newly-invented system of operation, met with an impulse, which promises to circulate throughout our own country, and, probably, in the process of years, throughout the nations of the world, the blessings of that knowledge, that faith, and that love and practice of every Christian Virtue, on which present happiness and future glory depend. It is from experiment, suggested by the deep reflection and inventive faculties of the mind, that the world has derived most of its valuable improvements. But experiments are often dangerous. It is, therefore, a wise and proper jealousy to watch and examine them, to try them by the severest tests, to enquire into the nature and tendency of their operations, and to see that they do not interfere with established truths and acknowledged advantages, that they are not connected with unnecessary innovations and visionary perfections, and that they do not, under fair and specious promises of good, contain some latent principles of evil. : Now the experiment, which has been of late so much the subject of commendation, has been watched with the keenest eye of jealousy; it has stood the severest enquiry, that wisdom, prejudice, and opposition, could institute; its nature and tendency have been thoroughly investigated, and its effects have been seen, witnessed, and felt; and what has been the result? The result that ever attends an examination of what is good. It has been proved, and the highest wisdom and the first characters of the land have given their attestation, that so far from interfering with established truths and acknowledged advantages, it imparts an increased power to the former, and a wider circulation to the latter; that, instead of introducing any unnecessary innovation, or holding out any visionary perfection, it aims only at rendering instruction in religion, morals, and useful industry, more easy, expeditious, economical, effective, and general, and at improving the state of society by making its members, and especially its poorer members, better acquainted with the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and the duties of their respective callings; and that, as the Evi : dences of Practical Illustration which it has produced plainly show, it not only does not contain any latent principles of evil, but that the promises of benefit which it held out, fair and vast as they were, have already been realized beyond all expectation. I am an enemy to every new project, which calls in question, or tends to raise a prejudice against, what the wisdom of ages, or the Word of Scripture, has declared to be good; but I am a friend to every experiment, that has the extension of this good for its object, and that furnishes more active and powerful means of advancing the present and future happiness of mankind. Indeed I should esteem myself unworthy the office I hold of Minister of the Gospel of Christ, if I did not rejoice in this New System of Education, which has so happy a tendency to give an increased circulation to the Word of God; if I did not openly approve of it, if I did not strongly recommend it, as one of the greatest blessings that Christian Philanthropy has conferred upon the world. The advantages that attend this New System are great and numerous. It rests upon the simple principle of Tuition by the Scholars themselves, under the superintendence of a single master, who, without any difficulty, or extraordinary exertion of mind, can direct and extend its operations to the instruction of a thousand children, as readily as to ten. The first object under this System, when set in motion, is, that no lessons be imposed, but such as are short and easy; the second, that every lesson be learnt accurately and perfectly; the third, that every thing which is learnt be understood, before another knowledge is imparted; and the fourth, that nothing be taught, but what is calculated to make good Christians, faithful subjects, and useful members of society. By this method of education, time is economized, expense saved, labour, by being divided, rendered easy, instruction made a means of pleasure and delight, attention and interest excited, a spirit of active emulation awakened, inertness of mind and indolence of disposition stimulated, and diligence, watchfulness, in. 1 dustry, resolution, provoked by a desire to excel, and by a fear of being outdone. In this busy scene, while every member is every moment occupied, and occupied to a good purpose, the strictest order is maintained; for the eye of vigilance pervades the whole and every part, and gives no opportunity for idleness in the many, nor for remissness of responsibility in the few. They who are negligent in their duty, slothful in their tasks, or vicious in their dispositions, (these examples, however, seldom occur,) are admonished and degraded; but no disgrace is imposed without a promise of favour upon amendment; for it is a prominent feature in this System, as marked out by its judicious inventor, that not only praise and reward be given to those who deserve them, but also that no correction nor degradation be applied without an accompanying encouragement to regain what is lost; and that no punishment be inflicted tending to debase the mind, to depress the spirits, to fret the temper, to indurate the heart, to check exertion, or to hold up offence to ridicule and scorn. It does not over |