The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-12-13

The ministers Of the Christian
churches Of the Ohio valley met yester-s
day at the First Christian church. this
city. There were present Revs. Smith
and LlnkletteT. Of Aioundsvllle; Watson,
Of Beilaire; wiseman. of Martins
Ferry; Mcdonald. Of Hiram. o.; Nam
sell. Of Wellsburg; Smith and Martin,
of Bethany; Pike. OF BarnesvIlle, and
oliphant, of this city. Members OF sew
eral OF the churches were also present.
Rev. Mansell read very interesting
address on Sunday Schools" The sub
ject was discussed by nearly all pres
ent.
In an informal manner the forenoon
session was given to discussion OF
Church Polity." These meetings are
growing In interest. At the next meets
ing January 2. 1889, Rev. C. ~ oliphant.
OF First Christian church, this city, Will
give an address ON Soul Winning.
Ministers. elders and deacons are eligi-
bic to membership in the association
and all persons interested in the cause
OF Christ are invited TO attend the
lAEGllUkEt MAlAGAl AAG AGAA ANh W.
the first Monday of each month at the
First Christian church. this city.
Mr.. Wansells address on Sunday
Schools" was as follows:
Who is there OF US who will dare un-
derestimate the true value Of training
and discipline? The student. the clerk,
the mechanic, the man in every walk
and work Of life. 'Give me a child till
he Is eight years old" said a Catholic
priest, land you may have him all the
rest OF his life" What did he mean by
that? Simply that the child is father
TO the man, and the truths, the priucl
pies, the habits, and beliefs instilled
into his young heart prior to that time
can never be effaced. That the prlnci-
pies OF Catholicism would be so firmly
imbedded that a Catholic until eight, q
Catholic until death. And who OF US
has not proved this to be only too true?
have seen and conVersed With Cath
Ollie children no older than that who
could say a prayer for every bead, re-
peat the creed, name all the special
saints, describe purgatory and tell the
easiest way to receive absolutiOn from
sin. You can convert the Indian, the
Chinese, the Japanese. the Hindoo, the
Mohammedon and the savages OF At
rIca, but how rare, how marvelously
Tare an attainment when Catholic
leaves the doctrine OF his church. And
why? Simply because the minute their
infant tongues begin to lisp sound the
parents and priest begin to drill and
train and educate. 'Tls true, there are
certain things as qualifications OF In
herited passions or endowments which
exist In every child's nature that
neither time nor training can annul.
Every child Is endowed with certain
traits or training which are as charac-
teristie OF that child as life Itself, but
the current, the cause, the foundation
of all our lives are moulded and shaped
in childhood days Thus our hearts are
like a plowed field of rich, mellow soil.
II seeds OF untruths, Of carelessness, OF
selfshness are soWed within the fur
rowed rows, then there must of neces-
sIty come up harvest OF liars, OF hui
man brutes and overbearlng prigs. but
II instead seeds of love for God aud fell
loY man, OF truthfulness and Christian
piety, there will be a noble harvest OF
Christian men and women, trustful
workmen and promulgators of peace
and good citizenship.
II this be so, what wonderful re-
sponsIbillty rests upon the parents and
every Institution for the development OF
childTen's best character. Christ did
not make an Idle work when he uttered
those memorable words, suffer little
children to come unto me and forbid
them not, for Of such Is the kingdom OF
heaven" The great questions con-
fronting US then Is what will bring them
unto the Lord. Without any doubt the
first and chief responsibility rests upon
10 In, Rf1f ~ Ia an
awful, a CHASTITY fact. that the only Bib
llcal or spiritual training an innumer-
able host of children, children Of pro-
Tossing Christians. receive Is that Sc
cured from other sources. as the Sunday
school or Junior Christian EndeavOr.
And sadder still Is the picture OF a
great company OF boys and girls grow
ing up without any training whatever,
growing up like rank weeds to become
the thieves, the drunkards, the vaga-
bonds, the murderers, the Tascals of a
future dag. Brethren we have mo-
mentous question before US this after
noon In discussing ;he Sunday school.
What shall we do for these people?
How shall we secure their attendance
at the Sunday school and hold them
when once they are there? How shall
we draw them without advertising the
attractions Of circus, and hold them
without the amusement of a concer;
hall? And last and best OF all how
shall we instruct them so that the eter-
Gal truths OF God shall be as firmly
grounded In their hearts that nothing
can drive them out? These are Ques-
lions which have weighed heavily upon
| Sunday school workers since the organ
izatlon OF the school. They have called
fhn nj
able men. They have caused the as
semblaEe OF Sunday school workers IN
conference. They have been the burden
OF millions OF prayers at the throne OF
grace. l feel deeply my inability to
| even roughly outline plan. OF mv
sncech thus FAR. have spoken from OBJ
servation and the proofs Of history OF
what little remains must largely the
orize.
chief points and ask for n full discus
sion OF each Surely the success OF any
school depends largely upon the super
Intcndent. One should never be placed
in that responsible position without first
/ deep prayer and thought 10 call into
the gcneralshlp OF our army man dee
void OF military knowledge. one unable
10 see alar OF, one without any STRAIT
| euIc skill. one without love for the
work, would be to commit rational sui
eide, ga to place In the hands OF man
unified for the work, the leadership OF
sunday school Is to place a great
stumbling block in the pathway OF the
| church. Let him first Of all be thor
oughlE consecrated, then possess a large
heart n love for children. an active
brain. n kladly disposition. a magnetic
influence. Do this and thy sunday
school shall live. Is such an one always
TO be found? Alas, no.