The Portland daily press., 1896-02-06
CURRENT EVENTS CLUB.
Rev. MI. Presoott's First Lecture.


Rev, Mr.. Prescott's First Lecture
1t was certainly suggestive Of quite u
widespread interest in the study OF
| sociology that so large an audience was
gathered yesterday afternoon in Union
hall, to listen to the first of Rev. Mr..
Prescott's lectures on "Modern Religious
| Thinking in its Relation to Humanity"
Many of the most thoughtful and most
earnest women Of Portland were in the
| audience-many also we'll known for their
work in some OF the city's charities and
reform movements There was evidently
and atmosphere of seriousness and de-
sire to gain fresh light upon the great
questions which, springing from the new
science and the new philosophy are now
agltatlng our modern world.
Mr.. Prescott impressed all who heard
him as an earnest and honest spirit look
ing for light profoundly impressed by
The enthusiasm for humanity" deeply
read in modern scientific research, and
Ieariessly facing the completing problems
offered by conditions of life. Perhaps the
special novelty was in the fact Of the
great yltality-the abundant life-of the
speaker, who has by no means lost his
enthusiasm (but has rather added to it
hundred fold) by his familiarity with the
not always very simple, scientific and
philosophical writers he had SO carefully
Studied, but whose su5tlest thought he
has somehow managed to assimulate, and
/ bp n irao of ,ntio ai
heipfulness That he could so impress
his hearersal at the outset with his earnest
ness, his enthusiasm and his knowledge
OF his theme, WAS at least "half the
victory" which will doubtless be fol-
lowed by the successful presentation Of
his thought in more detailed form.
The lecturer began by assuring his
audience that he had no intention of
plunging into metaphysical discussion.
II he took us to the laboratory of the
biologist, it would be only to show us
the nearness of nature to the Divine
Each one has il himself, because he has
a mind, soIutthing which leads TO
philosophy, and even to theology. ''Now
TO think God' involves something of the
method of the scientist, and led by it we
are drawn, not as many suppose into
blind materialism, but into fuller belief
in the manifestation of Deity in HUI
manity. As beetles eye can reflect the
universe, SO the soul of man somehow
reflects Gods the mi crocosm in which
we find the epitome of the world The
new thinking about man makes his re-
| ligion not self-centered philosophy, but
a constant going forth from himself to
the lips of others.
| Mr.. PRESCOTT then defined sociology as
merely the study of the social conditions
of mankind. 1t is not socialism, though
it may, and must, take notice of
socialism rs a striking phenomenon of,
modern life. AS one studies to day the
tenement house system, or temperance,
+ or any development of our complex
society," one is so far a student of
sociology. And this science is just now
one of the uppermost studies of bright
men at Harvard, at Johns Hopkins
University, at the University of Chicago,
in Germany and in England. In these
Investigations men of every sect are join
ing. One of the helpers in the Andover
| House is Jew. The movement in this
direction is religious, but wholly I'M
seotarian
Indeed, the strong tendency of the
present time is to destroy the old time
distinction between those things secular
and religious-the whole world being,
"God S own dwelling" and the duty of
every day as well as Sunday, being to
seek ''the kingdom of God and his right
eousness. y This is not attempting to
secularize religion, but rather to max Q
our daily life more fully the sense of God
and our duty to our fellowmen. Sociology
IN this inspiring light, leads us to a
keener sense of responsibility for the well
fare of our fellow men, and announces
very clearly the same law of self-sacrifce
as that which Jesus declared.
This opening address only sketched the
general course of the lectures to be de-
liyered during the next five weeks. The
earnestness of the speaker, his evident
familiarity with his subject, the power
which he clearly possesses OF making
somewhat intricate or difficult subjects,
seem alive and real, all assured his hear
ers that the course would be most helpful
and interesting, throwing much needed
light upon some of the great quest lions
that are just now SO deeply agit atlng
society at large, and stirring earnest and
thoughtful souls everywhere.
1