dge that he is infinitely more so.--And it is in accordance
with this true philosophical sentiment, that we come to the conclusion,
that to teach religion,--that is, to teach the character of God, and the
duty we owe him,--without what is called the "peculiar doctrines" of
Christianity, is to lower the character of the Almighty, and to impugn
his holiness, his faithfulness, his justice, and even his
goodness;--things under the imputation of which even a high-minded Roman
would have felt himself degraded and insulted.

In teaching Religion and Morality to the young, therefore, the pupil
must know, that God is too holy to look upon sin, or to connive at
it;--too just to permit the very least transgression to pass with
impunity;--too faithful to allow his intimations, either in Nature, or
in Providence, or in Scripture, ever to fail, or to be called in
question, without danger;--and too good to risk the happiness of his
holy creatures, by allowing them to suppose it even _possible_ that they
can ever indulge in sin, and yet escape misery. Where a knowledge of
these attributes of Deity is _wanting_, his character must appear
grievously defective; but wherever they are _denied_, it is most
blasphemously dishonoured.--Hence the importance of even a child knowing
how it is that "God can be just, while he justifies the ungodly."

All these perfections, with the additional revelation of his mercy and
grace, are exhibited, and greatly magnified and honoured, by the
Christian scheme; and it is to the simplicity of this, as the foundation
of the child's education, that we wish at present to direct the
attention of the parent and teacher.

A child may be taught to know that God hates sin, and that he must, as a
just God, punish even the least transgression. There is no difficulty in
understanding this simple truth. And it may be made equally clear, that
man must have suffered for himself, and that for ever, if God had not
sent his Son Jesus Christ to endure in their place the punishment which
the inflexible nature of his justice required. To believe that God will
pardon sin _without_ such an atonement, is, as we have shewn, to sully
the character of God; while to believe it, and to act upon the belief,
is at once the highest honour we can pay to his perfections, and becomes
the strongest possible stimulant to a grateful heart to avoid sin, and
to strive to love and to obey Him. This accordingly is the sum of
Christianity, when div