Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-02-10
Fortfe eiegrap h.
F. DU c. A T l o N.

until our dissolution, by observation, con-
versation. reading, lectures and meditation. :
Tn restricted sense, it means the knowl. /:
edoe ACQUIRED in schools, academies, col
leges. and all other places of learning,
whether public or private. Education IS
of very great importance 1t should be
considered an unsprakabe blessing to be
born in that part of the world where WIS
dom aud knowledge flourish. We have
reason TO be grateful TO God, that there
are so many facilities in our day, for the
acquisition o. useful knowledge. Knowl'
edge is of great value; but it should be
of the right kind-usJuI rather than or
| uamental. Education to be useful, ought |
| to be CHRISTIAN. It should have no 9TH |
er end but to teach how to live, and think,
and iudg according to the laws of Christ
Every teacher should be devoted chris |
tian. 1t should be his object, first of all, |
to teach the youth of MS charge by pre-
cept and example, such virtues as the
religion of Christ requires. Is this the
case in most OF our modern Seminaries?
I fear not. The first temper usually
awakened in children and fostered in
youth is pride; as dangerous a passion
as that OF lust. They are stirred up with
vain thoughts of themselves, and every
thing is done 10 puff up their minds with
a sense of their own abilities. Whatever
situation in lie we intend them for, We
stir them up to action from principles of
strife, ambition, glory, envy, and desire
for distinction. This is not obeving the
divine precert, "Train up child in the
way he should go, and when he is old he
will not depart from it." 1t is not ex-
, pected that men of no religion will feel
the importance of having their children
, reHgiOusIy educated. But one would
suppose that those who have been created
in Christ Jesus, would consider it of vital
importance to have children trained at
home and at school, as the gospel requires.
But it is no: so. Many christian parents
appear to care little about the character
| of'the schools to which they send their
children; and providing they are cheap.
, it is of bat little importance whether the
teacher be an in6del or christian! The
heather will rise up III judgment and
condemn US for this.
A Spartan king being once asked what
he thought most proper for boys to learn,
I answered, THAT which they ought to
d practise when they come to be >
1t The every day instructions of Pythago-
ras, Socrates, Plato and Epictetus, were
l. so many lectures upon the nature oil man,
n his true end, and the right use of his fac
ulies-upon the Immortality OF the soul,
its relation to God, the beauty of virtue
and its agreeabIeness to the divine nature
Upon the dignity of reason, the neces-
; sity of fortitude. temperance and generos-
i, ty, and the shame and folly Of indul ging
r. our passions. This was heather instruc-
d ton; and so far as my knowledge extends,
is preferable 10 the education that too many
y of our youth receive. The principles O.
Dr. their sacred books are taught in all hea
). then schools. while the BIble-the ontl
r, sacred books almost excluded from ouI
;r seminaries of learning!
~ Should not the education of youth b.
as much bettered and amended by Chris
tianity, as the faith and doctrines of reIi
gion are amended by it2 But in anothe
Z respect, our education is frequsn tly any
y thing and every thing, besides what
IF should be. [ am aware, there have beer
he within few years, many great and i'm
", pertant Improvements upon the variou.
eh systems of education: for this | would BE-
he decoutLy thankful. trust, however, tina
ne another advance viii soon be made tow
Ut ards perfection, so that parents and guar
NC dians will GttOags think it best for thei
" sons and daughters to be usefulIy edu
Gated, than 10 have smattering OF tina
which, in ninety-nine cases out of hun
dred, will not be brought into requisilio,
m during life. The method that is oltel
he taken with our youth, is as follows -
or AS soon as they get smatterinu of wha
en- is taught in our primary schools. the