The herald., 1895-05-07
EVOLUTION VS.. INSPIRATION
The Age of the Former Past, the
Latter at Hand
Mr.. HERRON'S LAST LECTURE
His Striking Ideas on the Progress of
Social Regeneration
Economics and Christianity Combined in a
Scholarly and Thought-Insp spiring
Discourse

Professor Heron delivered his last lec-
ture at y MICA. hall yesterday. speak
ing on Social Regeneration, in substance
as follows:
Society is under deep conviction Of sin,
profoundly conscious of corruption
which mere reform cannot heal, sensible
of guilt which neither revolution nor
legislation can bear away. Soc iety is also
asking what it should do to be saved,
growing daily more convinced that it has
no power within itself by which to ac-
complish the social salvation.
The new social temple will not be built
with political hammer and saw. 1t will
be the political outgrowth of religious
movement. Its foundations are descend
ing silently from God, and it's masonry
will rise without noise amidst the social
confusion, the work of unseen hands,
the creation of spiritual forces.
We also call for new Luther, Savanna
rola. we would resurrect the spent spirit
of the Protestant reformation, the Puri-
tan revolution or the early spirit of the
American movement for the abolition of
slavery But the spirits of these have
done their work, and their work is not
needed now. Luther would be be II
calamity. a Savanarola an added burden
Grafton.
The spirit that abolished slavery would
not be able to bring forth order from
amidst the present social conditions.
From the way of reformers the way of
Jesus radically DIVORCES. They who pre-
pare the way of the new social kingdom
will he ouickening spirits rather than
political or religious reformers.
| do not mean that we are not to ini-
tiate and advocate and put forth honest
efforts to support legislative reforms. |
am myself an unceasing advocate of
many reforms comm only, whether rightly
or not. termed sociaistc. such as state
ownership of the sources of production
and public monopoles. | believe also in
the direct legislation of the people, with
out the interference and obstruction of
some of our present legislative institu
tions. [ believe in a single and direct
method of taxation. or better still, that
the government should earn its own liv
ing through the use of its franchises now
given away to privately owned public
corporations. But | do mean that
the first and great need is the incoming
of vital religious spirit that shall en-
tighten us as to the spiritual nature and
solution of all our prob ems of state and
society and give us power to make and
enforce reconstructions. The spiritual
regeneration of society is the real social
problem and the only social salvation.
Upon the social spirit depend the char
acter of legislation and the quality OF So
cial order, the principles that govern pro-
duction and distribution. If society is
wrong it is because the spirit of prosper
itv is unsocial and wrong because it dis
sociates and separates rather than justities
and unltes; because it is the spirit of
prey rather than sacrifice. Socetysis wrong
because there is a common belief IN and
practice of social lies; because men are
acting as antagonists instead of brothers,
as competitors instead of co workers. The
social problem is the problem OF the so
cial soul fer society is infinitely more
than an aggregation of individuals, and
the individual is not the unit of society,"
though he is social unit.
Regeneration destroys nothing, but
charges all things with fuller life, max
ing the old new The regeneration of So
ciety will be the preservation and divine
utilization OF all that has worth and sub
stance in our customs and traditions. 1t
is the things that are that regeneration
makes new and vital. We, as nation.
have chosen our social way, the way OF
mammon and se]tishness. and we must ac-
cept the toll and the travail. the tribula-
tion and patience of setting the feet OF
the people in Gods highway of justice
that leads to peace.
That which we are SO greedy to get-the
natural propensity for political triumphs.
the unhallowed social affections-these
kings we would have in place OF Cod
order and the rule of his inspiration
be nowhere and they have been one fall
! and shame. But we cannot be saved by
killing our king, by DESTROYING oul
material development, by overthrowine
| our political institutions. by retreatine
| from social democracy. We must accept
as our pain and sorrow. and bear with
humility and righteous shame that was
once our glory and our Joy.
| Regeneration is not only the contin-
uity, but the completion of life. In q
sense the age of evolution is past-it wa;
! the age of generation and development
But we are now nearing the age of in
spiration. which shall be the age of re-
generation and perfection. The age o
| spirit is come; the age OF the NANTES
| social immnence of the Christ. Th'
age of the spirit is hele to make Chris
| known. We are not theists. but Chris
tians, and as such God will teach ou
faith and answer our social questions
| The social incarnation of the Chris
spirit, the translation of his ideals int
our political institutions will constitute
the regenerate society. Then will th
| salvation and power of the kingdom o
| God be fully come and the authority o
this Christ known and welcomed by th
world.