The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-04


read before tue Association Of Schools |
and Colleges for Girls at tho meeting
held ut the Randolpli- Macon Womnn's,at
College in April last. This was BY
Miss Hatcher. OF Bryan Mawr, Of, Co
ordination OF Standarda.'S The second
paper, published to-day IL q very In
teresting one by Miss Carrie Lse
Campbell or Westminster School
Bible study BE Required In Schools and |
Colleges for Women?. Miss Campbell
says:
AS is shown by recent gatherings Of!
eccleslastics, educators and layrnent in
many places and by the education bill
OF 1906 in England, this Is Il subject Of,
much concern at this time. az IT has
been since the earliest history OF
thoughtful nations TO whom the Bible
WAS known.
The Hebrews, especially after the
captivity, owning no country, but pos
scssing II Book, spared no pains--cX-
erted every cnefgy--to have their chill
drcn toroushly INSTRUCTED In the
knowledge OF tile Old Testament. and
the teacher who Included the Great
Book in his teachings was reNered
above oil men.
Augustine declared. that the bible
should have the only place in the
schools; jerome wished to STARE the
study of the Bible with the literature
OF Greece and Rome; and during the
monastic life OF the Middle Ages the
Bible held places OF varying impor-
tance. owing probably to Luthcr.s in
fluence, 1t still holds a place in the
schools Of GermanH; In France IT Is
excluded from. the schools, and brother
countries OF Europc its use Is carefully
regulated. Under the inspiration sof
John Knox. the Bible was put into the
schools of Scotland, and at "a recent
educational gathering In Edinburgh,
Lord Bhlfour OF BureiglI stated that
religion in the Scottish schools had
ever formed a Fundamental part of
Scottish educatiorl---.whicll Is Christian
education by Christian ,eacl,ers"--and
Mr.. Balfour expressed the belief that
Mr.. Gladstone desired the same system
o. education for England. In Canada
/, the Bibe8has formed a part OF the{pub-
nc school curriculum for twenty-five
years, and regular examinatieps. are
held as on othcrasubjccts.s;s ii ssss
IN our own country the Bibecis not
used as q text book In any OF the pub
lie schools, Il believe, except in Clcve-
land. Ohio. whichSstahIs US asuniaue.
example; though the reading OF the
Sculptures is allowed In the opening
exercises in most OF the States, Is,
REQUIRED in some, and Is forbidden only
e l.
The following IS quoted from d. re-
port of the Commissioner OF Education
at Washinston
Maine. WITH her Supreme Court dts
cision; Massachusetts. With her model
state law; Rhode Island. With her
wa,chfulness for the morality and vir-
tue OF teachers and pupils; New York,
y with her law forhjdding the exclusion
of the Scriptures; Pennsylvania, with
her requirement that Bible reading
should be reported Wy all teachers
these. and all the other States of the
North Atlantic division, are In accord
with the great jurist. Rufus. choate
who declared: . Va IT 4.l
.'.We would have the Bible srtsdd
not only for It's authoritative reVela-
tions and It's commands and eXactions
obligatory yesterday, to-day and for
eyar, but for its English. for It's litera-
ture for it's pathos for It's Imagery
its sayings Of consolation and wisdom
and universal truth
The Southern and Central States gen
orally use the Scriptures in the&open-
ing exercises OF the schools Our STATE
Superintendent OF Educat ION reports
this as the custom In the g4r,ia
schools, thouEi, the New Tessta nlent
with its biography. It's prophety; tts
parallels and poetry has, out CT con-
sideration to our Hebrew neighbors
been omitted
There has benin Virginia no definite
action taken concerning the use OF the
Great Book, possibly from FEAR o.
arousing those obscuring influences
panic" which arise il the minus or
men at the mention of5any subject re-
ligous. and so prevent calm s3udsment
AS history. as literature, ass ne :ulll'
bodimcnt Of all that is mora l.-and+spir'
itual. the Bible claims a place IN ltl1t
lrricula Of our schools aud colleges.
Il r earnest A plsa for q the s'l BSsi NV
h asked TO exclude from our schoo
b Bible, and, by parity OF reasoning
instructions drawn from ortfo tiIt
BILE. What is this, In the first place,
At garbling and truncating history
here are important, momentpus por5
Ions OF the worlds history OF Whiol
Che Bible is the only manual. The J CIV
upon mankind far exceeding that4ef al
IN other ancient nations, and foutsidetfd
the Bible how scanty and fragnentarA
IS all that can. he known or taught cen.
corning this speonIe. Christianity, Is tho
most Important factor in the historic
mankind 1t has been the inspiratio,
and the mold of modern civilization
and has supplied all the elements tina
ancient world. 1t has modified all po
litical and social institutions. t. ha
gvepLbirth to philanthropy in its pro
teanfforms; 1t has created home, Wit
ties while the classic languages hav
not word that corresponds to- our Ide
~ home. 1t has reversed the scale o
the virtues, attaching supreme impor
lance to soma that had not (. even 4
name, and throwing into the back
ground others that arrogated toathenl
selves the exclusive title OF virtue,
Shall our children be forbiddenst
learn what Christianity, Is, in Its owl
universally acknowledged manual
Jesus Christ, whatever BE His actua
character. whether He be or not a
believe Him to be. all that His biog
raphers claim for HIM Is so far tn
most influential parsonage that la
ever appeared In the history Of 4th
world. TO exclude His life and char
acter from the narrative OF huma
existence for the last .nineteenWc entu
ries Is ali immeasurably more gross
foolish and stupid mutilation of his
I tory than II would be to omit til
names and doings of Washington
Franklin and Adams from America
history. Shall not our children be per
mitted to learn what He was from tn