Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-06-15

! leau MN to turn to Him, the church was
the natural place for him. | repeat. If
we keep to the Masters conception of
the church, then there is most certainly
nothing antagonistic between it and the
manifest young man God ever made who
h is an ambition to fulfil the dignity of
his manhood.
If we are right thus far in our thought,
that there is nothing inherently uncon-
genial between the church and the young
man, what of our second question, Is
the present condition of things the fault
of the church? To this query feel dis
posed to give partially affirmative ans
wer believe the church is to a degree
responsible for the existing state of af.
fairs. How, now? Well, first of all.
| believe that the church has built up bar
riers between Iherself and young men
by her too formidable creeds. In this re-
gard we have departed so far from the
early church! The element of formulated
belief has been so emphasized as to make
it seem altogether the essential thing,
and the life has been in measure dried
out of it. Not that certain fundamental
articles of faith are not necessary. The
very existence of the church rests on
on them, and a certain foundation of
belief is essential to give direction to
life. But the simplest possible creed
should be offered and the emphasis laid
upon life. | believe that with the aver
age young man the conception of joining
the church is that of protesting "A great
many things rather than simply confess
ing faith in Christ and avowing a pur-
pose to live IA true life.
Again, believe the matter of being
Christians has not been presented in a
strong enough way to young men; that
is, the being a Christian has not been
made to seem the manly thing that it
really is, the natural thing for a true
hearted young man. Christ has himself
been made too often to appear eflemi-
nate. The beauty of his character and
its sweet spirit have been so emphasized
and its strength and manliness thereby
so obscuIed that to be Christian has
come to seem very proper for weak
minded men, for women and for chill
dren, but not suited to complete man
hood. Was it not because he represent.
ed the Christian life as so manly thing
and worthy of all that is best in a man
that the late Phillips Brooks so drew
men? He taught that to be true man
in Christ, realizing something of the dig
nifty of our manhood and fulfilling Gods
purpose and our possibilities in life, was
the highest aspiration of a man and tie
only worthy one. One attending for the
first time the Madison Square Presbyter-
ian church, New York, Dr. Chas. II. Park
hurst pastor, is impressed with the com
paratively large number of young men in
the audience. When | ask myself why
this is, am led to think that it depends up
on the type of Christian manhood which
DR.. Parkhurst presents to his hearers.
Christianity is to him so much more
than an intellectual assent to anything.
1t is belief translated into terms of
action, aggressive righteousness. TO
him to be a Christian is an exceedingly
practical matter. 1t does not end with
the Sunday services and the prayer
meeting. TO be a Christian is to be a
wel-rOunded man or woman. a mans
Christianity is not something to be put
on and removed as policy seems to direct,
but, if anything, it is the set of his life.
Wherever the man lives most. there this
is to be manifested the most clearly. If
he be in the office or i'm the store, it will
show itself in the principles upon which
the business is conducted. DR.. Park
hurst is seeking to show the young men
of New York that their Christian living
must make itself felt in the politics of
the metropolis. Perhaps there is no
place where a man feels the dignity of
his manhood more fully than when he
is exercising his right of suffrage. A
good many, you know, think this is ex-
clusively a mans right. Here now,
where, if anywhere, "A man realizes his
manhood, DR.. Parkhurst shows the
young man - lilc pldSc Niltlc ' III lNlldl
principles are needed if anywhere in oui
day. But, of course, DR.. Parkhurst is
not alone in urging this conception of
Christianity. The same thought, many
of US will remember, was strongly pre-
scented by Rev. F. +. Clark at Montreal
last July in his annual address before the
great Christian Endeavor gathering.
Among the two or three "larger things"
which he suggested for the year '93 and
'9l was what he styled a larger patrio-
tism. His plea was for the cultivation
of larger and more intelligent spirit of
patriotism and good citizenship. Tc the
question, How shall this be effected
the reply was: "Bring your vote and
your influence to the test of the Christ
ian Endeavor pledge. You have promis
ed to do what He would like to have you
do. Then vote as He would like to have
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