The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-10-12
For The .JeferSOnidn.
An able and most seasonable sermon o

An able and most seasonable sermon on
the subject of Education, was preached by
the Rev. w. J. PAxToE, of the Methodist
Church, on Sunday last, on the occasion OF
taking the annual collection for Colleges
and other institutions of learning, connectad
with the Church The text was taken from
TX chap. Proverbs, 9th and 10th verses
The speaker commenced by showing the uni
versal necessity of education in all the de-
partments oflife. The wood chopper as well
as the lawyer needed education, different in
kind, it is true, but nevertheless, education.
Our peculiar form of government rendered
universal education Indispensable. In a
monarchy, where all political power is Gen.
tered in a single head, it is generally thought
sufficient if that head alone is educated; but
in republic like ours, where all power is
inherent in the people, and officers are but
instruments to execute the popular will, ed
ucation must be general or the government
will be weak and unstable. He then pro-
ceeded to show that nearly all knowledge is
acquired, and not original or intuitve; that
man at his birth possesses less intuitive
knowledge than any other creature The
babe must be first taught to seek its nourish-
ment, which is not the case with irrational
creatures. The speaker rather agreed with
Locke, that the human mind in It's infancy
is ta6uta raSG upon which time must write
its experience, than with Plato, who taught
that ideas were innate and existed in ihe
soul before its union with the body. In this
connection he put to flight the ignis .fdtucs
of d genius. by showing that through toll and
labor alone all great men had acqaIred their
learning. But mere human learning, unin-
spired by religion is dangerous, 1t is a
power, 1t is true, but it is power that kills
and destroys, not one that can make alive
and build up. There is no such thing as
genuine education OF morality apart from
religion. The Church of Christ has, in all
ages, done much for learning. The only
simmer Of light thrown across the cha
os of the dark ages came from the torch
of learning faithfully kept burning by some
plous monk in his clo;ster. We might sup
pose in the logical development of our varied
educational systems, the Common School ex.
listed first, and the College last but histor-
ically, the reverse is true. Our free system
of education is the offspring of our higher
institutions of learning, organized and sup
ported by the Church. Human learning
owes nearly every thing to the Church OF
Christ. As the rain and sun shiue, and eve
ry perfect gift come from above, so did cur
Christian Colleges send down the heal,hful
dew of their blessings upon our Common
School system. Long before George Wolf
put his name TO that paper which gave to
his state free system of education, Penn
| sylvana had her higher institutions of learn
ing upheld and supported by the Church.
And that system was established not through
The clamors of popular want, but through
the influence of our Colleges and the men
educated therein. The Methodist Church
has schools enough. The duty of the hour
is to preserve and improve those already es-
tahished. The annual contributions fall far
short of this. A cheering sgn of the times
is that rich men are becoming more liberal.
These men are becoming alive to their duty,
and the rusty coPper of sordid interest which
pressed upon their eyes is lifted.
The sermon was eloquent and earnest
throughout, and is to be hoped that it is but
one of many on the same sumo subject in
store for us. The mental, moral, and phys
ical education of the young. is a solemn du-
ty imposed upon U.S. and its faithful discharge
demands our utmost attention. y.