The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-23
The Professor Explains His
Views to Presbyterian
Ministers.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A SEER
DIR. Ollie Makes Some Plain State
mentS About Closed
Churches.


such intense earneStness and conviction
that those of his hearers who found some
thing visionary in his beliefs applauded
the speaker, and those among the audience
who belong to Professor Herron's follow
ing grew more enthusiastic than ever over
his Interpretation of applied Christianity.
'"The significant fact of this time is that
what / should call society is under pro-
found conviction of sin. Society is asking
what it can do to be saved; what it can do
to save itself from the social ruin that
threatens. The air is full of social solvents
and all of them, even the widest theories
advanced, are portents of the times. We
are asking for the man who shall offer us
a complete social programme, but in the
meantime we propose to wait, though | do
not think God does, till the path is marked
out for US"
The lecturer then said that in his belief
no man would be likely to arise and mark
out for society new social system by
which the present social evils might be
suddenly swept away.
The new social temple will not be built
by political hammer and saw. What we
must have is political revival of relig-
ion. This is the day when social science is
most alluring study, and yet salvation
will not come through science of society.
About all that sociology is having to do
with advancement is to give undue prom
inence to minor incidents.
Professor Heron then drew attention to
the secular tendencies of the age, remark
ing that it was a strange thing that an
atheistic condition of things should receive
the support of a supreme religious consery
atism, and that on the other hand every
effort to put Christ into the lead should be
ignored by religious conservatives.
Speaking of sociology, the study of So
ciety as whole, Professor Heron said it
was really remarkable that 1.-The more I'M
solvable we make the problem, the more
scientific we seem to think we are becom-
ing" The old alchemists scarcely tried to
hedge their knowledge round with more
mystery than do the modern sOciologists.
Then he urged the study and practice of
sociology from Christian standpoint:
'If the ultimate social movement falls in
to the hands of the anarchists or the dem
agogue, il is the fault of us Christians who
have not been willing to give Christ his
place in the social movement. 1t is simply
ignorance to say that the teachings of
Jesus are unsuitable to a system of society
which he came to teach only. His teach
ings were not in the air, but on the earth"
The lecturer then spoke, of religious
movements, declaring it to be his convic-
great reformers and prophets of the past
had done their work; mankind in the
present age must not sigh for their return,
for they would not come. "God wants
no more Elijahs nor Jeremiahs, but men,
human men. without prejudice, without
even what Carlisle would call righteous
eccentricities. ="
Speaking of political reforms. Professor
Heron stated that he was himself an adj
vocate of the reform called socialistic, and
he stated few of the doctrines of that
body, such as that Government. if it must
bestow monopolies, should charge for
them and make itself self-supporting
81 do not call these things socialism,
he said; they are according to the teach
ing OF our religion, and the time has gone
by when We can profess Christianity and
draw back when the time comes for put
ting them into practice
After expressing the opinion that modern
civilization was little more Christian in
spirit than the civilized heathendoms of
antiquity he added: "But the time is going
by when We can profess Jesus in our
churches and then go out into the world
and be coyetous and greedy Friends, | do
not believe that the devil knows better how
to rule the world than God Almighty.
do not believe that the law.of competition
is better than the law of Christ. We are
putting Christ to shame by our religious
dilettantism. The question is whether the
teachings of Jesus were mere mystical, i'm
practicable teachings or whether he was
honest and meant what he said. The time
has come TO answer this.
"When we estimate things at all we esti-
mate them by their dollars worth and not
rheir Christ-worth. The churches have
run footraces up the fashionable avenues
to get where the money was. This spirit
of ours is responsible for the slums. When
In In
culture than the others, shall / go off into
better surroundings, instead of trying to
raise those around me9
''rhis country has toiled for wealth. We
have got it, and yet it is not exaggerated
to say that one-half the population of the
United States is anxious where bread is to
come from. You have no idea how legs-
lation is bought and sold by this wealth
II is an awful crime for you and me to hear
Christ's name and yet to be silent before
these wrongs for the sake of peace in our
churches, or anywhere else"
DIR. Herron's remarks were not discussed
by the body of ministers present, but q
rising vote of thanks was passed.
The Congregational Club was addressed
yesterday afternoon by DR.. Mclean of
Oakland on 1.-The Province of the Seer"
Although Professor Herron's name was not
mentioned by the doctor it was an under
stood thing among the hearers that the
paper was in sense a justification OF the
professor of applied Christianity.
DR.. Mclean drew attention to the state
ment in Proverbs that when there is no
vision the people PERISH and he added
that half the people had better die off than
let the whole die, if the American nation
only happened to possess one seer. 1.-THE
seer is Gods appointment for any age or
nation. Where there is no vision the peo-
pie cast off restraint, as they are doing to-
day. 1t seems to me we ought to reflect
before we cast stones at any one who is a
half-accredited seer"
DR.. Mclean described seer as a mix
ture of poet and student, one who having
eyes could use them to see more than most
men, and he urged his hearers to remem-
Der that the seer's ways were ways of quiet
In the discussion which followed most of
the hearers were heartily in accord with
the paper. Rev. s. Wilt thought, how
ever that people should be careful to dis
tinguish between fake and true seers. Dr.
Brown seemed also to doubt seer being
in their midst, and Chaplain Rowell said
some so-called seers were not much better
endowed mentally than Lewis the
Light"
Rev. H. FL. Rominger tried to express
his admiration of Professor Heron, whom
he classed with John Burns, the English
labor agitator, and Professor Ealy, but his
remarks were declared out of order.