802 



PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION J. 



The books used in the national schools were those prescribed 

 by the National Board in Ireland, and they included a series of 

 ordinaiy reading books, and a set of four scripture books. A 

 '■' general lesson" was always suspended on the school wall as a 

 moral chart for the guidance of the pupils. It was read by. teacher 

 and pupils immediately beforg^ the dismissal of the school on 

 Wednesday and Friday afternoons. 



The ordinary reading books contained many lessons of a 

 distinctly religious character. In the First Book the youngest 

 children read such sentences as : — . 



" God loves us and sent His son to save us." . . . . "It was 

 God that made me at first." . ..." It was He who sent 

 Christ to save me" — and others in the same strain. 



In the Second Book, besides lessons of a general character, 

 there was an epitome of Scx"ipture History from the " Creation" to 

 the " Destruction of Sodopi and Gomorrah." 



In the Third Book the Scripture naiTative was resumed in a 

 series of lessons from the Old Testament, beginning with the '" Birth 

 of Isaac" and ending with the " Delivery of the Law." 



In the Fourth Book, which was the most advanced reader used 

 in many schools, there was a consecutive history of the Jewish 

 Nation from the " Departure out of Egypt" to the " Accession of 

 King Rehoboam," finishing with a lesson on " Christian Salvation." 



The Scripture lessons are arranged in four books : — 



O.T. No. 1 contains the Book of Genesis. 



O.T. No. 2 contains the historical portions of Exodus and 

 Numbers, wdth exhortation of Moses as found in Leviticus and 

 Deuteronomy. 



N.T. No. 1 contains Luke's Gospel. 



N.T. No. 2 contains the Acts of the Apostles, and extracts fi'om 

 the Epistle and Psalms. 



The ■■ General Lesson" was printed on a large sheet and read as 

 follows : — 



" Christians should endeavour, as the Apostle Paul commands 

 them, to live peaceably with all men. Rom. xii., 8." 



'■ (\ir Saviour Christ commanded His disciples to love one another. 

 He t;;ught them to love their enemies, to bless those that cursed 

 them, and to pray for those that persecuted them. He, Himself, 

 praj'ed for His murderers." 



" Many men hold erroneous doctrines ; but we ought not to 

 hate or persecute them. We ought to seek for the truth, and to 

 hold fast what we are convinced is the truth; but not to treat 

 harslily those who are in error. Our Saviour did not intend His 

 religion to be forced on men by violent means. He would not allow 

 His disciples to fight for Him." 



'■ If any pers(ms treat us unkindly we must not do the same to 

 them, for Christ and His apostles have taught us not to return evil 

 for evil. If we would obey Christ, we must do to others, not as 

 they do to us, but as we would -^ish them to do to us." 



" Quarrelling wath our neighbours and abusing them is not the 

 way to convince them that we are in the right, and they in the 



