The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-17

| ing that thought that interested him was
"What is a child worth 2" "What is a child
worth, spiritually ?'sgA child is worth just
what is made of him. A piece of ore is
! worth nothing more than the stone that is
kicked about the field Put it into bars
and its value is increased put it into knife
blades of tempered steel and it Is still fur
ther enhanced put it into watch
springs and It's value has been increased
thousand fold. The ore is worth just
what you make of it. So children are
worth just what you make of them, in
character. In Pagan countries where every
one lied and stole, how much would they
be worth in character? And how much
would they he worth when brought up UNI
der benign Christian influences would
they not Income of great, infinitely great
value! We need the power and direction
OF tod in this great work. The flowers
the roses, constructed artiiicially by the
hand of man, how much were they worth
compared with the beautiful and fragrant
flowers given us by God. And how could
the character of the pagan child be com
pared to the child reared under Christian in
struction and influenced We are none of
lis equal to the education of a chld's inn
mortal spirit except as we lay hold of Gods
blessed book.
Mr.. Bacons address, of which the above
is brief abstract, was listened to with
great attention.
The convention then sang,
"Thc morning light is breaking, etc"
Prof. II. NJ. Scely, of Middlebury, said,
that in reference to Sunday School address
es he thought we had just listened to one
OF the very best. In some schools every
stranger who visits them is invited to adj
dress them. Generally this after trial,
is dropped, rs often people are not pre-
pared to speak, and their remarks arc there
fore interesting. Superintendent should
discriminate in having addresses made to
the school, and they should, if possible, be
generally connected with the subject of
the Sunday lesson.
MIR. j. l.. Baker then orened the discus
sion on "Obiect Teaching"
lie said many were prcudiced against it,
Coniinc yourselves to the word of God,
and that is sufficient, say they. Others 20
before their classes without any Bible, and
teach by pictures or objects altogether.
Both oil these classes in his judgment were
wrong, and he had no sympathy with them.
Let us not, however, throw aside all Illus
trations because some make an inappropri-
ate use of them. "ObicCt Teaching" Judi
ciousy handled and properly studied, may
be of great benefit
Rev. I. II. Archibald expressed his OPP
position to object teaching in very forci-
Bile manner, lie said there was a dstinc-
ton between illustration and ''objcct teach
ing. or else they had got a new name for
very Ole thing. Object teaching was by
bringing some tangible object to the sight.
He had two objections to ''object teach
ing One was an intellectual objection
in proportion as it is practiced it units the
mind for considering abstract truths. The
great tendency of the age is toward ma
teralism. This "obicct teaching" t:nde -
Mas moral ob}i e5G The dispensations
preceding that of Christianity were, in
most of their aspects material in their
character. Christianity is separated from
all this, and is prominently of a spiritual
character, and therefore "object teaching"
units the mind for the proper considera-
ton of abstract and spiritual truths con-
neCted herewith
Rev. Mr.. Knowlton said that ''object
teaching had been many times carried to
excess. There needs to be caution in use
of the blackboard. 1t was important that
child should follow the main idea desired
to be taught by the object lesson.
Prof. Secly said that we had five senses,
and that the more of them that were APP
pealed to, the sharper would be- the i'm
preston upon our minds. He thought,
therefore. that ''obicct teaching" whereby
truths were conveyed to us by these differ
ent senses, would have a more lasting inn
preston. The Sayiour's illustrations, many
of them, were made 10y the use of material
objects
Mr.. Archibald said that Prof. Seelys
suggestion of appealing to the five senses
....1
things; but untrue if applied to immatcrial
and spiritual things. lie alluded to the
Objectionable features of object teaching
in the Roman Catholic church, by pictures
of the saints and the Virgin Mary, and
said II this ilood-gate of materalism is
opened in spiritual teaching when and
where is it to be stopped
The discussion was continued in an in
teresting manner by Mr. Barker, of Middle
bury, and Mr.. Martin Cowles, of New Ha-
yen in favor of, and Capt. A. f. Lcaven-
worth, of New Haven, in opposition to,
"Object Teaching
The afternoon session then closed by Il
stirring praise meeting ed by Mr.. Barkcr,of
Md llebury.
EVENING.
The convention opened by singing,
"swect hour OF prayer, &C."
The president announced as the topic,
The Sunday School Work in the State
and County"
Mr.. Barker gayca history of the state or.
ganization. The Addison county Sabbath
School teachers had convention mt Mid
dlebury in June 1869, and adopted IL resolu-
ton recommending that state convention
! be held In October following state con.
yenton was called at Rutland and was hol-
den one day In 1870 the state convention
was at st. bloomsbury, a crowded and in
terestng meeting; in 1871 al Montpelier
and 1872 at Swanton. These were held I'M
| til 1872 IN connection with the Young
Mons Christian Association. In 1878 the
second distric, meeting of the :. :. work
crs was holden at Chester.
Seven counties have county associations
Prof Seclcy said he was unable to give a
very full account of the work in the coun-
| ty. or as to when sabbath schools were
first organized here. This county associa-
ton was now in its third year and had hol-
den twelve interesting and successful meet
ings. But yet there was but 10 per cent
of our population in the Sabbath Schools
Cornwall was the banner town in the state
having - per cent. We ought to work TO
bring the county up TO that high standard,
| Let Us attend these conventions bring
warm hearts together and engendcr an en-
thusiasm which will encourage all to do
this mission work. Young and old should
alike enter the Sabbath School. The older
children will remain if the parents remain
We must more thoroughly prize the word
of God. In the Sabbath School there is a