WHERE THE ERROR LIES by C. M. S.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 1, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 18.

WHERE THE ERROR LIES.

By C. M. S.

The younger pastors of the French Reformed Church are now agitating among the French Protestant ministry, the question of whether modern Socialism is in harmony with the teachings of Christ; and no little stir is being caused by the agitation. Many are boldly affirming that it is in harmony with the Gospel of Christ, and that “consistent evangelical principles lead inevitably to Socialism.”

Pasteur Gounelle declares: “It is now a duty of the hour to reorganize a badly organized social world, and convert it into a rule of righteousness based on the Sermon on the Mount and on the parables of Christ. For what did the prophets and Christ come to establish?—A kingdom of righteousness on earth; not only the salvation of the individual, but the salvation of society, which is sick and sore at heart.”

That Christ came to establish “a kingdom of righteousness on earth” is true; that He taught it is true, and that it will be done is also true; but between this present regime and the establishment of that kingdom of righteousness there apply other words of Christ which are just as true, and for which no place whatever is given in the economy of Socialism. The Socialist has reason for looking with sorrow as he does upon the present condition of things, and his desire to see a better condition in this present world is commendable; and still it is not the part of wisdom to try to make the words of Christ teach what He never designed they should teach. It is unwise for us to make ourselves believe Christ taught what He did not teach. Socialism would bring in the “kingdom of righteousness” by a renovation of politics; by creating a spirit of community of interests; by teaching men to respect the rights of men, etc., etc.; while the poor, old sin-racked world itself would roll on as it has done from the beginning. There seems to be no place in the economy of Socialism for the “end of the world,” which Christ taught must precede the setting up of the kingdom of righteousness.

The disciples at one time asked the Saviour to tell them what should be the sign of His coming and of the “end of the world,” showing that they understood the two things should occur at the same time. The Saviour rehearsed to them many things that should occur previous to that event, told them how the adversary of souls would seek to deceive them, and then declared, “As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt. 24: 27. After certain things had happened, which the Lord gave for signs of His advent, Christ Himself declares: “Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matt. 24: 30, 31. Christ has gone to a “far country” to “receive for Himself a kingdom and return.” That kingdom is His “kingdom of righteousness,” which is given Him at the hand of His Father; that will be the kingdom into which the redeemed are taken; but Christ Himself shall come first “with power and great glory,” “in the clouds of heaven,” and His angels go forth “with a great sound of a trumpet” to gather the people of God out of the earth. These are Christ’s own words, but they are not in harmony with the plans of Socialism. It gives them no place whatever in its scheme for the establishment of a “kingdom of righteousness.” It seeks to establish a kingdom on certain principles of right living which He enunciated; but utterly ignores what He Himself declared must come.

Christ also declares that “as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt. 24: 37. The wickedness of the days of Noah went right on till the flood came. The wickedness of this present age will, according to Christ’s words, continue right up to the day of His second advent, which is the “end of the world.” Therefore, if the words of Christ are true, the plan mapped out by Socialism can not be true. If the plans of Socialism for the establishment of a righteous kingdom are true, then all that Christ has said about the manner of the coming of His kingdom is untrue. If the principles enunciated by Christ are true, the facts He stated in regard to His coming and kingdom are also true—and they are, but they are not in harmony with the program of Socialism.

Christ, in interpreting one of His parables, said: “The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world.” Matt. 13: 39, 40. “The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire.” Verses 49, 50. This is the way Christ taught the history of sin should be finished, and the kingdom of righteousness established; but in the program of the Socialist it has no place. Therefore that program is founded, not upon the teachings of Christ, but upon the philosophies of men; and the sayings of our Lord are skilfully manipulated to give a semblance of divine authority to a program at variance with the plain declarations of Christ.

As this is true, it must also be true that the philosophy of Socialism is another of the deceptions of these last days, and, with its sister Evolution, it is doing much to undermine the faith of the people and turn them from the light of truth. The doctrine is permeating every grade of society, and its ranks are growing in every country; but he who knows what the teachings of Christ really are need not be deceived. The “kingdom of righteousness” will be established in this earth in the way Christ said it would be without any regard to the philosophies or inventions of men. He is wise who looks to the teachings of Christ for the ground of his faith; but he is fearfully unwise who wrests them to his own eternal ruin. C. M. S.