SCIENCE IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. 359 



gospels for its own preservation. If the conscience of its subjects 

 approve, well ; if not, the state will be cautious, but courageous also, 

 and if it is wise it will not falter." It is difficult to believe that in 

 these days of enlightenment any " intelligent person " can deliberately 

 give utterance to a sentiment like this, which is only appropriate to 

 the times of Cotton and Increase Mather. Can one fail on reading 

 such records to have rise up in his mind the vision of the wicked and 

 bloody Past ; the weary centuries of injustice, inhumanity, and woe ; 

 the ceaseless succession of robberies, tortures, and murders " for Christ's 

 sake"? Can it be that in this fair American land, "sweet land of 

 liberty," " intelligent persons " are still found who do not see the abso- 

 lute necessity, for the common freedom, that the state in its govern- 

 mental office keep wholly aloof from any attempt to inculcate religion 

 or religious doctrine by or with authority ? 



A plausible suggestion is often made to the effect that the public 

 moneys should be divided among different sects according to their 

 numbers, and used to promote sectarian teaching. This is said to be 

 fair to the tax-payer, and satisfies the desire of those who wish relig- 

 ious teaching according to their own views. But such a plan does 

 not fulfill the idea of state education. Aside from any difficulties as 

 to division of moneys, which might perhaps be overcome, such a 

 scheme would tend to prevent that very growth into organic unity 

 which it is the object to secure. It makes for separatism, prepares the 

 way for consolidation of each sect, and a struggle for supremacy be- 

 tween them. It is the interest of the state not to foster sectarianism, 

 but to eliminate it or keep it strictly subordinate to the common free- 

 dom. The young must be brought up to the understanding that their 

 prime allegiance is to the state, the community as a whole, not to any 

 denomination, church, or party. When this is accomplished, private 

 religious belief can be allowed to form itself as it may. But to divide 

 public moneys in the way proposed is really to make the state the 

 promoter of a sect, and to afford opportunity for the use of the public 

 funds for the development of a character quite inconsistent with the 

 public interests. Better have no state system of education at all, if 

 we can not have one entirely free from sectarian control. It does 

 not remove the difficulty that all sects are supposably to be treated 

 equally. Organic development is what is wanted, not the separate 

 nourishment of the different members independently. The public 

 school ought to be a common well of pure water from which all may 

 draw alike and unhindered ; and it should be kept free from anything 

 that taints or colors it so that it may not be partaken of by all. 



Protestants generally would indorse the foregoing sentiments with 

 regard to the division of public moneys among sects ; but, strangely 

 enough, they do not appear to see that their own claims give to the 

 Roman Catholics the strongest case for their demands. The former 

 are determined that the Bible shall be read in schools, with other exer- 



