The sun., 1916-08-27

Ollie popular education began with
the founding of the Christian
Church. As an educational institution
the Church set out to teach mankind
the greatest of all lessons; namely,
how to live. Her field was unlimited; 1t
especially embraced the people. and
her work was popular in a sense that
no preceding educational effort had
been. II is true that her teaching was
at first chiefly religious and moral. and
her first schools. the catechumenal and
catechetical. religious in scope. but IL
wac not long before the Church found
II necessary to a her W chools
for secular knowledge as we'll in order
to safeguard the faith OF her children
and counteract the influence Of pagan
ism. So 1t is not surprising to come
across the parish school Of Odessa in
tho middle Of the second century in
which the priest Protogenes taught
children, in addition to religion. tho
elements of learning. nor Is 1t emark-
able to find the Fathers Of the Church.
like ST. Basil the Great and st. John
C~hrysostom In tho fourth century,
dealing with the question OF the gen
eral education Of children by anchor
ties and monks. When the public
school. then pagan or Jewish. had be-
come impossible OF attendance the
Church must needs provide even the
secular training for her children.
The episcopal OF cathedral school.
established at episcopal sees. although
having fos its purpose the training OF
~clerics. often responded to this need.
Wherever. as in ancient Gaui. the
Bishops were proprietary lords, their
seminary actually became h public
school Of he city. having in many
instances a converted rhetor!cian for
its scholastic OF head master. The
monasteries also. which spread with
remarkable rapidly over the Christian
world and were unified by the Renee
dictine rule, were at once the houses
Of religious retreat and the educa-
tnonal Institutions OF the people. Quite
apart from that industrial training
given the h~usbandman. the craftsman
and the artisan. which all know to
have been considerable, the monks
were teachers OF the children OF the
neighborhood.
An Idea OF the facility OF obtaining
instruction in the monasteries may be
had from a reference to the law OF
Charlemagne promulgated in 500. which
reads: Every one should send his
son to study letters and let him remain
at school until he should be well in
structed," a Law which were meaning.
less had II not been comparatively
easy to find schools for youth. The
separation Of the young laymen from
tho monks in the monastic schools,
which became a matter OF aw in the
ninth century. points to . good at
tendance at the schools. A new de-
partment in the monastery was set
apart for the accommodation Of these
students and row a. the "Schola
. Exterior" or School for E~xterns," .
specimen OF which may be seen in the
architects plan for the monastery OF
81. Gall, Switzerland.
Furthermore, in this same century
the schools were free. St Peters
monastery. Salzburg. gave not only
hoard gratu!tous.y. but also clothing:
the cathedral school at Langres was
also free: and Bishop Theodulf OF Or
leans forbade the parish priests to
exact any fee from the parents OF the
children attending the parish school.
LET the priests keep schools In the
villages and towns. and II any OF tho
faithful wish to give his little ones to
learning. they ought willingly to re-
ceive them and teach them gratui-
tous.y, remembering what has been
written: They that are learned shall
shine as the brightness of the firma-
ment: and they that instruct many to
Justice. as stars for all eternity" This
decree, II should be noted. was efec.
tive in not merely one great diocese.
II was reproduced In Church councils
and synods throughout the Middle
Ages and for many parts OF the Chris
tian world. II reappears. for instance
In the ecclesia stical laws of England
in the tenth century with . significant
Modification. "Priests ought to have
schools for schoolteachers In their
houses. and II any Of the faithful wish
to give his little ones to learning. &c,
q modification which refers to the en-
ployment OF lesser clerics a. the teach
ers Of the schools. This latter practico
was indeed . matter Of Law In many
dioce.es. and the inspectors wers ~
quired to report to the Bishop whether
each parish had . cleric who could
keep school and participate In the
church services.
Tho Third Council Of the LateraA,
held In 1179 for the universal Church,
decreed in no mistakable terms tha1
the cathedral schools should b ~.