PROFESSOR HARNACK.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1503, 27 July 1912, Page 9

PROFESSOR HARNACK.

INTERESTING ADDRESS ON SOCIAL REFORM. Within the 'Evangelical or Protestant State Church of Germany a number of clergy niid laity have formed an influential. iiSFocialion.'known as the EvangelicalSocial Congress, of which Professor Harnack has been chairman for nine, years. .This yeaVs congress held its meetings in Es?en, the great industrial centre. Professor Harnack delivered an inaugural address which has attracted the widest attention .throughout the Empire. It confirms the impression which lias been gaining ground for somo years past, (hat this rcir.ark.ible and undoubtedly great man is not only grcwing more democratic in politics, but iiKirc orthodox in religion.- The development in.his mind is Hie reverse of that generally noticed in Germany, and accounts for much of the interest which Die address has attracted. Harnack pointed out that it was 'the duty of the association to lead the people; from' darkness into light. It was not easy tit formulate, their views into cut. and dried dngmtis. The beliefs of twenty years ago we.ro not the social beliefs of to-day, and it would be foolishness if we bound oiir-elvos now to ideals which would need revision in another twenty years. What, however, remained wa< (lie l-eiuU'iicy.'aml.lhe Dover of social reform Those were the chief things. Them is not a principle of Plato or Kant which

cannot now- be called in question, but the tendency and power of these men remain, and that is the main tiling. What wo have to remember is our Jiving responsibility and the noeel of a strongthonin" of our feeling of liberty. Usually notable was the attack which Ilarimclc inailo on the Monism of Professor Hacckel. Monism offered nothing to'mnnkind, and so long us the Jlonists dealt in generalities it liad no message for men, and was neither a tendency nor a power. Yon cannot get_a world theory from the. study of beetles' logs, or from electrophores. l-oii cannot walk straight on beetles' legs. The Evangelical Socialists have a Personality to guide, them, a Personality who was actual, and who is no more, a dream in tho twentieth century than lie was in tho first. It. is He who gives us our tendency, and it is His power which is felt to-day in all five continent. l !. Whoever would take from us the words of this Personality woilld rob us of the. Magna Cliarta of our power. Harnack then .turned the attention of the Congress to the actual questions of the day—the question of buildings for workmen's houses,. home industries, the care, of tho young, and, abovo all, tho responsibility o fevery individual of tho Church.