Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-07-21
What About the Sunday SCHOOL,

shadowy past, il not wholly extinct.
When Robert Raikes originated the
modern Sunday school, years ago, by
gathering together few London ga
minis on bright Lords day in June,
to read to them and explain the mean
ing OF the New Testament gospel, his
efforts were OF the most unseltish kind
and as q matter Of course, an abund-
ant fruition was the natural result.
He had to hire larger quarters and
gave employment to scores OF benevo-
lently-inclined men and women who
fiocked to his aid as intelligent and
enthusiastic teachers of Bible lore.
From national institution his work
has continued to grow until it encom-
passed the civilized world.
From quarter to half century
ago, the Sunday school was fair rep
resentative of what its venerable origi-
nator had made it in the beginning.
Since that time, however, like many
other things earthly, it has degenerat-
ed into anything but the true genius
of scriptural teaching. When we hard
ened sinners were boys We had to COM
nit to memory stated selections of
Holy Writ. These selections were re-
cited before the school and prizes were
awarded to those scholars who Justly
merited encouragement and praise
from the officers and teachers of the
school. How is it to-day? Those
good old usages have been crowded to
the wall by such innovations as serve
more to tickle the sentimentalities
than to edify the moral and intellec-
tual faculties OF the children.
To prepare for Christmas festivities
and a grand summer excursion fete,
appear to he the two things upper
most, nowadays, in the mind of the
typical good Sunday school scholar.
The work Of committing to memory
beautiful passages in the Old and
New Testaments has declined to
condition of about absolute nothing
ness. The children know far more
about the silly stories they read in the
books of the Sunday school library
than they do about Bible history,
Bible geology and astronomy, or the
biography OF those grand old heroes
whose achievements still move the
moral and political world. Then
there are the Sunday school papers,
Sunday school magazines, Sunday
school lesson leaves, Sunday school
charts, together with hundred-and-
one other so-called Sunday school
helps" of one kind and another. OF
course, all these must be read and
studied by the diligent scholar. But
10, and alas! experience teaches that
when the children have grown into
big boys and girls; when they have
graduated into nice young men and
women, their knowledge of scriptural
theology is something wonderfully
lame if not shockingly and humiliat.
ingly deficient.
An examination was recently held
in large English town where num-
Der of young men and young women
were wanted to serve in various liter
airy capacities in the review of certain
Forthcoming books and periodicals.
The service required some knowledge
of the Holy Scriptures, as generally
taught and understood by unsectarian
speakers and writers. The sequel
showed, however, that in this one par
ticular department of their examina-
ton, every candidate proved sorry
failure. And yet, strange as it might
appear, they had been in their youn-
ger days consistent members of the
Sunday schools of various churches.
When the dominic of an Olympia
church read the text for his sermon,
the other Sunday, a fiashily-dressed
young lady ransacked her Bible to the
verge of despair in trying to find the
passage referred to by the minister,
but utterly failing in this noble effort,
she smilingly appealed to an elderly
gentleman sitting in the next pew be-
hind her. "Please sir" she whis-
pered, twill you tell me whether Mr..
Blanks text is in the Old or the New
Testament" This reminds us of the
good old lady who used to run and
catch up her family Bible and assume
a religious attitude whenever she saw
her minister coming to make his usual
pastoral visit. Calling upon her one
day, he found her busily engaged in
coming the great Bible. "Well, sis
ter" he began, show do you feel to-
day." 80, Elder! Elder! feel a.
if could fly away and be forever in
Beelzebub's bosom and OH" "You
mean Abraham's bosom, sister," inter
rupted the good man. go, yes, elder,
or any one of the other dear old
prophets!"
Now, to speak seriously, if the Bible
as whole or any part, is the word of
God, it becomes everybody, and young
people especially, 10 study its deep
mysteries. 1t was the proud boast Of
Lord Byron that he was a diligent
student of the Bible. Scientists of all
religious creeds, and those of no relig.
ious creed at all, are unanimous in the
declaration that the only way to find
G,xI e L ..