Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-07-16

: was opened with prayer by Rev. A.
Roby.
8 Hearing reports from Sunday schools
: was resumed and completed.
The committee on memoirs reported
, on the death of Rev. Dabney Ball, d.
D., of Virginia, late Vice-Prssident of
the convention, who during the war
served on the staff of Gen. j. E. B.
: Stuart, and Henry F. Zimmerman, of
Washington City.
The "Topic" for the day was then
: taken up-"Sunday school libraries :.
their essentials and uses" A very in
teresting address on this subject was de-
Ilivered by Rev. DIR. z. G. Biting, of
Franklin Avenue Baptist church, Bal
ltimore. -.5l5a
l After few brief remarks as to the ma
ture of the subject, he said it is first
necessary to know what you want to
accomplish in your Sunday schools, be-
fore you can decide upon the kind of
books you will want in your libraries.
i He thought the two objects to be had
in view in Sunday schools were, 1st, to
bring the children into personal knowl-
ledge of God; to so reach their hearts
as shall shall bring them to practical
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ
And End, to teach those who profess the
word the doctrines and duties as laid
down in the Bible and taught by Chris
tian writer's.
He regarded this latter object as very
important, and thought no professor of
religion ought to neglect the doctrines
of the Scriptures.
If Sunday schools are to be regarded
as merely places where the children are
gotten together to keep them out of mis-
chief and be amused whilst the parents
dress for church, then you must procure
the means for soIdoing. But if the real
I object of Sunday schools is to instruct
the ignorant in the truths of Christian
| ity and lead them to knowledge of the
| Gospel, then your books and teachings
must lead up to that object. They
should set forth clearly and correctly
the teachings of the word of God.
/ All useless books should be kept out
of the Library, and among this class he
included books of imagination, such as
| novels, &c. He had no objection to the
| name novel, but he had never leaned to
| them; he never had time to folfpW the
| ramblings of another mans imagine
| ton, however charming and agreeable
| they might be. He had heard people
speak in the highest terms of Scott's
! novels and Dickens works, and proba-
bly, they were right, but he thought he
could always find other books which
would be of more benefit to him, and
would lead him more certainly to the
| foot stool of Christ.
He thought libraries ought to be sup
piled with Commentaries, Books of
Reference, and Bible Dictionaries, books
which contained valuable information
| for those seeking religious knowledge.
He Illustrated this thought in very
beautiful and forcible manner, saying
that the farmer does not take the
screenings to sow upon his field be-
cause they contained few sound grains,
but he took the fully matured wheat, so
whilst books of imagination and fiction
contained, mo doubt, few good thoughts,
yet he thought it a waste of time to sep
arate them from the useless ones, when
books could be procured which were
filed with sound grains of wisdom and
spiritual knowledge. He thought the
time for the usefulness of circulating
libraries had passed, and that books of
more snitable character should be fur.
nished to those seeking information.
The address was able, eloquent, and
forcible. The speaker is fine orator,
and from the very first sentence to the
closing word held the attention of his
large audience enchained.
The convention passed unanimous
vote of thanks to the speaker.
A letter from DIR. w. w. Bennett,
President of Randolph Macon College,
was read, calling attention to a reselu-
ton of the Board of Trustees, heartily
endorsing the plan of raising money for
the payment of the debt of the College
by donations of ten cents from each
| scholar, and one dollar from each teach
Ter in the Sunday schools within the
bounds of the patronizing conferences.
After some discussion resolution was
adopted, requesting the Sunday schools
to comply with thepetition of the Trus-
tees of the College.
l On motion, it was resolved that the
action of the convention be published
in the Richmond Christian Advocate
and Episcopal Methodist.
In his letter, DIR. Bennett states that
they have heard from IA schools, which
have averaged over $40 each, one school
giving 500.
l A letter from Rev. 8. A. Steel, of
Richmond, was read, asking aid fer the
l missionary work now being carried on
by Rev. w. M. Patterson in the city of
! Mexico, and suggesting the organization
of a missionary fund in the Sunday
schools of the Virginia and Baltimore
Conferences. This matter was referred
to a committee, and the convention ad-
ljourned.
WEDNESDAY EVENING.
| The evening session was opened with
Iprayer by Rev. T. E. Carson and sing
ing the hymn, "I need Thee every
hour"
The Topic of the evening-"Practical
teaching"-was taken up. The Con-
veAtion was organized into Bible class
and taught by Rev. j. w. F. Hank, of
Baltimore. He read the End chapter of
Luke with the class and then taking up
tyerse after verse asked questions upon
the circumstances surrounding tn e ear
lier years of Christ's life, the geography
OF the country in which he was born
:. and raised. Many important dOctrinal