DR. NEWMAN ON THE NECESSITY OF UNITING RELIGIOUS WITH SECULAR STUDIES IN PUBLIC SEMINARIES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 70, 29 August 1874, Page 9

DR. NEWMAN ON THE NECESSITY OF UNITING RELIGIOUS WITH SECUL AR STUDIES IN PUBLIC SEMINARIES.

Auckland.

" The human mind may be regarded from two principal points as intellectual and moral. As intellectual , it apprehends truth ; as moral, it apprehends duty. The perfection of the intellect is callod ability ; the perfection of our moral natures is virtue. It is our great misfortune hero, and our trial, that as things are found in the world, theee two are separate and independent of each other ; that where the power of intellect, is, there need not be virtue; and that where right nnd uoodnoea and mornl gentleness are, there need not bo talent." He reminds us that at the beginning this was not the case. That it is the result of man's fall in consequence of which he was deprived of super' nntui-sl grace. 13y man's full, virtue and talent became divorced. In the svs»tem of education sanctioned by the Cntholio Church, an effort is continually being made to reunite -what God originally joined together, but which the wickedness of man disjoins. He goes on to say : —

"It is tlio object of the Holr See and Catholic Churoh in setting up universities fro reunite thing-* which wore in tho beginning joined together by God, and have beon put asunder by men. Some petrous will say I was thinking of confining, distorting, and stunting the growth of the intellect by ecclesiastical supervision." Mark, this is just what the ' Guardian' and other Scotch philosophers sny of Catholic school*; " but," adds Dr. Newman, "I have no such intention. I havo no such thought 1 , as if religion must give up something and science something. I wish the intellect to range with the utmost frcodom, a-t<l religion to enjoy on pqual freedom ; but what. I urn stipulating for is that they should be found in one und the same place, and exemplified bj the same persons. I wish the same spots and the same individuals to be at once oracles of philosophy aud shrines of devotion. It will not satisfy me what satisfies many, to havo two independent systems — intellectual ana religious — going on at once, side by giile, by a sort of division of labor, ond only accidentally brought together. It will not satisfy me if religion be here and science there, and young men converse with scienco all Jay, and lodge with religion only in the evening. I want the intellectunl laymnn to be religious, and the devout ecclesiastic to be intellectual."

The sentimenrs here so well and forcibly expressed by Dr Newman are the sentiments of Cutholic layman no less than tho Catholic clergy everywhere, and we will all act on them in spite of everything the enemies of the Church can say or do to prevent us. In the United Kingdom, ever since the so-called reformation, to this day, Catholic have hod the preatrst difficulties to conteu 1 ngninst in upholding school even for elementary education ; and x\s lo a " University," the thing very recently, as not been so much as named. So it is in *ew Zea land. Government here, as at home, will throw ivei'j obstacle in the way of aiding Catholic schools out of the public funds, until forced to do 90. When forced by constitutional pressure they will yield — not before. Let us, then, gather up and concentrate, and husband well our political po ye: 1 . Let us be politically drilled for the poll, ere the day of battle comes. For this purpose I would like to see a Central Catholic Association formed for the whole Colony, with corresponding committees in all large towns and populous districts.