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ing , or any of that esprit de corps which cleaves to children when ranged in the presence of a task-master : and happy that preacher on whom the eyes of the younger members of his flock delight to rest ! Happy he who has proved himself- their friend by many a kind act , and who thence derives a part at least of his power to win their attention ! We cannot help earnestly wishing that our ministers would , for their own sakes , endeavour to gain a strong interest in the hearts of children . To preach to them unseasonably , to take them to task for their offences , to interfere between them and their
parents , is not what we want : but who shall say how often a common affection for the man whose office it is to confirm all good impressions by the holiest of sanctions , might not remove asperities on both sides , dislodge objectionable fancies , and strengthen the bonds of family union ? We feel that we cannot afford to lose children out of the congregation , whenever we consider how serviceable such agency might be to him who knows how to use it . Our artificial divisions , as well as associations , are to be zealously watched over , lest they rob us of substantial general good , under the notion of procuring some special advantage .
Our doubts respecting the propriety of establishing a separate form of public worship for children are considerably strengthened whenever we examine our juvenile books , those overflowings of the love of communication . Of these many , many little volumes , how few breathe the generous spirit of Christianity ! How do they abound in interested maxims , in selfish
calculations of what will bring the largest outward reward , the least external punishment ! When they are moral , how often are they dull ! When religious , how dogmatical ! A notable instance of low and interested reasoning , in a newly-published volume sent forth by Messrs . Harvey and Darton , has just caught our eye . *
" Children , " says the author , ( addressing , of course , children , ) " miserably deceive themselves when they attempt to deceive their parents . Artful conduct , schemes , contrivances , disguises , and every cunning form of seeming ' otherwise than they really are , may , for a very little while , mislead their papa and mamma—but ( mark , reader !) joarents are wonderfully quick-sighted , and it cannot be lon # before such deception is discovered and condemned . "
And what , again , is to be said for the goodness of forestalling scepticism ? " You are too young at present , as papa told you , to understand thoroughly even what is known as to the cause of this beautiful combination of colours fin the rainbow ) . But I must earnestly charge you not to suffer the very little you do know to make you turn caviller , and lead you to discredit what you read about the rainbow in your Bible" !!! \
Yet this little work is not remarkable among books , either for defectiveness or excess , and its faults are perfectly consistent with a well-intentioned zeal , and a spirit of affection which may neutralize much of its evil . We have only adverted to it as a specimen of the manner in which direct instruction to children on moral and religious topics is apt to be abused . Thfe
obscurity of men , when speaking to men , is not so much to be dreaded , as the effect of dogmatism and self-sufficiency . Where they write for one another , they do not venture to lay down with authority such questionable systems of morality , and they are often forced into modesty of expression , and regard to the opinions of others ; but the preacher and the writer for children seldom adverts to the possibility of his being himself in the wrong .
• «* Children as they Are . " P . 2 C 5 . London . 1830 . t Ibid . P . 67 .
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Children ' s Boohs . 49
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VOL . V . E
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1831, page 49, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2593/page/49/
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