The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-05-23
FoR TIE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
OUR CHILDREN.

Much is said about the instruction and dis
cipline of children in the last generation.-
We often hear old persons telling Of how
they were made to recite verses of Scriptures
and catechism in the afternoon of Sabbaths,
and we never heard such things said without
praising God for the pious parents of that
day. But we recall also the saying of wise
man of an ancient day, "Say not the former
days were better than these"
We doubt if children were ever more gen.
orally and more carefully trained than in the
present day. The spirit and prevalent topics
of thought may have been different from those
of this age but this is not the point at issue
when We consider the faithfulness of parents
in the matter of educating their children
Many Illustrations of parental fidelity might
be cited in these times, and doubtless when
our children grow up to maturity in the nat
ural course of development, and from the
standpoint of their maturity recall the i'm
pressions of childhood, they too in very nu-
merous instances will tell their children how
parents taught them reverence for seniors,
and required them to spend Sabbaths in
memorizing the Scriptures and the cate
chiams. The same event looks very different
to child and to the same person when adult,
owing to certain well known laws of the mind.
Some maintain that Sabbath school is an
institution hoary with age, almost if not quite
as old as the Christian Church. Without
discussing this question, we shall not be taken
to task for asserting that Sabbath Schools
are very much more numerous than at any
previous age of the Church. The wholesome
influence of these, in addition to those of faith
full parental tuition is obliged to tell for good.
They must be generally instrumental for both
setting the instruction of children who are
taught at home, and for extending the bene-
fits of religious culture to many who have
none to teach them at home.
The fear is sometimes felt that Sabbath
Schools invade the province of home teach
ing and violate the heaven appointed order
for gathering and training the elect Seed
We are not prepared to say that this fear is
always groundless. But we see no reason
why it should be justified, when we look at
the Sabbath School system and after con-
siderable experience and observation we are
led to think that it is in fact without founda-
ton except in rare cases. Sabbath Schools
should, and we think generally do, stimulate
even the most faithful parents to teach their
children accurately and thoroughly; and
this we Judge to be one of their strong recon-
mendations. Add to this the fact that they
gather 80 many from families where Christ
and his gospel are not taught, and We think
the religious culture of the rising generation
cannot as a whole be inferior to what it was
in any former generation. If there be de-
fects in either the system, or the instruction,
or the literature of our Sabbath Schools, by
all means let them be corrected, but in such
q way as not to discourage the schools them
selves. They are lever of great power in
the Church. Other denominations use and
value them as instruments for raising up re-
cruits we must use and value them in the
same degree As a denomination we cannot
afford to neglect them, and as branch Of
the Christian Church we should not be in
clined to ignore or to depreciate an instru-
ment of so much power for good in Christian
homes and in the barren world around u.s.
The wise pastor will lend every possible en-
couragement to the Sabbath School, and
Christian parents will avail themselves of its
advantages to their children. PARENT.
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