I08 THE SOCIALISM OF TO-DAY. 
purpose of inducing working men formally to renounce the 
Church {Massenaustritl aus der Kirche). “ It is long,” he said, 
“ since you have placed foot inside a temple, and since you 
have had anything to do with these gentlemen of the black 
frock. But that is not enough. They still number you amongst 
their flocks, and on this ground they claim to shear you. An 
end must be put to this. Declare openly that you leave the 
Church. Array yourselves under the banner of Science, which 
absolutely rejects all superstitions.” At the close of these 
meetings, manifestoes declaring that they abandoned the Estab 
lished Church were presented for the signature of those present. 
As a type of these reunions, we may take the meeting of 
women, which was held on the 6th February, 1878, in the 
salon of Madame Renz. Men were relentlessly excluded from 
the audience. The room was crowded. Madame Hahn, who 
had previously founded an association of working men’s wives, 
which was dissolved by the police in 1875, acted as president. 
Near her sat Dr. Wangemann, who had come to defend the 
ideas of the Social Christians, and Deputy Most. Huge red 
placards affixed to the wall bore the words, Massenaustritt 
aus der Landskirche (“ Secession in a body from the State 
Church”). An address from Deputy Most opened the pro 
ceedings. He was glad to see the women taking up the social 
cause. Their support made the future sure. “ Women, far 
more than men, are the slaves and victims of capital. Now, 
when it is clear that nothing can resist the progress of demo 
cracy, Court preachers and other ecclesiastics are insinuating 
themselves into our ranks in order to found a new party and 
divide our forces. The best way of putting a stop to these 
manoeuvres is to leave the Church in a body.” The next 
speaker, Madame Hahn, enumerated all the infamies of the 
priesthood. “ My religion,” she exclaimed, “ is Socialism, and 
it alone is truth, morality, justice, and brotherhood. Down 
with the priests of every robe and every hue ! The first reform 
to be accomplished is to change all churches into good habi 
tations for working men.” Dr. Wangemann replied that 
Christianity had elevated woman. In the course of his mis 
sions, he had found abundant proof that religion alone ensured