Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-12-20
MARSHALL COUNTY
Sabbath SchooI Convention,
Held in the Pres6yterian Church,
PLYMOUTH, INDIANA. NOVEMBER
26rH, 27TH AND 2STH, 1866.

For the purpose of awakening livelier
interest in the Sabbath School cause, and
securing valuable information in referenc,
to the promotion and management of Sab
bath Schools, convention was callei, by
a number of the friends of the cause tc
meet in Plymouth on the 2Gth of Novem
Der.
Asreeably to this call the convention as
senbled in the Presbyterian Church or
Monday evening, the 26th ult., and con
tinued its sessions up to Wednesday eve
ming, with increasing audiences and deep
ening interest TO the close.
The convention was favored in having
the assistance of DR.. c. II. Blackall and
Robert Morris, L. l.. d.. of Chicago; Rev
George c. Moves and Rev. W. Clarke, oi
Lapor:e.
MONDAY EVENING.
At seven O'Clock the convention met and
Was opened with an interesting dis
course by Rev. Mr.. Moves, on the topic
The Importance of the Sunday School
TO the community" The speaker took as
his text Matt. 2l:2S. "Go work today in
my vineyanl:''
'The command of the text is general,
having regard TO the diIigent use of every
lnstrumcntality whereby the kingdom OF
Christ may be advanced The precept
may, therefore, be properly narrowed as to
its scope, and its whole force concentrated
upon the Sabbath School work.
The theme assigned To the speaker for
discussion was, 1.-The importance of the
Sunday School TO the community The
! text being the command of The Master.
might be regarded as itself exhibiting the
Importance of this agency. A worker in
the Sunday School cause is certainly u
worker in the vineyard
But the Importance Of the Sunday School
work may BE- shown by considering the
great leading aims which this agency pro
poses to itself
1t aims to be an auxiliary to Christian
parents. Facts show that the Sunday
School has done much to lessen the amount
Ofinfidclity to duty among Christian pa
rents; where that infidelity has prevailed
ana to the degree in which il now prevails,
its injurious ELECTS have been and are large
l. overcome b. The Sunday School
y. II claims 10 counteract and correct
the destructive teaching and influence of
irrcligiouS parents. These irreligious pa
rents vary in character from the orderly
AMI respectable, to the incorrigibly vicious:
bat their children are all alike in this. that
hey are growing up without religious in
Struction, except that which tie SUNDAY
school supplies. And these children must
have religious instruct;on-:hey must be
trained in the fear of the Lord or many
Olthem, in mature years, will become the
scourges of society. Let Christian men
and women gather them into the Sunday
school, and there instruct them faithfully
and prayerfnlly.
-. Viewing this duty of caring for the
children of u0ehrisiian parents from an
other standpoint, we find that the SUNDAY
School is important as supplementing, by
lis work. tie work OF the common school.
Education is not enough. there must be re-
li9ious education. Upon this, not the life
ofthe churches only, but tie life of the
State and OF society depends.
II. The Sunday School is important as
providing something for every Christian 10
do. II is not more Important that the
children should be trained in the fear OF the
Lord, than ii IS important that Christians
should give themselves to the work IF sup
plying that training. The disciple tha;
stands alo0f from active labor for Christ
dies. So OF the church. No one goes to
heaven without being the means of leading
some other soul thither. Those do aofhings
are the curse of the church. They foment
striies. They send faithful and godly min
isters to premature graves. They fill the
air with complaints, each one of which adj
vertiseS their own spiritual barrenness and
shame. OF them Christ SAYS, Il would
that they were cold or hot"-altogether
and openly apostate, or else wholly and
heartily devoted to the work of the Lord.
Miserable and grumbling dyspeptics, LET
them take exercise in the the vineyard of the
Lori, ani they will find he.l.h again, and
joy AMI pelce. The speaker, in closing
appealed to every Christian to lake hold of
this work, not only for the sake of the chill
dren, bat for the 5 IKE of his own health
and joy"
The foregoing presents the main points,
though ii is necessarily brief and impcr
feet abstract of the discourse.
ORGANIZATION.
Mr. John l.. Westervelt was chosen tenn
porary president Mr. John Cleveland.
Rev. Mr.. Mahin and WIN. J. Hand, ESQ.,,
were appointed a committee to report per
menent officers for the convention
| Adjourned.
TUESDAY MORNING.
At . a. m. the convention met and spent
half an hour in devotional exercises.
The committee on permanent organiza-
ton presented the following report, which
was adopted:
President-H- b. PERSHING, esq.
Vice -esident-Rev. GEORGE III.
THAYER.
Secretary-Rev. W. r. MIKELS.
The pastors of the city were appointed a
committee to report on the organization ol
Surd ly School Union for Marshall coun-
".
On motion of Rev. j. Il. Chaplin, a com
mittee was appointed to prepare and pre-
sent at the close ofthe convention, resolu-
tions embodying the sense OF the convention
upon the several subjects discussed during
| its session.