John Clifford's Socialism and the Teaching of Christ

It is strange to read a Christian advocating state based socialism which has no reference to the Communist tyrannies of the twentieth century. John Clifford’s Socialism and the Teaching of Christ (London: Fabian Society, Fabian Tract No 78, 1897) does this simply because it was written over twenty years prior to the Russian Revolution. It is the text of a lecture given by Clifford, then a well know Baptist minister, to the Christian Socialist League during February 1895 (p. 2).

Biblical Sanity from 1892

I have read the Byrt biography of a great Baptist, John Clifford (16 October 1836 to 20 November 1923). In 1892 he wrote a pamphlet called The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible. Byrt’s report of the books contents has given words to my thoughts about scripture for ages. The Bible is a human document, written men about there experience of the divine. The reason it is holy is that it shows us the word of God, that being Jesus Christ. One quote is even more appropriate today than it was back at the late 19th century.

I have found that ninety per cent of the difficulties of [youth have] with the Bible are not due to the Bible at all, but to the [human] theories […] about its composition or inspiration, its theology or interpretation (p.97)

The Book is G W Byrt, John Clifford: A Fighting Free Churchman (London: Kingsgate Press; 1947) pp.192.

Since I posted this I have bought a copy of the original book. It is John Clifford, The Inspiration and the Authority of the Bible (London: James Clark & Co, 1899 3rd Ed), p.4.