THE NEW ENGLAND SABBATH-SCHOOL ASSOCIATION.
By D. A. Robinson
Considerable has been said of late in the REVIEW upon the subject of the Sabbath-school; but I do not design to give instruction on the subject, but simply to state a few facts for the benefit of our brethren in New England. At our last quarterly meeting at South Lancaster, Mass., this question came up, and it was finally decided to form a Sabbath-school Association, adopting the Constitution of the Association of the State of Michigan and electing for its officers the following named persons: President, D. A. Robinson; Secretary and Treasurer, Mrs. F. A. Buzzell; Executive Board, D. A. Robinson, G. F. Haines, and M. Wood. The objects of this Association have been clearly set forth in the REVIEW, and I hope all, especially our Sabbath-school officers, will carefully re-examine what has been written and govern themselves accordingly. Let every church in this Conference thoroughly organize a live school. Get up enthusiasm over the matter, and when parents and children all become interested as they should in this subject they will find such a broad field for labor and so much on their hands to do, that there will be no time for petty trials to come up, and if they do exist they will die of neglect. Brethren and sisters, the Lord is coming, and that which is to prepare our youth and children, as well as ourselves, for the great day of wrath is a conformity of life and character to the present truth; but of course an understanding of the truth is prerequisite to this, and where can we find a better place to acquire this knowledge than in the Sabbath-school? Some of us will have to study hard. I do not mean simply to be able to answer the questions, but give the lesson careful thought. Learn all about it that can be learned. Think it over when in the field, in the kitchen, in the shop, or wherever you are. I am surprised to find some of our oldest Sabbath-keepers so poorly informed on the main points of our faith. This fact of itself proves to me more and more the necessity of the present move in this matter. The saying of a certain writer that he “would rather know everything about something than something about everything” has a great deal of force to it. A vague, guess-so knowledge does not amount to much. If the seventh day is the Sabbath, we want to know it, and why it is so. If the prophecies are fulfilled, we want to know that. Now we say again, Let every church organize a school; also let every company where there is not a church go just as far in an organization as is practicable. If there are a half dozen they can do something. Let the secretary keep a report. We want this by all means. Blanks will soon be furnished, so this can be done properly. We ask the co-operation of every genuine S. D. Adventist in this Conference. Brethren and sisters, shall we have it? D. A. Robinson, Pres. N. E. S. S. A.