SOCIAL RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE 459 



sacrifice, and the law of love, the latter being the most vital of the 

 three, because it makes possible of fulfillment, and glorifies, the 

 other two. 



Now the influence of these social teachings of Jesus can scarcely 

 be treated historically, because the recognition of them is so recent 

 that their influence can hardly be said to have a history. A few 

 choice spirits in earlier generations perceived the social aspects of 

 Christianity, but an individualistic civilization led naturally to an 

 individualistic interpretation of teachings which we, wrestling with 

 the problems of our new, collective civilization, as naturally see to 

 have been social in their intention and in their application. 



We are to inquire, then, what influence might reasonably be 

 expected to attend the common acceptance of the social teachings 

 of Jesus. 



Professor Alfred Marshall, in his well-known work, Principles 

 of Economics, remarks that " the two great forming agencies of 

 the world's history have been the religious and the economic," 

 a statement which few in this audience probably would care to 

 controvert. If, then, it can be shown what effect the common 

 acceptance of the social teachings of Jesus would naturally have on 

 these two great formative agencies, we may anticipate with some 

 confidence what would be their effect on civilization. 



I. Let us turn,. first, to the religious forces. 



The acceptance of the social teachings of Jesus would have a 

 marked effect on the religious aim. 



It is popularly supposed among Christians that the divine aim 

 in the work of redemption was to increase the census of heaven, 

 to multiply the number of saved souls. 



If we share this belief, then as faithful disciples of Christ we must, 

 of course, make it our supreme object in life, first, to save our own 

 soul, and then to save other souls. This conception of religion 

 naturally fixes attention on that part of man which alone can enter 

 a spiritual heaven, and, therefore, depreciates the body. The 

 world is a wilderness through which we must needs pass as pilgrims 

 to gain the heavenly Canaan. Life is a probation, an opportunity 

 to prepare for death. The discipline of life is to wean us from the 

 follies of time and sense, and to prepare us for eternity. If the 

 world seems to us very beautiful, appealing to every sense, if the 

 natural relations of the family are very sweet and give to us unspeak- 

 able delights, we must be on our guard not to enjoy these beauties 

 and delights overmuch, lest they become temptations of the Devil 

 to wean us from the heavenly glory and to satisfy us with earthly 

 good. If we are truly spiritually minded we shall have only a 

 limited and rather questionable interest in art and science, in inven- 

 tion and the progress of civilization, in politics and social reform, 



