XVI 
INTROD UCTION. 
impressed with social evils, and at the same time to rise to 
the idea of a more perfect order of things, dreams of social 
reforms must have arisen in his mind. Accordingly, in all 
epochs and in every land, after primitive equality had dis 
appeared, socialistic aspirations are to be met with, now under 
the form of a protest against existing evil, now under that of 
Utopian plans of social reconstruction. The most perfect 
example of these Utopias is that wonderful work of Hellenic 
Spiritualism, the Republic of Plato. But it was from Judæa 
that there arose the most persistent protests against inequality 
and the most ardent aspirations after justice that have ever 
raised humanity out of the actual into the ideal. We feel the 
effect still. It is thence has come that leaven of revolution 
which still moves the world. Job saw evil triumphant, and 
yet believed in justice. Israel’s prophets, while thundering 
against iniquity, announced the good time coming. In the 
Gospel, these ideas are expressed in that simple penetrating 
language that has moved and transformed all who have heard 
and understood it. “ The Glad Tidings ” (EûayyeAiov) are 
announced to the poor : the last shall be first and the first 
last; blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall inherit the 
earth ; woe unto you that are rich, for ye have received your 
consolation ; the kingdom of Heaven is at hand ; this genera 
tion shall not pass away till ye shall see the Son of Man 
coming with power and great glory. It was on this earth 
that the transformation was to take place. The early Chris 
tians all believed in the millennium. Instinctively, and as the 
natural consequence of their faith, they established a system 
of communism ; and in the Acts of the Apostles may be found 
the touching picture of the disciples of Jesus living at Jerusalem 
“ with all things in common.” 
As time passed, and the idea of a “ kingdom ” on earth 
had to be abandoned, men turned their eyes towards “ another 
world ” in Heaven ; nevertheless, that love of justice and 
equality common to the Prophets and the Gospel still found 
ominous utterance in the writings of the Fathers of the Church. 
Whenever the people ^have taken up the Bible, and allowed 
their minds to be thoroughly imbued with its teaching, they