necessary to have read it. Young people might, therefore, begin to read the historical books of the Old Testament according to their chronological order, omitting the most objectionable passages, when they are about fourteen or fifteen; for this, being the most ancient history extant, should be read before they commence a course of prophane history.

Parents and instructors should point out which parts of the Old Testament, are really inspired and which are supposed to be the mere narration of the historian, lest the young students should be tempted to blame the Almighty for permitting those acts of apparent cruelty and oppression which are sometimes recorded. Children must on no account be led to suppose that God is revengeful or cruel, nor should their tender minds be impressed with those terrific descriptions of the Deity, which represent him as the God of wrath whom they are to fear, rather than as the kind Father of the Universe whom they should love and adore.

When they inquire the meaning of any obscure passages, different translations should be consulted; but if these do not clear up the difficulty, you must not put them off with those "gloss-overs," which are a disgrace to their inventors, but tell them plainly and honestly you do not understand that passage;' you should add, however, that happily our duty is so clearly pointed out in other parts of the Scriptures that it is intelligible to the meanest capacity. Intelligent children easily distinguish between truth and falsehood, and if you give them an evasive or unsatisfactory answer, it will entirely destroy their confidence in your veracity for the future.

After children have gone through the Gospels and the Acts, they may be taken to some place of public worship, which would impress their minds with serious ideas, and induce a habit of attention, even should they not understand all they hear.

In the religious instruction of children and young persons all doctrinal points had better be avoided, but when they grow up, their parents may converse with them on these subjects, and tell them how dif ferent sects of Christians explain such and such texts; and they should also instruct them in the evidences of Christianity. This would enable them to give a reason for their own opinions, which is particularly useful to boys when they are sent out into the world, Books of controversy are, perhaps, very useless to young persons, unless their minds be unsettled on any particular points, and then if they wish for any other guides than the different copies and translations of the New Testament, let them read and impartially consider the books that have been written on both sides

of the question. Christianity in its native simplicity and purity is of no particular sect, and therefore, instead of teaching my pupils all the trivial distinctions between protestants, calvinists, presbyterians, &c. I would only wish to make them CHRISTIANS in the true and most enlarged sense of the word.-Struve.

The following excellent passage from Dr. Beattie's Life of his Son, occurred since writing the above:

"The doctrines of religion I wished to impress on “his mind, as soon as it might be prepared to receive

"them; but I did not see the propriety of making him commit to memory theological sentences, or

66

any sentences which it was not possible for him to "understand. And I was desirous to make a trial how "far his own reason would go in tracing out, with a "little direction, the great and first principle of all religion, the being of God. The following fact is " mentioned, not as a proof of superior sagacity in him (for I have no doubt that most children would, in "like circumstances, think as he did) but merely as a "moral and religious experiment. He had reached "his fifth (or sixth) year, knew the alphabet, and "could read a little, but had received no particular "information with respect to the Author of his being, "because I thought he could not yet understand such "information; and because I had learned, from my "own experience, that to be made to repeat words "not understood is extremely detrimental to the facul"ties of a young mind. In a corner of a little garden, "without informing any person of the circumstance, "I wrote in the mould, with my fingers, the three initial letters of his name, and sowing garden-cresses "in the furrows, covered up the seed and smoothed "the ground. Ten days after he came running to me, and, with astonishment in his countenance, told

me, that his name was growing in the garden. I "smiled at the report, and seemed inclined to disregard "it; but he insisted on my going to see what had happened. 'Yes,' said I carelessly, on coming to "the place, 'I see it is so; but there is nothing in "this worth notice; it is mere chance ;' and I went

away. He followed me, and, taking hold of my

"coat, said with some earnestness, it could not be mere chance, for that somebody must have contrived "matters so as to produce it.' I pretend not to give "his words or my own, for I have forgotten both; "but I give the substance of what passed between us "in such language as we both understood. So you

that

think,' I said, that what appears so regular as the "letters of your name cannot be by chance.' 'Yes,' "said he, with firmness, I think so.' 'look at "yourself,' I replied, and consider your hands and fingers, your legs and feet, and other limbs; are they "not regular in their appearance and useful to you?' "he said, they were.' "Came you then hither,' "said I, by chance?' 'No,' he answered, "cannot be; something must have made me.' And "who is that something?' I asked. He said he did "not know. (I took particular notice, that he did "not say as Rousseau fancies a child in like circum"stances would say, that his parents made him.) I "had now gained the point I aimed at; and saw that "his reason taught him (though he could not express

it) that what begins to be must have a cause, and "that what is formed with regularity must have an inteliigent cause. I therefore told him the name of "the Great Being, who made him and all the world;

66

concerning whose adorable nature I gave him such "information as I thought he could in some measure "comprehend. The lesson affected him greatly, and "he never forgot either it or the circumstances that "introduced it."

VOL. II.

CHAPTER XIV.

Public and private Education, Schools, and the best Manner of spending the Vacation.

BUT you will say, what shall I do with my son? If I keep him always at home, he will be in danger to be my young master; and if I send him abroad, how is it possible to keep him from the contagion of rudeness and vice, which is so every where in fashion? In my house he will, perhaps, be more innocent, but more ignorant too of the world; wanting there changes of company, and being used constantly to the same faces, he will, when he comes abroad, be a sheepish or conceited creature.

I confess both sides have their inconveniences. Being abroad it is true will make him bolder, and better able to bustle and shift among boys of his own age; and the emulation of school-fellows often puts life and industry into young lads. But till you can find a school where it is possible for the master to look after the manners of his scholars, and can show as great effects of his care of forming their minds to virtue," and their carriage to good breeding, as of forming their tongues to the learned languages, you must confess that you have a strange value for words, when preferring the languages of the ancient Greek and Romans to that which made them such brave men, you think it worth while to hazard your son's in