the Scholar. The very statement of the question is enough to kindle a blush on the Christian's cheek; to fill him with amazement that a doubt should exist, and to startle him with the solemn reflection, "it is impossible that Christians could have done their duty, or such a question never could have arisen." If Modern Greece were Pagan, like their memorable Ancestry, and the question were debated, "shall the Pantheon be a School Book?"-the reasoning against it would be, that the study of such a work could have no other effect, than to destroy all faith in the National Religion. If the Infidels of France had made the same inquiry as to the Bible, the great argument against it would have been, that if faithfully taught from childhood to manhood, it would render the Christian Religion invulnerable, imperishable. If modern Italy were a heathen land, and her pagan Scholars were considering the question " Shall the Bible be taught as a Classic in all our Schools?" they would reject it unanimously; because they would know, that the more thoroughly it was studied, and the more familiarly it was known, the more would its vast superiority impair the claims of their mythology, and the admiration for their own Literature. The Infidel and the Heathen would act consistently; but where is the consistency of the Christian, when he glories in such acknowledgments of the excellence and beauty of the Scriptures, triumphantly extorted from its adversaries; and yet proceeds to banish that very book, which they, if they were Christians, would rejoice to adopt. The Deist and the Infidel can look on the conduct of the Christian, only with exultation and astonishment. Does the Christian desire to feel how rational are that exultation and astonishment? Let him remember that the Pagan and the Infidel may conscientiously pray to the objects of their adoration. that the Scriptures may never be admitted, as a text Book of duty and usefulness, even into our Seminaries, much less into theirs. But will the Christian venture to offer up such a prayer, to the God of those Scriptures, in the prevailing name of his dear Son? Let those, who have adopted a precomposed Service, prepare the form, and embody it in their liturgy; and they shall be horror-struck at the insulting blasphemy of such a petition. Let the worshiper in extempore prayer, hear from the lips of his Pastor a supplication, that God would bless the endeavors of his servants, to perpetuate such a banishment of the Scriptures:-and he would

hardly know, whether to wonder most at the impiety or the folly of such an appeal. I say then boldly, fervently, that the Christian dare not pray for the perpetuity of the present scheme of exclusion; that he must acknowledge the existence of such a state of things, to be a monster in the Christian system that he must mourn over it as irrefragable proof, that Christians have hearkened unto men, more than unto God: that he must know it is impossible for such a plan to endure always: that he must believe the important change is to be accomplished by human means: and that he can assign no adequate reason for the postponement of the great reformation, to a future day. I say emphatically, this is the accepted time; and it becomes Christians every where to arise, in the might of faith, in the ardor of hope, in the fulness of love, and do the work set before them. They at least may rest assured, that if this work be of man, it will come to naught even in their hands; but if it be of God, he who can of the stones raise up children unto Abraham, will employ the lukewarm and even the Infidel, to accomplish his ends, if his own children are unfaithful.

Let us consider briefly the causes of this exclusion. They are found before the Reformation, in the following facts. 1. The ignorance among the Clergy themselves of Hebrew and Oriental antiquities, and indeed of the whole body of Religious Science and Literature. 2. The predominance of the absurd and metaphysical theology of the Schools over the grand and simple doctrines of the Bible, and the prevalence of superstition and bigotry, instead of the pure and practical morals, the brotherly love and liberty of conscience, taught in the New Testament. 3. The gross ignorance of the Laity, and the utter neglect of any schemes for their general, permanent improvement. 4. The inexorable rule, which prohibited the reading, and much more the study and interpretation of the Scriptures by the Laity. 5. The want of any suitable works, as the companions of the Bible, in the expositions of its truths, and the illustration of its literature. 6. The traditionary reverence for the Classics. 7. The universality of Latin, as the language of the Church and the schools, to the total exclusion of Hebrew, Greek, and the vernacular tongues. 8. The absence of a religious sense, and of the spirit of usefulness among the founders of modern letters. 9. The utter ignorance or disregard of the fundamental truth, that Religion and education are the prop

erty of the whole people: and that they can accomplish the great end of their institution, only when they exert a combined, continued influence over the people, from infancy to manhood.

The causes for the exclusion of the Bible, after the Reformation, are the following. 1. The inveterate habits and opinions respecting education, prevalent at that day. 2. The controversial, sectarian character of the Reformation, even in its early years. 3. The institution of reading the Scriptures and of prayer, of preaching, confessions of faith, and catechisms all in the vernacular dialects, as adequate modes of religious instruction for the young as well as the old. 4. The notion that the Bible was not a Classic, and the Hebrew not a classical language; and that biblical and ecclesiastical literature, were the exclusive province of the Clergy. 5. The translations of the Bible into the popular dialects, and the annulment of the prohibition against the Laity's reading it. 6. The jealous spirit and bickerings of various sects, and the absence of a broad, practical rule of Christian liberality, combining in the common cause of religion and education as one system, the harmonious efforts of all, who agree in essentials. 7. The ignorance of Hebrew and Oriental Literature generally, and the fact that the great body of Scripture Literature is found in the Old Testament. 8. To these we may add several of the causes enumerated above, as existing prior to the Reformation, and indeed all of them exerted an influence in a greater or less degree, in preparing the way for the continuance of a scheme, so unnatural, anti-Christian and unjust. It is obvious that many of the causes, which existed as well before as since the era of Luther, have continued, even to the present time, to exercise an unhappy influence over religion and education.

Secondly. I proceed now to consider the obligation to incorporate the Bible, as a text-book of duty and usefulness, with the whole course of education, in every School, Academy and College, throughout our land. It will not be denied, that the sum and substance of life are found in the sense of duty, and in the spirit of usefulness; that without them, there is neither virtue nor happiness; that upon their cultivation and practice, depend the peace and prosperity, the moral improvement and steady progress of Society; that in a free Country, with popular institutions, they are indispensable to private welfare and the public good; upon them, especially in our own Country, do actually and incontesti

bly defend our free institutions, the durability of our Union, our peace, improvement and literature at home, and all our valuable influence abroad. Nor will it be denied by any of those for whom this argument is intended, that the Scriptures are the only pure and all sufficient standard of duty, the only fountain of usefulness, at once comprehensive and particular, durable, elevated, and peculiarly of a practical character. Nor yet will it be denied, that duty and usefulness, rightly understood, are inseparable from the whole circle of valuable, honest business, and from all the virtuous and innocent pleasures of life. It is impossible to transact any business, as a general Rule, advantageously to ourselves, and with justice and fidelity to others; unless our management of it be regulated by the sense of duty. Equally obvious is it, that virtuous and innocent pleasures derive their whole excellence from the simple fact, that they are useful: and that no pleasures can be virtuous and innocent, which do not exercise a wholesome influence over the moral and intellectual character. I presume it will be also conceded, that the professed object of education is to fit us for duty and usefulness, for business and pleasure, in order to make us happy, here and hereafter, that education attains or comes short of this end, precisely in proportion, as it teaches the sense of duty and the spirit of usefulness, and successfully establishes them, as the only basis of business and pleasure that as those are inseparable from these, in a well regulated mind and heart, so they cannot be safely and wisely separated, in a well constructed scheme of education; that as this unnatural separation actually exists, there must be some radical defect in the organization of all our schemes, and that it is the duty of the Christian Patriot, Philanthropist and Scholar not to rest, until he has remedied the evil. I feel myself also at liberty to assume as conceded, that our existing plans, answer very imperfectly the ends, for which they were framed, that in them the conscience or the sense of duty as regulated by the Scriptures, is almost wholly overlooked, that the heart, with all its affections, is equally neglected, and that even the mind, the all-absorbing subject of our present systems, is in the great majority of cases, when education is completed, but very indifferently provi ded with valuable discipline, useful information, the love of Knowledge, and a taste for reading. Now, the mind, the heart, the conscience exist indissolubly together, and they

are forever acting upon each other, and exercising a combined influence over the thoughts, words and deeds of every Individual. It is impossible to separate them in the constitution of our nature; and the attempt to do so in practice, could only have led to the lamentable consequences, so frequently witnessed in educated persons. Thus we are perpetually violating the fundamental laws of human character, and is it wonderful that the results of our schemes of instruction are disappointments and mortifications, without end or number? It seems to me to be a very plain and solemn duty, after an unsatisfactory experiment, through so many years, to institute a plan, founded on a close observance of human nature, and on the great principles, that duty and usefulness are inseparable from lawful business and virtuous pleasures; that the mind, the heart, the conscience, are parts of One whole; that to cultivate them together is the dictate of duty and Common Sense, but to cultivate them apart, is unnatural and irrational; that the Bible is the only standard of duty, the only fountain of usefulness: and that henceforth it ought to be inseparable from the whole course of civil or secular education.

Thirdly. Let us proceed to consider what advantages we may promise ourselves from such a Scheme. We shall cultivate the most important department of human character, the sense of duty, according to the best model, and with unremitted attention. We shall teach the young, that the great object of life is not to be men of business or scholars, but to be good and useful in the Scripture sense, and in conformity with that highest and purest standard. We shall place the Bible on the proper footing, as the basis of all that is valuable in life, as the daily ingredient of education, as the every day guide of the conscience, modeler of the affections and light of the understanding. We shall secure to religion, the attachment and reverence of the youth, in the impressions of childhood, the associations of youth, and the settled habit of early Manhood. We shall save the young, in numberless instances, from the ruin that would otherwise be their lot, by guarding them seasonably, and far more effectually than at present, from the temptations of folly, vice and crime, from the cheerless, heartless gloom of infidelity, or the black despair of atheism. We shall multiply ten-fold, if not a hundred-fold, the virtuous and useful actions of life, and all the varieties of happiness, of