Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-09-25
TIL E HER AID.
CALCULATION, 1900.
For the Herald.
A Pure sunday school Literature


A Pure Sunday School Llterature.
The following address was read be.
fore the Sabbath School Teachers Ia
stitute, held in this place, Aug. 9th,
1873, by j. C. Armstrong. and is pub
ished by request of the Institute
BY this, we suppose, is meant the
reading matter-the books and papers
that are furnished to our Sabbath
schools. As the special labor of this
Sunday school is with the young, the
impressions made through this instrn-
mentality. are of first Importance.
This is subject of many sides; ev-
cry one of which is suggestive of top
les worthy of serious reflection In
deed, they are such as every Sunday
school teacher, Christian parent and
lover of good society, should mos se-
riously consider.
IfvieWed as an element of education; :.
and that is the sense in which we shall
treat it; it is fair to inquire, what is
its character and what it's tendencies ?
Is the literature of the Sunday school
in accord with the spirit AMI design of
the Sabbath? And does it foster
views and principles of life that should
grow and mature with the child; or,
are they such as should be discour-
aged
A principal object of education is
the formation of healthy habits of
mind and morals. Any system of ed
ucation that fails to do this is a great
social evil. And, as these habits are
among the very first formations of
youthful character, the literature which
constitute its meat and drink, must
be adapted TO these results For, if
true, as one has said: ''Reading makes
a full man; conversation, ready man,
and writing, an exact man." the kind
of reading must determine the kind Of
man.
Then what kind of man or woman
would child become, if only fed on
the Sunday school literature of the
day =? Would his natures be symmet-
rical in their developments, or would
they be out of proportion? The lat
ter, fancy, he would be as Pharoah's
fat kline; but, intellectually and moral
ly, as Pharoah's lean kline.
A false premise must lead to an i'm :
proper conclusion. In algebra, the
changing of a single sign in propo-
sition must affect the result. And, if
the books read in our Sunday schools
are not true-true to life, true to ma
ture, and true TO grace, their influence
in the result, which is the child's char
acter, must de pernicious must pre-
vent the high ends of education, and
corrupt the moral sense.
So far as my reading or observation
extends, my clear conviction is, that
| the general character of the Sabbath
school literature is fictitious. The
books are noyelerts. They are novels
with moral attached. And this.pre
sents the subject about as complete
and consistently as would be represent
ed by the body of picked chicken
with peacok's tail appended. The
to belong to the body.
These books are written by paid
book makers and, just as the columns
of the New York Ledger, are filed by
the works of third and fourth rate
tragedians And, what the worst o
Sunday school literature is for chill
dren, the New York Ledger is becom
ing to the family There are many
families, and professed Christian fami
= lies, that read the Ledger with a grea
deal more regularity than they pray o
read the Bible. And many supper
themselves in this pernicous practic
by saying: "Henry Ward Beeche
writes for the Ledger" The Dew
was once an angel in heaven-but tina
is a poor reason for keeping company
: with him. now. Or, it is like patron
3 izing the theatre, or ballroom, becaus
r some professed Christian is fount
there.
That which identifies our Sunday
y school books with this kind of litera
ture, is that they represent assumes
and unreal characters. They are III
like any living specimens of humani
ty found among men. All are heroe
and heroines. And all are perfect.
Children read of these, not with &C
}. miration, but wonder-wonder th
such ever ived-and that they shoul
g never be permitted to meet with an
like them. Hence, the inquiry of tt
little girl was natural said she, "M
don't all good children die young
- The influence of such reading is NJ
L healthful. 1t cultivates false ideas
life, bad habits of mind. The Bib
has its bright Iights-its noted chara
= ters. But they are all human. AS Il
| sun, they have their dark spots. Abr
ham, the brightest of all Bible cha
acters, was a man of like passio
with ourselves.
If were to suggest class of boo
g for our Sunday school libraries, tn
should be for instruction and pro-
they should be an ancient geogragE
- travels, true biography and natuI
history. These will furnish subjec
on which to speak of the governmel
wisdom, goodness, and power of &c
These books would not only int,
est, but profit children. Take, for
stance, the horse, that noble creatl
that God has given as a servant
man the dog, the faithful guardian
his home What would so interes
boy as these books Bring out all
the horse and all of the dog let b
Ks see them as known in life. This wo1
feed desire for knowledge, 1t wol
lead to reading that is not simply
81 amuse, but to profit.
A book of this character Is prese
ed, ''On Insect Life" Another, by
American Baptist Publication Socit
apt written by DIR. Over. on "Great w