The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-19
NEW YORK HERALD SUNDAY MAY 49, p7s-oUINTUPLE SHEET


twenty years The man still lives in this city, Rev.
Daniel Devnne. d. D., superannuatsd Methodist
minister, VINO supcrintspded aud taught in the nrst
Sunday school ever opened or founded Brooklyn.
Mr. A. ID. Matthews, who Tor hfty years has been
engaged IN sunday school work in Brooklyn,
acoupie OF Sundays very pleasantly kept his semi
centennial with ST. Peters Protestant Episcopal Church
school, with which he Is al present connected AS
superintendent The beginning feeble, but to-day
there Is single interest OF tho Christian Church
that commands ene-half tho attention shat Sunday
schools do Even the missionary cause which tor
years has stood at tho head and front OF all Church
work. begins take tho second place in comparison
with Sunday schools Tho amount OF money ex
pended by Brooklyn for running her 261 schools dur
Ing the year past was over $l14.0oo IN tho Sunday
schools Of Now York there "a, 0c0 scholars and
10000 officers teachers. Unions and ociations
STATE national. international and local. formed
to improve, promote help the sunday school
Congresses, conventions, parliaments and assem-
blies, with high sounding titles, are held from time
TO time to unity tho work OF tho schools aud give
them greater efficiency aud power The Christian
Church has como slowly 10 this point. but now,
having reached IT, II is pushing ahead vigorously II
has somewhat reluctantly grasped the principle that
''as the twg rs bent tho tree Is inclincd"-as tho
children cdncated ana brought up, so will be tho
mon and women Of tho future-and now would push
The principle utlcrmost Of power and useful
ness Hence two-thirds not throe-fOurths OF tho
music ana literature OF the day is designed Tor Sabbath
schools and young people. Only last month I'm In
transitional Sunday school Convention held at
Atlanta, Ca, at which abou. four hundred delegates
present. representing every State In this Union,
tho Indian Territory and the CANADIAN Provinces.
That Convention appointed = committee with such
on 1t as DR.. John Hail. OF this city; DR.. J. II.
Vincent OF Paterson; Dr. Richard Newton, Of Phia-
deIpha; Professor Austin Phelps, or Baston, and
others OF note In their respective dcnowinaoDs. 10
prepare tho Of lessons that 70 be studied IN
all the schools represented during the next seven
years Tho reports presented in that convention
from the several State and local organizations
showed that there arc in tho Un,,ed States TO-DAY
49, 1888 Sunday schools, increase OF $3.50 over the
year 1876; that In these schools there 1914 1903
officers and teachers aud 6S43, 997 scholarsan ag.
gregate both OF 7.73s, 7o0 and an increase over
three years ago Of 800, 407. OF this grand army OF
Sunday school workers and students tho Me thodist
Episcopal Church claims nearly two millions. tho
Baptsts about million, and the fresby tcrians
little hall million. or, to be exact. 5sl.6o Sun.
day school members. Tho smaller denominations
show Sunday sch Dol statistics In proportion to
their numbers also 1t will be that more
than one-Sixth Of the population Of TINS country
is engaged IN SUNDAY school work. And u the Roman
Catholics added. with whom the sabbath we'll
the week day Instruction OF children ~ OF ancient
date. shall probably lind nearer fourth than
one sixth thus engaged During the past year tho
American Sunday School Unon established ,l3S new
schools into which we're gathered A. 707 scholars and
227 tenchcrs and officers The Presby erans organ
rcd l01 schools during the year 1877 and gath
ored IN 1900 children. These schools become the
nuclei churches VII q fcw strong
aud seli-supporting. And tho converts are drawn
mainly from the sunday schools In tins way during
the tree years past l3 persons added the
Church from the SUNDAY schools. In many sections
OF country churches could not DO maintained 1t
all II It .were not tho recruits furnished BY tho
Sunday schools.
PIONEER SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK.
Tho pioneer Sunday school WORK IN the Northwest
commcnds itself 10 the attention Of Christian people
Here States and Territories, occupied nanny
by industrious agricultural population, almost d.s
ttuc OF religious privileges The large towns, IS
true, OIL facilities Tor worshipsb but in tho farming
districts, where the buix of the people 1--we, there Is
this region, comprising Western Iowa. Nebraska,
Southern Dakota aud Minnesota, the American sunday
School Union mas within The past or ten sent
is agents Reports IRON these indicate tins
most gratifying Success In one county In Nebraska,
where 1872, OUTSIDE OF railr0ad towns, there
Sunday schools ut all, tho missionary OF the
Union has organized thirty schools all CT which are
same issiouary has established l25 schools anu has
awake ned such spirit OF interest and devotion that
have kept opsn during tho winter. In seventy
Instances regular or occasional preaching services
have alse boen established Tho process Of orEan-
II begins with tho Sundiy school. moves on
step, when prayer meeting Is initiated, and from
this to occasional then stated preaching.
In southern Dakota eighty schools have boon estab
lishcd aud cared Tor by single missionary In
Northwestern Minnesota one missionary has, within
six ana u hall years, organized 200 schools. Nil Of
which hourlshng. AT 100 Of these stations
preaching services are at this Lime regularly mann
tanned For the support missionary the incon-
siderable sum Of $500 per Annum 70 required: u -
safe 10 that no more profitable or useful invest
ment OF the money could DO made.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS, AND PRESENT.
Tho character ANA operations OF sunday SCHOOLS
have undergone u remarkable change during The last.
Atty years. Wncn first established by Robert Raikcs
and ~ The earlier years OF their existence these
l.~sla had IN n NJ n A
character They primarily intended TO tescn the
children read and to keep them from acts OF sab
bath The hrst object 10 provided Tor
by public schools oi all lands and general the
aim OF SUNDAY school teachers now Is TO teach ro-
sort preparatory school nursery tor supplying
the membership OF tho church. And wnie
degree, tho statistics OF the churches PROVE It
Is equally true that great many OF the
larger pupils III SUNDAY schools DRIFT away and arc
lost 10 tns Church. This has 6ecn more remarkable
during tho decade than perhaps, ever before and
form Sunday school lessons, whose Introduction has
displaced the old custom OF Two school scssions on the
sapoath, 10 ono OF which the Scriptures were studied
other might DO broken INTO with addresses by
visitors, with prayer meetings, with songs aud hymn
OF the chIldren or any other suitable exercise The
uniform lessons allow but session and hi that up
every sabbath III the year with study, Sc That II
SUNDAY school prayer meeting Is held It must DO a.
the expense oi the Scripture Lesson or anniversary
hymns learned the Bible us be thrown away.
10 maJorIsy OF young persons IN sunday schooiaa
lesson IN the BDlo Sabbah day very much iko
lesson IL geography or grammar Monday, with tho
exception that iaurc In the nrst does not bring de-
merit anu put 1t does Ia the latter Under
the old regime tho monthly prayer meeting In the
Sabbath schools emphasized the INSTRUCTION oil the
preceuil sabbaihs taught the children that tho
lear ming OF lesson IN sacred geography or history
was not The great end anu aim Of sunday scn0os
Rather was their conversion 10 God and an inspira-
ton help to Them TO take on new aud better,
because hoiier aud more GOdhkc lic In
| probably seven out OF every eight OF the
schools represented tho International Convention
which last month In Atlanta this prayer influence
has ceased altogether, because OF an unchrisan sen
tiln, toat calls all Christian schools 10 study
the same iessons throughout the world the
cay II that made the study o. tho students auy bet
ter That sentiment ~ gorcd over IN Sunday school
papers and ut SUNDAY school conventions There Is
no iorco u ~ all, and the sooner the system "
Inoai1ca abolished the better will be Tor Sunaay
schools Tor scripture study. There Is ttlo or
oIvc lett Tor either scholar or teacher TO study
the Scriptures Everything Is prepared Tor nim be-
forchand aud ut tho cost O lew pence or shiliugs
he get all tho "heips'' ard "csson leaves" he
needs, and without previously spending nvo minutes