can remove and cast into unknown seas. These subjects and others
are taught in our most bigoted schools in separate hours and
relations from religion. What then do you mean by affirming that
there can be no secular education of this child--apart from
religious teaching? We are not likely to agree, if I may judge
from what I have seen, on any one method of religious instruction
for it, therefore I wish first to fix common bounds within which
our common benevolence may work. Well, we all go to the Bible.
We agree that between its covers lies religious truth somewhere.
If you like let him have that--and let him have some kindly and
holy influences about him in the way of practice and example,
such as many of our sects can supply many instances of. Give him
no catechism--let him read a creed in our daily life. The
articles of faith strongest in his soul will be those which have
crystallized there from the combined action of truth and
experience, and not as it were been pasted on its walls by
ecclesiastical bill-posters. 'What is truth?' he must ask and
answer for himself, as we all must do before God. Don't mistake
me; I hope I am not more indifferent to religion than any here
present--but I differ from them on the best method of imbuing the
mind and heart with it. Surely we need not, we cannot--it would
be an exquisite absurdity--pass a resolution in this committee
that the child is to be a Calvinist! Who then would agree to
secure him from any taint of Arminian heresy in years to come?
Dare you even resolve that he shall be a Christian and a
Protestant! I would not insure the risk. But, with so many of
Christ's followers about me, surely, surely without providing any
ecclesiastical mechanism, there will be testified to him simply
how he may be saved. Your prayers, your visits, your kindly
moral influence and talk, your living example of a goodness