they leave our national schools, with the hope that some plan would be suggested which might help to promote so desirable an object. Your number for May contains several articles bearing on this subject, and, if they fail in developing a plan by which success may be secured, they at least offer some important hints calculated to assist those who are attempting to effect such a continued connection with our elder scholars. From what has already appeared in your Journal, the following points may be considered established :

İst. That the educational efforts at present making by our church, do not fully accomplish the object desired, a considerable proportion of those persons educated in our schools, shortly after leaving them, and becoming dissenters.

2nd. That, beyond our daily and Sunday schools, we have no general means in operation to prevent so undesirable a result.

Assuming these two points to be established, two questions naturally offer themselves for consideration :

1st. What reasons can be assigned for children, educated in the principles of the Established Church," afterwards, and so shortly, becoming dissenters ?

2nd. What additional measures are requisite, in order to remedy so great an evil?

Fully impressed with a sense of my inability to do justice to a matter of such vast importance, I am desirous only to apply the fruits of my experience to help in the good cause, and I shall be satisfied if I can add one more hint that may further the object.

In

I. The cause of the evil, I believe, will not be found in the kind of education given in our church schools, which is essentially religious. The Holy Scriptures are very largely read, and to some extent understood. In this respect, I believe, our national schools are rather in advance than behind other schools for a similar class of children. addition to the Scriptures generally, our national school children have a more particular acquaintance with those truths necessary to be believed in order to salvation, the text-book for which is our unequalled catechism. To this may be added a respectable acquaintance with the use of our incomparable liturgy. In all this there is certainly nothing to favour dissent.

Still, if we refer to the letters of "R. F." and "F." in your last number, we find, that with this amount of religious education, too many do, shortly after leaving school, become dissenters. The experience of every other person who has paid attention to the subject, will supply him with very many examples of a similar kind. The kind of religious knowledge imparted cannot be the cause; it is impossible the bible, the catechism, and the prayer book can lead them from the church to the conventicle. What then is the cause?

I venture to suggest the three following reasons ;—

1. If the kind of religious knowledge is unexceptionable, it may yet be defective in its extent.

I am afraid we have not given sufficient prominence to the doctrines which refer to the church as the " pillar and ground of the truth;" to her sacraments as "the instrumental means of our union with the body,

and partaking of the spirit of Christ;" to her ministers in their several orders, as the only authorized teachers and rulers in the church; to the apostolic character of our own branch of the church, and the sin and danger of schism; to the history of our church, by which we might have enlisted the sympathies of the young on her side.

2. Another cause of failure may be found in the Sunday occupation, as mentioned by your correspondent " F."

To the children who attend our schools during the week, the Sunday is any thing but a day of rest. What between the school and the church, from nine o'clock in the morning till the close of the evening service is a period of complete hurry and confusion. I cannot enlarge

in this place on the evils attending Sunday schools, as at present conducted; but I hold a strong opinion, that it is one part of our Sunday system which works a feeling of "disgust" in children.

The situation in the church, which too often they are made to occupy, almost excludes them from taking any part in the service, which is far too long for children. To this must be added the sermon, in which they can take no interest, its language and matter being alike beyond their understanding. Their chief duty at church appears to be, to keep tolerably quiet for two hours or more. Their disrelish for the church is founded on the fact, that they are supplied with spiritual food unsuitable to their infancy, which requires the “ 'sincere milk of the word."

3. The third reason of failure, is the very success, partial as it is, of the religious teaching of the national school.

Religious knowledge is acquired, religious feeling is excited, and thus they are in a great measure prepared for religious associations; and because no means are in operation to continue their education in the church, and they are not under the influence of church principles, which would alarm their fears at the very thought of schism, they enter the openings made for them by the various sects, under the impression that they are becoming more decidedly religious.

The conclusion which follows these considerations is, that the religious education being chiefly confined to doctrine, is too popular; the remedy for which is a due regard to what have been called "Church Principles," which, with the blessing of God, will preserve our young people in communion with his church.

But as this knowledge cannot be acquired in the time usually allotted to boys and girls for school learning, and as religious education was never intended to terminate at that, or indeed at any period of their lives, some means are necessary for its continuation after they leave the school, which brings us to our second inquiry:—

II. What additional measures are requisite to remedy the evil?

If the Sunday school, and the service of the Church be unsuitable for accomplishing the desired object, and I think I have shown that they are, it follows that something must be applied which does not now exist. Your correspondent " F." has placed the position of our young people in its true light. "Till they are confirmed, the proper instruction of children is by means of catechising, and not by preaching; and therefore, if they were not to attend sermons till they have been confirmed,

I think it would be more correct, as well as more beneficial to them."

The inquiry now turns upon the employment of the Sunday, as a principal day on which the religious education of young persons leaving our schools is to be continued. It is with much fear and trembling that I venture to offer the suggestion which I am about to do, and with a due consideration both of the sanctity of the day, and of the blessings it is intended to secure to all persons, young as well as old.

The day is a day of rest; therefore it is improper to require children who attend the school during the week, in whose lessons religion constitutes the chief portion, to attend as on an ordinary day. It is a day sanctified to the Lord; therefore there must be a holy assembly for His worship. The service of the church is too long, the sermon is unsuitable, and yet they must be trained up in the use of the church service; but, so as to make them in love with it. The only plan I can see, is to assemble the children both in the morning and afternoon, at times corresponding with our church service, in a separate place, properly fitted up, when the prayers can be read and the children catechised, omitting the litany and the communion in the morning service. In other words a miniature service.

With reference to the subjects on which they ought to be catechised, they will of course embrace all such as a christian and a churchman ought to know. The object contemplated is to prepare the young for taking their stand in the great congregation, and to cause them to look forward with interest to the period when they shall be admitted to so great a privilege by holy confirmation. It is not too much to expect, that, by that time they will be prepared for profiting by the entire service of the church, and by the sermons prepared for their edification.

The agent by whom such a plan could be carried into operation is a grave question, and one which I am not competent to determine. The office is evidently that of a deacon in the church, but I apprehend, that the deacons in the church now, are not the persons calculated to carry out a measure of the kind. I do not mean that they are either underqualified, or over-qualified for it; but that in their habits, language, and station, they are unsuitable for that particular kind of work. The whole ought indeed to be under the control of the parochial clergyman, but the particular agent by whom it ought to be conducted must possess special qualifications for the work, which are not usually to be found in the clergy. In addition to those qualifications which the importance of the office demands, he must be able to enter into somewhat familiar intercourse with children, and especially with the poor. He must be qualified to work into their minds those great truths he is called upon to teach them, through the medium of language perfectly familiar to them, and at the same time so to raise both their habits of thought, and their language, that, in due time, they shall be able to understand the terms used in the more formal sermon. His mind must have been accustomed to contact with the minds of children, and to leading numbers at one time.

The deacon now in the church, is evidently not the agent for such a work. Independently of his former habits, he has another object in view;

in one short year he enters upon higher duties, and thus a succession of young men, strangers, would fill the office. This would not do. The person by whom the children are to be catechised must be known to them as soon as they appear in our schools, he must be their friend, their counsellor, not for a year only, but as long as they remain at school; and then, when they leave the school, he must be the person who has influence over them, to keep them in connection with the church, under his own supervision and instruction. He must be the centre round which the young people rally; he must live in their effections, and thus be enabled to lead them in the way they should go, until, in due time, they shall be admitted to the sacrament of the Lord's supper, and thus be placed under the guardianship of the authorised pastor.

It will be seen, that the agent in such an office, must be a permanent deacon, having no ulterior views. He will be an inferior minister in the church, it is true, but if the children are to be sufficiently instructed (catechised), and permanently attached to our church, it is necessary he should be contented to be so.

My remarks having been already extended to so great a length, I forbear to mention the minor arrangements, that would attend such a step. I submit, that such a plan is calculated to keep the children who leave our schools in connection with the church; and if so, the difficulties connected with its establishment cannot be insurmountable.

N. Y.

DEAR SIR,―In attempting a reply to the request for hints, as to the best means of retaining church scholars, I cannot conceal an impression, that much of the evil complained of might be remedied, if the fear of irreverence in the simple mention of things sacred, as, e. g., God's name, were more encouraged; if the beauty of holiness were more cultivated; and if the clergyman of the district were to evince in the school, the cottage, and the street, his proper character as father of his flock in Christ. The fear of presumptuous sin, would make the tender soul abhorrent from ill-digested and unguarded prayers. Holiness would seek, and firmly cling to the kindred spirit of our fervent services. Natural affection, (too often without a resting place at home), would gladly plant itself and take deep root in the rich soil of a spiritual father's love. But doubtless we are allowed, and as things are, we ought to add to these, and to those other religious bonds, which your correspondent " R. F.” mentioned as forming part of his method, any legitimate attractions of a less ministerial kind.

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"C." suggests choirs"-allow me to suggest Church of England Friendly Societies," or, in other words, the establishment of a fund for the insurance of relief in sickness, a pension in old age, and certain sufficient payments on decease. This golden link would, nay, does, bind wonderfully; dissenters found out as much long ago; and Romanists are especially, as usual, careful to secure such handmaids. Most of your readers, I am thankful to believe, can now construe Fas est et ab hoste doceri." But allow me to say, your clerical readers

should leave no stone unturned, to form such an institution, were it only to secure their friendly children from ravening wolves in temporal matters, (I mean sharpers, who borrow the money of unenrolled clubs on high interest, spend the capital and then fail); and to knit them, rich and poor, together, by the beneficence of an honorary contribution, and the occasional friendly intercourse of the anniversary dinner. Such a society would of course make the school-room, rather than the pothouse, its place of business; form its rules in strict conformity with the christian principles of the church, and base its social calculations on the best foundation.

I should say, if your readers desire more enlarged counsel on the latter point, I will gladly impart whatever experience has taught me as to the choice of authorities, &c.

I may add, that such an institution is the best possible opening for the formation of those further helps, among which "C." has with reason numbered "choirs ;" and that in a complete diocesan "speculum," printed by Bishop Coleridge, I have been delighted to observe a register of every Church Friendly Society which his diocese contained, and to infer that he at least is perfectly awake to their importance. Surely it is a subject well worthy of the attention of our bishops and archdeacons. Yours faithfully,

J. B. S.

P.S." Adult Schools," and occasional school-room lectures by the clergy, on history, evidences, arts, and the elements of science, with Sunday libraries, are all so many other helps against the centrifugal tendency of self-dependent youth.

REV. SIR, I was struck with the remarks of your intelligent correspondent" R. F." on the subject of children leaving the church when they leave our schools. "R. F." gives much valuable information on his mode of conveying instruction to his scholars. It may be "R. F." has not the inestimable blessing of a pastor who can take a working interest in his school, who will periodically visit it for the purpose of imparting instruction and encouragement. If he has not such a friend, I heartily sympathize with him, inasmuch as I think no school, however otherwise efficient, can permanently succeed without such a visitor. I have the privilege to be blessed with such a treasure. I prize it, and would say, thrice happy they who are in such a case. But I proceed, Sir, to reply to your correspondent's query.

My school consists of nearly 300 children; they have no other advantage over and above the best education we can afford, for which they pay 1d. per week. The major portion of them are children of colliers, miners, and forgemen. For nearly four years the following plans have been adopted with a tolerable share of success. I endeavour to teach them the theory and practice of music, and thoroughly to instil into them ecclesiastical melody. There is established in the school-room a service on Sunday and Wednesday evenings, at which my scholars for the most part attend, perfectly voluntarily. A gallery is erected at the western end of the room, capable of containing 150 children, on the