gross-as of kindred errors, which are equally unscriptural and revolting. The Church of Rome-assured that where the Bible is practically a prohibited book, her claim of sacerdotal authority must needs pass current with any laity which is content to wear the shackles of a corrupt hierarchy-now less frequently than ever, enters the field of public controversy, on account of the certainty of being easily defeated; but she does not the less continue to assert her oft refuted absurdities, and to multiply those converts who are resolved to escape the trouble of thinking for themselves, and to purchase heaven on the easiest terms. Much of our modern literature is now favouring the growing delusion in favour of large and liberal concessions to error. At their head may perhaps be classed what was once not untruly called "the leading journal of Europe," now become, more or less, a vehicle for the gradual diffusion of Popery without the Church, and of a modern heresy within it, which is a mere modification of that early apostacy. The Athenæum, which has long made a scoff at religion, is, in like manner, duly observant of those 'coming events which cast their shadows before ;" and wisely catering to the refined taste of the scientific public, is not careful to distinguish between things that differ in another school than that of art. Thus on the 26th November last, we have what is called the "touching account of the ceremony of inaugurating a chapel to the memory of the victims of the Versailles Railway accident;" without a word of reprobation on this chapel being erected for praying their souls out of purgatory-much less on the Patron Saint of the chapel being the Virgin Mary, under the title of "Notre Dame des flammes," "Our Lady of the flames;" because (as will be remembered) these unhappy Sunday travellers were consumed by fire. A figure of the Virgin not only, it seems, surmounts the chapel; but there is a second statue of her above the altar, beneath which are the words, "Oh good and tender Mary! preserve us from the flames of earth! still more from those of eternity!" as if any mere creature in heaven or on earth possessed any power of this nature, or were needed for such an end, when only the sacred Persons of the ever blessed Trinity are proper objects of Divine worship, as alone possessing the incommunicable attributes of the Deity, and when Jehovah has expressly declared that he "will not give his glory to another." It appears that "the relatives of the victims were present in great numbers, joining in the mass for the dead, and the surrounding banks were crowded with silent and sympathizing spectators." And what instruction, I would ask, is, at this period of the world's age, to be found by "sympathizing spectators," or what consolation by sorrowing survivors, in the celebration of an unauthorized and uncommanded musical spectacle, declarative of a separate, but not a final, state of being, for the proof of which we look in vain from the beginning to the end of all canonical Scripture? And what, after all, is this supposed presidency of the Virgin over the ravages of fire, but a simple modification of ancient heathenism, which equally assigned to her profane rabble of gods and goddesses just such a supernatural controul over the elements, and other creatures of the Almighty, as our poor ignorant neighbours are here taught by their clergy to refer to the Virgin Mary-herself no other than a creature, however honoured by all nations, as the earthly mother of our blessed Lord? ZENAS. ON THE SEPARATION OF BOYS AND GIRLS IN SCHOOLS. Glasgow, 8th Feb. 1843. SIR,-Since I took the liberty of sending you a few slips the other day, I have had the pleasure of perusing your last publication. I do not desire any controversy on the subject of the separation of the sexes in education, nor do I ask you to occupy your valuable columns with the subject; but I would simply remark, that I conceive it dangerous for boys and girls to be taught together beyond the age of seven or eight, but not so to be trained even up to the age of twelve or fourteen ;-i. e. a school without the constant moral superintendance of the master is dangerous; but with it, as under the Training system which I advocate and practise, it is not only perfectly safe, but highly improving, morally and intellectually, to both sexes. It is a fact, that out of a regular attendance of 500 to 600 children of both sexes in the four Model Schools and Play-grounds, under four masters, and consisting of children of from two to fourteen years of age-one of these being from the wealthy classes the utmost propriety has been exhibited, and the greatest improvement taken place. I state this as a fact; and under the same system, with well-trained masters, similar results would take place in England. I know well the "prejudice" that exists in the South on this point, and I quite sympathize with it. It must continue until the opposite course be tried. It is also a fact, that no evil has resulted from the young men and women (students) who have been trained for two thirds of each day together. Under the teaching system, I believe it would be exceedingly dangerous and inexpedient; but this is no reason why the training system should not be attempted. The whole principle is-begin early, and continue to train at all hazards (for hazard there actually is none) up to the age of twelve or thirteen years. Most certainly I would not for the first time "mix two or three hundred young ladies of the higher classes of society with the young gentlemen of their own age and station at Eton, Winchester, and Harrow, or at Oxford and Cambridge, assigning them the same class-rooms, galleries, and play-grounds;" but had these young gentlemen been trained from infancy, not merely taught, with girls of the same age, their manners would now have been much better, their moral sense much more alive, and the young ladies would certainly be safer in private life with these young gentle en than they are at present. These are truths true to nature, and which I believe must germinate and grow as parts of real moral training. Our model of school training is the family; and with that I leave you to judge of the probable results of such a system as we advocate, having as one of its principles the training of boys and girls together as God intended them in the family. Parents are bound to train their children at all times, personally or by proxy. Can rich or poor accomplish this otherwise than by proxy? What we recommend and exhibit as a model is, that the public school-trainer be that proxy. I am weekly in receipt of letters from clergymen and others from all parts of England, complaining of the difficulty of finding man and wife, or brother and sister, as teachers for their Boys and Girls' schools. The wife, from family circumstances, is oftentimes unable to fulfil the du ties of the girls' school, and the sister gets married; all these difficulties would vanish, by having man and wife in one school, and boys and girls under their mutual superintendence. In the one case, where the wife is unfit to attend school regularly, the children must suffer; and when the sister, as mistress of the girls' school, gets married, the school is without a teacher; but let man and wife be together in the same school with boys and girls, and the one can for a time occupy the other's place, when sickness or any other cause happens to overtake them. I take the liberty of stating this much to you in a very cursory manner, as it is evident that in all things you seek after truth. I know mere arguments will not convince, I therefore state facts. Eighteen years ago, when I first set about working out this system, I had the fullest impression of the power and efficiency of what we now term the Training System (from "Train up a child," &c.); and the event in every case where faithfully followed, fully equals my expectations. I remain, Sir, yours, with much respect, DAVID STOW, Honorary Secretary of the Glasgow Normal Training Seminary. **The whole of our Correspondent's letter proceeds upon an assumption which we cannot admit, that he "trains," and that the clergy of the Church of England only endeavour to teach. On the contrary, the whole system of the Anglican Church is one of training, as Mr. Budd-though we do not adopt all his opinions-has strikingly shewn. Our own pages, for more than forty years, have urged the bounden duty and unspeakable importance, both for this world and that which is to come, of not merely teaching a child the way he should go; but in the words of Holy Writ, "Train up a child in the way in which he should go, and when he is old he shall not depart from it." We do not say that the training in our Sunday or daily schools; or in families or private seminaries; is such as it ought to be-very far from it; though we bless God that great efforts are in progress to improve it; but still, training -moral, religious, and physical training-is the great and avowed object of every right-m nded parent, schoolmaster, and pastor; and so far from the classification which prevails in our large schools being fatal to this training, we consider it essential to it. The observation is almost proverbial, that in those of our schools where boys and girls are taught together, as they are in some places from the difficulty of maintaining two schools, the boys behave ill, and the girls become bold. Families do not like to receive girls from such schools, or parents to send their daughters to them. We did not misrepresent Mr. Stow's arguments. He spoke of young persons of "fourteen or fifteen" having "the same class-rooms, galleries, and play-grounds," and being never separated except at needlework ;" and he extended the same system to young men and women "between the ages of eighteen and thirty." Now it is just begging the question to say that if he were the regulator of Eton, Winchester, or Harrow, or of Oxford and Cambridge, and had had the entire training of the students according to his plan from childhood, the familiar association in class and play-ground of young men and women at these establishments would be not only "without hazard," but altogether the best plan; for till this is proved, we shall not be able to credit it; and it is not likely to be proved; for few, we presume, in the middle and higher stations of society would be willing to expose their children to the risk. 66 Mr. Stow takes for granted throughout his remarks, that the training of CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 63. Y boys and girls together is the ordinance of God. This again is begging the question. We no where read in Scripture of large assemblages of young persons of both sexes being taught together, and not separated either in study or the hours of recreation—“ never except (when the girls are) at needlework.” Even in private families, brothers and sisters, during the Jewish theocracy, were separated at an early age. The daughters were rarely permitted to leave the women's apartments; those in the higher circles were almost wholly immured in them; the poorer girls being forced to leave them to draw water for the service of the household, not for indulgence, but by necessity. The sons, after they attained their fifth year, were consigned to the entire management of the father; who, if he could afford it, had a private teacher, or sent them to a Priest or Levite; or to the school belonging to the temple; and to this hour the Jews, even in our own country, separate boys and girls, women and men, in the synagogue itself. We do not mention these facts as precedents; for in families, and in the social circle, the well-regulated intercourse of young persons of both sexes is highly beneficial to both, and is consonant to the spirit of the Christian dispensation: but when Mr. Stow speaks of God's ordinance, he should be sure that he has Bible usage on his side, which is not the fact. We have already stated our opinion that it is not so much the nominal system, as the teacher, that gives character and tone to education; and we have paid our just tribute of respect to Mr. Stow and his coadjutors, in whose skilful hands, and under whose vigilant eye, their plans have worked well; and they deserve to a considerable extent to be adopted in other seminaries; but in the particular of breaking down the wall of partition between the schools and play-grounds of boys and girls, young men and young women, we more than hesitate. CAUTION RESPECTING SCHOOL-BOOKS :-BAKER'S "BIBLE CHARACTERS." For the Christian Observer. It is our duty to urge our reverend brethren, as well as parents and instructors in schools, to examine with rigid scrutiny the books which they introduce among children, as many are now printed, which, though in the main unexceptionable, have yet in some lurking corner a taint of unsoundness. We do not place in this mild class those infected with Tractarian errors, for these are not "in the main" sound; their frequent character being, that, under a plausible exterior, and with little or nothing to startle the majority of readers, diluted poison pervades the book; so that the effect of imbibing it may be fatal, though there is no concentrated solution. But sometimes we meet with books for children which have an indirect aspect of Tractarianism, where we do not know that it was intended. Thus in some useful little books just printed, entitled "The Book of Bible Characters," and "Questions on the Book of Bible Characters," by C. Baker, Doncaster, published by Samson Low, Lamb's Conduit Street, the Apocrypha is incidentally recognized as a portion of "The Bible" at least a child would infer this; for we read under the head of "Bible Characters; Old Testament:" "Malachi was the last of the prophets; he is supposed by some to be the same as Ezra; he spoke of the coming of Christ as the Sun of righteousness, and of the coming of John the Baptist as the messenger of Christ. "Antiochus Epiphanes was one of the kings of Syria, who many years after their restoration to Judea, was a most cruel persecutor of the Jews. "Mattathias was a descendant of the house of Aaron, and a very brave man, whom God raised up to protect the Jews, and to destroy their enemies. He was the father of five sons, among whom Judas Macabeus was the most celebrated." In the Questions for the use of the teacher, these statements are suggested under the head of "Bible Characters; Old Testament," without the slightest distinction between what is proved by the Old Testament and what is apocryphal. The questions upon Antiochus Epiphanes and Mattathias follow those on Malachi. So again, after Isaiah, Nahum, Manasseh, and other "Bible characters," we read an account of "Tobit," and have questions on his history; the narrative and questions then going on to Amon, Josiah, &c. It would be easy for the teacher to cross out such passages. We do not know that these insertions under the head of "Bible Characters " were intended to foster the opinions of Papists and Tractarians relative to the Apocrypha; but they warrant our caution respecting the careful scrutiny of books for children. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. MADDEN'S MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE REV. P. ROE. We will now conclude our ex- labour of our readers by presenting our remaining series of miscelJaneous extracts without comment, and merely docketed with headings. Funeral sermon for one of his children." A short time previous to the death of his daughter in 1825, Mr. Roe had been presented by the Crown, through the interest of the late Mr. Canning, to the Rectory of Odogh, a parish without about four miles of the City of Kilkenny. Accordingly he now resigned the Parish of Dungarvan, in the county of Kilkenny, which he had held since the year 1808, but still retained the Perpetual Curacy of Saint Mary's, the scene of many labours and of many evident manifestations of the Divine presence and blessing. It was his intention to have preached his first Sermon to his new parishioners on Sunday, the 28th of February; but the Lord had ordered it otherwise, and on that day the bereaved parent was mourning over the lifeless remains of his beloved child. But Mr. Roe was not one to sink under affliction, or to suffer himself to be swallowed up of overlook beyond the darkest cloud, and see much sorrow. Through grace he could the Sun of righteousness still shining with undiminished beauty and glory, and this upheld and cheered him, and urged him on to renewed activity and exertion in his Master's work. Accordingly we find him in the pulpit of Odogh on the Sunday immediately succeeding that on which he originally intended to occupy it; and addressing those newly committed to his care with earnestness and affection from the im |