The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-11-27
THE BIBLE IN THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
Outline of u Sermon PrcHche" Nv
Rev. J. ID. MOfiat On THE Bible III
the Schools" at the First Presby-
terrain Church on Thanksgiving

the Schools" at the First Presby-
terian Church on Thanksgiving
Morning.
A large audience assembled in the
First Presbyterian Church on Thursday
morning to take part in a united Thanks
giving service. The introductory exer-
ci.es were conducted by Rev. IT. Nc
Clure, ID. d., Of the L. Z. Church, and
the sermon was preached by Rev. }. ~
Motfat, of the Second Presbyterian
Church. Mr.. Mofat had the close atten-
ton Of his audience during his discussion
Of the subject of "The Bible in the
Schools" The following is the line OF
argument followed by the speaker:
Text, "The entrance of Thy words
oiveth light; it giveth understanding t"
| the simple" After introducing the sub
iect, he expressed the hope that candid
| discussion of this question might prevent
! that basty action which characterized the
expulsion of the Bible from the Chicago
schools. a custom sanctioned by the
people for so many years, should not be
( abandoned until after full discussion oil
| il in all its bearings, and the consent OF
the majority of the friends OF our school
system. He disclaimed any intention OF
! Offering a full treatment OF his subject, as
a little study had convinced him that II
WAS much more extensive in the prInci
ples involved and the interests affected
than many people supposed, and he had
! therefore, neither time nor ability to dc
more than throw out such considerations
AS hnd commended themselves TO hi:
own judgment.
He called attention to the fact that the
great majority of the c tizens Of the
county, State and city either believed
the Bible To be the word of God or re-
garded it as human production of the
highest order pure in its morality and
hcalthiul in its influence. They could
never, therefore, object to the reading OF
| Il in the schools on the ground Of ITS be
ing hurtru., in any measure, To the pu
| pills. From this he inferred that the
Bible could only be elected by their max
| ing "A concession, wise or unwiSe, to those
who oppose the present practice. The
one question, therefore, for all those who
| believe the reading OF the Bible exert,
| no hurtful influence on those who
hear il, is, shall we make this concession
to those who differ from us?
He then laid down this proposition
We will consent to the removal of the
Bible from the schools; provided, We are
convinced that its presence there seri-
ously threatens the perpetuity of the sys-
TEN. We will follow the example OF
the true mother, to whom Solomon final
w awarded the contested child-we
will give up to our opponents rather than
witness the destruction of our school sys.
TEN. But is this alternative pressed upon
us? Are the schools in any danger that
will be lcSsened by removing the Bible!
He took the ground, in answering thi.
question that the hostility of the enemies
seeking the overthrow OF our com.
mon school system was based on other
grounds than opposition to Bible reading
in them.
In support of this position he then eX-
ahmed the attitude first Of Catholic and
then OF non-C Catholic opposition, Quo
tations were read from the writings OF
priests and the Catholic press, showing
that they were so opposed to the system
itself, that the removal of the Bible
would not please them. They believe ii
to be dangerous for their children to be
| educated IN other than strictly Catholic
/ schools. Catholicism is based on a,tthert.
! m, and Professionalism on correction. I'm
! Questioning obedience is the corner stone
Of Catholic character, as intelligent will
! hnnneSS is of Protestant. The two sys.
TENS have their roots in different mental
characteristics and habits. To make &
thorough Catholic, one must be placed
early under the control of the church, "a
which he is in after life to render i'm
plicit obedience He must learn tromc' i'd.
hood to reverence the Church and obey
| the priest; and to spend five days out OF
seven in secular school deprives the
Church of that much time to mould the
character of the child, and tends TO cul'
atetho>c.op opposite habits Of independence
md INQUIRY IN which Professionalism roots
itself. Few of us can believe that a
| Catholic child reared in our schools will
ever become radical Catholic, and it Is
sheer folly 10 suppose that the priests are
not us fully aware of the tendencies OF
! the two systems of education rs We are
He then argued that so far from weak.
enng Catholic opposition, the removal OF
the Bible would strengthen it by giving
greater plausibili:y to the claims of the
priests that oar schools are goddess An
! argument by which they endeavOr to in.
duce their lavmen to withdraw their chill.
drcn from ours and maintain schools OF
their own. While the Bible, recognized by
! Catholic and Protestant alike as God ;
word, remains in the schools, intelligent
! Catholic laymen cannot be convinced
they are goddess The removal OF the
! Bible would also augment the forces ar
rayed against our schools by increasing
the already large number OF Protestants
who support private or parochlal schools
because CT their belief that religion,
! should be combined with secular inStruc.
ton, and in proportion is opposition
| schools are multiplied, are the public
| schools endangered, Tor the number OF
taxpayers clamoring for release from
scool taxation or q proportion of the pub.
lie funds will thereby be increased.
In regard To those non-Catho,ics, such
"a Jews. uubclievers and others, who ART
opposed to the Bible in the schools, tn,
speaker remarked that they are general
| ~ the advocates of the public schools
standing shoulder to shoulder with us in
repclling the Catholic onslaught, and that
while the removal Of the Bible might
crafty them, it would not ma.
tcrlally decrease the present peril OF
| the system. 1t would be untrue 10 class
all Jews and unbciicvers among opposers
of the Bible in the echoolS inasmuch II,
many Jews DO not object to sending
! their children to such schools, and few,
/ if any. Jews are 10 De found who fear
/ the conversion OF their children 10