preme motives of religion it will accomplish its most benign triumphs. It presents a noble opportunity for the Church to inculcate its religious teachings and impress its practical morality upon the social sciences of our age,1 which, if we read aright the signs of the times, will ultimately supplant to a considerable extent the physical sciences in that position of preeminence which they have held, and take possession of the field as perhaps the most distinctive intellectual and moral characteristic of the coming century. Even though we accept the noble contention which Professor Drummond, if he did not originate, has at least illumined by his powerful advocacy, namely, that nature herself supplies an altruistic discipline and imparts a humanizing and uplifting culture, yet sociology as it is presented in "The Ascent of Man," if we rightly interpret his meaning, is to be counted the child of naturalism. As there expounded it is difficult to recognize in that system of nature culture, so elaborately idealized, any satisfactory and legitimate relation between sociology and those supernatural agencies and forces which represent God's spiritual activity in the sphere of social evolution, and man's response to the culture power of religion. This judgment should, however, be expressed with diffidence, as the issue of a subsequent volume dealing with man in the era of his historic race development might have shown clearly the place of Christianity in Professor Drummond's scheme of sociology. From the standpoint of Christian faith, utilitarianism, the struggle for existence, the stress of competition, and all the selfish energies which contend in the social arena, are but one aspect-not by any means the most decisive and vitalizing-of the problem of human progress. Moral influences, ethical aspirations, conscientious ideals, the sense of justice, the instincts of brotherhood, the standards of righteousness, the sweet and noble lessons of love and sacrifice as they have always been taught in the divine religion, and the high and authoritative call of service to God and man are also factors of commanding and essential importance in the movement of humanity towards the higher levels of a purified and redeemed society.2 article on "Christian Sociology," in The American Journal of Sociology, November, 1895, pp. 359-380. Sociology in Theological Train 1 Cf. article by Professor Arthur S. Hoyt on ing," The Homiletic Review, November, 1895, p. 459. 2 "Man finds himself part of a social system in which regard for the good of all is the guiding principle that brings order out of confusion. The history of social evolution shows that, in proportion as man gains faith in this principle, and applies it intelligently to wider groups of society and to each and all of the relations of social organization, in that proportion has he advanced in happiness and dignity. "We also find that a very large share of this advancement has been due to Chris Is universal evolution There seems to be no valid reason apart from the scientific consciousness of our age-so abnormally reluctant to allow any place or scope to the supernatural-to doubt the intervention at times of an original cause in the supposed unbroken continuity of secondary evolutionary processes. As a postulate of philosophy it may be conceded that given an omniscient and omnipotent Creator and a possible exercise of creative power sufficiently inclusive and comprehensive in its scope, evolution as a universal potentiality and an all-inclusive method is conceivable. This is not saying, however, that it is inherently necessary or that it is proven. The very existence of a primal, original cause makes these points open questions. If evolution is conceived to be a pervasive law of nature and life, the marvelous fascination and grandeur of the conception tend to captivate the imagination and take possession of the scientific mind. The temptation to make it a universal law is all-powerful. Every phenomenon of nature, life, intelligence, religion, and destiny must yield to its sway and be interpreted in terms of evolution. This is just the point of issue between the thoroughgoing evolutionist with a naturalistic bias, whose surrender to the intellectual dominion of the idea is apparently complete, and the believer in the supernatural as a factor in history, and especially as a determining agency in the spiritual, intellectual, and social development of man. The first point at issue is, Shall any line be drawn to the universal extension of the law of evolution? If a possible limitation is conceded, a further question arises as to where the lines of limitation must be tianity. Though other systems of teaching have dimly apprehended the ideal, they have none of them been able to inspire men with new motives that are able to hold the brutal tendencies of the race strongly in check. In populous regions there seems to have been a slow biological evolution through which altruistic instincts have gained increasing force; but no power outside of Christianity seems able to take man as he is, in any and every land, and set him on a new course. The cause of this wonderful power in Christianity seems to lie in its ability to assure men of the fatherhood of God as well as of the brotherhood of man. Indeed, judging from my own experience and from what I have observed in China and Japan, it seems as if a strong hold on the latter idea, such as will awaken the enthusiasm of humanity, is attained only by those who are filled with the former idea. . . . ... "This kingdom of God is a kingdom of love, which He assures us is to spread its influence into all lands; ' for the meek shall inherit the earth.' Not only has Christ become a leading factor in the evolution of society, but, in the survival of the meek and the righteous, He has opened to us the philosophy of this higher evolution, and the truth of the philosophy is sustained by the gradual fulfillment of the predictions based on the philosophy."-Rev. John T. Gulick, Ph.D., on "Christianity and the Evolution of Rational Life," The Bibliotheca Sacra, January, 1896, pp. 70, 72. drawn. The burning issue here concerns the origin of man and his religious environment. Is man, body and soul, the product of evolution, and if so, are his religious environment and the whole intellectual, moral, and social outcome of his history all reducible without limitation to the terms of evolution in harmony with processes of natural law? Has God wrought invariably by this method, or, to put it more baldly, has He left nature to work out its own destiny through endless ages of incalculable variation, differentiation, selection, adjustment, survival, development, and progress towards a more complex and perfect existence? Here in simple terminology is the great problem of our age— in fact, of all ages. It may be said in this connection that it is manifestly impossible to make the scientific consciousness of this or any age the final test of truth. If we turn, then, to the evidence available we find a formidable, yet at certain points wholly inconclusive, body of proof for evolution as a universal postulate. Over against this, however, we have to consider the existence of God, His power of intervention, His freedom, the exigencies of His moral government, the introduction of His own spiritual likeness into the system of nature, the establishment of moral responsibility in connection with personality, the gift of immortality, the institution of ethical standards and a test of obedience, the entrance of sin into the experience of man, and the provision of a vast and marvelous remedial system based upon the Incarnation, the Atonement, and the mediatorial offices of Christ, accompanied by a revelation of His will and the active and mystical ministry of the Holy Spirit as a power transcending nature and giving new life and inspiration to man in his struggle for moral achievement and victory. Is all this to be explained in terms of evolution, even though its scope may justly be regarded as immense? When we consider all that is implied of divine. agency and environment in human history, are we not touched with the supreme majesty of the supernatural, not in the narrow sense of the miraculous, but in its larger significance as a transcendent conception which cannot be set aside without doing violence to the plain teaching of revelation, infinitely lowering the status of human life and deeply obscuring its destiny? Then there is the hard fact of a race degeneracy which makes it, according to the testimony of experience, not only improbable but impossible, from a moral point of view, that spiritual goodness should be evolved from sin, or truth from error, or renewal from decay. It becomes, therefore, a natural and consistent necessity that God should come to the help of man in the gift of a true, helpful, guiding, regenerating religion, which gives him a new start and provides him. with the spiritual resources he needs. At three points evolution falters: it fails to account for the existence of life, for the spiritual nature of man as in God's likeness and endowed with an immortal and responsible personality, and, once more, for man's religious environment as embodied in the Christian system. The bearing of the latter point upon social evolution is important. If a supernatural religion has been given, then social evolution has been so far modified and directed. Christianity is an added factor and has its part to play. If, therefore, man fails to adjust himself to his spiritual or supernatural environment, social progress lacks its noblest, we might say its essential, factor. It maintains itself on the plane of nature, in an atmosphere of physical or psychic development only, without the higher and more inspiring consciousness of that incarnate personality which is central in Christianity. Christian missions then become a guiding and determining force in the social progress of the world in proportion to their extension and success. This discussion of the scope of sociology has brought us again to the question whether Christian missions should be considered a sociological agency. We reply without hesitation that, Chris cessarily a militant social force. tianity being sociological in its scope, Christian Christian missions nemissions must be so considered, for their one purpose is to propagate Christianity and bring it into touch with the individual heart and with the associate life of man.2 It seems impossible to deny to missions a social scope of immense significance. They deal with the individual, and through him reach society. If they change the religious convictions and the moral character of the man, they put him at once into a new attitude towards the domestic, civil, economic, and ethical aspects of society. If they put the individual right with God they will necessarily transform his attitude towards man into harmony with Christian teaching. They introduce also new institutions into the social life of mankind,-not simply new ecclesiastical organizations, but new educational and philanthropic movements, and they also plant the germs of new political and industrial ideals, and open a new realm of intellectual and religious thought, which is focused in a wonderful way upon a new conception of liberty and a purer and nobler social life. 1 Cf. article by F. F. Ellinwood, D.D., in The Presbyterian and Reformed Review, April, 1896, pp. 204-206. 2 Cf. "Sociological Christianity a Necessity," The Methodist Review, May, 1891, PP. 449-456. Christian missions, moreover, enter an environment where Christianity is bound to overturn and overturn, in the interests of morality, justice, and a larger and freer life to man. It brings "not peace, but a sword." It faces some of the primitive problems of society, and plunges at once into the thick of that tangled mass of traditional ideas and prevailing customs which are characteristic of ancient social systems. As an illustration, consider the attitude of Christian missions towards woman and her condition in the non-Christian world. They have a work to do also in behalf of children, and in the sphere of charities and correction, of industrial education, of medical and philanthropic efforts. In fact, almost every aspect of the ministry of Christianity to dependent, defective, and delinquent social conditions with which we are familiar is or will be open to Christian effort in foreign lands. The Christian missionary is face to face with a colossal criminology, a vast, unregulated, and pitiless penology. He deals with the raw material of all social sciences, with political economy in its savage and crude stage, with social institutions in barbarous confusion or reduced to a rude and primitive order. His life is in the midst of a society which is a perfect web of problems. He is a workman amidst social deterioration and sometimes amidst national decay. Then again it must be borne in mind that the religion he teaches stands for some of the most important sociological ideals-brotherhood, freedom, individual rights, justice, honor, integrity, and Christian ethics. If an ideal may be defined as an inspired and militant idea, then the Christian missionary is the knight errant of social chivalry, with a mission to fight moral evil and strive for the establishment of a nobler, purer, and happier social order wherever God's providence leads him. He is a messenger and a prophet of that kingdom which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. He works against enormous odds to introduce the Gospel as a factor in the transformation and elevation of human society, and to rescue it from the downward trend. He works in the first instance directly with the individual soul, seeking its spiritual enlightenment and renewal, but in so doing he teaches also lessons in the art of living, and quickens aspirations and implants tendencies which ultimately accomplish a large and beneficent work in the general betterment of society. This is a range of service too broad and complex for foreign missionaries themselves to compass, but they will, so to speak, "set the pace," and give an impetus to the aspirations of native society, which, under the culture of Christianity, will make the coming century an era of immense and benign social progress. Christian missions represent, therefore, what may be designated in |