Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-12-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL IDEAL.
Address Delivered by Rev. -. l.. Yale,
of Ellsworth

by Rev. ID. l.. \ ale, 81 TINS city, NJ
he Congregation conference at Somes-
wife on Oct. IA. Comm entlng on the
address the Mirror says: at presents
phase Of the sunday schoo! ine-t1""
which, for a long time, We have felt
needed greater emphasis There Were no
less radical positions advanced 10y thrte
men who spoke at the tLWbtt land CON
ference. The feeling is becoming Wide
spread, that the institution which We ell
love and labor for can be, ana must he
bettered to meet the demands OF tie
times" Following is the address a
printed
The strength OF Christianity one mum
dred years from to-day VIII be proper
tional TO the educational work accom-
plished i'll the meantime by the Christian
church. The classes and the masses to-
get her are emerging from the age OF emo
ton and are entering the age OF reason.
The individual Is the type of the race.
\ boy Joins the church. Usually his re-
ligious faith is OF the emotional order.
He goes to college, and, III few years,
realizes the transition from the age OF
emot ION to hat OF reason. Unless his re-
iigious faith undergoes the same change,
the Young man ard his faith are dl-
vorced. The boy developing INTO the
man Is a type OF the human race as II
| emerges from the age of emotion and
enters the age or reason.
l. Our Sunday schools should teach
the ord of God. The most important
medium OF that word is the bible. Our
SUNDAY schools should teach the word OF
GOD in the bible. The scholars in these
schools should study the word OF God IN
the bible. Teaching and studying the
! bible are not always met with in our Sun
day schools. l should like to compel the
| adult classes IN our churches to take II
respectfully difficult examination on the
/ bible that we all might learn how much
| they really knew. In passing, let ne say
| that abi!lty to repeat large portions OF
| scripture Is hot necessarily proof OF a
| valuable knowledge OF the word OF bod.
/ Photographs and parrots can repeat
| This transition marks an era OF great
/ promise to the Kingdom of GOD, for 1t
trans plants the strong motives TO re-
| hgIous life, from the uncertain held oil
emot ION TO the enduring field OF reason,
>. The main object OF the sunday
school is, not worship, nor CHRISTIAN tn
! huence. but il Is education. II i to 50
! feed he mind on truth of "a peculiar Kind,
hat he boy shall grow with and into the
| knowledge OF God. " hen boy or man
has tins iuluess OF the knowledge q God.
the Holy Spirit works speedily TO his con-
version, and his conversion l. perm hhtht.
| With all respect 10 the nOUie SuH day
school workers of To-day, l make the
statement, which needs no proof, that
there il not SuHday school III Maine
which Is carried On a. "lsely III regard 10
] lis one great object Is the average high
+ school OF Maine. Truths, The grhndest,
the profouudest the most vital known to
men, are committed 10 tie Sunday
! schools, yet they are taught less skill
fully, ana less earnestly than are the
/ ordinary branches in our high schools.
In method, IN system. III planning Tor
and in carrying Oh its work, our sunday
] h. 4l nd
schools.
And / want also 10 plead for place II,
our Sunday schools for That living word
OF the living God Which Is revealed III ma
turt. Our Whoie lives on earth are spent
With God in nature. There Is possible a
glorious fellowship with God through the
medium of our friends, the stars, the
tioN ers, the birds, the rocks, The SEASONS,
the light of day, the darkness OF night
the peaceful suns hine, the furious storm
" may prepare the children to 1--we Win
| God by training them TO fellowship
with Him in nature. Religion should
bind closest While we are about our
Fathers business, our sally work. Some
of Us have not been prepared for rehglou
of this sort, but the coming generations
may be.
8. l believe that we should no Longer
teach selected bible. Oar method
should no longer be that OF hop, SKIP
aud jump. The plan OF teaching the
New Testament in two sections, VIZ: - ht
Life of Christ and The Early Church >
is UNNECESSARILY superior to any that has
precede it. This plan groups about nat
urai centres all the material, gives trut
perspective and completeness and results
in q natural connection between the orc
of God and the students mind.
The met hod W hlch selects passages her'
and there with he purpose of impresslnl
their moral or spiritual truth on TIM
scholar may result III a series OF weak i'm
presslons but cannot result IN know
| ledge of the word of God.
To state il briefly, the methods employed
in our sunday schools should be those o
our kindergartens, our public schools
and our colleges. Our humility shoulc
be at least sufficient TO enable US to Learn
met nod from them.
4. | look with wonder at the teacher'
in our Sunday schools. They have IN.
sympathy and my profound respect
They attempt the impossible, though it il
not their fault Our classes are divided
into small sections, and one teacher Is ex
pected to teach the same class for som'
years. This puts work on the Sunday
school teacher which no teacher In oul
, public schools or colleges would dare at
; tempt.
The fault is most common in the ad
vanced classes. A teacher Is given elias
OF boys which she holds with more or les
success until tney leaNe SUNDAY 5cnooI
which usually takes place W hen they frs
,, become conscious of their young man
hood
| The fact is this, few Sunday schoo
+ teachers are able to hold class of young
men for years with real profit to thu
young men. This does not reflect dis
credit on the teachers. Our ablest col
ege professors do not try TO hold a elias
for more than few terms. Each colleg,
professor throws the requirements of hi
life study into few terms. Thus he cal
make it protitable for the young men K
come, and they come.
Our Sunday schools should copy oul
, secular schools in this. They should b,
carefully graded. Each teacher may b.
) given large class, but should be asked
to hold it only for reasonable time ant
to teach it only section OF the course o
study. By thus specializing her worI
the teacher becomes more proficient anc
the instruction of higher order
)