The Portland daily press., 1894-11-20
UPLIFTING SOCIETY.
DR.. Noxom Before the COngrega
tiOnal Club.
is TT THE MINISTER'S DUTY To
REFORM THE CHURCH.

All Agree That 1t Is. but Some Local Min
listers Think He Should Begin with In
dividuals Through the Gospel--Dr.
Jenkins Saws that Pride is Worse than
Drunkenness for the Soul-Dr. Fem
and MIR. Wilson on the Duty of the Av-
.rave Nvinister-Dr Parkhurst Will
Probably Address the Club Before the
Winter Ends.
The first meeting of the Congregation
al Club for the season was held last eve
ming at the Preble House. Rev. DR.. L..
Jenkins, president of the club, presided,
and Rev. Philip S. Moxom, DID,, OF
Springfield, Mass, was the guest. me
following memb ers were present: Will
lam H. Fem, JIG. Merrill, J.L Jenkins,
Rollin T. Hack. Edwin P. Wilson, Israel
L. Dana, Charles W. Pickard. Newell Ly-
on. Gowen C.Wilson, Bryce N. Edwards,
George Levy, S. Peters, A IS Kinds, b.
F. Dennis, Dwight NJ. Pratt, Fred y.
Malone. Geo. C. Edwards. VIM. W. Mitchell,
John H. Gard, J.W. Carter, d. W. Ken
sell, VIM. M. Marks. A. F. Moulton, H.W.
Shaylor. Horatio Staples, E. M. Latham,
IF. Chute, Peter S.Nickerson, DR.. Way,
J.H. Webster, Daniel F. Nash. Alvan A.
Lane, T.E.Ihompson, CA. Weston, ).
W Stevenson, a. H. Kicker, Ozman Ad-
ans, M. l.. Burbank, S. G. Allen, ). Il.
Aikens, S. N. Adams, Fred Matthews.
C. II. Pease,
After the dinner, 'andsbeforeithe speak
ing began, Messrs. Pratt, Fem, Mat
thews, Chute and Carter were appointed
to decide whether every meeting should
be ladies' night. To nominate ohcers
for the ensuing year, Messrs. Horatio
STAPLES. William l.. Dana, BE-. Dunn, d.
H, Kicker, WI. Blake, Edward u. Eli
well. and John E. Warren were appoint
ed.
aThe Ministry of Social Reform" was
DR., Moxom's theme, and he asked that
after he had finished, there should be
free discussion. It did not require long
thought to discover that Christianity,
by emphasizing the worth of man, was
| at the foundation of the social problem.
Christianity is, in a peculiar sense, in
tellectual, as it must be to produce splr-
ituality.a No force has ever so broad
ened and elevated the mind of man as
has the Gospel, which has re-created the
intellectual world. Christianity quick
ems and almost creates conscience. 1t
| would be impossible for US to be true
| Christians without understanding that
there is a social problem. Jesus Christ
| is the great trouble of the deeps, and
| HIS influence must keep society in COM
motion until the great result is obtained.
Disturbances and discontents are hope
| ful signs. When stagnation is broken
up society is urged on to higher Ideals.
| Social reform is the evolution OF human
society along the lines of it's perfect bill
tv Evolution is Christian thought.
| Today is simply word describing the
method of divine action. God moves to
his objects in orderly steps. The God,
| who is the force, intelligence, will and
goodness of nature, is working out his
will Systematically. Social evolution is
the philosophic form of stating the con-
| ception of social reform, which is the
working out of Gods plan.
| In social reform the elevation of the
| man is fundamental; but it has also.its
corollary that you cannot elevate man
without building up his environment,
i. e.. society. Society is necessary tc
morality; for the whole is moresthan the
| sum of the parts. rBut to change society,
it's character, institutions, It's very struc'
| ture must be modified Man is crea.
ture of habit We are held in grooves
of habit. Society, with its traditions
customs and usages, is also the creation
of habit. How hard.:t is for man to rist
above the social habits! How may mer
are individually Christians, but in socie
ty. or business, or politics, share in actl
which individually they would condemn
How hard it is for man to keep himsel
on a higher plane, to rise above thu
level. And society progresses onl
through the power of individuals wh'
break through the level, and rising
above it, in turn lift it.
The two features OF social reform are
First-The bettarment of the individ
ual through his own regeneration.
| Second-The betterment of his envi
| ronment by elevating society.
The relations of the Christian minister
to these features Of reform are several
He must preserve his loyalty to Chris
in laboring for the salvation Of the.indi
yidual soul. He must also labor fol
that general good which includes thei
| individual good. He must stand fo
eodliness, since his relations to his PEG
pie give him exceptional advantages TO
influence by example. He can touch tn
springs of influence at their sources. In
pastor is related to social reform by tn
opportunities whichsh has. One OF tn
first qualifications of the Christian min
istry should be study OF sociology
II