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otherwise. The simple fact is that, while men dream and agitate, the church is creating and organizing altruistic and religious impulses, is training men to live together in mutual recognition of each other's rights, and compelling them to recognize social as well as individual units. In a word, as exemplified in the Christian church, religion breeds and disciplines corporate enthusi- asms. Can the social movement afford to despise it ?
VII.
But a word must be added as to the duty of the church. If it would be as significant as its past and its Founder make possible, it can no longer preach an individualistic salvation. It must edu- cate the social sympathies of its children ; it must teach that the question of right and wrong must have its answer from the count- ing-room as well as from the pulpit; it must train its members to trust their Christian impulse to side with whatever cause is true and beautiful and sane ; it must teach that, if there can be no regenerate society without regenerate men, neither can there be regenerate men without a regenerate society. And therefore, for the sake of all, it must fulfill its central duty of throwing into an irreligious but generous age a host of sons and daughters filled with the fraternal enthusiasm of its Founder. This is the evangelicalism that our age needs : not merely the gospel of a man's saving his soul, but the gospel of the kingdom of God. Let men be reborn, not that they may by and by get comfort- ably into a heaven above the earth, nor yet as a matter of duty or penance perform good deeds on earth ; but rather let men be reborn that, just because of their new natures which draw love from God himself, they may constitute a better social environ- ment and a better humanity here on earth. In a word, through becoming sons, let Christians remember that they have become
brothers.
Shailer Mathews.
The University of Chicago.
