The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1902-05-20

religion go hand in hand, each seeking
the aid and alliance of the other. 1t is
to the church that the world owes the
idea of popular education. In the early
church we find that schools we're estab-
lished in Alexandria and Jerusalem.
When the church was pure it was ever
in the front in advancing the learning of
the people. When the church became
corrupt education was neglected and the
world knew its dark ages. Again the
revival of religion came and with it the
revival of learning, and German univer-
stiles and Cambridge and Oxford were
founded. l have mentioned before the
early colleges and schools of this coun-
try, and only need to emphasize the fact
that in the conception of the Pilgrim
fathers religion and education were in
separable. From their beginning came
the christian college in America, which
is such a prominent factor in our educa-
tional system.
But what we might ask here, is chris
tan education in distinction from the
education l have already mentioned?
1t is higher education and more. 1t is
education with capital f, learning
truths with the aid of the author of all
truths. Studying nature aided by ma
lures maker. 1t is not sectarian thus
teaching the tenets of any particular
sect, but broad and comprehensive,
give the view of the worlds knowledge
through pure eyes. 1t is not dogmatic
or teaching any special system of the
ology. That narrow conception of chris
tan education is seen in the Roman
Catholic church and in some state
churches, and means to catechise and
saturate the scholars with the specific
views Of religious doctrine held by that
church.
But Christianity in its true, pure mean
ing is beyond all this. 1t is broad in
spirit. 1t involves conception of
christian principles as found in the
bible. 1t means that the bible stands as
one OF the chief text books, that the
teaching is founded upon the teachings
of Christ; that though the bible isn't
taught, its teachings are, as found in
literature, in science and in nature. 1t
means that the devotional spirit is in
teacher and taught, that prayer is often
on the lips and in the heart of the in
structor that the teacher worships and
serves the Great Teacher and strives to
give many of his lessons to the pupils.
The rural districts need this educa-
ton. They need to be purified and up
lifted as we'll as the cities. They need
to have the truest, highest type Of citi-
zenship. Intellectual culture alone is
insufficient. Then country boy and city
boy alike have missed the real educa-
ton 1t is like reading wonderful
story and never knowing the name of
the author, or admirine fine painting,
but saying nothing of the artist.
Gladstone testified that in all meas
ures that had to do with the ameliora-
ton OF the masses during his leadership
he had the opposition of the cultured
and nobility Benjamin Kidd says in
"Social Evolution" that as a rule the
educated have been on the wrong side
in social and political movements. This
simply teaches that head training with
out heart training is misleading.
1t is not enough that the pulpit and
Sunday school are great educational
factors in the lives of our young people.
These are worthy of great credit for
their part. But there are other days in
the week in which the young people
ought to be learning the truths of the
world and acquiring the true knowledge.
While We are pleading for the higher
education for our rural districts, let US
hope and pray that this education may
be of the truest type, christian educa-
ton.