ire to record briefly what they deem to be certain
principles of Christian duty in such matters.

'The primary duty of the Church, as such, and, within her, of the
Clergy, is that of ministry to men in the things of character,
conscience, and faith. In doing this, she also does her greatest
social duty. Character in the {275} citizen is the first social need;
character, with its securities in a candid, enlightened, and vigorous
conscience, and a strong faith in goodness and in God. The Church owes
this duty to all classes alike. Nothing must be allowed to distract
her from it, or needlessly to impede or prejudice her in its discharge;
and this requires of the Clergy, as spiritual officers, the exercise of
great discretion in any attempt to bring within their sphere work of a
more distinctively social kind.

'But while this cannot be too strongly said, it is not the whole truth.
Character is influenced at every point by social conditions; and active
conscience, in an industrial society, will look for moral guidance on
industrial matters.

'Economic science does not claim to give this, its task being to inform
but not to determine the conscience and judgement. But we believe that
Christ our Master does give such guidance by His example and teachings,
and by the present workings of His Spirit; and therefore under Him
Christian authority must in a measure do the same, the authority, that
is, of the whole Christian body, and of an enlightened Christian
opinion. This is part of the duty of the Christian Society, as
witnessing for Christ and representing Him in this present world,
occupied with His work of setting up the Kingdom of God, under and
amidst the natural conditions of human life. In this work the clergy,
whose special duty it is to ponder the bearings of Christian
principles, have their part; but the Christian laity, who deal directly
with the social and economic facts, can do even more.

'The Committee believe that it would be wholly wrong for Christian
authority to attempt to interfere with the legitimate evolution of
economic and social thought and life by taking a side corporately in
the debates between rival social theories or systems. It will not (for
example), {276} at the present day, attempt to identify Christian duty
with the acceptance of systems based respectively on collective or
individual ownership of the means of production.

'But they submit that Christian social duty will operate in tw