on which the in- crease accrued. Ex. And this would be right, would it ? Inq. I do not see but it would, so long as we allow property to be held in several ty. If we could resolve the whole world into common property, the indivisible inheritance of our entire race, we might change the issue. But as this is out of the question, we must take things as they are. And now, before you press me too closely, please tell me how you would apply your own rule of price and sale to one of these net-increase cases. Would you feel bound to sell your farm, lately doubled in value by the new Railroad, or rendered perhaps a thousand times more valuable by the discovery of that mine, at " the fail- cost value thereof" to one of your Practical Christian Repub- licans ? Ex. I should not feel bound to sell such an estate at all. But I should feel bound to place the net increase where it would, in my judgment, c^o most towards sustaining the instru- mentalities necessary to regenerate the world. Or if wanted to relieve suffering humanity, I should feel bound as God's steward to dispense it gratuitously. Or if I had needy breth- ren who wanted it on loan, to let them have it without usury. But I should not feel bound to sell it at cost, even to u brother, for the sake of transferring the net increase from my control to CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 256 Ids. Nor under our rule would he have a right to insist on such a transfer of my ownership to him. Liq. From all this I might infer that there may arise extreme cases which would be exceptions to your rule ? Ex. Perhaps so, very rarely and to a certain extent. There are exceptions to all general rules. But in nine hundred and ninety-nine cases out of a thousand, the ups and downs of appraisal under our rule would only cover the contingencies and risks to which all property is subject. Thus the net in- crease of a large amount of property in any country, during ten, twenty or thirty years, would be exceedingly uncertain. But in modern times such an increase, greater or less, has been supposed to accrue in all civilized countries. This has grown chiefly out of commerce and the innumerable improvements in all the material interests of mankind. Hence, as money is the immediate representative equivalent of all kinds of proper- ty, interest has come to be considered justly due on it, within certain limits. And within those limits interest is not now considered usury in the ancient Bible sense. All this, because property in general is presumed to have a certain absolute net increase annually on the average of the nation. The theory is, that the lender of money has as good a right to a certain per cent, per annum net increase on his capital, as the borrower has to his net gains thereon. His theory is just enough under the existing commercial system ; but there has been a general tendency to rate interest too high, especially since lenders have reduced their risks by demanding strong securities. The inev- itable consequence has been excessive banking, trading and speculation, all tending to the enrichment of the few and the impoverishment of the many. Interest is too high, especially in our own country. It cannot be paid without oppressing the common people. It exceeds the average net increase of prop- erty, and so must increase the money lender's wealth at the expense of the , borrowing and working classes. In a true Social System, where commercial exchanges were wisely reg- ulated, it is clear to my mind, money would be loaned at cost, under the general rule we have been criticising. Accordingly, the fourth Section of this Property Article in our Constitution 256 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. contemplates such an ultimate state of things. At present, however, we are obliged to make a compromise with the ex- isting commercial system. Hence we make a protest against exorbitant rates of interest, and indicate our drift for the future, by naming four per cent, per annum, as the -maximum rate of interest which our members shall demand of each other. Inq. Still, you make an exception. You allow your mem- bers, when combining their capital under joint management as partners in the risk of it, to divide higher profits, if they can. Ex. True ; because in that case their risks become such that ten per cent, one year might not leave them one per cent the next. This is not intended to allow them a greater general average than four per cent., in commerce with each other and their brethren, but only to enable them to offset one term of years with another in respect to the risks of their general business. Such arrangements will be likely to take care of themselves. This is a complex and knotty matter to settle in its details at present We have done what seemed practically best under the existing state of things ; hoping for great im- provements in the future. Inq. I am inclined to fall in with you throughout ; though I cannot see all your points under this head so clearly as I would wish. Let them rest where they are, and pass on. Ex. The third Section is directed against contracting improper debts ; giving and receiving long credits without real estate security; manufacturing and selling shammy and unreliable productions ; and making business engagements &c. of uncer- tain fulfillment. All these are evils which prevail in the existing social state, and are pronounced incompatible with the welfare, prosperity and honor of the new Republic. Inq. If I understand this Section correctly, no one of your members would be at liberty to run in debt, outside of the Re- public, beyond three-fourths of the worth of his property rated moderately by disinterested persons. This is a good rule, and I hope you will all strictly adhere to it in practice. Then you Avill get no bitter curses nor reproaches for failing, and cheating your neighbors out of their dues. As to long credits, they are CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 257 ]>ad enough at best ; but if they must be given or received, I should say, let good real estate security make them safe. Nei- ther leave them at loose ends, nor ask one man to be bound for another. This, too, is a good rule. Shammy and unrelia- ble productions glut the markets, and are every where a fraud. Any honest man ought to be ashamed of them, and your Practical Christians had better lay aside their professions, if they cannot take a higher stand in this matter than the world in general, or than the nominal Church in general. I do not suppose any class of manufacturers or mechanics can work up raw materials so as to turn out only first quality productions. But they ought to turn out a reasonable quantity of such produc- tions, and then mark the rest at their true value as of inferior quality, to be represented and marketed accordingly. Work preaches louder than words, and a people whose fabricated or cultivated productions should lie would deserve to be set down for liars themselves ; which I hope will not be the case with your Practical Christian Republicans. The other prohibition, against making business engagements and promises which there is no certainty of being able to fulfill, admits of only one objection, which is, that it ought to be superfluous in its appli- cation to a people professing your high morality. The making of such engagements and promises is very common in the world, I know ; but it is a kind of lying so mean and inexcus- able, that any decent person ought to be utterly ashamed of it. If you really think your people are in danger of being guilty of this vice, let it stand prescriptively prohibited. Ex. I thank you for your plain spoken words and admonitory suggestions on the third Section, and will now pass to the fourth. I consider this highly important. It prescribes that, " Whenever the population of our Republic shall warrant the formation of the first Communal Nation, and the government thereof shall have been organized, a uniform system of Mutual Banking shall be established, based mainly on real estate securities, which shall afford loans at the mere cost of opera- tions. Also, a uniform system of Mutual Insurance, which shall reduce all kinds of insurance to the lowest terms. Also, a uniform system of reciprocal Commercial Exchange, which 33 258 PEACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. shall preclude all needless interventions between producers and consumers, all extra risks of property, all extortionate speculations, all inequitable profits on exchanges, and all de- moralizing expedients of trade. Also, Regulations providing for the just encouragement of useful industry, and the practical ecmalization of all social advantages, so far as the same can be done without infracting individual rights. And all the mem- bers shall be considered under sacred moral obligations to cooperate, adhesively and persistently in every righteous meas- ure for the accomplishment of these objects." Inq. I read this Section with deep interest; perhaps no one in your whole Constitution with a livelier one. The objects set forth are at once grand, and fraught with the highest im- portance to the welfare of the common people. I presume I have but an imperfect conception of the things prospectively provided for; but I judged them so desirable, that I could but feel impatient for the formation of your first Communal Nation. And it occurred to me that a beginning might be made soon. Ex. A beginning has already been made in respect to most of the particulars named, and all the objects in view may be approximated long before the national organization can be in- augurated. But it is not to be expected that more than pre- parative and incipient advances will be made during the early infancy of the Republic. Inq. How many members should you think would be neces- sary to the formation of your first Communal Nation ? Ex. I have made no definite calculation. Not less than ten thousand, probably ; and one hundred thousand would be few enough. Half a million would make things come into the new course much more easily. We must leave all that to God and the future. Inq. Will you give me a little insight to your contemplated system of Mutual Banking, which is to furnish loans at the mere cost of operations. EC. I will not attempt to enter into many of the details, but barely indicate some of the outlines. Suppose then we have five hundred owners of real estate, or five thousand, or fifty thousand if you please, or twenty Communities or more with CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 259 valuable Domains. A Mutual Bank is proposed with a Capital of $100,000, or $250,000, or $500,000. One-tenth of the capital stock shall be specie or its equivalent. The other nine-tenths consist of real estate securities ; that is, Mortgages of real es- tate running to the Trustees of the Bank so conditioned as to be available to the Bank in certain contingencies, but otherwise harmless to the Mortgagers. For instance, I subscribe $500 towards the stock in one of these Mutual Banks, of which I pay $50, in specie or its equivalent never to- draw interest. The other $450 I pay in by a Mortgage on real estate worth at least $1000 at a moderate valuation, and clear of all prior in- cumbrances. I receive Scrip for $500. One thousand other persons do the same. We have now a capital of $500,000, of which $50,000 is specie or its equivalent. Each stockholder by the terms of the Institution shall be entitled to a loan from the Bank of at least thirty per cent, on his stock, or the average thereof through the year, and as much more occasionally as the Directors may deem safe on the part of the Bank, never exceeding the amount of his stock. He may obtain these loans as principal, or as endorser for some friend. And only such a per cent, is to be charged by the Bank on its loans as shall be sufficient to pay its cashiers &c. the maximum compensation herein before stipulated for services, and to defray all the other incidental charges of Banking operations. This might be one, certainly not two per cent, per annum. At the same time the Stockholders all stand pledged never to loan at second hand to their fellow members any of this money at a higher per cent, than cost, according to the rule of trade stipulated in Section 2 of the Article under examination. And all the people of the Republic stand pledged to favor its circulation among them- selves and their friends, by preventing its passing into the hands of persons likely to draw upon the Bank for specie, or its equivalent, and by assisting its directors to all the money of other Banking Institutions which it may be in their power to command. In this way a numerous population would be con- tinually well supplied with a reliable circulating currency on most easy terms, enterprise would be fostered, fraternity pro- moted and Shylockism effectually counteracted. Let there be 260 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. many such Banks as the Republic may need. These are the outlines of my proposed system of Mutual Banking. What is there to hinder the complete success of such a system ? Inq. Nothing. You have only to raise up the people who are able, willing and committed to it. I do not see why such a Bank could not be instituted by the honest farmers, mechanics and manufacturers in any County of the existing order of society. Ex. So it could, if they would. But most of them want to get large interest or profits on their own capital. They have too little confidence in each other to w r ork such a system smoothly. They are too antagonistical in their other interests, and withal too much enslaved to the old customs of business. It will therefore be almost impossible for them to come into such a system, without first coming into a new social order. Yet if they had the will, they would soon find the way ; which I should much rejoice to see take place. But in our Republic the thing will be perfectly natural and feasible. And what a deliverance will it work from the covetousness and growing extortion of the existing Mammonitish order ! Inq. Great indeed. But are you sure they will not com- bine to crush your Mutual Banks ? Ex. No ; but I am sure they will never be able to do it, if they make the attempt. With solid capital for our basis, moral unity of action, tolerable financial skill, and the good will of the working, honest, friendly outsiders, we should be impregna- ble. Inq. I believe it. God speed " the good time coming." I suppose the other great objects proposed will come about gradually on the same equitable and fraternal principles, viz Mutual Insurance and reciprocal Commercial Exchange ? Ex. I see not why. The path lies open, and ample induce- ments beckon our people on. Indeed, their sovereign divine principles will not let them stop short of planning and execu- tmu'the measures necessary to accomplish all these objects. The genius of our enterprise will not be satisfied with less. I would give outlines again if it were necessary and we had time ; but as it is, you can infer , analogically from what has CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 261 been said enough to satisfy you that any thing proposed is practicable and likely to be actualized sometime. Ing. I think I understand the matter well enough not to trouble you for further expositions at present. We will meet again soon. PRACTICAL CH1USTIAN SOCIALISM, CONVERSATION VI. Article XI., " Policy," taken tip and considered Policy and Duty one What is meant by sword-sustained governments, and what by aiiti-christian conflict therewith; sundry applications of point first Point second eluci- dated Point third, objections answered relating to non-participation in sword-sustained governments Points fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh briefly noticed Article XII. considered Exposition of the Constitution closed with a promise to take up next the subject of Education. Ex. We come now to Article XI of our Constitution, entitled Policy. There are seven points of this policy relating chiefly to the relations and conduct of our Republic towards sword- sustained human governments, and the various Associations of mankind which make up the old order of society. Our Policy is founded strictly on acknowledged divine principles, and allows of no time-serving expediency contrary to those princi- ples. Inq. Why then do you designate it as Policy ? "Why not prescribe the same course of action to your members as Duty ? Ex. We do prescribe the whole as Duty. Yet it is not the less Policy. We call it Policy because it takes on the charac- ter of prudential forecast, and indicates precautionary measures with reference to possible difficulties with outsiders. Inq. It is to be your fundamental, uniform and established policy, 1. " To govern, succor and protect your own people to your utmost ability in all matters and cases whatsoever, not involving anti-Christian conflict with the sword -sustained gov- ernments of the world under which your members live." What do you mean by sword-sustained governments of the world ? Ex. I mean all human governments which hold to the right- fulness of resorting to war, capital punishment and penal injury for the maintenance of their own existence and authority whenever they deem the same necessary. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 263 Liq. Do not all human governments make the sword their dernier resort in respect to foreign enemies and domestic dis- turbers . ? Ex. I know of none not sword-sustained, excepting our incipient Republic. And here is a great moral gulf which separates us from the old order of society. We renounce the sword and all manner of penal injury as a dernier resort for self-preservation, whether individually, socially or government- ally. I supposed yon fully understood this. Inq. Certainly. But you allow me to be mouth-piece some- times for others less informed. In such cases I must be excused if I seem even captious. Ex. All right ; go on with your questions. Inq. We know then what is meant by sword-sustained, alias man-killing governments. That is, they are man-killing when they cannot sustain their independence and authority without taking human life. And you expect that the members of your Republic are to live for years, perhaps centuries, under .these governments ? Ex. Yes ; we can anticipate nothing else. Inq. But what if you should gain the ascendency in any country, so that the responsibility were thrown upon you by the common wish of the people to exercise the government thereof ? Ex. In such an event they would adopt our government in all its length and breadth, and our course would be straight- forward. Our moral power would then have become so strong and consolidated in that country, that we should have no need of the sword or any kind of injurious penalties to sustain our government. Inq. But you might have your turbulent individuals at home and some foreign aggressions. Ex. Possibly. Yet our policy founded on our principles would be equal to all emergencies. We should be under no necessity to kill or injure our offenders. We should have a more excellent way of getting through our difficulties ; I mean that of overcoming evil with good. Any how, it is useless to borrow trouble from so far off a future.. 2U PRACTICAL ClIillSTIAN SOCIALISM. Inq. Well, assuming that your members live under a sword- sustained government, they must not come into anti- Christian conflict with it. What is anti-Christian conflict ? Ex. A conflict of arms, a conflict by deadly or injurious force, a conflict by resisting any kind of evil with moral evil. Should we resist or attempt to thwart a government by means contrary to our principles, we should carry on an anti -Christian conflict with such government. This we cannot do. We may main- tain a righteous moral conflict in a good cause, but cannot resort to injurious force, nor to immoral expedients of any kind. We may suffer wrong, but we must not do wrong. In this lies the secret of our strength. Inq. Still you are going to govern, succor and protect your own people. How far and by what means ? Ex. -To the utmost of our ability, so far as we can go without coming into anti -Christian conflict with " the powers that be." In legislating, adjudicating and executing we can go very far ; because we are a voluntary body politic, and may do what we are agreed among ourselves is right. You would not expect such a people to look up to a sword-sustained human govern- ment to teach them what was right, nor to settle their contro- versies, nor to regulate their domestic police. They will govern themselves, and government outside will do little but impose taxes and subject them to its general laws. Now the policy prescribed is, to do every thing for ourselves in the way of government that we can do without coming into anti-christian conflict with the sword- sustained government of the old order of society. We cannot fight with carnal weapons, even in self-defense. Nor is our revolution one to be promoted by violence. It is a peaceful one altogether, though so radical. Inq. What do you mean by the words " succor and protect" ? Ex. That we all stand solemnly pledged to succor and pro- tect such of our members as may need sympathy, counsel, money or moral influence, by reason of misfortunes, oppres- sions, persecutions and tribulations which from any cause or quarter may befall them. So long as our members demean themselves worthily of the Republic, it woidd be shameful in us not to succor and protect them to the utmost extent of our CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 265 Ability. I mean ability compatible with our principles. We vnimot fight with carnal weapons, nor bring ourselves into anti- Christian conflict with " the powers that be" to protect them. But we can make common cause with them in every justifiable effort to succor and protect them. We are bound to do so, They are " bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh," in the best social sense of those terms. Therefore, if we have talent, 'wealth, influence, we must pour them out like water for the succor and protection of our suffering members. The pure white flag of our Republic must proclaim to all the world, that its humblest citizen will receive all the sympathy and protec- tion which an undivided people can righteously render. Our poor are not to be thrown upon the old order of society for sup- port. Our widows and orphans are not to go abroad begging relief and protection. And if any of our citizens are fined, imprisoned or in any manner oppressed by " the powers that be," for acting conscientiously according to our standard of Practical Christianity, they are to be aided and befriended by us to the utmost extent of our power, i. e. within the limits of innocence. We are to suffer with them to make common cause with them. So, if our feebler members are crowded upon, injured and taken advantage of by unprincipled men of the world, the stronger members in talent, wealth and weight of character are to interpose a shield of protection over them, without money and without price ; that it may be known by all in due time, that what they do unto the least of us they do unto the mightiest and unto the whole Practical Christian Republic. Is not this right ? Could we do less without shame and contempt, in view of our professions ? Inq. It is all right, all noble, all honorable, all worthy of my highest admiration. Ex. The second point of our fundamental, uniform and es- tablished policy is, to avoid all unnecessary conflicts with sword-sustained governments, by conforming to all their laws and requirements which are not repugnant to the sovereignty of divine principles. Inq. You think then it would be easy to have conflicts with those governments unnecessarily? 34 266 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Ex. Undoubtedly it would. It would be easy to differ with and oppose them for the sake of keeping up a broad line of distinction between them and ourselves. It would be easy for many well-meaning members of our Republic to magnify their disfellowship of the old order of society and government by non- conformity to requirements which were right in themselves, or indifferent, merely because those requirements made a part and parcel of a wrong ivhole. All such non-conformity would be foolish and pernicious. Why stickle and make a great ado about non-essentials ? The existing order of society and gov- ernment has many good things in it, good laws, customs and Tisages such as with slight modifications would befit our Re- public. It has also a great many formal niceties which have a technical and legal importance, which time will sweep away as mere cob-webs of vanity, but which are of no consequence to us. It would be folly for our people to stand out and contend with government functionaries about these indifferent things. Our thunder should be reserved for worthy occasions. There are essentials enough to stand out for. Let trifles go. We are to differ with no human being or beings for the sake of differing. We are not to be singular for the sake of being singular. We are not to be whimish, mulish and crotchical, merely to let the world know that we are not " of it." We are to choose conformity in preference to non-conformity always when we can do so without violating our divine principles. This should be our policy. Then noble souls and wise minds will see that our dissent, singularity and non -conformity are determined by principle, and not by egotism, clannishness, or wrong-headedness. Unnecessary conflicts are therefore always to be avoided, that necessary ones maybe maintained the more courageously, dignifiedly and triumphantly. Do you object to this? Inq. Not at all ; pass on. Ex. The third specification of our Policy is to abstain from all participation in the working of the political machinery of sword-sustained governments, and to be connected as little as possible with their system of operations. Inq. Well, here is a point about which 1 have had more dis- CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 267 cussion than on any other in your whole Constitution ; and sometimes I have been quite confounded by the arguments arrayed against your position. The same difficulties came up on that clause in Article II. which contains the words, " Never to participate in a sword-sustained human government, either as voters, office-holders or subordinate assistants, in any case prescriptively involving the infliction of death or any absolute injury whatsoever by man on man," &c. But I managed to get rid of the question till I came to this Article on Policy, where I had to meet it, and where I wish you to meet it. Ex. I will do so with pleasure. Give me the hardest of the objections you encountered. Inq. The grand difficulty always is with the fundamental love -principle itself, which forbids man to kill or injure man. These objectors either do not accept that principle as forbid- ding all injury between man and man, or they will not allow its application to government, or they plead that the time has not come for insisting on it. Indeed, they seem to be quite indis- posed to recognize, appreciate and reason from fundamental religious and moral principles at all. They take every thing up by pieces, and look at it in the light of expediency. And their expediency is like the child's world, bounded by the sen- sible horizon, which terminates in all directions where the sky seems to shut down upon the earth. It is a very short-sighted expediency. But they are none the less confident it compre- hends all things. Such is their mole-eyed wisdom. With this sensible horizon of expediency for their universe, and the self-confidence which is its concomitant, these objectors gen- erally begin thus : " What, not vote, not take office, not partic- ipate in the government of the country, stand off by themselves as a separate people or nation ! Tkat is preposterous ! That spoils the whole thing ! I should think something of the scheme, were it not for this silly non-resistance and no-governmentism. I admire the larger part of their Constitution ; but such weak, absurd and impracticable notions damn it for me." Now what answer would you make to such objections ? Ex. I should take them very patiently, knowing that they came naturally and honestly from minds groping in thick dark- 268 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. ness, but perhaps capable of being enlightened. I should ask such an objector: Is the old order of human society right? Are you satisfied with it ? Inq. He would answer promptly, " O no, no ; it is very bad full of selfishness, antagonism, hatred, violence and misery." Ex. Do you want a better order of society established in the earth? Inq. He would answer, " Yes, yes, certainly." Ex How do you expect that better order of society is to be established ? Inq. He would reply, " By Association, unselfish, peaceful Association." Ex. By Association on any radically different principles from the now prevailing order of Association ? Inq. " Yes, certainly, more just, fraternal and unselfish prin- ciples, and more scientific too more unitary." Ex. Would you exclude war and vindictive punishments from the new order ? Inq. " Most assuredly. Stop ; exclude ? no not formally, per- haps ; but in true attractive Association all these evils would be transcended. They would cease with the cessation of their causes and occasions, which would not exist in the true order of society. So they would need no other preclusion." Ex. But you would have the new order of society in close fellowship with the old, so that your members might vote, hold office, litigate, fight and do every thing else in the governments thereof just like the rest of its citizens ? Inq. " Yes ; only they should be more virtuous and honorable than ordinary, and should do every thing constitutionally, le- gally and properly." Ex. You would have them soldiers, generals, hangmen, sher- iffs, &c., &c., &c. all bound by solemn oath to sustain the old order of society and its government, by force of arms if nec- essary ? Inq. " Certainly ; leave all these things to take their course. Only I would have our Associationists and Communists aim continually to improve the old order of society, to favor the new order as much as possible, and to make their influence CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 2<;<- felt for the general good. That is the beauty of the thing. Just think how much good we could do by exercising our polit- ical rights in the old order of society and government !" Ex. But what would become of your new order of society, and who would take care of its gowth, while its most talented and enterprising minds were taking such beautiful care of the bad old order of society and government ; and while, too, they were in a scramble with each other for the rich loaves and fishes of office, as partizans of rival leaders ? Inq. " O, I would not have our Socialists neglect their own work, nor be mere office seekers, or salary hunters, nor get divided among themselves into rival squads of politicians. Not at all." Ex. You would have them attend to their own business, and other people's too ! Expend their best energies in improving the old order of society, and at the same time show all the world the excellences of the new order ! Be devoted to the politics of rival parties in sword-sustained governments, and still be united at home in the bonds of peace ! Serve two masters with equal fidelity ! Sit on two stools, and not come to the ground between them ! . All this may be very beautiful, but is not very likely to come to pass in such a world as ours. I venture to suggest that it would savor more of common sense, if not of honesty, to confess at once, that the only road to a new order of society is through the old one by gradual im- provement, whereof politics is the indispensable " staff of ac- complishment." In that case, let the objector cease to amuse himself and others by talking of a new order. Let him stick to the old like a pertinacious tinker till he shall have patched it into a new kettle. I can excuse him from joining the Prac- tical Christian Republic till he takes a few more lessons in the school of experience. Inq. Well, it is ridiculous, as well as utterly impracticable, to ride two such different horses, on two such different roads, at the same time. But now I will change the tune of objection a little. Granting that it is totally inconsistent for the mem- bers of your Republic to profess allegiance to the sovereignty of divine principles and yet participate in war, preparations for ; 270 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. war, capital punishment and penal injuries, either as officers or subordinates of sword-sustained governments, still, why may they not vote at the polls and seek redress at law for injuries done them ? Ex. It is possible they might innocently vote on some ques- tions, and resort to Judicial assistance in some cases. They are not precluded from doing so, except in cases prescriptive -I y involving the infliction of death, or some other absolute injury, by man on man. Inq. Yet your policy is to stand aloof as much as possible from participation in the machinery of these sword-sustained governments, even in cases where your principles might per- mit it. Ex. Such indeed is our policy ; and for two good reasons ; 1, there are few cases in which we could be certain that our principles would allow us to participate ; and 2, of the few al- lowable, not one in a hundred, perhaps, could be used to any good purpose. We should do more harm than good, both to ourselves and the world, by departing from our general course. In some cases, few and far between, it might be best for us to use our rights and innocent liberties in the particulars referred to ; but such exceptions will take care of themselves, without disturbing the general tenor of our Policy. Inq. But why not vote for State and National officers, to aid in keeping out bad men, and getting in good men ? Ex, For seven reasons. 1. We seldom know which of the candidates is best. 2. The best as a man is not always the best as a partizan officer. 3. The best man of the best party must bind himself by oath or affirmation to do some tilings which are in plain violation of our sovereign divine principles. 4. By voting we become complicated with the political piirty whose general course we most approve, which nevertheless we must radically differ from. 5. We invite discord into our own circles, where there can hardly fail to be honest differences of opinion about the merits of opposing parties, or the propriety of taking sides in such contests; or, 6. If our people all voted one way, we should provoke public suspicion against ourselves as jni ambitious, consolidated clan, ripening for political mis- CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 271 chief. 7. Wo should neglect our own sacred enterprise to help govern an order of society from which we profess to have sep- arated ourselves for conscience' sake; and thus we should not only open the door for all our members to meddle continually with the political, seditious and revolutionary turmoils of the world, but actually involve our whole movement in the uncer- tain issues of those commotions. For these reasons it would be folly, madness and suicide for Practical Christian Republi- cans to participate in such elections. Our cause would have nothing to gain, but eveiy thing to lose, from such meddling. " Let the potsherds of the earth contend with the potsherds of the earth." Let each order of society be managed by its own adherents, on its own professed principles. Then by their fruits good men will know which is most worthy of support. The two cannot be amalgamated. Nor can the new wine of love and peace be put into the old war -bottles. Inq. And would there be the same objection to your mem- bers voting in municipal affairs ? Ex. Very nearly. So nearly that it would hardly be worth while to pick out the possible cases which might be exceptions. Inq. But I do not see why your members might not sue at the law for a just debt, or to recover damages for injuries sus- tained, or to get dangerous offenders restrained. Ex. Possibly cases of these kinds might now and then arise when it would be no violation of their principles to do so. But this would so seldom happen, and would be so little in unison with the usual course to be pursued, that it would be safest to make no calculation on such a resort at all. In all sword-sustained governments, the sword, or some other instru- ment of penal vengeance, is necessarily always behind the civil authorities as their dernier resort. To sue a man for debt, or for the purpose of compelling him to conform to our will, is to call on the government to use their sword- sustained power in our behalf. If it is right for us to sue to them for the use of such power for our convenience, why have we any scruples against doing the same thing ourselves ? If wrong for us to use the sword ourselves, is it not also wrong to ask others to 272 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. do so for us ? Would it not be adding meanness to our incon- sistency ? Inq. I cannot gainsay your reasoning. But I will ask if your principles will preclude your appearing in the Courts of sword- sustained governments to plead in your own defense, when wrongfully prosecuted or accused by others ? Ex. Certainly not ; if our cause be just. Inq. Then you can be defendants in those Courts, but not complainants or plaintiffs ! What is the difference ? Ex. It is the difference between dragging a man into Court with the strong arm of power backed by the sword, and being dragged thither unjustly by such an arm against our choice. Is there any difference in the two cases ? Inq. A radical difference to be sure. But then you are not obliged to plead in your own defense. Ex. Not absolutely obliged ; but I have a natural right to de- fend myself by truthful testimony and speech against false accusations and unjust allegations. Most human Courts con- cede this right. I may therefore use it, as Paul did before Felix and Festus, or waive it, as Jesus did before Pilate. If I use it, I violate none of my principles. If I waive it, I do so at my own option. I am arraigned before " the powers that be" at the prosecuting instigation of another. I did not ask the government to bring me into Court, nor to compel him to come. I am the coerced party ; and if I defend myself there, it is not by injurious force, nor by invoking the injurious force of government to help me. I stand up as a man, with the common consent, to plead my cause by the force of truth. And when I have done so, I am in the hands of that authority before which my prosecutor compelled me to appear. Is not the case plain ? Inq. It is perfectly so to me. But you must excuse me for still personating the objector a little longer. Your policy seems to be to leave government, if possible, wholly in the hands of bad men, by withdrawing all good men from it ! What is to become of the world if bad men are to be left to wield all the power of government ? Ex. Have you any fear that I shall succeed in withdrawing CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 273 all good men from the support of the world's sword-sustained governments. Inq. No ; but you boldly avow what you would do if you could, and I fear you will be able to draw away some good men who are much needed to help carry on government as it ought to be. We want all the good men we can have to weigh down the bad ones of whom we cannot get rid. Ex. I do not doubt that good men are much needed to coun- tervail bad ones in most governments ; but I am afraid they are more needed than welcome, generally. At any rate, I am sure The Practical Christian Republic will not rob any govern- ment of the ability or the will to do good in its own sphere and way. Because 1. The kind of good men thereby withdrawn from sword-sustained governments will be precisely those who would not be wanted if they could be had, and would not be allowed to lead if they were introduced into government. They might be acceptable as appendages of moral respecta- bility, to make well meaning people think favorably of the government as a whole ; but they would be allowed no real in- fluence in shaping important public measures, or in working its powerful machinery. This kind of good men are always deemed impracticables, or visionaries, by the world's leading politicians and statesmen. 2. All the people brought into our Republic will be of real service to the governments under which they may live. They will govern themselves and their dependents in the best possible manner almost entirely at their own expense. They \vill exert a healthful moral influence on all around them, and do as much at least as ordinary peace officers to preserve good order. They will be a check on vice, crime and violence wherever they are known. They will dis- pense alms and relieve much surrounding want. They will make no criminals nor paupers among themselves to be a charge on government. They will breed no lawsuits, and require no police nor military interpositions, either to restrain or to protect them. They will be good customers of the Post Office, being far more than ordinarily addicted to correspondence and to reading public intelligence. At the same time they will be liberal, peaceable and prompt tax-payers to government. If 3o 274 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. more than all this is wanted of them, to demonstrate that they are the very best subjects any government can have, I should like to know what ! 3. There are several grades of very re- spectable good men who will still adhere to all these sword- sustained governments ; who will be glad to hold any office of honor or emolument to be had ; and who will not be troubled with scruples about doing any thing required by the established Constitution or laws of the land. So there will be no lack, on that score, for generations to come. 4. There are always plenty of bad men and rogues ready to serve these govern- ments for money, in hunting down and punishing their own like ; and it is well known that such are always remarkably expert and efficient on the police, among the prisons, at the gallows and in the military department. There is nothing like setting a rogue to catch a rogue, or a ruffian to kill a ruffian. Thus our secession from the old order of society will still leave sufficient help in the punishing and fighting line. But 5. If by possibility it should ever so happen that any sword-sustained government in any country is obliged to dissolve, on account of the growth of our Republic, we pledge ourselves to take its subjects under our care, and see that no body in the world i-s a loser by the change. I think these reasons conclusively show that no serious calamity is likely to happen from the establish- ment of our Republic, or from its rigid adherence to the policy under consideration. Inq. But you yourselves may suffer from that policy. Ex. How? Inq. You will be robbed, oppressed and despoiled of your property, and cannot avail yourselves of redress by law. Ex. Borrow no trouble for us on that score. We shall doubt- less be wronged more or less in person and estate, both by in- dividuals and governments. But all we shall lose and suffer will not be a tithe of what the same number of people with the same amount of property in the old order of society will lose and suffer during the same period of time. Inq. You have marvelous faith in your prospective good luck. Ex. No ; in God, in our principles and our policy. The fruit CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 276 of peace is enjoyed by them who sow peace ; whilst they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Inq. Well, I trust you must be aware of one great disadvant- age under which your Republic will have to labor. Ex. What is that ? Inq. Your Principles and Policy between them will shut out great numbers of talented, enterprising and influential men, who are attached to politics and the legal profession, under what you are pleased to call sword-sustained governments. Many of these are progressives and highly favorable to social reform, as they certainly are to human improvement in general. But they will never forego all their prospects, and wide spread- ing spheres of distinction in the old order of society, for the sake of hampering themselves with your non-resistant and no- government restrictions. They will have nothing to do with a scheme which tames down and belittles its adherents after that fashion. So you must make up your mind to go on without them. Ex. We have all made up our minds to bear true allegiance in our Republic to the sovereignty of divine principles, and to adhere uncompromisingly to the fundamental Policy dictated by these Principles, be. the consequences what they may. And we ask no human being to join us in ignorance of our Principles or Policy, nor against his honest convictions of duty, nor with- out being fully persuaded in his own mind that he ought to make all the sacrifices of worldly ambition, honor and emolu- ment which you represent as so dear to the class of persons just mentioned. We have no bribes, no flatteries, no compro- mises of principle to offer. We want no talents, skill or enterprise which shall not voluntarily respond to our sublime moral and religious appeal from the living souls of their pos- sessors. God through his holy angels will provide help for us, whoever may hold back or turn the cold shoulder. We have faith that our Republic will not lack for talent, skill and enterprise. Inq. Your faith amounts to sheer fanaticism, and I will not further 'condescend to debate the matter with you. Ex. I think you have acted the objector well, and given me 276 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. a fair specimen of the kind of talk that has greeted your ears while trying to explain and defend our Constitution among your acquaintances. Inq. I believe I have ; though I am sure I have been much more respectful in the use of terms. And on your part you have been quite as patient with me, and much more convincing than I was able to be with some of my pertinacious opponents. So we may pass on to what remains of the Article before us for examination. Ex. We have virtually gone over the whole ground, leaving scarcely any thing to say under the other specified points of Policy. The fourth specification reads thus : " To protest, re- monstrate and testify conscientiously against the sins of sword- sustained governments on moral grounds alone ; but never to plot schemes of revolutionary agitation, intrigue or violence against them; nor be implicated in countenancing the least resistance to their authority by injurious force." Inq. This is declaring that you will be true to your own principles in rebuking their sins on moral grounds, and in refraining from giving them the least just cause of offense as disorderly or rebellious subjects. I see that this will be as politic as it is truthful and just. It will mafce you morally pow- erful, while it will shield you from many of those suspicions and vexations which many governments excuse themselves for inflicting on restless revolutionary spirits, who they have ample reason to expect will miss no good opportunity to overturn them either by craft or violence. Your fifth specification I think I understand and appreciate ; that is, if obliged by the dictates of your principles to disobey or passively withstand government at any time, you will do it openly and heroically, and patiently suffer what may be inflicted on you for acting conscientiously. Your sixth is, that you will not ask protection, nor petition for governmental interposition in behalf of yourselves or others when it cannot be rendered by means perfectly compatible with your own principles. This also I understand, appreciate and honor, as worthy of your Republic. Your seventh may be summed up thus : Peace with a]l CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 277 mankind, if possible without sacrifice of principle ; credit, ap- proval and encouragement to whatever is right and good in all ; but no fellowship of iniquity in any, no enslavement to any, no amalgamation with any, no moral responsibility for any ; ever distinctly, unequivocally and uncompromisingly upholding The Practical Christian Republic. This is all right, all consistent with what precedes it, and all indispensable to the success of your noble enterprise. And if your people adhere to their declared Policy with any tolerable fidelity, I am sure their Republic will not only become illustrious in magnitude and true power, but the triumphant regenerator and pacificator of the world. Inq. Such is our prayer, our aim and our all-animating hope. Ex. The final Article of your Constitution suggests little of inquiry, and needs little explanation. Its prescriptions and terms are plain, just and reasonable, so far as I can judge. The whole thing is left open to revision and amendment resting on its own intrinsic merits, and unreservedly subjecting itself to the deliberate judgment of all coming times. This is right, and implies unswerving confidence in the ever living Spirit of Truth and Righteousness to adjust its external forms to the progressive changes of human nature. One-fourth of your citizen members may always move amendments, and two-thirds carry them. Nothing can be more unobjectionable. Happily the General Constitution is of such a character that few changes will be likely to be called for. These will take place chiefly and conveniently in the secondary Compacts of your constituent and confederate bodies. I forbear further inquiry and remark under this general head. Ex. And I need not multiply comments. We will now con- sider the General Constitution sufficiently expounded. I propose next to take up the subject of Education, and give you a thorough exposition of it, as I hope to see it carried out in The Practical Christian Republic. 27 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. CONVERSATION VII. EDUCATION'. Definition of education Its processes of development, enlight- enment and government Man's threefold constitution of matter^ soul- spirit and Deific spirit Education must begin in the maternal womb when development begins Education and educators of the child before birth Seven general kinds of education to be treated of Physical education from birth onward Outline indicated suggestively and preceptively with refer- ence to six cardinal conditions of physical health, viz : protection, alimen- tation, exercise, rest, purification and medication. Ex. I am now to present you my views of education. Without a highly improved and thorough course of education, I could not expect success and permanency for my Social System. Education may be divided into three general pro- cesses, viz : development, enlightenment and government. Whatever process or operative influence expands, unfolds and matures the inherent constitutional faculties of a human being, belongs to development. Whatever imparts ideas, knowledge, understanding, wisdom, belongs to enlightenment. Whatever gives controlling motives, principles of action, regulation, hab- ituation and decided characterization, belongs to government. Education presupposes beings to be educated, educators and processes or methods of educative operation. So far as I am now to treat of education, both the educated and their educa- tors are human beings. What then is a human being? A human being is a compound identity consisting of matter, soul-spirit and Deific spirit. The exterior personal identity is composed of mineral, vegetable and aqueous matter inert, passive substance. This is the physical body. Interior to this is an incomparably finer substance which I have called soul- spirit. This soul-spirit pervades, animates and controls the body until after death. It is inherently vivific and active. Sensation, affection, intellect, sentiment and reason are devel- oped from germs inherent in soul-spirit. Thus we have the CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 279 soul within the animal body. But interior to the soul is a still finer essence, a little ganglion on one of the innumerable Deific nerves that traverse immensity in all directions throughout the Infinitarium. This divine nerve ganglion is at first so minute and impalpable that the soul is unconscious of its presence. But it is inherently capable of such expansion and intensifica- tion under certain conditions as to gain absolute control over the whole man, and ultimately in coming eternity to absorb his identity as it were into its own divinity, and thus without an- nihilating that identity to harmonize it perfectly with the Supreme Deific Volition. This inmost essence is what chiefly distinguishes man from beast, allies him to the angel world, forms within him the divine image, renders him receptive of heavenly inspirations, and finally brings him into perfect union with the Infinite Father. From this view of the human constitution it is seen that education must be adapted to develop, enlighten and govern man in accordance with the wants, susceptibilities and capa- bilities of his threefold constitutional being. His physical part must be treated physically. His psychical part must be treated psychically. And his divine part must be treated divinely. The material body must have its due supply of appropriate matter ; the soul its due supply of appropriate soul-substance ; and the inmost Deific essence its due supply of divine influx. And every condition and circumstance necessary to these results must receive due consideration. Now where must education begin ? Undoubtedly it must begin with the physical identity of the human being and at the point where development commences. Thence working inward it finally takes cognizance of the most interior nature, and addresses its appliances to the entire man with due regard to all his wants. The human seed commences its develop- ment, for good or evil, in the maternal womb at or soon after impregnation. Therefore I must begin at this point. When I come to treat of marriage and procreation I shall begin even farther back. But educationally I will start where development is first cognizable. Who now are educators of the embryo man or woman ? Primarily, directly and chiefly the mother. 280 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Next in degree of influence the father. And next subordinate!/ the mother's intimate associates in the family and neighbor- hood. All these exert a greater or less influence, designedly or undesignedly, to determine the development of the unborn child. Their influence is variously limited, yet great. Their educational responsibilities are proportionate. The structure, conformation, nervous system, appetites, passional propensities and moral tendencies of the future man or woman will be more or less affected by influences operating in, upon and through the mother before birth. This may be safely affirmed of ordinary cases, not to mention extraordinary ones in which very dire calamities sometimes occur. Before birth, as well as afterwards, it holds true that " Just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined." Inq. You astonish and alarm me. I never dreamed of edu- cation before birth. Who will dare to become parents with such responsibilities as these resting upon them ! JEti. It is a pity that multitudes who are grossly unfit to be- come parents could not be deterred by some wholesome motive from perpetrating those dreadful generative and gestative wrongs which so grievously afflict their offspring. Inq. Be kind enough to indicate the wrongs to which you allude. Ex. I cannot indicate them all. " Their name is Legion." They result from great abuses, some of which I will briefly mention. 1. Frequent and persistent venereal indulgence of the hus- band, sometimes with, sometimes without, and sometimes against the reciprocal inclinations of his pregnant wife. This is a great and prevalent abuse of nature. Perverted amative- ness, unchastened lust and the force of habit, strengthened by the ignorant plea of passional necessity, thus inflict incalcula- ble mischiefs on the helpless foetus. Such indulgence should seldom, if ever, take place during pregnancy, or during lacta- tion. It is contrary to unperverted nature and productive of most blighting consequences. 2. Cruelty, unkindness, indifference, neglect and various CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 28J kinds of ill-lreatmeiit from the husband, or from other persons, towards the pregnant wife. This is sometimes gross and out- rageous, sometimes refined and secret, but always injurious to the mother, and through her to the unborn child. There is no period of female life during which a loving, kind, considerate treatment is so necessary so indispensable. Yet ill-treat- ment from the husband, or other intimate associates, to the incipient mother is no uncommon occurrence. And the conse- quences are deplorable. Many a child comes into the world mal-formed, or non-compos, or sickly, or irrascible, or ill balanc- ed, by reason of the gall and bitterness amid which it has been gcstated. 3. Extreme toil, hardship, care and anxiety of the pregnant mother, whereby in many instances she is overtasked, worn down, and her vital energies nearly exhausted. This is no uncommon evil. Sometimes it seems absolutely unavoidable. Sometimes poverty impels it. Sometimes it is enforced by rank covetousness on the part of the husband, or the wife herself, or both. Sometimes pride, fashion and a false hospi- tality, which oppresses the family with company to be enter- tained, occasions the drudgery. And not unfrequently it is necessitated by too large a family. A thoughtless husband ignorantly indulges his venereal lusts at every opportunity. Impregnation occurs just as often as poor jaded maternity will admit of it. The good woman perhaps believes it to be the visitation of Divine Providence upon her from year to year, and that she is irrevocably fated to have her " number." So the house swarms with unbidden offspring, and resounds with the clamor of their conflicting wants. There is an utter dis- proportion of strength, qualification and means to the necessities of the case. They cannot be properly cared for even physi- cally, much less intellectually and morally. The affectionate but worn down mother drags on through it all as well as she can, meantime adding to the household another and another crying loved one, till age or death terminates the struggle. And long after she shall have paid the debt of nature will her ill-developed, half-lived children reecho her sighs. All this is wrong. Such abuses ought not to go uncorrected. In fulfilling 36 282 PRACTICAL CHHLSTIAN SOCIALISM. functions so momentous, and under circumstances so delicate, the wife should not be overtasked, oppressed with care nor tortured with anxiety. At least such evils should be avoided to the utmost possible extent. The developing embryo should have the benefit of sterling vital energy, genial tranquillity, and a calm, cheerful enjoyment of life's needed comforts. Other- wise, both mother and child must be more or less injured. 4. Undue excitement of the passions, especially the more malignant ones anger, envy, jealousy, hatred, revenge, fear and despair exert a blighting and baneful influence on unborn offspring. Mothers thus excited often unintentionally stamp the most fatal impressions on the fruit of their wombs. Abuses of this nature are fearfully prevalent, if not in their extremes, yet to a malign extent. But it is of the highest importarfce that they should be studiously avoided during both gestation and lactation ; indeed, for other reasons, at all times through life. 5. There are great physiological abuses which in millions of cases poison, pervert and curse human nature before birth. We need not dwell on instances of disgusting drunkenness, gluttony, filthiness and gross intemperance of the animal pro- pensities, which sometimes occur in the degraded classes of so- ciety. They are horrible to contemplate in connection with the procreation and gestation of children. Besides these we may find evils enough to deprecate in more favored circles. Look at the food generally eaten. Think of the quantity, the quali- ty, the cookery, the condiments, the accompaniments, the mas- tication and the digestion. Is it nutritious, wholesome, simple, digestible ? Far otherwise. Look at the exhalations, perspi- rations and evacuations. Are they open, free, regular and healthful? Far otherwise. Look at clothing, dress. Is it adapted to preserve a just temperature of the body ? Is it comfortable and easy at all points ? Is there no compression of the lungs, chest, abdominal viscera, blood vessels, muscles of the limbs or pores of the skin ? Far and fatally otherwise. Look at sleeping rooms. Are they spacious and well ventilated ? Alas, little better often than death cells, where -.people breathe a most vitiated, gaseous atmosphere from eight to twelve hours CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 2S3 iii the twenty-four ! Look at the exercise taken by women, over the cooking stove and the fervent coal fire, 011 the tread- mill of household drudgery, in the streets with elegant good- for-nothing shoes, or Averse yet in the parlor or ball-room, or some frivolous party got up for amusemental dissipation, killing of time and reversing of day and night I will not allude to the thousand and one other abuses rife among women, the mothers of each successive generation of our race. When we contemplate the wrongs inflicted before birth on millions of human beings, is it any wonder that the world abounds with so many unfortunate, incompetent, untractable, depraved, vicious, contentious, destructive and unhappy creatures ? Is it any wonder that mankind are so low, ill-developed and misera- ble ; especially when we adjoin to the education before birth that which follows after through infancy and youth ? Imagine now a million of unborn babes in process of development amid the blight and bitterness of these multiform abuses. Every one of that million comes into outer life more or less perverted in physical, mental and moral capability. Is it very strange that one-third of the race die in infancy ? Is it very strange that so many of the survivors spend a wretched life ? Is it very strange that only a few of them are really healthful, intelligent, virtuous and happy? Certainly not. What do you think of education during this germinal stage of human ex- istence ? Inq. I am amazed and confounded in the attempt to conceive of its importance. I never before had my attention directed to the dreadful ignorance, abuse and perversion, through which human beings are generally introduced into our world. I begin to perceive that unspeakable blessings would result to future generations, if mothers, fathers, relatives and associates would adopt your educative suggestions relative to the yet unborn. But I look for others equally important in respect to education after birth. Please proceed. I Ex. I would not imply that education after birth is wmmpor- tant, because so much depends on what precedes birth. Eight education is so important, both before and after, that it is diffi- cult of comparative estimation. We have traced development 284 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. from conception to parturition. Let us suppose that thus far all is right. Well formed, healthful, promising infants are born, and now vie are to proceed with their education. What have we to do? They are to be developed into men and women such men and women, physically, intellectually and morally as shall be truly happy. We wish them to be, to do and to enjoy all that is really desirable, to the extent of their natural capabilities. This then is what we have to do, so for as it can be done by education. After birth development soon requires the aid of enlightenment and government ; and thence- forth these three activities of education are concurrent, until the first becomes unnecessary, then the second, and then the third. Inq. But I would ask, if either of them can become unnec- essary this side of ultimate absolute perfection ? Will not the human being progress by development, 'enlightenment arid discipline through all ages until complete reunion with the Infinite Divinity ? Ex. So I fully believe ; and in that sense education can ter- minate only when man's identity shall have become perfectly divinitized. But I am now treating of education in a more restricted sense. I mean by the term that compound process of development, enlightenment and government which renders men and women what they are at full maturity in this life. If this process be well carried out by human agency, we may confide all the rest to higher teachers. Practically the question is, What have we to do in the education of the rising genera- tion ? In responding to this inquiry I propose to consider education under seven heads, viz : Physical education, AfFectional education , Intellectual education, Industrial education, Economical education, Social education, and Religious education. You must not expect me, in such an exposition as this, to treat of education in all its minute details under these several CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 285 1 1 ends. I can only indicate the capital points to which atten- tion should be given. I must speak suggestively and precep- tively on the essentials. Inq. I understand very well that you must leave innumera- ble good things unsaid ; and I ask only for plainly stated cardi- nal truths and rules. Ex. I. Physical education. This relates almost exclusively to the material body. Suppose we are now to take charge of a new born infant, which is to be provided for and trained up to adult age. Our first concern is for the body of this child. Our great desideratum is the child's health. If this can be promoted and preserved, we are sure that the whole body will naturally grow to full size and consistency, experiencing much pleasure and comparatively little pain. What then are the in- dispensable conditions of physical health ? First. Proper protection against external injuries by means of suitable care takers, a suitable habitation and suitable cloth- ing. The little stranger comes into the world the most helpless of all creatures, yet exposed to multiform dangers. There must be persons to take suitable care of this helpless being until rendered capable of all necessary self-care. Let the mid- wife, the nurse, the mother, the father and the subsequent assistant educators, be qualified both by knowledge and good will, to do their duty. Thus will the child fall into good hands, and receive suitable care. Let the habitation be a safe and quiet shelter a suitable protection against the inclement ele- ments and all invading annoyances by day and by night a pleasant, healthful home. To be such, it should have a good surrounding atmosphere and pleasant prospects, plenty of nat- ural light, moderate warmth, ample ventilation, very little dampness, very little filth, and very little harsh noise. The wretched abodes in our large cities, and often in our villages and country places, where so many of the human race are born, and for a while vegetate rather than live, are deplorable opposites of the suitable habitations I am recommending. Clothing is an important item of physical protection. What is suitable clothing ? That which is absolutely healthful. All 286 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. other is unsuitable. The following general precepts may be safely followed. 1. Let the clothing next the skin be flexible and congenial ; of linen or cotton, such as may be easily cleansed ; a day suit, and a night suit, often well washed and aired. 2. Let the more exterior apparel be of various material, and adapted to preserve the normal heat of the system, which is about 98 degrees, in just equilibrium from head to foot, by night and day, adding or diminishing the quantity as the vary- ing temperature may require. 3. Protect the feet and other much exposed parts from injury by substantial yet flexible attire. Also, the head and shoulders in hot weather from the scorching sunbeams, by very light, cool coverings. 4. Let not the head be over clothed. It needs little clothing additional to the hair, while that lasts. Keep it cool, and the feet warm. 5. Let all clothing be as light as it can be and afford the necessary protection against cold, moisture and other injury. 6. Let no part of the clothing be so tight as to impede the circulation of the blood, or the free play of the muscles, or the full respiration of the lungs, or the natural action of any inter- nal organ, or the ingress of a portion of air to the skin. Let it be so loose and easy at every point, from head to foot, as to move readily at all times. Inq. I cannot find a word of fault with these precepts. But I am sure that the kind of education you propose to give to the bodies of children and youth is radically contrary to that which prevails. For one, I have been brought up in obvious violation of these six precepts, at least in numerous particulars. And I am unacquainted with any young man or woman who has been much more fortunate than myself in this part of physical education. To confess the truth relative to your sixth precept, saying nothing of the others, I was scarcely ever dressed for company without a tight hat, a tight cravat, a tight coat at cer- tain points, a tight vest, tight pantaloons, tight hose, tight boots or shoes, besides other fashionably uncomfortable things. My cramps and aches have been in proportion. But it has been CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 287 useless to complain. Fashion and custom have silenced all rebellion. I have seen others worse enthralled than myself by this evil education, both male and female, especially the latter. My poor sisters are living martyrs to unhealthful dressing, and never suspected it till lately. They are always elegantly dressed when ready to be seen. But such work have they made with their spines, lungs, hearts and internal organs, nay, even with the very frame-work of their chests, that scarcely any thing natural is left about them. They breathe unnatu- rally, in semiquavers. Their hearts are palpitating in contract- ed cells. Their blood has been driven from their feet to their heads. Vertebras, stomach, liver and most other parts of their main structure are more or less deranged. But I need not be more specific. Health is impossible under such abuses. I hope a new and better physical education is awaiting the unborn. Ex. I join you in this hope, and therefore proceed. Second. Another indispensable condition of physical health is proper alimentation, nutrition or refection, by means of eat- ing, drinking &c. I may sum up my leading ideas on this point in the following precepts : 1. Let the child be nursed at the breast, or fed on similar liquid nutrition, for one year, or until the period of dentition ; then on easily digested liquids and solids suited to age until seven years old. 2. Let nutriment be taken often by infants, but never to surfeiting. From seven years of age and upward let three meals be taken per day at regular periods, and seldom any thing else eaten, except wholesome fruits. 3. Let all food eaten be of a good quality in its kind, not adulterated, damaged or inferior. 4. Let all cooking be cleanly, simple and wholesome, not filthy, not greasy, not compounded of many ingredients, not highly concentrated, not under-cooked nor in any wise unfit for comfortable digestion. Eschew nearly all confectionary, pastry &c. as abominable. 5. Eat only one, two or at the most three kinds of food at the same meal. Masticate well, and be careful not to over eat. 288 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Intemperance is the common fault in alimentation. There are as many gluttons as there are drunkards. 6. Let the flesh of animals be wholly eschewed if vigorous health can be secured without ; and if used at all, let it never be in large quantities, nor oftener than once a day. Studious, sedentary and excitable people must live on the simpler and more digestible kinds of food. They must be regular and abstemious feeders, yet not starvelings. 7. Intoxicating liquors of all kinds must be eschewed as beverages or ordinary refreshments. Likewise coffee, tea and hot refections in general. Likewise tobacco and narcotics of every description. Some of the more harmless coffees and teas may be occasionally used ; but moderate quantities of pure water, or milk, or milk and water or some other unstimu- lating drinks, are the healthful liquids to be taken into the stomach. These are good general rules for proper alimentation. More might be added, and doubless some exceptionable cases pro- vided for. But with common sense these are sufficient ; and without common sense ten thousand rules would b,e useless. May I proceed to the next condition of health ? Ing. I have no objection. I like your views of alimentation very well. Some will think you go too far, and some that you are too latitudinarian. But it strikes me that if you educate the young in accordance with your seven precepts, they will exhibit a very radical and satisfactory contrast with most of the present generation. Ex. I am sure they will. I have read and seen much of dietetics in various extremes, and the result of my convictions is given in these precepts. Nevertheless, let every possible improvement be made that can be. Third. Proper exercise is a condition of health. The phys- ical system is so constituted that every part of it must have more or less motion. Certain vital organs keep up a perpetual motion from birth till death without volition, and to some extent without the mind's consciousness. Thus the heart throbs, the blood circulates, the lungs respire, digestion goes on and the secretions take place, by what we call involuntary CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 289 action. But the healthy action of even these organs depends much on external exercise ; i. e. on the proper activity of the organs which we can voluntarily put in motion. Muscular exercise is quite indispensable to development and strength. I will give my ideas on this point in the preceptive form : 1. Let every kind of exercise be so adapted to the present strength of the organ or muscles exercised as to increase it, but never to overtax any part. Thus the feet, hands, chest, eyes, ears and every part of the system will be invigorated. 2. Let exercise take place daily, and, when at all conveni- ent, in the open air. Let it commence while the infant is yet young, and be varied in all practicable ways. 3. Let it be gymnastically adapted to exercise duly and har- moniously all the muscular powers of the system. So soon as the child can walk and run, let it be taught to use its limbs in all manner of wholesome ways. Also, to inhale long breaths, and slowly exhale them, that the lungs may be strengthened, the chest expanded, and the blood exhilarated. 4. Let there be multiform graceful and invigorating exercises gradually taught, such as the most unexceptionable calisthenic and gymnastic movements. Also, marching and dancing in the open air to music ; or if within doors, never in crowded, heated, ill-ventilated rooms. 5. Let exercise be taken often with a distinct object imme- diately in view that is useful, charitable, or of real benefit to some human being. Let utility be combined with recreation. 6. Let not exercise be sought in the wanton killing of harm- less creatures, nor in any kind of cruelty to human or brute beings, nor in vulgar demoralizing antics, nor in any pugilistic rencounters, nor in mimicking the arts of war, nor in burning gunpowder with fire arms and annoying play things, nor in any other vitiating sports. These have prevailed long enough ; and there are plenty of innocent unexceptionable methods, which will completely subserve the promotion of health. Do you assent to these rules of physical education ? Liq. I can do so very honestly and cordially. Ex. I will proceed then to another condition of health, which is 37 290 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Fourth. Proper sleep, rest, repose. The human body must have a due portion of these, or become diseased and wear out. Some persons require more and some less. The following rules may be observed to advantage : 1. Let sleep always be natural and abundant never other- wise except from necessity. Infants, if healthy, will sleep a large part of the time for the first few months. Let them sleep all they will naturally; but do not stupefy them with drugs. The young generally require more sleep than adults. Let them have what they need. It is a much praised folly in many quar- ters, that the less people sleep the better. Not even the benefits of early rising, though great, will offset the evils of insufficient sleep. 2. Let beds be as soft as they can be without over heating the sleeper, with bed clothes as light as they can be and pre- serve sufficient warmth. There is no merit in hard beds per se. Feather beds are well enough in cold weather, but bad in hot. Mattresses of decent flexibility are generally preferable at all seasons. 3. Let sleeping rooms be large, well lighted by day, well aired at all times, and kept thoroughly clean. Let the bed clothes and bedsteads be frequently cleansed and aired. Let bedsteads be well elevated above the floor, and never hung about with curtains. Curtains are an unhealthful nuisance. Let there be no trundle beds for the children. They are too near the floor, where the air is often carbonized. Let there be wide berths, or single ones, that the sleepers may not annoy each other, nor suffer from vitiated air, or fostid exhalations. 4. In. securing the requisite ventilation, freshness of air and coolness, let damp vapors and atmospheric currents be careful- ly avoided. 5. Let sleep be taken regularly and in the night season ; when practicable always between sunset and sunrise. At oth- er times, of course, according to age, circumstances and ne- cessity. 6. Let there be other repose than that of sleep, whenever the weary and exhausted system requires it, especially about CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 291 meal times, during the heat of summer noon days, in the eve- ning, and on the weekly sabbath. 7. Let the amount of sleep and rest, if possible, always be equal to the wants of the physical system ; and let no one in- volve him or herself, except from necessity, or considerations of duty, in cares, anxieties and toils which prevent the taking of needful repose. Thus would I educate the rising generation physically in re- spect to sleep and rest. Have you any objections to offer? Inq, None at all ; please proceed. Ex. Fifth. Another condition of health is purification. The term purification implies proper attention to all the natural and artificial processes of physical cleanliness. There is a constant effort of the human body to expel from itself all impure and deleterious matter. This is done through the lungs, the skin, the bowels and the other excrementary organs. This effort of nature to cleanse itself must be encouraged and assisted from without. Otherwise the natural channels are obstructed, the discharges checked, the rejected matter flows back, and the whole system becomes diseased. It is said that five-eighths of this impure, poisonous matter is expelled naturally through the lungs and skin, and three-eighths through more obvious chan- nels. What then if the lungs do not expand and contract free- ly, so as to inhale a full supply of oxygen, and to exhale the carbon and fetor from the circulating blood ? Or what if the air breathed is itself vitiated, so as to be unwholesome ? Or what if scurf and filth agglutinate the pores of the skin from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet ? Or what if uncleanness be absorbed from foul linen about the body, or the bed occupied by night ? Or what if there be unfrequent and insufficient discharges through the other excrementary organs ? Can there be health ? Surely not. Then let the following rules be carefully observed : 1. Breathe long full breaths of good air habitually. Let the lungs do justice to the blood in purifying it. 2. Cleanse the whole surface of the body with soap and water frequently ; every day if you can, but every week with- out failure. If you cannot bear cold water, use warm, Apply 2f>2 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. the comb, the towel, the flesh brush, and the scraper if neces- sary, till the dead scarf and oily impurities are purged away, and the exhalent putridity can freely escape through the pores. " Wash and be clean." 3. See that your clothes are washed and aired often enough not to scent the surrounding atmosphere as you sit down or walk about. Let not the absorbents of the surface be doomed to take in exuded pollution from unclean linen. Never leave the bed room in the morning till the clothes have been well laid open, and the window has welcomed the fresh air. 4. Promote habitually a regular stool at least once in twenty- four hours, and attend promptly to the other natural purifica- tions, that there may be no unhealthful obstructions, and that the whole machinery of the physical system may run smoothly. 5. Let your habitation and all its appurtenances, within and without, share in the general purification. 6. Let children from birth receive all needful purifications' and be so trained that they will cheerfully adhere through life to the law of cleanliness. Such are my ideas of purification, as one of the conditions of health and an important item in physical education. I will present another and close. Sixth. Proper medication, or use of medicines, or the means of recovering health. If due attention were always paid to the five previously named conditions of health, it would not often need recovery. But there are many casualties, unavoida- ble exposures to disease and delinquencies through imperfec- tion. Hence there will arise frequent occasions for medication of some sort. Therefore let the following rules be observed : 1. If a surgical operation be requisite, for any sufficient reason, let reliable aid be seasonably called and skillfully applied. 2. In all ordinary cases of disease rely on dieting, exercising, bathing, journeying, resting and kind, simple nursing. Be not easily alarmed ; be patient ; and nature will recuperate. Three-fourths of all the cases wherein doctors are called, and drugs swallowed, or other worrying applications prescribed, CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 293 would pass off well if treated according to this rule. Perhaps nine-tenths. Perhaps even a greater proportion. 3. In very extraordinary cases resort to the physician in whose medical skill and judgment you have the greatest confidence ; and let his prescriptions be faithfully followed so long as you profess to trust him. But if the medicines prescribed, or the applications urged, are of a violent nature, from whichsoever of the conflicting Pathies emanating, make up your mind that the chances for your recovery are doubtful, and be ready for death. 4. Abstain from all artificial interferences with the course of nature as much as possible. When you make use of any, be sure that they will not damage or weaken, but assist and strengthen the system. As a general thing eschew the whole chaos of high pretending medication. 5. Let the sick have a good nurse, plenty of wholesome air, cleanliness, few watchers and little excitement. There is commonly too much company and too much noise about sick persons. It is a great mistake to fill the house with what is called help, kind callers and night watchers, when one of the family is taken sick. Let there be silence, serenity and order to the utmost extent. 6. In time of health prepare for sickness. Let there be as many conveniences in readiness as can well be provided. The changes of body and bed clothing, the utensils, implements and other requisites should be kept in readiness by every house- hold ; or at least by every group of families, so that when the visitation is made all things necessaiy and comfortable may be readily available. 7. Finally, let the old rule of health preservation be con- stantly respected, " Keep the head cool, the feet warm and the bowels open." Then you may hope for the best, and be prepared for the worst. This is what I have to offer relative to physical education. In general accordance with this outline would I have the bodies of the young, in my new social order, treated, trained, habitu- ated and governed. And if they were thus physically educated from birth to adult age, it seems to me that their average health 294 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. must be incomparably greater than that of mankind in genera! as society now is. Inq. I do not doubt it, and that other vast benefits would result from such a physical education. I have followed you attentively through your course of suggestion, from the com- mencement of physical development in the maternal womb to maturity. God grant the good you hold up in theory may one day be realized in practice. I shall await with pleasurable expectancy no less instructive expositions of the six other kinds of education yet to be considered. Meantime we will be ready for another interview at your earliest opportunity. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 205 CONVERSATION VIII. EDUCATION. Affectional education explained Its distinctive peculiarities stated Seven truths to be considered by educators Seven particulars about the educated to be inquired into Qualifications of educators Results to be sought Specific measures for accomplishing the desired results Intel- lectual education explained Developments of children and other things relating to their capabilities considered Order of induction and progress Remarks Seven general departments of science Explanations of the system proposed habits to be formed in the educated. Ex. II. Affectional education. What do I mean by affec- tional education ? I have treated of physical education. I now take a step inward to the soul which animates the material body. It is but a step. I come to the sensational instincts, the animal propensities and the passional forces. All these are variously excitable, normally and abnormally. In their aggre- gate general character and tendency they give what we call disposition. Hence we say of such and such children, this has a good disposition, that a bad one. When these sensational instincts, animal propensities and passional powers are strongly excited by external objects or influences, we speak of excited feelings as passions. Thus we have the passions of anger, fear, grief &c. Now what we properly call affection comes between disposition and passion. It is a determinate love or hate, like or dislike a settled inclination of feeling in a certain direction. Human nature is so constituted as to become strongly affec- tional, both carnally and spiritually. The ruling affections make the man. They determine his character to a great ex 7 tent, also his measure of happiness, and frequently that of oth- ers. The propelling power of human nature is affectional ; the directing is rational. But the affectional often overrules the rational. Hence the importance of affectional education. It is this which regulates and molds the affections. Inq. Will you specify the principal affections of the human 296 PRACTICAL CHKISTIAN SOCIALISM. soul which you propose to educate and the roots from which they spring. Ex. The love of alimentation or gustatory pleasure ; root, Alimentiveness. The love of property ; root, Acquisitiveness. The love of crushing, destroying, or overcoming what is offens- ive ; root, Desfructiveness. The love of contest and debate ; root, Combativeness. The love of secresy; root, Secretive- ness. The love of the opposite sex ; root, Amativeness. The love of friends ; root, Adhesiveness. The love of display ; root, Approbativeness. The love of command or power ; root, Self- Esteem. The love of justice ; root, Conscientiousness. The love of safety or security ; root, Cautiousness. The love of worship, homage, adoration; root, Veneration. The love of benefiting and blessing others ; root, Benevolence. These samples sufficiently explain my meaning. Phrenologists des- ignate organs which serve as the vitalic centers of all the known loves. Some make these organs more and some less numer- ous. Without discussing the merits of their general philosophy, which I regard as fundamentally sound, we know very well that human nature has these loves in great number and variety. We know that it has what may be called animal affections, intellectual affections, and religious affections. Inq. And you propose to educate all these affections. Do they admit of much education ? Do they not naturally and necessarily grow up from their several vitalic roots ? Are not all man's loves and hates, likes and dislikes, phrenologically predetermined before birth by hereditary transmission, or ges- tatory influences ? Ex. Not to any such extent as to preclude education. Were I to entertain such a persuasion, I should, of course, abandon all idea of molding and regulating these streams of feeling by means of education. I have already taken for granted that the physical system is very much affected, for good or evil, by what takes place before birth. The same is undoubtedly true of the affectional constitution, which during the present existence is almost inseparable from the material body. But I maintain that both the material and affectional systems, however predis- posed at birth, are capable of education to an immense extent. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 297 Inq. So you do not assume either that infants are born wholly normal and pure or wholly depraved ? Ex. This you have before heard me assert in our conversa- tion on spiritual regeneration. I believe that infants come into the world in all degrees of impurity, from the least to the great- est. I differ from those philosophers who assume that all children are born in a normally pure and proper state with re- spect to their aftectional predispositions. Consequently the very first inquiry I should institute, in order to the right affec- tional education of children, would be, What are their hered- itary and gestatorial predispositions ? Because the desideratum is afFectional health ; just as in physical education the desider- atum was physical health. To secure health, either in the physical or aiFectional system, there must be well balanced activity, order and harmony. Angular, ill balanced, disorderly affections are necessarily incompatible with happiness. This is why there is so little true happiness in our world. Inq. What then are the distinctive peculiarities of the affec- tional education which you propose to institute ? Ex. First. Let educators understand and duly consider the following truths : 1. That all the natural affectional powers of human beings, rightly exercised, are good. 2. That they are all liable to abuse and perversion. 3. That they have no inherent self-regulation, but are the proper subjects of enlightenment and law. 4. That they are all to be regulated by reason and divine principle. 5. That they are all to be temperately exercised, indulged and gratified in their proper place and season. 6. That the more animal and selfish affections are to be kept in just subordination to the spiritual and unselfish ones. 7. That the whole need to be harmoniously balanced. Second. Let educators take care to be well informed con- cerning the following particulars in the state of children and youth under their influence : 1. Whether they have any extreme hereditary or gestatorial angularities or affectional proclivities, which require to be cor- 38 298 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. reeled ; or any important deficiencies of affectional capability which require special remedies. 2. Whether their nervous and affectional systems, as a whole, are too excitable, or too torpid, or of a proper sensibility. 3. Whether they have refined, or gross constitutional affec- tionalities. 4. Whether their sensual, or their spiritual capabilities are predominant. 5. Whether there be danger of the precocious or unseasona- ble development of any affectional power. 6. Whether excitive, or moderative influences are necessary, what they should be, how they should be applied, and when. 7. Whether the good effects intended are really produced on their pupils by the course of educative treatment pursued. Third. Let educators earnestly and persistently endeavor to approve themselves competent and well qualified to discharge their responsibilities in dealing wi{h the affections of children and youth. In order to this they ought themselves to be 1. Truly and wisely affectionate. 2. Truly and wisely intelligent. * 3. Truly and wisely exemplary. 4. Truly and wisely diligent. 5. Truly and wisely firm. 6. Truly and wisely patient. . 7. Truly and wisely progressive. Fourth. Let them always conscientiously aim at the follow- ing results : 1. To promote the highest permanent happiness of the edu- cated in their proper relations to all other beings. 2. To secure their real love, confidence and respect. 3. To render them preeminently benevolent, friendly, kind, forgiving and courteous. 4. To render them preeminently conscientious and reverent of divine principles. 5. To inspire them with a modest but just self-respect as rational and immortal beings, and a due mutual respect for each other. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 299 6. To give them confirmed habits of self-discipline and self- control. 7. To bring all their loves into healthful, orderly and har- monic activity. Fifth. Let educators understand and wisely make use of the following specific means for accomplishing the foremeii- tioned results : 1. Example. Let them take care to be affectionally right themselves ; to be what they would have their pupils be ; to treat infants and children tenderly, gently, benignly and lov- ingly ; to speak to them and to all around them in like manner ; and thus by looks, tones, gestures and all other indications to give them the best possible impressions. This treatment should commence at their birth and never cease. They are respons- ive, imitative beings. Let them not be taught by an evil ex- ample to be afFectionally perverse. 2. Habituation. Insist perseveringly on their exercising their affectional powers aright, and on their restraining their wrongly indulged appetites and feelings as they ought. Let them ex- ercise their right loves, and disuse their wrong ones, till habit is confirmed. Habit is well termed " second nature." Once es- tablished it is not easily changed. Give the right, the good and the delightful all the advantage of habit. Habituation is indispensable in education, especially afFectional education. 3. Association. All things familiar belong to association ; and all familiar things exert their influence, for good or evil, on the young soul. Scenery, objects, sights, sounds, vegetables, animals, persons, playmates, school fellows, industry and amuse- ments all make their impressions. They all call out and mold the right or the wrong arTectioiial germs. They sweeten or embitter, purify or corrupt, ennoble or degrade the passional nature. Let educators see that they be rendered salutary and beneficent. 4. Contrast. When the educated become old enough to appreciate opposites, let them be occasionally, yet judiciously, placed in circumstances to know how abhorrent and dreadful are the evils from which they have been preserved ; and how wretched is the condition of children, youth and people who 300 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. are sufTering those evils. Let them not merely see the gilded exterior of incipient vice and folly, but rather the lower degra- dations and woes which are the legitimate results of gross and perverse loves. This will indelibly stamp their souls with de- votion to afFectional righteousness, and also stimulate them to determined efforts for the reformation of the world. 5. Intimacy. Parents and all auxiliary educators may act powerfully on the affectional nature of the young by confiden- tial intimacy with them. This must be based on mutual love and truthfulness. Indifference, austerity and despotism on the part of educators, with distrust, fear and slavishness on the part of the educated, work only mischief to the affections. The parent and child, the teacher and learner, should be on such terms of confidential intimacy that their souls may at all times flow into each other congenially. Then the young heart will freely confide all its little hopes, fears, joys, sorrows, de- sires and difficulties to the older ; and the older one will entrust the younger with information, suggestions and counsel of the most delicate and sacred nature, as well as interchange with it the best of sympathies. Thus a sweet reciprocal confidence will mutually expand and genialize their bosoms. And all this may be so conducted as not to desroy but greatly promote true filial reverence. Let sympathetic, confidential intimacy be re- garded as an indispensable means of affectional education. 6. Thought and imagination. By thought and idealizing, all the human loves, from alimentation to veneration, are powcr- fuMy excited, and also moderated. A simple suggestive idea enters the mind relative to some affectional pleasure. If re- tained and cherished, it generates a series of thoughts which soon inflame the imagination, thence awaken passion, and at length generate a permanent desire for gratification. On the other hand, the most pernicious lusts can be gradually conquer- ed if only the thoughts be effectually turned away from their ideal indulgence and concentrated on some good object of pursuit. If a vicious appetite, or wonted criminal lust can be thus corrected, by the power of thought, or a holy love stength- ened, educators should regard it as of great importance in ;. tional education. They should carefully endeavor that the cd- CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 301 ncatecl be disciplined to cherish right thoughts, and to avoid evil imaginations. Much may be done to this end by keeping them from witnessing demoralizing exhibitions, from being corrupted by evil conversation, and from being poisoned by vile reading ; but the grand preventive of all such mischief will be found in habituating them to cherish only right thoughts and a pure imagination. Thought, idealization, imagination, is the key of their affectional citadel. Religion. This is the last great lever of afFectional educa- tion ; and it is absolutely indispensable. The veneration and love of God, and of his law and righteousness, is the mightiest of all human affections. To this all others must do homage. Let educators develop and perfect it in their pupils by all suit- able influences. Let it not be so developed as to be a servile and superstitious fear ; but a profound, worshipful, filial love for the universal, all-perfect Father ; and not merely for a Deific Person, but also for divine principles, attributes and qualities, as exemplifiable by God, angels and good men. If this grand religious power can once be developed and enthroned, its scep- ter will become a sovereign regulator of the entire affectional nature. Here I conclude on this point. What have you to say? Inq. I feel that I could say much. But as it would only be in admiration and hearty approbation of your views, I may as well not retard your exposition by my comments. I shall cer- tainly henceforth understand and appreciate affectional educa- tion as I never did before. Please proceed. . Ex. III. Intellectual education. This relates to the intel- lectual powers, faculties or capabilities. These are comprised in seven classes, viz : the perceptive, retentive, reflective, im- aginative, inventive, expressive and executive. With our per- ceptive powers we acquire more or less knowledge of existing facts. With our retentive powers we retain more or less of what has come to our knowledge, and are able to remember it. With our reflective powers we examine, consider, compare, reason and judge, We inquire into the nature, causes and ef- fects of things. With our imaginative powers we form mental images of external realities, or images of things partly real and 302 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. partly fictitious. We idealize and fictionize indefinitely. With our inventive powers. we devise and contrive new things new combinations of matter, of mechanical power, of vegetable and animal nature, of human association and cooperation, and so on through all departments of external and internal nature. With our expressive powers we express, or manifest, by speech, lan- guage, signs, gestures, looks and action, our knowledges, our thoughts, convictions, opinions and mental determinations as also our emotions, passions and affections. W T ith our exec- utive powers we are enabled to actualize our ideals somewhat in the outward world, to reduce theories to practice, to be skill- ful constructors, elaborators and performers. Thus we are learners, rememberers, considerers, irnaginers, inventors, ex- pressors and performers. Now what is the desideratum in intellectual education? Health again intellectual health. This requires well-balanced activity, order and harmony. The intellectual faculties, being all good in their place, ought to be qualified to perform their appropriate functions. How may this be done ? By suitable intellectual education. This, as said at the outset, consists of development, enlightenment and government ; i. e. of the com- plex processes which are denoted by these terms. Let parents and all educators of the young consider well their responsibili- ties and how to discharge them. Their children and pupils are in their hands to be intellectually educated. Let them be- gin by ascertaining as riearly as they can, 1. What the hereditary, gestatorial and actual developments of their children are ; what the capabilities and marked tenden- cies of their intellectual powers are ; and what can or cannot be made of each child intellectually. For there are radical and almost unalterable differences between children in these partic- ulars, which require corresponding differences of educational treatment. There is no such thing as running all through the same mold. It is wisely ordered that there shall be a variety of gifts, aptitudes, and ministrabilities of usefulness among the individualities of human nature. 2. What the activity and strength of each pupil's nervous system are, whether great, or small, or average. Because oth- CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 303 erwise too much liaste may be made, or too little, in urging forward the intellectual powers. 3. Whether, as the process goes on, any of the faculties are getting along too fast, and others too slow ; so that one flour- ishes greatly at the expense of another, and the requisite bal- ance is being destroyed. It is not wise to make a prodigy of a child in one direction, and a simpleton in all others. And let it be remembered that there is always a limited quantity of vital stamina in each individual, which if overdrawn at one outlet must leave others deficient. Peter must not be robbed to pay Paul. 4. Whether the age, physical development and affectional state of the pupil are sufficiently mature to admit of vigorous intellectual drilling. Nothing is gained, but much lost, by overtaxing the young intellect, hurrying the child into the man, and breaking down sickly constitutions with premature or ex- cessive study. 5. What general sphere the pupil is best adapted to occupy, and probably must occupy in mature life, to be successful, use- fifl and happy. If this point can be rationally settled, let that be taught which is indispensable to all, with the addition of what will probably be needed for actual use in the anticipated sphere of adult life ; but let not time, strength and other re- sources be wasted in lumbering the intellect with useless freight. Of what use are the dead languages, for instance, to one who has no taste for them, and who will never be likely to use them, even if able to do so ? 6. Whether the child or scholar can be best taught by direct lessons and close application to study, or by more general ob- servation, by free conversation, by illustrations, by association, and by other indirect means. For there are minds that can easily be educated by the latter method, but not by the former, especially in childhood and early youth. Wise educators will choose their methods judiciously. 7. What the oppqrtunities and means are which can be commanded for giving particular individuals an intellectual ed- ucation ; i.e. whether ample or limited. If any thing desirable must be omitted, let it be that which is least important. The 304 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. indispensable, or most necessary, should always take prece- dence. These preliminaries being judiciously settled, let the follow- ing order of induction and progress be followed. Begin with the child, or pupil, as him or herself first to be studied, and thence proceed, 1. From that which is nearest in kind, locality or time, to what is most distant. 2. From that which is most noticeable to what is least so. 3. From that which is most exterior to what is most interior, ; 4. From that which is most simple to what is most complex. 5. From that which is most material to what is most spiritual. 6. From that which is most knowable to what is least so. 7. From the comprehensible finite to the incomprehensible infinite. According to this order we may see that a person, having a good intellectual education, will know himself and human na- ture as well or better than any thing else that exists. Though he began with studying his hands and fingers, he has come at length to a good practical knowledge of his body, soul arid spirit ; he knows himself physically, affectionally, intellectually and religiously. He is well versed in anatomy, physiology and pneumatology. He understands his wants, rights and respon- sibilities. Hence also he knows mankind within and without; what they are, what they have been and what they are des- tined to be ; their constitution, their relationship and all that is essential to their welfare. He has a good knowledge of the earth, its animals, vegetables, soils, minerals &c. ; but is best informed respecting that part of its contents nearest his own home ; because he studied first the geography, zoology, botany geology, mineralogy &c. of his immediate vicinity, of his own country, and thence outwardly to the remotest parts. So he understands best the climate and atmospheric peculiarities of his own latitude and longitude. So of language ; so of history; so of all that can be known in the earth, or in the heavens. His education began, proceeded and was matured in the natu- ral order. From himself he went outward, exploring in all directions the fields of knowledge. Thus he ascended upward CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 305 through nature to nature's God. First well instructed in the nursery, in the vicinage, in the continent, in the earth, in the skies, he is now qualified to fly on the wings of thought far abroad into the boundless expanse of the Infinitarium. Compare with one thus educated the thousands of nominally well educated, the graduates from high schools, academies, col- leges and universities. Behold great numbers of them as profoundly ignorant of themselves, and of what is practically necessary to their physical, aiFectional, intellectual, industrial, economical, social and religious welfare, as they are learned in mere fashionable lore. They know something of the dead and of foreign languages, but far too little of their own. They are profound in knowledges, useless, or worse than useless, but ignorant of a thousand things necessary to their own highest happiness. I will not descend into specifications. Men of sound common sense, acquainted with real life in its practicals, know how defective is much that passes for " liberal educa- tion." Inq. I am deeply interested in your suggestions and remarks on intellectual, as on the other two kinds of education previ- ously discussed. I infer that you would have your educators rather precise in their order of prescribed studies, and rather stringent in their requisitions of thoroughness as the pupil pro- ceeds from one step of knowledge to another. You speak strongly of self-knowledge as first in course and importance- Would you confine the child, scholar or student to the study of himself and his kind until thoroughly master of Physiology, Anatomy, Pneumatology, &c. &c., before commencing other branches of knowledge ? Ex. I perceive the difficulty in your mind. You have not exactly understood me. I have pointed out a general order of induction, and a general course of progression. But I did not intend to make either so precise and arbitrary as to be unnatu- ral, unreasonable and impracticable. Indeed, it would be impossible to follow the order and course suggested, if the pupil should be confined wholly to one branch or theme of knowledge till thoroughly mastered. I entertain no such ideas 39 306 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. of educative treatment. I will try to make my views better understood. I propose then that the young be taught, 1. Humanity or anthropology and all that is peculiar in the manifestations of human nature. 2. Geography, geology, botany, zoology and whatever be- longs strictly to the earth, as to its substance and productions. 3. Meteorology and every thing appertaining to the atmos- phere which surrounds our globe. 4. Chemistry, or the science which investigates and explains the composition and changes of all material substances. 5. Electricity, magnetism and all the more subtile material forces. 6. Astronomy, with all that appertains to it. 7. Theology, with all that is naturally and legitimately con- nected with it. All human knowledge, useful human knowledge I may safely say, is comprehended in this outline or synopsis. Now I do not expect that any possible intellectual education which can be given to men and women previous to maturity is to make them thoroughly masters of all these sciences, nor of any of them. The best that can be done will be to induct them into such an elementary knowledge of these sciences, as shall supply their rudimental necessities and qualify them for all desirable progress. They will then only have learnt what there is to learn, and how to prosecute those sciences which most attract them. This, to be sure, is a great work to accom- plish in the youthful soul. It fairly launches the intellectual ship, and provides it for its long voyage of discovery on the ocean of knowledge. In effecting all this do I propose to tire and exhaust the child, pupil, student, by confining the attention to one particular, or one topic, or one theme, or one department of science at a time till that one be mastered or have received all the attention it demands ? By no means. Beginning at the right point I would so apply my rules as to give the child some rudimental ideas in each of the seven great sciences above specified before he was five years old. But I would not overstrain a "single one of his faculties, nor tire, nor disgust him. But whatever might be the range and variety of my CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 307 inculcations, en oh child should then and always have most knowledge of himself and that which most immediately con- cerned human nature. Inq. I understand you now. Let me give you an illustration, that you may know I have caught your idea. Here is a child in the nursery just old enough to distinguish persons and things, to understand a few words of the tongue spoken by his parents, to topple about the room, and to remember some familiar names. His mother is now his principal educator. She is .teaching him daily the difference between his feet and his hands, his fingers and toes, and sundry other parts of the body ; i. e. physiology. She is teaching him the elements of gram- mar by the pronunciation of names &c. ; the elements of music in a sweet melody of sounds frequently chanted to soothe him ; the elements of geography by acquainting him with the apartments of the house, the door-yard and garden ; the ele- ments of mathematics by counting his hands and fingers ; the elements of botany by frequently directing his attention to flowers ; the elements of zoology by awakening his admiration for the domestic animals ; the elements of astronomy by point- ing out to him the full moon in her silvery brightness, or the setting sun, or the glowing stars ; the elements of theology by the offering of devout prayers, or the first direct inculcations of the idea that there is a great Spirit Father. In many ways, simple, pleasing and impressive, she inducts her loved one into the rudimentals of your seven sciences. And as the ca- pacities of the child unfold and strengthen, she goes on deeper and wider, more and more systematically, more and more thoroughly with her inculcations. Is not this your idea ? Ex. Certainly it is. Only suppose it carried completely through, and you have my plan of intellectual education. In order to make the whole matter perfectly plain, perhaps a series of catechisms and manuals, partly for pupils and partly for educators, would be necessary. If so, they will be forth- coming when wanted. When the young have fairly become teachable in any science or art, educators should endeavor to give them the following habits : 308 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. 1. Of close attention and application, for the time being, to the lesson in hand. 2. Of original thinking and questioning about the more important particulars of their lessons. 3. Of reflecting and reasoning on all subjects for themselves. 4. Of freely expressing by speech, or in writing, and in both ways at different times, their own thoughts, views and feelings. 5. Of taking notes, and making memoranda of what seems most important in any lesson, lecture or case considered. 6. Of criticising their own productions and performances, and correcting defects therein. 7. Of being humble, modest, candid, frank and straight forward in expressing their own minds, and above all in ac- knowledging mistakes or errors into which they may have fallen. These habits, once fairly formed, will prove of incalculable value. I need not expatiate on their importance. Inq. By what means would you have educators inculcate knowledge and train the young intellect to think and reason ? Ex, By a great variety of means, but chiefly by the follow- ing: 1. In early infancy by intellectual toys and amusements, and by living objects talked about. 2. Subsequently, by a higher grade of pleasing contrivances, pictures, books, conversations and simple lessons making very light requirements of thought or study till at least seven years of age. 3. Later, by regular lessons adapted to capacity and health, by books, pictures, maps, outlines, models, illustrations, practi- cal exercises and demonstrations. 4. Later still, by similar appliances of a higher class and adaptation, by lectures added to conversation, observations in real life, and manifold experimental exercises. 5. By all the instrumentalities, appliances and contrivances discovered and proved to have been worthy of adoption, wheth- er ancient or modern. Inq. What have you to offer respecting educational institu- tions, places, times, regulations, &c. &c. ? CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 309 Ex. I will treat of all these by themselves, when I have got through with the four remaining kinds of education, viz : Industrial, Economical, Social and Religious. 310 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. CONVERSATION IX. EDUCATION. Industrial education denned and illustrated Its seven objects Five important considerations Economical education denned and illus- trated Thirty precepts to be inculcated and reduced to practice Social education defined and illustrated How the young should be trained to treat parents, elders and superiors; how to treat equals, juniors and infe- riors ; how to treat strangers, foreigners, the poor, ignorant and unfortunate ; how to treat enemies, offenders and the vicious classes ; how to treat each other in the sexual relation. Inq. Industrial education comes next in the order of your exposition. What are your views concerning this kind of education ? Ex. IV. I mean by industrial education that which trains the young to respect, love and practice useful industry. What is useful industry? Industry is habitual diligence in some employment, either bodily or mental. Useful industry is that which aids in supplying real human wants, whether of body or mind, so as to increase the sum of human happiness, tlvery kind of industry which contributes to the comfortable physical subsistence of man, or to the augmentation of his innocent pleasures, or to enlighten, elevate, purify and angelize his soul, in fine, whatever promotes his absolute good of body or mind, is useful industry. And that is most useful which supplies the necessaries of life. Many kinds of industry are not useful; some may be termed useless ; and many are injurious to human welfare. Inq. Please indicate some of these. Ex. Contemplate the industrial energy and skill expended by mankind in war, its preparations, concomitants and adjuncts ; in upholding chattel slavery and the secondary kindred oppres- sions ; in sustaining drunkenness, gluttony, debauchery and the numerous vices, follies and hurtful extravagances which are prevalent in the world. Poor foolish mortals certainly work CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 311 hard to injure themselves and their fellows, to shorten their days, or fill them with misery, to render earth a bedlam and a hell. Imagine all this industrial energy and skill turned com- pletely round in the opposite direction, so as to preserve life and promote happiness physically, intellectually and morally. Then you have my idea of useful industry. Inq. I understand you now. Useless, pernicious, mischiev- ous industry must be eschewed. Useful, salutary, beneficent industry is to be cherished. Ex, And my Social System requires that the young be educated accordingly. What then are the leading ^incentives to a good industrial education ? What the cardinal ends to be sought ? 1. Justice. A certain amount of industry, manual and men- tal, greater or less, is requisite to carry every human being decently through mortal life. This amount of labor must be performed by somebody. Every human being, who has any ability at all to labor, is in justice bound to perform his equita- ble share. To consume the fruits of other people's industry without rendering an equivalent, according to industrial ability i. e. to live upon and at the expense of others is manifest injustice toward them is to defraud, oppress, rob them. We must not educate our young to live by robbery, oppression, fraud and injustice, but to bear their part of the burdens of life. 2. Health. The health of the human system, physical, mental and moral, depends largely on exercise. Every part of the body and mind is strengthened by due activity. Much wholesome exercise of the muscles and brain may be had in useful industry. But idleness, effeminacy, sloth and indolence are the foes of health. We must not educate our young to laziness and imbecility. 3. Competence. Each individual and family need a certain amount, greater or less, of the good things which useful indus- try alone supplies. There is enough for all, if all will but do their part towards producing, preserving, distributing and adjusting. This is true of things material, and of things spir- itual ; of things indispensable, of things convenient and of 312 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. things innocently pleasurable. If there is insufficiency any where, it results from lack of useful industry, from non- production, or waste, or unjust distribution, or carelessness. Somebody is in fault. ' Let not the fault be in industrial edu- cation. Let all do their part, so far as useful industry is concerned, towards securing a competence. And let it be remembered that a competence includes what may be necessa- ry to dispense to the unfortunate, as well as to meet the calls of " a rainy day" at home. 4. Pleasure. Useful industry, rightly pursued and properly circumstanced, is really pleasurable, really recreative, really delightful; not all kinds of it, not in all degrees, not at all times ; but much of it is when pursued under good conditions. The idle and the misemployed are unhappy. The usefully and wisely employed find substantial pleasure in their industry. If you would defraud the young of a large amount of pleasure, withhold from them a good industrial education. If the con- trary, confer on them such an education. 5. Virtue. All the virtues are fostered by useful industry ; all the vices by idleness, and by pernicious industry. This is so obvious to all right thinking minds, that I need add nothing to the statement by way of illustration. To train up the young without habituating them to useful industry would be to place them in what has been aptly designated as " the devil's work- shop." 6. Dignity. No man or woman can justly respect him or herself, who is too imbecile, or too lazy, or too mean to earn an honest living. No matter how much property, or rank, or fash- ionable gentility may be possessed, such a human being stands an object of pity, or contempt, by the side of a self-subsisting industrial!. The less a person is able and willing to help him or herself, the lower that person sinks in true dignity ; always of course excepting cases of absolute misfortune, of infancy, and of old age. All that false and vicious respectability, which prevails with certain classes of people in the old order of soci- ety, is to be held disgraceful under my proposed Social System. To be waited on, served and pampered by menials ; to be use- less, helpless dolls ; to be masters and mistresses ; to be mere CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 313 consumers ; to be fattened and decorated paupers, maintained by slaves, is to sink to the lowest rank of humanity. These arc the ideas to be inculcated and acted upon in our Practical Christian Republic. True dignity and honor are inseparable from usefulness ; and he is greatest who is most usefully in- dustrious. 7. Chanty. Charity is not in mere word, but in deed ; not in effeminate sentimentalism, but in substantial benefits conferred on the needy. But how can we confer these substantial ben- efits without possessing the ability to do so? And how can we honorably possess that ability without exercising ourselves in useful industry ? We may have honorably inherited something from others ; but we cannot so honorably and satisfactorily con- fer benefits on the necessitous as with our own hands, or out of the fruits of our own industry. Then we bestow what God has made ours by the best of titles. Other charities are but giving away what we never earned. Let the young be taught that the most truly charitable benefits they can bestow on oth- ers are those devised by their own intellects and wrought out by their own personal industry. These are the principal ends, objects, motives and reasons which prompt industrial education. I will now suggest sever- al points to be understood and considered by educators with respect to their pupils. They should, if possible, ascertain and determine, 1. What department of useful industry the young are predis- posed, hereditarily or otherwise, to prefer as their principal one. Many give early indications of genius and taste in a certain direction. When this bent of mind can be innocently and practically indulged, it should be. If not, the next best thing must be done. But 110 one should be exclusively confined to a single industrial calling. There should be a principal one and then two or three subsidiary or contingent ones, so as to secure choice and alternation, if health or success require it. Yet the idea is not to be acted upon, that the same individual may excel in several different callings, or accomplish much by r.li ; uiging frequently one kind of employment for another. 40 314 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Some few individuals may be adapted to such variety and changes, but not the generality. 2. What those are capable of and most fit for who have no marked predilection, genius, taste or choice. There will be many such. They should be trained, with the young in gener- al, to the common industries proper for all. Then they should be habituated to one, two or three, as primary and subsidiary, which on the whole appear to be most appropriate and useful. 3. How in each case there may be a due and well balanced amount of manual and mental industry, according to age and circumstances ; and how good habits may be formed in respect to manual and mental labor. It is not to be expected that all will perform the same amount of these two kinds of industry. There will be great differences. Nor is it to be expected that each individual will excel equally in both kinds, or delight equally in both, or be occupied equal portions of time with both. It will be so with very few. But all should be educated to perform habitually the amount of manual labor requisite to physical health, and the amount of mental labor requisite to in- tellectual vigor. No faculty of body or mind should be left to suffer from inertia. 4. By what means useful industry can be rendered most subservient to the seven cardinal ends before mentioned, viz : to Justice, Health, Competence, Pleasure, Virtue, Dignity and Charity. All these ends should be sought in every case. If it be impossible to subserve all, then as many of them as possi- ble should be secured. And certainly no one of them should be intentionally contravened. But if, in extreme cases, any one of them must be sacrificed, let it never be Justice, Virtue, or Charity. 5. What perversions and abuses of industrial activity are liable to be committed, and how they may be most effectually guarded against. Children and youth, as well as adults, often make mistakes, even in practicing useful industry. They over exert themselves in one direction, and under work in another. They are unseasonable, irregular and intemperate, both in bod- ily and mental pursuits. Their errors should be carefully cor- rected at the earliest period after being discovered. It is the CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 315 business of educators to bring them upon the stage of adult life with good industrial habits, and as free as possible from all those irregularities, perversions and abuses which now so often defeat success. What does my inquirer think of industrial education ? Inq. Your suggestions have rendered me very sensible of its importance. I was hardly aware that the young needed any other industrial education than they might incidentally acquire, or than would be forced upon them by the necessities of life. I now see that educsftors have a great responsibility resting upon them in this department of duty ; and that a young man or woman without a decent industrial education would lack an essential qualification for usefulness and happiness. But please proceed to your next topic in order. Ex, V. Economical education. This is closely connected with industrial education, yet is not identical with it. The young need to be taught economy in all things. They ought to be trained by instruction and habituation to economize their time, their strength, their skill, their money, their talents and all their resources. This is what I mean by economical edu- cation. Reflect for a moment on the waste and loss which the majority of mankind suffer through bad economy. Even the honestly and usefully industrious suffer much. Through igno- rance or wrong habit they are great losers in numberless ways. One loses a great deal of time, and is often out of season. Another lays out muscular strength to great disadvantage. Another throws away skill foolishly. Another contrives to en- joy less at a cost of two dollars than might be obtained for one. Another has good talents, but does not know how to employ them effectively. So of all the resources of human good. They must be economized aright, or they fail to satisfy our wants. A sound economical education would be almost indis- pensable to the success of my Social System. Perhaps I may offer all the suggestions necessary under this head in the form of precepts, to be inculcated and practiced. Let educators make such exceptions, qualifications and additions as enlight- ened reason shall dictate or as peculiar circumstances may necessitate. 316 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. 1. Depend not on others to do for thee what it is wisely possible to do for thyself. Hire not, beg not, accept not unnec- essary assistance. 2. Find out the best method of doing what must be done, and practice it. 3. Do all things in their proper season. 4. Do all things thoroughly in their kind. 5. Do nothing that is useless. 6. Destroy nothing, damage nothing, waste nothing wanton- ly, recklessly, carelessly. 7. Save, repair and be careful of all things useful ; make the most of them. 8. Consume nothing on thy body or mind that is injurious, however tempting. 9. Consume nothing that may wisely be dispensed with, however harmless. 10. Consume nothing which conscience, reason or charity forbids, however fashionable. 11. Reduce all mere artificial wants to the lowest terms of health, decency and innocent indulgence. 12. Purchase nothing which thou really dost not need. 13. Purchase only what is good in its kind, not those cheap things which prove dear. 14. Purchase seasonably and in sufficient quantity. 15. Purchase nothing for which thou art not able to pay ac- cording to terms ; beg rather. 16. Pay promptly, cheerfully, liberally. 17. Do away with all credits, if possible, both in buying and selling. But if thou must owe, let it be to one well secured creditor in a large sum, rather than to many clamorous creditors in small sums. 18. As a seller be open, truthful and upright; no jockey, no higgler, no sharpster. 19. Demand an equitable price, and insist on it; let thy words be few in trade. 20. Sell only that which is good in its kind, that which is fit for use, that which sensible people choose ; little else, however marketable. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. :U7 21. Take advantage of no one's necessity to obtain high prices ; be not an extortioner. 22. Give ample weight and measure ; be accommodating ; stand not in thine own light. Penny wisdom is pound folly. 23. Be no gambler, no mere speculator ; never seek to en- rich thyself by making others poorer. True trade is that which profits both parties. Covet not unearned wealth. 24. So deal with all that the honest, upright and liberal will delight to deal with thee. 26. Deal as little as possible with the unprincipled, the churlish and the quarrelsome. 26. Keep current, orderly and reliable accounts, not only with others, but with thyself, that thou mayest know thy stand- ing at any time. 27. Put in writing all agreements and understandings that are of any considerable importance ; it will pay. 28. Preserve all writings which prove or explain transactions long after they seem to be useless ; they may be "wanted. 29. Study the writings, and treasure up the maxims of sound Economists, whether ancient or modern, and reduce all that is unexceptionable to practice. 30. Make and adopt all possible improvements in the various economies of life. 31. Be not ashamed of true economy in the presence of sumptuaries, spendthrifts and simpletons, though genteel, fash- ionable ones ; being careful only not to slide into parsimony and miserism. In accordance with these precepts would I have the young of both sexes thoroughly trained from infancy to adult years. The motto should ever be before them, Economy in all things in time, strength, skill, money, talent, capability and resources of every description. There should be a wise and habitual economy in producing and consuming, in acquiring and ex- pending, in planning and executing, in saving and dispensing, in transporting, exchanging and using all things. It should be so in the house and out of the house, with individuals, with families and with associations, in respect to all good things. And if it were so, who can calculate how much of hardship, 318 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. privation, poverty and misery would be prevented? or how much of convenience, comfort, wealth, virtue and happiness would be secured ? Need I even ask your assent to the im- portance and necessity of giving the young a good economical education ? Inq. No ; I realize it in a manner and to an extent which is wholly new to me. It strikes me with the same novelty and force of conviction that industrial education did. I can but be astonished now, that these two kinds of education should here- tofore have quite escaped my consideration. And I am sure that thousands who profess to be the friends of education must have overlooked them. Indeed, your exposition makes educa- tion extend to almost every thing that mankind need to know and practice. I confess that in this matter of economy, notorious facts would seem to indicate that multitudes have been so educated, or I would say wweducated, as to be adepts in consuming, wasting, perverting and destroying both the spontaneous wealth of Nature and the hard earned products of human industry. I am inclined to think that all the perish- ing classes might be comfortably subsisted on what is thus lost. My mind even now recurs to families whose children were brought up to waste and destroy more property than would have sufficed, with your economical notions, to bring up thrice their number. And yet several of these families had hard drudging parents, one or both of whom struggled under an almost insupportable burden of toil, scheming and anxiety to supply the wants of their dependents. But I do not see how Communities, educated as you propose, could possibly be poor in the necessaries and comforts of life. If you thus go on combining advantages and avoiding evils, the success of your Social System is inevitable. Please proceed. Ex. VI. Social education. By social education I mean that which trains the young to propriety of feeling and conduct towards their fellow human beings in all the intercourse of life. A vast amount of happiness, or of unhappiness, depends on social influences. From birth till death one human being is almost constantly affecting others, or affected by others. No individual exists, acts, speaks, thinks or feels wholly tininnu- CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 319 enced by others, nor wholly without an influence on others. We are preeminently social beings. A large portion of our wakeful conscious life is occupied with social concernments. It cannot be otherwise. It follows therefore that the young should be educated to feel, think, speak and act with propriety in all their social relations and intercourse. AfFectional educa- tion is closely connected with social and involves it to some extent. But social education includes so much more than aifectional, that I have felt obliged to treat it under a distinct head. In doing so, I would say : 1. Let the young be trained to behave with propriety towards their parents, elders and superiors. Reverence, docility, mod- esty and kindness are indispensable to this. Order is said to be Heaven's first law. Order forbids that the young should treat their parents, elders and superiors irreverently, self- conceitedly, impudently or unkindly. The Christian Religion explicitly and repeatedly enjoins this ancient righteousness of the young in their behavior towards parents and elders. " Honor thy father and thy mother," is reannounced as the first commandment of the Decalogue with promise. And the expe- rience of all ages has demonstrated that this divine ordinance cannot be violated without the most deplorable consequences to all parties concerned. There are two evil extremes into which this kind of education may run, viz : training the young to an abject, slavish subjection, or an irrational deference for mere authority ; and training them to equality, self-sufficiency, debate and contempt of all authority. In the former extreme there is despotism, austerity and tyranny on the part of the parents, elders and superiors ; whilst on the part of the young there is slavish fear, crippling constraint, mental degradation and many demoralizing effects. In the latter extreme there is indifference, impertinence, impudence, contempt, disobedience and all manner of confusion on the part of the young ; whilst parents, elders and superiors are degraded, insulted, abused and rendered miserable. It is hard to say which of these extremes is most abhorrent. At present the tendency, at least in our country, is to the latter error. And it will require the greatest consideration, care and perseverance in the new order of 320 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. society, to counteract this evil tendency, without running back insensibly into the old extreme. It is lamentable to see so many children and youth of our times precociously old, assum- ing and contemptuous. They look, speak and act towards their parents, elders and superiors, not merely as if they were equals with them, but quite their betters. They are far from that rev- erence, docility, modesty and respectful kindness which is so becoming and so salutary in the well educated. The fruits of all this are evil and only evil continually. Trained up in this self- importance, insolence and insubordination to the most sacred moral authority, these miseducated beings graduate into adult life and society only to carry out their pernicious immorality in all manner of lawless practices, and, what is still worse, to marry and propagate a new generation of their own like. Such mischiefs must and will be prevented, under my Social System, by a judicious social education which shall cower no one into a slave by despotic authority, yet induce and secure proper rev- erence, docility, modesty and kindness on the part of all the young towards parents, elders and superiors. Educators must see to this. 2. Let the young be trained to behave with propriety to- wards equals, juniors and inferiors. They cannot do this with- out respecting all each other's rights, regarding each other's welfare of body and mind, carefully avoiding to inflict unnec- essary pain, frankly yet kindly reproving wrongs, generously forgiving acknowledged offenses, .making reasonable allow- ance for weaknesses and incidental faults, being uniformly courteous, and scrupulously abstaining from all inflictions of injury defensive as well as offensive. Not a blow, a word, a gesture, a look, should be indulged, much less repeated or approved, that is radically contrary to these indications of social propriety. All usurpation, tyranny, brute force, fighting, quarrelling, hectoring, contempt and abuse must be rebuked and superseded, in the family, in the school, at work and at play. All base rivalries, jealousies, hatreds and revenges must be put away by the appliances of love and wisdom. The older and stronger must not be allowed to domineer over the younger and weaker, nor the intelligent, to dc-spiso 11 10 simpler minded, nor CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 321 I lie more favored to contemn the less favored. The world is full of such mischief. It must not be tolerated in the new social state. Equals with equals and superiors with inferiors must be educated to live in love, courtesy and peace. And above all it must be held abominable for a superior to insult, trample on or take advantage of one who either is or is imag- ined to be an inferior. It is a great work to keep all these little socialities right ; but it is worth the cost, and educators must not shrink from a vigilant and patient discharge of their duty. 3. Let the young be trained to behave with propriety towards strangers, foreigners, the poor, the ignorant, the degraded and all the commonly despised classes. How mean and base is it to be uncourteous, inhospitable and neglectful to the stranger, who is exactly in the condition to need the offices of friendship, and to whom the least kindness will seem a great favor ! How revolting to see a fellow creature hated, spurned, insulted, or unkindly treated, because born in another country, or speaking another language, or colored with a different skin, or educated in a different religion, or belonging to a lower class, or dressed in a different garb, or unfortunately brought up in ignorance, or marked by some personal deformity, or destitute of money, or crushed under the heel of oppression, or laboring under insan- ity ! All such are to be treated humanely, compassionately, kindly, considerately ; never haughtily, contemptuously, cruelly, unfeelingly; never in a manner which either justice, courtesy or charity would condemn. Let educators see to this. It is a matter never to be passed over with indifference. Children readily imbibe the prejudices, likes and dislikes of their pa- rents, teachers and associates ; and as readily their morals. Hence the universal prevalence of feuds and quarrels among mankind, originating in mere narrowmiiidedness and clannish - ness of education. It is sickening to see the little wars of clanship and caste, as well as the great ones of nationality. Nothing of all this must be encouraged, or even .tolerated in the new order. It is incompatible with my Social System, which rests on the Love and Wisdom of God as gloriously manifested through Jesus Christ. 41 322 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. 4. Let the young be trained to behave with propriety toward enemies, offenders and the vicious classes. It is wrong to in- jure enemies offenders &c. either in body or mind. It is wrong to hate them. It is wrong to withhold any needed good from them because they are unthankful and evil, vicious and per- verse, hateful and injurious. It is wrong to feel, speak or act toward them otherwise than as their sincere well wishers. And what is wrong is improper of course. But the animal in- stincts and impulses, which are developed in human nature before the spiritual sentiments can be rendered commanding, rise up in wrath, violence and retaliation against enemies and offenders. Resistance of injury with injury, and the punish- ment of offenders vindictively, will be found common among children, as among adults not Christianized in their upper na- ture. It will therefore require the best and highest moral cul- ture to place the young on the right track and keep them there, in respect to the treatment of enemies, offenders and the vicious classes. Nevertheless, it must be done. Educators can do it by divine assistance and perpetual diligence. Let them assid- uously inculcate, and insist on the practical observance of the following precepts : 1. The worst of human beings may be converted into good ones, and God wills that they should be. 2. The good of no human being, however wicked, or hateful, must be disregarded. 3. It is wicked to injure even the wicked. 4. God loves his enemies ; and we must ours. He reproves , and rebukes his offenders, yet always seeks their good ; we must do the same with ours. 5. True love worketh no ill to its object. We may reprove, disfellowship and if need be forcibly restrain evil-doers ; but we must never do them a known injury. 6. Evil cannot be overcome with evil, but only with good. 7. "It is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong." 8. The werst enemy and the vilest offender injures himself more than he can injure the innocent; he cannot escape the evil of his own hands ; he will receive a just retribution in harvesting the evil seed he sows. CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 323 9. We ourselves are often sinners against God and our fel- low creatures, and need great forbearance ; let us act out the goodness toward our enemies and injurers which we hope to have exercised toward us. 10. Why are we less vile, offensive and guilty than our en- emies and offenders ? Why are they worse than we ? If we had been in their circumstances and they in ours, are we sure we should now be less evil than they ? Ought we to boast and be vindictive ? 11. God knoweth all things ; he will do justly by all ; he will suffer nothing to injure us, if we be followers of that which is good ; let him judge and dispose of all our enemies, all our offenders, all the wicked. 12. Therefore we will avoid our enemies and offenders when possible, befriend them when in distress, reform them if we can, pity rather than hate them, do them the good which may be in our power, but injure them intentionally never. We will do nothing, say nothing, desire nothing that shall make them worse in character or condition. Such are the ideas, sentiments, principles and pratices which I would have inculcated on the young in respect to pro- priety of behavior toward enemies, offenders and the vicious classes. Let it be done "line upon line, and precept upon precept," against all obstacles and discouragements, till ingrain- ed into the whole texture of their character. It will work out two grand results, their own highest happiness, and the con- stant diminution of evil in others, till there be none left on earth to overcome or endure. The contrary education ever has^ had and ever must have just the contrary effect. It keeps man a fighting animal, and reproduces all the evils it professes to repress. 5. Let the young be trained to behave with propriety in their sexual relations. I name this last, but not because it is least. It is the central pivot on which the whole social ma- chinery turns. Right social education respecting the intercourse of the sexes is of vital importance. What is the desideratum on this point ? It is to train the young all the way up from childhood to marriageable years in such a manner as to render 324 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. them mutually just, truthful, kind, friendly, courteous, agreeable and intimate, without unchastity, without premature develop- ment of amativeness, and without any habits adverse to their subsequent happiness. A most desirable but most difficult achievement. In order to such a result I venture to recommend the following precepts : 1. Let both sexes be brought up and educated together in the family, and in the places of instruction and association not artificially kept strangers to each other. 2. Let both sexes be seriously and carefully instructed, at the earliest suitable age, concerning their respective sexual constitutions, and made to understand the capabilities, liabili- ities, susceptibilities, dangers and responsibilities of each. This should be done long before puberty. It should be done by parents and educators whom the young reverence and love. It should be done, degree by degree, in a private and confiden- tial way, and in such a manner as to make the pupil feel that he or she is entrusted with sacred knowledge. After due in- duction, many things may be taught to a whole class, and ultimately to a promiscuous assembly. Ignorance and mystifi- cation are to be utterly laid aside as safeguards to virtue. Knowledge and truthful explanation, judiciously imparted by suitable persons, are to be relied on with confidence. Nothing is to be left to guess-work and greedy surmise. Neither are the pupils to be left to corrupt and clandestine tutors. Every thing is to be done wisely, seriously and thoroughly by compe- tent educators. 3. Let both sexes be plainly taught and profoundly impressed from the beginning, that the male was created to be the father, and the female to be the mother of immortal offspring ; that this is the central and sacred use of the genital organs ; that this cannot innocently take place except in a state of acknowl- edged marriage ; and that true marriage is the most responsible of all human contracts between persons who are fit to be married, and who tenderly love each other. 4. The rightfulness and allowability of genital sexual inter- course out of the married state being utterly excluded, let both sexes be carefully trained to avoid all known provocations, CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 325 incitements and occasions of venereal amativeness likewise nil abuses, perversions and pollutions of the genital organs. As many come into the world hereditarily perverted, and others will have already become corrupted by evil practices solitary or social, educators will find themselves involved in a very perplexing and disagreeable task. But they must not shrink nor relax. What cannot be prevented may in time be correct- ed, or if not corrected, yet greatly restrained. E,egard must be had to diet and regimen, to company kept, to books read, to amusements followed, and to all things which tend to a preco- cious or perverse development of amativeness. And to make sure of good results, let the following rules be strictly observed by both sexes : 1. Never let the genital organs be touched by the hand, ex- cept for purposes of natural incidental necessity. Avoid pollutive fingering and friction. 2. Never let them touch others or be touched lasciviously at all. 3. Let them never be spoken of frivolously, by lascivious innuendo, or otherwise than in the language of purity. 4. Let them never be thought of impurely ; turn away from all unclean imaginations ; they are dangerous the germs of pollution. 5. Keep the mind, the imagination, the affections and the bodily energies well employed in concernments foreign to ama- tive indulgence and abuse. These rules scrupulously followed will prevent, and even cure the perversions deprecated. If violated, unspeakable mis-^ chiefs will result. The difference between a young man or woman pure, cool, calm, free from amative inflammations up to the marriageable age, and one corrupted, self-abused, preco- cious and restless with the fires of lust, is the difference between, I might almost say, an angel and a devil. There is no greater misfortune than lascivious, perverted, restless, lust- ful amativeness. Besides all its other evils in grosser forms, it precipitates even well-disposed persons into the most unsuit- able and unhappy marriages. It hurries them forward against all the remonstrances of reason, wisdom and friendship, into 326 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. connections which their better judgment would have condemn- ed. It also poisons the miscellaneous and general intercourse between male and female, which otherwise would be pure, guileless and pleasant. It does so by rendering the presence and social intimacies of the sexes inflammatory of desires, pas- sions, and imaginations that cannot be responded to by the pure and virtuous except with disgust ; and which, whether betrayed or not, render the inflamed party alike miserable and mischievous. 5. All these evils and abominations being effectually pre- vented, corrected or repressed, let the intercourse of the sexes be as unrestrained as it can be with perfect chastity, friendship and refined courtesy on all occasions. Let there be no caresses, or fondling familiarities which incite the least lasciviousness, or trench on rudeness, but a refined and genial companionship, such as the best educated brothers and sisters may approv- ingly maintain in the presence of wise parents ; provided always, that the parties are on terms of reciprocal esteem and good understanding. Let every young man and woman equally disdain to infract the laws of chastity, friendship, courtesy and sexual honor. Let each be alike emulous to preserve the other's virtue and reputation uncontaminated. and unsuspected. With this noble and refining intercourse, both sexes will at length enter on the adult stage of life well qualified, not only to form happy marriage connections, but to diffuse through every department of society the most genial and salutary influences. It seems to me that with such an education the vices of self-pollution, lewdness, obscenity, las- civiousness, fornication, adultery, seduction, prostitution and their kindred evils would become as rare as they are now com- mon. The two sexes would recognize each other as essentially equal in human rights, would mutually promote each other's happiness, and would be comparatively free from most of the perversions which now debase both. Such are my ideas of social education in its several peculiar bearings. I have passed over many minor particulars, which of course an outline exposition could not be expected to notice. What have you to to say on this topic ? CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 327 Inq. I have only to express my admiration as well as appro- bation of the social education you recommend. I forbear till we meet again. 328 PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. CONVERSATION X. EDUCATION. Religious education defined and elucidated It must be both theoretical and practical The theoretical already set forth in Part I. of this Exposition The practical consists of Piety, Philanthropy and Moral- ity These three expounded at full length Educational Institutions treat- ed of The family ; the combined nursery and infant school ; the common school ; the grammar school, academy &c. Educational Homes, complete Universities Why manual labor schools have heretofore failed School books and apparatus How pernicious literature is to be counteracted Amusements next to be considered. Inq. I gladly seek another interview. I suppose this con- versation will enable you to conclude that portion of your exposition which relates directly to education. Your views of religious education remain to be unfolded, and also of educa- tional institutions. Ex. Yes, these are the two principal topics now waiting to be discussed ; and I will proceed accordingly. VII. Religious education. I mean by religious education that which trains the young to be, to do, and to suffer always, in all things, conscientiously ; i. e. with a supreme reverence for and love of divine principles. This is recognizing the sovereignty of those principles as supreme and absolute. It is acknowledging and cherishing the very highest obligations which can bind the human soul. It is enthroning in the mind the purest and strongest motives by which it can be controlled. It transcends, overrules and corrects all mere philosophy, expe- diency and policy, and establishes firmly the conviction, that only what is right can be best. It brings the creature into true spiritual relations with the Paternal Creator, and with fellow creatures. Human beings thus receive the inspirations of the spiritual world, realize that they are accountable for all their conduct, and learn how vast and far-reaching will be the good or evil consequences of their actions. Thus inspired with faith, hope and chanty, they may be, do and endure all things CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 1329 necessary to the sublimest practical results. I should therefore deem my scheme of education superficial, incongruous, impo- tent and impracticable without a thorough religious tuition pervading every part of it. Thus religious education becomes the life and perfection of the entire superstructure. Inq. Could you not rely on morality without religion ? Ex. All true morality grows out of true religion, derives its vitality from religion, and would die without its sustaining forces, as a tree does when cut away from its roots. Without religion, morals become mere 'manners, liable to change with the fashions of time and place. What are manners without principles ? They are little to be trusted. Inq. I fully agree with you ; but I have met with a consid- erable class of persons who praise morality, and seem to despise religion. These are confident that morality can be maintained independently of religion, and ought to be ; because religion, in their minds, is always associated with superstition, bigotry, formality or hypocrisy, or with all four together. Ex. False religion may and often does involve all these evils. So may and does false morality. But true religion and true morality exclude them. We must be careful, however, not to take every person's assumptions as just, when supersti- tion, bigotry, formality or hypocrisy is charged. Some minds mistake facts, and some misapprehend them, through the per- verseness of their own prejudices. Let us be intelligent, discriminating, just and candid. And if others are not so, let them go their way. By their fruits will they be known. One thing I am sure of, that no human being ever did or ever will accomplish any thing morally great and enduring without some strong religious principles. Inq. Proceed then to expound your views of religious edu- cation. Ex. Religious education must be both theoretical and practi- cal. Theoretically the young should be seasonably, gradually and thoroughly indoctrinated into what I call the essential divine principles of the Christian Religion. These I have set forth in Part 1. of this general Exposition. In my Table, you recollect, they are comprehended under three divisions, viz : 42 330 PEACTICAL CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM. Eight principles of Theological Truth, Eight of Personal Righteousness, and bright of Social Order ; in all Twenty- Four. I need not now repeat them. I would have educators make these divine fundamental principles the basis of all the- oretical religious teaching ; following them out into their legitimate bearings, as set forth in my exposition ; tracing them back to their divine source ; simplifying them to the common understanding ; adapting them to the comprehension of each mind ; and so ultimately bringing all to a complete knowledge both of their nature and practical requirements. In accom- plishing so important and complex a process, much discretion, patience and perseverance will be requisite. A beginning will have to be made in early infancy, and progressively followed out in an orderly and well graduated course to adult age. All this should be done in the most simple, natural and pleasant manner possible. But the persistent design should be to grad- uate every young man and woman a willing subject of acknowl- edged, well-understood divine principles ; so that each should always be able to judge whether any law, custom, habit, prac- tice, act, expression, idea, feeling, was true, right, good and best, by a ready reference to those great first principles. Thus would the sovereignty of divine principles become supreme and. absolute over all mere human assumptions and prescrip- tions. In respect to practical religious education, I must be some- what more particular. This should be carried along concur- rently with the theoretical as its inseparable and necessary complement. It consists in habituating the young to be con- sistent in practice with their acknowledged principles. Now the genius of the Christian Religion, as I have expounded it, is averse to all mere external show made to be seen and admired of men, and insists uncompromisingly on practical substantial goodness. It is therefore extremely simple and unostentatious in respect to what may be called the ceremo- nials or externals of religion. It does not prohibit them, yet denounces all humau shoiv of them. It tolerates and even recommends the simpler forms of them, but constantly urges its disciples to transcend them in spirituality and absolute CONSTITUTIONAL POLITY. 331 righteousness. This distinguishing peculiarity of the Christian Religion must be impressed on the young indelibly from the outset. For there is no religious error, perhaps I ought to say vice, into which mankind more easily slide, than imagining that forms and ceremonies, observances and solemnities, are religion ; when in reality they are at best only the husk which protects the ripening kernel of religion, and after its full matu- rity are separable from it, as chaff is from wheat. Wherever people fall into