Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-06-15
YOUNG MEN OUTSIDE THE
GHIIRGAES
PAPER READ BY REV. BENZ. SWIFT OF
ORWELL BEFORE THE ADDISON COUNTY
CONFERENCE, JUNE |, 1894.

|
on such programme as this of our con-
ference to feel that his is the most vitality
important of all the list. The reason for
this may be found in the fact that one
brings to bear upon his own special sub
ect the more careful and concentrated
thought. However that may be, it Is
surely true that any one of the themes
likely to be discussed at such a meeting
as this is of such character as to bear
and deserve most thoughtful attention,
and the more one thinks out upon them
the more is he convinced of their inner
ent significance and their practical bear
ing. look over this list of subjects and
| find no one which seems to me more
intensely practical or more deserving of
our earnest and definite thought than
this, "Young Men outside of the
Churches"
| am led,t first of all. to think of the
position which. young men occupy in
the business, political and social life of
today, especially in this land of ours.
Go through the offices of our immense
railroad corporations and note the large
proportion of young men there. and that.
too, in positions of great responsibility.
Whom do we find in our banking institu-
tons today as cashiers, indeed, in an liz
creasingly large number of cases, a.
presidents? Yes, even though the term
young man be rather elastic. still the
larger number of these important pO-
sitions are filed by what may be fairly
termed young men. One who looks for
the first time into the commercial eX-
changes of our chief cities is impressed
with the relatively large number of men
even under middle age who are taking
part in great financial transactions. So
a consideration of the political life of
these United States, a visit to her eXecu-
tive offices and legislative halls, realizes
to one this same fact that, the tendency
of our modern life is to push young man
hood to the front. 1t goes without say
ing that wherever the social side of life
is emphasized, there young men predOnl-
mate. The club life of any large town
testifies indisputably TO this. 1t used to
be, "old men for counsel. young men
for war;" The young men of the closing
nineteenth century seem to demand a
share in the counses as well as the war
This may be one of the dangers our
modern American civilization. BE that
as it may, the fact remains that in all
lines of the so-called secular life of our
time young men hold a most prominent
place.
awe turn now to the more distinctively
religious life of today, to the church
life of our communities, and what do we
find here? DO we find young men pres
sing into the church and making theiI
youthful energy and vigor felt here as
elsewhere? On the contrary, we find
that the large proportion of them have
no part whatsoever, directly or in1i-
rectly, in the religious activities of the
age. OF the seven or eight millions of
young men in our nation today, it is
said that at least 10 per cent, or five MIL
lions, attend no church, and that % out
of every 100 do not belong to the church
On the other hand, two-thrds of cur
criminals are young men, and saloons
haunts of infamy and gambling dens are
supported very largely by their patron
age. | believe | am right in thinking
that nations pride is her young men.
To them she looks in the time of her dis
tress, as we saw 30 years ago. John
wrote to young men because they were
strong. If of the right sort, they are q
nations strength. When, then, we are
given to consider such a theme as young
men outside the churches, we have il
hand a subject of great moment, boil
because young men form so important
a part of our life and because those out
side the churches compose at least nine
tenths of the whole number.
Coming definitely to our topic, then
am led to ask, first of all, Why are
these millions of young men outside the
church? Is there something inherently
antagonstic between the church OF
Christ and young man? Is the fault
with the church? Is it with the young
men:
In asking such questions l am aware
that | am but repeating the anxious
queryings of many heart burdened with
the thought of such facts as those we
have contemplated. And while we may
not hope to give final answers to these
this morning, we may perhaps at least
get some new longing to see them solved
to do our part toward their solution.
TO the question raised, Is there some
thing inherently antagonistic between
the church of Christ and a young man,
answer emphatcally, no. In the true
conception of the church, as, for in
stance, it took form in the mind of Jesu;
Christ, or even in that of a Peter or &
Paul, there was surely nothing adverse
to young manhood. The founder of the
church was himself a VOunU man Tb,