can to form useful libraries, and happily by a common law, positively bad books are excluded from all public libraries.

The United States delights to call itself the Model Republic, and is a fair field for proving the republican form of government. In this world,

where perfection is not found, we are often glad to do the best that circumstances admit of, and to yield points for the sake of unanimity, but this exclusion of religious instruction from the common schools is a very great thing to yield. They talk of the purpose of some religious bodies, to erect church schools, and take the superintendence of their own children, and they are very right if better may not be. But a distant spectator, who is ignorant of the adverse power which may arise to prevent a change, should it again be put to the vote, cannot but wish the matter were reconsidered before the most pious of the community withdraw from the present system entirely. If a more decided duty were made of Scripture-reading, if questioning on that, in the same manner as on other reading, were introduced, and if a few passages of the Bible and a few hymns, from the copious collections which exist, were committed to memory, and if a little sacred singing were added to the

morning prayer, it would give solidity to the whole fabric, and form a foundation for all the moral lessons which it is the duty of the teachers to inculcate. To expend all the pains on preparation for this short life, and leave an eternity of happiness or misery unthought of, uncared for, is not the act of a truly kind and reasonable government.

A little French pamphlet, entitled "Le Palais de Cristal," contains a few sentences that apply but too well to this subject-they are here translated: "It seems as if all would work without the influences of religion, and without having recourse to its aid. They never call it to help them, and even, they think to do, or to be able to do better without it than with it. They pretend that it has failed of its aim; that it has not succeeded, and they leave it on one side in the positive expectation to accomplish their design. They will not mention it, because they fear in doing so, to introduce a source of quarrels, of divisions, and animosities, as the past has proved, for men have quarrelled and gone to war and strife as much for religion as for politics and other things. No, Jesus Christ and his religion go for nothing in modern plans and projects. The religious amelioration of man is of no moment.

The sole object is the temporal, cor

poreal, material, and a little the intellectual good of man. All belongs to this world, and all is for this world. As if they supposed that man is not immortal nor fallen, and responsible before God. Here, man and his glory are the sovereign, nay, almost the sole object."*

*Le Palais de Cristal, par le REV. Z. V. CACHEMAILLE, page 11.

Sabbath Schools.

WHEN the lack of religious instruction in Common Schools is mentioned, pious parents generally advert to Sabbath-schools and try to console themselves with them as a substitute. And so they might, in some degree, were the influence all-pervading, and the attendance steady-and did not the heart require "line upon line and precept upon precept," before the truth sinks into it.

Were all who venture to take charge of classes themselves enlightened Christians, had all the gift of teaching, and all the zeal and love which would induce them to accompany lessons with their prayers, then one might comprehend how the tender mother who has begun to teach the sweet story of Jesus, and has delighted to hear her little ones lisp hymns in his praise, can venture to resign her office to another. Then one might see the father confide the charge which is given him of God, to a youth who in the common course of things, is not

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likely to be as experienced a Christian as himself. Then one might hope that mollifying Sabbath influences would subdue young hearts and bring them home to their parents, what they wish them to be

come.

One cannot but question whether this is the natural result, if the natural guides withdraw entirely from the office of ordering their children well themselves. There is a uniting power, a respectful affection, an elevating sentiment, which if it be awakened at all, is lost by the parent and transferred to the teacher. The years in which the young and helpless draw their support from their parents, are also the years when their sympathies may be interwoven, so as to make a life-long web of mutual help and unfailing concord. Why should this be sacrificed? and a gap made of the intervening time between the nursery lessons and their entering on public life.

It is said, if the well-qualified parents withhold their children from the Sabbath-school, the ill-qualified will not send theirs. If this be so, it must arise from a maistake lying somewhere as to the origin and use of such schools. When Mr. Raikes first assembled a few children in the city of Gloucester, he did not go to the most pious people in