The morning times., 1895-07-29
TAKING ISSUE WITH KIDD
Rev. DR.. Elliott's Sermon on Chris
tianity and Social Progress.
Holds the Teachings of the Author of
TO Humanity's Best Impulses.

"Christianity and Social Progress was
the subject OF the discourse of the Rev Dr..
j. H. Elliott yesterday morning attheChUrch
of the Ascension, corner Ma ssachUsetts
avenue and Twelfth street northwest The
subject was dealt with from an historical
standpoint, noting the spread OF Chris
tianity, the advance and progress OF civil
zatiom and was review ofKidd's evolution
of man
Rev. DR.. Elliott's text was fromActs, 18th
chapter and 18th verse. Then all the null
titude gave audience to Paul and Ba rnabas,
declaring what miracles and wonders God
haswroug htamong the Gentiles."
1t must not be supposed, said Rev DR..
Elliott. that one who conlmends the book,
Kidds Evolution. endorses all its prop
ositions and positions. For instance, MI
Kidd, with other evOlutioniSts in general,
denies mans freedom of action, and makes
him and his deeds the product of circum-
stances OF mans progress in the early
stages of society, he says such progress
is both jrIesi stible and voluntary, the
produce OF circumstances under which he
lives, and over which he had no control
Again he says that societies, like the indi-
viduals composing them are to be regarded
as the products of circumstances in which
they exist, as the survival of the fittest-
Now it seems Slarlng contradiction 10
all this, said the speaker, when it is ad-
mitted that these creations OF circumstances
and necessity are spoken of as having an
ideal of state policy ever practically before
their minds. What have machines to do
with ideals? And again when the Anglo
Saxon race is spoken OF as a race, which,
with all It's faults, has most earnestly ara
honestly endeavored 10 carry humanitarian
principles into its dealings with inferior
people aud which not improbably deserves
the tribute paid to it by one who credits il
with v1rtuous acts. How can man, if he
has no freedom OF action or thought do
virtuous acts? Thus emphatiCalIy does
Mr.. Kidd contradict himself when his own
consciousness of the freedom and RESPONSE
bility which he denies in man asserts itself
in him against the theories which he
affirms
Mr.. Kidd seems to revel in dwelling upon
the circumstances surrounding the struggle
of man for exiStence-rlvalry, strain, con
fliCt. and sternest conditions are some Of
the terms With which he would emphasize
the struggle of man with man.
The teachings of reason, or what Mr.
Kidd calls reason, are that man in his
struggle for existence is like q pack of
wolves rushing on their prey, each to tear
from the carcass to- the exclusion of all
the Others what his superior strength or
feIocity enables it to secure. In this stTug
gle wnat one man gains another Iuanl0SeS,
and MI Kidd's reasoning teaches each man
to get all he can to the exclusion of all 9TH
els. TINS theory may suit wolves. because
they do not SOW OF plant and harvest or
manufacture and gather wealth from flood
and field and forest But with the human
lace no such theory can be successfully
maintained. The struggle Is not to sub
due ouI fellow-man and bring him to
want, but to subdue nature and incide ntaIly
enrich our fellow-man as We enrich our
selves.
The new force that was born into the
world with the Christian religion was
evidently from the very first Of immeas-
uIable social significance: the original i'm
petus was immense, and men seemed TO be
transformed and the ordinary motives of
the Individual mind seemed TO be extin-
guished The new religion evoked TO a de-
gree before unexampled in the world an en-
thusiastic devotion to its corporate wei
fare similar to that which the patriot
bears to his country, and inspires in the
breasts of his countrymen.