Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-04
84th CONFERENCE OF THE
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
Opening Sessions at WaterviIle===Ab0ut 200
Delegates Present=-=The Various Meet
ings, With Business Matters,
Discussions and Addresses.

truth; yet with certain well defined
convictions and with the purpose sim
ply to draw in rough outline some OF
the tinger-marks upon the sand and to
point out as l see it the trend of the
way toward the Frightening future.
1.-The Church and the New Civiliza-
ton"
There IS no definition of civilization.
There are only attempts at definition
The dictionary informs us that "a civ
lllZcd people is one among whom in
duStry, commerce, science, art, gov
eminent have reached a high state"
How high we are left to infer. In more
picturesque language Emerson bids us
know that "a certain degree of pro-
gress from the rudest state in which
man is tound-a dweller in caves, or
on trees. like an ape-a cannibal, an
eater Of pounded snails, worms and
offal-a' certain degree of progress
frorl this extreme is called civiliZa-
ton" A new civilization is then some
distinct step in progress from the ape,
the cannihal and the offal. Such a ster
l believe we are taking, or are about
to take. that will still further differ
cntiate us from the brutes.
Now the church is almost as hard
to define as civilization. Only the high
cnurehman is absolutely sure of his
ground and he gets lost in the inter
stellar spaces of vacuous catholicism.
The universal cannot be defined. But
for common purposes we find the
church to be the organized religious
life and faith of Christendom, with
visible membership, creeds and eere-
monies and definite moral and spirit
ual ends. We have then the church
and the new civilization" Let me turn
my subject around--the new civiliZa-
ton and the church.
In connection with my theme have
been Interested in reading a signifi-
cant little book entitled THE New
Basis Of Civilization" by Prof. Simon
n. Patten of the Wharton School of
Finance and Commerce, University OF
Pennsylvania. 1t is a book that anyone
may read with profit.
According to Prof Patten the basis
of the new civilization is frankly eco
noniic. Give men decent chance In
life. The workers more of the product
OF their toll. eliminate the superfiu-
ity Of the over-rich and the poverty of
the under poor and a new social or
der will take form and higher values
in humanity be attained. If economics
are not the basis of civilization they
arc at least. among its most import
ant foundation stones. 1t is the con-
viction Of this truth that makes so.
cialism alluring not only to the poor
monts of our age. Certainly material
conditions bear a most intimate rela-
ton 10 the psychology of human pro-
gress. Raise the average man out of
the bear thought of financial stress
and he holds his head higher and be-
comes a better man. The differences
among men lie more in traditions and
conditions Of Hfe than in variations Of
nature. Environment perhaps plays n
greater part, than heredity in the
moulding of the individual man and
the social character of an age.
How to make civilization social and
Christian is the primary problem Of
ar increasing number Of the thought
full. Back Of the thought are certain
salient facts of civilization which
seem to mark a radical step forward.
In the first place. the Western world
stands well over the threshold of
new industrial age. Not only has the
hand worker. been superseded by the
machine but the small manufacturer
has been supplanted by the colossal
corporation. The factory system is
firmly established. so also is the trust:
while from lives of out door labor in
their own lands, a million immigrants
a year come "a our shores, many OF
them to toll in the close confinement
Of shop and mill and factory. a
Out of the new industrial conditions,
the power Of improved machinery, the
science Of agriculture. the cslerfty Of