Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-07-21

t-on ol tue NhurcheS 10 the Educational In
situations of the State. Prof Goodrich, OF
Vermont University, opened the discussion.
lie advocated non-sectaran schools, from
the primary to the professional training
/ school, and solicited non-sectarian inter
est and support for the schools from al
| the churches. He represents college that
! Is well entitled TO make such plea, for il
has noble record for breadth of scholar
ship and cathOlicity of spirit. The discus
sion drllted somewhat from the main ques-
| ton and settled upon the much vexed prob
lem OF the connection between religion and
! education. especially IN the common schools
| As usual much difference of opinion was
developed. Rev. DIR. Duff, Of Canada, ad-
| yoeated the seeularization Of the schools.
1 Rev Mr.. Stafford, of Burlington, very ably
/ advocated the religious theory Of educa-
/ ton.
We copy from the Yer mont Chronicle tie
/ following report Of Prof. Goodrich's re-
marks
Mr. Goodrich began by citing the fact
| that the whole fourth book OF Mather :
/ MdgHdiG Christi was taken up with a
| history Of Harvard University. which insti-
tuition Mather had styled Sal Gentium-" A
river without which these regions would
have been meer unwatered places for the
devil" The early settlers foresaw, accord
ing to Mather, THAT without sdch pro-
vision for a sufficient ministry. the churches
Of New England must have been less than
business Of one age, and soon have to come
to nothing
Churches AID schools are in some sort
mutually cause and effect. The church fur
nishes the ideas which give rise to the
school, the school trains and equIps men
3 . ha oh -.
nature, system Of education. lt propounds
great truths awakens the intellect through
the feelings, as well as the feelings through
the intellect, and SO furnishes an uneaualled
gymnastlc for the mental powers Every
organized church Is a lecture foundation for
adults. providing an advanced course in
theoretical and practical philosophy. Ii Is
both Complementary and supplementary to
the school. The Scripture exhOrts US to add
TO faith and virtue knowledge; not gn0sis
merely, but ellgaOSls-a full aud thorough
knowledge. Prominent officers in the
/ churches must De educated men. Every
parish, no matter how small and feeble, de-
mands the services Of man who has had
many years OF special Intellectual training /,
and these men are in some sort models and
cannot but contribute to the mental culture
/ q the communities theY live in.
4 Each Christian denomination sustans
/ special relation to education their notions
I OF worship and doctrine are reflected in
| their educational Institutions. \ sect which
/ relies on ceremonialS and symbols and au-
/ thOrity Will have a very different system Of
| instruction from one which appeals directly
/ to both the intellect and the conscience. \
| church which emphasizes the emotional ele-
! ment, and church which lays stress on the
/ intellectual clement, Will naturally devise
and follow different methods Of culture
The most important educational question
at the present day is, whether our State
system Is to be perpetuated and made thor
0ughly effective. The par0chal system has
been proved Intellectual. The ROmauist j.
right when be says that education should
be religious from the beginning and all the
way through. But in our system there Is a
curious anomaly. We have common schools
tOr all until the pupils are twelve to four
teen years old We do not generally insist
! on denOmlnatlOnal colleges but the inter
yenlng period, the three OF tour years Of
/ special preparation for college or Tor busi-
ness. many insist should be spent in de-
n0minatlOnai school. The speaker could
| not appreciate the grounds on which these
( sectarIan schools were maintained. lie
could not see why there should be a sepa-
rate endOwmen: and special board Of in
structOrs ~ teach the true sense Of one
Greek verb aud Two Greek propositions
Nor could be fully appreciate the anxiety of
the churchman to keep his child in the daily
use 81 school OF the book Of common pray
er. lie thought the comparatively trl1ing
things winch Christians differed could
safely be RENTED 10 the eh.-.h the sun
day-schOol. and the family. The head OF a
family was a diyInely appointed priest and
teacher, and should be held responsible for
the religious training OF his household.
Other agencies were but aids to the dong
OF his work
Mr.. Goodrich said be would not only do
away with all deEOmInatlOnal academies
and colleges but would even favor a general
theological seminary, IN which each denoml-
nation, as 0rh. should have Dut a single
chair. tie deprecated the division and
subdivision which characterized the nO-sys-
TEN OF collegiate and secondary education
IN Vermont, and emphasized the Importance
OF uniting and consolidating to ensure the
efficiency and success of the American
system. The enemies Of that system were
d unit IN their opposition. The friends Of
the national schools seemed to be acting on
principles which, if consistently carried
out. would ere long result IN the Gripping
and ultimate downfall OF the system which
10 words they defended 1t was SAID in de-
tense OF denominational schools that prac-
tcaliy they were unsectarian that they
sought the patronage OF all. But If TIM
were really 50, if they were 50 undenomina
uonai as not to bias OF influence their pu
pls, why IN the name OF reason should they
exist at alp
Our State system seemed to be weakes
IN the schools Of secondary instruction
some schools Of that grade in Vermont wer,
doing excellent work. Good work coul,
not be done IN that grade to-day withou
funds, and few schools in Vermont had al,
proper foundation. Men OF means Nigh
build themselves honorable monuments il
supplying this laak. Churches might owl
! scholarships in the colleges and in the bes
8 academies. and use them for the help O
their own sons and daughters. Pastor
! and others might inclte young men an
Young women OF promise TO enter upon
course of advanced training. A clergyman
whom he could name had been the means il
eight years Of sending eleven boys from on
small parish IN New Hampshire to Dart
: mouth College. ln a town in Massachu-ett
4 twas physician who had stimulated youn
1 men to begin course of training for tn
university. Possibly the present policy c
aiding only candidates for the ministry wa
n too narrow. Money for such uses shoul
come, not from sewing societies and churc
. fairs, but chiefly from the pockets of th
well-tO-d0.
; At all events, every Christian could pra
for the schools. IL was strange that th
!, common school was so seldom the subjeC
= Of prayer. 1t was the peoples university
the most important part OF our educatiOn'
scheme. The times demanded, the safety
: the State demanded, that the friends
Christian education and free goyernmer
> should join hands to improve and to sustai
>, the common school. There was no fear f,
. our political future, if only the children {
= all classes and all denominations could r
= ceive a thorough training in such schoo
: as the State could and ought t
= maintain. Nothing else could do - muC
= to make and keep US a homogeneous pc
= pie.
Hens vs.. PoTATo BUGs.-The potato beet
. i making great havoc in the garden tn