ELEVATING THE PROFESSION OF THE EDUCATOR. 107 



of a sectary," which, partly from the early drenching process of its 

 administration, and partly from its sameness and insipidity, leaves in 

 maturer age scarcely any remembrance beyond the shadow of a creed. 



On the other side, the maximum of education is seldom enough to 

 exalt the soul above the mere doings of the day. Trained in what is 

 aptly called a " commercial school," the pupils leave it scarcely more 

 intelligent, and far more impure ; or those who hang their satchels 

 against the walls of a " classical academy," do they derive more use- 

 ful knowledge or less moral defilement ? or the inmates of the col- 

 leges and universities, do they learn to seek for wisdom as for hidden 

 treasure ? The same bad system of education prevails (more or less) 

 from the universities to the village school, every day augmenting the 

 overwhelming evil of a national, moral, and intellectual depravity. 



Let it be remembered that it is knowledge which has raised man 

 above the barbaric character of the savage, which has supplied him 

 with every novelty and administered to every want- If, then, even so 

 far as temporal good is concerned, the education of the Jew has done 

 so much, what might not be looked for, with no vain prophetic eye, 

 were all men educated I 



Education is the interest of individuals, of societies, and of the 

 world. Education is the strongest security of law, that moderates 

 innovation, and by an universal self-respect establishes a voluntary 

 submission to authority. 



To redeem mankind from the superstitions and grossness of error 

 Education must be elevated into a science, presiding over every other 

 species of knowledge, thereby raising the first formative principle of 

 the soul into an inclination for truth, man may regain to know God 

 aright, and represent in his intelligence and goodness the image of 

 his Maker. But the science of education, to be perfect as a whole, 

 must be perfect in its parts, otherwise it will soon decline to its old 

 corrupt and distempered state. The elevation of the duties must, 

 therefore, involve the elevation of the office ; and there can be no 

 greater argument for " the expediency of elevating the profession of 

 the educator" than the expediency of proving it.* 



* Das Bedurfniss eines solchen Blattes spricht sich durch nichts so be- 

 stimmt aus ais dadurch, dass diese Frage geschieht. « • • Wenn ein 

 Tanzraeister, ein Schauspieler, ein Sanger, ein Bereuter, ein Dilettant der 

 Mode und des Luxus der in seiner Kunst einigen Ruf hatte, ein Blatt fiir 

 die Bildung in derselben anlcundigte, kein gebildeter Mensch unserer Zeit 

 -wiirde fragen : wozu das ? Aber bei der Ankiindigung eines Blattes fur 

 Menschenbildung schwebt diese Frage auf den Jjippen von so vielen. — 



