The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-12

tianity IN Iowa College, Grinnell, Iowa
and he has made himself. famous, or no
tOriOus, according to the point of view oil
the spectator, by applying Christianity
within his books and lectures, to mundane
affairs with an notwithstanding realism
that has made some ministers denounce
him as an anarchist, and has caused others
to go 10 the opposite extreme of declaring
that he is the happy mixture of prophet
and poet known, in scriptural days, as a
seer.
The Congregational Club has invited the
ministers of all the Protestant denomina-
tons in the city to be present in the
auditorium of the Y. NJ. C. A. when Pro-
lessor Heron speaks on Monday next. 1t
is in the discussion which follows the lee
ture that the ministers hope 10 be able to
conclude finally whether expressions like
the following are divinely inspired or are
inspired only by Fed-handed anarchy
''Property-holders are a prey on society v;
Institutions are despotism' The
people should at once assume control of
the instruments of production; Interest
is robbery" etc.
The foregoing sentiments are culled
from Professor Herron's published works.
DR.. Brown says they are incendiary utter
ances and are a menace to public order,
and he will not shrink from the duty OF
telling Professor Heron so. A number OF
ministers agree with DR.. Brown in think
ing that if applied Christianity were car
ried to the realistic extent of making the
people assume control of the instruments
of production the whole fabric of society
would be overturned. These ministers say
"Amen" to the statement that Heron is
an anarchist.
On the other hand, there are ministers
who enthusiastically affirm that Heron S
pen of fire is the greatest expositor of the
law OF love as applied to all social relation
ships with which they are acquainted, that
he is "a man OF lofty ideals" and has "a
way OF looking at social questions to which
Christian men ought to accustom them
selves" Rev. DR.. Pullan is the head and
front of Herron's disciples in San Fran
cisco, and as the HerroEites and the anti
HeTronltes are about equally divided in
the Congregational Club, there is great
curiosity to see how the discussion will
turn. 1t goes without saying that the Wis
itor will be treated with perfect courtesy
but as Rev. Mr.. Haweis' theological short
comings were picked to pieces after his de.
parture, which some of the brethren
thought taking an unfair advantage of the
absent, IL has been decided that Professor
Herron's paper shall be discussed when he
is there to defend himself and when the
other denominations are there to see fan
play.
IIolesSOI 11eIIoh was poIn dcout thirty
three years ago OF poor parents in Indiana
and through his own exertions obtained a
college education and the degree of Doctor
of Divinity. Soon after obtaining his
degree he became pastor in the Congre-
gational church, and being invited in 1891
to address the Minnesota Congregation
alist Club at Minneapolis he created almost
as much surprise by his remarks on 1.-The
Message of Jesus to Men of Wealth" as il
he had stalked into the session armed with
an anarchistic bomb Shortly after he
published 1.-The Larger Christ and since
then he has written more books. each OF
which the anti-Herronites say shows the
cloven hoof of anarchy more than his pre-
ceding utterances. In 1893 he was ap-
pointed professor of applied Christianity in
Iowa College, and whatever his views may
be he has now a national reputation as a
writer.