The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-10
Examples Of the Teaching Of Children in
the Sunday schools.

To THE EpIToR OF The SUN-Sir: Leav-
ing aside all question OF the wisdom OF q
change of policy in the school system after
all these years. it is well to ask what sort OF
religious instruction would our children get
If the schools were thrown open to the de-
nominations so eager to enter the field. No
better way of ascertaining can BE- found
than an inspection of what they teach In tho
Sunday schools Last Sunday tho subj oct
of the international Sunday School Lesson
which is so widely used. was the return OF the
Ark under the direction of King David from
kirjath ,Iearim to Zion. The Scriptural
story runs thus;
And they set the Ark Of God upon a new cart
and brought 1t out OF the house OF Ablnadab that
in Gbeah and Uzzah and Ahio, the Of
Ablnadab. dravc the new cart. And
David and all the house of Israel played before
the Lord all manner OF instruments made OF
tr wood, even on harps and on psaltcrtes. and on
timbrels and comets and cymbals And
when they came to Nachons thrcshing floor Uzzah
put forth his hand to the Ark OF God, and took
hold OF It: tor the oxen shook It. And tho anger
Of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah: and God
smote him there for his error, and there he dfed
by the Ark OF God,
That is, a conscientious. faithful servant
seeing the sacred Ark, the care of which was
intrusted to him. about to fall to the ground
puts out his hand to steady it, and God Al
mighty, the Creator of the universe infinite
in mercy and goodness. smites him deau
Now let us sire what our children are being
taught in regard to this story. The lesson
proceeds,
Uavids Intentions were good in his attempt 10
bring UP the Ark 10 the capital OF the nation, but
he made one great mistake which resulted in dis
aster to his plans At nrst-ths AK Of God Was not
borne In reveren,ial and prescribed way, In
stead OF causing the sacred symbol to be borne by
np u q
drawn by oxen dryel by T1@ah man who was vas
n2 on hem rop Ws road and the
about TO be precpa .ed to the ground when rz1ah
put his hand against the ARK 10 steady II and was
Of the ndi ynatIon OF God at The sacrlegious act.
THIS dreadful Judgment brought the great Pre-,
be, was riuch dispieased with hlnisef and possibly
liz "a " , Of A Vs.. plans rc soa also
the King and protest agai.st the method Of the
whole procedure. uzzih Violated spiritual law
Sum cum a man Would touch nsavily charged
electric wire and perish from IL. Yet the law OF
electricity and me law OF reyrTtnre are ho1n sooa
or who should have carried the Arh II we do not
obey God In the rigni way VT Il" not really obey
him at al.
pure, counts for nothing ~
Take another case, In Volume ~, No. J.
Of |Teaohers Helps in the G Joint ond, Diocesan
for the use OF teachers and advanced Bible
classes In Virginia and MARYLAND. IN the
Protestant Episcopal church. Is found the
following
"; are to rrgar The serpent as the tool Of SATAN
In the lcmptat.pr nf man. The speaking or the
serpent do b Jess - SUPERNATURAL thing as
the speak ny OF RuAAGl sass. satan spake through
tie one; God spake nrougn the other; and these
two occasion. are doubtless the only ones In which
SerpentS or asses have ever spoken In speech
lntrillglbir to man. IL was no doubt al advantage
10 ma,l rather man disadvantage, 1T Satan
was not suffered to appear 10 them ~ his bWh per
son The serpent neither threatened nor directly
persuaded nor used any cOnlpulSoG, but simply
falsIlvi It was his word against the word OF God.
and between the two he made bis choice. and fcll-
IL cannot be complained that he was placed under
TOO great stress o. temptation 50 that II vas not
pusS.Dir tog him 10 resist
II might be suggested that such n state
mept made az this time seems 10 confute the
assertion OF tn. paragraph quoted, AS To
there never having been but one occasion
when one OF the animal kingdom referred TO
broke into speech
Need one 10 further than such teachings
as these 10 account for the growing number
OF so-callpd infdpis and ngnOstics, and for
the fact ns stated by the Rev DR.. y. D. Neon
nell, that;
III, leadership Of Science and art In already al
most entirely IN tie hands OF men who have broken
with organized ChriStianity They arc tho guides
and pioneers In political and social reforms They
are n large minority promising soon 10 be Q ma
ior'ty-in the management Of charitable and re-
fornlAtory Institutions. They are the professors
In colleges and the teachers In normal schoeb,