Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-22
A SYLVAN ACADEMIA.
RELIGION AT CHA UTAUQUA.
The Successful Plan or Combining Scientific
and Christian instruct,on-TeachinG in the

| maj rhhiue iOI Sun0ay-scn00l tcdcners
was The leading idea. Two names must be
forever associated with the movement, DIR.
| John Heyl Vincent, Of New Jersey, and
Hon. Lewis Miller, Of Ohio. The former,
a man oil brilliant parts and unsurpassed
executive ability, has been the soul OF the
| enterprise; the latter, with ample means
! and most generous capabilities, has zeal
| ously applied himself to every scheme that
| would favor the movement.
The plan OF these scholars succeeded Tar
beyond their most fertile dreams, and 4
| large number Of similar retreats In the
groves OF America, North, South, East,
and West, have been inaugurated. But
| there Is only one Chautauqua. With vastly
better principles and appliances, and I'M
| der the leadership OF divine book, II is a
| reproduction OF the old Grecian idea by
| which Zeno. Plato, Socrates. aud Aristotle
endeayored TO freshen the intellectual tastes
| and impulses OF Grecian youth at the clas-
| sic shades OF the "porch" aud the
Academy The Bible, as an authentic,
| inspired, omnipOtcnt book. lies at the
bass OF the whole movement. In the
ten years Of its history, on the plat
form. in the desk. or at the school
room, there has never appeared an inuendo
against that old book which is the charter
OF the highest civilization and Of tie most
sacred personal rights. The founders Of
Chautauqua, watching the trend OF athe-
istic thought in the effort to thrust
bridgeless chasm between the soul and the
future, in bunting for the pre- -Adamite
man, in hunting for the processes Of spon-
tineous generation, talking learnedly aud
loudly Of "star dust" and "skv vor-
tices," have laid deep its foundations OF
q, gl... - I'LL
in the substantial masonry OF the divine
book.
BIBLE STUDY.
The normal Sunday-schoOl work has 10
do with methods Of interpreting tne Bible,
methods Of Illustrating Bible language.
methods Of analyzation and importation OF
Scripture truths. There are usually three
divisions Of these Bible students engaged
daily for three weeks under thorough
ly competent instructors, studying prin-
ciples and methods, undergoing exami-
nations with Il view to graduation.
The diploma in the normal depart
ment is recognized as 4 superior quail
fcaiIOn for Sunday.school teachers by Sun
day-SchOOl boards and superntcndents
throughout all the denominations. TO aid
in this work OF normal training is the
study in models which goes forward from
day TO day. Palestine Park" gives the
Holy Land IN miniature. II consists OF 4
plot Of ground several hundred yards in
length, laid out on n scale Of two feet TO
the mile for horizontal distances. Chlutlu-
qua lake answers for the Mediterranean sea.
Along the seacoaSt are located in minia-
tuTc the port towns OF Jalla, Tyre, SilOn.
Askclon, GAIA, Beirut, etc. Entering
from the South. you first touch Becr.sheba,
where Abraham lived. and Hebron, one Of
the oldest Of Palcstiniln cities: thence 10
Jerusalem and Bethlehem and all the hill
country OF Judca. TO the east lies the
Dead sea and the mountains OF Moab.
Northward rs you advance is Samaria,
lying between Mounts Gcrizim and
Ebal, where the Jewish tri1es bad their
responsive readings Of the blessings and
cursmgs. with Shcchcm in the valley. the
plain Of Esdraelon. and thence the long
range OF Carmel stretching 10 the sea.
To the east are the mountains OF GilbOa
and Tabor. Nazareth. the tortuous Jordan.
the sea, RethsaiGa. Ti5criuS. Clpcrnaum,
and the country Of Gadara. TO the nortl
and cast arc the snow.capped mountains Of
Lebanon, showing the sources OF the .Jor-
dan. and in the extreme northeast the re-
nOwncd Damascus, the eye OF the East.
An explanatory lecture each day in the
Park and about the Park gives impressions
which are uDiadng. These drills in the
geography Of Palestine are under the di-
rection Of Rev. y. ID. Fitzgerald, Of Jersey
City.
CHACTAUQUA CLASSES.
In the line OF the highest Christian
scholarship, questions OF science, patriot
ism, missionary effort, reform, temperance,
health. and religion are discussed upon the
platform OF the leading thinkers OF the day.
The feast Of reason and the fOw OF soul is
q daily luxury, so that if it were not for
the variety and change from grave TO gay,
from philosophical diSquiSition to popular
discourse, from concert 10 illustrated lee
turc, one would become surfcited. The at
fractions i'm rccreatiOns are delight
ful; rowing, fishing, sailing, bath
Ing, lawn tennis, crOquet, calisthcnics,
c2mp-fiics, moonlight excursions on the
lake, fireworks, Athenian watch.fireS.
pic-nics. etc.-these make up the glory OF
their days. Tent life with your wife and
children at your side makes you think OF
Elysian fields and the pleasures promised
by the gods. The Chautauqua idea pro-
poses 10 aid the masses in the search OF
knowledge, TO stimulate independent
thought, to bring into delightful harmony
with our living tie truth, and to aid rs a
brcakwater to the tide OF scepticism and un-
belief which IS rolling in from the seas OF
doubt. Twenty thousand dollars are spent
annually in providing lectures and schools
for the thousands crowding here during the
summer months.
The School OF Theology is a school o,
correspondence. and Is under the direction
% r 4 Tnurpgan1 Of
Boston; Bishop Foster, Methodist; Will
liam NJ. Sayler, Presbyterian; and DR.. j.
L. Durea. COngregatioualist. The read
ings, examinations, sermons. and lectures
touch the great questions OF the day in
which ministers are specially interested.
Special attention is gwen to the historical
development OF doctrine, church history,
social science, aud modern science in its
bearings on theology.
The school OF languages has classes in
Latin, Greek, German, French, Spanish,
and Hebrew. The schools open July 18th
OF each year, and continue six weeks. The
natural method OF instruction is pursued.
The scholar Is taught to speak IN the simple
way in which the mother tongue is taught
in childhood. Thoroughly competent teach
ers in all OF the branches illustrate the best
methods OF teaching these languages. The
college Of music gives attention to voice
culture, harmony, and normal methods for
school-music.
The Teachers Retreat for the benefit OF
secular teachers furnishes lessons IN
psychology, rhetoric, logic, elocution, pho
biography. clay-modeIling. drawing. cook
Ing, botany, mineralogy, penmanship.
ok-keeping, etc. Attached to this series
OF schools is an entertaining programme in
popular lectures, conversation, debates,
spelling matches, concerts, parlor sOirees.
and art lectures. As 4 recreation feature
there is given an imaginary summer trip in
foreign lands. To make il practical aud
helpful to teachers there are tourists con-
ferences, class drills, researches by com
mittees, engrayings, photographs, stereep-
ticon, lectures, songs, and excursions on
the lake.
THE CIRCLES FIFTY THOUSAND.
The Chautauqua Literary and Scientific
Circle, with It's membership aggregatlng
$4,000, and graduating from 1000 TO 1900
in every class, is the widest known feature
OF the Chautauqua enterprise. The course
Of reading and study embraces ancient and