New-York tribune., 1901-08-13
CHURCH AND SOCIAL PRoBrE,rs
DR. T $. HAML1N WOULD REACH THE LATTER
BY INDIRECTIoN.

BY IND1REcTIoN
East Northheld Mass, Aug y (specian-The
majority of the speakers at the Bible Confaranca
In session here discuss themes that have Ia do
with the deepening Of the spirtual life NJ tbosa
VINO are here 1t is the hope of those in authority
now as II was of D L. Moody. who called
chrlStlan workers together for many years that
II those who came here were set on fire. thev
would return to their pastorates. their classes
In the Sunday School. to their mission fields and
TO their homes. to do greater work for the king
dom of righteousness than they had ever done
before.
Now and then speaker departs from the regular
line or teaching to speak of matters that have
present day interest and take up problems that af
fect great multitude OF people who know nex+
10 nothing of the themes dear to a NorthfeId
audience. 1t is interesting to see how s1cb a
problem Is discussed.
one morning last week the Rev Teunis $ Ham,
nm the brilliant pastor Of the Presbyterian Church
OF the Covenant in Washington, read and expIafned
me passage Of the Scripture in the Gospel Of
Luke. in which of the multitude asked Jesus
10 bid his brother divide inheritance with him
Dr. Hamin took the ground that the church is nor
10 interfere directly In the solution Of social prob
lens but that ii should fulfil It's mission in this
realm hy indirect rather than by direct methods
He said
have not time to read the preceding part Of the
eHa2ter but YOU will readily recall it. and His at
utude and manner and words had produced SO
deep an impression of His authority that one out
the crowd, Master, bid my brother divide tbe
inheritance with me" II is obvious that This man
he felt would effective for such purpose m or nS 5
" ouIt t bi not nave made such request for there
- nothing IN the career of Lord which would
have led him to make that request of Him ..Rut
dyidaq dH saa 6T qnso him Man who made me judge
II is hard to know just how much rebuke to read
all the circumstances sufficiently know whether
Jb n9C }b thS Us n, man who made the request in
TAR
1Ii0PeFIy mi%t ~, tights But the point that I wish
work as having any relation 10 his mission what
nra. Who made me a judge a divider over
| there Is no time to illustrate the thought thai
ea 10 me TO lie in the Lords reply but you
I0HnoW IL out tor yourselves What does II say?
Cbrd n@t Goes @ IL II {ignity as regards the relation OF
rigntful division Of property for instanse? n '9 S
Gight i tsat you should have your just and fair
Flght that you should maintain your claim, your
{ass &c claim, ain as against any unjust claim that may
OF right and wrong that issue here. and vet Jesus
says; who made me Judge or divider in the
9peS5ion OF property? Who appointed TO the
MINISTERS LEAVING THEIR CALLING.
The church is criticised constantly and sharply
Controversies practical conroverses Of tbe voy1d
and there are constant movements 70 bring the
the day Ministers 's' are cons1 t4s sqS3 Pg02s Tmpa 65 @
19eTe , Ihe ,ordiGaTy and as would say the legit
the various wrongs that are all about Us in the
world. There is no doubt of the pressing nature
| Of these social problems There is no doubt that
Christianity has relation TO them There is no
But does not this Of our Lord here throw some
Hgnt a2 upon ne nature OF that duty and upon the
notice thar the Lord Immediately; while He drops
almost brusque refusal 10 enter into the co11-o-
versy az ALL Immediately proceeds TO lay down thar
community, makes such Controversies imposst5e
.,tes theIn oy ihdlreStlo3. and Is i 1ot fact
son IN me realm OF social problems hv indirect
II is very striking 70 notice that Lord did
rot touch the social and political abuses OF His
OF the worst governments one Of the most oppres-
sive governments most tyrannical. most arbitrary,
He organized no revolution, and vet He gave the
principles which gradually have almost oblterated
have oblterated It wherever the Gospel has gone
and even partially prevailed But It is very in
tLa+ hs Tord 5 60 80 -essr 5is 5I,a 90 ~ rtotSs ne
ing His teaching required obedience 10 constituted
| authority, and though the consututed authority
had very much that might be said against IL and
ana right nevertheless the claim is that we should
honor the king that should praY for those who
are in authority. thar should be patriotic and
AID rsfqsing entirely to enter into this ques-
obvioUs wrong and doing Justice the Lord sfi1I
put Underneath il all that principle which was 70
has made this cali upon Him and then He turns
to the auditors-and there was a great audience,
gathered together insompch that they trod upon
one another'-He turned 70 this great audience
and He said, Take heed and keep yourselves from
all covetousness. from every form of covetousness.
every sort type or kind OF covetousness for
mans life corsisteth not in the abundance cf the
things which he possesseth " And then the parable
I think the church large is very apt TO make a
mistake in its indiscriminae criticism of all sorts
of property. There is promise like this that I
read in the Bible, that whatsoever the righteous
man doeth shall prosper, and all through the Old
Testament. abundance in basket and store. in
houses and lands; prosperity is the reward of the
righteous. II is a sin 70 succeed Do not let
us because not succeeding, think IL is a
sin 10 succeed It is not sin 70 prosper, p9os-
peritv is from God but the noticeable thing here
is that the wealth the accumulation, against
which the LORD Is warning is the most honest and
clean that il is possible TO have. It is the product
of the soil; no trust here; question Of grinding
he poor their wages, no question of dishonest !
diyfdends and watered stocks. II of the /
soil that this man prospered the source OF all !
human life the source of all human prosperity. |
and il was clean and honest property that this |
man had: and yet subtle was the tempta ton or /
n that Christ gives a picture of the most alb /
soIuteIv honest and clean acquisition possible and |
saws even there there is danger of covetousness; !
take heed and of every sort of covetousness
What do YOU say about your possessions, your ]