The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-09
THE UNITARIANS.
Monthly Meeting Of Their Club
Last Night.
Relation of the Church 10 the Current
Social Questions.

"The Relation of the Church 20 the
Social Questions of the Day d" was the
subject of the after-dinner discussion at
last nights meeting of the Unitarian
Club at Tillinghast's
In the absence of President jerks,
Vice President Leonard M. Stelley sat at
the head of the guest table and intro
duced as the speakers of the evening Pro-
fessor Edward Cummings Of Harvard,
Rev. Willard G. Selleck and Rev. Freder-
ick B. Pullan.
An abstract of Professor Cummings
address is as follows:
81 may remind you that I'm the last few
years the people have been trying to start
what they call sociology, and within those
years the people have come 90 ask what is
the proper position of religion in society.
"lt is wcll-known fact that all
societies that have made any progress
have had pretty strong religious asso-
citation i'm them. One of the elements of
success must bc, then, 10 have IA strong
religious association. Has religion con-
tributed to the efficiency of society, and
what has been It's especial work. One Of
the most interesting attempts to answer
that question is made in Kidd's Social
Evolution, and Mr. Kidd's answer has
received to my mind a wonderful degree
of acceptance.
Religion has always bccn," says Mr..
Kidd, ga process of rejection. The weak
are crowded TO the wall and the strong
survive. There is not merely the sub
merged truth that Ballington Booth
talks about, but in a large submerged
fraction there is under the present con-
dition no justification for society as 1t
goes 1t is only the small portion of So
cicty that gets out of it that which 1t
seeks. This Is simply saying that the
process of rejection is very natural The
city is tho phenomenon of the country,
and is formed of all classes. Ii sucks in
the best brain and the best Drawn.
Whether the modern city is going TO suck
i'm the best is the problem that is con-
fronting us at this time.
"To the mass of mankind the pace OF
society is SO hot that there is no justifca-
tion, and if the question was put to them,
say No Religion, according to Mr. Kidd,
is kind of spiritual anesthctic. 1t
seems To me that this is AN inadequate
conception of religion. What is the real
function of religionY There is a book by
Edmund Kelley that gives an admirable
answer 60 this
He says that in the beginning was the
O., ,c A.
tion of mind was those that survive and of
these religion was one.
He says that in conforming to the
natural is the development of man and
that the whole success of society depends
upon his environment.
"The function of religion has been to
strengthen the will and TO stimulate it,
This has been accomplished by the adjust
ment Of the individual to its environment
Social life would bc but an anarchy with
out tho human will
"It is in this adjustment OF the will
that the future progress of man lies. 1
know of nothing so important as the
stimulating of that relationship TO his
environment which strengthens his will,
and the function of your religious organ
ism Is To- meet the great problem of the
will in such way that il shall not have
long process of selection and rejection -
Resolutions upon the death of the late
William III. Henderson were introduced
by Gen. James Shaw and unanimously
adopted.