, 1876-08-20

legislate in view of facts as they are, and not
as they were, or as We would have them be.
The time was, in New England, when the
population was homogeneous as to race and
religious belief; and then no one felt ag-
grieved, although the Bible was not only
read, but was explained, in the common
schools, and the Calyinistic Shorter Cate
chisn of the Westminster Assembly
was repeated by the children at the regu-
lar visits of the parish minister. Resurrect
one of the citizens of that day, and lie would
be astounded ut the impiety of schools which
only read few verses of Scripture without
word of explanation, and with no catechlsm
for doctrinal instruction Nothing like that
ancient arrangement, in which all at the time
acquiesced, could now exist,-a fact which
no one is foolish enough to dispute. Posi-
bly, there may come in the future millen-
uia1 age when unity of religious belief shall
be restored, and the Christian faith shall be
taught by common consent in the public
schools. But at present such diversity Of
view prevails between Protestant and Ro-
manist, between Christian and jew, liberal
and skeptic, that no religious teaching or ex-
which all are taxed, and to which all send
children, without interfering with some ones
rights of conscience. In such altered cir
cumstances it is no compromise of principle,
or evil concession to Romanism and inf
delity, to consent thnt the schools shall be
made purely secular.
Oily thus can there be cooperation with
ont incessant irritation and strife. If the
Protestants insist that their version of the
Scriptures shall be read as religious e1er-
else Of the schools, claiming it as O right,
then there will be continual agitation, how
ever the decision may temporarily go, in this
or that locality. If the Bible is retained on
that ground. the Romanists, the Jews, and
the Rationalists, backed by the liberal por-
ton Of the Protestants, will not cease to de-
n1andits exclusion,-uot necessarily from any
opposition to it as religious book for pri-
vate reading and for church use, but from
q constitutional principle of opposition to
religious teaching BY the State. Of course,
the exclusion will be followed by indignant
remonstrance from the other side, as if in
suit had been heaped on the Bible "a per-
fectly gratuitous and most unwise assump-
tion), and measures will be set on foot to
secure its restoration. The Bible will thus
be shutuecock between two battledoors
only it will not be a pleasant game in prog
ress between friends, but in reality battle
of embittered foes, and in the hard counter
strokes the sufferer will be the unfortunate
shuttlecock! How can there be an end to
the controversy and the resultant bitterness?
We see only one why. Discussion and sad
experience will convince the great maj joritv, ere
long, that either we must surrender our pub
ic-schoo1 system or we must secularize it.
This latter course must then be urged and
accepted, not as a verdict against the Scrip
lures, in any possible sense, but only as the
declaration of the obvious fact that mixed
community has such different religious con-
victions TINT it is rendered necessary, to re-
lieve The State of NIL responsibility of judg-
mcnt and action in that matter, and to re-
nand it wholly to the spheres Of private life
and ecclesiastical operations. Then We shall
have peace, and secular schools will be sup
ported by public tax for the benefit of al!
the children of the community, while relig-
ious schools will be set up for dnily aud Sun
day use By Individuals and by churches Us
they may see the occasion to exist