The San Francisco call., 1906-04-04
CHURCH LOSES HOLD
ON NEW CONDITIONS
Dartmouth's President Urges
Broader Scope of Chris
tian Work.

BERKELEY, April 3.-President w. J..
Tucker of Dartmouth College delivered
the third lecture of the Earl series of
lectures in the First Congregational
Church tonight, his subject being: 1.-The
Moral Concern of Modern Christianity"
He said in part:
Religion, in a slightly broadened sense is
the most interesting thing in the world
The search after truth in the way OF theo-
logical inquiry is the expression of this in
terest In one form or another religion is
tho most interesting thing; rne form, however.
varies. 1t may be speculative. emotional.
critical. etc But while this critical spirit has
been everywhere evident within the sphere Of
religious truth. 1t has been conspicuously abb
cent from other spheres of thought and ac-
tivity. So that have this singular incon-
sistency in the mental habit of our age--a
mental habit on the hand supremely crit
ical toward truth and on the other hand
utterly uncritical toward power. the material
power Of the age. Out of this inconsistency
there has developed economic and social
situation which constitutes the present moral
concern of Christianity
The church sees that the external condi-
tions Of its life have marvelously changed
within the generation. The material forces
with which it had TO do in the earlier stages
Of their development have expanded far beyond
its control. The astonishing fact about the
wealth OF our time is Its comparative inacces-
sibility for Christian enterprises.
More significant still than the incapacity to
cope with such forces is the lack of moral
control over the productive processes OF the
new wealth.
More serious still is the practical elimina-
tion of a large GLASS Of the population from
the church. The distinctively Industrial popu-
lation is not distinctivey Christian; to the
average member the labor union stands in
place Of the church.
Capital in its normal use, as the agent OF
production is moral; more effectually moral
than it can be made to be by any other use.
The increase Of capital need not alter its
character growth carries with II possibilities
of HARM II the harmful element grows more
AE fHar hfr1crc
The trust as an aggregation OF capital. may
introduce harmful elements which would not
have grown under the natural increase OF
capital in a single case. 1t Is as yet toe
early to say whether or not there is a danger
in the trust which does not inhere in the
ordinary enlargement Of capital. There are
single corporations which more nearly
monopolies than any trust which has yet ap-
peared
Putting ourselves, however, in the place OF
the man who has caught most completely the
spirit of our age the spirit OF work, it does
not follow that We are to allow this spirit
to go unchecked as It takes possession or men.
Nv protest is against the uncritical habit oi
mind of our generation toward material power.
No man can guarantee the ethical quality OF
power or of powerful men. lnventiveness is
the creative spirit which has made of the
modern world a huge workshop. Here is To-
Gated the seat Of power. The dominant in
terest and force of our time is industrialism
Christianity has the opportunity anc
therefore the obligation to enter as a con-
trolling spirit into the organized life OF the
world In no respect Christianity show
more clearly it's capacity to deal with man
as tha subject of progress than by dealing
with men of whatever type under the present
conditions of material progress.