The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-04-26
SERVICE CLOSED SUNDAY.
Sunday School Mass Meeting In the
Morning and 3. Y. p. v. Service at
Night.

aVa - ~ ONfNfSN -
Night.
The centennial services were continued
in the Baptist church Sunday mOrningin
the interest of the Sunday school. A
large congregation was present 10 greet
the speakers. who interested and instruct
ed the audience for two hours.
The pastor, Rev. X. A. Williams, after
a short Introductory address, introduced
Rev. J. NJ Pitcher, u. d., Of Petersb Irg,
corresponding secretary Of the Sunday
School and Bible Boarl Of the Baptist
General Association Of Virginia.
DIR. PILcHER's ADDRESS.
Dr.. Pitcher took as his theme 1.-The Sun
day School. The Great Evangplizing
Agency" He said the Importance of the
Sunday school as an agent ofeyangeliza-
ton is not fully appreciated.
By some II Is regarded merely az an
appendage TO the church, that Ia demand
ed by the times 10 which we live Some
churches consider the choir Tar more i'm
pOrtant As an instance of this, achurch
vote $4,000 to its pastor, $4,000 to
it, choir, and ia the same proportion pro-
Nllt lOI ONUCI tABCltftf 0uG ulu ubA kiNt
dollar to the Sunday school, Some
body remarked, iacetlously, that that
school might cry out with the protiga';
How many hired servants OF my father
have bread enough, aud TO share, and |
perish with hunger" That Sunday
school IL one OF thousands that depend,
very largely, for their support on the con
tributiOns of children.
The evangelist is too often regarded as
the great power for winning souls, when
in truth the winning was accomplished
by the Sunday school and the labOrs OF
the evangelist were merely the oppor-
tunity for ascertainiDg who had been
won.
Our Lord, the Great Teacher, While
preacher Of the Gospel OF the Kingdom,
rarely delivered a set address. but taught
constantly wherever he went.
Bible schools, synagogue schools, eX.
listed among the Jews, and Ia the days
OF the Savior, according 10 one author
ity, there were in Jerusalem four hun
bred and sixty, and according to an
other, four hundred and eighty. This
would give larger number oil Sunday
schools TO Jerusalem, twenty centuries
ago, than is to be found In BOSTON or 10
New York or in Chicago. Ginsburg's
eyclopoedia OF Biblical literature consid-
ers the figures mot at all exaggerated"
Rev. DIR. Selah Merrill, after measure.
ment, says Jerusalem is only half mile
long aud hall mile wide. The jews
went so far as to say that II you would
destroy the Jew, you must first destroy
the Bible schools. Their Bible schools
were held all day on Monday and Thurs
day and on their Sabbath.
Jesus was a scholar 10 a Bible school
at Nazareth. Edersheim says: I'VE may
with deepest reverence, think oil him as
learning his esrliest lesson from the book
of Lsyiticus" He was thus prepared to
visit, at twelve years OF age, the Senior
Bible School at Jerusalem, aud be found
sitting in the midst Of the doctors, both
hearing them and asking them ques-
tions. so ably that "all that heard him
were amazed at his understanding and
answers"
Jesus o teacher. Jesus went about
in all Galilee, teaching In their syna
gogues and preaching the gospel OF the
Kingdom Aud so he did wherever he
went
The Apostles teachers. They interpre
ted the great commission to require
teaching az well as preaching. Peter
and the Apostles 10 Jerusalem, Paul and
Barnabas at Antioch, Paul aud Silas at
ThessaloDica, Paul at Berea, at Athens,
at Corinth, at Ephesus, taught a year
and six months, two years continuously.
Bible schools in the peat, apostolic
times. Because these schools had gained
so great power over the popular mind
in the Roman Empire, Julian, the Apos-
tate. in the fourth century, took the con-
troll OF education into the hands OF the
State, in order to shut out all Christian
teachers. ut il remarkable fact"
saws Schaff, that alter the days Of the
Apostles no names OF great missionaries
are mentioned till the opening OF the
Middle Ages, sss'. There were no mis-
sionary societies, no missionary iDstitu-
tioDs. no organized efforts Ia the Ante
Nicene age; and yet In less than three
hundred years from the death OF st.
John the whole population Of the Roman
Empire, which then represented the
civilized world, was nominally Chris
TANNED"
Origen PLACED the interlocutory method
of teaching above the hortat0ry and
diiactic. The great catechetical echool
at Alexandria, Egypt, Bingham says. in
cluded children and adults Of both sexes
Among the teachers were laymen aud
women; the scholars were taught indi-
yidually and the interlocutOry method
Of teaching was used fully.
In the Middle Ages, when the Christian
life was purest, the Bible school idea was