Let us look at some of these principles.
1.

Our community is agreed that _there is a God._ There is probably not a school in our country where the parents of the scholars would not wish to have the teacher, in his conversation with his pupils, take this for granted, and allude reverently to that great Being, with the design of leading them to realize his existence and to feel his authority.
2.

Our community are agreed that _we are responsible to God for all our conduct._ Though some persons absurdly pretend to believe that the Being who formed this world, if, indeed, they think there is any such Being, has left it and its inhabitants to themselves, not inspecting their conduct, and never intending to call them to account, they are too few among us to need consideration.

A difference of opinion on this subject might embarrass the teacher in France, and in other countries in Europe, but not here.

However negligent men may be in _obeying_ God's commands, they do almost universally in our country admit in theory the authority from which they come, and believing this, the parent, even if he is aware that he himself does not obey these commands, chooses to have his children taught to respect them.