Let Us Lift the Standard
By F. G.
God's idea of everything that pertains to the welfare of man is of the very highest order possible. The standard is that of perfection. God is perfect, and we are to be as he is in this respect. He requires this, and gives us the power by which we are to attain to this standard of work and life. The command of our Saviour, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect,” is as absolute as one of the ten commandments. It has reference to perfection of character. This can be had only through Jesus Christ. But Christian education is nothing more nor less than the development of this Christian character—“the restoration of the image of God in the soul.” This can not be wrought by the efforts of teacher or student, either separately or combined. It is the direct result only of the life of our God working in a submissive mind. Perfection involves not results alone, but also the manner in which these results were attained. Contrary to the Jesuit maxim, the end does not justify the means. We must then take into account, in our seeking perfection, the manner in which we do our work, as well as the end we are seeking to attain. As a people we acknowledge, theoretically at least, the principles set forth in the first two paragraphs of this article. We are, however, liable to overlook the fact that thoroughness is one of the fundamental principles of perfect character building, and also the further fact that God's life is always manifested in some definite form. This definite form through which God manifests himself requires us to appreciate the value of facts as an element in education. But facts of knowledge, taken alone, are valueless. We must recognize the principles which God is using in manifesting himself through these facts or forms of knowledge. Facts are valuable only when they assist us in further understanding the principles which God is using in the working out of the plan of redemption. God manifests himself in his Word, in his works, and in his providences, and the facts in these three fields of study are to be sedulously learned throughout all our lives. This will emphasize the necessity of a diligent effort on the part of teachers and students in the acquisition of useful knowledge. This means that thorough and accurate work is absolutely indispensable in the development of Christian character. Because it is recognized by our teachers that principles are of the greatest worth in the development of character, there is a natural tendency to dwell upon them to the exclusion of a thorough knowledge of the facts which illustrate these principles and make them plain to the minds of the children. Another thing that conduces to a lack of thoroughness is the want of text-books in our schools. For a teacher, without the aid of a text-book, properly to teach the facts which our children should learn, requires nearly an encyclopedic knowledge. As a direct consequence of these two things, it is greatly to be feared that the children, particularly in our church schools, may not receive the thorough work in the ordinary branches of knowledge which is required to make them useful in the work of God. The standard of perfection which Christ calls for in our work demands that every teacher in our ranks shall put to the stretch all his powers in the development of a thorough educational system, which naturally involves proper text-books. In the meantime, until such books are brought forth, it may be necessary to use text-books which are not all that are to be desired, for the learning of facts. It will be helpful, particularly in our church-school work, if our teachers in the schools will be free to use the Educational Department of the REVIEW to tell how, without the necessary aids, they have met and overcome some of the difficulties naturally to be experienced in teaching children such facts as they should know, in a thorough manner. The Department of Education of the General Conference also wishes to encourage all laudible efforts in the preparing of good text-books for all our schools. In our efforts to lift the standard of our work to the perfection that is required, we must all work together.