Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-02-05

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Church Supervision Of Sabbath
ia Schools. !.
We observe, that in all churches there
is an increase of direct ecclesiastical over Ier
sight OF theBabbath schools. For along
time the Sabbatih-sctiii5to5tt was was w:::.hl,oa I.
church recognition, and for n still longer
time without supervision. Its manage.
ment was left TO- those who might have
an interest in the work, it heing assumed
that they would be faithful and judicious
It. was also assumed that in the Sabbath.
schools there should be nothing denom.
national, that only the great principles
of our religion, held. in. common by all
evangelical churches, should be taught
the children. Latterly, however, we find
that those who demand the broadest lib
erality arc becoming intensely activeand
earnest in providing for the denomina-
tional oversightlof the schools and train
ing ofthe Children Boards. committees
or departments, are organised, papers
and books are prepared for teachers and
pupils. and great care is taken that tile
schools be made to sdbserHe the interests
Of the denomination ad - ,e.iiol ri
We approve of this, We. do act conl
slider ourselves sectarain in. a narrow
sense of the word; but our convictions are
strong, that SO long as any church CON
sidcrs that it has right to exist as a
separate body, SO long is-it under the
highest obligation ITO instruct and train
[itschildfeninits' towns principles. i. Our
Standards recoenises rightly the Sabbath
school as ene9 9dspa z lnent of church work
and placsit under The control of the sesl
sion.
Tho Sabbath school is the training
school for n large part of,he next genera.
tion of church members. 1t is. therefore
OF vital Importance that right views of
the work of redemption he inculcated,
that right conceptions Of. Christian life be
formed. instruction should have posi-
tive and present the great doctrines of
the Bible in their purity and full force.
Much Sabbath school teaching has
been merely sentimental, or, at best, too
much restricted to general statements of
the gospel. The Cltechism is regarded
too doctrinal and difficult, and is pcsmit-
ted to fall into disusc. A wrong is thus
done to the children; great wrong. Their
capacity is, unducr- estimated, aud they
are kept on the instruction suited to
babes. at the time they are craving for
more truth, when their minds are netting
with and trying to understand the great
questions concerning man and God, time
and eternity, they are given only the
repetition of what they have heard from
infancy. dissatisfied. they listen to the
answer given by those who do not receive
the Scriptures. We are amazed, as wo
are panied, when our young people be
gin to drift away from the church, and
to develop unevangelical or infdcl tend.
encics; but if we will look at the charac-
ter of much of tic teaching given we need
not be SO much surprised When there
is an abandonment of the Church of
their fathers it is commented upon as
unaccountable, or is explained by the
unpopularity Of our principles. The true
explanation is, our principles have been
ignored, and for years we have been fur
nishing them with what tends directly to
draw them away from the Church of
baptism.-United Presbyterian.
ANCIENT DE7oTIoS.-It was the cns-
tom among the! young men of Athens,
who listened to the teaching Of Socrates,
to bring some gifts in gratitude for his