at nine tenths of the population of the globe would
be swept off its face by actual starvation. Some social organism there
must be if our civilization is to continue. What can adjust the delicate
relations of man to man when the bond of selfishness which holds us
together breaks? There are many men, even now, whose greatest desire and
strongest purpose is to benefit their fellow-men; and if we can extend
and strengthen this noble principle so that it will govern the great
mass of humanity, why may we not cease to measure and bargain and weigh
with our brother men?

Such is the argument for what we may appropriately call Christian
communism. Who shall say what shall be possible with a new and nobler
generation of men? When the great mass of the race has Altruism for its
governing motive, then it may be possible to use that trait of character
as the basis of industrial society. But to-day the governing motives of
mankind are largely selfish. Society must govern men in their dealings
with each other, not by arbitrary force but by their inner motives of
action. When men at large begin to heartily desire to benefit others
more than themselves, then the system of selfish competition will begin
to disappear, and the system of fraternal devotion will arise to take
its place. This will come about naturally. It will be an effect which
can only be brought about by producing the cause. When Christianity
shall have so regenerated mankind that its governing motives are noble
and generous, then the social problems we are discussing, as well as
many others, will be forever happily solved.

Every one will say, God speed the attempt to implant such noble motives
in the breasts of men; but we recognize at the same time the vast change
which must be wrought before mankind at large will reach this high
standard; and in the centuries which will be required to effect this, we
must have other forces to govern society. Thus, while not denying the
possibility that the Christian principle of Altruism may be the final
solution of the problem of society, it seems best for us to regard it at
the present day as what it is,--an influence tending to smooth over the
inequalities and soften the asperities of our social system, and to
transform the warfare of competition into a peaceable and friendly
emulation.

It is not easy to overestimate the valuable work which this Christian
principle of human fraternity is thus doing at the present day. It is
re