dren will read the lesson over many times, so as to be able to answer all the questions."

Thus was the Sabbath school work begun in the denomination, and little did any one then realize what dimensions it would take on in later years. In those days each school developed along the lines of its own special needs, and there was not much uniformity. During the long periods when no printed lessons were furnished, the various schools selected certain books of the Bible, and went through them slowly, taking a few verses a week. Among the schools that earliest developed efficiency during this period when each school had to look out for itself, special mention is due those at Rochester and Buck's Bridge in New York State. John Byington was the leader in the latter school, and he did much to put it on vantage ground. In the year 1855 the Battle Creek Sabbath school began its career. Dr. M. G. Kellogg was the leader who did most for it in those beginning days. It was often an uphill struggle. He says:

"For months the life of this poor weakling of a Sabbath school hung by such a brittle thread that it was a question whether the succeeding Sabbath would find it alive; but by patient perseverance and much strong crying unto God for help, it not only lived, but gradually became a stronger factor for good than I had expected."-" Early History of the Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath School Work," by L. Flora Plummer, p. 7.

When Dr. Kellogg left Battle Creek, G. W. Amadon succeeded him as superintendent.

The adult portion of the Sabbath school membership was often called the "Bible Class." Unprovided with lessons or helps of any kind beyond reference Bibles, the members often displayed a zeal and earnestness commensurate with the real importance of the study. William Covert, one of the pioneers in this work, has the following to say of the spirit and methods of the early Sabbath schools:

"It is my mind now that I spent five years in Sabbath school work before regular periodical lessons were provided. In my class we went twice through the books of Daniel and the Revelation, verse by verse, and thought by thought. We had Brother Smith's books on Daniel and the Revelation for reference. We would go as far as we could in one lesson, and next Sabbath begin where we closed the Sabbath before, and thus proceed through an entire book. The average lesson comprised five or six verses. We also studied the book of Romans and the book of Hebrews, and others of the epistles, in the same way.

"I enjoyed our Sabbath school study then as much as ever in my life. We had reference Bibles, and brought in kindred matter that we found in other parts of the Scriptures to help us understand that particular part that we were using for the lesson. In fact, it was a regular Bible study week by week, month by month, and year by year, with us then. I became so engaged in my Sabbath school study that I often remained up nights till

ten or eleven, and possibly sometimes till midnight, to be sure that I should have a good lesson. Much of the time I was a teacher, and I felt that I must make the lessons a real blessing to the class. The five years that I spent in this way laid the basis for my Bible education, and then I was asked to enter upon the work of the ministry. The request was largely due to the study that I had given to the Bible in our Sabbath school.

"In those times we made no Sabbath offerings. Parents and friends provided themselves and their children with such helps as we used, without mentioning the matter of expense to the school. We did but little reviewing, but spent more time in our lesson recitation and study than we do now. Our opening exercises were one song and a prayer, and the report of what the lesson had been the previous Sabbath; this probably occupied fifteen minutes. and then we would spend about forty-five minutes with the lesson. If we visited churches, we had to find out what that church was studying and where the Sabbath school lesson was to be found for that church. We had no uniformity in the matter, each school did what it thought was for its best interest."- Id., pp. 8, 9.

It was hardest for the children in those days, for the teaching was so often beyond them. In many Sabbath schools the children's tasks consisted chiefly of learning and reciting portions of Scripture, and into this exercise they entered heartily. Often the brighter ones would recite in a clear voice and without making a single mistake from twenty-five to fifty verses. They seemed to enjoy the exercise, and there was some good-natured rivalry in attempting to learn the largest number of texts. The early efforts to provide instruction for the children were not very successful. In one school, lessons were arranged to begin with Genesis, taking several chapters each Sabbath; in another school the book of Revelation was selected for old and young, and it was reported that the children "were pleasantly entertained with this wonderful book."

But better days were coming for the children. Lesson books were to be supplied in time, that would be not only highly instructive, but also attractive, because adapted to the needs of the child mind. The history of lesson making may be given briefly. Thirty-six lessons appeared in the first volume of the Instructor, nineteen being original and seventeen selected. Then there was a series of eight lessons on the sanctuary, after which none were supplied for a period of eight months. Then there appeared a series of fifty-two lessons prepared by R. F. Cottrell, covering the most essential features of the denominational belief. These lessons, appearing first in the Instructor, were afterward issued in book form, under the name, The Bible Class." Two thousand copies were published in 1855. Then for several years no fresh lessons were issued.

In 1863 a series of thirty-two lessons adapted for use in advanced classes was published in the Review and Herald. The

questions in these lessons were based upon the books, "Thoughts on Daniel," by Uriah Smith, and "History of the Sabbath," by J. N. Andrews.

In 1869 Prof. G. H. Bell prepared two series of lessons, which appeared in the Instructor, lessons from the Old Testament beginning with creation week, for the children, and studies on the book of Daniel, for the youth. Out of these Professor Bell developed the series of "Progressive Bible Lessons." These were the first steps toward classification.

These lessons were the beginning of the extended series in the form of books of fifty-two lessons each, which briefly covered the whole Bible history from Genesis to Revelation. The series of eight books, all by Professor Bell, were in general use throughout the denomination for many years. They did much to interest the children in the Bible, and made them familiar with the foundation truths of revelation.

In 1868 and 1869 there also came into most of the Sabbath schools of the denomination a more effective organization. Superintendents, secretaries, and other officers began to be appointed for definite terms, teachers were made to feel a larger sense of responsibility, and pupils were more carefully classified. A regular program was provided. Beginning with the year 1870, the Instructor was issued semimonthly, and its more frequent visits helped to build up the Sabbath schools.

Under Professor Bell's inspiring leadership the Sabbath school in Battle Creek, Mich., attained a rare degree of efficiency as an agency for training the mental as well as the moral and spiritual faculties. The method of recitation had all the system and formality of a day school. Not only was a strict record kept of the attendance, but the scholarship also was noted. The test of perfection, in the words of one of the students, was the giving of a clear, connected synopsis of the entire lesson from beginning to end. This synopsis must be given without any prompting from the instructor, and in good English. Another exercise consisted in letting one pupil begin the synopsis, another carry it a little farther, and a third or fourth carry it to the end, the instructor indicating just how far each should go, and then calling on another member to continue. Unless the pupil could take part without hesitation in such a recitation, his scholarship was not perfect.

But while the Sabbath school flourished in places like Battle Creek, where gifted and consecrated leaders had charge of the work, in most places it was not on a firm foundation, and its importance was but dimly recognized. When a minister came.

around, it was considered quite proper to omit the Sabbath school exercises entirely, and the work done was sometimes so weak that not a great deal was lost. It must be said to the honor of James White that he strongly opposed the practice of allowing the Sabbath school to give way to the preacher. He said:

"We here enter a solemn protest against the course of some of our preachers and some of our churches in suffering the Sabbath school to be set aside on those Sabbaths when the church is favored with the labors of a minister. This should never be. This is the very time to strike a blow in favor of the school. And not only should the Sabbath school be held at the usual time in the morning, but the minister should be there on time to a minute, to set an example for the entire school. . . . He should lift just where superintendent and teachers should be lifting. And if they are not lifting at the right points, he should be prepared to instruct them properly." - Id., pp. 11, 12.

Plans were adopted in the summer of 1877 that very materially advanced the interests of the Sabbath school work. It all came about very quietly. One evening Professor Bell, then superintendent of the Battle Creek school, asked the teachers who were assembled at the home of W. C. White, whether they thought it feasible to develop an organization which would bring all the Sabbath schools of a State together for mutual helpfulness and support. The outcome of the suggestion was the appointment of a committee which drafted plans for a State Sabbath School Association. These plans having been communicated to them, the members on the Pacific Coast gave their approval, and forthwith organized, in the month of August, 1877, the California State Sabbath School Association. A few weeks later a similar organization was formed in Michigan, and immediately entered upon its work.

When the General Conference convened in Battle Creek in March, 1878, there was held in connection with it a meeting of Sabbath school representatives, at which a constitution was adopted for a General Sabbath School Association. At the next session of the association, held the following October, it was reported that twelve State associations had been formed.

The question of taking offerings at the weekly meetings of the schools received some consideration at the association meeting in October, 1878. A few doubted the propriety of receiving money on the Sabbath day, but the majority decided in favor of the offerings, and a resolution was passed, asking teachers and pupils to contribute a penny or more weekly.

At the close of the year 1878 the first combined statistical report of the Sabbath schools was issued. It reads as follows:

Early History of the Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath School Work," by L. Flora Plummer, p. 15.

At the second annual meeting of the General Association, held in the latter part of 1879, it was reported as a further evidence of progress that a Sabbath school had been conducted at every camp-meeting held that summer and autumn. The announcements of these camp-meeting schools are quite prominent in the Review. Here is a typical one:

"There will be a grand Sabbath school exercise in the big tent on the Ohio camp-ground at 9 A. M. Sabbath morning. Every person on the campground will be invited to take part in these exercises; hence let all come prepared to do so. The lessons for the day will be the regular lessons in the Instructor. The infants' division will recite Lesson VI, 'Beasts, Creeping Things, and Man,' in 'Bible Lessons for Little Ones.' Let the children give this lesson in story form, commencing at the first, and telling all about it without being questioned.

"We shall expect the members of each division to give a synopsis of their lessons for a general exercise. For a concert exercise, the school will repeat the books of the Bible in their order."- Ibid.

The year 1885 is a memorable one in the annals of the Sabbath school as witnessing two important advanced steps: First, the Sabbath School Worker was established as a quarterly. Second, the Upper Columbia Conference took action at a session held at Milton, Oreg., in favor of using all the Sabbath school offerings for missions. The small sum of money for missions supplied in this way was increased by a gift of $700 from the California schools, the money being devoted to the Australian field, where work had just been started. In 1886 the name of the general organization was changed to the International Sabbath School Association, and in the following year the association adopted the plan of giving to missions the surplus donations. During that year, the needs of Africa were presented to the schools, and a gift of more than $10,615 was raised to begin operations at the first African mission station.

The Instructor began to be issued as a weekly in 1878, and at a meeting of the executive committee of the International