Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-09-18
RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS.
a Stirring Appeal for the
Proper Training of Chill
adren.
The Absence Of Religion In the Ris.
ing Generation Due to Their
Want Of instruction.
A Timely Topic Discussed ia a
Forcible Manner, by Rev.
Davis Sessums.

A8A
discourse delivered by the Rev. David
Sessums, assistant rector Of Calvary
church, last Sunday morning. The
reverend gentleman's homily bustles
with argumentative wisdom, and il
one Of his best efforts since his occu-
pancy Of the position be now holds in
that landmark of Episcopalean VOL
ship in Memphis
THE requirements Of each penera
ton and each individual, in the world
Of life, are transmitted to their sue.
ccsaQrs by the law of tradition OF
heredity. This law lays upon the
relation Of the parent a tremendOul
responsibility touching the history and
the destiny Of the offspring.
by the action of the same law does
God build through the ages the in.
crease Of his religion. Man makes
his covenant with God, and his child
is born into the heritage of all that
this covenant involves. The action Of
the parent thus fosters upon the child
the principles and first date of life with
God; and it is his duty-a duty which
cannot be denied or put aside without
injuring not only the child but the
balance Of the whole human race--to
labor for their survival and growth
amidst the influences which tend to
defeat the child of the divine life to
which tits born. The religion Of the
parent is thus that Of the child; and
the religion that is in him bears the
burden of giving law, Of affecting the
eternal destiny, of laying the bias Of
the child's life either towards God or
against him. Then, there is
no freedom in training the
child to wait for its religion till its
own choice can be madel The child
has no choicel The parent has all
ready put it in some relation to God;
already biased it in some wayl And
the duty OF the parent is not to wait
for the child's choice, but to look at
the religion which may be in himself
to see If it be true, that he become
not responsible fer further false start
ing to the new born lie, that he may
see 10 gu d. it Alright. What the
child thus inherits covenant with
God His oraclcs, hope, spiritual
contact with him-must expand by
spiritual culture, till the child is the
true representative of the true parent.
THE dearth Of religion to day among
the young, the absence from their
lives ofthe effects claimed for Chris.
tianity, their indifference-the COM
paniOn, ally and engine Of the uube-
lieving hostilities now so rife-these
are not primarily the fault of the
young. The parent started them with
no religion, or a wrong one; or gave
them no true Christian education; or
most likely thought to do all his duty
by leaving them to wait and 'choicel
We won't choose any, thank you.
You are not very sOlicitous about it.
and why should we be so? We shall
simply emulate your own Indifference.
THE fulfllment, then, of the
parents duty; the cure for this
indifference; the check TO this deser,
ton Of Christianity, are to be found
only in religious edueAtion-thatl lead
ing out, that training Of the young
which brings to maturity the knowl.
edge Of the use Of the spiritual priuci
pie and rights whereEitb they were
born, which open before them in grow
ing measure the meaning, reality and
truth Of Christ-as these contradict
alien impulses from the world and
from the hostile systems Of men.
The genius Of unbelief now abroad
seeks to rear a generation which shall
have forsworn entirely this education
Of the soul, and Aeed itself from any
religious bias with which it may have
been born.
THE Offset, its defeat, is for the
parent to rear a generation
in the full culture Of Christ; notleav.
ing the young to wait and grow in
different, defrauded Of their celestial
birthright, but drawing them upward
in the right destiny already chosen
Tor them; not aiming first at that
human culture, which fails with life,
aud when cut from faith is some wild
NaNa q
from the brain Of demons, fiery
hot to burst all barriers in her onward
race for power but at that Christian
with a creed develops the moral
Of the will, the mental tn
lmph, tho hearts immortal hope.
And this is to be done not only
a the family and the school.
human learning, but beyond and
above them, by systematic religious
.oaching from the church, in places
'onseersted to the principles whose
development in the young is sought at
im,s which enforce suggestion and
evidence Of these principles. Hence,
luman school and culture learn tho
truths they have to teach; and the
human family draws the sanctity that
maintains its relations. In church
each ng, in the Sunday school, the
'hole law Of tradition. of heritage.
$ fulfilled; the child is reared to live
nd know the religion Of the father
he ehild's life is not uprooied from
he religious history Of the family, but
5 linked forever in the chain Of
'les.ed promise, which binds together
he faithful throughout the ages. I'll
inbeli,f is rank. If tho young are in.
Iiiferent, If the comiog generation for
AXE the old paths and belle the reli-
ion Of their fathers; il, when the
move on, the religious tradi
ion Of the stock stops, tho church ties
o be broken, the Christian aook scat.
cred, the parish crumbled down to
uini il these things come to pass, Il
Till DO because the fathers have not
landed on the promises to the child.
Our American Fashiou