The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-07-11
PRIESTS AND PREACHERS.
What They Have 90 say on . rsiisioms
inufafiou.

BALTIMORE. MD., July TO- True &
the announcement IN its issue OF las
week. PHbiic Opinion. the eclectic jour
nal OF Washington. will tomorrow
publish papers from the pen of C3riina
Gibbons. Rev. DR.. Thomas Hill. ex
president Of Harvard University: Rev
Dr. Minot Savage Of Boston. and Pro
fessOr w. T. Harris. editor Of the Jour
adf Of Spccuiofire Philosophy. on thi:
question: is religious instruction in
the public schools expedientf IT 90
what should be its character and expe-
dientsy' Below is given extracts from
some Of these papers.
Cardinal Gibbons SAYS that an educa-
tion that improves the mind and mem
/ DRY 10 the neglect of moral and reig.
! ious training is at best but an imperfect
ard defective system. IL is. he says,
emiuently useful that the intellect Of
our youth should be developed and that
they should be made familiar with
those branches Of knowledge which
they are afterwards likely 10 pursue.
IL is most desirable. too. that
they should be made acquainted
with the history Of our country and
the origin and principles Of the govern
ment. But il Is not enough for child
rem 10 have secular education, they
must receive religious training. BY
secular education we improve the mind,
by religious training we direct the
heart. The religious ana secular edu-
ca ion OF our children cannot be di-
yOrced from each other without infiict.
ing a fatal wound upon the soul,
they must 90 hand in hand. otherwise
their education is shallow and fr3g
meniary- cnrse instead Of blessing.
Piety. says the Cardinal. IS not 10 be
plt on for state occasions, but Is TO be
exhibited d. our conduct at all times.
Our youth must pat ia practice every
day God 5 commandments as well rs
the rules Of arithmetic
The Rev. Or. Thomas Hill takes for
the text 4 his paper a statute Of the
state OF Massachusetts,. which declares
religious instruction 10 be the first and
most important end TO be aimed at by
all the teachers of youth. and requires
teachers to use their best endeavOrs to
impress on the children minds the
principles of piety and Justice,
and to lead them, as their ages
and capacity admit. INTO "A
particular understanding Of the
tendency Of such virtues 10 preserve
and perfect republican constitution
and secure the blessings Of liberty.
DR.. Hill says public schools with COM
pulsory attendance a.e an essential
adjunct 90 Republican government. /
and whatever may be the theoretical
relation Of religion and morals. 1t Is |
true that childrea can be /
kept pure, truthful and honora-
bic in no way 80 eiIectually as
By cultiydting their natural reverend /
sense of religious sanctions. lie con- /
,lules. therefore, that religious m /
-iruction Is mare than expedieni: IL Is /
demanded as political necessity. But
il must not be given by text books.
lectures or reciiali0ns. 10 must be
given incidentally fret by selection Of
teachers of good character and sense.
BY careful selection Of wholesome cad
ug and by daily brief religious exer-
ICES at which passage from the
BlDle shall be read. a prayer reclted,
ind. perhaps. a hymn sung
Rev. NJ j. Savage. after entering
upon n long explanation Of religious
Ilstruction defiuos the question to be
whether any religion or more thauoue
hall be taught in the public schools.
lad then argues as follows In the case
If those who believe that the salvation
If their chldren's y souls is at stake
here cannot be q more odious tyranny
han TO compel item to submit to a
eaching that 20 their minds. entails
uch horrible consequences. 50 far as
his goes. my sympathies are with the
SJmanist5 rs against the te,ching OF
my form of protestautism ia the
chOOls
Prof. W. T. HIrris says that religious
Instruction IN the public schools Is in
xpedient on the ground that they are
or all ciiizens. whatever their re-
igiOus belief or no belief IL is tie
Of the average American
ilizen that rights Of private conscience
aust be respected. and that Church and
tate must be entirely separate
A. ID. Fullerton. Brockton. Mass.
iys. have suffered twenty years with
leadache. and Bmdl lcrotiue cured me
hen first tried.