commenced, continued longer, and assumed a more formidable character, in those localities where Church influence and Church schools were the least to be found; where, however, there did exist considerable provision for the teaching of the people in schools and other buildings having no connection with the Church. This fact is recorded, not for the sake of detracting from the merit which may be justly due to any who labour in the field of moral training with other principles than those of the Church; but to exhibit the efficiency of Church principles, and of the Church system of Education, in the production of that sound judgment and sober settled disposition, which, under all circumstances, constrain men to "render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's, and unto God the things which are God's."

THE DEITY OF CHRIST.

(From Howell.)*

Justice once took her stand before the bar

Of sacred truth. Straight flew her voice through heaven,
And earth, and hell, to call for witnesses
To speak the glories of the Son of God.
All beings then were summoned; infinite
And finite: and they all obeyed the call.
Angels descend from heaven, Messiah's name
To sound abroad: "To you is born this day
A Saviour, Christ,"-come then adore the Lord.
Devils proclaim Messiah: "What have we
To do with thee, Jesus thou Son of God?"
As well as friends, his enemies proclaim
His glory: "I can find in him no fault
At all,"

'-so Pilate spake. "This was indeed
The Son of God," the amazed centurion said.
Now ask the water what it thinks of Christ?
Owning at once the presence of its Lord,
Abashed, it either blushes into wine,

Or changes as it were to adamant,

To form a pathway for the Lord Most High.
Then ask the earth. To sympathize with Him
The grave shakes death to life. Next of the sun
Enquire. He puts the robes of mourning on
For his insulted, wounded, murdered Lord.

Now humbly ask what God himself will say?
Repeatedly He testifies of Christ:
"This is my much-loved Son, my well-beloved,
In whom I am well pleased: then hear ye
Him."
Heaven, earth, and hell, once in accord were found,
And only once. What did they then proclaim?
This glorious truth, "Christ is the mighty God."

*See page 116 of the Teacher's Visitor.

T. R. Y.

THE SUNDAY-SCHOLAR'S WELCOME TO HIS SCHOOL AND TEACHERS.

TO THE TUNE-" Sweet Home."

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord."-PSALM CXxii. 1.

How sweet when the morning of Sabbath is come,
With joy to arise and depart from my home;

And haste to the School, where instructions are given
To teach me the way to the kingdom of heaven.
Hail! Sabbath-school, hail!

Dear Teachers, your labours shall not be in vain.

Here, gladly, in songs of thanksgiving and praise,
My voice unto Jesus the Saviour I'll raise;

To die on the cross, for

poor sinners he came, And "life and salvation" are found in his name.

Hail! Sabbath-school, hail! &c.

Now, taught from the Scriptures of wisdom and truth,
I cry unto God, "Be the Guide of my youth;"
Encouraged to seek him, assured I shall find,
For such is the promise so gracious and kind.
Hail! Sabbath-school, hail! &c.

When the Gospel is heard, with its life-giving sound,
In the "solemn assembly" let me be found;
For Jesus is there, on the "Throne of his grace,"
And brighter than gold are the smiles of his face.
Hail! Sabbath-school, hail! &c.

Then shall I not seek, and religion obtain ?
The "Pearl of great price" is unspeakable gain!
Have God for my Father, and Christ for my Friend,
The Spirit to guide me, and Glory my end!
Hail! Sabbath-school, hail! &c.

So when to the "Jordan" of death I draw near,
If Jesus is precious, there's nothing to fear!
I'll send for my Teacher, whom dearly I love,
And tell him I go to a mansion above!

Hail! Sunday-school, hail! &c.

Then, rising to join with the glorified throng,
In singing for ever redemption's glad song
Of spirits made perfect, a Sunday-school band
May welcome me first to Immanuel's land.
Hail! Sunday-school, hail! &c.

Dear Teachers, go on in the "work of the Lord"-
Take courage, look upward, and see your reward:
Jehovah is faithful his promise to keep,

And you a rich harvest in glory shall reap!
Hail! Sabbath-school, hail!

Dear Teachers, your labours shall not be in vain.

CORRESPONDENCE.

ON "THRASHING" IN SUNDAY-SCHOOLS.

THE Editor inserts the following letter, not because it alters his own opinion in the least degree, but because it may be that he is "utterly ignorant of what is doing in Sunday-schools in the country;' and if "thrashing" is so common, and so essential in many cases, he wishes, the subject to be fairly canvassed.

For his own part, he still is deliberately of opinion, that he would sooner shut up his Sunday-school than allow of any corporeal punishment whatsoever.

REV. SIR,-I consider the note in answer to my communication rather curious; so far from your having no readers to coincide with the view I took, I should have thought, certainly, the majority of them would have been of the same opinion.

In D., where I reside, there are three church Sunday-schools; the superintendent of the principal, is a very warm advocate for corporeal punishment: he maintains, that without it, the school cannot prosper; and in consequence of his mode of superintendance, the Teachers find their work comparatively easy. I may add, he is a master during the week, and he may, in consequence of Teaching being his profession, have imbibed these ideas. But the other two superintendents are not school-masters, but pious young men, in other stations, who would not, unless absolutely compelled, have recourse to so unpleasant a remedy for disobedience.

I once officiated for one of these superintendents; the boys under their own superintendent behaved pretty well, on account of his enforced obedience by the rod; but when he had turned his back, and I was then superintendent, the following was their conduct.

When I was addressing the school collectively, some of the first class boys stamped with their feet; when I desired them to desist, they increased their annoyance. It was in winter. As soon as the school was dismissed, one boy threw a snow ball into the schoolroom. Two younger Teachers, when I went out, were standing fearful of proceeding homewards, lest they should be attacked by the elder boys. But along with me they were not safe, for we all were pelted with snow balls, and I received some personal injury.

Unless I did something after this to restrain them, I could never have acted as superintendent for my friend, although I am a regular Teacher. I was obliged, therefore, the next Sunday morning, to take a stick; and, after prayers, I related to the whole school my cause of complaint, and then proceeded to inflict very severe chastisement on two of the ringleaders, in the presence of all the children. The boys in the first class were afterwards tame and gentle; and after this severe treatment, I confidently hope to go on without the rude annoyance I have described, or having to repeat it for some time to

come.

I had previously to this, given a lecture on the very unpleasant business of having to beat children: that all should be love and harmony; that the relation between a Sunday-school Teacher and his flock is a sacred one, and a heavenly and holy feeling should pervade the minds of all in a Sunday-school, but the wild and unruly

passions of human nature must first be subdued, ere they will pay any attention to such lessons.

Corporeal punishment was also resorted to in a Sunday-school in the city of York, at which I had the privilege of attending as a scholar and Teacher.

It is my opinion, that in all Sunday-schools, in manufacturing districts, where Sunday-schools are most wanted, (and they are especially adapted for the desperate and wicked,) 'thrashing" is resorted to invariably.

In this town, in each of the three schools I have alluded to, boys have been dismissed, when neither gentle nor severe means proved effectual.

With all deference to your superior station and learning, I cannot but think that you are utterly ignorant of what is doing in the various Sunday-schools in the country. Clergymen will never have to resort to the unpleasant necessity of punishing in this way, because the most hardened are awed in their presence; but it is my opinion, that our Sunday-schools could never be conducted, unless the mode of punishment you so much condemn be resorted to.

ON TEACHING WRITING IN SCHOOLS.

REV. SIR,-In your leading article for June, you warmly and justly censured the practice of Teaching Writing in the Sunday-school, and at the same time, you solicit information. I willingly give you the result of my experience.

Eleven years ago, I was appointed a Teacher, in the very hot-bed of dissent-the Staffordshire Potteries. Most of the proprietors of the pot works are dissenters: one has built two elegant chapels, a Sunday-school for two thousand children, and a Day-school for eight hundred children, of all denominations. There can be no mystery how these chapels and schools are filled. It is notorious, that several of the employers insist on their work people living in their £10 houses, (to control their votes,) and attend their chapels and schools, and they dare not do otherwise. In their Sunday-schools, writing was taught, and a superior class of boys under a superior Teacher, were taught other things, to prepare them for the ministry. These practices were defended by the Teachers; and by their Ministers, in the pulpit, on the plea of necessity. I visited a Sunday-school in Burslem, where nearly 2000 children, young men and young women, as well as boys and girls, were congregated together in one room. My impression was, that they were being brought up on socialist principles. Then the din, hurry, bustle, and scuffle, occasioned by the Teachers; (a smart set of young sprigs,) skipping about in all directions, waiting on the young who were decked out in all their frippery and finery, with large ear rings, beads, ribbons, &c. These young men were trying how agreeable they could make themselves; simpering and smiling, and whispering; making pens, setting copies, and guiding their hands. How unlike what a Sunday-school should be! The quiet sanctity of the Sabbath was entirely lost sight of.

women,

Many arguments have I had with theT eachers and Superintendents, but all to no purpose. I therefore tried silent means, to convince them that there was no necessity for Teaching writing on the Sunday. I announced my willingness to teach gratuitously two

evenings a week, as many of our Sunday-scholars as could attend. This was the test; and there were none that could not attend in the evening. They came, and for seven years I followed up the plan. The consequence was, that our Sunday-schools were better attended, and writing in the dissenting Sunday-schools was discontinued. The Teachers of those schools solicited me to open private classes, for their benefit; and upwards of 80 male and female Teachers attended my classes, on separate evenings. For the truth of these remarks I refer you to your own school-master, who was one of the number that attended the Sunday-school, and the evening school. Your obedient Servant, R. A.

You are at liberty to give my name and address to any inquirer.

REV. SIR,-I write this partly from a desire to express the gratitude I feel at the appearance of THE TEACHER'S VISITOR and partly to bear testimony to the blessing which the Christian may derive to his own soul, from the work of Sunday-school Teaching. I trust that many find it to be a great promoter of personal holiness. When endeavouring to discern the various characters of the children, I have found it necessary to reprove the spirit of pride and uncharitableness that may have appeared. This exercise of duty has appealed to my conscience in terms, and with power, not to be withstood. "Physician, heal thyself!" Thus placed in a position of solemn responsibility-as one bound to teach those committed to his care, "the truth as it is in Jesus;" the Teacher cannot draw back! he cannot persevere in a course of hypocrisy, since the Omniscient One is acquainted with his most secret thought, and "all things are naked and open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do!" There is therefore no resource, but to confess and forsake his sin; to cast himself by faith at the foot of the cross, seeking for pardon and forgiveness, through the blood of Christ and grace, to walk in newness of life.

How truly too is that Scriptural promise fulfilled, "he that watereth others shall be watered himself!" when the Teacher preparing for his class, prayerfully studies the Bible, he meets with many warnings, many encouragements, and much instruction, (which had before been passed by as referring to the world in general,) so applicable to his own wants, that the remembrance of his Sundayschool studies is rendered sweet to him, and that which he had supposed would be very suitable to others, he finds by happy appropriation, experience, to be a gracious help, to guide him in the right way, amidst the busy occupations of life, and the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil; so that while seeking to instruct others, he is himself being established, and built up in his most holy faith. He finds fresh cause to pour out his soul in humble adoration and praise to his gracious Saviour.

That our God may supply all your need according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus; and make you to perceive what things you ought to do, and also to give you grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same, is the prayer of

Liverpool.

A YOUNG SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHER.

A. FOSTER, PRINTER, KIRKBY LONSDALE.