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INDEX AND BAPTIST.
: —ft
History and Importance of SaMb-ijctoob
BY ELDER W. L. GRIDER.
PREFACE.
The following pitmen are the fcubatauce of a
sermon preached before the Sabbath-School Con
▼entiofT, at Mi. Zion chtirch, m Tat naif eigh
ty, Georgia, on Friday, 17th day of Septem
ber, 1875, and written for publication, in Tub In
dex, by reqnetit of the Convention.
Take it, reader, and study the history of the
time honored and heaven bleat institution.
May God bless and sanctify the Hermou to the
good of hie own beloved cause ia the earnest
prayer of the Author.
“ And these words which I command thee this
diy, ah alt be in thy heart : And thou shalt teach
them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk
of them when thou sittest in thine house, and
when thou walkest by the way, and when thou
beet down, and when thou risest up.”—Deute
ronomy 5 : 6, 7.
The student well knows that in his
historical researches he often finds
places and institutions which have lived
for years, and have undergone many
changes in name. He sometimes, also,
finds the same person, place, or insti
tution, called by different names, at the
same time, by different people. And it
is sometimes the case that an institu
tion is described in history and not
named.
All this is true of the institution we
have risen to-day to defend. It has
been called on different occasions, and
by different people, by a variety of
names; and we may find it described
in history, on some occasions, and not
named.
The names by which the institution
has been called are, “Sunday School,"
“Sabbath School," “Sabbath Class,"
“ Lord’s Day School," “Bible Class,"
“Bible School,” “Theological School,"
etc., all of which q,re indicative of the
character of the beloved institution.
The territory over which t' s asso
ciation extends contains mam vile op
posers to the Sabbath-school cause,
who have exhausted the English vo
cabulary in getting slanderous epithets,
malicious expressions, and wicked
anathemas, to hurl against that highly
honored institution of God. They
have said so much, and dealt so large
ly in gross misrepresentations, until
m ny of the people are ignorant in re
gard both to the meaning of the term
“Sabbath School,” and to the history
of the institution.
We therefore propose —
I. To notice the definition of the term
Sabbath School.
11. Examine the history of the insti
tution.
injections raised against
'III Jins ion
XkrW'ff. ••// of Sobboth-
SehOMheacftlnfe.
I. Toe definition of the term Sab
bath School:
The best and most comprehensive
meaning of the term Sabbath-schdol
that I can give is this :
“si school taught on the Sabbath day
in which the old and young meet to study
the Bible , and be taught in those things
that pertain to,God's blessed II ’ ord .”
1 am aware of the fact that many
schools have been taught on the Sab
bath where the Bible was not the only
text book ; yet the great object was to
teach, at least in part, the great truths
of Christianity ; and while the Bible
has not been excluded from any of the
schools, spelling, reading and even
writing, have also been taught in com
munities where there were no literary
schools, or where the Sabbath-school
scholars were unable to attend the lit
erary schools. Many are to-day bless
ing the Sabbath-school because
within its walls they received the rud
iments of an education both literary
and religious. 1 have heard some
fair scholars, and devoted, intelligent
Christians say they were indebted to
the Sabbath-school as the humble
means, in the hand of God, for what
they were, both as scholars and as
Christians. But while spelling, read
ing, and even writing, have sometimes,
under the circumstances I have named,
been taught in the Sabbath-school,
yet the Bible is, and should always be,
the leading text book, and all the rest
that is taught should only be prepara
tory to the study of its precious pages.
The misrepresentations and slan
ders dealt out so lavishly by some
of our neighbors, in regard to Sab
bath-school or theological instruc
tion, has caused some of our weaker
brethren and sisters to err, in neglect
ing their duty, and thereby to live de
void, to a great extent, of the real joy
of God’s salvation. Some have been
much worried at hearing repeatedly
unfounded anathemas and reproach
ful stigmas hurled at us, both from
the sacred stand and the private circle.
A good, but weak sister remarked to
me a short time since that she had
been much hurt by a remark made by
Parson about me, but says she,
“I know it is not true, and told him
so.” “YVhat was the remark ?” I en
quired. “He said that you had studied
theology, but I know it is not true,”
said the sister. “YVhy, my dear sister,”
said I, “you surely do not intend to
disgrace me by saying I never studied
theology; I have been a sort of theo
logical student for near twenty years.”
“You don’t say so," said she in aston
ishment, “how sorry I am." “Do you
know what theology is?” I enquired.
“I don’t know that I do exactly,” said
the sister, “but I have heard it spoken
of as being something very bad.” “Let
me tell you, my sister, that theology is
nothing more nor less than the studv
of the Bible, and if people who hurl
thj|ir epithets of condemriation at those
who are trying to do their Master’s
will, would be theological students
themselves, we would have a much bet
ter world.” And this, brethren, is
what we understand a Sunday-school
to be —a little theological school —a
school where the people meet to study
that best of all books, the Bible.
Our text fells us that we are hot only
to receive the precious truths ourselves,
but to teach them to our children and
neighbors.
This brings us to notice in the next
place—
i. The history of the institution.
Somq have claimed that Sabbath
schopls are of recent origin, and, like
the nptishroom that springeth up in
the night and withereth in the morn
ing, they will soon be numbered with
the things that are past. Let us come
now to examine their history, and see
if, indeed, they are like the fungus
nuisance of which we have just spoken,
or like the durable rock that has stood
the storms for ages, and is likely to
stand them much longer.
I hold in my hand two books, these
I expect to use in proving my positions
in regard to the Sabbath-school cause.
One is entitled “Raikes and his
schools.” It is publihsed by the Amer
ican Baptist Publication Society, and
is considered by all, so far as I know,
to be a true and faithful history of the
Su tday-school cause. The other is
the Holy Bible. By the aid of these
tw4> books I hope to be able to trace
Sabbath-schools back from the pres
ent through many centuries.
i st. Sabbath Schools in Georgia.
I suppose no one will deny the ex
istence of Sabbath-schools now in
Georgia.
The delegates composing this Sab
bath-school Convention arc the repre
sentatives of different Sabbath-schools
within the bounds of this Asssociation.
Sabbath schools are in existence, then,
right amongst us, and we have the
chance of witnessing their workings, if
we desire. Many persons are here to
day who will testify to the fact that
Sabbath-schools did exist as long ago
as they can remember; and many
church records show Sabbath-schools
to have existed in our beloved State
long before the birth of the oldest per
sons in our country.
The first Sabbath-school erer or
ganized in this State was in Savannah,
in the year 1737, “by the Rev. John
Wesley, which was continued by his
brother, the Rev. Charles Wesley, and
the Rev. George Whitfield.” (See
Raikes, page 144.) This school was or
ganized before any BaptisfWbsited 'the
State, so far as we can learn. The
first Baptist organization of which we
have any account iu Georgia was, pro
bably, a branch of the Charleston
church, organized about the year 1769,
in the city of Savannah. YVe do not
know whether or not this little body
of Christians had a Sabbath-school,
but we do know that Sabbath-schools
were taught in Baptist churches, not a
great, many years after, in the Eastern
part of the State as well as iu the city.
An aged minister told me a few days
ago that he is indebted to the Sabbath
school, under God, for all he is as a
Christian, and Biblical scholar. He
walked eleven miles every Sabbath to
attend school in a Baptist meeting
house, quite a half century ago. In
this school he received bis first relig
ious impressions, and he learned to love
the Bible.
We verily believe from all we can
learn that Sabbath - schools have
existed in our beloved State for
one hundred and thirty - eight
yeafs. The little spark first kindled
in our metropolis was fanned into a
mighty flame, that spread iu pace with
civilization and Christianity, and lias
rolled on and on until now, as true re
ligion is planting its footsteps in our
part of the State, and we are begin
iug to be, blessed with its luminous
beams; and wo believe it will continue
to spread until every part of our land
will be illuminated by its effulgent
rays.
But let us now notice (2,1) the Sab
bath-school movement in other parts
of the United States.
I will again read from Raikes, page
163:
“We have recently met with a state
ment which claims th 6 first Sunday
school in the State of Virginia to have
been organised iu the Baptist meeting
house, called Ground Squirrel, in the
county of Hanover, on the second
Sabbath in April, 1816; the same year,
it will be observed, as the one com
menced at Lynchburg.”
We learn from this that our own
people advocated Sabbath-schools in
1816. And if you will turn to page
149, you will find that the Baptists
were warm-hearted advocates of the
beloved cause long before the organi
zation of the Sabbath.school at Ground
Squirrel. I will read: “The fifty-third
anniversary of the Broadway Baptist
Sunday-school, in Baltimore, was cele
brated in 1847.” That makes this
school date back to 1794. That makes
Sabbath-schools date back in our de
nomination eighty-one years. But our
brethren, the German Seventh-day
Baptists, date farther back than we do.
(See Raikes, p. 144) “In the same
year, (1740), the German Seventh-day
Baptists, at Elphrata, in Pennsylvania,
commenced a Sabbath-sohool.” This
dates back 135 years.
“As early as 1784, the Methodist
TgE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
ministers and preachers were required,!
by the Dec-ipline, wherever there were
ten children, whose parents were mem
bers, to meet them at least an hour
every week for purposes of religious
instruction.’’ Rev. P. D. Gorrie, in
his history of the Methodist Episco
pal church, sayß;“as early as 1786,
Sunday-schools were established in
the Methodist Episcopal church in the
United States, through the agency of
Bisb >p Asbury.” (Raikes,pp. 144,145.)
“In 1740, t he Rev. Dr. Joseph Bellamy,'
of Bethlehem, Connecticut, established
a Sunday-3chool in that town, which
has continued, with some modifica
tions, until this day.” (Raikes, 144.)-
This same school has been in exist
encp 135 years.
The Pilgrim Fathers, who left their
native land in search of an asylum
where they could worship their God" 1
“according to the dictates of their own
consciences,” were the first peo
ple of whom we have any ac
count that advocated Sabbath-schools
in the United States. Their church re
cord shows that as early as 1680, they
had a Sabbath-school taught for the,
benefit of the young in their congrega
tions, during the intermission on the
Sabbath. The vote of the church was
in these words : “That the deacons
be requested to assist the ministers id"
teaching the children during the inter-
mission on the Sabbath.” (Raikes,
pp. 143, 144 ) This school might
have existed long before this date.
The resolution does not say that the
school was then organized, but “ that
the deacons be requested to aid the
ministers,” etc., which seems to imply
that the school existed previous to that
time and that the church decided aL,
that time that the minister needed help
in his arduous task, and requested the
deacons to give the necessary help.
But if the school was not organized
until the year 1680, that would be able
to trace the Sunday-school cause back
in the United States nearly two hun
dred years. That seems a little aston
ishing, no doubt, to those who hav-e]
been taught to regard the Sabbath- j
school as a thing of very recent origin, j
We have not named near all the histo-j
ry we have to prove tbe existence of
Sabba‘h-schools in the United States,
but we think quite enough has been
said upon tbe subject to satisfy any
unprejudiced mind that Sabbath
schools have existed in tbe United
States for nearly two hundred yearsfc
If, however, any one should not be
istied from what wo have said thus fat,
we recommend a careful perusal of this
little book. (Raikes and his Schools^*
We will come now to speak— B
3d. Of Sabbath sclw(> s gn
side'the Atlantic. r
It lias been asserted that Robert
Raikes was the originator of Sabbath
schools. This is undoubtedly an error,
for as we have already seen a school
was organized as early as 1680 in the
United States, which was before bis
birth -he having been born Sept. 14,
1736. We have found, also, that two
schools was organized as early as 1740,
which was only four years after the
birth of Raikes. Raikes cannot, there
fore, lie considered the first man who
conceived the idea of organizing the
benefits accruing from a Sabbath
school. Yet he was the first to bring
tbe plans of Sabbath-schools into
prominent notice. When he began his
work in his schools, no doubt be be
lieved lie was the originator, and
thought bo stood all alone in bis great j
work. But others hail advocated the
cause long before his day, but their [
work had been limited to a small com- i
pass, and nothing had been published |
upon the subject.
His biographer says : (pp. 18, lib)
“It is true that Robert Raikes first
brought the system into prominent notice,
and employed means to extend it, but
it would seem that when he began the
work he bad no idea of what it would
come to; others, whether he knew it
or not, had engaged in the hapny
task.”
He tells us the beginning of his
scheme was entirely owing to accident.
Being called into a part of the city on
some business, where the poor class
reside, he was shocked at the appear- j
ance and manners of some children he I
saw playing iu the streets. Upon in
quiry, he learned it was much worse on
the Sabbath, because then the children
that were employed during the week,
were turned loose with the profane
idlers he found in the streets in the
weekday. He thought, upon learning
this, that it would be, at least, harm
less to organize Sabbath-sehools for j
the benefit of those neglected children, i
He set to work, and soon had several
flourishing Sabbath-schools in exist-'
enee, where the children were taught |
to spell, read, write, and learn hymns, j
the catechism, and verses from the j
Bible. He found his plans received'
the Divine approbation, and he con-;
tinued to extend them. He published
several artitles, the first of which was
printed November 30,1783; as well as
a great many private letters, some of
which have been given to the public.
His published letters caused many to
think of the plan, and consider the
great importance of Sabbath-school
instruction, and in a short time num
bers of schools were started in differ,
ent parts of the country. Almost
every denomination of Christians
caught up the idea, and schools were
taught in nearly all the churches
throughout the land.
Among the many religious philan
throphists who advocated the cruse of
Sabbath-schools was one William Fox,
a pious devoted member of the Bap
tist church. William Fox was born
fie same year which gave birth to
liaikes, and in the same county. His
father died while William was quite
young, and leaving but a small inheri
tance for his children. William was
driven while young to depend upon his
own labor for maintenance, and by his
honesty, industry and frugality, soon
amassed quite a fortune. “His heart,
however, was not allowed by the God
to whom he had given it, to place an
inordinate love on the objects of earth.
His business required him to take fre-
Auent journeys into different parts of
England, and he soon began deeply to
deplore the ignorance and vices of a
large portion of the population. He
proposed to his most intimate friends
-the formation of a society by which
every poor person in the kingdom
should be taught to read.” (Raikes,
pp. 57, 58.)
The plan of hiring teachers to teach
all the time, was considered entirely
too expensive by the society, and the
plan was soon abandoned. Just at this
time Mr. Fox’s attention was directed
to Mr. Raikes’ Sabbath-school, and
thinking much good could be acecom
nlished by schools taught on the Sab
'bath, he wrote to Mr. Raikes on the
j 15th day of June, 1785. Mr.
Raikes gave him the necessary infor
mation, and the society adopted Mr.
Raikes’ plan of Sabbath education.
“The result of Mr. Fox’s labors, who
.was greatly encouraged by Mr. Raikes’
correspondence, was the organization of
a society which has proved a most in
valuable blessing, and which is still ex
.tensivelv useful as the society for
PROMOTING SUNDAY-SCHOOLS THROUGH
PUT the British dominions, or as ab
breviated, THE SUNDAY SCHOOL SOCIETY.
(Raikes, pp. 62.)
We see from these facts that Sab
bath-schools were first brought into
prominent notice bv Robert Raikes,
and tbe first society for the promotion
Rif Sabbath-schools was brought into
jixistenee through the influence of
BVilliam Fox, about a century ago. Let
pis see if any schools existed in Europe
f>rior to those established by Raikes.
About the year 1767, “the very dis
tinguished John Frederic Oberlin, pas
tor of Wald back, in the Ban de la
Roche, commenced his Sabbath
schools.” (Raikes, pp. 17.
1 In the year 1667, a Miss Hannah
Ball, of High Wycombe, a small town
in Buckinghamshire, about thirty-five
miles West of London, collected to
gether a number of poor children,
faughr them to read the Scriptures, to
Itarnth* 1 Episcopal catechism, and re..
Collect for the day before they
accompanied her to Divine worship.”
(Raikes, pp. 19.)
“It has been said that the distinguish
ed Joseph Alleine, author of the Alarm
to the Unconverted, it ad a Sunday
school attached to his church at Taun
ton, Somersetshire, as early as the year
168S” (Raikes, p. 19.)
Eustage, in his Classical Tour, speak
ing of the celebrated Charles Borro
meo, who died in 1584, says: “Many
of his excellent institutions still re
main, and among others that of Sun
day-schools.'' (Raikes, p. 15.) This
great and good man died in 1584, so
his schools were organized previous to
that time. It appears that as early as
1521, Luther “laid the foundation of
the magnificent organization of schools
to which Germany owes so much of
her present fame.
At the same time, religious schools
on the Lord’s day were established,
and were devoted to the study of a
Biblical catechist, singing the prai.-es
of God, and the great duty of prayer.”
(Raikes, p. 14.)
We learn from these historical facts
that Sabbath-schools have existed for
three hundred years, and were brought
into prominent notice about one hun
dred years ago, and a society form and
for their promotion, and since that
time they have become general, both
in the old and new world.
But did Sabbath-schools exist prior
to Luther’s day? \\ r e think they did.
"In every age of the church we seem to
meet with its germs , but it was not till
the beginning of the Reformation in
the sixteenth century, that the scheme
began, by the providence of God, to be
developed as we now see it." (Raikes,
p. T 4.)
But let us now pass over several cen
turies coming to the commencement
of the Christian era, and remark :
3d. Jesus taught Sabbath-schools.
It would make no difference with us
who originated the plan, or who
brought it into notice, or who advoca
ted it, if there were no authority for it
in the B.ble. But we think we have au
thority for it in this blessed book, both
by precept and example, and we ex
pect to labor for the time-honored and
divinely blest institution as long as we
live, or until we are convinced that v. e
have not read aright. Let us go ‘.O
the Bible, the infallible rule for instruc
tion.
A gentleman told me a few days ago
that a friend of mine, who had always
been taught to repudiate Sabbath
schools as something that came from
ihe devil, was interested upon the Sab
bath-school question, after seeing the
workings of one, and that he had gone
to the Bible to see if there is any war
rant in its precious pages for the insti
tution. I remarked to the gentleman
“ that if our friend hate decided to
search the Scriptures for information,
when he gets through, he will be a
strong advocate for Sabbath-schools.”
I found my piognostications to be
true. He is thoroughly convinced that
God commands Sabbath-school teach
ing, and he is, to-day, a lively advocate
for Sabbath-schools.
And I believe, my brethren, that
every honest-hearted, thinking man,
that possesses the saving grace of God,
and one particle of religious philan
thropy, who will lay down prejudice,
and consent to be governed by the
Word of God, and not by non-fellow
ship articles, or other unscriptural
laws, passed by associations which love
to lord it over God's heritage, will be
an advocate for Sabbath-schools.
But let us see if Jesus taught a Sab
bath-school. You remember we told
you in the outset that sometimes we
find the description of an institution
in history and it not named, or it may
be called by a different name from the
one to which we are accustomed We
do not claim to be able to find the in
stitution named in the Bible, but we
claim to be able to find a school taught
on the Sabbath day, in which the old
and young met to be taught the truths
of the Bible, and that, you remember,
is our definition of a Sabbath-school.
Well, now, to our task, if you will
turn to Mark vi: 2, you will find this
historical truth recorded : “And when
the Sabbath day was come, he began
to teach in tbe synagogue.”
We claim that on that o.casion Je
sus taught a Sabbath-school, in the
strict sense of that term. The people
assembled in the synagogue —the place
of worship —on the Sabbath day, and
were taught. Was not that a Sabbath
school? There were pupils, there was
a teacher, and he taught those pupils
on the Sabbath day. That, then, was a
Sabbath-school, and Jesus was the
teacher.
But some of the opposers of the in
stitution may argue that it was only
once he did this. Turn to Luke iv :
16. “And as his custom was, he went
into the synagogue on the Sabbath day
and stood up for to read.” When you
go home, get your Bibles and read the
whole of the lesson he chose for that
Sabbath, and the explanation he gave
to his pupils on the lesson, which you
will find to close with the twenty-sev
enth verse. You see that it was his
custom to go into the synagogue on
the Sabbath day and teach. Then we
argue Jesus was in the custom of teach
ing a Sabbath-school. YVe claim that
our well-conducted schools of the pres
ent day are similar to the Sabbath
schools Jesus taught. Let ns compare
them :
Ist. It was the custom of Jesus to
go intq J:he synagogue pn the Sabbath
day and teacn. '
It is the custom of our Sabbath
school teachers to go into the house of
worship and teach on the Sabbath day.
2d. He read the Scriptures. So do
our teachers
3d. He explained the lesson which
he had read. That is what our teach
ers do to the best of their ability. An
other similarity also exists.
4th. His enemies were displeased
with His doctrines, and thrust him out
of the city, and would have killed him
if they could. Our enemies are dis
pleased with the doctrine we teach—
persecute us to as great an extent as
they can, and would east us out and
kill us, no doubt, if the law did not
protect us. But some people have be
come remarkably wise in thege latter
days ; yes, wise above what is written.
Some have discovered that it is wrong
to preach to sinners, and will tell the
unconverted of their congregations
they have nothing for them. I was
told a minister not long since said to
the unconverted iu his congregation,
“ Sinner, I have not a word for you,
only do not be overly much wicked."
Now, if it is wrong to preach to sin
ners, it is not right to teach in the Sab
bath-school, for there we admit all the
unconverted who will come, and try to
teach them the way of salvation. But
we know it is right to teach the uncon
verted, because Jesus did so in His
Sabba*h-schools. YVe read where Jesus
“ marveled because of the unbelief ”
of some of his Sabbath-school pupils.
Mark, vi: 6. Again, it may be said
that we admit children in our schools,
but Jesus did not. YVonderful discov
ery. He who said “ Suffer little chil
dren to come unto Me, and forbid them
not,” never said keep them away.
Jesus instructed the children, and
they received the irst 'uction, and the
chief priests and scribes were displeas
ed because they believed in the Saviour
and cried in the temple, saying, “ Ho
sannah to the Son of David.” The
dear children were converted, and
praised God. Mat. xxi: 15.
YVe then have authority for Sabbath
schools from the example of our blessed
Saviour. But let us remark :
4th. We still find the germ of the Sab
bath-school farther back than the nativity
of our Saviour in the world.
If you will turn to that beautiful
and impressive Psalm of David, in the
thirty-fourth chapter you will find that
David believed just as we do ; that the
children should be taught “the fear of
the Lord.” David says iu the eleventh
verse “Come ye children, hearken unto
me, and I will teach you the fear of
the Lord.” David here had a theo
logical school among the children
whether he taught it on the Sabbath
or not. Those who are opposed to
teaching children those things that
pertain to God or godliness, surely
never got as far back in their reading
as the thirty-fourth Psalm of David,
or else they are like the anti-Misslona
ary brother I once heard of, who said,
“ I know brother Paul says we should
lay by us in store on the first day of
the week, as the Lid has prospered
us,” but I have as p:od a right to my
opinion as brotht. Paul has to his,
and I,therefore, beg ive to differ with
brother Paul." I t ppose those who
are opposed to tL teaching of Bi
ble truths to child 1 would beg leave
to differ with Dav 1. But David was
not the only Bible aaracter that be
lieved in teaching children, and invit
ing tbe young as well as the old to a
compassionate and merciful Saviour.
Turn to Ecclesiastes, xii: 1, and you
find where David’s Son, being im
pressed with the same philanthropic
spirit of the sweet songster of Israel,
gave this invitation to the young:
“ Remember now thy Creator in the
days of thy youth, while the evil days
come not, nor the years draw nigh,
when thou shalt say I have no pleasure
in them.” We might call your atten
tion to many other passages of like im
port, but our time flies too fast. The
Bible is full of them, and he who reads
with an unprejudiced mind cannot fail
to find them. We will now ask you to
notice our text, and close this part of
our subject.
We are commanded in the text to
teach something to our children. What
is it ? The very same we are to have
in our heart. What is that? See
verses 4 and 5: “ The Lord, our God,
is one Lord ; and thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thine heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy
might.”
Now, God says in verse 6th : “And
these words, which I command thee
this day, shall be in thy heart: and
thou shalt teach them diligently unto
thy children.
Who, after reading this can deny its
being right to teach our children those
things that we ourselves have learned.
What God commands us to teach them
covers the whole plan o: salvation, for
Jesus says, “on these two command
ments hang all the law and the proph
ets.” We are to teach them the truths
of tbe Bible, and leave the result with
God, who will work all things after the
counsel of His own will.
So we have, step by step traced Sab
bath-schools .back from the present to
the time of the command by God,
through Moses, to teach our children,
and we find that the historian spoke
truthfully, when he declared that the
germ might be found in all ages of the
church. In the days of Moses, the
command was given, “teach these
things diligently unto thy children.”
From that time the work went
ou, in df limited aijrainl
noticed way, until God raised up Raikes
to give it publicity, and Fox to organ
ize a society for its promotion. Then
it began to spread, wider and wider,
and to extend itself farther and farther,
until it has grown to its present gigan
tic size, and we trust ere long, will
bring the gladsome sound of the Gos
pel to thousands who have never
yet heard the name of Jesus. This
brings us to our next division.
111. A nsiver to objections raised against
the institution.
1. It has been urged against Sabbath
schools, that the unconverted cannot un
derstand the truth, and, therefore, ought
not to be taughc.
If the premises in this objection
were true, we would admit tbe conclu
sion, but we deny the premises for sev
eral reasons.
Men are rational, intelligent beings,
capable of studying and understand
ing any science. YVe teach profane
history in our literay schools, and our
pupils understsnd it; why should they
not be able to understand sacred his
tory ? Can your children understand
the history of George Washington, or
Lee, or Jackson, and not be capable of
understanding the history of Joseph or
David, or Samuel or Jesus ? Can they
study and understand the laws of their
State, and not be capable of under
standing the moral code given in the
Bible ? God has endowed us with in
tellects through which He has chosen
to operate upon our hearts.
I will admit, ho wever, that some of
the doctrines of salvation cannot be
understood before the student is con
verted. For instance the doctrine of
regeneration cannot be correctly un
derstood until the student of the doc
trine experiences the new birth. But
there are a great many truths that we
can teach to the unconverted, which
they are capable of understanding, and
through which we hope God will apply
His saving grace.
If it be true that the unconverted
cannot understand the truths of the
Bible, why are we commanded to teach
these things to our children ? It is
said that secret things belong to God,
and revealed things to us and our
children.
YVhy did David, Solomon and Jesus
teach the unconverted (and even un
converted children) if they were inca
pable of understanding ? YVhy did
Peter preach to the immense multitude
of unconverted people on the day of
Pentecost if they could not under
stand ? YYTiy did Phillip preach to
Enoch before he was converted if
he could not understand ? YVhy was
Timothy taught the Scriptures from a
child if he could not understand
them ? Paul commended his education,
and said the Scripture he had learned
was able to make him wise unto salva
tion through faith which is in Christ
Jesus. I want you to turn to that