All the Children of All the Churches by Frederick Griggs

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 27, 1916

“All the Children of All the Churches”

By Frederick Griggs

THE gist of Daniel Webster’s reply in the Senate, Jan. 26, 1830, to Mr. Hayne, was that the federal government was in duty bound to use all its resources for the common good of all. Of education he says:—

“Have the United States no right, or, as a great and untaxed proprietor, are they under no obligation to contribute to an object thus calculated to promote the common good of all the proprietors, themselves included? And even with respect to education, which is the extreme case, let the question be considered. In the first place, as we have seen, it was made matter of compact with these States, that they should do their part to promote education. In the next place, our whole system of land laws proceeds on the idea that education is for the common good; because, in every division, a certain portion is uniformly reserved and appropriated for the use of schools. And, finally, have not these new States singularly strong claims, founded on the ground already stated, that the government is a great untaxed proprietor, in the ownership of the soil? It is a consideration of great importance, that probably there is in no part of the country, or of the world, so great call for the means of education, as in those new States, owing to the vast numbers of persons within those ages in which education and instruction are usually received, if received at all. This is the natural consequence of recency of settlement and rapid increase. The census of these States shows how great a proportion of the whole population occupies the classes between infancy and manhood. These are the wide fields, and here is the deep and quick soil for the seeds of knowledge and virtue; and this is the favored season, the very springtime for sowing them. Let them be disseminated without stint. Let them be scattered, broadcast, with a bountiful hand. Whatever the government can fairly do toward these objects, in my opinion ought to be done.”

This is correct reasoning for the state, and, by analogy, correct for the church. “Education is for the common good” of the whole body of men embraced within the federal government; hence the responsibility of the federal government to promote it, and to scatter the seeds of knowledge and virtue “broadcast” “without stint” and “with a bountiful hand.”

The government exists for the common good of all; so likewise the church. Whatever promotes the interest of all promotes the interest of the individual. The benefits of organization are obtained only when there is a just balance between giving and receiving. Here is a principle of life and growth. No individual receives for long who does not give. This is true of the individual, and it is true of any healthy organization.

The children of the parents of the church are embraced within the meaning and genius of the church organization, and every child is a heritage of God to the church as well as to the parent, consequently every church is obligated to concern itself to secure all those conditions which will best promote the welfare of every one within its borders, old or young, gray-haired or infant.

Upon this topic the spirit of prophecy speaks thus:—

“The church is asleep, and does not realize the magnitude of this matter of educating the children and youth. ‘Why,’ one says, ‘what is the need of being so particular to educate our youth thoroughly? It seems to me that if you take a few who have decided to follow a literary calling, or some other calling that requires a certain discipline, and give due attention to them, that is all that is necessary. It is not required that the whole mass of our youth be so well trained. Will not this answer every essential requirement?’ No, I answer, most decidedly not. What selection should we be able to make out of the numbers of our youth? How could we tell who would be the most promising, who would render the best service to God?”

“Who can determine which one of a family will prove to be efficient in the work of God? There should be general education of all its members, and all our youth should be permitted to have the blessings and privileges of an education at our schools, that they may be inspired to become laborers together with God. They all need an education that they may be fitted for usefulness, qualified for places of responsibility in both private and public life. There is a great necessity of making plans that there may be a large number of competent workers, and many should fit themselves as teachers, that others may be trained and disciplined for the great work of the future.

“The church should take in the situation, and by their influence and means seek to bring about this much-desired end. Let a fund be created by generous contributions for the establishment of schools for the advancement of educational work. We need men well trained, well educated, to work in the interests of the churches. They should present the fact that we cannot trust our youth to go to seminaries and colleges established by other denominations; that we must gather them into schools where their religious training shall not be neglected. God would not have us in any sense behind in educational work; our colleges should be far in advance in the highest kind of education.”—“Counsels to Teachers,” pages 42-45.

Duty begins at home; and this does not lessen our duty abroad, but increases it. The duty at home, recognized and discharged, gives greater ability to comply with the demands of duty abroad. Gather in all the children of the home church, that with them and through them we may the more effectively gather in the children of the foreign church.

In all the churches “a fund” should “be created by generous contributions for the establishment of schools for the advancement of educational work.” The first responsibility for the education of the child rests with its parents, the second with the church. But too often the church has not recognized its responsibility to foster and help in the education of its children, and because of this thousands of our children do not have church school privileges.

“All the children of all the churches” should become an educational maxim with us. This means that in all the churches where there are children, provision should be made for them to receive a Christian education. So let our educational watchword be:—

A Christian education for “All the children of all the churches.”

FREDERICK GRIGGS.