Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-10-22

the world. It has served as the cradle
for Christianity, but now that we have
reached an age of culture and refine
ment 1t is no longer needed and should
be reverently laid aside and supplanted
by more modern institution. With
cut hesitation we affirm that the
churches have done more than all
ether institutions to keep our land
sweet and clean and to make it a fit
place to live in. If religion in our day
is to hold Its high place and exert the
power It should have in the life of the
individual and the life of the COM
munity. it must have rootedness, and
1t is for this rootedness that we plead
this evening""
Gets First-Hand Views
The second meeting arranged under
the auspices of the association was a
popular meeting for men. where the
men from the brotherhoods and Bible
classes of the Presbyterian churches
gathered and filled the large auditorium
of the church. The Shamrock Bible
Glass attended the meeting in full uni
form and with their band. over fifty
men being in line. They were accom-
panied by the Rev. John NJ. Warden,
chaplain, and members of the Bethany
Chapel. The singing was led by the
male chorus of the Covenant Presby-
terian Brotherhood. Here DR.. McDow-
ellis theme was The Church and the
Social Question" For years it has
been his habit in the early part OF
September to go to New York city for
a week and to attend every queer
meeting of which he could hear.
ITO make the most of it's present
opportunity the Church must know
the times" he said, in part "By
knowing the times we mean the
Church must know the social life, the
political life. the industrial life, the
moral life, as we'll as the spiritual
life. that is surging about it, and be
able to interpret the unrest. the as
pirations and the errors of this life,
first to itself and then to the world
To know the times in this sense the
Church must know just where the CEN
ter of interest is to-day and what its
relation is to it.
Center of Interest Changes
The center of interest is undoubt-
edly a changeable matter; it varies
from generation to generation, and
often changes within a generation.
Fifty years ago the center of interest
lay in the relation of religion to
science: twenty years ago it lay in tho
relation of religion to Scripture; to-
day 1t lies in the relation of religion to
society. and hence the age has been
called by Professor Peabody, Of Har-
ward. the age of the social question
Before the social question can be
solved it must be understood. Let 1t
be noted at once that while there are
many social problems. there is only
one social question, and this question
is primarily one in social philosophy
rather than a program OF philan-
thropy. 1t is an attitude of mind
rather than an activity of the hand. as
so many seem to think in these days.
Must Teach Sociology
"If the Church is to respond to the
appeals of the times it must not ignore
OF evade the issue 1t must teach not
only a sound theology, but also a
sound and effective sociology; 1t must
assert again that according to the
teachings of Jesus Christ in the sum-
mary of the law sociology is one-haIf
of religion and theology the other
Observation-Disclosures with man in his
relation to God and sociology with
man in his relation to his fellow-man.
There should never be any conflict or
divorce between the two.
Child or the Church
THE social question of the twentieth
century is the child of the Church.
the spirit which has nourished 1t
throughout the centuries came directly
from the teachings of Jesus Christ by
his followers who constituted His
church.
"Christianity is not only the primary
cause of the consciousness of the social
question. but 1t is the solution for it.
This solution is found in the three
elemental laws of Christianity. These
are the law of regeneration, by which
Christianity purposes to change the
nature of man and ultimately the char
acter of society; the law of righteous
ness, by which 1t purposes to right the
relations of man to his fellow-man,
and the law of love, by which Chris
tianity gives the dynamic to obey the
law of righteousness.
Let it not be forgotten that the
social question is one primarily of
social thought. II is philosophy be-
fore 1t is an activity. The modern
socialists have seen this and have
spent their time in molding the
thought life of men: they have been
social teachers rather than social
workers in all our great centers.
That Christianity Is the only SO