The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-11-25

III O1Nlu0 IIulll -lloCl1 ~ lluO
its own way of leading the minds and
hearts of the children of men to the
gates of Heaven. Just as faithfully
as the believing mother of Moses
made the basket of bulrushes and put
upon it the slime and the pitch, and
used the least and the humblest sec
ond means, as directed by. God, not
doubling that He could by one fiat
make the end of His Providence at
once, if His sovereign will chose; and
without impiously asking or expect
ing of God that He would at once save
her child just as she chose, the Wav
which God showed to her, took that |
way in every direction however in
comprehensive to her and apparent |
ly inadequate to the end; Just as she |
put the child in the little vessel of |
rushes and committed the little vessel |
to the river of crocodiles without a |
hesitating fear, as she doubted not and |
feared not, so a believing Christian
may we'll trust to God his or her child
when committed to a public school of
the civilized people Of Ohio. There
may be Jews and Turks and crOcO-
diles in the Nile, but God will be there
as He was with Jochebed's child, and
He, as on the Nile, will make circm-
stance meet circumstance, event meet
event, accident accident, until infinite
concurrences and conjunctures beyond
all human ken carry out His will in
His way and time. We are beautI-
fully told by one of the most learned
and piOus Christians (Henry Hunter,
d. D., of the Scotch church, London
| WaID that ''diligent use of means and
| the interpretations of Providence tally
with, unite, strengthen and support
each other" But he adds, ''I love to
see a perseverance of eXertion that
| leaves nothing undone which is posi-
| BILE to be done, and a faith that holds
out as long as hope exists. After we
| have done our all, much, every thing
depends on the goodness of Heaven.
| The Injunction is, Cast all your care
upon Him, for He careth for you.'
Mark it well it is our care, not our
work which we are encouraged to cast
upon that God who careth for US, and
who hath said, Il will never leave
thee nor forsake thee" All the work
the Board of Education can do is
to make the public schools of Canton,
as to the subject of religion and poll
tics what the 18th rule makes them:
l. 1t takes the parents and guard
ianS of the scholars and the scholars
themselves, of our Public Schools, as
1t fin DIS them and as the laws of Ohio
tolerates them in the same social COM
pact: composed of many different
sects, denominations and eTeeds, con-
flicting with each other in opinion
"on Religion and politics" This is a
fact which cannot be denied.
2. The Board is obliged to take the
law as it was made, in reference t0
this condition of society, divided and
conflicting in itself on these tender and
important, subjects and its admins
tration of the law must be in con-
formity to the law itself. This will
hardly be contrOverted.
8, The intention of the law itself is
to be impartial to all men and classes
of men. 1t admits the children of all,
and excludes none. It prefers the
deVotees, or followers, or paTtiZans of
no one creed or profession of any party
of religion or politics. 1t meaLs S to
forbid conflicts in the schools of USE
full knowledge, and so to enlighten all
as to harmoniZe the differences by the
teaching of better things, and by ena-
bling all, each for himself, the better
to Judge of the truths and errors about
which men differ and strive, to bring
all into close association and sympa-
thy and to make them understand
and love each other better, and thus
promote "peace and good will' among
; all men IN the puresU christian spirit
ual sense.
1. Approving of this wise and chris
tian-like policy, and oboliged by its
positive prescriptions and necessarily
implied enactments, this Board con-
formed to the letter and spirit of the
law by throwing away every bone of
contention, controversy and conflict
outside of the school room. 1t did
not expel religion or free political
, opinion from the schools, but, on the
f contrary, allows both TO remain free,
to agree or disagree; it forbids simply
the jargOn of disagreement on these
! disturbing topics, which, if allowed,
would destroy the schools. But
5. 1t enjOins and enfOrceS every
) moral precept and principle, with the
? due regard of religious freedom, and
, / this they humbly believe conforms
f fully to the laws of Christ, as we'll as
! to the laws of the State of Ohio.
This is what the Board has done
al end for the reasons stated. You, gen.
: tlemen, now dissent. What are youl
, objections, and upon what grounds dc
: they rest : .-...s ....-...-
/, First: You say all religious service;
, are excluded from the schools under
, our supervision.
Gentlemen, what are religious ser
f vices ?'
! We humbIy admit that the teach
! ing of youth is a religious service. Il
) serves God by serving the children O
I men with the knowledge 60 serve Him
! What do you mean by religious serV.
! ices? The teaching of the doctrines
of faith, tenets and creed ?-the forms
+ of worship? We are not authorized
q to teach the true faith or the true
: form. We attempt only to regulate
the teaching of the true moral pre-.
! on6 Mas and TNrin Iox,
, which pupils are to be governed or
3 earth-not in any other way to fiji
: them for Heaven. If we apprehend
6 truly, this itself is the service of God
:. Creeds and forms only are left to the
freedom of every will and conscience
: by law beyond our control, and which
D ought to be left independents of all hui
f man control. What do you define to
! be religious services 2" The Board is
: informed that you three gentlemen,
one OF the Methodist and one of the
, Presbyterian, one of the Baptist, one
OF the Methodist and one of the Ger
I man Lutheran church, all Protestant,
! but disagreeing about religion and
, "religiOus services" among ourselves,
! Do you agree in defining what is
"reIigious" and then what is ''reIi.
giOus serViceS?" We would gladly
I, crafty all three Of your Committee
, and all four of your constituents.
/ What shall be ordered to be taught
: and in what form as religious serv-
!. ices ?" Would you three for the four
agree among yourselves? Grant you
) would, would you represent all the
other sects and forms of religion {? Dc
, you say, "Oh yes, we would agree to
\ certain essentials, common to all whe
! confess Christ and profess Christian
: Religion" What are essentials p
t This, even among yourselves, can you
) agree upon? ..s-.....l =. -e'1l
To your first objection, then, we re.
! ply that the 17th rule does not ex.
+ Glide ''relIgiOus services'i which are
such indeed but only such as men
/ differ about who have special but nc
u preferred creed under the law.
9 q In the next place you undertake
4 to scare the voters of the members o1