1846-1858.] THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 



165 



noon school and service (except in the winter, when the service 

 was in the evening) • then his open-air service ; and if there was 

 no teachers' meeting, etc., a prayer-meeting at some house in 

 the evening. Sometimes he would act as superintendent, or 

 take a class at the Sunday school, which was, Mr. Robson writes, 

 his greatest delight and care. " All the riches of the Doctor's 

 well-stored mind were freely spent on the instruction and 

 education of the children and the teachers. Religion, science, 

 music, were freely taught, as his hearers and scholars were able 

 to bear and receive ; and it was here his breadth and liberality 

 came more fully into play. Never laying much stress on the 

 tenets of theology or mere doctrinal preaching, believing that 

 the life and the life only in imitation of Jesus Christ was the 

 Christian religion, he united men of very diverse religious 

 opinions in a common work. There were associated with him 

 in his religious work at Cairo Street, Unitarians of various 

 schools of thought, Methodists, and Swedenborgians ; and yet, 

 though the most perfect liberty of utterance was not only 

 allowed but encouraged, there never was a theological quarrel 

 amongst them. The simple rule laid down was found sufficient 

 to preserve unbroken peace : that in all religious discussions 

 the speakers should affirm and never deny." 



The affairs of the school were managed by a monthly com- 

 mittee of all the teachers, some of them persons of much 

 ability and force of character ; but a singular harmony pre- 

 vailed among them, greatly to be attributed to the uniting and 

 forbearing spirit he manifested, and his desire to respect the 

 convictions even of small minorities. Many with whom he 

 worked in the school were among his most valued fellow- 

 workers in his other labours. 



When our school committee at Halifax were revising their 

 rules, I asked him for information on various points. He replied, 

 " I think rules must always depend on those who work them, 

 or for whom they are worked. Importations don't answer. 

 We just carry out what we find we can, and don't make rules 

 that we are unable to enforce. Our school goes on more by a 

 ' sense pervading ' than by rules or discipline. Each class 



