The sun., 1903-10-25

ps o. either Y the EuTSsr p sSs E, &
therefore. surely wise. yes. and patriotic, 70
usl obi cations to her as their Divine Mofher,
TX. State education 10 going 70 eoucn doI
harm our problems in Porto Rico snd sns
niippinss Tor ne same sam r. reason ~ n tss tS. home me
Nor Is there . sinsls ethical or spiritual
DsSSsn that We have IN "t das not
touch for harm. II this sweeping indictment
Is not true, then why did Herbert Spencer
sSnSs%P scSSsI., compulsory education ana p00N'
Can there be any surprise that one bur;
dened with this belief is not to be silenced
by fear lest the Roman Catholic Church should
education? The logic Of Bible. Prayer Book and
tradition In the Church Of England. and IN
the daughter Church which we call Protestant
Episcopal in this country. In. and always mas
been. Christian education at lts best for her
children. and on every day In the week: IN
the school a. we'll as In the home. X otners
be blamed But when one OK will lte down.
the yoke bears hard on him that stands up.
There can be no effective teaching Of Torsl ,ora 4
pstriotis% without % George washins non and
ssh5Ss % effectively taught Independently % s.Stly
commandments and moral recommendation
OF any deecrlptton without persona h.e
Nor, Is IT enough to say. that the Church
and the home must attend TO the religious
influence over children. both Church and
home, aro being weakened and slowlv under.
mined by our -madly-perverted system Of
sSnday ssS's sShoo svsrybods % Knows that bit
little religious instruction can be given IN II
and often II does more harm than good. oy
their parents in the services, Of the church,
They graduate from the Sunday school with
out being promoted into the church;
system was from the beginning what it is
Mani Mann. % WSo has "a been si Called H more than any
S s%ent defender f I of the Common school system.
aspersion. but from the suspicion Of being
an irrsiigous or antlChristlan } or HnS harn hs,s
and clear vindication can easily be produced
II Il is called for. The Rev. Dr. A. A. Hodge,
The xsn-know1 sdncator ,, q PrlnSet9n Una INA
that the system has been madly perverted
We hear much. sometimes, with justice,
g. the Inferior character q ChprSh schools SS
good work2 What would be the success Of pri-
vate enterprise In groceries. drugs or dry goods
u the State. during the last fifty years. had
petition2 Could any commercia! enterprise
bear up against being undersold as well as
has the Christian education enterprise? The
truth, never to be forgotten. Is that Church
schools have been wholly prevented from
has characterzed work in every other, de.
wanted to make bricks. but the straw has been
withheld. Force the Churches either to edu-
cate their children, or take the consequences
Of their neglect Of duty in the loss Of their
children: lust as they are forced to minister
to their adult members in spiritual things.
or suffer loss In adult membership; then our our
the better and this ia legitimate and wise
work for the State to enter upon.
Christian Popes, Bishops, priests. deacons
and laymen have been hagrantiy bad M Many my
doing It to-day. Christian Governments
have made sad records and Christian Churches
have covered themselves with confusion and
their eandlestick has been removed. Even
Christianity itself, for the past two thousand
years. has come so far short OF the, work ap-
pointed it to do that 1t has been held to escape
nifcant ground that II has never been tried.
Why then make such an effort to honor Chris
tianity in the councils of the nation, In our
courts and halls Of legislation, Ii 1t Is to be SO
grossly dshonored in the education OF the
child life OF the nation. where it is most need
ed? The honor given TO the Christian religion
the country to-day The dshonor heaped
upon It is the expression OF bad management;
and very costly it Ia proving
The Church (and for convenience let that
word stand for every religious body which Is
working in the field Of ethics in any large
organized way is not allowed to put her chill
dren under sufficient obliRat ions 70 her, This
Ia one OF the greatest evils IN the land to-day;
and it Is the crux Of this whole vexatlous sit
uation. The children's love and devotion are
not being Won by that powerful organization.
almost always auxiliary to the State, almost
always the best friend OF the State. which can
do the most good with IT,. The State Ia win
prove aplendidly eftcariOus against foreign
foes. but ID Is sure to prove worthless against
lnternal trouble. Should the time ever come
for grinding taxation. for conscrtpiing re-
cruts for defending property rights In a
large way on behalf Of the rapidly increasin &
number of very rich corporations and indt.
viduals. against the interests and rights, real
vanish; and then there will be no great powe
to control the people, The Roman Catholic
Church is winning and holding the love OF her
children by reason OF her great sacrifices FOR
their moral and religions rs we'll as for their
mental training. How is this shown? BY
the record of the attendance OF her people on
divine worship. which is far ahead Of that Of
Protestant Churches.
One point in conclusion, to avoid misunder-
standing on a point Of Justice and courtesy
II the principals and teachers OF our public
schools, throughout the country, could be
entrusted, without let or hindrance. with the
moral and religious training OF the children
on denominational lines l do not belev We that
the delicate and important work could be
placed in better hands; the clergy OF course
w. MONTAGUE fHRR.
Vicar Of st. Paurs Chapel.
NEW YORK Oct %.