The Duty of Our Churches to Our Youth
By Frederick Griggs
HORACE MANN, the great educator, said that ‘there were three fundamental propositions upon which the common schools of our country rest. He stated these as follows:— 1. “The successive generations of men, taken collectively, constitute one great commonwealth.” 2. “The property of this commonwealth is pledged for the education of all its youth up to such point as will save them from poverty and vice, and prepare them for the adequate performance of their social and civil duties.” 3. “The successive holders of this property are trustees, bound to the faithful execution of their trust by the most sacred obligations; and embezzlement and pillage from children have not less of criminality and more of meanness than the same offenses perpetrated against contemporaries.” Surely these are great and true propositions. They are recognized as the fundamentals of the whole educational system in this government. These principles should hold just as true for the church and its work as they do for the government and its work. “The work that lies next to our church-members is to become interested in our youth.” This is tantamount to saying that the property and means of our church-members should be pledged for the education of our youth up to such a point as will save them from poverty and vice and prepare them for life service in the cause of truth. But we are asleep in this matter, and do not realize its importance. As a people we fail to sense the sacred obligations that rest upon us. We should have schools wherever there can be found children to send to them. There should be an earnest effort to see that all our children and youth are educated. “The church is asleep, and does not realize the importance of this matter of educating the children and youth. ‘Why,’ one says, ‘what is the need of being so particular to thoroughly educate our youth? It seems to me that if we take a few who have decided to follow some literary calling or some other calling that requires a certain discipline, and give attention to them, that this is all that is necessary. It is not required that the whole mass of our youth should be so trained. Will not this answer all essential requirements?’ No, I answer, most decidedly not. What selection would we be able to make out of the numbers of our youth? . . . We can not determine which one of a family will prove to be efficient in the work of God. There should be general education of all its members, and all our youth should be permitted to have the blessings and privileges of our schools that they may be inspired to become laborers with God. They all need an education that they may be fitted for usefulness in this life, and qualified for responsibilities in both public and private life. . . . Let a fund be created by generous contributions for21the establishment of schools for the advancement of the educational work.” Surely if the work that lies next our church-members is that of education for their youth, looking after the lambs of the fold, we must pledge to this work our heartiest support, our loyal sympathy, and our property. If it is to be considered as criminal for the people of the commonwealth to rob their children of the education which belongs to them to fit them for the affairs of this world, what can be said when we rob our children of that training which fits them for a life in the world to come, as well as for usefulness in this life? When we realize these principles as we should, all our school work will take on a spirit of advance.