thus "regenerated," adopted," and "incorporated," and therefore they do not plead the promise for a blessing on their education of him as devoted to God, or call upon him, as one invested with so high privileges as 66 a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven," to walk worthy of his high calling. The promise affords them no aid in bringing up the Child as a child of God, and the privileges conferred are not urged as a ground of encouragement to induce to the pursuit of holiness, the attainment of one grace, or the regulation of one temper. The rich expressions of privileges actually conferred in Baptism, which occur in the Baptismal and Confirmation Services, and in the Catechism, have no influence on their practice. Neither Baptismal blessings, nor Baptismal vows are distinctly presented to the mind of the Child, and his Baptism has no practical purpose. Even these pious Parents make no demand on the spiritual superintendence of the Sponsors of the Child ;-even pious Sponsors acknowledge no obligation of this spiritual superintendence ;—the Child grows up without any consciousness of his Baptismal enjoyments or privileges;—and the Church, not merely the professing, but the spiritual Church entertains neither hopes nor fears on account of the Child, and consequently exercises no faith in the promise, and presents no prayers for its accomplishment towards him. And thus, even among the pious, Baptism is little more than a dead letter, promises without plea for their fulfilment vows without concern to discharge them-a ceremony acquitting them from subsequent interest-a sign signifying nothing. We have had of late many interesting treatises on education, most of which have lamented the defective instruction of our times; but as it appears to me, the best treatise on education is to be found in the best principles and order for its practice. The Church of England has made the largest and most efficient provision for the holy education of its children: and no treatises ever yet published on this most interesting subject appear to me to approach in excellence within any comparable distance, to that of the Baptismal and Confirmation Services, and the Catechism of our Church. Here are the best rules, even those proposed by the scriptures of truth-here are the best means, the application of the promises of a gracious God, the prayers of the sympathizing Church, spiritual instruction in graces and duties, and privileges unquestionably holy; and the confirming efficacy of the Holy Spirit— here is the best issue, certainty of success, dependent on our faith in the promise of a faithful God. Were we but consistent Churchmen, did we but adhere to this system of education laid down by our Church, beginning with the simple devotion of the Child to God, and training him up in the way that he should go with a just con fidence on the divine promise for success in our endeavours, we might then sow in hope that the holy principles of his childhood would, with growing years, be formed into holy habits, and that when he was old he would not depart from them. And to what, indeed, My Dear Friend, may we ascribe the infidelity, the scepticism, the Socin-ianism, the spiritual indifference, the lukewarm profession, the fashionable formality, and the too visible ignorance of the blessed principles on \which our Church is built, and above all, the confused notions of Baptism which so generally prevail, but to this departure from the simple mode proposed by our Church for the education of her children. It would be acting against the plainest principles of our nature, to educate our youth as we do at present, and to expect from such education a Christian practice. In what mode does Christianity as a practical system enter into our plan of instruction? Is it not notorious that mythology has assumed the place of Christianity, and that the education of the young is more mythological than Christian? The respective systems by no means divide the attention of our youth, or exercise an equal influence in training their minds, or in forming their principles. On the Sabbath indeed they are taught to read Christian scriptures, to attend a Christian place of worship, and to bow down to the Christian God as the true God; but on the other six days of the week how little is done to temper by Christian instruction the impure and corrupt elegancies of heathen learning, or even to neutralize the polluting effect of the lascivious examples of heathen deities-the false, obscene, excessive, and defiling sentiments and descriptions of heathen poets and historians—or the erroneous policy, the glaringly false morality, and the unmeasured profligacy of heathen philosophers and statesmen. The unqualified instruction of six days must be expected to influence the mind more than the customary attentions paid to Christian institutions and Christian instruction on the seventh; especially where Christianity is not so much taught in its spiritual influence and vital loveliness, as in the way of a task, of a dry lesson of ethics, or a system of theological orthodoxy. To expect Christian conduct from an education principally, nay in practice, almost exclusively heathen, is surely highly unphilosophical and unreasonable; it is in fact to expect impossibilities, to seek for grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles." 1 66 I know it will be said, that at our schools and colleges Christianity is largely taught, that its evidences are insisted on, that prayers are regularly said, chapel and church attended, the Sabbath exempted from the ordinary occupations which would desecrate it, and the Bible held Matt. vii. 16. |