The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-09-26 00:00:00

ARCHBISHOP MANNING AT
BIRMINGHAM.

Archbishop Manning, preaching in St. Chad's,
Birmingham, on Sunday morning, in aid of the schools
of the diocese, took for his text the words of the com-
mand given by Christ to His apostles to "teach all
nations," and spoke at some length on the education
question. We had come, he said, to a time when they
must speak plainly, and must choose their side. They
heard of systems of education which were to be uni-
versal, compulsory, free, and secular. There was a
gINNI deal in this doctrine which he was ready to
accept, but there VIM a great deal in it which
he must reject most energetically. Those who
used such language seemed altogether to leave out
of mind the character and commissioa of the
Church of Christ. In these altered times the rights
of parents were not held supreme, but the child was
looked upon as the property of a commune or of a
State, and the parents might rid themselves of their
responsibility, leaving the public to educate it. A
more base violation of the raw of nature and of the
instincts of humanity could not be conceived. It was
one of the superstitions of the English people—and he
was sorry to say that the English, like the Athenians,
were very superstitious—that the Catholic Church did
not hold education to be a primary duty. They were
told education must be compulsory! With all his heart,
on one condition, that they would make it compulsory
upon everybody, upon the heir to the Throne as
well as the heir of the poor man. But if compulsion
meant class legistation against any part of the
English people, he would say "No. in the name of
God, as a Christian I declare it to be injustice, and
as an Englishman I declare it to be oppression." As
to education being free, he maintained that those who
hail not the means to educate their own children ought
to be assisted by Christian people. Hardly anything
had made him more ashamed of his country than the
discussions raised about penny fees, and that a great
subject like that of education should be made a battle-
field for the sects to dispute about the payment of the
penny to a school where something was taught in
which they could not agree. The benefit of the public
revenues ought to be open to all, and if education was
needed by any who could not pay for it, the public
revenues ought to contribute. When they were told
that education must be secular, he would say
it must also be Christian. He was happy to
know that the education of the children of the
Catholic Church in England was more ex-
panded and vigorous than ever; he was happy to
know also that the Established Church haat contended
with very great firmness and activity for the protec-
tion of a religious and Christian education; and he
was glad to know that among these who had become
separated from the Established Church there were
many who would rather sacrifice anything than the
Christian character of the education of their schools.
They all stood in one line to protect the religions
character of education. The most just law that could
be passed for England would be this, that the public
revenue should be given equally, according to the
measure of the efforts of those who were willing
to found schools, without any question whatever
as to their religious faith, these schools being
under proper inspection and direction to secure
a just application of public money. This system
VMS carried out in Canada, where there was a school
rate, and all denominations alike shared it. Let educa-
tion be universal, compulsory, and free, but above all,
let it be Christian. They had lately measured their
strength and tried the question over the whole face of
England, and it has been pronmmeed mootunequivocally
that the education of England ought to be Christian
hereafter as it was Christian now, and upon that de-
pended whether England should continue to be a
Christian people or not. He had no desire to see
London like Berlin, where, out of a copulation of
900,000 only two per cent, put their foot inside a place
of worship on Sunday, and not more than one in three
are buried with a religious burial. To this they would
come if the Christian education of their people were
neglected.