Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
CLOSING WORK OF THE ST. PAUL
CONGRESS-.
Sunday School Literature Oonsiderod-How
to Increase the Teaching Power-Song
Service DR.. vincent's Lecture on ''That
Row. If

The third days session of the Methodist
Sunday school congress convened at $3.50
o'clock, yesterday morning, DR.. J. H. Vim
cent in the chair. The exercises were
opened with devotional services, following
which conversation took place on the sub
ject of "Our Methodist Episcopal Sunday
School Literature conducted by Rev. E. r.
Lathrop.
The reverend speaker outlined the scope
of UNCONVENTIONAL literature, submitting his
torical data of the literature and persons
whose efforts have advanced the literature of
the Methodist church denomination. A
great many interesting facts were adduced
during the conversation, showing that the
literature of the church was in highly flour
ishing conditions.
The Rev. DR.. Vincent followed with a
short address on the popular literature of
the church, advancing several reasons why
the patronage of the church should be con-
fined to the publications of certain Eastern
printing concerns.
Messrs. Martin, Bilbie and Jennings sub
mitted the following resolution:
WHEREAS, The secular publishing houses of
our nation are circulating many good books in
cheap form, and thus creating demand for
such productions; therefore,
Resolved, That we do hereby earnestly re-
quest our book concern to try the experiment
OF publishing q list of our standard Sunday
school books in such form as the Franklin
Square library of Harper Brothers.
On motion the resolution was submitted
to committee of three, with instructions to
report at the afternoon session.
A short intermission was followed with an
address by Rev. Isaac Crook, on "How to
increase the teaching power of the church,
The speaker said that the ultimate design of
all Sunday school literature was to bring
the mind in direct contact with the bible.
The most important question for solution
was how to increase the teaching power of
the Sunday school. The maximum number
of scholars to the minimum of teachers. In
this country there weIa-, over 800, 600 teach
ers, who came in contact with over 10000
young minds, and what the church required
was higher degree of mental ability in the
ranks of the teachers. The speaker said
that the imperative need of to-day was less
stupidity and more zeal among those who
fashioned the minds of young. It frequent
ly happened that the intellectual capability
of the scholar was greater than that pos
sessed by the teacher.
The assertion was humiliating, but was
nevertheless a solemn fact The Sunday
school scholar of to-day possessed ready
mind, and was keenly alive to mental de-
fects and inferiorities.
The speaker had once been questioned by
a class of active boys, one of whom wanted
to know who made the devil and the reason
why God didn't kill him. It wouldn't do to
place stupid teachers ever such bright boys.
One of the most humiliating spectacles the
speaker had ever seen was class of young
men whose questions were too much for the
teacher.
The speaker called attention to several
methods of teaching, making especial refer
ence to normal school culture, which was
characterized as eminently adapted to quail
ify young men and women for the important
duties of teachers. In conclusion the speak
or predicted that ten years hence the normal
method of teaching would prevail through
out the church.