Show 0 Christian Sociology L There has lately been inaugurated at Chautauqua an Institute of Christian c Sociology Its president is Richard T Ely a socialistic scholar of very considerable consid-erable prominence and among his asso TcIates in thework are Washington Gladden Glad-den Lyman Abbott Josiah Strong President JLow of Columbia college and V President Tucker of Dartmouth Rev V Henry Hopkins of Kansas City Rev S M Crothers of St Paul Rev James A Brande of Oberlin and Chancellor Can field of the University of Nebraska All good men some of them exceptionally good for the business in hand it now re 11 ns to be seen what they will do and V b w theywill do it Certainly there is thing better worth doing and doing V eU than the task they have undertaken By Christian Sociology we under land Is meant the principles and prac Jticespf Jesus Christ as applied to human society Vhat these principles and practices prac-tices are is setlorth with sufficient plainness plain-ness in the four gospels and for all practical prac-tical purposes are embodied in the sermon ser-mon on the mount Whoever will read and inwardly digest the fifth sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew will know V the socIology which Christ endeavored to establish and which He believed would when established be the veritable kingdom king-dom of God on earth More thin 1800 V years have passed since that sermon ser-mon was delivered ana to all human hu-man appearance Christian J > Sociology is BO nearer an accomplished fact > t ft V 4 now than then We read about it talk about it preach about itdo every thing but practice it Of all the socalled Christian nations not one has ever attempted tempted to do so and there is not one ip whichsuch attempt if seriously madeby the government would not produce an instantaneous and violent revolution Whatever Christianity may be it certainly tainly is not the religion of Christ that is if we may judge by its fruits in Chris tian society The tremendous difference between the Ideal which He held up for the worlds imitation and the Real we see around us today proves that Jesus was but little farther in advance of the social ethics of his generation than He is of ours Itisan encouraging sign therefore although we are not especially hopeful in regard to the outcomewhen a body of Christian men organize for tho express purpose of studying Christian sociology as taught and exemplified by Jesus Christ Perhaps when they ascertain just what it is and just what it means they will be brave enough to recommend it as a possible possi-ble panacea for the innumerable ills which afflict society Even if no very very substantial and permanent good results from the discus ions of the Institute the time and trouble expended will be a far better investment for all concerned than such heresy hunts as have lately occupied the attention of certain branches of the church Whatever emphasizes the infinite infi-nite inferiority of creed to deed is a rare blessing and a rarer grander blessing it will be when we recognize the immortal truth that Our little system have their day They have their day and cease to be They are but brokenl ights of thee And thou 0 Lord art more than they St Louis GlobeDemocrat |