The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-27
SUNDAY SCHOOL ABUSES
Paper BY judge John c. Townes Of Law
Department Of University.
READ BEFORE The BAPTIST CONVENTION
In Session at Houston During the
Week just Closed-An Able and
Interesting Discourse.s

this city on Thursday and Friday OF tho
week Just closed the following very in
teresting paper on Tho Abuses Of the
Sunday school," prepared by Judge John
c. Townes, LID, of the law department
Of the State university, was read and
very favorably commented upon
The application of a thing to the pur-
rose for which it was designed Is the
use" OF 1t; the application Of 1t, in whole
or In part, to the accomplishment Of any
other purpose is an abuse" or wrong
use; and simply letting the thing alone
having nothing to do with it's non-use.
1t Is impossible to discuss one OF these
without, to some extent, considering the
others; and though the title Of this paper
indicates only one, all three wllf require
some notice.
The purpose OF the Sunday school is to
give TO the better developed Christians an
opportunity to study together and instruct
each other and the other members of tho
church and congregation, and especially
the children, the truth as 1t Is in Christ
Jesus, to make practical applications OF
this truth TO the minds and hearts of the
members OF the school and thus to bring
the uncovered into saving relations with
God and enable the converted to grow In
grace and In the knowledge OF the truth.
This can be done only by the careful and
faithful study OF the word of God No sys-
tenn OF lesson papers, however good no
commentaries, however learned, no papers,
however attractive, can G1 received as a
substitute for the Bible We must take It
for our text book and guide and by it
must all these others be tested. These aids
are mary of them helpful In connection
with the Bible, but none Of them, nor all
of them combined. should ever take its
place.
So long as all the energies and means
of the school are directed toward these
ends, 1t is use OF the school. Whenever
the school or any part of Its energies or
means are employed in any other direction,
there Is to that extent an abuse of 1t,
and whenever the school or any part OF Its
opportunities are neglected there Is
non-use of 1t.
The Sunday school, however, is not the
only means which should be employed by
the church and its menf)ers individually,
or by persons who have -other responsible
ities resting on them TO accomplish this
purpose of spreading the truth; and among
the most common forms OF abuse Of the
Sunday school are those which grow out
of . partial failure to recognize this fact
and the INDECENT negle~ Of other duties
and means of instruction--on the plea
that the Sunday school will supply the
omission.
Time will not admit Of even a catalogue
and hasty discussion of all these abuses
and non uses We viii consider few
of the most reprehensible and common.
leaving each person 10 carry out for him
self the lines of thought suggested.
Let us first look at the abuse and non
use OF the school by the church. Tho
former should, of right. be under the d.
rect, active, intelligent control Of the lat
ter The great commission Of the church
Is to teach and to preach Gods truth.
There is no place for teaching by the
church collectively like the school. Into
IL should be gathered all the congrega-
ton who are not perfect in knowledge.
and particularly the young and impression
able members. Here Is the opportunity
for face 10 face, individual work. Every
church has, should have in its midst
enough members OF spiritual maturity and
development 10 conduct and direct this
work. II any particular church has not,
the greater Is the need that II should
awake to its true condition, start its
school and begin its Bible study 1t Is the
duty of the church collectively to meet
this opportunity and to make the most OF
1t. The church ought 10 select the officers
of the school and to determine it's Seneral
policy, exercising over it tlrm 6ut low
ing control Don't misunderstood me here
| speak of the church in its proper de-
velopment and relation to this york. In
many cases the church, as 1t actually ex-
organizing and offering a Sunday school
as it would about military company;
some members In IL would doubtless know
a good deal about BOTH but most Of them
would know very little about either.
The ideal church would pay all the ex-
penses of the Sunday school-not that the
members OF the school should not be
trained to give of their substance to tho
Lords work. but 1t should be training in
giving that others should be benefited and
not in payment of household expenses.
Under present conditions, the man who
has The greatest number of children In the
Sunday school contributes through them
the largest amount toward carrying on
this branch of the church work, while
the church member who does not attend or
send his children to the school Is entirely
cut off from the privilege or exempt from
the burdenr-just as he may consider IT,
Next us to the pastor: The pastor as
a rule comes more nearly to the discharge
of his duty to the Sunday school than the
church as a whole does. have. however.
seen one or two instances In which this
was not true Tin this connection PLEASE
remember that l have frequently visited
other schools, and so az not confined in
my observations to my own pastors).
These pastors of whosA speak We're good
men, full OF interest in the school but
in the press of other duties could give II
only ftful and intermittent care. The Of
fcers and those In regular attendance
would have some plan or enterprise for the
betterment of existing conditions, and the
pastor-good soul though he was-would
not have kept up with the march of pro-
gress, and some morning when "a few mo-
ments were unexpectedly at his command
would come in and. being unappreciative
OF his environment, make q number of
misft and ill-considered suggestions. The
adoption OF the suggestions would be Sc
cured through love of him and the school
would go on unevenly for weeks, then
right itself again to go on smoothly until
interrupted by another manifestation of
zeal without knowledge Now dear
pastors. do not misapprehend me; every
real Sunday school worker wants the ac-
tive corporation OF his pastor. He recog-
nizes in him his staunchest friend and
most Intelligent adviser. but before you
make your suggestions. which from the
very love We bear you are almost equiva-
lent to commands. please take the trouble
TO End out where we are
Believe this Is all that have to say
about the pastor that comes to Sunday
school occasionally. The pastor who comes
all the time Is treasure beyond price
To the pastor who does not come regularly
have only to suggest from the pew what
va so often hear from the pulDit "Brother