the principle which I have been attempting to enforce, is fully
before the reader's mind, namely, that moral and religious instruction
in a school, being in a great degree extra-official, in its nature, must
be carried no farther than the teacher can go with the common consent,
either expressed or implied, of those who have founded, and who support
his school. Of course, if those founders forbid it altogether, they have
a right to do so, and the teacher must submit. The only question that
can justly arise, is, whether, he will remain in such a situation, or
seek employment, where a door of usefulness, here closed against him,
will be opened. While he remains, he must honestly and fully submit to
the wishes of those, in whose hands Providence has placed the ultimate
responsibility of training up the children of his school. It is only for
a partial and specific purpose, that they are placed under his care.

The religious reader may inquire, why I am so anxious to restrain,
rather than to urge on, the exercise of religious influence in schools.
"There is far too little," some one will say, "instead of too much, and
teachers need to be encouraged and led on in this duty, not to be
restrained from it." There is, indeed, far too little religious
influence exerted in common schools. What I have said, has been intended
to prepare the way for an increase of it. My view of it is this:

If teachers do universally confine themselves to limits, which I have
been attempting to define, they may accomplish within these limits, a
vast amount of good. By attempting however, to exceed them, the
confidence of parents is destroyed or weakened, and the door is closed.
In this way, injury to a very great extent has been done in many parts
of our country. Parents are led to associate with the very idea of
religion, indirect and perhaps secret efforts to influence their
children, in a way which they themselves would disapprove. They transfer
to the cause of piety itself, the dislike which was first awakened by
exceptionable means to promote it; and other teachers, seeing these evil
effects, are deterred from attempting what they might easily and
pleasantly accomplish. Before therefore, attempting to enforce the duty,
and to explain the methods of exerting religious influence in school, I
thought proper, distinctly to state, with what restrictions, and within
what limits, the work is to be done.

* * * * *

The