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    they be indifferent about . the coldiiess or % ar « oirtfMfc c ^ df ^ s ttffectioV tow $ ffist m gteat object of > ttr hopes ana lews C ? TUpu ^ f ^ ^ ft feel more sensible than " myself- that the subject of .

    religious education is something lnf ? nitely more important than a knowledge of the differences between one ie 6 t and another , it is impossible to think on that p bjeciat all , without cbmparing in our ' minds ' the geneml sentiments and conduct of those Whose ideas differ in very important points ! . Every one who is Janxious for the

    increase of the spirit of religion in his own heart arid the hearts of others , must be desirous of borrovvihg light whoever it fs . to be found , and of banishing all fhose baneful feelings wfii ^ fa wmld p reVerit the afcknow ^ 9 g-

    ment of living learned an important lesson from in div id uuls in btli ^ r respects opposed perhaps to the p rinciples of which he ic ^ nowledges tfee truth and valujp , TJijis Ishffirio i ma& any apology for freely b ^ niiigv that whatever tn ^ y be the . inherent recommfendatibils of bttr

    our faith , iao ^ ot think method of communicating '' f eligi'oiis instruction to tti < e youiig" isgeneteuly so calculated to ^ mterest tHe feelings , or , give & fiv-f volirabl ^ association with tne subject of" religion , as that pursued by

    Calvimsts . Uipitariank are too apt to conclude , that Decaiise ttie system of Ca ^ vifl is dark , intricate Wd revolting , young people must riee ^ Ssatily be disgi ^ W ^ by |^^ t ^ ey ttonk t 66 miich or ^ Msn ^ dows ; they forget the Hghtis , T ^ y ^ d ^ ell f in the Austerity of the oppqsit ^/ systfem , ahd ^ representing to thrnifcelves the niild and irierbiftif * hal

    racter of k tKeir ^ o ^ Vn , seem J X 6 expect that , if ybung people ar 6 hpt fright « erifedkway from it , they Will adom it as a matter of course , i hough it is slander "' fo alldw , even in a passing senVeiice , tl ^ at" the theme of mercy ife

    ail " uaivefconie theme to the lips of Catvim ^ ts , I ifill not enter upon this point , but confine myself to the question of religious instruction . —The attractions to children uid ^ orthodox te ^^ ixiV are ve ^ y many ; to tlio ^ e under 0 m | £ irians but tbo few . Htiiwever

    unihvitiQg ittay have bfeeri the appearance of ancient Puritanism , modern Csdvipisip has completel y Recognized th ^ p olicy of making religion W ' p&ptiVoting as possible to the yoiiiig'knd

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    uninatructed . Even that ancient piece of xK ^ iiyv ' the Cburch , GatecHism , has iMh tetiWkpA ^ tttafctiy ^ bjK MH ^ Sl ^ rwxm 3 l ^ s ^ f ^ 6 rie ^ eli » c % f ti ^ ct ^ ^ xjil ^ ti ^ tory < # its dijflEereni pcfeitibibl ' : attfi : wfer MfM easily "

    enttmeftxte hundreds of t ale ^ , abouriaing in similar doctrine and sentiment , which diversity the sabbath hours of young people amonf ^ oii r Cialyiriist ^ c brethren , DpubtfessJ these tales contain . mpchk that a ^ jtr ^ ite ^^ 'W ^ d iaa ^ ptove ; yet * that petsfbh itriiist beir about , ijpt only a prejudiced , but a tribst uuteachable mind , who does not * perceive thkt it | s

    a great matter thus tp pve religion an advantage ib earl ^ yeftrs , by tlje instrumentality of pleasant associations . It cannot Jbfe subject ^ of surprise , thsit some "tTiiitaiian j > arent ^ , alive to th ^ danger of making the Sabbath a weariness ^ and tirtistitig to the readiness with which a child ^ i ^ rind passes from what is obscure and tedious to what is infefestifa ^ , do ivail tEenaselyes { bqcasionally bf th 6 existence 6 i ~ sbme of

    these ptibltcations U . They think , and rightl ^ that it ; > pnnp e jibint tbT make i ^ vbi ^ a ^ e linjiressipii at &tst i to'i&Ve telieibii la fair and reasonable choice in rlie iklfl ^ p ^ ionjs ; ^ instead of attein | iting / twfeat v ^ l attipimpt in no other stMyor ^ arsiii ^) to place the mind o £ & of

    a ^ ft ] § U ; J fei < & with thai a in ^ ii , by to ^ iWtfnicatibff only abstract ancf plffl ^ sop ^ ilcally totr&ci ideas : And of wfiat Uhliik i , ; - after ^ 11 , are' these id ^ ts , if they fib . rhereiy ; the furnitui *^ of the hdtd ; iM tbeheia& fe ^ B ** jrieitM ^ part Where

    norlot iif this rii ^ tt ^? is th ^ evidence , aniidst & copious supply of accurate inforrnation such as a , catcicliiiiji ^ liKethat oifGeneva , f < 6 r iiiskanc ^ j is calcniit ^ tM to cbiivey ^ that i process \ i go \ i \ g oii which can alone ^ cbflstitute a truly teligi 6 us cliarlfcter ?*

    * pur American friends seem to JiaiJ J witlu great pleasure the publication of a translation of the Geneva Catechisni . — - It is td be hoped that , however advisable it may bb thoiight to imiirelss upon the minds of &W £ childrenf a few plain and easy first truths , we shall not again resort to the oppressive and uninteresting

    system of catechetical instruction with our young peop le * To learn by rote , whole chapters expository of our moral and religious dutTesv may easily disgust the mind , but can hardly advance it one step in any thing valuable . Sucn substitutea ' for nieutal exeHibn , such reatfy-

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    18 Thoughts on Religious Education .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1825, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2532/page/18/