Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/328

 314 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

Christ ? Will we be the world's cross-bearers that its kingdoms may become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ ?

The question whether the church will be the democracy is raising the question whether the democracy will be the church. One of the keenest satirists of ecclesiasticism which current fic- tion has produced answers: "Nothing but a church will do. All the other schemes of democracy have come to naught for want of that. The lecture platform is no substitute for Sinai. Democracy is a religion, or nothing, with its doctrine, its forms, its ritual, its ceremonies, its government as a church — above all, its organized sacrifice of the altar, the sacrifice of self. Democracy must get rid of the natural man, of each for himself, and have a new birth into the spiritual man, the ideal self of each for all. Without religion how is man, the essentially religious animal, to face the most tremendous of all problems, social jus- tice ? ■"

From within the church there is the revolt of the Christian conscience against the prevalent ethical dualism which is result- ing in a moral self-stultification of many Christians in trade ; is depriving the church of the membership of conscientious men, and is a creeping paralysis over its spiritual power and social influence. The issue between " the competitive system " of industry and social order and the rudimentary ethics of Christ's golden rule and love of neighbor as one's self is absolute and mandatory. This is the soul of the social question which will not down ; which cannot lose its identity in Jesuitical casuistries ; which must be met by each Christian as it meets him, and by the churches when confronted by the crises of their communities. Those who live protected lives under the shelter of assured incomes can little imagine the stress and strain upon the moral sense of an increas- ing multitude of our brethren who are exposed to the frightful struggle for economic existence both in the ranks of capital and labor. The conscience of Christendom will not much longer allow this breach between the rule of faith and the rule of practice ; will not much longer tolerate the profession of belief

■ See Richard Whiteing, No. 5 John Street (New York : The Century Co.), pp. 30g et al.