THE SUNDAY SCHOLAR'S CHRISTIAN YEAR, A SCHEME OF CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTION, ARRANGED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ANNUAL BY THE REV. THOMAS ALLBUTT, M.A. Vicar of Dewsbury. SECOND EDITION. "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon London: LONGMAN & Co., AND J. STANFIELD, WAKEFIELD. MDCCCXLVII. PREFACE. THE following pages contain a course of religious instruction founded on the services of the Church of England, as appointed for the Christian Year. This course of teaching was originally drawn up for the use of the Bible Classes in the Sunday School connected with the Parish Church of Dewsbury. It was found that the more zealous and pains-taking teachers of those classes, in their anxiety to advance their scholars in Christian knowledge, were led to bring several subjects of instruction under their notice on the same day; and by thus attempting too much, for the limited time at their command, the praiseworthy efforts of the teachers were in a measure defeated. The attention of the scholars was divided amongst so many subjects, that none were fully impressed on their minds. To remedy this, the following restricted and definite course of instruction, for each Sunday and Holy Day in the year, was drawn up. In general, it will be found to pursue and ex plain the prominent subject or subjects which are embodied in the series of services provided by our Church. Some one or more of those truths, doctrines or precepts of God's Holy Word, which "a Christian ought to know and believe to his soul's health," are thus, week after week, in regular succession impressed upon the minds of the scholars. The Collect and Epistle generally furnish the topic of instruction; and sometimes the Scripture lesson, or the Gospel for the day, supplies the point of Christian truth to be set before the classes: but from whatever sources the Lesson to be taught is derived, the Lesson itself is made to assume a distinct and definite shape, suited to the day from the service of which it is selected, and tending to lead the scholars to an intelligent use of the Prayer-Book. Many years' experience in a school consisting of about six hundred children, and well supplied with a large body of intelligent and valuable teachers, has convinced the Author of this Manual of Christian Instruction, that it is unadvisable to enter on a more extended range of Sunday teaching than is contained in the following pages, with any hope of a practical or useful result, When the Scripture Lesson of the day has been read, the Collect and a portion of the Catechism repeated, with a brief examination upon each,but a short time will remain for further instruction. Hence the importance of a system which, like that arranged in this book, provides a single prominent subject to be taken up by the teachers as the special Sunday Lesson. Although this plan confines the attention of the scholars chiefly to one truth each Sunday, yet that one truth will, it is hoped, be distinctly fixed on their minds, and an examination of the index will show that a year's instruction in such lessons will furnish them with a large amount of Christian knowledge. The Author is persuaded that it is only by this "line upon line" system of teaching, pursued year after year, that we can hope to impress and fix important truths on the minds of the young; for as an experienced teacher has justly remarked, "it is repetition, and not change and novelty, which, with God's grace, forms the Christian character." |