spotted by the world, of their birth-sin or their dead works, and we had rather go forward to speak in glowing terms, of the love of their Redeemer; but I have no doubt that the consequence in many cases is a very mistaken view of the blessings which our blessed Redeemer purchased for us. We may at any rate, learn much from the experience of a Bishop of Hippo; whose dealings with the unregenerate heathen mind, was likely to give him a far clearer insight into the mode of conveying the gospel truths to an enquiring catechumen; and who at least, had the advantage which we have not, of knowing in what order those blessed truths had pierced his own soul.

I trust, Sir, that my recollections of his tract may not be incorrect or unfairly stated. They are (as I said before) the practical impressions left by a former perusal, and are now yours and the public's.

PRESBYTER.

WHY WE HAVE NOT BETTER SCHOOL-MASTERS. REV. SIR.I proceed, most respectfully, to offer one or two more observations on Presbyter's Plea for the Admission of School-masters to Holy Orders; thanking you for giving a place in your last number to my former communication. As my particular object in addressing this letter, is to show some of the causes, why men of character and talent are not induced to enter upon the profession of a school-master, in pursuance of the promise made in my last, I shall not say much in continuation of my remarks upon Presbyter's Plea." The prime evils which your benevolent correspondent appears desirous of providing against, are:-Firstly, The evident insufficiency of the present number of the clergy, to perform the work they have to do, and the absence of that familiar intercourse and pastoral care, so much needed by our fearfully increasing population. Permit me most sincerely to assure Presbyter, that my experience as a teacher in densely populated, as well as rural districts, convinces me that he is rightly apprehensive; the spiritual interests of thousands of perishing souls are from necessity uncared for, I had almost said unsympathized with. These are evils, which demand from a christian government an immediate remedy; but they are evils which I fear could not under present circumstances be even lessened by the adoption of Presbyter's plan. If the clergy have more to do than they ought, need I for a moment offer proof in asserting the same of teachers? need I, Rev. Sir, intrude another word in adding argument to the fact, that for the most part, the teachers of the poor are both over-worked and under-paid. Then I cannot understand how the church could be served by the ordination of school-masters; these objections may be met, by its being part of the plan to offer larger incomes, or by providing good assistants in the school. But to do this there must be means, and if there be, I should greatly prefer that they were used to call into active service some of the great mass of clerical talent, piety, and zeal, at present idle. In concluding this part of my letter, I would with humility suggest, that the best interests of the

human family would be better consulted by raising the character of the school-master to the standard of the clergy, than by lowering the clergy to the standard of the school-master; and above all things it is desirable that we should have pious and humble minded spiritual guides, who would identify themselves with, and enter into, the wants and feelings of the middle and lower orders; but that a race of "clergy of humble rank and inferior education," would be rather an evil than a blessing.

The prospects of a nation depend upon the moral and religious character of its people; it is either happy, prosperous, and free, or miserable, degraded, and slavish, in proportion as it has received the light and truth of the gospel, and the influences of a sound system of moral, social, and religious training.

The history of our own and surrounding nations sufficiently proves the truth of this position; it is then a matter of great and national importance, not only that our systems of training in those schools in which the children of our poorer brethren are taught, be practically sound, but also that those to whom the carying out of these systems is entrusted be practicably efficient. By reference to the present state of education in England, we shall find that the prime cause of its incompleteness, and utter insufficiency for the requirements of a vast and rapidly increasing population, is the want of means for the support of proper establishments, and as an almost natural consequence, the absence of a well defined system of school government-protestant in principle, and catholic in design. But my intention is chiefly to endeavour to show how it happens, that considering the great amount of unemployed talent at present in this country, so little of it should be attracted by the claims of education. Perhaps, Rev. Sir, this seeming mystery may be explained, by an enquiry into the inducements offered to, and the treatment experienced by, those already engaged in teaching. I am persuaded, that there is no class of men who have a greater right to be respected by society, nor a class more unworthily considered by the world in general.

It might appear an unimportant enquiry to ask, to what class of society the school-master belongs; and as I could not proceed to answer the enquiry, without casting a reproach upon members of that body I am bound to respect, I forbear; but I unhesitatingly affirm, that they have not been permitted to take the position they are justly entitled to. This arises from many causes; one, perhaps, the miserably poor stipends paid, particularly in villages, which renders it almost impossible for them to maintain credit, much less a respectable standing. Again, the various opinions as to the kind of education to be adopted held by committees. No man can expect to improve his condition, or create for himself a character and reputation in his profession, by teaching reading, writing, and the first rules of arithmetic; and I could mention to you cases in which intelligent men have become disgusted with the profession, through the obstinacy of ignorant committees in adhering to that system. Again, I might mention one of the everyday cases, cases which have come under my own observation. advertisement appears, a man of ability and character is wanted, he must be able to teach those branches of elementary education, which

An

render it necessary that he should be an educated man; thus education, ability, and character are demanded: suitable men apply, they enquire into the nature of situation, its income, &c. &c., they find perhaps £20 or £30 offered, and some contingent advantages, such as the children's pence, which make the salary about £50 or £60. Now it needs no wisdom to understand, that this is an income upon which no man, particularly if he has a family, can live with any degree of comfort. Sometimes, indeed, the salary does not amount to so much, perhaps from £40 to £50, but then a residence is offered, and what kind of places are they? I could mention three or four instances, out of the few that have fallen under my notice, where there have been houses occupied by the masters, provided by the committee, absolutely not fit for the family of a common labourer. Educated minds are generally associated with at least the decencies of domestic life; but they are doomed to suffer a new set of not very elevating or pleasant associations, in entering upon the residences frequently provided for National School-masters. Some four years since I was myself a candidate for the mastership of a school in the south of Leicestershire, the salary was not large, but a house was attached, and the privilege of taking day pupils; I attended, waited on the committee, about five rude but civil farmers, with a retired tanner in the chair: after submitting to some rather strange questions, and writing my name to prove that I could do it, I was referred to the squire, who was the treasurer. I announced my business, and was asked into the kitchen, and in due time was ushered by the servant to the presence chamber, and ultimately introduced to the residence for the master, which consisted of two lower rooms used as school-rooms, and two sloped roofed attics, ascended by a sort of ladder. I can assure you this is a correct statement and the names are at your service; I need hardly say the "house for the master," determined my mind as to further application for the situation. But it may be said this was in a rude and uncultivated village; true, it was a village, but not a very small one, having a resident rector, and a county magistrate (the before mentioned squire); moreover it was not many miles from the county town. But this is not a solitary case, I could refer you to a nearly similar one, not far from the town in which I now reside. But these are circumstances which ought not perhaps to prevent men of character and talent, from entering the profession of a schoolmaster; and I am inclined to think they ought not, but, that unfortunately those entrusted with the management of schools are not prepared rightly to appreciate either the person, or the office of the school-master; so that in addition to the discomforts of residence, and the attendant misery of keeping up appearances, and supporting a family out of £50 or £60 per year, that class of men more particularly than any other have to submit to the caprice of individuals, and the frequent overbearing contumely of committees. I know several instances in which respectable masters have been obliged to relinquish their engagement, because they could not longer endure the constant interference and insults of members (and not uncommonly female members) of committees. Is it possible then, that respectable and well taught men, who are able to command bread to eat, will enter upon or con

tinue in an employment that offers to the worldly mind no earthly inducement; and to the christian mind, nothing more than the happiness of being employed in a good work; and to both great labour and anxiety, with barely a subsistence. I fear not, Sir. I am inclined to think, that schools must be under a better system of management; school-masters more worthily esteemed and better paid, before efficient and good men will be induced to enter upon teaching, as an employment. I am aware that National Schools are improving, better masters are entering the field; but not in proportion to the demand. I am aware also, that many schools are now under the immediate charge of the clergy, and I rejoice at it; at the same time I cannot disguise the fact, that while they are willing to give all the importance to the office and work of teaching, they are not ready to give a greater measure of respect to the school-master than would be due to the sexton. There are, and it has been my happiness to meet with many bright and noble exceptions; but the whole matter lies in a small compass. The highest duty of a nation is to give to the people sound religious and moral instruction. This instruction can be imparted only by good and well trained teachers, and these teachers should (the importance of their office demands it) be placed in a position equal to the high duties they perform, and be enabled to maintain it with comfort and credit to themselves and advantage to society.

I can only apologise for intruding again upon your notice, by pleading the importance of the matter I have ventured to comment upon, in the hope, should you favour me by inserting these very imperfect remarks, it may induce some more able correspondent to do the subject better justice; but for the correctness of the statement I have made, I appeal to the experience of my brethren in the good work of instructing the young. I am, Rev. Sir, your obedient servant,

Oct. 5th, 1843.

DROITWICH.

TEACHING THE BIBLE SHOULD BE A LIVING THING. SIR,--Your very able correspondent Mr. Maurice, in his strictures on the cultivation of the imagination in children, has reminded us of the faculty or disposition in them to picture things to their minds, to form images of objects about which they hear. Now it is most essential, that this realizing tendency should be properly taken advantage of in educating the young, if we would produce right impressions.

In teaching the Bible, therefore, to our children, our first business, I conceive, should be to impress them with a sense of reverence for the holy character of God, its author; they should be brought to think of his greatness, and majesty, and truth; but, above all, they should be made to understand and feel (as far as they are capable of it), the situation in which they stand to him through the covenant of grace in Jesus Christ, with the duties and privileges therein involved, and thus to magnify his love.

These truths are not to be taught merely as abstract creeds, but are to be embodied with, and form the foundation of all scriptural teaching. The agenda must never be separated from the credenda. They must not always be inculcated in the same manner, but brought out, if possible, just in the relation in which they stand in the particular portion of God's word under consideration.

The best teaching is the closest, and although we are constantly finding out the difficulty of it in practice, we nevertheless must not lose sight of this principle.

Our Lord's teaching is our great model, and he invariably suited his mode of inculcating truth to the peculiar circumstances calling forth the expression of his mind, and to the state of the people, morally and intellectually, who were to learn from his mouth.

The man who carefully studies our Lord's parables, and the circumstances that gave rise to their utterance, will observe that each one, at the time spoken, had reference to what would peculiarly speak to the thoughts of his audience. It is very true that each one, when spiritually understood, teaches (in a certain sense), the same truth; but they might not, on that account, have been interchangeably used, because apart from a knowledge of the circumstances under which they were spoken, the real extent of their spiritual meaning cannot be apprehended. The great value, therefore, of close teaching is, that the minds of those taught revert at once to the particular lesson enforced; they are likely to be impressed; the realizing faculty of which Mr. Maurice speaks is called into action.

This important principle in teaching seems often to be lost sight of by those who are too anxious to reduce religious truth to a doctrinal system. The only way in which Christianity can be regarded as such, is that it is harmonious in its parts, and definite in its character.

In teaching the Bible, then, we should seek to analyze and bring out the whole truth, confining ourselves, in the first place, to the particular lesson we are at the time called on to impart, showing the child what God says to him on that subject, and when, or under what circumstances it is that God speaks to him in that way; viz. when he is leaving undone what he is there told to do, or when he is doing what he is there told not to do; and we should, in the way of illustration, show, by referring to our ordinary practice, how often this is the case. It would be well, too, if we would take pains to know each child's peculiar habits, inclination, and circumstances; and without appearing too much in the character of a harsh judge, to point out the reality of God's word, and (as far as we are enabled to discover it), its exact adaptability to the great end of doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

We should try never to leave anything unsaid that God says, only because it may seem to be beside or beyond our ordinary ideas, either as regards the strictness of the moral law, and our weakness to fulfil it, or the fulness of God's mercy in Christ, and the strength and sufficiency of his grace; but we should speak it as we find it, display the naked truth, and then to guard against misapprehension, find out what