The sun., 1916-08-27
By the Very Rev. Joseph A. Mulry, 8. J, President Fordham Universty,
New York.

New York.
Nor do / mean common consent"
That standard alone is not always re-
liable. / mean that constant, uni
form. articulate voice OF all peoples,
all races, all nations throughout the
ages. that persists in its testimony
despite differences OF education, ma
tional interests. philosophical creeds.
A few discordant voices here and there
only emphasize the persistence and
unanimity Of natures voice. Whether
the voice OF nature can explicitly prove
these truths or not, they ARE at least"
as MIR. Balfour recently said, ''inevi-
table, "All men accept them in fact.
Even those who Criticise them in
theory live by them In practice"
They are acid as true in pursuance Of
a law OF our nature as unfailing as
hat by which matter gr%avitates to
matter. They cannot be torn from
the minds and hearts Of man. because
without them the fabric OF morality
and society. both domestic and civil,
would fall to pieces.
What are these truths upon which
education, that must look to the ulti-
mate as we'll az TO the proximate Is
sues of human life. has a direct bear
ing? First. that God exists. who Is {
reward the good and punish the
wicked. lis linked up with all that Is
assured in knowledge, all that Is beau
tiful in art or nature. all hat Is most
noble in morality" Secondly. that the
soul is immortal. and lastly. hat tho
law OF Justice Is to he obeyed, truths
that will not down because they are Of
nature. Lee no man set up a theory
OF education. then. that would elimi-
nate the factors Of religion and NOR
ality from education. To do SO would
be like applying again Raleigh's flower
theory 10 the cultivation OF the potato.
1t would openly ola tho first con.
dition Of a valid educational theory
which within its sphere should alb
sorh all the facts. Repeat not with re-
itcrated ineptitude the Sunday so to
meeting theory" Of religious and moral
instruction. Leave to busy parents, to
the Sunday and the ministers the bur-
den of religious and moral education OF
children and soon under the pressure
Of the well known logical law Of "con.
comitant variations the ministers Of
religion will have to seek some other
means OF honest livelihood and the
churches will be abandoned to the pic.
ture shows. The Catholic theory of
education. on the other hand, cour-
ageously maintained will verify tho
prophecy OF the venerable and thought
full octogoGarian who on his deathbed
said: III you Catholics only keep to
your Catholic philosophy and classical
education you will soon be the only
ladies and gentlemen in the land"
What nature bears testimony to the
aggregated wisdom OF the ages cor
roborates. Not TO mention the author
ity Of Plato and Aristotle. Cicero and
Seneca, De Tocqueville and Edward
Everett, Webster voiced the public
opinion of religiously minded America
before We deviatcd into an education
Of pale faced intellectually. Webster
says: knowledge does not comprise
all that Is contained in the larger term
OF education. The feelings are to be
disciplined: the passions are to be re-
strained; true and worthy motives are
to be inspired: a profound religious
feeling Is to be instilled and purc
morality inculcated under all circum.
stances. All this Is comprised In edu.
cation" Washington warns his
trymen. mot to indulge the suppose
ton hat morality can he maintained
without religion: whatever may b
conceded to the influence OF refined
education on minds Of peculiar struc-
ture. reason and experience both for.
bid us to expect that natural morality
can prevail in exclusion Of religious
principle"
Tho second condition Of Q valid
theory OF education is that It must not
conflict with any other law Or fact
which on positive evidence Is held TO
be true. Such Is the Christian revelae
ton, the most %stupendous fact Of his.
tory. Throughout its whole history
Catholic Christianity has produced tho
highest civilization and culturo the
purest morals. the most sublime crea.
tons Of literature and art, men Of
virile energy, many Of heroic mould.
It Is tho one religion that possesses
undying youth. Can that theory Of
education be consistent with faet
which debars from schools set up to
civllize the mother Of the highest form
Of civilization the world knows?
Has any State on earth yet discov-
cred a more efficient influence to exalt
and perfect human nature than that
"a IN which has had In every country
and among every race irresistible at
fractions for the noblest minds7 What