Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-06-10

your columns TO express few more thoughts
on this subject II is one upon which feel
a deep interest, with thousands Of others in
our country. wish 10 notice one objection
that is sometimes made to the practice Of
reading the Bible in schools and that is,
that the state has no right TO require the Bi.
BILE to be read there.
Is this so ? What are human governments
for? Are they not for the protection of the
life, the property, the happiness and we'll
being Of the human family? Are not all hu-
man governments ordained Of God And
should they not all harmonize with the di-
vine law2-Rim TO promote the highest and
best good of the whole people, for this world
and the world to comet If this is so, should
they not require tho Bible, or certain parts
Of IL, 10 be read In the public schools for
what is 10 directly calculated and designed 10
protect men in their persons, in their proper
erty, character and lives, as the law of God
Let this law be obeyed, and you could dis
pense with the Legislature, courts Of justice
and police for il would prevent all the
crimes that now make a necessity for those
appointments. Is not the law Of God pre-
eminently the higher law and are not all
other laws subordinate to it Are not human
laws ordained Of God, designed to protect
men by being a terror to evil doers and an
encouragement to them that do well But
could il be terror TO evil doers, unless q
penalty was annexed TO III Hence II is writ
ten, "Cursed is every one that continueth not
in all things written in the law of God to do
them" Is II not important, then, that all
should become acquainted with il as early in
life as possible II the Bible is not read in
the public schools, how many children will
grow up ignorant of this law, and this impor-
tant instruction. Many children are born
and brought up in families where such in
struction is never given. There is a lamen-
table deficiency in this duty, even in families
that profess to be Christians. If they are not
concerned to bring up their children in the
way they should go, how can we expect those
who do not make any petensions to religion
10 do so?
We do not expect that the reading of the
Bible in schools will result in producing its
designed effect upon all who hear or read it.
But this is no more reason why il sh ould not
be read there than il would be an objection
TO passing q civil or penal law, because all
would not be governed by that. Some no
doubt, would be personally benefited by it,
and it must have an influence on all. Some
might not know that there was such a book
as the Bible, il they did not learn it at the
common school, We may learn something Of
the importance the author of the Bible at
taches TO it by referring to Deut. 3lst chap
ter, 18th and 18th verses. As they had no
manded Moses to gather the people together,
men, women, and children, and the stranger
that is within thy gates, that they may hear
and that they may learn TO fear the Lord
your God, and observe to do all the works of
this law, and that their children which have
not known anything may hear, and learn to
fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in
the land whittier ye go over TO possess IT, :"
Here we see theimportance God attached TO the
hearing and reading of his word, TO the whole
people, children no: excepted. And is it Of less
importance now that it be read where all can
HEARTH Has the Bible outgrown itsinhuence or
have the people outgrown the Bible, that the
hearing and reading of it id the public schools
should be dispensed with II II has done as
much good in forming the character of this
nation as is generally admitted, should we not
| honor and respect it for the good it has done !;
andf it has not lost any of its vitality, suffer it
| to remain, and continue to exert its elevating,
refining, and healthful influence on the ris-
ing generation; let it have the most promi-
nent place in our schools, in our houses, in
our churches, and wherever its teachings are
needed. 1t fills place that secular books
can never supply.
We all admit that knowledge is power, but
it is power for evil as well as good. We
could name many men of the most brilliant
talents and highest literary attainments,
whose influence has been of the most bane-
full character. Whatever amount of secular
knowledge man may possess, IL he does not
make a right use Of it, II may be an evil in
stead Of good. knowledge, If not under the
control of correct principles, may be an in
strument Of evil instead Of good. The heart
needs TO be educated as well as the head /;
the moral as well as the intellectual. One ia
the centripetal, the otherthe centrifugal, force
one is needed to regulate the other. Here
we see the importance, or we may say the
necessity, OF statute law requiring the BIZ
BILE to be read in the public schools for it Is
the highest and best authority for securing
obedience TO all rightful authority. 1t de-
mands those principles Of charity, sobriety,
honesty, truthfulness and patriotism that
tend TO the security and perpetuity of any
government. The tendency Of its teachings IA
TO elevate the sentiments, refine the feelings,
aud cultivate every moral virtue that will fi
the student to fill places of responsibility with
honor to himself and safety to the com
monwealth. Is not the Bible then the most
useful book that can be put into our schools
An eminent jurist has said, "The power oi
the state is as broad and as deep as the neces.
sity of protecting the physical and intellect.
ual energies of her citizens and the morals
and the religion Of the Prince of Peace"
B. OBER