The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-14
REGENERATION OF SOCIETY
REV, HURLSTONE'S TOPIC
He Deplores the Attitude of Chi
cago Professor on the Dues
ton of Bathing.
ONE GREAT ESSENTIAL

1.-The Regeneration of Society was the
theme of Dr. Albert Hurlstone's sermon at
Roberts Park NJ. E. Church last night.
Text: Eye must be born again" John
iii. z. He said in part:
THE judgment of an expert on a critical
situation Is especially desired and or great
value Hence the words of Jesus of Naza-
reth, the chief of all social reformers, are
of great importance. We have been so ac-
that very few of have any conception
of a well-nigh int0lerable condition or
human society when Christ came. Society
an organism past, present and future,
varies in condition just as the units that
compose II vary, and is preserved from as
solution in proportion to the number of
honest, unselfsh brotherly men found in it,
The period of Christ's life on earth was one
of exceptional darkness where unbridled
lust and cruelty prevailed. 1t is described
by Paul in his epistle to the Romans, and
by Matthew Arnold in the well-known
words,
ON that hard pagan world disgust and Sc
cret loathing fell
Deep WEAKNESS and stated lust made hu-
man life hell
Into this world of unbelief and immortality
came the great Teacher, sent from God. He
came as teacher. example and sacrifice.
but also a social reformer. His mes
sage was to the learned and the ignorant,
to rich and poor alike He chose some rich
men to be His followers and the common
people heard Him gladly. To representa-
tive of the cultivated class He made the
startling declaration: Verify say unto
thee, except a man be born again he cannot
see the kingdom of God
ITO build up the kingdom of God on
earth, to regenerate society so that Gods
will should be done on earth as it is in
heaven, was the business for which Christ
came; this is the far off divine event
to which the whole creation moves. To eff
feet this, note the inwardneSs of Christs
method. 1t is in accord with the Old Testa-
teaching Il
and new spirit will L put within YOU
We must be born again This is what Paul
mind. In this teaching Christ was going
beneath the surface ills of society and sink
ing His shaft into the depths of mans being
that He might purify the springs of thought,
life and conduct. Ii was indeed a severe
and critical Judgment upon the depravity
and corruption of the individual human
race, He read each wound, each weakness
clear; and struck His finger on the place
and said: Thou ATTEST here and here Mar
vel not that / said unto thee, We must be
Mankind has sought to regenerate So
ciety without recognizing this must of
Christ's gospel. Government through its
statesmen has said. Human nature is bad.
because II has had bad chance. Wicked
ness flows from ignorance or poverty;
righteousness will issue from competence
and knowledge, these from public justice
and public justice from wise, liberal and
paternal government Others say, Man,
weak and erring. needs the hand of mas
ter to guide him. Human government has
not been sufficiently strict; we need more
prompt and efficient police; we need a more
faithful, upright, unsparing judiciary; we
need a more severe criminal code But,
alas, we have had governments of every
description and vice and impiety alike I'M
der them all. Another view of those who
look for social regeneration has been that
education is the great scheme of salvation.
We would not underestimate the impor-
tance of education. We need it-ethical
metaphysical esthetic. We need to study
the kingdom within, beneath and above u.s.
To know the best that has been thought
and spoken. To acquire all the sweetness
and light of the ages. But education apart
from Christs teaching will be of no avail
The culture of Greece and Rome alike
failed TO regenerate society. China has
been the theater of this experiment through
thousands of years No nation has taken
more pains to educate its people. but China
has made no progress. Then some teachers
have taught that the race needs not only
government and education. but also SANTA
ton; that sin is disease; the product of
poor drainage and bad air and uncean
| houses. So they preach sanitation. Only
| a few years ago this doctrine was promul-
gated by leading physician in Indiana.
| If sin were confined to the slums we might
seriously consider this theory. But it is
| evident that while we hail with delight all
advance steps in sanitation and increase of
knowledge In treatment or disease, We
must recognize the fact that 1T is not the
| sum that makes the summer, but the
| summer who makes the slum. We a
| great deal of filth in the world and we are
| sorry that any Chicago physician should
| lend his name to discourage the use of the
| BATH but we need deeper and more far
reaching remedies than government, educa-
ton, reformation or sanitation. Christ
sought to effect nothing by scholarship and
philosophy. He came with neither sword
| nor scepter, had little TO say about social
| or political science He did not intermeddle
| with the structure and government of COM
| munties, but insisted that the heart OF
man is evil and that to fit him for his place
N nQy he he I'm N
| This is the essence of Christs teachings,
the renewal of all things through the re-
newal of the soul Intellect will not save
| us, physical culture is not sufficient, 1t is
| not a environment we need, neither
| circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any
| avail here, but "a new creation.