The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-08-10
Morals for Prisoners Religion for tn,
Free.

A great difficulty about the appointment
of chapains to State institutions, and "a the
national army and navy, grows out of the
fact that we have no State church; and
therefore the Government cannot consist
emily give preference to one denomination
over another in the selection OF n religious
guide for those who are under its care, or
who render 1t service. II minister Of one
church is taken, the members Of the others
are likely TO be offended. Especially If
Roman Catholic priest is appointed do the
Professionals cry out; while the Roman Cath
olics naturally object to having their COM
municants compelled to listen to antago-
nistic Protestant teachings, or at least put
In the way of being influenced by religious
theories which they regard as dangerous or
erroneous.
To overcome this embarrassment, the Con-
grcgational, Baptist, and Methodist minis
ters of Boston have lately been Mt work
through their respective committees. As
the result OF their deliberations they have
now appointed II subcommittee to draft u
law, TO Toe presented TO the next Massachu-
sets Legislature, providing for the appoint
mcnt of what they call teacher Of moral
ity." 10 take the place Of the present prison
chaplain. This functionary is not to teach
the doctrines of any special church; all CON
vcts are required to attend his services; yet
any church may hold religious services
which do not Interfere with the discipline OF
the prison; and any convict may have such
spiritual advice as he wishes not paid for by
the State. The State only pays for the
moral teaching and attendance on that only
is obligatory
1t seems TO us that these evangelical
preachers, in their effort To- satisfy all par
ties, have done what really stutifes them
selves and their position as religious teach
ers. 2he theory OF these denominations is
that morality without religion il Of no
avail; even the Methodists would claim
that, while the Calvinistic Baptists and Con-
gregationalists regard reliance ON works
without faith AZ leaning on n broken reed.
They inveigh against purely moral teach
ing, and contend that even the righteous
ness Of an unconverted man will never save
him, and may perhaps prove to be the cause
OF his eternal misery, inasnuch as IL Is
likely to lead him to rely on what he does,
and not on the Divine mercy for his pass
port to heaven Yet it is proposed to deal
out TO the Massachusetts prisoners the dry
stone Of morality, instead Of the life-giving
bread Of spiritual religion. This looks I'M
fair, and regarded from tho point OF view OF
these orthodox ministers. it is really UNI
christian. II moral teachings alone are insult
iicent for the people who are not locked up,
surely they should not be offered TO impris-
oned criminals who stand in greatest need
of spiritual regeneration with its accom-
panying moral transformation.
Besides, how is this teacher Of morality TO
separate morals from religion Where shall
he fix the dividing line, the two being so in
terminglcd that they are not easily separa-
BILE? II seems TO have been pretty well
proved 10y experience that, except, perhaps,
in the cases of men of the best balanced
minds, and the most philosophical tempers.
unless morals are planted in religion or,
rather are the fruit OF religion, they soon
withcr and dry up. If this Is SO outside Of
prison. 1t must be even more 80 inside Of
prison. where the morally sick and de-
formed are confined TO be punished. or 10 be
kept from doing injury 10 society. To make
felons into good men, Protestants and Ro-
man Catholics alike agree in prescribing re-
ligious instruction and practices
The Boston preachers really dodge the
difficulty, and convict themselves of Offering
one sort Of medicine to the morally diseased
who are at large, aud another sort to those
! who are confined.