Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-09-24
State sabbath School Contention

The State s. s. Convention at Lewiston
last week, was q highly interesting aud
profitable meeting We cannot give space
to full report. tho we are full of the
matter. Rev. Mr. Eggleston of Chicago
and Rev. Mr.. Vincent, of N. York, both
earnest and able workers in the Sabbath
School cause IN the West, were in attend
ance and enlivened the meetings with
their stirring addresses. They are emf
nently practical men, and illustrate how
much may be accomplished in any work
10y making it a speciality.
One of them remarked that the West
was greatly indebted to New England for
habits and practices, most OF which were
worthy of imitation, but one OF our Gus
toms, that of putting the Sabbath School
alter the morning service, when there
was bad air in the room, and the children
tired and hungry, and the intermission
between the preaching services so short
as to afford half hour or so only to the
School, was an evil which the West did
not thank New England for. The Sab
bath School Is too great an interest to be
disposed of In this way. 1t was much
better TO devote the afternoon to IL, rs was
done to great extent IN the West.
The convention WAS organized by the
choice of Hon. G. II. pillsbury for Presi-
dent, and Hon. John j. Perry. Eli jones,
Rev. w. II. Walker, +. Knowlton, and
s. r. Fay. for Vice Presidents. and the
/ usual number of Secretaries.
| There was an address by Rev. Edward
! Egglcston, al Chicago, on The Mission
School work. The speaker mentioned
the great hindrance of this work to be
! Denominational jealousy. lie would have
every church establish mission school in
some destitute locality, believing that
there isunoccupied room for every church
| That the mission work can not be rs well
accomplished by Il union effort as by in
dividual action. Weneeded State, county,
town. and district conventions. Illinois
had after years of labor, at length ac-
complished this result; and its cities had
a larger ratio of Sabbath School children
| than any other on the CLOSE.
Rev. j. H. Vincent OF New York .occu-
pied the remainder of the evening; sub
iect. The Church School He would
not allow the church school to be any
thing more than supplement OF Home
training. He claimed that the church
| school did not originate, except in its
mission work. with Robert Raikes that IL
was the method OF working in the primi-
tive church, and that the services, consist
ing in part OF preaching, resombed the
! Sabbath School more than the preaching
service. lie would have churches leav e
their self.constituted method of worship.
md 60 back 10 their primitive method OF
gathering all. pastor and people, during
one half tho day for earnest study OF the
Scriptures he would have the minds of
all, connected with the Church, old and
Young, Tor the year. occupied with fifty
two Bible subjects.
Wednesday forenoon. After the usual
devotional exercises, and lesson on
punclIialily. The large audience was diyi-
ded into four sections for the purpose of
giving their ideas OF the Pastors duty to
Sabbath Schools-Prayer ful study of the
lcsson-Preparation of a sermon adapt
cd TO old and young on some topic con-
eectcd with the l1Sson, devising means to
promote the interests OF the school, read
ing books treating of the Sabbath School
work. weekly examination of the School.
&c, were some of the suggestions thrown
out. The remarks were so general and
naturally suggested, that we omit them.
The first hour in the afternoon was
protitably spent in n discussion on teach
ers' meetings. Ii was found that only
thirteen of the very hrge audience alten-
ded teachers meetings, Many declared
their intention TO organize them.
A profitable In ititute exercise followed,
with blackboard to illustrate the man.
ncr of interesting children, by Mr.. Egg
gleston. He also gave model lesson to
an inpromptu class OF twelve little boys
and girls, OH the narrative oil the Prodi-
.al Son. Mr.. Vincent followed with an
interesting Institute lesson on Sacred Ge-
ography, illustrated by the blackboard.
Erening.-A meeting was held in Au-
burn, and also in Lewiston. Mr.. Eggles-
ton discussed the question Of Sabbath
Schools, rs the only reliable source of re-
lisious training for the young-the genius
of our common schools do not admit oft.
families do not perform 1.-THE oil their
duty in this respect, and the pulpit does
not reach the children. He believed that
our country must rely for her salvation
on the Sunday School, and the pulpit must
look there too.
Rev. Mr.. Howard of Pennington, gave
an earnest plea for dignifying the Sab
bath School work, and for making it an
integral part of worship. Rev. Mr.. Ha.
zlewood of Bangor, spoke feclingly OF
our dependence in all this work upon the
gracious influence of the Holy Spirit.
Thursday forenoon. After the devo.
iional exercises, the methods Of conduct
! ing the Concert were discussed. Mr.. Egg
gleston gave description of the Kinder
| garten method of teaching as modified