The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-03-19
The Necessity of Restraint.

superintendency aud restraint.
Matter is destitute of intelligence. 1t
possesses in itself no governing princi,
pie no inherent efficacy TO uphold lis
existence, or to control its motions. 1t
is subject to a variety of notifications
and changes. The material universe is
in motion. Three prominent elements
of the natural world, air, fire, and water,
contaih IN themselves powers that re-
qurc eXtrsneous control. There are
| tendencies to evil in matter, and antag>
onlslic powers in nature, that demand
foreign restraint.
Mind, the mctital Universe, also needs
restriction. 1t is, indeed, superior to
matter. The human mind has counters
balancing faculties and tendencies, which
give men the power of exercising de-
giee OF self-conlrol. But mind cannot
be safely left without a experimenting
agency. Hence arises the necessity Of
law, with lis prohibitions aud penalties.
The human mind is endowed with moral
freedom. Man is responsible, but not
independent. His moral freedom creates
the necessity for his dependence. or all
beings in the universe, man most needs
restraint for while he is free agent, he
possesses strong passions aud propensltes
to evil, and is never surrounded by obs
iectiye allurcmcnis and temptations TO
Wfong doiug.
The actions and desires OF children
need restriction. They aci from impnlse
They think only of the present They
have not formed the habit of shaping
their present course with reference to
The future. They have not learned that
present sefdenial is the price at which
future good is often to be obtained, and
that present suffering and toll are re-.
warded by subsequent enjoyment. These
lessons the child must learn, if he would
be prepared for future happiness or use
iulness. And he can learn them only
through the imposed restrictions Of al
lecton and authority. Parents and teach.
ers must impose these needful checks, or
the child will never acquire either the
power of self-contro or the ability to
govern others.
The child needs restraint and guar
dianship also, in consequence of his ex-
posure and inexperience. Left to him.
self, the child would often bring upon
himself physical evil left to the nn-
checked indulgence of his impulsive
wishes, he would become the victim OF
passion, and having no rule over his own
spirit, he would be exposed 20 fearful
moral dangers. How much Of wisdom
and goodness is there in that arrange
menl of Providence, by which children
are placed in srch circumstances of de-
pendcnce, and in such relations to pa
rents and teachers, that they are by af-
lection and authority kept back from
courses of indulgence, and protected
from moral dangers into which their un-
checked lhoughtlassness aud ardor might
lead theml
TO how many youth have the restraint:
of home and OF the school proved an in
es,imabe moral advantage in projecting
them from early dangers, physical, IN
telectual, and moral aud thus bette
preparing them for the temptations an'
duties OF ripper years
Restraint is also neediu for the righ
development Of character Seii-indul
gence is fne to intellectual and mora
, culture Restraints, either selfimpose'
or enforced by the authority Of another
are Indispensable to mental improvement
No man ever attained TO the highest or
der of mental culture, without curbin
, his passions, without subjecting himse
r 10 rule, without placing himself unde
law and yielding obedience TO it.
habit Of cheerful obedience 10 rightfl
= authority is an essential element of
. good character The child who has n,
learned To obey his parents aud teacher
with a cheerful promptness, has not take
the first step in the formation OF a col
Il rect character. Submission to rigmlu
authority is the beginning Of moral cn
ture Without this, youth, whllevt
II may be his intellectual endowmcnis. {
however great may be his a,ialnmcnt
can never develop symmetrical and a
n tractive character-can never reach Il
c highest order of either intellectual Z
1t mora! cultivation
Restraint being thus necdlul, Prov
dence has made provision for it. III
q Creator has not only imposed checks ~
le counterbalancing influences upon Il
,e forces in nature, bu, he has instituted r
ID straints upon human passion.
it These are of two kinds, objective al
n~ subjective. Among the external check
re civil law, parental authority, school 60
6 ernment, and the influences of relig'o
VI are the most efficient aud useful.