The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-16

CHAkLES'
training" and on this subject the Rev. a. j.
Stokes read carefully prepared essay, In
which he claimed that no period of child's
life, after the moral perceptions had begun to
dawn, was too early to inslil into Its mind the
outlines of the story Of the cross aud the great
lesson of human redemption and ultimate
bliss which it conveys. The human mind, he
said, was peculiarly receptive In the period of
childhood, receptive alike and perhaps In
equal strength 10 the teachings of the good,
the beautiful, the true, as to those other les
SONS of evil for which there are 80 many chan
nels always open TO the understanding of the
young; and 1t was by engaging the budding in-
telligence in the contemplation of virtue-not
clothed In robes of dismal and repulsiVe aus
ments of light and happiness and Vlrtue-that
the moral contamination of the evil was to be
precuded, and the infant heart-tender, due;
tile ready to receive Impressions, and thirst
ing for information upon every subject-was
to be occupied as castle by such bright In
auences and agencies of good as should be po-
tent forever after to repel the advances of
| evil.
Mr.. Stokes was followed by the Rev. E. ].
Meynardie, D. D., who narrated with much
feeling and with evident effect various In
stances connected with his ministry 10
Charleston and Charlotte, where children Of
tender years, who had been trained in the
family aud the sunday-school had come for
ward in the church and given evidence ofa
happy conversion 10 Christ, verifying their
professions by future lives of consistent devo-
tlon to the teachings of His gospel.
The convention then took a recess until
Tsp. NJ.
| EVENING SESSION.
The convention reassembled at P. NJ,
singing of the hymn "Rock of Ages" and q
prayer by Rev. Mr.. Peters, the first subject of
discussion was announced as "The history and
progress Of Sunday schools" and Colonel De-
Pass, of Camden, was introduced as the first
speaker. Colonel DsPass first alluded to the
difficulty of his subject, the danger on the one
side of saying too much for the limited time
OF the convention, and on the other hand Of
saying too little 10 do justice to the dignity
and importance of the subject. There were
many, he said, in that assembly at whose feet
be might sit like Paul at the feet of Gamaliel
and learn of them of The subject of the rise
and progress of the Snnday-school, but hav-
Ing been assigned to make an address, and
having accepted the duty, he had prepared q
brief review. He then In most eloquent and
impressive manner reviewed the advent Of
Christianity in the world, the life Of the Sa-
vIour, the work Of Bis apostles, and the
advance and progress of His church
In all the reformations that the
world had witnessed, bringing promi.
nently forward the fact that humble in
slruments had been almost Invariably select
ed In the wisdom Of the Almighty to execute
His will. Thus the Saviour had selected COM
| pany OF followers composed of poor fisher
men and peasants, and In the establishment
| of the Sunday-school, which had now become
10 great power 10 the church, an humble cit
| lzen was the first to make the effort. This
was poor man, the editor of small country
paper ln Gloucester, England, who one Sun-
day seeing company OF rude and ragged
children spending the day In bolsterous and
unseemly Dplay, he started to reclaim these
children, and prevent their desecratlon Of the
Sabbath, and at first employed woman
who, during the week, taught an humble
day school, to teach these children on the
Sabbath, and he induced ihem to attend
by paying them one shilling day to 50 and
be Instructed. This was In 17Sl, and the name
of the humble philanthropst was Robert
Raikes. In l7s5 a Sunday-school society was
organized, and this was great step. In l7s6
there were two hundred and fifty children In
Sunday schools 10 England, and at about this
time the system Of gratultous instruction was
| introduced, the teachers having before that
been paid for their labors. In 1903 Sunday
! school union was formed In London, the first
| that was organized n The world. In 1926
there were eight thousand Sunday-schools In
England connected with the Established
Church. The Sunday-school was established
In 1887 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Its history
In that country from that time has
been q continuous record Of progress.
| In Gn6 UQlteQ Sthlc5 lue ur5I cl-
fort toward the establishment of Sunday
schools was made by the Melhodlsts in New
! York in l79O Soon alter this Sunday-school
/ society was organized at Philadelphia, with
Bishop White as president. At first the teach
ers In this country we're paid as they had been
| in England, but this afterward gave way, as It
| had done In the mother country, 10 the system
| of gratutous instruction, the teachers devot.
| ing themselves to their work with the object
of advancing the cause of Christ, and with the
hope of the salvation of souls as their reward.
| Colonel DePass continued with clear and
| succnct review of the gradual rise and exteu-
| slve progress of the Sunday-school movement
10 this country, and concluded with an elo-
quent appeal for the support of the work, and
the assisting influence of all who had any part
or voice In the control OF affairs In the nation
or the community.
After the singing OF an appropriate hymn,
the convention was addressed by the Rev. E.
J. Meynardie, D. D., who took for his text the
subject of the history of nations In the light of
| Gods law. He laid down the principle that
while nations and individuals were equally
| raennnaIhla tn the law of Cod tho nnniah.