There are perhaps too many reviews—or articles that are reviews
in disguise—in The Thinker, but, thanks to the energy of its conductors, and to the variety of the papers which it supplies, it has justified its inclusion— its comparatively recent inclusion—in the ranks of magazines, The February number will be read, if for nothing else, on account of Mr. Keir Haxdte,s paper on "The Church and the Labour Problem." Whatever may be thought of the opinions of the Member for West Haim, he explains them lucidly enough. Thus he says : "I lay it down as a broad, unchallengeable Christian principle, that any system of production or exchange which sanctions the ex- ploitation of the weak by the strong or the unscrupulous is wrong, and therefore sinful;" and "The whole tendency of Church teaching is towards the assumption that the working man is an inferior creation who stands in need of being elevated." At the same time, there is not wanting an element of hopefulness in Mr. Keir Hardie's paper : "I believe the democracy to be at bottom deeply and devoutly religious; but theirs must be a, religion which can inspire and enthuse the soul to noble deeds, and -which, while telling of a, life that is to come, will insist primarily on the fullest development of the life that now is, and which will make impossible the wrongs which, like a canker-worm, era eating the life out of the people. The religion of Jesus Christ is more
than sufficient for all this, though it will first require to be purified from the ceremonial and meaningless forms and phrases which pass muster for it to-day, and be freed from the perverted views of life which theology has so long proclaimed in its name."
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