THE BIRTH FROM ABOVE 189 



But if for the vilest sinner, how much more for 

 the artless spirit of the little child, who, under the 

 influences of a Christian nurture at the very dawn 

 of the spiritual consciousness, trustfully yields 

 himself up to the Spirit's purifying touch." 

 (The Christian Advocate, N. Y., Aug. 10, 1882.) 



Dr. Arthur H. Goodenough says: "To make 

 the child a Christian is not our business. Our 

 work is to see that it never ceases to be a Chris- 

 tian. The thing needed for the child is not con- 

 version, but atmosphere, example, nurture, en- 

 couragement. The child is in the Kingdom. It is 

 the Father's own, whom Jesus loved and blessed. 

 The Master pointed to the child as the pattern of 

 what we ought to be ; and yet some of our brothers 

 still insist that the children of their flocks must 

 go to the altar, and in the one way, their way, the 

 narrow way, the only way, tell God what great 

 sinners they have been. To keep a child out of 

 Church membership because this is not done is 

 unwarranted and wicked ; and yet this very thing 

 is occurring all the time. The children, sweet and 

 beautiful, are being driven away from the Church 

 home and shelter and help just because their 

 parents will not consent to their going through 

 the same forms of confession and repentance that 

 are expected of hardened sinners. The parents 

 are right, the Churches are wrong. Such conduct 

 is cruel to the children and must be displeasing to 

 the Master." (Zion's Herald, Nov. 11, 1903.) 



Dr. Curtis, of Drew Theological Seminary, 



