The herald., 1896-01-13
Church of the New Era


At the Church of the New Era yesterday
Professor Bowman spoke on The Two
Factors in the Problem of Our Rsdemp-
ton. He said substantially: Redemption,
in it's best sense, is deliverance from any
evil or unhappiness, though its original
meaning is repurchase or buying back. In
this literal sense the word is still properly
used in law, but superstitiously in the old
theology. The enlightened mind believes
neither in the redemption of souls by
blood nor of greenbacks by gold. In this
lecture redemption means deliverance of
the people from the curse of political COR
ruption and economic injustice. The two
factors concerned in the problem are pri-
vate character and public justice. All con-
cede the evils and wrongs of our system of
life. and all want reform. But the people
differ as to the manner of bringing it
about. Some say it must come through
the individual. Others, that the col
lective body must bring it about
by legislative reforms. The church
and the preachers mainly advocate the in
dIvidual plan, while the statesman and
economist believe in the legislative method.
The preachers say: "Let the people be
converted and saved from sin, and reforms
will take care of themselves" The econo-
mists say: "Individual conversion and
piety will amount 10 nothing without just
system of laws and administration -
Which is right? and which wrong? Both
are right in part and both wrong in part.
Each is right in claiming merit for his
plan, but each is wrong in claiming all the
merit. Let us see how both sides are right
and wrong. The churches say if the peo-
pie come to Christ all will be well-and
they strangely stand aloof from the reform
struggle. But let them reflect a moment.
This plan has proved q failure. After two
thousand years experiment the world is
further from the true life than ever. In
our own country. crime, insanity and sui
eide are increasing six to ten times faster
than population.
agree. if all were Chris
tians in reality as Christ
taught, the problem would be solved and
there would be no need of this struggle for
reform. In the new social state be in
tended to inaugurate, and which his first
followers attempted for awhile, his king
dom of heaven would have been an actual
reality-a genuine Christian socialism.
Then all his beautiful utterances about the
"lilies of the field" taking no thought for
tomorrow" slowing thy neighbor as thy
self''-teachings now regarded as utopian
even by the churcbes-all this would have
| followed as the natural result. BIT the
! trouble is, our Christianity is not Christian.
No wonder few enlightened preachers of
| the present day are making an appeal for
"applied Christianity"
| But let us see how the other side is both
| right and wrong-the pleaders for reform
| by law. There is much truth in the asser-
| ton of John Stuart Mill that 'by wise and
| just measures the evils of society could be
reduced to a very small minimum" We
| sympathize deeply with Robert Ingersoll
when he declares that ''if we would change
the conduct of men, we must change their
conditions, for extreme poverty and crime
| go hand in hand.n Yet am free to con-
fess that no system of government how
ever just; no code of laws however perfect
and no political reform however radical,
would be sufficient of itself to bring a per-
manent reign of justice and righteousness,
while the people themselves as individuals
were vicious, immoral, selfish and dis
honest. There is no hope of social and
political redemption till the majority at
least are actually converted from the old to
| the new ideals of justice, truth, duty and
brotherhood; till they see that true wealth
! is not millions for the few, but enough for
| all; that the true motive for enterprise and
| industry is not to secure for oneself the
| full products of his labor, but to labor
'each for all, and all for each.'' 1t is as
| true now as in the days of the Nazarne re-
| former. that Except man be born again
he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven -