The Evening Star THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2670, 7 September 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1871.

Whatever may be the fate of the Education Bill now before Parliament, nothing more can be done outside the Legislature to aid or retard its passing this Session. The main obstacle in tbe way is what is oddly termed “The “ religious difficulty.” It would bo more correct to call it the “ irreligious »difficulty,” for there can bo no “religion” in a course of action that refuses a positive and necessary good, unless it is conferred in such a form as to satisfy the dogmas of theorists on religion. It is too late nosv to blink the° subject. With every desire to secure fer the clergy of all denominations that respect which is due to the office they fill, we must claim on behalf of every citizen the right to examine for himself the grounds on which they assume to interfere in popular education. This assumption must be based upon the idea that by no other than certain educational processes in the school can children be trained np religiously. Even if this were doubtful when applied to teaching in schools, it cannot be allowed to be carried to such an extent as to ignore the highest religious obligation “ To do to others what others should do to you.” Bearing this embodiment of moral law in mind, bow is it possible to carry it out in practice, if it is allowed to any man or set of men. to say that unless such and such concessions are made, children shall not have means for education provided! It is to secure the carrying out of this vital principle, on tbe observation of which society coheres, that laws are made. It is to neglect of this that injustice is perpetrated. Had men understood this law of universal application, and adopted it in its integrity, none of the wars and complications that form so striking a feature in the history of the world would have occurred. It would have established freedom in every state, and taught men the difference between liberty and licentiousness. N one of those limitations of creeds and formulas which now surround us would have been allowed to fetter and cramp men’s intellects; there would have been on tbe part of every man, a recognition of the right of every other to the utmost liberty of conscience. Unfortunately we must deal with the world as it is,—not as it might have been. Utopia would be a pleasant land to live in, but it is not a state of affairs to be realised which wo live. All that can be done is to secure as near an approach to it as possible. In the matter of education the position of things is this : The State—by which we mean the whole population—entrusts the Government with the laying out of money contributed by each individual to be expended only in such a way as is good for the whole. Now if every head of a family had to employ a teacher for his children, it Avould be a very expensive matter; and so it would if for his family alone, he had to employ a clergyman to conduct devotions. But by very small contributions from his earnings, he can secure a more efficient schoolmaster and minister than the means of the vast majority of householders would be able to afford. These two men stand in very different relations to society. The schoolmaster being engaged to teach that which is of general application, may, without any infringement of social lights, have in his school the children of parents of every slmde of religious opinion : but as his duties are strictly secular, be goes out of his way if he takes advantage of his position to become a religious teacher too. The minister is also a teacher ; but he is paid for imparting special instruction; and as one holds one theory and another a different one, there is no common ground on which to meet. He therefere is very properly excluded from being paid out of the common fund—the revenue—because it would be manifestly a breach of tbe moral law to take part of A’s money—taxes paid, if the term is better liked—who does not believe in B’s doctrine to pay B for teaching it. But if this separation between Church and State is so clearly right when tested by reference to the universal law of right and wrong, precisely the same reasoning applies to the difference between secular and religious teaching in schools. Secular instruction is universally applicable. If properly carried out, it is really more the training of the faculties to enable children to acquire knowledge, than cramming a quantity of knowledge into their memories. lieligious instruction from the necessity of the case is partial. It never can be otherwise where what is taught is something to be believed—not proved. It follows that for the clergy to meddle with a system of public education, is to put an “ irro- “ ligious ” difficulty in the way : for that which infringes a generally recognised religious principle is irreligious ; and as wc like things to bo

called by their right names, we should like to drop the euphony and boldly term it “ irreligious.” There can be no real difficulty in the matter. If the' clergy will only look at it socially as well as theologically, they will easily devise for themselves far more effectual means towards fulfilling their duties to the young than looking to the schoolmaster to help them. They seem to forget that before reading was a universal acquirement children and youths and probably adults were taught by their pastors, and there is much to commend catechumen classes now. An able writer on this subject SiV ys : “To say the least, R is “ an impressive mode of communicat- “ ing the elements of Christian truth, “ and it serves throughout the period of “ after life to cement an attachment “ which it is desirable should always “ exist between the individuals of a “ Christian Hock and their pastor.” That minister will do more to solve the religious difficulty, who sets an example of separating the theological from the secular school, than all the legislation of statesmen and whether or not his example is followed, his name will be honored by those who arc benefitted by his truly religious effort, as well as by those who can appreciate his motives. He may rest assured the latter arc an increasingly numerous class.