Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-09-04

Perhaps In young, fresh, pliable America he
might from his high scat Of president Of Har.
ward, have succeeded in disseminating his
educational doctrines and establishing his
educational system To an extent that was Inn
possible in Europe. IL he had, the history
of education In this country would be con-
siderably different from what II Is now. And
tho present condition Of Cubli, instruction
or worsef am sure II would not be worse
In some features. And am Just AZ sure It
would he better In good many.
THs fact, by the way, that Comenius No
narrowly missed the presidency, OF Harvard
seems, strangely enough, to be unknown to
all OF at least half a dozen OF the leading
writer's on and historians OF education that
have yet seen. Even the two latest, and
best in our language, Compayre's and
Painters, appear to be Ignorant OF the fact
Yet II is a fact, resting upon no less an
authority than old Cotton Mather himself
In his Mogndiia Christi Ameyirdnd, or
Ecceiesias,,cai History Of New England,
published In l102, no thus mentions 1t:
"That brave old man, Johannes Amos
Commenius, the Fame OF whose Worth hath
been Trumpetted as far ~ more than Three
unto his Janua) could carry il, was agreed
withal by our Mr.. Winthrop, In his Travels
through the Low Countries, TO come over
into New England and illuminate this
Colledge and Country In the Quality OF
President: But the Solicitations of the
Swedish: ambassador, diverting him another
way, that Incompatible Moravian became
not an American"
wINTHRoP'- negotiations with Comen-
ius took place in Holland, on the latter's
return from England, where he had gone at
the invitation of Parliament, to devise
measures for the institution Of kind Of
Worlds University, on his own plan and to
be carried on by him according to his own
system and methods. But the outbreak of
the Irish rebellion aud massacre of thou
sands of Protestants, indefinitely postponed
tho execution of this project, and hastened
his return to the continent, IN l6i2.
IMIGHr indeed quote from al the mos
distinguished and foremost educators OF
modern times to show how fundamentally
correct were the views aud principles ad-
vauced by Comenius almost three centuries
ago. From Herbert Spencer down the
wisest utterances Of them all Dut connrm
what the old bishop held not lew indeed
got their most popular ideas and theories
directly from him. ] will, howeyer, refer
only to the principtss ! 10 apiHnnhYonsiy
insisted on, .in.: !" III HEtNT,
Importance; because recehay SIN LII
arisen who presume to deny ~ ana argue ga9
that education should be free from all
alliance with religion. ] am glad 70 note
that on this point As positively and strongly
as on every other essential one Comenius
made, the weight of testimony, tho voice OF
nearly every one OF the greatest thinkers of
the day, corroborates him. In fact, the
tendency is daily growing stronger IN favor,
not OF less, but ofmore religion and religious
instruction in our schools and colleges.
LET mo give you the two most recent
utterances of two thoroughly representative
I'm In
baccalaureate address as president of Yale
college, DIR. Noah Porter said: "No institu-
ton OF higher education can attain the highest
ideal excellence In which the Christian faith
IL not exalted as supreme; its truth not
asserted and defended and enforced with a
fervent and devoted zeal in which Christ
IL not honored as the inspirer OF mans pest
affections, the model OF mans highest eS-
cellence, and the master OF all human
duties.r While in q quite recent number oil
The Nation, Prof Chas. L. Richardson, oi
Dartmouth, wrote strongly for regular re-
ligious services as an essential element oi
the highest success of college, declaring
that "the community would distrust col
lege giving up such observances-tO mention
the lowest and meanest first l prefer TO
say, instead, that simple, short, attractive
service in a lit and perhaps beautiful build
ing, reserved solely for religious exercises,
is a daily benefit The college, save when
hNOWeuiy lOuuueu anu haihtaihou ~, w
nominational one, should never be place OF
propagandsm or sectarian superiority but
| ii should be place where is taught idealisin,
not materialism ethics, not utilitarianism
| Christianity, not indifierentism."
| EDUCATION without religion is a contra
| diction in terms. There is no such thing
unless indeed we are willing to deny thai
" Education is a development of the trhoi,
| man, No, before tho time comes that reli
gion shall find no room in our schools, there
| will be no room tor the schools themselves
| To divorce religion and education, Is IL no
| to divorce soul and body? And that is death
| But that time will never come
INCAS.