The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-10-18
QUESTION
VITAL ONE TODAY,
PASTOR DECLARES

The Rev. John Mcdowell delivered
the address he gave asst week to stu
dents of Princeton Theological Semi
nary on 1.-THE Appeal of the Times to
the Christian Ministry to his own
church last evening. Mr.. Mcdowell
spoke in part as follows:
1.-THE primary business of a theo-
logical seminary is to bring men into
right relation with truth. Next, how
ever, to a clear and definite concep-
ton, of the truth, as 1t is in Jesus
Christ, the Christian minister ought to
have a clear and definite knowledge of
his own times. That is to say the
Christian minister ought to know
something about the fish, and the
stream In which he fishes, as we'll as
the bait he uses.
by knowing the times, 1 mean the
minister ought to know what the So
cial situation is; he ought to be able to
Interpret the unrest, and the aspira-
ions of men; in a word the minister
for today ought to know just where the
centre of interest lies and what his re-
lation is to 1t.
ENTHUSIASTICALLY the centre of inter
est is a changeable matter. Twenty
five years ago the centre of interest
was in the relation between religion
and science: fifteen years it was In the
relation between religion and Scripture.
At this hour, the heart of the situation
rs In the relation of religion to society.
The burning question today is not the
scientific n nor the Scriptural ques-
ton, it is the social question.
Evidence of this fact abounds on
every hand. A librarian in a great in
dustrial and educational centre reports
that over so per cent. of the books
taken out of the library in one year
were ON the social question:, thus show
Ing what the people are reading n
thinking. Twenty-eight bills passed in
a recent Congress were of great social
significance, each demanding a wider
social control, showing hat the social
question is rapidly becoming the pri-
mary question in legislation, The most
popular electives in our colleges and
universities today are those on social
science, proving once more that the
social problem is the entire of interest
In education. And, again, all of the
evangelical denominations in our
country either have department or a
committee or the relation of the church
to the social question, Thus we see
that the issue today is social, rather
than theological or scientific. Let us
ask now.
"F1rst-What do we mean by the
social question or by sociology
Someone has said hat sociology is
one-half of religion, and theology
the other half. Both deal with
the same Observation-Disclosures with
man In his relation to God.
sociology with man in relation to
his fellow man. The social question,
therefore, is not the question of justif-
cation with God; it Is the question of
Justice with men. Behind all the dis
putes of words, the abstract reasonings'
about the being of Goo or the constitu-
tion OF man lie the fundamental ques-
ion of social duty, such as What is
the basis and measure of our mutual
obligations?' The social problem is con-
cerned with the problems of wealth and
poverty, of luxury and want, of capital
n labor-in q word, the problem of
human Justice.
MEN are asking today If Christianity
mas Il Social message, IL IL can inspire
men who are Justified by faith in Jesus
Christ to deal justly with their fellow
men. The centre of the social question
IS moral Justice, Industrial Justice.
"Second-What is the relation of
Christianity to this social question?
The relation is twofold:
"First-The social question of our day
is a child Of Christianity. The impulse
which gave rise to the question cam
from Christianity. There is no social
question where Christianity Is not
known. Africa has no social question.
Might there makes right. Christianity
IS the cause of the social problem fac
ing us today.
"Second-Christianity Is the only cure
of our social problem. This Is to be
ound in the application of the princi-
pies of Christianity to the individual
and corporate life of men. Christianity
not only tells men what is right, but it
: inspires them to do the right.
"Third-What now is the appeal of
the times to the Christian minister?
In view of the social situation and the
vital relation of religion 40 1t, the times
has a right to appeal to the Christian
ministry. The appeal is for leadership
in this social awakening. This move
ment can be the mightiest blessing the
world has ever known If rightly d.
rected.