The record-union., 1893-12-08
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
ligiOus Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed In the Sectarian Press
Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.

Of the bill authorizing state al0 lot
parish schools which is to be submitted
to the next session of the New York Leg
islatare. the New York Churchnlan (P.
e. observes: "In village of 1900 in
habitants, which now maintains capital
school with a good staff of teachers and
suitable buildings, Christianity is pro-
tessed by half "a dozen different denomi-
nations. In this community either half
dozen ill-equipped schools VIII be insti-
tuted, or the Quaker will have to send his
children to be inoculated with the doc
trine Of papal infallibility, or the Roman
Catholic will be obliged to seek for his
child knowledge of reading and writ
ing with the added instruction that the
sacraments of the church are matters OF
no account in the Christian scheme.
These are extreme but quite possible re-
suits of a plan by which State aid is to
be given to denOminational institutions.
The present American system OF State
schools is far preferable to any plan
which will give the most powerful de-
nomination in any community the op-
pOrtunity for erecting by State aid the
most efficient school, and OF deriving
by such means the most efficient re-
sources by prOpagating particular form
OF Christianity. We need not aIlude TO
the room which would be given by any
such method of distributing public funds
for political wire-puling and ecclesiasti-
cal intriguing. We see SO many corrup-
tiOns ana abuses lurking in the system
of Government aid to denOminatiOnal
schools that we do not hesitate to de-
nOunce as mischievOus and un-Ameri-
can the bill which is to be submitted TO
the Legislature. This bill is an ayOwed
blow at the system Of education which
has been established by the State in this
country in the best interests of harmony
and enlightenment. We call upon ali
especially upon all churchmen, TO use
their influence against it, as serious
menace TO civil and religious liberty"
1.-THE more we study the facts" says
the WdtchDtdt (Bapt.) of Boston, "the
more We are convinced that the future of
higher education in the United States is
largely involved in the success Of the de-
nominational colleges. There is an in
creasing protest against sustaining higher
schools and State universities by public
taxation. Here and there an unbeliever
or an agnostic may found college, but ii
Is the churches alone which have sutfi-
cient coherency and esprit de corps to
afford a trustworthy and loyal constitu-
ency to the individual college. Leaving
out of account the few instances in which
colleges like the Leland Standard Jr.
University have been endowed by one
man, it will be found that the most pros
porous have been most loyal to their de-
nominations. One Of the most intensely
denominational colleges in the land is
Harvard University, which is absolutely
loyal 10 I nitarianism."
Three subjects of wide popular inter,
est were discussed at the meeting of the
Protestant Episcopal Church Congress
last week." says the New York OutO0k.
The debate on the temperance question
did little more than to emphasize the in
creasing interest in this subject, and TO
show that, while there is growing unity
OF purpose to suppress, or at least 10 re-
duce the number of saloons, there is still
the widest divergence of opinion among
the enemies of the saloon as to the best
methods to be pursued in the war against
1t. The discussion respecting moral and
religious training in the public schools
was, from our point of view, very en-
cOuraging, since 1t ELECTED a substantially
unanimous opinion that education with
out moral and religious training is not
only seriously detective but really i'm
possible. Where there Is a will there is
way Whenever Protestant Christen-
dom comes to recognize, as the Roman
Catholic Church does recognize, the neces-
sity of moral and religious clemens in
any system of education worthy of the
name, we shall have taken the first step,
and the most important, towards the dis
covery Of some method by which such
instruction can be incorporated in our
public school system without violating
the fundamental principle of American
public life-the separation of Church and
State. 70 the discussion respecting sub
scription to creeds we have nothing to
add here. Our own view on this subject
that creed is legitimate when it is the
expression of what men believe, and ille-
gitimate when it is an expression of what
they must belieVe-is too well-knoWn 10
need emphasis"