Mr. Stow claims to have founded his opinion for the entire discontinuance of corporal punishments in school, not upon mere theory, but upon the sure ground of experience. "We can shew," says he, "by actual experiment, that schools of 100 or 150 boys and girls have been taught and trained together for years, without having had recourse to the use of the literal rod; we consider ourselves entitled therefore, to argue for its discontinuance in the public school." Now we cannot agree in this conclusion; it is hastily, and scarcely fairly, drawn. Mr. Stow may know instances-comparatively few in number we apprehend-in which schools, under peculiar circumstances, have been conducted without having had recourse to corporal punishment; but, does it follow that these schools might not have been equally successful, perhaps more so, had it been employed? For our own part, we do not think that these isolated instances can be regarded as sufficient premises from which to infer the desirability of entirely abolishing corporal punishments in public schools. We are, however, quite willing to let the decision of this question rest on experience. If, for instance, any reasonable number of teachers engaged in our common schools, and having the ordinary difficulties of such situations to contend with, would come forward and honestly assure us, that they have conducted their schools-say for one year -without having employed any corporal punishment whatever, and, in their opinion, with more success than if they had employed itto such authority we should at once bow; and heartily, as sincerely as any one, desire that henceforth all instruments of castigation should be banished from our schools, and numbered among the things that were. But is such the opinion of any considerable number of practical teachers? We have had some opportunity of judging, and we believe it is not. Indeed we know practical teachers-trainers, if you will-and, like ourselves, admirers of Mr. Stow, and of many things in his system, who have confessed that they consider his opinions on the subject of corporal punishment untenable, and who, accordingly, after mature reflection and experience, abandoned them. What, reader, is your experience, not your feeling, on this subject? How then, it may be asked, would Mr. Stow have us act in the way of punishment; for he admits that punishments are necessary. "One plan," he tells us, "and the most common, is to threaten the child, calmly yet firmly, that he will be taken out from the gallery, and made to stand out by himself on the floor. This is felt so severely, that very quickly the culprit ceases his misconduct; but should the offence be repeated, and he be actually ordered out from his seat, it is rare, when the whole process is properly conducted by the trainer, that the child is not in tears before he reaches the floor, and then is the time, tenderly yet firmly, to exercise the whole class

as well as the offending party, on what is the offence and cause of punishment. And after remaining to compose himself a very short time-according to circumstances the child is permitted to return to his seat, the offence of one thus affording an opportunity of training the whole."

How is a proceeding of this kind calculated to operate as a punishment? Mr. Stow would have us believe that it affects the finer sensibilities of the pupil's nature. But we should imagine that if an exposure of this kind should create any feeling in the offender at all, it would be a feeling of shame in the eyes of his companions. Now the exciting of such a feeling is held, by many whose opinions are entitled to consideration, to be the least eligible mode of inflicting punishment that could be adopted.

"Punishments founded on a sense of shame," says Bishop Short, "rarely succeed. The object to be sought, is to reform and improve the offender. Shame generally injures those who are exposed to it. The bad boy, therefore, will soon be hardened into a disregard of the punishment; the mind of the well-conditioned child will be injured by the process of degrading him."

See, also, Professor Moseley's General Report in the Minutes of the Committee of Council on Education, for 1851; and more to the same purport might be added—but we are reminded by the length to which this article has already extended, that it is time to bring it to a close.

W. B.

NOTES FROM A NORMAL CLASS.

No. I.

The moral requisites of one who undertakes the office of a Teacher. First. He very evidently himself requires to be taught.

Secondly. He must have a right view of the work to be done. Teaching is not a profession-it is rather a moral function, a sacred ministry.

Thirdly. A teacher must not limit his aim to the subject in hand. He is bound to see to the harmonious developement of all the powers of the mind, to train to the measure of a perfect man. He must seek to influence his scholar in all hours of the day, in all the duties of life, in his moral, mental, and physical capacity.

Fourthly. He must have right motives for doing this work; not as a passing occupation but an abiding duty. His reward must be

the scholar's progress, and the motive to sustain him the conscientious discharge of his duty. The spirit of the work is a desire thus to do our part in our day and generation in advancing the glory of God.

Fifthly. The teacher must have a well stored mind. There must be, first, a knowledge of human nature and how to deal with it and guide it: it comes unto our hands undeveloped. Secondly, an acquaintance with mental and moral philosophy is desirable; the study of such works as "Abercrombie on the Intellectual Powers." Teachers should understand the structure of the tools and the nature of the fabric, with which they have to deal. Thirdly, they should understand human character in all its appearances, remembering that there is no universal gauge of human intellect.

A Teacher's knowledge ought to be minute and critical. Minute, to convey a vivid impression; and critical, to go accurately into particulars. If he has a clear idea of anything he can scarcely fail in communicating it; but dim and indistinct ideas lead to no result. Then his information must be extensive as well as minute. He must never teach up to the limits of his knowledge. He must be conversant with a wider circle, rich and ready, and appropriate in application of every occurrence.

Sixthly. There must be an aptness to teach, the power of suiting himself to the capacity of children. His stores must not be locked up. Teachers are too apt to think that what he takes in is alone of consequence, and not what he gives out-what he knows instead of how to communicate it. The art of teaching will be most difficult where the amount of knowledge is least, and there cannot be a greater mistake than to suppose that very slight acquirements will suffice for teaching elementary reading.

The art of teaching is a gift; but much may be done to attain it, For this purpose a perception of, and active sympathy with a child's mind is necessary; and where there is a hearty desire to do it good good will be done. A teacher must have a liking for his calling, or even skill may be misdirected.

Seventhly. The qualities of mind necessary to the teacher.Uniformity of mind and self-control. When the teacher cannot command his own temper he can never command others.

Then he must be full of hope, and cheerful; kind and firm; not laying too heavy burdens on the children, yet no soft yielding. Order and discipline will appear good even in the eyes of the children, and then they will not relish disorder.

Eighthly. An irreproachable life is essential in a teacher: he must be a pattern of his own precepts. Children are sharpsighted to detect inconsistencies. The life of a teacher is an open moral, not the theory, but the application of Christian motives, The infant

mind clings for support. It assimilates so easily to our mind and

takes its tone from it.

There must be also--latent perseverance, honesty, &c.

Teaching is said to be a depressing occupation, one of monotony and drudgery. But it is only so when taken up mechanically. If we deal with our pupils aright we carry them on along with us, there is hope and expectation at work-a watching for improvementthere is above all, the award of the Great Day, when it will be said of faithful teachers "Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye did it unto Me.”

Edinburgh.

H.

INFALLIBILITY AND TRANSUBSTANTIATION.

SUPPOSING I came a stranger into England, and, landing at Dover, took a guide there to conduct me in my way to Edinburgh, which I knew before by the map to lie north of Dover. Having committed myself to him, if he lead me for some days together out of any plain road, and many times over hedge and ditch, I cannot but think it strange that in a civil and well inhabited country there should be no highways from one part of it to another. Yet thus far I submit to him, though not without some regret and impatience. But then, if after this, for two or three days more he lead me directly south, and with my face full upon the sun at noonday, and at length bring me back again to Dover Pier, and still bid me follow him; then certainly no modesty does oblige a man not to dispute with his guide, and to tell him surely that can be no way, because it is sea. Now, though he set never so bold a face upon the matter, and tell me with all gravity and authority that it is not the sea but dry land under the species and appearance of water—and that, whatever my eyes tell me, having once committed myself to his guidance, I must not trust my own senses in the case-it being one of the most dangerous sorts of infidelity for a man to believe his own eyes, rather than his faithful and infallible guide-All this moves me not; but I begin to expostu late roundly with him, and to let him understand that if I cannot believe what I see, he is not likely to be of any further use to me, because I shall not be able at this rate to know whether I have a guide, and whether I follow him or not. In short, I tell him plainly that when I took him for my guide, I did not take him to tell me the difference between north and south, between a hedge and a highway, between sea and dry land. All this I knew before, as well as he or any other person could tell me ; but I took him to conduct and direct

me the nearest way to Edinburgh; and, therefore, after all his impertinent talk, after all his motives of credibility to persuade me to believe him, and all his confident sayings, which he gravely calls demonstrations, I stand stiff upon the shore, and leave my learned and reverend guide to take his own course, and to dispose of himself as he pleaseth, but firmly resolved not to follow him. And is any man to be blamed that breaks with his guide upon these terms? And this is truly the case when a man commits himself to the guidance of any person or Church, if, by virtue of this authority, they will persuade me out of my senses, and not to believe what I see, but what they say ; that virtue is vice, and vice is virtue, if they declare them to be so,* and that because they say they are infallible, I am to receive all their dictates for oracles, though never so evidently false and absurd in the judgment of all mankind. In this case, there is no way to get free from these unreasonable people, but to desire of them (since one kindness deserves another, and all contradictions are alike easy to be believed), that they would be pleased to believe that infidelity is faith, and that when I absolutely renounce their authority, I yield a most perfect submission and obedience to it.

Z. Z.

EVIDENCES OF THE RESURRECTION STATED AND

DEMONSTRATED.

No. II.

AN interval of a week now passes. Amongst all the disciples there appears to have been a strong disposition to disbelieve that the resurrection had taken place. No one gave such direct evidence of this feeling as did Thomas. (John xx. 25.)

On the following Sunday the disciples were again assembled, probably in the Canaculum, (still known as the scene of the Last Supper), Thomas was with them; "Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you." (John xx. 26.) Turning to Thomas immediately, the Lord addressed to him these reproving words :-"Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hand; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side and be not faithless, but believing: " verse 27. The address carried full conviction to the mind of the doubting apostle, who does not seem to require all the proof now offered to him. Thomas believed. His reply is remarkable; it is, "My Lord and my God," verse 28. This was the first instance of Christ being called God by

* This is plainly taught by Bellarmine.