"ijMoiwd, That, as these organizations bear the name of Christian, and profess to be engaged directly in the Saviour's service, so it is clearly their duty to maintain the control and management of all their affairs in the hands of those who profess to love and pul)licly avow their faith in Jesus, the Redeemer, as Divine, and who testify their faith by becoming and remaining members of churches held to be evangelical. And we hold those churches to be evangelical which, maintaining the Holy Scriptures to be the only infallible rule of faith and prac- tice, do believe in the Lord Jesus Olirist (the only-begot- ten of the Father, King of kings and Lord of lords, in whom dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and who was made sin for us, though knowing no sin, bear- ing our sins in his own body on the tree), as the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved from everlasting punishment."
At the time this resolution was passed about one half of the associations had the same test. It was decided that all associations organized after that date must, in order to be entitled to representation in the Interna- tional Convention, limit their active voting member- ship to members of evangelical churches. The associ- ations have thus secured the hearty co-operation of the churches and Christian people of the land. Another important work, not to be overlooked, is the origination by these societies of stringent legislation in the United States for the suppression of obscene literature, and the continuation of those efforts by special organizations for the enforcement of such legislation.
The building of the Pacific Railroad brought together many men of vicious habits, who, in turn, contaminated those who came in contact with them. Here was a new population continually on the move, yet sadly needing the assistance of such an organization as the Young Men's Christian Association. Each new terminus of the road became, for the time being, a town, generally of tents and board shanties; but what was a town to- day might be a wilderness to-morrow, and another spot in the wilderness be chosen for the town. Churches could not keep pace with this onward march of human- ity; and in July, 1868, the Young Men's Christian As- sociation of Omaha organized a movement to meet the
demands of this new field. They sent out a company of Christian young men whose duty it was to keep pace with the march of the employes and the attendant means of drawing men into temptation. They held religious meetings wherever they could get a hearing, and organized societies for the perpetuation of these be- ginnings. After the movement had been fairly started by the Omaha association, and its practicability had been demonstrated, the International Convention of the Young Men's Christian Association took it up, and ex- tended it to other railroads as rapidly as circumstances would permit. Efforts were made to open rooms for railroad workmen at Erie, Altoona, Baltimore, Jersey City, and other important centres, but for various rea- sons they met with only partial success. In time lead- ing railroad men became interested in these philan- thropic labors in behalf of their employes. Such men as Cornelius Vanderbilt, Thomas A. Scott, John W. Gar- rett, Robert Harris, J. H. Devereux, and others gave en- couragement to the movement in various ways. Some of them contributed to the support of secretaries named by the associations, and offered rooms for the holding of meetings. In Indianapolis twelve railwa}' compa- nies unite in supporting the association ; and in Chicago the principal railroad officials are members of associa- tion committees.
II. Present Operations. — There are two prominent characteristics of these associations, which deserve no- tice : they are associations of young men ; they em- bod}' the j'outhful enthusiasm and energies of the Church. What constitutes a young man, is a problem that has had various solutions. In America a man is considered to have passed his youth when he has reached the age of forty years. After that he ceases to be an active, and becomes a counselling, member. In France marriage serves as the dividing line between the young men and those who have passed young man- hood. Young women, as a rule, are not admitted. In one or two organizations women have been admitted to equal or nearly equal privileges with men. This is the case in Brookh'n, where the wisdom of the plan is ap- parent in the activity and efficiency of the society. In some other cities women have all the privileges of the library and reading-room, and other similar advantages. In Boston they have organized a Young Women's Chris- tian Association. A like association was founded in New York in 1870, and incorporated in 1873. It has for its object the same ends as those to which Young Men's Christian Associations are directed. Generally, however, young women are not admitted to these or- ganizations of young men, except as spectators to cer- tain of the more public meetings.
The second characteristic of these associations is their undenominational character. They profess to be simply Chi-istian associations. But it was found neces- sary to limit the voting membership to Christian young men, and in time it was deemed important to find a common basis of Christian belief. This was found in the evangelical test already mentioned. There is a broad distinction to be noted in the methods and opin- ions of the evangelical churches and the so-called liberal Christians. The incitements to sinners to lead a new life, the degree of zeal in exhortation, and the methods of instructing inquiring penitents are so widely differ- ent in the two systems of belief that it was considered vital to the success of the enterprise to keep them sep- arate in this field of labor. No new creed was desired, and none was needed ; a simple declaration of what was already in the symbols of all evangelical churches was sufficient to unite the Christian young men of America into one brotherhood for aggressive Christian work. There is no clashing of theological oi)inions, for all have imited under the one banner of the Divine Christ, to reach out and save fallen humanity from impending ruin.