Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-01-15
uniobhOripo brook. the brook 90,

them to the Avon, the Avon to the
Severn, the Severn to the narrow seas,
and from thence to the broad ocean, In
like manner the Bible which they hoped
to stamp out was distributed to the ends
of the earth, and the ashes Of Wyckliffe
dashed upon Plymouth rock as the Pill
grims landed. He then put the question:
ssWhat is the foundation of our republic?''
and answered it negatively, that it was
not our broad domain, not our constitu-
ton, not our American people, not gen.
eral education, not pnblic schools. not
the ballot-box; giving a multiplicity OF
reasons under each head, and reaching
the conclusions that the foundation was
the conscience of the American people.
At the close unanimous vote of thanks
was given the speaker.
Friday morning.-The praise service
was conducted by Rev. J. w. Kingsbury,
and was very enjoyable, consisting large
ly of scripture quotations. After this,
the question drawer exercise gave rise
to lively discussion, participated in with
great freedom. On the question of libra
RVS it not indispensable to a success
full school, Mr.. Camp thought a library,
| if judiciously selected, was a benefit, but
had poor opinion of the average Sunday
school book. Mr.. Bacon preferred pa
pers to books. Mr.. Locke thought if
time were taken in selecting, and proper
care taken of the books afterwards, much
| good might result from a library Mr..
Tracy agreed with this view, and thought
there was trash sometimes even in Sun
| day school papers. Mr.. Gilbert had
found Ecce Homo in Sunday school, Ii
| brary and thought such a book had no
right there Mr.. Somerville would also
| throw it out and substitute Ecce Deus.
Mrs. Hidden thought a mistake was
made in trying to get too many books at
| a time. Better results would be reached
| by selecting half dozen carefully than
| by spending $100 all at once just because
that sum had been voted for the purpose.
s'What benefits result from teachers
|
bury as follows: sit insures study; gives
clearness of views; helps to remember
truth; gives opportunity for counsel;
| gives feeling Of organized effort" The
question as to whether a superintendent
should occupy much time in preliminary
| and closing exercises was then discussed
| 1t depended upon circumstances: if one
had anything to say, say 1t, provided it
was upon the days topic. Chow often
should Sunday school concerts be held?"
There was a variety of opinions upon
this; from once a year to once a month
being the extremes. Mr. Dawson
thought that concert once year would
be a good deal like family prayer once a
| week-hard work; would rather have
them once a month. Mr.. NillikeD said
there were people who would not 60 to a
church service who always went to a
Sunday school concert, and he would
hold them as often as expedient that the
truth might be brought to bear upon such
people. Mr.. Allbee thought their fire.
quency depended upon the time which
superintendent, teachers and scholars
could devote to preparation, and, with
the other cares upon us once quarter.
was about all that could be expected.
Ought scholars to be allowed lesson
papers in the class? Mr.. Hitchcock, of
Westfield, thought that in some cases the
use of lesson papers could not be avoid
ed in the class. Mr.. Allbee has tried the
experiment of excluding lesson papers
and had been very successful; the class
objected at first, but soon came to like
the new way best Mr.. Camp would ap-
ply common school methods of teaching
in Sabbath school, and what would be
thought of a class in a ordinary school
reading answers from book. Other
questions were asked and answered, the
answers being practical and well sustain
ed, making the exercise interesting and
! profitable
Are attendants of Sabbath schools
being converted: if not, why?" The
persons appointed to introduce this topic
were both absent, but a letter from one,
Rev. R. King, in part supplied his place
and contained several timely suggestions,
the principal one being that we do not
labor so much for present as future re-
suits. This should be reversed-now is
the time, and if the child starts right there
will not be so much to unlearn as there
will be if he is left to come to mature
years before conversion. DR.. Freeman,
after fifty years experience in the minis
try, concluded that parents too often
stand in the way of their children. He
had received them into the church as
young as seven years of age and never
knew one so received to prove false. He
believed the gospel adapted to the child
and meant for him. We do not expect a
man to be less diligent in business after
conversion, nor should we expect child
to be less playful. Bros. Bacon and
Kingsbury followed in the same line, say
ing that if there was something in the
child which the gospel could not reach
thus early the gospel was defective. AS
an efficient agency toward the CONVEX
sion of children Bro. Allbee advocated
Sabbath school prayer-meetings.
''Intellectual training in the Sabbath
school, Bro. Allbee opened the topic
saying that for correct understanding
of Bible truths the child must know of
the places in which the various transac-
tions occurred, of the habits and customs
of the people and a general history of a
secular character; that the intellectual
training was necessary before the spirit
ual could act intelligently. DR.. Hurlbert
said his first thought upon seeing the
topic was that the committee preparing
the programme intended to be sarcastic.
Intellectual training had given way be-
fore the call for everything to be simple.
Everything must be made easy nowadays
or it was not popular; all thinking must
be brought down to the level Of infantile
minds, and any attempt to induce rigdr-
Gus thought was found dry and dull. He
had seen a farmer place hay for his colts
in high rack and asked the reason: "To
teach them to hold up their heads, was the
answer. Paul and Christ used arguments
apd 1oruDaoa far ahOva the cOmpre han-