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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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rish is divided , all the children are gratuitously instructed th reading and writing alone . Every parish is similarly divided , and has similar schools , proportioned in number to the size of the parish . But , through the poverty of the inhabitants , they are , in many instances , only able to keep their school open for a few weeks in the year . When Providence moves the heart of any of their "English benefactors " to send a few francs more than usual , there is great rejoicing , that the school of such or such a ' * quartier " can be kept
open a fortnight longer , this winter ! Several of M . Bert's parishioners informed me that their pastor was remarked for adapting his discourses to whatever happened to be going on in the parish , or around them . He had lately preached on the vintage season ; his present discourse had a particular view to the re-opening of the schools . He very affectionately enforced on parents the duty of providing for the instruction and improvement of their children by sending them to their several schools , and , at the same time , seconding the exertions of the schoolmaster by reading the Scriptures with them at
home , praying to God with them and on their behalf , and teaching them to sing psalms to his praise . This last , he observed , the singing of psalms in a family , had a great effect in cultivating a pious spirit in young minds . And how much preferable was this to the singing of idle songs they might otherwise learn , which might exhilirate the spirits for a moment , but left no useful impression on the mind . He observed , that notwithstanding the great facilities for elementary instruction they now enjoyed in the Valleys , owing to the
kindness of their foreign benefactors , it was a lamentable fact , that every Vaudois could not yet read and study the Scriptures for himself . " Those of you , my friends , " ne said , " whose misfortuue this is , ought to be particularly careful always to enter the church in good time , to hear the Scriptures read by the schoolmaster , a custom adopted amongst us specially for your use * But it is a disgraceful thing to observe that the schoolmaster remains reading the Bible for a considerable time to a very few persons , while the majority of you prefer to stand talking at the gate . Placed as you are , my dear brethren , in these
Valleys , in the midst of persons of another communion , differing from you , I stop not to remark in forms , for forms are nothing , but materially differing from you in religious belief , is it not peculiarly your duty to be ready to give to every one who may ask it some good reason for your faith ? That faith which , through the blessing of God , our fathers preserved for so many centuries , and which they so often bled to maintain uncorrupted ! Your brethren of the other communion are always on true watch and full of zeal for the making of converts ; and is there not the greatest probability of their success , if they find you unarmed with the knowledge of the Scriptures ?"
Between Michaelmas and Christmas , every year , M . Bert , like the rest of his brethren , makes a visit to each of the ** quartiers " of his parish . These visits are called examinations , because it was anciently the custom to examine each individual separately respecting his knowledge of religion . Tim is still the practice in some of the parishes ; but in others , that of La Tour in particular , the population is too numerous to admit of this , and
the : pastor only delivers a » address to each assembled quarter in turn . If there happen to be any differences , or other grounds of complaint , they are then likewise submitted to the pastor ' s decision . These meetings have the e $ ect of bringing every mejnber of a widely scattered flock into a closer intimacy and friendship with their shepherd . He dines and spends the rest of the day in social converse with one or other of the families of the quarter . M < Bejt , who was exceedingly attentive to me , was particularly desirous I should accompany him in some of these visits , as he said the practice wa *
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1827, page 566, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1799/page/14/
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