Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-05-16
SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVEN
TIOE.
Fourth Day.


TIOE.
Fourth Day.
MORNING SESSION.
The convention met o'clock, r. NJ.
Tydings in the chair. Religious services
were conducted by DR.. Pierce. The min
utes of the last meeting were read and
approved.
A communication from A. II. Redford,
agent, inviting the convention TO visit the
Publishing House, was read and accepted.
The following resolutions were offered
By Dr. Lewis, being amended by substl-
tuting teachers for stewards and trustees:
l. That this convention endorses the
views presented in the address of Bishop
McTyeire before this body on the subject
of the ''Relation of the Pastor to the
Sunday school," setting forth the scriptu-
raj idea, that the pastor is in virtue of his
pastorate, principal of the Sabbath school
connected with his charge.
9. That the Committee on Resolutions
appointed by this Convention, be hereby
directed to prepare a memorial to the
next General Conference, praying that
the Superintendents of the Sabbath
schools, who are now eC -otic5O members
of the Quarterly Conference, be elected
by the teachers and confirmed by the
! Quarterly Conference.
3. That our Sunday schools be request
| ed to conform their election of Superin-
! tendents TO the above resolution until the
next session of the General Conference.
DR.. Young expressed himself in favor
| of the resolutions. He had seen superin-
| tendents elected by a mass meeting of
Sunday school scholars totally incompe-
tent to elect proper person for so res
ponsible position.
Mr. Mccoy thought the teachers the
proper persons to elect the Superintendent
as they had to work with him and under
| him. He knew of two cases in which
! the removal of the Superintendents would
/ break up the school, and those Superin-
!. tendents were in the Convention at pres
1 ent.
h Mr. Magruder agreed with Mr. Mccoy
and moved to amend by striking out
"trustees and stewards" in the original
resolution of DR.. Lewis, and substituting
"teacbers," the election TO be confirmed
by the Quarterly Conference. The
smendment was accepted. DR.. Maddin
thought the church meeting the proper
place for this election 10 be held as they
were better acquainted with facts and
circumstances than any other Tesponst-
bic parties.
! DR.. Peterson said that the subjecl had
been thoroughly discussed in the Commit
tee on Revisal st the last General Confer
ence, and his views had materially
changed on this point. He was opposed
to placing the election in the hands Of any
party who was in so many instances 50
utterly incompetent to judge of the eproper
person for the Office as pastors and those
members of the Church who take no in
terest in Sunday school operations.
DR.. Lewis did not think pastors were
incompetent to nominate Superinteni- !
ent. He thought they had the cause as
much at heart as teachers, scholars and
Superintendents themselves, and he
thought they would do nothing but what
af er due consultation they knew to be
right. Teachers were not responsible
parties-pastors are. If the teachers are
to elect the Superintendent and the Su-
perintendent appoint the teachers, he
thought it would be rather q sided
affair; but pastor is above the appoint
ment of the people, and hence more in
dependent, and hence more competent to
act. The pastor has all the information
the Superintendent can get, and is the
proper person to nominate person for
the office to the Quarterly Conference.
DR.. LipscOmb said that the Sunday
school was already under the jurisdiction
of the Quarterly Conference, and they
could not make it any more so by the
adoption of the measures contemplated IN
the resolution.
Mr.. Mccoy thought that upon the
teachers depended to a great extent the
efficiency of the Sunday. school, and he
thought they should be consulted. The
adoption or the measures proposed he
thought would cripple the Sunday school
interest.
DR.. Hall Offered the following substi-
tute:
Resolved, That the General Confer
ence be memorislized to 80 alter the Dis
cipline as will place the election of Su-
perintendents of our Sabbath schools in
harmony with the solemn obligation OF
the pastor to the children of the Church;
and at the same time not disregaIGng the
necessities of the school, and to a proper
extent the wishes of the teachers of the
school.
On motion of w. H. Morrow the whole
subject was laid on the table.
DR.. Houston then addressed the con-
vention upon the ''Work of grace in the
hearts of children" After few remarks
of greeting the Dr.. proceeded to elaborate
| his subject He took the ground that q
| child had so to speak an ante-natal char
acter impressed upon it BY the blood OF
the mother and the father which flowed
in its veins. If that father ard thai
mother were holy persons then that child
would have an advantage over the child
J that was born of british, unhOly parents.
= He pictured q woman in the first ecstasy
! of q mothers love as she hung
in rapture over her new born babe, anC
: imprInts upon il the first kiss of love.
: He looked in upon that mother as shC
sat, four months after in the room ad
Joining that of her babe, sewing will
' short irregular stitches, for her mind anc
! her heart were in the cradle of that babe
i while her eyes continually turned to th'
door which stood half open, and her ear
: were ready to catch the faintest rustic o
a the cover that rested upon her sleeping
= babe. A little noise is heard and In Al
g instant she is by the cradle of her child
n sne finds to her ineffable JOY and deligh
0 that baby has with its legs kicked tn
coyerlet off, and with its little eyes up
turned is Growing at the ceiling. Sh
snatches il up snd smothers it with kisses
and her child looks up into her face an
smiles. That first look OF love was IN
beginning of that child's religious educa
J. tiop.
e The sn,,. .ata education of the child
IS not an end but meaus. The manner |
e which that mother turns over tn
q leaves of that child's life is not an en-
e hut a means. Its docirinal education
/, not an end but a means. The oEe gran
e end is the regeneration of its heart; an
e all things must work up to this. 1t woul
it be a sad loss of time to discuss the quet
IS ton "When does responsibility begin !
e Cousin, Sir William Hamilton with a
his logic cannot tell us when the praeatna