# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Januar 1863_S8
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

8 On the Evangelical Conduct of a Christian-Minded Parish Schoolteacher, etc.

-ments that are quite plainly nothing but manifestations of the spirit of this last time, and that are altogether calculated to make one see in them the beginning of the last dreadful world-tragedy, of the general struggle of the anti-Christian powers against God's order in state, church, and household. It is, in particular, the slavery question that has, in this last while, plainly laid bare the thoughts of many hearts. Of it we intend, then, to speak our mind in the next number; not, of course, insofar as it is a purely political question, for with that we have nothing to do here, but from the standpoint of Christian, religious morality.

(To be continued.)

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On the Evangelical Conduct Which a Christian-Minded Parish Schoolteacher Should Show, Partly Toward His Schoolchildren, Partly Toward the Congregation, Partly Toward the Pastor.

(Conclusion.)

We come now to the second part of our consideration: how a Christian-minded schoolteacher ought to conduct himself toward the congregation in an evangelical manner.

The summary answer is: in serving love; for as a confessor and follower of Christ he can, toward the congregation as well — which, together with its shepherd, has called him to the service of feeding Christ's lambs — conduct himself in no other way.

But what particulars are contained in this summary answer?

They are chiefly these:

First, the schoolteacher will show this serving love of his in that he places himself, more or less, in fellowship with the parents of his schoolchildren for their children's best good; for if the parents do not come to the schoolteacher's aid with the same household discipline and admonition that the children experience in school, the same degree of spiritual welfare will scarcely be attained in them. Common experience, alas, shows plainly enough in how few families a wholesome earnestness in truly Christian child-rearing is found, and how, sadly, most parents are either too lax or too strict — and here in this country they are, for the most part, the former. Such parents are, to be sure, far from bearing any share of the schoolteacher's burden with regard to their children; rather, they load their own burden onto him as well, and the best of them help him, at most, only in this: that they hold their children to regular attendance at school and keep an oversight of their diligence at home, so that their children learn or work out what has been assigned. But it seldom happens that, say, a father would personally make closer inquiry of the schoolteacher as to how things stand with his children at school, how attentive and well-behaved they are, what progress they are making, and so on; just as seldom does it happen