Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-06-08
NEW SERIES--VOL. 10, NO. 4G


Hebrew or Greek show the meaning
of the writers better than any trans
lation, and that we have no evidence
that the men who, by order Of King
James, prepared our common English
version, were inspired or free from
error, although acknowledge the
beauty and general fidelity of that
translation, when no sectarian dogma
was in question.
Believing the Bible to be inspired.
am bound TO believe the words Of
ST. Poterin bis second general cpislle:
'Even as our beloved brother Paul,
also according to the wisdom given
unto him, hath written unto you as,
also, in all his epistles, speaking in
them of these things, in which are
somc things hard TO be understood,
which they that are unIcarncd and
unstable wrest, as they do also the
other scriptures unto their destruc.
ton" If we are told from on high
that the unlearned and unstable wrcst
the scriptures TO their destruction, il
seems to me that these scriptures
should bc cxpounded by enlightened
and devout persons, and read by the
unloarnod and unstable, as all children
ave, only under the direction of such
persons. ! sec 30 propriety in per.
mitting any teacher in the public
schools, a nOn-belieycr, perhaps an in
tidol or an atheist, to direct the pub
lie persual by te6e unlearned and
unstable children Of these writings,
which, for want Of proper instruction,
can be wrested by them to their own
destruction. | wish my children to
be instructed in the scriptures, but
not by profane persons, infdcls, OF
atheists And as do not claim in.
fallibility for myself. | would not sane.
tion an attempt TO force my religious
faith upon the children Of my neigh.
bors, who are as conscientious as lana.
and who hold different, perhaps oppo
site, views to my own.
Such an attempt | am prepared 10
denounce everywhere, as unjust and
wicked, opposed to the spirit OF
Christianity, and promotivo Of dis
cord and evil, instead Of "pcace OIL
earth, and good win among men"
But admitting, for arguments sake,
that there is no objection to the use
OF the bible in the free schools admit
ting that all who send to them are
Protestants, using tho King James
version in their families, and that the
teachers are all Protestant Christians,
capable Of selecting and cxpounding
wiscly-let all this be true-stil
there is a principle Of vital impor
tance involved-a right of the most
/ precious kind, destroyed by this prop
osition.
1t is an attempt to declare, in the
organic law. that the state has right
to control the consciences Of its pco.
pie, and prescribe tho particular
sources from which the youth Of the
country shall derive their ideas and
opinions upon religious subjects and
upon all other subjects.
II the State may forbid the exclu.
sion or non use of one book, it may Of
another. 1t may, with the shifting
maioriiies of a representative govern
ment, install Paincs' Ago of Reason,
the Mormon Bible, or tho Koran OF
MahOmet in the same place ofaulhori.
ty. IL may compel the education of
our youth as Buddhists as materialists,
or rs atheists, 1t may also perpeiu-
ate the power Of any party in power,
by compelling the use in schools Of
books in support Of that party, aud
excluding all books opposed TO its
theories
a power so dangerous as this can
not bo exercised in a free govern.
ment II is, or should be, prohibited
in our bill of rights. This direction
Of the education of children should be
with their parents and guardians, and
with the directors chosen in each
school district by those who send
their children TO the schools. And
that direction should be of a charac.
ter TO do no violence 10 the con
sciences and convictions Of any por-
iion Of the people
Oar people have always been ioal-
Gus Of their rights to freedom of CON
science Now, that freedom is sought
/ to be violated. They have opposed
the union of Church and State. Now.
precedent is sought to be establish
cd, by which, hereafter Church and
State may be united, or, what is far
worse-infdclity and the State, athe-
ism and the State
/ trust we are a Christian people
belivo we recognize by our common
law and the statutes the Lords day
a universal day Of rest from public
secular employments | hope we
will always do so. But We have also,
in evcry form, declared the right OF
all persons and all classes TO worship
God according 90 the dictates OF their
own conscicnees. We have, in every
form, denied the right OF the majority,
or their representatives, in any way
to do violence TO the conscienccs OF
the minority.
Whenever the contrary doctrine
shall be insisted on elsewhere, as il is
here, its assertion will be opposed
and resisted The attempt to enforce
I il viii lead TO disscnsion, to sectariau
wars the most bloody aud terrible b.
Let all lovers of their country unite
to condemn IT,
Let us send this proposition TO the
committee. there to be buried out Of
sight, never 10 be revived
"Why should we celebrate Wash.
ington's birthday more than mine?
inquired a teacher of his pupils.
Because be never told a lie ~
shouted a little boy
This was rather hard on the teach
cr but the boy did not see %.
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