Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-02-28
thorough canvass of every Church. LIE,

thorough canvass of every Church. Let
the voice of the living minister be
heard in every vi lage and hamlet, in
every Church and Sunday School
from Dare to Cherokee, setting forth
the imperative necessity for an educa-
ted Church membership as well as an
educated ministry. Thousands of our
people do not take the Recorder.-
Nearly half OF them could not read it
if they took it and yet, these consti-
tglte the very GLASS we propose to reach.
But we need the Recorder to stimulate
to action those who can read. Every
pastor should take it for his own good,
and see that it has a wide circulation
among his members. 1t is, of itself,
one of our most valuable educators,
and our cheapest, most faithful and
most efficient agent for all denomina
tional and educational enterprises, but
there are thousands whom it cannot
reach except indirectly, through those
who read it. Therefore we must reach
these thousands by canvassing.
2nd. Establish and sustain Sunday
Schools in every Church, and in every
destitute neighborhood, and secure the
,ttendance of every Baptist in the
Sunday School either as teacher or
scholar. In no other way can we SO
readily reach the adultilliterates in our
Churches. Let every one of them be
impressed with the idea that it is his
Christian duty to learn to read in order
that he may study Gods word for him
self, and not depend upon another
for his knowledge of divine teach
.ngs. Let all the grown Church
members attend the Sunday School,
+h0 49,
feel That he is classed with
The little children, and therefore stay
away that ne may be considered a
grown man. It is high time for us to
abandon the idea that Sunday Schools
are intended only for children. "Gath-
er the people together, men, aconae,a
and children, and the stranger that is
within thy gates, that they may hear,
md that they mag learn, and fear the
Lord your God, and observe to do all
the words of this law" Duet 31-12.
Our Sunday Schools should be our
b EST schools, and no Christian commu-
nifty can do without them and prosper
The Bible should be the textbook for
all the classes, and no other books are
needed, except as help to a proper I'M
derstanding and explanation of the
Bible.
3rd. Encourage common schools.
We areimpelledt to thisby patriotism and
self interest as well as by Christianity
In q government like ours, where
every male citizen is invested with the
right of suffrage, and may aspire to
the dignity of ,u1er, every citizen
should have the advantage of an edu-
cation. 1t Is needless for us to discuss
,ao'0 the question propounded by Pres
ident yelling at the last National Bap-
list Educational Convention in Phila-
delphia, viz: (Which is safer, civil
progress under the direction Of the
| educated few, or civil progress under
the direction Of the 'ropularly educat-
ed masses?"
If We make any civil progress at all,
it must be under the control of the
| masses, for the masses are our voters
| and our rulers. It is natural for them
to select officers from among them
| selves. The Like people, like priest"
Of Hosea, or ''As with the people, go
with the priest, as with the servant. so
with the master" of Isiah, is true
in politics as well as n religion.
Under the reign OF popular suffrage
even our Presidents must be tanners.
| tailcrs, rail spiitters and coon hunters.
| The masses elect, and they arc going
to elect from the masses. If, there
tore, we are 10 have educated Presi-
dents, Congressman, Legislators, Gov
errors and Judges We must educate
the masses. If we are to retain in our
State our educated and liberal minded
ministers, We must have in our churches
educated and liberal minded members.
But the masses are not provided with
the means Tor obtaining good educa-
ton, and the State as well as the
churches should provide for their edu-
cation because the State suffers by
their ignorance. Hence the necessity
FOR public schools. But, as these pub
lie schools cannot teach Christianity
without violating the genius and spirit
Of a pu ely free government, and intel-
lectual, without moral or religious.
training only Increases ones capacity
for wee. we need the religious training
of tie Sunday School to supplement
and enhance, to moralize and Christian
lze the instruction impaired in the
public school.
4th. EndoW Our academies. Waneed
this to put them upon a permanent
basis--to supply them with maps and
charts, with philosophical apparatus
and ali the modern appliances for
teaching, which are very essential, but
too costly for private enterprise. Our !
academies should be endowed also to |
cheaper tuition and place it within the !
means of large class of our popuia-
ton from whom come our most prom !
Using pupils. We cannot trust to indi- |
vidllal enterprise to build and furnish
such institutions for US. Few Of our
teachers have the means with which to /
do it ; and, if they had, it is unfair to
require them to invest their indi-
vldual capital, as well as labor, in an
uncertain enterprise for the benefit
Of whole community, They must
IS supported by associated cap
ital or, as DIR: Barnas Sears
says, by body of public-spirited
and influential men, voluntarily asso-
ciated for this purpose" "And." he
continues, "there is no bond of union
for enlisting men in the enterprise so
strong, SO permanent and reliable as
that which uIites Christian denomi-
nation. The academies are essential
adjuncts, or rather prefixes to the
work Of the College The one cannot
do its legitimate work without the sid
of the other. As the fountain supplies
water for the rihs, and 1ivulets, and
rivers, and seas. and these again sup
ply tnrongn the clouds he waters for
tic fountain, 50 the College supplies
.eachers for the academies, ana high
anFs private sahoals, and semi
lar;es, and these il tGra supply
.t"dents for the College. Stop the I
ountain and you stop the rivers, blot ,
out the rivers and your fountain Will go {
Try. The same argument that APPLIES
o the endowment of academies appIie, |
With equal, yes with stronger force to ,
he endowment of the college. I only ]
wish that we could raise $500. 600 or ! t
400, GOO instead of 100000 for TINT
purpose. Then we might provide free
ustioe lot only to young ministers OF
he Gospel. but 70 all, applicants com :
'etent to enter the collegiate classes 8
ot OF one denomination, but ofail de- g
ominations throughout the State. and .
n average of s. each, from all the !
~ i