The New York herald., 1871-12-24
SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
line Number Of Schools and Scholars In
This City and in the Union.
THEIR ORIGIN AND GROWTH.
Sunday School Theology and Sum
day School Music.
Cherries Rooms and Tedious SerVices-The
Sunday Schools Leading to Crime.

from the skies. The whole current or Ohurc teach
ing ana theology has been changed within half o.
century by the existence and wonderful growth Of
this institution. the present age recognizes a.
hardly any preceding age ever did the importance
OF childhood in the social economy OF the race. The
literature OF the age is prepared to catch the eye
ana impress the minds OF the young. the music.
the DRAMA the art, the amusement and toy manu-
facture and vers much Of the current news OF tho
day seected and prepared especially for the eyes
ana the and the hearts OF the young. And this
s not alone truo this land, but s true in every
land, and more especially in every Christian land.
Great as has been the progress Of this country In
population commerce, agriculture manufactures,
education ana all that makes America h0nored ana
respected among men, the progress OF SUNDAY
schools has surpassed every other interest In 1879
the number of Sunday school scholars In this
country was estimated to be 35O.OO0. In 1S4-Mx
years after-there were one million, and there are
now about six million scholars and one million
teachers in the Sunday schools. And Of this aggre-
gate nearly one-half belong to one denomination
the Methodist. And so important has this Church
interest become that every considerable denomtna-
ton in the land has its separate bureau TO look
after Sunday school interests. In the missionary
operations OF the different Churches, whether "A
home or abroad,
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL IDEA
is among the first ana most prominent When
adults cannot be gathered into church or brought
under the benign Influences Of the Gospel children,
tender and unsophistcated, can always be
found to attend Sunday school and learn to
read and pray. And one undenOminatlonal society
in India has between three and four thousand
children under Christian NJ teacnng ana mas issued.
ent books in thirteen different languages, for the
use OF native children and youth. Other societies
are doing similar work among the young there
and elscWh ere.
It has been repeatedly asserted and never, we be-
lieve contradicted that did not the Sunday school
supply members to the churches the nursery
does trees to the parks and lawns the churches
would dry up and die out IN short time; AS s s y
1t s as much as the Shnnay schools can do to Keep
them active and moving. The churches are bent
more on getting men believe in the doctrines and
teachings OF their own crceds and catechsms than
on the Lord Jesus Christ. Denominationasm may
perform IN the eoonomy Of the CHRISTIAN Church
But that work we take It, Is not to spread denomi-
nationalism, but
IL was publicly stated IN missionary meeting
held In this city last week. and so reported IN the
HERALD, that more money was spent by missionary
boards and societies to sustain Christianity IN nom
nally Christian countries than to send the Gospel 70
the heathen. the proportion being about two dol
lars for the former every one dollar for the las
ter. It was stated publicly at the same meeting
OUT out Of Of an aggregate Of appropriated 70
missionary purposes oy one denomipation ners
Tor Which moss Of i designed And
this was done mainly IN the lnterest oI denomina-
The Growth and prominence Of sunday schools IL
conceded on every hand In our own city there are
below Fiiiy-ninth street 3o4 sunday schools or an
denominations, containing l04,750 scholars en-
rolled and $685. teachers. The average attendance
OF scholars every Sunday Is 76,965. Above Fifty.
ninth there are "a schools which chiefly sus
tain the character OF mission schools These con-
tain O76 names OF scholars aud 1034 teachers On
ance OF over nine thousand. The Eplscopallans
head the list OF schools with So and scholars 20373
Ts 1w next me- w % syna ap5
schools and 16 5Sl children, and ater them the Bap-
fists, with ~ schools and 9963 scholars. and then
follow the Reformed, the Lutheran, the Congregar
LESSER DENOMINATIONS,
having from TO 81 schools and from 1000 to 260
scholars. The Presbyterians have the largest num-
Der OF teachers Q7l5) and the Methodlsts rank next
men ns sSs StSsr o
These are classed among the orthodox denomna-
tions.
Sunday schools, 2,26s scholars and 1850 teachers
and with them are reckoned the Unttarians. I
lists, schools, l,069 pupils and 14l teachers; the
Jews. schools, lat scholars and AZ teachers, and
.ne anu na % % a1 sn ..
day schools Is a comparatively new one, and
Is Of American origin: Those schools were
tendencies and agencies OF the Christian
sects among Jewish children, who, OF course, OBJ
serve our Sunday as well as their own sabbath.
They are becoming regular and necessary institu-
tions OF Judaism and are spreading more rapidly
piled last year, would indicate. And. indeed,
several other schools have been opened on tntG
island by otner denom,naions since that time.
There are certain studies pursued by the children
in those schools which are common to all-Jew and
Christian, orthodox and heterodox alike. The Old
Testament Scriptures are the common property and
right OF all. But the orthodox churches ana schools
almost ignore their existence, and cling exclusively
tie latter that we could name sunday school in
this city which devoted the Saobaths OF more than
three years to the study and elucidatiOn OF three
chapters in the Acts OF the Apostles containing
'''.o sT. PAuLs MISSIONARY TRAVELS,
until the subject became stale and dry.
THIS system became dnaly stlch nuisance as 70
attract the attention OF the supreme authority 10
the Protestant chnrcncs who selected few OF their
best Sunday school men to prepare series OF Scrip
ture lessons for every Sunday In the year. There
are two series OF these known as the National ana
the Berean, which have become exceedingly popu-
lar IN this country and have almost entirely su
perscded the loose and independent methods OF
Catholics and the Jows OF course cling to their own
peculiar systems OF sabbath school instruction The
majority the Protestant schools hold two sessions
every Sunday, though respectable minority ma
tnat one session Is as many as can be properly as
schools wherein two sessions are held the alter
Moons are generally occupied with some special or
ISr enS 0a Ens
Is held, on another missionary meeting, on Q third
the superintendent may review the lessons with the
school, aud on the fourth, II some sunday sohool
talker should drop ln,, ne Will OF course be In
vited to ADDRESS the children.
And, by the way, those sunday school takers had
almost become necessary adjunct OF the schools
themselves until the appearance OF those lesson
series already mentioned In this article Their I'M
portance has greatly lessencd SINCE They had also
become
THE GREATEST "BoRES'
with which q hundred or more children could Do
innicted. they had evidently no other business On
hand and, having prepared one or two speeches,
they could travel around extensively. rectng them
everywhere 10 different schools, that they would
always appear new and fresh. As the Rev. 4. De
Witt Tamage, OF Brooklyn, very happily described
them IN an address delivered here few months
ago. they are enough TO disgust any number OF chill
dren with their dull and stupid tales and tanges
They are ike inexhaustIDle gas bags, and never
know when or where to stop unlil they have spoken
their piece. And whenever they ascend the rostrum
to address Sabbath school one may see the handle
OF George Washngtons hatchet sticking out OF their
coat pocket, and In a moment more they pull It
out, and, laying II down on the desk begin
the orthodox style OF "once upon q tme,n
&C., there lived good little boy, whe
hacked his father's cherry tree and would not tell
lie &c, 90. And this old tale Is told "a drvy and