The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-03-05
Religion in the Public Schools.
END OF THE WEEK OF PRAYER
ADDRESS OF REV. W. Fl. RUFFNER, D. D.,
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
de-, &C., &c:

The week Of prayer for the colleges re.
commended by the General Assembly of
| tue fresbyterian Church was brought to a
| close last night at the Grace.Street church.
The programme of the services during the
week has already been published in the Dis
patch. Last night
TIE SPECIAL sUBJEcT OF PRAYER
which had been proposed was for the mil.
| lions of children in our primary schools,
| with their teachers. There was-a yery large
| attendance, the basement Of the church be-
ing we'll nigh crowded.
| At s o'clock the exercises commenced
with prayer and singing and the reading of
| the Scriptures.
Among those who occupied seats on the
! pulpit stand were Rev. Thomas l.. Preston,
D. D., of the First church; DR.. w. n. Ruff
| ner. Superintendent of Public Instruction
| and Rev. Charles H. Read, D. D., pastor of
| the Grace-Street church.
DIR. RUFFNHR INTRODUCED.
At the conclusion of the exercises DR..
| Read introduced Dr.. Ruffner, and said that
the subject to be treated by him was one OF
peculiar delicacy, and he had reduced it to
| writing.
THE ADDRESS.
DR.. Ruffner commenced by saying that
| the General Assembly of the Church hav-
| ing recommended week of prayer for
colleges, of which this is the concluding
| day, some one happily suggested a pro-
| gramme which included schools of every
| grade, and for one Of the days the special
subject proposed was, s'The millions OF
| children in our primary schools, with their
teachers" This is the topic on which he
wished to say something, even at the risk Of
departing little from the original aim OF
| tue occasion.
| This is by far the largest subject in the
scheme. About one.ffth Of the population
of the United States-say S,0O0,O ,OOO--is in
primary schools Of all sorts. The number
Of teachers in these schools is perhaps 250,-
600. In Virginia we have in our primary
schools, both public and private, not less
than 1I5 900 children and about 1000
teachers. Here we have all Of the rising
generation between six and fourteen years
of age who are likely to receive any educa-
ton, and the most of those will receive no
education except what they get in this
period. From these schools will be drawn
all who enter the higher schools. The future
ministers of the Gospel as we'll as other pro-
fessionaI men come from here. In five or
six wears these millions Of children will be-
gin to pour into the arena OF active life, and
in ten to twenty years they will control the
affairs of the Church, of the nation, and OF
every State.
These children are at the most impressible
age-the age at which, as rule, character
is formed. 1t is not the haryest-time Of the
Church, but it is the seed-time.
Hence was l struck with the grandeur 81
the thought-that q day Of special
prayer should be set apart for this young
host, so mighty in numbers and in undevel-
oped power. What could be more appro-
pirate? What more acceptable to Him who
| took young children in his arms? What
more in accordance with the teachings OF
scripture concerning children as the inner
ito rs OF the earth and the fathers Of all the
future? What more encouraging to those
who are charged with the responsible work
OF educating these children?
| At least seven-eignths Of these children
are in public schools. Here there cannot be
| the same freedom in imparting dogmatic re-
ligious instruction that there may be in pri-
vate or church schools. This is not a reason for
indifference or aversion on the part OF
churches or church people, butthe contrary.
The public schools belong to no church, that
they may belong to all. Christians, all things
are yours Electricity, steam, the printing
press. the Legislature, the public schools
Danger in public schools2 There is al
| Ways danger where there is power, but
power under good control is benehcent just
in proportion to its might. Schools are
morally and religiously what the men are
who control them. And they should be
controlled not by cunning policy or by
religious dogma. True Christianity is
not policy nor dogma, but spirit and
lite. It could pervade school system
| without utteripg word OF positive doc
trine or defling itself with chicancry.
| Ali religious instruction suited to child
hood, and unSuited TO public schools, can be
given at home, in the Sunday school, AMI in
the sanctuary, for the child is only thirty
hours week at school out Of the one hum
dred and sixty-eight hours. -
The essential thing wanted, the thing that
all our people want, the difficult thing
to get for any purpose, the thing for
which the Church should pray, and for
which pious people should watch as well
| as pray, is the Christian life in our schools.
We want school authorities and school-teach-
ers who, whatever they profess or fail to
profess, are godly men and women, and
who have the pure, gentle, incorruptible
spirit which was in Christ Jesus-men and
women Whe are solemnly impressed with
the responsibilities under which they act,
ard who are persuaded that their work will
be failure, and worse. unless, in addition to
secular knowledge and mental training, they
establish within the children the power Of
conscience and the fear of God. Who is
there among our people to object to this?
| Not one. But do you ask whether it IS prac-
tieable for the Christian people Of this State
to gain controlling influence in the man.
agement of our public-school system:
answer that they now have it.
They have it naturally, because our
people are Christian people. 1t was
| by no special management that the great
| minority of our ninety-four school superin-
ftendenfs are Christian professors, and many
of them Christian ministers; and that in all
probability the same Is true Of our school
trustees, and our three thousand eight hun
dred 5eachers. w.
. There is no question about Christians hav-
| Ing the power to do anything they please
with the school system. The only question
| is as to what use they should make of that
power. 1t is as possible to do too much as
too little, and too much would be worse than
doing nothing. What can be done p. !.
The manifestation of interest in the
schools, and personal service in or over the
schools, either occasional or permanent, are
obvious modes of benefting the cause.
It is often difficult to get such men as
ought to bold the Office Of school-trustee;
and yet these officers have large authority
In selecting teachers and In regulating
| : ;