The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-10
A UNITARIAN VTEW.
THE school Question aud the Catholics Die
cnsscd hv the Rev. w. r. CInrke.


The Rev. w. r. Clarke preached in Unity
Chapel Harlem, yesterday, on tho Bible in the
public schools. He urged te removal not
because Rome, but because both Justice and
religion require IT. The Bible In schools has no
special religious effect The short time gwen to
the reading, the spirit and way In which 1t is
read, the general atmosphere of school room,
nearly discharge the exercise of religious innu-
cnce The ca in from its use docs not justify
sacrifices for is retention he bible Is { IN
amulet. lts texts are not charms witch keen
demons away and insure good fortune tn who
ever reads them, With or without understanding
their meaning. should It he rqde n text book
because a soldiers life wae saved Nv carving II
In HE rocket. when another soldiers life was
saved 10y pack Of cGrdsf
A characteristics tendency Of our time Il the
division OF function. The Sunday school and
the church are supported expressly to teach
what RELIGION Is not taught at home. They are
suited to that purpose, and public schooa are
designed, and thew 1rc adapted for seoul aud
scientific instruction. the Bible is not religion
any more than a particular pririmcr T. cduca-
tnn. What Ia needed Is the Bible IN the heart
Of the teacher and not the Crlrkle of dry leaves,
when IA all that a mechanical use ~ the lhOle
~ text book amounts To-. removing tho Brio
uf dcmaroGucs and fanatics. The worst use the
| lNhlc can ne pat 10 Is 90 football between
pa-tics The American idea requires its re-
| moyal. Tao fountcrs Of thus rouuhlic put an
| everlasting bar between Church and state. IL
/ should uc the glory Of American Institutions 70
CRY out thIt l.tA' anu thtrti re- Rll sCtta'l IN
| test hooks should he taken from those scnool8
whose fund comes from a leOulc or an religions.
! IL h. a Wi-tg." To supposr, Nr. Clarke cun-
! tiuucd, thtt tie catholic Church IL Il unit The
! mnctetn nth century has found Its WAY INTO IT.,
! aud T. creating difference of opinion. Not
| withstauding yll the efforts to maintain rarp-
| chial schools. three .fourths Of the Catholic
chlldrcu are IN he public schools. The tatho-
! lic voters OF NV Jersey numher over 2OiaD,
| tut. uotwtth standing the I'M lmmatoiy eflcnl=
! OF CttholIc extremists. only zoo catholics
| could be got to vote against The amendment
] which forbade the usc az p4NNc money FOR SOC
tartan uurpuscs. The Catholic Church has less
than j.ssttUJ adhcfrufs. Wuir 10 ought g. have
| nearly i,OUuOO1 by proportional growth. Where
| are the millions of persons who have dropped
cut 4 It's pilef The riuetccnth century, tie
| forces ct modern ci'uA ton. Che suiu, "
American in4titltiuns. ut- R0 uauIIe faster th1n
| most OF yuu tins GIne. INA thc member " non
! the catholic Church now retHius read iad think
for themselves. ask question, and ref FOB to -
In dr1yes H. in other periods. the church
| viii dc-putsm, Is fist bccDutl a de-
| mocracy. The Catholic Church Dbl dome vast
good. IL the bond 81 order. II saved
southern Europc from the great bod Cf y Nrtn-
tru mi Gothic arb rism. Ii WIS for tuOh-
| sand years the mort democratic Institution II
the world. lis forms, It's id'1-, its prctenti1ns,
and its policy are now outci own. IL o. ROY an
! engine drawing the train, but brake VIII d
| keeps the train tIOm sliding back. Take II
away. ana the lower elements of society. over
which Pro- cstants have no influence, would
drop into Vice and narbarism.