ical, or religious, or
scientific opinions. But the strong ascendency, which, in consequence of
his official station, he has obtained over the minds of his pupils, is
sacred. He has no right to use it for any purpose _foreign to the
specific objects_ for which he is employed, unless by _the consent,
expressed or implied_, of those by whom he is entrusted with his charge.
The parents who send their children to him, to be taught to read, to
write and to calculate, may have erroneous views of their duty, as
parents, in other respects. He _may know_ that their views are
erroneous. They may be taking a course, which the teacher _knows_ is
wrong. But he has not, on this account, a right to step in between the
parent and the child, to guide the latter according to his own opinions,
and to violate the wishes and thwart the plans of the former.

God has constituted the relation between the parent and the child, and
according to any view, which a rational man can take of this relation,
the parent is alone responsible for the guidance he gives to that mind,
so entirely in his power. He is responsible to God; and where our
opinions, in regard to the manner in which any of the duties, arising
from the relation, are to be performed, differ from his, we have no
right to interfere, without his consent, to rectify what we thus imagine
to be wrong. I know of but one exception, which any man whatever would
be inclined to make, to this principle; and that is, where the parent
would, if left to himself, take such a course, as would ultimately make
his children _unsafe members of society_. The _community_ have a right
to interfere, in such a case, as they in fact do by requiring every man
to provide for the instruction of his children, and in some other ways
which need not now be specified. Beyond this, however, no interference
contrary to the parent's consent, is justifiable. Where parents will do
wrong, notwithstanding any persuasions which we can address to them, we
must not violate the principles of an arrangement, which God has himself
made, but submit patiently to the awful consequences, which will, in
some cases, occur,--reflecting that the responsibility for these
consequences, is on the head of those who neglect their duty, and that
the being who makes them liable, will settle the account.

Whatever, then, the teacher attempts to do, beyond the _specific_ and
_defined_ duties, which are included among the objects for which he is
em