functions of the Church, the development of the workingman from a slave to a wage-receiver, the relation of the Church to three problems of the worker in production, distribution and the disputes that arise therefrom, the workingman's complaints of the Church, and the special duties of the minister, were all touched upon. Mr. McDowell is very independent in his position. He does not believe in the Church sending fraternal delegates to organized labor. Know no man after the flesh,'' should be the law of the Church. Such recognition is as much out of place for the Church as a religious democracy, as it would be in the government as a political democracy. He believes in the "open shop," that labor unions must gain power through their recognition of better work, and not the power of organization. What the workingman can do, against the vast organization of capital, without "collective bargaining" was not discussed. Some strong things were said, as Brotherhood is the core of Christianity;" "When you are told to confine yourself to your business, and you let the other man define your business you are soon out of business;" "All problems are religious;" The church is not an organization so much as an instrument;" "It might be the best thing for the modern Church to have a few martyrs." The address made us all think and brought out animated discussion. We hope Mr. McDowell will come again, and that we may have the chance to hear him discuss more fully some of the questions which his interesting address has started.

The conference throughout expressed the fact that problem meant opportunity, and that ministers should be open-eyed and brave-hearted to see and enter the open door.

SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE PREACHER.

J. W. A. STEWART, D. D.

I. EXCESSIVE INDIVIDUALISM.

In the past generation, and perhaps through several generations, there has prevailed an excessive individualism. Call to mind some of the facts of Protestant church life as we have known them. In former years the local church has often stood apart from other churches. In the same community there has often been little fellowship between one church and another. There has too often been a spirit of exclusiveness, we might say of self-righteousness. There has sometimes been manifest, not only a lack of sympathy, but even an antagonism toward social and political concerns within the sphere of the local church. Sociological questions have been tabooed. Any reference to such questions has been considered a departure from the "simple gospel." Preaching and religious effort have aimed solely at the individual in his personal relation to God. The inner life of the individual has been the great theme of discourse year in and year out. This has been, not too much, but too exclusively dwelt upon, and how little have we heard about the individual in his relationship to those about him.

In illustration of this excessive individualism think of the ordinary prayer meeting. In such a meeting how seldom have we heard either prayer or conference with reference to the interests of the town or the city, the boys and girls, the men and women out in the streets whose lives are so much outside the church. The prayer meeting too much forgets the outside world. It concentrates its thought on the little company gathered there and occupies itself too exclusively with the feelings and frames of the individual. Meanwhile

the great multitude outside go on with their toils, their sorrows and their sins. The prayer meeting has been too selfish, too self-centered.

of

As another illustration take our hymnology. How many hymns are there even in the best of our hymn-books that refer to the brotherhood of man, the service of man, the progress the kingdom of God in social life as we know it? We have that beautiful hymn of Washington Gladden's O Master, let me walk with thee," and that fine old hymn "A charge to keep I have," and we have excellent hymns for home or foreign mission meetings; but when it comes to our common every-day work and our endeavor to bring in the kingdom of God in business, in politics, in social life, with only a few exceptions, where are our hymns? The church is waiting for the man or woman who will give us some good hymns under the head of Christian Sociology.

Moreover, too often the one absorbing aim has been to build up the local church, as if the church were an end, whereas the church is the means to an end. The end is the broad world-wide present-day coming of the kingdom of God. II. CAUSES FOR THIS EXCESSIVE INDIVIDUALISM.

There is a great truth of individuality which can never be set aside. Every man is making his own character, his own destiny. God has stamped the truth of individuality upon Salvation is wrought within the individual.

us.

For another reason, it looks as if the conflict between good and evil, and the necessary limitation of church membership to those who are striving for the good have been allowed to lessen the comprehensiveness of our sympathy.

Still another reason is that individualism was the Zeitgeist of the past generation. The Protestant Reformation issued in the spirit of individualism. The French Revolution asserted the right of the individual man. The rise of Democracy has fostered this spirit, and in the business world we had the principle of laissez-faire. And further still, our sectarian divisions have helped to promote this spirit of individualism. And for one reason morė, there has been in the past generations an excessive other-worldliness." We have thought

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too exclusively of the world beyond the grave in our religious aspirations, and not enough attention has been given to the coming of the kingdom of God here on earth and all around us. How much we have in our hymnology about a future heaven, and how little about turning this earth into a heaven!

III. DUTY OF CULTIVATING A SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS. Truth is never merely one-sided. Individuality is a truth, but so is solidarity. You do not get the real man until you get him in his relations. He is husband, father, friend, neighbor, citizen, business-man, church-member. The great Christian doctrines rest upon the truth of human solidarity. Christ is Son of Man. Such a thing as the atonement was possible only because of the solidarity of the race. Again, the individual comes to his self-realization only in his service of the social order.” Men are members of society. It is in the relationships I have named that men and women are to do their work. They must carry Christian teachings into these relationships if they are to render genuine Christian service. It is in these relationships that they are to develop Christian character.

Consider also the spirit of the time in which we are living. Philosophy and theology are alike being affected by the social ideas. Laissez-faire no longer dominates in business, for the question now is how business can be done equitably in view of the relationships which men sustain in it. The social idea is everywhere to the front.

IV. SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE Preacher.

The preacher has a two-fold function: he is minister of the church which calls him to its pastorate, and he is a minister of the community in which his church is situated. Every minister ought to make a study of his parish and as far as possible get into touch with every phase of its life. The church ought not so much to lead in specific social reforms, but it ought to be a great central power-house for

social righteousness. There is a great demand in our time that the church shall not only save individuals but shall show what it can do in the salvation of society. In this we do not overlook the fact that the genuine salvation of the individual is the church's great method for social regeneration.

In President Henry Churchill King's book, "Theology and the Social Consciousness," the following analysis is given of social consciousness: (1). Likeness or like-mindedness of men; (2). Mutual influence of men; (3). Value or sacredness of the person; (4). Mutual obligation, and (5). Love. The one all-sufficient base for genuine social consciousness is that revelation of God which we have in Jesus Christ.

THE PROBLEM OF COMMERCIALISM IN THE

CHURCH.

PROFESSOR FRANK H. WOOD.

I have not taken it to be a layman's task nor mine to solve the problem which has been assigned to me, but rather to discover the principle on which the solution of the problem is to be worked out. My humbler part has been to state the problem for your solution and perhaps to offer one or two suggestions toward the solution.

Men tell us that commercialism is the spirit of our generation, and perhaps it is. The spirit of commercialism has invaded the literature of our day. We surely see signs in that great mass of literature so called that is flowing so abundantly from the press that there is back of that output something more than the spirit which moves man to share with others that which makes his life worth while. Writing

has become a road to wealth. Literature certainly has been corrupted by commercialism. But our journalism, what shall we say of that? One has only to read a small portion of it to feel that the spirit of commercialism has entered into that as well. Charges have been freely made that the lead