, whom they misname God;
Whose "Holy Will" is--so they glibly say--
The poor should suffer 'neath His chast'ning rod;
As long as men do buy and sell the soil,
And thereby make their fellow men their slaves;
While selfishness exacts its cruel spoil;
While yet the poor are ground into their graves;
Until these crying wrongs are made to cease
Nowhere upon this earth can there be peace.[1007]

Although the Socialists have declared war against the Christian
religion and the Christian Churches, they freely quote the Scriptures
and the Fathers if it suits their purpose, and shamelessly misuse the
name of Christ. In support of their maxim "Property is theft," they
quote St. Jerome's saying: "Opulence is always the result of theft:
if not by the actual possessor, then by his predecessors."[1008] They
quote Christ in support of their demand for the abolition of private
property, marriage and the family. "Christ abolished all private
property, and with it the State. He abolished all distinctions of
race, rank, sex, and intellect. He made the first last and the last
first, acknowledging only devoted _service_ as true greatness; the
only law, the Law of Love. In His sweeping condemnation of egoism in
every form it seems doubtful if He did not even lay iconoclastic hands
on marriage and the family, as they existed and exist. In the
resurrection they neither marry nor give in marriage, but are as the
angels in heaven. Woman (to His mother), what have I to do with thee?
Whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven the same
is My brother, and sister, and mother."[1009] They use the name of
Christ for electioneering purposes. At a West Ham election, for
instance, the electors received leaflets which stated "If you vote for
the Municipal Alliance you vote against God. If Christ were in
Plaistow Ward, Christ would vote for Coe."[1010]

Professor Schaeffle, perhaps the most fair-minded and moderate
scientist who ever criticised Socialism, was perfectly right in
stating: "Socialism of the present day is out-and-out irreligious, and
hostile to the Church. It says that the Church is only a police
institution for upholding capital, and that it deceives the common
people with a 'cheque payable in heaven,' that the Church deserves to
perish."[1011] The above words were written with regard to German
Socialism, and British Socialism is far more irreligious, violent, and
revolutionary than is