The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-02
A SEER OR ANARCHIST
Professor Heron an Enigma
to- the Congregational
Fl Monday Club.
WILL. SOON SPEAK HIMSELF.
DR.. Ketchum Says 1t Is the Men
Who Need Converting
.': =. the Most. IL

/ ttThe question underlying all this dis
cussion is whether we; as members OF
i Christian church, are willing to meet and
/ discuss the social issues which are pressing
| to the front, and require solution at Chris
| tan hands. If we shut off a man like
Heron it seems like sayingto the people,
I'VE are comfortably off ourselves and do
not want to know your side of the social
lquestioE. ::
| 1t was in the discussion over Professor
George Heron that Rev.M. :. Ferguson said
the above words to the Congregational Mon
| day Club. A week. ago Rev. DR.. Brown had
accused the professor of being an anarchist,
and had implored the club not to include
an inuorsement in the invitation which it
had extended. to him to speak before it
when he visits San Francisco. Yesterday
Rev. DIR. Pullen, who befriends the pro-
lessor. read a paper-"A True View of DR..
Herron"-in which the following views
were expressed:
know something of the difficulty of seeing
clearly while the scales OF prejudice are still
clogging the organs of soul:sight, or when the
strabismus of mental outlook, due TO some
misfortune in the past, has liked itself as
habit upon us. Men appeared as trees walk
ing, to our view, in process OF getting bodily
union restored. They appear as monsters noWl
at least DR.. Heron seems to look SO to some: ::
r..
into foolish liberalism the language of the ser.
mon on the mount, and at the same time show
ing no signs OF literal obedience to 1t
himself. As far as know the chief objection
to DR.. Herron's writings. is not upon his theo-.
| logical utterances or tendencies.
| am gratifed at this, Notwithstanding his
affirmed looseness and illogicalness OF theology
| has been worthy OF exposure by some theologl-
cal thinkers.
human sin, and he does not stop to make dis:
tinctions between individual sin and socialized
sin; between sin done by sinners and sin done
by saints. He has thrust the pointed staff OF
his polished rhetorical thought into the slime
that lies at the bottom of the muddy stream
of social existence, which condemns him In
the opinion of some so-called judicial minds. :.
: The speaker: concluded by stating that
he had not become Herronized, although
he had a profound admiration for Heron 5
writings. "I will say that should our ac-
/ ton in inviting him to- speak be rescinded
/ there will be no severing of revered asso-
Citations, but. some of us Will feel like say
| ing and. praying, God save the Monday
Club of SAM francisco. p .:-
II. In the discussion which followed this :
paper the members of the club showed the
greatest diversity of opinion about DIR.
Heron, though Rev. w illiam: Tubbs said,
81 have listened to both papers and am as
much in the dark. as ever, 2 and Rev. e. H. /,
vectiyes we have heard for and against
Heron are message of brotherly love from
heaven, T. would give several American
nickels-hard as times are--to hear from
the other place. = 1880. + Z
Rev. Dr.. Mclean. thought Professor
George Heron might be characterized as a:
seer-something between. q poet and. a
prophet. Rev. III. H Wikoff Endorsed this
opinion, if getting: into the true reality of
| things meant being a seer. Rev. wv. W..
.Scudder said His writings seemed to me
to be an Interpretation of divine law a ID. ;.
Gilbert Dexter expressed "a" special adj
miration for Heron s VIEWS, - -.
/ = On the other hand; Rev. b. Cole consid- .
cred Professor HI enron to be, on: dangerous :
and misleading ground, Chaplain RoweH
thought he assumed to be a. John the Bap-
fist, Rev. John Kimball was opposed to
indorsing him, Professor Lloyd thought
he had no logic, and DIR. Brown said he
approved of letting him speak before the
club; as he wished to tell him to his face
that he was an anarchist. A motion made
by Rev, William Tubs not to include an
Endorsement in the invitation to DIR. Her.
ron was declared out of order, as the hour
for adjournment had arrived. ri. :.
The Presbyterian. Ministerial Union
listened to an able paper yesterday by Dr.
Men to Christ" In the course of his re-
marks he said: mo minister can. be very
successful in saving men unless he has the
hearty cooperation of his membership.
and especially of the men of his church,
The discussion which followed brought out
numerous Endorsements of the suggestion
that men need evangehzing more than
women: "Nine-tenths of the members of
churches are women" said Rev. DR.. Mon.
roe. -. - - -;
There will be meeting of the Presby-
terrain Club next Monday, as the Presby.
terry meets at night. -.
- ..