The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-10-30
REV. Mr.. CONKLIN'S ADDRESS.
The Young People and the Universalist
Church."

Mr.. Conklin remarked, in begin
ming: | DO not feel competent to treat
this subject as it deserves to be treated.
But | believe that when those who
authOritatiyely represent our Conven-
tiOn select any one of us to perform a
! certain duty, we should be loyal enough,
and true enough, and trusty enough, to
respond with a willing heart. The
speaker continued: The theme before
us at this moment is timely one. We
may say truthfully that 10 church can
succeed in this modern world without
constant reinforcement of young peO-
pie. That is the very condition of con
tinuity. 1t is natures law That is the
way the whole natural world conserves
its energy. In the social life of man
we find this law. All along the line of
centuries we trace the beginnings of
ideas and organizations that temper
and mold our modern life. We are
! prepared to understand what we can
not help seeing when we turn our eyes
to the churches, viz, that those churches
are great churches, and are destined to
possess the future, that welcome young
people and give them good work to do.
That is law, and that is common sense.
Furthermore, the presence and Co
operation of young people in a church
| increases its efficiency. OF course, in
certain sense, youthfulness is not a
matter of years. They only are old
who feel old; some are old at nineteen;
some are young at ninety. Gladstone
is practically young man. In every
art, in every industry, and in every pro-
fession, they are young whose sympa-
thies are with the life and thought of
to-day. But, certainly, this generation
will be but a poor successor to the last,
if now, with more light and better ad-
vantages, with the experiments of the
Fathers before us, we cannot get lit
tie nearer the absolute truth, and can
not improve Just little, at least, upon
the practical methods of the past The
tendency Of old ge,-and it is one that
is healthful and right in old age-is to
hold fast that which is good young
people come, unbiased, unfettered,
open to the day, feeling the grand thrill
Of young life, able to perform great
tasks, anxious to try their strength
upon the great problems, and IN the
great work of their own day. So
church in which old and young work
together will be the most effective
church.
What are the claims of our church
upon young people? First, because it
is a church of to-day. We have a re-
mote spiritual ancestry to be sure. We
believe that Jesus taught the doctrine
on which our church stands; we believe
that it was the faith of the early Chris
tiausfathers; modern scholarship every
where confirms our faith in that. But
this is a church of to day; it drinks in
the light of day; it is trying to work in
the spirit of to-day.
A second claim is that it does not put
an unjust and unreasonable ban upon
the innocent joys and amusements that
young people crave. The Universalist
church does not make war upon nature.
But don't carry away the impression
that all we people think of is to have a
good time. That is but a small part Of
our life. The mission of the Univer-
salist church is to teach the truth Of
God, to purify the life of man on this
earth, to foster and institute, when
necessary, good reforms, to increase the
power Of the Christian religion. 1t
exists for the most serious work under
heaven But it recognizes 10 sin in
laughter; no intrinsic wrong IN legiti-
mate amusements. This is all it re-
quires; BE ooedieut in ali thirgs to
the great laws of God. This church
should seem iHvitiI z because its test Of
am 1,arg hin, 10 81, eit.rY.fa