Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1859-07-14

ing propositions:
l. That Christianity is the only
true and perfect religion. and that in
proportion as mankind adopt its prin
ciples, they will be wise and happy.
2. That better knowledge of this
religion is TO be acquired by reading
the Bible than in any other way.
3. That the Bible contains more
knowledge necessary to man in his
present state than any other book in
the world.
4. That knowledge is the most du-
rable, and religious instruction most
useful. when impaired in early life.
5. That the Bible, when not read in
schools, is seldom read in any subse-
quent period OF life.
My arguments in favor of the use
Of the Bible as school book are
founded, first, in the constitution of
the human mind. The memory is
the first faculty which opens in the
minds of children. OF how much
consequence, then, must it be to i'm
press it with the great truths of
Christianity before it is pre-occupied
with less interesting subjects! There
is also a peculiar aptitude in the
minds of children for religious knowl-
edge. / have constantly found them,
in the first six or seven years of their
lives, more inquisitive upon religious
subjects than upon any others; and
an ingenious instructor Of youth has
informed me that he has found young
children more capable of receiving
Just ideas upon the difficult tcncts OF
religion than upon the most simple
branches of human knowledge.
There is wonderful property in
the memory which enables it, in old
age, to recocer the knowledge it had
acquired in early life, after it had been
apparently forgotten for forty or fifty
years. OF how much consequence,
then. must it be to fill the mind with
that species of knowledge, in child
hood and youth, which, when recalled
in the decline of life, will support the
soul under the iHfirmities of age, and
smooth the avenues of approaching
death! The Bible is the only book
which is capable of affording this sup
port to old age; and it is for this rea.
son that we find it resorted to with sc
much diligence and pleasure by such
old people as have read it in early life
| can rccollect many instances of this
kind. in persons who discovered ne
attachment to the Bible in the meri
dian of their lives, who have, notwith'
standing, spent the evening of them
in reading no other book.
My second argument in favor of the
use of the Bible in schools. is founded
upon an implied command of God
and upon the practice of several of tht
wisest nations of the world. In tht
sixth chapter of Deuteronomy, we fine
the following words, which are direct
ly to my purpose: "And thou shal
love the Lord thy God with all thin,
heart, and with all thy soul, and will
all thy might. And these words whicl
l command thee this day, shall be il
thine heart: And thou shalt teacl
; them diligently unto thy children, an,
shalt talk of them when thou sites
in thine house, and when thou walk
est by the way, and when thou lies
, down, and when thou risest up"
: / have heard it proposed that por
, tion of the Bible should be read ever,
l day by the master, as means of in
| structing children in it. But this is
: poor substitute for obliging childre1
? to read it as school book; for, b.
this means, we insensibly engrare, a
it were, its contents upon their minds
e and it has been remarked that childreI
1 instructed in this way in the Scrip
, lures, seldom forget any part of them
s They have the same advantage owe
\ those persons who have only hear
Il the Scriptures read by master, tina
e man who has worked with the tool
t of mechanical employment for sev
! eral years, has over the man who ha
r only stood a few hours in the work
I shop, anu seen the same business cal
= ried on by other people.
: We hear much of the persons edu
: Gated in free schools in England turn
: ing out well in the various walks {
: life. l have inquired into the caus
r of it. and have satisfied myself that
I is wholly to be ascribed to the geners
S use of the Bible in those schools.
a / think / am not too sanguine j
believing that education. conducted j
n this manner, would, in the course {
e two generations, eradicate inidelit
c from among us, and render civil go,
e ernment scarcely necessary in on