been, on the whole, of considerable advantage to Scotland, none will deny. But they have not produced the one-tenth part of the moral and intellectual effects they might have done, had they been established on a more liberal and enlightened basis; and, consequently, were the system to be extended, it would tend to prevent, for an indefinite period, the establishment of a more enlightened, comprehensive, and efficient system of moral and intellectual instruction. Besides, there is not one out of a hundred of the parochial school-houses furnished with the apartments, apparatus, and other accommodations, requisite for carrying forward a plan of intellectual instruction. 2. We object, on the ground of the exclusive principles on which parochial schools are conducted. They are considered as so intimately connected with the established church, that no one but a member of that church is eligible as a parish teacher. Consequently, in attempting to extend the parochial system till it is supposed capable of affording instruction to the whole population, it is virtually declared, that, among all the dissenters in this country, amounting to more than onethird of the population, and whose moral and intellectual character stands as high as that of the other two-thirds, there is not one who ought to be entrusted with the education of youth, however respectable the qualifications he may possess. Those who countenance a principle of this kind have, surely, never studied the principles of religious liberty or of natural justice, nor opened their eyes to "discern the signs of the times." In so far as the individuals alluded to have it for their object to improve the plan of public instruction, and to raise the qualifications of the teachers, we wish them every success; but the community will certainly pause before it gives its sanction to a principle which would deprive nearly one-half of the nation of all interest and superintend. ence in regard to an object in which they are all equally concerned.

Hitherto, the superintendence of education, both in Scotland and England, has been chiefly entrusted to the clergy; and, at the time when our parochial and other scholastic institutions were established, there was perhaps a propriety in this arrangement; since, at that period, clergymen were almost the only educated persons, and literature was chiefly concentrated in their order. But the case is quite different in the present day, when a liberal education is not confined to any one rank of society, and when classical learning is not considered as the most important accomplishment. There is not, therefore, the same reason why the superintendence of education should be exclusively entrusted to clergymen. or to any other class of community. We would de

precate the idea of the education of the general mass of the population being entrusted exclusively either to the established church, or to dissenters of any denomination. Clergymen of al denominations should be considered as eligible, in common with other intelligent individuals, as superintendents and members of Educational Committees; but experience proves that it is danger. ous to the general interests of the community to entrust its affairs especially those which relate to education, to any priviledged class of society; for in such a case the general good of the public has frequently been sacrificed to the interests or ambition of a party.

mote "

One of the chief pretences generally set up for exclusive clerical superintendence, is the promotion of the interests of religion. It is much to be deplored that religion, which was intended to propeace on earth, and good-will among men," should so frequently have been used as a pretence for sowing dissensions in society, and violating the principles of natural justice. Whether "pure religion and undefiled" is promoted by attempting to raise one portion of the community and to crush another, and to throw a large body of respectable characters into a state of unmerited degradation, on account of their adherence to the dictates of conscience—is a question which may be safely left to every unbiassed inquirer to decide.—With regard to the religious instruction of the young, no difficulty could arise from the circumstance of persons belonging to different religious parties having the superintendence of it; since almost every denomination of Christians recognises the essential facts, doctrines, and duties of Christianity, which are the only religious topics which ought to be exhibited to the young either in public or in private. The man who, overlooking such subjects, would attempt to expatiate before the young on sectarian points of controversy, ought to be considered as destitute of that prudence and discretion which are requisite for a public instructor. If religion were taught, as it ought to be, directly from its Original Records, instead of being inculcated from human formularies, there would soon be little difference of opinion respecting its main and leading objects. The religion of Heaven has been communicated to us chiefly in the form of historical narrations, unfolding to us the Divine dispensations, in relation to the fall, the recovery, and the renovation of mankind, and embodying certain leading truths and moral precepts, to direct our affections and conduct-the great end of which is, not to engender strife and a spirit of metaphysical speculation, but to counteract moral evil, and to promote union, harmony, and love, among all who acknowledge its authority. There is no believer n revelation that calls in question the facts of Scripture, the per

fections of the Deity it unfolds-the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ-the immortality of the soul-a future state of punishments and rewards-or the propriety of the moral principles it inculcates. These are the leading topics of revelation; and to insinuate that such subjects cannot be taught directly from the Scriptures themselves, without the aid of human formularies, is nothing short of throwing a reflection on the wisdom of God, on account of the manner in which he has communicated his will, and of affixing a libel on the character of the inspired writers, as if their writings were not sufficiently plain and perspicuous.

The efficiency of religious instruction deduced from the Scriptures alone, is clearly proved from the mode of tuition in infant schools. In these schools, religion is taught by familiar descriptions and details of scriptural facts-by illustrations, taken from Scripture and the scenes of nature, of the perfections of Godand by enforcing the moral precepts of the Bible on the young, and showing how they ought to be exemplified in all their intercourses with each other. Now, I appeal to every one who has witnessed the religious knowledge of the children in these schools, and its influence upon their conduct, if this mode of tuition is not infinitely preferable, as to its practical effects, to the usual method of instruction by catechism, or any other formulary. Let us take a number of children at random from any common school, who have learned the "Shorter," or any other catechism, from beginning to end, and compare their knowledge and feelings in regard to religion with those of the children of a well-conducted infant school, and the superiority of the infant school children will be strikingly apparent, even although they are much younger than the former.-Should parents, however, wish to inculcate upon their children the peculiar tenets of the sect to which they belong, they have an opportunity of doing so at home, or by means of the pastors belonging to that denomination to which they are attached; but, in public schools, to attempt the inculcation of sectarian opinions, would be equally injurious to the interests of religion and the cause of universal education. This was attempted by the Church of England, in the enactments contained in Brougham's "Education Bill," and the same principle led the dignitaries of that church to oppose the Lancasterian system of education, and to patronise that of Dr. Bell, in which the peculiar tenets of the Episcopal church were to be exclusively inculcated.

That Christians of different denominations may cordially cooperate in the arrangements of education, appears from various existing facts. In the Northern States of America, as already noticed, education is far more general than in this country, and

conducted on more rational and enlightened plans; and persons of all denominations in religion co-operate in its superintendence. In the 24th "Annual Report of the Trustees of the Public School Society of New York, for 1829," it is stated, among many other interesting facts, that "The Board of Education consists of members of eight or ten religious denominations, all acting with entire harmony"-that "they discharge the important duties of their trust, with a single eye to the public good"—and that they received the sanction of "an independent set of examiners, who have repeatedly inspected the schools, and are acquainted with the operations of the Board"-who express in their Report "their full confidence that the literary, moral, and religious instruction, calculated to fit the young for the duties of life, and to prepare them for the happiness of futurity, is properly attended to, and the school monies strictly and most beneficially applied to their legitimate purposes." This board has the superintendence of "21 schools, with 21 principal and 24 assistant teachers, and 6007 children," the expense of which amounted to 62,000 dollars besides which there were above 450 private, charity, and other schools in the city of New York.-We know, too, that the "British and Foreign School Society" is conducted on similar principles-its Directors consisting of persons belonging to the established church and the various denominations of dissenters; and the same is the case with the institutions for infant education which have been lately established in many of our populous towns. The hand-bill, announcing the objects of the Model Infant School, Glasgow, which was framed by the Rev. Dr. Welsh, then of St. David's church, states, as one of the objects of this institution, that it is "for the reception of children from the age. of two to that of six years, with the view of imbuing their minds with the knowledge of religious truths,"-and that "the plan of communicating religious truths is by the narratives, the precepts, and the plainest announcements of Scripture." In short, the liberal plan now suggested has been adopted in all its extent in the kingdom of Prussia, where a national system of education has been established in which all classes of religionists, whether Protestants or Catholics, have an equal interest, and which, for more than half a century, has been conducted with the greatest regularity and harmony. So that there is no impossibility in persons belonging to different religious persuasions co-operating in the business of education, where there is a sincere desire to promote the improvement of the young, and the best interests of general society.

But should it be found impossible to induce the dominant sect

in any country to co-operate with dissenters in the arrangements of education, perhaps the following might be the most eligible plan of procedure:-Let the government allot a sum adequate to the erection and endowment of all the schools requisite for an enlightened and efficient system of education-let this sum be divided between churchmen and dissenters, in a fair proportion, according to their respective numbers-and let the application of this sum, and the details respecting the patronage of the schools, the qualifications of teachers, and the mode of instruction, be left to the respective parties, to be arranged as their judgment and circumstances may direct-specifying, however, some of the grand and leading principles on which the schools must be established. A plan of this kind would, indeed, still preserve the invidious distinction between churchmen and dissenters; but it would be infinitely preferable to bestowing the whole patronage and superintendence of education on any one sectary or class of men whatever.-Should government refuse to grant any pecuniary assistance to such an object, dissenters and all others have it in their power, by coming forward, in one grand combination, with voluntary contributions, to accomplish this noble design, independently of aid from any power under heaven; provided they are willing to make some of those small sacrifices formerly suggested. (See page 350.) And if they will not stand forward as bold champions, with their purses in their hands, ready to be delivered up for the support of this good cause, they will declare themselves to be unworthy of the name of Christians, or of lovers of their species, and will deservedly be deprived of all the advantages, in time and eternity, which might result from the accomplishment of this object, to themselves and to their offspring, both in the present and future generations.

CHAPTER XIV.

Maxims, or First Principles in Education.

I. THE idea should go before the word which expresses itor, in other words, A clear and distinct conception of an object should be impressed upon the mind, before the name or terms which express it be committed to memory.

This may be considered as the first and fundamental principle of intellectual instruction; and, if admitted, the following rule should be strictly adhered to in the business of education:-Let no passages of any book be committed to memory before the