Socialism of Christ
Page 12
He renounced also the extreme democracy of His associates, and so far departed from their professions of equality as to advise a proper observance and respect for rank. Instead of longer encouraging a boorish familiarity, in which they all boasted themselves to be as good as anybody, and worthy of any place or honor, He says now, "When thou art bidden of a man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, 'Give this man place,' and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, 'Friend, go^up higher;' then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee," In other words Christ's later advice is: Be content to take the lowest rank, and fill your place well in it; and then, notwithstanding the social distinctions, you will gradually come to take a more honorable position, and be yourselves the people of rank and fashion, and the recipients of the worship of others. For this advice, it will be remembered, was given at a time when He "marked how they (the common people at the feast of the Pharisee,) chose out the chief rooms," in utter disregard of the old etiquette of caste distinctions, though in pursuance of Christ's own doctrine of equality lately advanced.
The apostles, and especially Paul, changed still more than did Christ the early policy of Christianity; and the change went on so rapidly after the death of Christ, that by the time of Cyprian they had entirely got rid of their communism. For contrasting the Christianity of later times with the purpose and practice of its founders, Cyprian says: ' 'Each one is desirous of increasing his estate, and, forgetful of what believers had either done in the times of the apostles, or always ought to do, they, with insatiable ardor and covetousness, devoted themselves to the increase of their property."
But not to pass out of apostolic times, Paul took special pains to contradict not only the socialism, but all the revolutionary doctrines of his predecessors. He advised the people to recognize both the existing governments and the principles on which they were founded, including especially the class distinctions. "Let every soul, "he says,''be subject unto the higher powers. * * The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance. * * For rulers are not a terror to good works (as the communists had taught,) but to the evil. . For he (the ruler) is a minister of God to thee for good, * * a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake * * For S this cause pay ye tribute also, (a disputed point among them,) * * "Render therefore," he continues, "to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor;" and then with decided anti-socialistic feeling, "Owe no man anything."
Paul had no sympathy with the equality or perfectibility scheme of the fishermen and menial publicans; but, with the wonted conservatism of his class, being a lawyer, he wanted the traditional institutions and distinctions, even to those of slavery, to be kept up. " Masters," he says, in acknowledgment of this relation, and in restraint only of its abuse, "masters, give your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven." And "Servants," (douloi, or slaves), he continues, in discouragement of anything like insubordination or insurrection, "be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh. * * Let as man}- servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor that the name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed."
So anxious was Paul to preserve the institu- / tion of servitude or slavery, that, instead of hold-
ing out the deliverance which his predecessors had promised under Christianity, he said, "Art thou called being a servant, care not for it; but if thou mayest be made free, use it the rather." In this spirit he even sent back into slavery the fugitive Onesimus, who had run away from his master to become a leader in the Christian movement. He advised the slaves to look to their masters' interests as their own, (as pro-slavery people have always done) and to act out their slavery as a merit to themselves, ' 'not "With eye service as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing (not the master but) God;" and in this service, he said, they should recognize their traditional place, "not answering again (as equals) but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior."
And Peter, who was always vacillating between extremes; now damning Ananias and Sapphira because not communistic enough, and now counselling the worst form of slavery, (just as he at one time professed fidelity to his Master above all others, and the next hour denied Him;) Peter went so far in one of his epistles as to counsel obedience and deference even to bad masters. "Servants," he said, "be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward."
And so, in general, the later apostles, instead of manifesting their former uncompromising democracy, which only now and then still showed itself in such general injunctions as "Be ye not servants of men," retreated from the advanced republicanism of Christ; and not only acquiesced in, but upheld the social systems of the day, giving up fheir time entirely to the spiritual or moral, to the neglect of one-half of the object of early Christianity.
It is obvious, therefore, that there was a general change in the policy of early Christianity; by which in course of time, Christ, and still more His apostles and subsequent followers, veered from their original course, and in. part made a new system out of the movement. It is largely due to this change that there seem to be so many contradictions in the Gospels touching political matters, and that it is so difficult to gather a consistent general doctrine from the utterances having a political bearing.
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