New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-30
BACCALAUREATE SERMONS.
PRESIDENT sEELYE AT AMHERST.
THE DUTY OF THE EDUCATED CHRISTIAN IN RE-
sPECT To THE PROBLEM OF SOCIETY.

THE DUTY OF THE EDUCATED CHRISTIAN IN RE-
sPECT To THE PROBLEM OF SOCIETY.
AMHERST, June 29.-The baccalaureate ser
mon Of President seeye OF Amherst College was
preached from the text Luke ix 2s o37 He concluded
with address the OF the senior class. in
the course ofwhich he said There is question OF
our time toward which all other questions, whether OF
nature OF man of God, steadily tend The social ques-
ton. the great problem OF society. one Of you can
ignore for whether eu would choose to consider or
not it araedy has prominence, also rapidly increasing
which makes its consideration necessity irrespective OF
your choice do learn that in any previous period
Of history have the relations Of man and society or the
proper conduct OF human being toward every other
demanded such attention they receive and are
SIN more largely receive IN the coming period OF your
life No one will lie likely dispute the Affirmation that
the social question Is aud Is To be- the question OF your
time.
This question Is answered by a large and increasing
class who deny the rightful existence OF society al
together There probably 100000 men In the Unted
States to-day whose luminosity against all existing social
institutions is hardly than boundless They are not
congregated in single place they not organized as
get In a single body. but they have their conventions
where their representatives together they are
forming themselves into sociees,sometimes secret ana
sometimes openthey support widely circulated Journals
ms their organs and they openly advocate on the pat
forn or through the press the destruction ny re' ny
the bullet by dynamite by OF the supend0us agen-
a the modern investigation OF has provided OF
the property and the life Of whose of living
they condemn.
a young man OF the present day who Is not content
10 fold his hands and simply TO let come what may mas
prodgious task with this pOrtenous power Every one
OF you has courage and OF you viii linen wheh
the struggle comes ycU will not gain the Victory II
this impending conflict by any ordinary weapons You
cannot put down social disturbances by social science
Social science may very easily demonstrate the error OF
every anarchical theory but the error Ia too deeply
oded in the sentiments Of men to be thereby GposSeed
Of its power When men have bound themselves IN the
chains OF false doctrine you cannot hberae them Oy
proving the doctrine be false. The purpose when
mas chosen the fasehoOd prevents one from seeing at u
Is false"
But there is further difficulty with social science IN
Its attempted notifications OF social theories Al that
social science seeks do is to tear down one house
which 1t does not like and put mp another Que when
shal satisfy IT, on the foundations Inc socla SCI
enlist and the anarchist both start nom the same 09h
They both begin with the unitarian claim hat the hSi
est good is the highest happiness and that every man
Intimate motive a 10 secure this highest good for himself
We should have trouble all but for the unitarian
Impulse. Il the trouble likely 10 cese when We nave
made impulse which originated II more suDte more
refined. comprehensive. There must De some
other autidOte for the poison than the polsOl1 l-
Prom all have been taught In thi9 christian
college ignorant WI at this ahdotc a. Mhle
the teachers of social science teach how every man en
himself the great teacher the Divine efcher teaches
slove which seeketn not her OWL.