The New England Primer

I was doing some research into something after listening to a Wallbuilders production on the founding fathers and their ties to Christ. The production can be found on their website, http://www.wallbuilders.com/ I believe the title to the production was “Presenting America’s forgotten history and heroes…” The Wallbuilders site is replete with incredible things to read and research. During the presentation I watched, I was reminded of the New England Primer. The Primer was a little book that was biblical and Christ centered in the way it taught children to read. This book was used for some two hundred years in this country to educate the nation’s school aged children. This book could still be found in some of America’s schools up until about the 1950’s. I heard many conversations about this book along with McGuffey Readers when I was younger. McGuffey Readers I had used but the Primer, I never actually saw one. So I decided to go online to find this little book. Joyously finding it I began to read.


The Primer started with the basics: A, In Adam's fall, we sinned all. B, Thy life to mend, God's Book attend. C, The Cat doth play, and after slay. (I know, they couldn’t think of something more CHRIST centered for C. Well remember that it starts with the lessons for little kids. Then it moves to more weighty things for the older children.) After reading this book I have been persuaded to think that this should be the only book used to teach children along with a math book or two, and maybe a science book that hasn’t been polluted by evolutionary feces. This curriculum in the Primer has more Biblical truth then most sermons given in the majority of churches I have visited. I can also say that it is on equal with some, and more informative then others, of my biblical studies textbooks. One thing in this production I watched that struck me was that John Quincy Adams was taught with this Primer. It went on to tell how Adams became secretary to the Russian ambassador. He gained this position when he was only fourteen years old, wow! They also talked at length about his Christian bearing; believing that this book had much to do with both.

Thinking back to the days of Adams I remember that school houses were one room, with all ages learning together. This illustrates, I believe, the best structure in which little one should be taught. That is if they have to be taught out side the home, a one room class with differing levels of achievements together. This same structure works in the home school too. You know the little ones, being a part of what the older ones are doing because after all, we learn by hearing and seeing and being apart of the action. This one room method makes learning passive and active at the same time. This is the same way a child picks up on the language of its parents and siblings. This is also how the child should be learning about God and His precepts, by the words and actions of others. The examples set by those who are more advanced then us.

Also stated in the production, was that the country has been so “dumbed down”. This can be attributed to the separation of God from Scholastic America. The most drastic and notable event is stated to have happened in 1962-63, with the “separation of Church and State”. This is when our Supreme Court took prayer out of school. Of course this phrase was taken from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson. Sadly, it was taken out of context. Jefferson was making a point in this letter that there should never be a separation between the state of government and God, but government should not favor any one religious sect or denomination. Jefferson’s letter was used 80 years before this by the Supreme Court to show that the founding fathers did indeed believe that God should have His place in all areas of government; because He after all established government. Jefferson and many other founders are credited with thousands of writings that prove that they (the founders) believed in a government that could not stand if God, and yes Christ, were alienated from it. Now with this unconstitutional move by the Supreme Court in 1962-63, no more would a child be subjected to the moral direction of the Bible or God and His commandments. The Supreme Court made this decision with out stating any precedent as the Court had always done prior to this event. The schools in America would now attempt to teach children to be moral without the One who is moral. This of course didn’t work and never will work. It was also the beginning of the ignorance overload of the American people. The proof? Just look at the SAT scores; in just one generation the scores on average dropped 80 points using the same test. In America, children were now less learned then their parents. If you think this isn’t so, just give the average high school graduate a check book and ask them to make it balance. They would probably think you meant to keep it from falling over. Many people don’t know the name of the capital of the United States let alone where the District of Columbia is geographically. Biblically speaking, there are multitudes of people who attend churches across this nation who can’t number God’s commandments let alone recite them.

Correlations or coincident: The SAT scores plummeted after 1963 and the countries teen pregnancies skyrocketed. Also noted at this time was the increase in couples living together out of wedlock and divorce. These rates have been steadily climbing without fail since God was suspended from school. Violent crime has also been tracked as being on a steady climb just after these 1962-63 events. Maybe, people, it is because children are missing the guidance of Christ centered teachings like these:
A WISE son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
BETTER is a little, with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure, and trouble therewith.
COME unto Christ, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and he will give you rest.
DO not the abominable thing which I hate, saith the Lord.
EXCEPT a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
FOOLISHNESS is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it from him.
GRIEVE not the Holy Spirit, lest it depart from thee.
IT is good for me to draw near unto God.
KEEP thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.
LIARS will have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone
MANY are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all.
NOW is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.
OUT of the abundance of the heart thy mouth speaketh.
PRAY to thy Father who is in secret, and, thy Father who sees in secret will reward thee openly.
QUIT you like men; be strong; stand fast in the faith.
REMEMBER thy Creator in the days of thy youth.
SALVATION belongeth unto the Lord.
TRUST in God at all times, ye people; pour out your hearts before him.
UPON the wicked God will rain a horrible tempest.
WOE to the wicked; it will be ill with him, for the reward of his hand will be given
him.
EXHORT one another daily while it is called to-day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
YOUNG men, you have overcome the wicked one.
ZEAL hath consumed me, because my enemies have forgotten the word of God.

Oh yes, the country is much better off without this stuff in the classroom.

This book the New England Primer is worth the read, for your children as well as for yourself. I wish I had this book when my girls were little. I wish someone had read this to me. God in heaven please forgive my short comings and heal the lack in me from the effects of not having sound teachings when I was young and ripe for it. Soften my heart and please increase my understanding of you Lord and how you want me to think, act and be. Restore if you will my children and heal in them the places I have failed them. Please God, amen.