The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-27
RECORD TUESDAY CLUB
CROWD HEARS LECTURE
DIR. Maclachlan Charms All Hearers
With Discourse ON Inside
the Cup"
INTERpRETs GREAT NOVEL
Supreme Duty of Church to Human
fze Society and Lift Men Out of
Selfish Social Conditions-Oppoaed
to Christ's Teachings.

There was a record attendance at
the Railroad Y. NJ. c. A. Tuesday
Club yesterday and Catholic and
Protestant, priests and preachers. sat
together around the luncheon board
and later heard DR.. H. D. G. Mac
lachlan's eloquent discourse on Will
ston Churchill's famous novel, Inside
the Cup"
The Doctor prefaced his address
with the statement that he did not
propose to discuss the merit Of the
novel from a literary point of view.
nor would he endorse all Of its the
ology
Assuming that his hearers we're all
familiar with the novel, he dwelt upon
the characters and condition It de-
picts. to draw the lesson that 1t IL
tho supreme duty Of the church to
humAnixo society and to lift man out
Of selfish social conditions which are
Numerically opposed to the teach
q social reformer, was emphadcally
that. and would never have, stood for
social conditions which are inimical
TO the principles of justice, love and
mercy. The Doctor liked the splen-
did protest Of the book against Phari-
saisn and its magnificent appeal for
spiritual elevation and considered the
book ian Interpretation Of Christs
message in twentieth century terms"
'Tts chief characteristic Is that the
book Is not orthodox. for which 1 am
glad, for in this age orthodoxy is my
doxy and heterodoxy your doxy
Christ and the Bible must not be
measured by the standards OF human
creed. but by the ultimate authority
Christ Himself. Evidences of Chr.sts
divinity are experimental rather than
theological, he thinks. and conscian-
uous communion and daily walk with
God furnish the soul conscious knowl-
edge of the Saviour's divinity and
saving power and thus living faith
makes "A personal pronoun. posses
sive case, present tense God"
Must Know God BY Spiritual Faith.
The soul must know God by a spir-
itual. in addition to an intellectual,
faith-know Him as its support and
stay. as tho shadow OF great rock
in a weary land
Il believe In Christ because I have
heard Him speak peace to my soul:
He saves me from myself and my
sins, and / know this experimentally.
and not because of any theological
dogma"
The Doctor then showed that the
Inside Of the Cup" pointed an index
to better way than Pharisaism and
the continuance OF unchristian social
conditions that permit the acquisition
of wealth at the expense of bodily
health. and insisted that it was the
business Of the church to remedy these
things, instead of being a policeman
OF society. and go to the root Of the
disease rather than expanding all its
energy on particular symptoms: to
get insttlled into the heart of human
ity that there are higher and nooler
things than the selfish laying UP of
earthly treasures, and yet when a city
election comes off. and 1t is sought
to elect men to reform conditions,
many will cry out. Tom Beatty Is
good enough for me-"
We need to get out Of the class
Legislation and injustice of our social
system. And the church OF Jesus
Christ cannot afford to do otherwise
than to WELD the dynamic force of
It's early history. and its founder
against economic. Misunderstanding uru-
tality.
THE church must be true to her
heavenly vision to take these things
hence-the sweat shop, strikes. lock-
outs. child slavery. city slums."
In concluding the able and well de-
livered address (only a few paragraphs
Maclachlan declared his faith in the
church and the arising in her spiritual
might to overthrow the power OF evil
and to enthrone Christ in the human
heart. The church has even now
heard the call Of the new freedom,
and IL arousing herself for great
things in the strength OF her great
Head.
Chairman Grice voiced the thanks
OF the club to DR.. Maclachlan for his
very able. interesting and helpful ad-
dress, and announced that the speak
err at next Tuesdays Club meet would
be Father Hannigan. of the Catholic
Church.
The benediction was pronounced by
Father Tobin. and the Protestant min
lister orator OF the occasion and the
Catholic father engaged in season
of pleasant social chat.