Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-05-20
EDUCATION.
Christianity Always Its Originator and
Promoter.

Christianity Always Its Originator and
Promoter.
The relation of Christianity to pop
ular education is a parental relation.
Christianity has always been the origin
ator and promoter of education. o
the church, indeed, this must be said
with some qualifications; for there
have been periods when nothing in the
world was more frightfully unchristian
than the ecclesiastical machine.
If, therefore, it is true that the church
at certain periods has shown scant
favor to other than theological science,
it is nevertheless true that the drift of
Christian teaching and discipline has
been toward the diffusion of learning.
The uniform testimony of the Sacred
Scriptures is of this tenor. The value
of knowledge is everywhere insisted
on. 1t is, indeed, asserted that know[
edge must rank below love; but if the
Scriptures seem to disparage knOwl-
edge, it is the knowledge that despises
virtue. Every careful reader of the
Bible knows that the value of intelli-
gence as the foundation of character
and the solid basis of National welfare
is taught with iteration and emphasis
in both Testaments. Neither is the
knowledge thus praised exclusively re-
ligious knowledge. The man of the
Biblical history most renowned for
his wisdom, and most applauded for
his pursuit of wisdom, was not con-
spicuously theologian, but a man
who seems to have mastered what was
honorable in his time of the "human
ities' This wisdom of Solomon did
not keep him from falling into an abyss
of sensuality; but the record does not
intimate that his fall was the fruit of
his learning; it was rather in spite of
his learning. His wisdom is always
commended and never censured. The
Bible, the Christians textbook, may
be claimed as the friend of learning.
Even in the ages of darkness, when
the Bible was not in the hands of the
people, the churches and the monas-
teries kept alive what learning was left
in the world Through all this period
the councils of the church steadily re-
quired the clergy to provide gratuitOus
instruction for the Young. Theodulph,
one of Charlemagne's bishops, issued
the following instruction to his clergy:
..Let the elders establish schools in
towns and villages, and if any of the
faithful wish to intrust to them their
children to be taught letters, let them
not decline to receive and teach them,
but with the utmost care instruct them.
And when they thus teach, let them
take from them no recOmpcnSe for their
service, nor accept any thing from
them. except what parents. in the ex-
ercise of charity. of their own accord
may offer Them This epiStle of
Theodulph is fair sample of numer-
ous admonitions addressed during these
times. by councils and dignitaries. to
the inferior clergy. Charlemagne HIM
self gave orders that schools be opened
everywhere Ito teach children to read,
and that Tin every monastery some
one teach psalms. writing. arithmetic
and grammar" The great Kings zeal
for learning is noteworthy when it is
remembered that his literary acquis-
tons stopped short with the art of
reading, and left room for Il dispute
among the historians as to his ability
to write his name. The reasonings of
his decree show how closely he con-
meets learning and religion; he urges
that. just as good conduct is prescribed
by definite rule, so also must teaching
and learning be Systematically carried
on, .'that those who seek to please
God by right living may not neglect to
please Him also by right speaking
Washington GLADDEN., IN Century Maya
zine.