Conversations on the Bible Author:Sarah Hall Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. Encouraged by the favourable reception of the first edition of the " Conversations on the Bible," and especially by its introdu... more »ction into some very respectable schools, the Author has ventured to continue her work to the end of the Old Testament. Whether religious education is promoted by putting the Bible into the hands of children as soon as they begin to read, has been made a question. Some pious persons have thought that the incorrect manner in which it is read, may have a tendency to diminish that respect for the sacred writings, which is intended to be inculcated; and that the incitement of curiosity would enhance the interest of the study, should it be withheld until the intellectual powers were so far advanced that the Scriptures might be better understood. To these objections it is answered, that the hazard of postponement is much more to be dreaded, than the injury which might arise from a contrary course. Whilst children are at school, they.read whatever is prescribed by their teachers. Should they remain ignorant of the Bible until they have in some measure escaped from the control of their parents and preceptors, other cares and other studies may perhaps wholly supersede this. To obviate the difficulties on either hand, the use of compilations would be the more judicious plan; and to these might be added the more simple parts of the Bible itself. There can be no question, of the utter inability of children to comprehend the fall of man and the gracious plan of his redemption, as they are delineated in the Scriptures; the poems, the Erophecies, and the epistles, are far beyond their reach; ut the beautiful stories that everywhere abound, may be read with advantage. Vlll PREFACE. It will readily be perceived, that the pupils...« less