The Sunday School’s True Evangelism 57 chiefly from other literature than the Bible. In one instance —in the Second Year Intermediate,—a full six months is de voted to the study of ‘Later Christian Leaders,’ including such characters as Luther, Calvin, John Wesley, the Earl of Shaftes bury, and Florence Nightingale; and three months of the six are devoted to the study of a single modern missionary, Alex ander Mackay. A note from the Lesson Committee points out that the material upon which these three months’ lessons are based is found in the well-known book ‘Uganda s White Man of Work,’ the Committee having previously said: ‘I t is intended that a more careful analysis of a single character shall prepare the pupil for the nine months’ study in the life of Christ which will immediately follow in the lessons for the Third Year Intermediate.’ Just what effect will it have upon fourteen-year-olds to bring in a book of this sort, as, in a sense, parallel material to the Bible’s record of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ? To be sure, Scripture material is sug gested for each of these extra-Biblical lessons, but the Scrip ture material is subordinate, and the extra-Biblical material is the main theme for study. L “As is well known, in response to a widespread protest the Lesson Committee in 1911 issued Biblical lessons to run parallel to all the extra-Biblical lessons in the Graded Series, and to make such other minor modifications as seemed to it desirable. These Biblical lessons do not replace the extra- Biblical lessons; they ‘take their place beside the extra-Bibli cal lessons in the lists already issued.’ The International Les son Committee therefore stands before the Sunday School world committed to offering the Sunday School constituency material from other sources than the Bible as its«chief material for study in numerous Sunday School sessions. “And it has been done with deep-seated conviction on the part of those who favor it. At the conference on the Inter national Lessons held in Philadelphia in 1914, a prominent leader in the work of the Graded Lessons said publicly, and
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