102 PERILS.— KELTGIOX AiTD THE PL'BLIC SCHOOLS. 



the immortality of man and man's accountability. 

 These doctrines are held in common by all Protestants, 

 Catholics and Jews. There are comparatively few in 

 this country who do not hold them ; and the children of 

 these few should be taught these fundamental truths 

 of religion, not because agnostics are in the minority, 

 for questions of conscience can be settled neither by 

 majorities nor by authority, but because the necessities 

 of the State are above individual rights. The State, 

 when its necessities require, does not hesitate to draft 

 into the army a citizen who has conscientious scruples 

 against war. The government, utterly disregarding 

 individual conscience, inclinations and rights, forces 

 him away from his occupation and famil}^ and exposes 

 him to injury and death. 



The question is not, as some would seem to think, 

 whether religion has a right to be taught in the public 

 schools, but whether the government has a right to teach 

 it. That right is beyond question, if the necessities of 

 the State require. Let us look at this more closely. 



"If there is any incontestable maxim on the rights of 

 nations, it is that laid down by the illustrious Bossuol, 

 in his defense of the declaration of the clergy of France, 

 in 1682, that all sovereign power is sufficient to itself, 

 and is provided by God with all the power that is neces- 

 sary for its own preservation." ^ Self-preservation is 

 the first law of states as of individuals. If the State has 

 the right to exist, manifestly it has the right to do or 

 require whatever is necessarj^ to perpetuate its existence. 

 To refuse this right to the State is to attack its life. As 

 Shj^lock said : — 



" You take my house, when you do take the prop 

 That doth sustain my house ; you take my life 

 When you do take the means whereby I Hve." 



No one will deny that popular intelligence is essential 

 to successful popular government ; and poj^ular morality 



1 A GHmpse of the Great Secret Society, p. 43. 



