ends.

"The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." Then this earth and all its fulness should be consecrated to the Lord; and that is the ultimate aim of Christian society in all its relations. Society, education, politics, amusements, business, all are to be the Lord's ministering spirits. In creating man, God made him lord over all things. this dominion ideally real. say to believers, "All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours." But it must not be forgotten that the ground of this universal inheritance is given by the words which follow: "And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."*

Christ came to make Hence the apostle can

* 1 Cor. 3: 21-23.

SECOND PART.

CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ETHICS.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS-THE NATURE OF THE PRACTICAL.

THIS part of Christian Sociology is related to the first as the plant is to the seed whence it grows. While the first part teaches what Christian society is and how it is related, the second part gives the theory of Christian social practice. As the first part gives the true idea of Christian society, and also of its relations, so the second part shows how this idea is to be realized. The second part, therefore, deals with duties. The first is more theoretical than the second part; but, at the same time, the practical must strike its roots in theory; otherwise, it will be superficial and cannot be reduced to system.

In speaking of the second part of Christian Sociology as practical, it is important to form a correct view of the practical. The word is frequently used now as the opposite of the deep and scholarly; and the manner in which it is often contrasted with the theoretical is calculated to make the impression that theories cannot be practical. An education which lacks depth and thoroughness, but which gives rules

ERRONEOUS VIEW OF THE PRACTICAL.

213

and knowledge immediately adapted to business, is termed practical. A minister who neglects doctrine and avoids the profound teachings of God's Word, but talks glibly about current events and every day affairs, is called a practical preacher. If it is thus made to designate only what is shallow, the practical can hardly escape merited contempt. And the very fact that the word is thus used is evidence of superficial thinking. An English writer, in speaking of the Word, says: "This solitary term serves a large number of persons as a substitute for all patient and steady thought; and, at all events, instead of meaning that which is useful, as opposed to that which is useless, it constantly signifies that of which the use is grossly and immediately palpable, as distinguished from that of which the usefulness can only be discerned after attention and exertion, and must at first be chiefly believed on the faith of authority." The fact that the philosopher, the scientist, and the profound theologian may meet the deepest needs of an age, and therefore may be most truly practical, is altogether overlooked; so is the fact that the deepest doctrines of Christianity are intensely practical. This false view of the practical has much to do with the depreciation of doctrine and of speculation in our day. Surely, no thoughtful American can be flattered, if his countrymen are called practical in this perverted sense.

With respect to the practical there are three possible stages. The first is that of childhood, when there is but little reflection and theorizing, but when the life is pre-eminently one of outward activity. Much of this activity is thoughtless, arbitrary, the product of mere blind impulse, and it has in it more of physical

It is evident that many

than of intellectual energy. remain through life essentially in this primitive state: Here is found the practical as that word is now commonly used. In religion, this stage is found where there is mere formality, work-holiness, or where the activity depends, not on principle, but on impulse. It is characteristic of those in this state that they adopt the foolish notion that doctrine and faith are secondary, if only the life is right; not reflecting enough to learn that the seed on stony ground (without depth) is fruitless.

Others pass beyond this stage to that of reflection : when the mind turns its attention on itself, and watches its own operations; when an effort is made to get back of mere phenomena into things themselves, so as to understand their nature; when the effort is to understand causes, and to find the key which unlocks the mysteries of the universe. In these inquiries, men may, indeed, chase phantoms and imagine that they have realities; and while thinking that they are awake, they may be only dreaming, and their visions may so enrapture them that realities lose their attractions. There are visionaries, dreamers, unpractical idealists, who in thought, if not in body, are hermits. In religion, they only demand that men shall think correctly of divine things; they are satisfied with dead faith and dead orthodoxy; they are dogmatical, but not ethical. This is one extreme, and the superficially practical is its opposite. If the former could produce a sociology at all, it would be a lifeless skeleton ; while the latter would make it merely external legality.

There is useless theorizing; but only stupidity will

THE PROFOUND IS PRACTICAL.

215

put genuine speculation and profound thought into this category. Real thinking is real, and not dreamy or fantastic. And many pass beyond the second stage to the third, namely, that in which thought goes out into action. This is by far the most perfect stage, and contains all that is valuable in the others. The spirit tries to objectify itself, to give itself and all its thoughts, emotions, and volitions a body in words and deeds and institutions. It is not content with thoughtless activity, nor with useless theory; but it cherishes true ideals and strives to make them real. This spirit has depth and is, at the same time, thoroughly practical; and it is so practical because it is so deep. It may seem paradoxical, but it is a truth, and a truth our age greatly needs that which is deepest is the most practical. Thought attains its perfection in life; the idea is perfect only when it becomes real; and the practical is the crown of the theoretical. All mental conception without a birth is an abortion.

:

What has been said will indicate what thought is to dominate the second or practical part of Sociology. With mere outward activity it has nothing to do; it cannot regard it as worthy of notice. When it speaks of Christian social conduct, it views it as having its source within; as something which has heart and conscience in it; as something in which the believer gives himself. Thus, in the words and deeds of the Christian, it is not the mouth and hands that are the actors; they are but instruments, the spirit is the

actor.

It may, therefore, be said to be the aim of Christian social ethics to realize in life Christian social dogmatics; to make the idea of Christian society and of