The Irish standard., 1902-07-05
Rev. FIR. Michael F. Fallon, Q. NJ l., Shows
the World Was Not Dark Ere
the Reformation.
Protestant Writers are Quoted to Refute
Malicious Charges Made in
School Histories.

In recent lecture in Buffalo, N Y,
on 1.-The Intellectual Standing of the
Monks of the Middle Ages" Rev. M.
Fallon, o. M. l., spoke in part rs fol-
lows:
A question was put into my hand
about ten days ago, much to my
amazement That question was one
taken from the blackboard Of the Buff
falo Normal school and read as follows:
"What was the intellectual condition
of the Monks at the time of the Refor-
mation?" 1t was treated by the in
structors of this school in manner
at variance with true history. Now
my parishioners are attending this
school, the children Of my parish are
being trained fer teachers at this
school, and my parishioners are pay
ing taxes for the support Of the school,
and ask you as fair-minded people,
whether you be Catholic or non-Cath-
olic, whether it be just OF right to
have books introduced and used in this
school which are absolutely poisonous
to the minds OF the unfortunate chill
dren who are there? We are not able
to pay for the support OF Catholic
schools, else these children would not
be there. But we pay taxes to the
support of the schools of the country,
and we do it unccmplainingly; we do
it with the same willingness that
other citizens offer their support, and
we believe that our principles should
be respected. l appeal to the honest,
upright principles Of the non- Catholics
here tonight and ask if l am not justi-
fed in uttering a protest against our
being obliged to listen to that which
we hold to be untrue-which we know
to be untrue On Tuesday the princi-
pal Of this school did not know that
this book was in use in the school
(Which showed deep INTEREST," and on
Thursday he did not care. He did
not know, but he did not care. He did
not care what criticisms anyone had
to make. He put the book trust after
us, and now it is in a case of 1.-The
book trust will get yCu if you don't
watch OUT" but we are not afraid Of
the book trust.
The pupils at this school, as any
other, look upon their teacher as an
oracle, and so they should lcolk upon
her, but it is unfortunate that teach
ers who know that they have the con-
fidence and trust of their pupils should
have no more care to hold themselves
infallible. This same question regard
ing text books came UP about twenty
years ago in the Province of Ontario,
and the books We're put out of the
schools and out of the country, but
methinks that they got cn Il train COM
ing across the suspension bridge, for
they are here now The text books
that 1 have here and to which I have
particular reference are Hist, ry or
Education by Professor Levi Seeley,
Phi. D., and another History of Edu-
cation by one Professor Painter. The
former book is i'm use in the State n. T.
NAL school, and here are a few Of the
choice morsels that l have extracted
from this books me of Pr f SSH See
leys illuminations:
''Seeley, Chapter 2S-It was said of
this art (of printing! that it would
give the death blow to til, sup; rstitiOn
of the Middle Ages. 1t was a mighty
influence, in bringing alb 5ut universal
education. principle for which thv
Reformation stood. The church, which
lad been the n:O.her of schools, had
become corrupt and degenerate. Priests
were ignorant and immoral, and good
teachers were nowhere to be found"
There was need. then, of a reform
in education as we'll as in religion, and
Luther took the burden of both upoI
his shoulders.
In its origin the primary school is
the child Of Professionalism, and its era
die was the Reformation
1T is to the Protestant Reformation
that must be astribed the honor of
having first organized schools for the
people"