, 1879-02-09

part OF hfs hiakef. Bnt . little reflection changed
| his mind.
These extracts, it seems to me, speak for
| themselves. To comment upon them seems
almost humiliation. But Ict the rational u1a,l
picture to himself If he the ruler Ut the uni
verse descending upon earth III Judea, sour
| 3:oo0 years ago. to engage in-excusc the phrase
~ bossing the job ~ Of removing the Jewish
| ark, trunk, chest, or whatever it might {iuyc
been, from one locality TO another, arl getting
| 50 angry at an involuntary movement of one Ut
Ills assistants that He struck him or-Iet us be
| literal here-s'note him dead for his thought
lessness Then let him picture his own child at
| Sunday-school under process OF indovtrinatiou
into such views Of Deity and and divine govern
ment. ne can contemplate the thought with
anything but wonder, disgust, and contempt,
then there is nothing to be said This com1nu-
ntcation certainly is not written for him. But
surely majority Of the fathers have outcrown
all belief in such dcbasing myths, aud il told
that they are but repetition OF what is found
in the Bible will only reply: tThcn
SO much the worse for the Bible'
The above extracts are but few out
Of many samples which might he given Of the
outrageous stun which is being continually
taught to millions Of children in attendance at
what Mr. Arthur Mitchell calls TOUR Great Ma
tloual University" For the last month or so
the scholars have been regaed with clerical fan
cics and fictions IS to the significance OF the
building 20 Of the "alls OF Jewish city by Nche-
niah. This. In old times. very common occur
renee has oeen cxpoundcd to ttenl as something
Of profound mythical interest on the. part Of
the Almighty, who kept steady eye upon the
work. SO fAr as have observed there has been
nothing absolutely barbarous or depraying il,
thc conclusions drawn The worst that can be
said IS that they were pucrile, ridiculous, and,
OF course, without Il word OF truth in them.
Next week or month the lesson will, very likely,
revert to the barbarous. Some jewish King will
slaughter thousands Of men, women, aud chill
dren by the express command OF the Almighty,
or some fhllistlnes will be enticed into trap
bf the same agency. or some prophet will blow
horn, or take walk, or have dream, or
shut his back door, aud through each event the
hidden finger OF Jehovah reaching forward to
some mysterious end will tie traced and duly
"sranitied" By the wonderful Farwell Hall
scers to these young students OF our "Great
National University" '~.',' ;.
Stuff like this, stuff which some, at least, OF
these preachers dare not literally dare nor utter
from the pulpit beture the fathers OF the chill
dren, is wholesaled out to the children in the
futile hope, perhaps, that if iuoculated carly
enough the next generation NAV be retained in
the intellectual bonds from when the present is
escaping. For the extension ct this system Of
medieval instruction, this conspiracy against
real enlightenment, this confidence game played
upon the youthful mindsoi the land the church
aud clergy are making great cxertions, terinlng
it our Great National University. We shall see
what will be tile results. can myself remem-
Der when | was Taught, thirty-ffve years ago,
precisely the, same things and believed them.
In the meantime there is small but growing
number Of persons who do not look at this busi~
ness with complaccncy, anl to whom it is j daily
reflection that It the children ever to become
really intelligent, sensible, and wel-informed
members OF the society OF the future, then, rs
one OF the very first steps TO that end it will be
necessary for them to eradicate entirely from
their minds, TO 7t"earn, II possible, q very great
part of all they have ever been tnught at Sun-
day-school. 4 SuSDAY-ScuooL GRADUATE.