The Irish standard., 1889-07-27

pOrtant to study the Uncreated Wisdom
before whom all earthly wisdom is
folly, and to admire the work Of the De
vine Artist who paints the lilly and
gilds the clouds?
''If, indeed. our soul were to die with
the body, if we had no existence be-
yond the grave, if We had no account to
render to God for our actions. we might
more easily dispense with religion in
our schools. Though even then Chris
tian morality would be true source of
temporal blessings; for, as the Apostle
teaches, 'Pietv is profitable to all
things, having promise of life that now
is, and of that which is to come'
But our youth cherish the hope of one
day becoming citizens of heaven as
well as OF this land. Aud, as they can
not be good citizens of this country
without studying and observing it's
laws, neither can they become citizens
OF heaven unless they know and prac-
tice the laws Of God. Now, it is only
by good religious education that we
learn to know and to fulfil our duties
toward our Creator.
1.-The RELIGIOUS and the secular educa-
tion of our children cannot be divorced
from each other without inficting
fatal wound upon the soul. The usual
consequence of such a separation is TO
paralyze the moral faculties and to
foment a spirit of indifference in mat-
ters Of faith. Education is to the soul
what food is to the body. The milk
with which the infant is nourished at
it's mothers breast feeds not only it's
head, but permeates at the same time
it's beart and other organs Of the body.
In like manner, the intellectual and
moral growth of our children must go
hand in har i otherwise their education
is shallow and fragrnentary, and often
proves curse instead of blessing.
'Pietv is not to be put on as holiday
dress, TO be worn Oh state occasions.
but it is to be exhibited in our conduct
at all times Our youth m LIST put in
practice every day the commandments
Of God as we'll as the rules of grammar
and arithmetic. How can they familiar
'ze themselves with these sacred duties
it they are not daily inculcated?
GuiZot, an eminent Protestant writer
of France, expresses himself so clearly
and forcibly on this point that [ cannot
forbear quoting his words: In order,'
he says, TO make popular education
truly good and socially useful, it must
be fundamentally religions. 1t is
necessary that national education
should be given and received in the
midst of religious atmosphere. and
that religious impressions and religious
observances should penetrate into all
it's parts. Religion Is not study or an
exercise TO be restricted to a certain
place or certain hour. 1t is faith
and law, which ought to be felt every
where, and which, after this manner
alone, can exercise all its beneficial in
fuences upon our mind and our life'
''ln this country the citizen happily
enjoys the largest liberty, and should
be sorry to see his freedom lessened or
infringed. But the wider the liberty
the more efficient should be the safe
guards to prevent it from being abused
and degeneratlng into license. TO
keep the social body within its orbit,
the centrlpetal force of religion should
counterbalance the centrifugal motion
of free thought. The ship that is to
sail on rough sea and before strong
winds should be we'll ballasted. The
only efficient way to preserve the bless
1ngs of civil freedom within legitimate
bounds is to inculcate on the mind of
youth whilst at school the virtues of
truth, justice, honesty, temperance,
self-denial and those other funda-
mental duties comprised in the Chris
tian code Of morals.
tine catecheticai instructions given
once a week in our Sunday schools,
though productive of very beneficial
results, are insufficient to supply the
religious wants of our children. 1t is
important that they should breathe
every day a healthy religious atmos-
phere IN schools in which not only is
their mind enlightened, but the seeds
Of Christian faith, piety and sound
morality are nourished and invigorated.
'sTLe combination of religious and
secular education is easily accomplished
in denominational schools. 10 what
extent religion may be taught in the
public schools without infringing the
rights and wounding the conscience Of
some Of the pupils is grave problem
beset with difficulties and very hard to
be solved, inasmuch as those schools
are usually attended by children belong
ing to the various Christian denomi-
nations, by Jews also, and even by
those who profess no religion whatever.
s'May God inspire the guardians of