Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-12-06
CENTRAL CHURCH PULPIT.
Pastor Swsrtz's Discourse on the
Church and Schools

How Far Religious rraining May be
Pushed in the schools - M State Aiu
for Denominationai Touching : the
Public School system is IA Necessity ior
tho Perpetuation of tho United states.
In Central Church pulpit on Sunday the
pastor, the Rev. William z. Swartz:
preached the second Of his course OF
special discourses. His subject was;
THE Public Schools, or Eaucation anu
Morality"
While taking strong ground against
State aid for UNCONVENTIONAL schools ne
was equally emphatic in the direction OF
the necessity for certain moral teaehlng
in the public schools. However, in regard
to the latter he made his distinctions very
clear. Duties, he said, should be lncul-
Gated, and he as clearly defined them
Christian duties, in the pnblic SCHOOLS
but all dogma should be releGated to. tine
private or pnrochial school, where aiohe
such teaching belongs.
Mr. Swartz commenced his sermon with
an allusion to the article in the NohH
american HepieD, by Monsignor Satoili, on
the subject OF the Italian schools, which
the writer lauds very highly
Our public school system, the speaker
said, is a necessity for the .perpetua,lon OF
| this country. The establishment OF pa
rochia schools III any district he stigma
| tized as a protest against the public school
system. The real position of Rome is that
| the State has no right to educate its chill
dren. Plus IN asserted that the schools
should be under the church and not IN
| charge of the State. A New YORK priest
| said recently that the State government OF
schools is a relic of barbarism. Catholics
5maiRtain that the system OF state control
| of the public schools has no right of ex.
istence.
The preacher then went ON to show that
| the State must educate for the needs OF IN.
dustrial efficiency and for commercial
/ prosperity, a recent report OF the Com,
missioner OF Labor showed that good
common school in community ADDS D.
i per cent to its efficiency; an academy iuI
per cent and a college in an increasing
ratio The State must educate because true
political progress grows with intelligence
Also because the majority OF the people
are unable to afford adequate education
and no church must take its place.
The question OF how far religious train
ing may be pushed in the schools come;
closely akin to that of the separation 81
church and State. Most homes can be de
pended ON for moral training-but SOM
not. Can the churches do this2 Mol 1
this be done adequately, it eau only b.
done by the State, and in the publ
schools. There is nothing IN our tradition
and laws preventing this. This is not
nation or eltner atnelsbS NOT VI abnoslics
1t is Christian. We are Christian nation
, and the fact is embedded in our Constitu
ton. 1t is shown in the oath administers
to the President at his Inauguration; il
the swearing in of the Supreme Bench o
! the United States, in the oath administer
to witnesses in the courts; in the national
i and State Thanksgiving proclamatlons; al
! public documents bear tine words Ann
Domini." As nation we dare not den
1.-THE truth that has made lis Free" Tn
, general truths held by all denomination!
!, Catholics and Protestants alike are stuff
cent for our schools. Doctrine may !
, taught in the churches but duties shout
be taught in the schools, The generi
common underlying truths of Christianit
have place and must have place in IL
!, State schools. Dogma may be taught !
!, the parochial school any day. But fc
: such UNCONVENTIONAL teaching the
y should be no State aid. The most in
s portant question in regard to. the publ
d school graduate, that which is of mo
4 value is not what does he know? b
:, what does he love?