522 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION L. 



seriously affect the teaching of history, for example, whether or not we believe 

 in a Divine Providence; if we do, it is absurd to teach history without refer- 

 ence to it. I am very likely to be told that this simply means that as the 

 Being of God is itself not something susceptible of proof we are condemned 

 for ever to unscientific methods in this respect, and, realising that, must set 

 out to be as scientific as we can. But that I desire to deny. I desire that any 

 scheme of education should state clearly whether belief in God is its governing 

 principle or not. If it is not, that system of education is in its effect atheist, 

 even though it is conducted in a school that has a chapel and compulsory 

 fervices. But we can only have clear thinking, and it is for that I am now 

 pleading, if we recognise that we must take our stand on one side or the other. 

 The question cannot be left open because it is one which, if not answered in 

 one way, answers itself in the other. If we teach history without reference 

 to Providence, we also teach that Providence does not guide history. I am 

 not exceedingly interested in the maintenance of religious instruction as some- 

 thing apart from the rest of education, as if religion could be one subject of 

 study side by side with chemistry and mathematics. Of course it can be so 

 studied, and that by an atheist as much as by a believer. The only religion 

 worth having is one that colours and governs the whole of life and thought. 

 If we wish to exclude this let us say so plainly and follow our principle scien- 

 tifically. If on the other hand we believe that the religious view is right, then 

 let us affirm that also, and teach every subject in the light of it. The only 

 religious education which is going to stand the test of an alert criticism con- 

 ducted by scientifically trained minds is not instruction given in certain 

 isolated periods, but a presentation of the whole universe of being as filled 

 with the Glory of God. 



The only way to this goal is to secure that the training colleges are filled 

 and inspired by living faith. The future teachers must learn the science of 

 the spiritual world, which is called theology, in some degree at least — no out- 

 rageous demand if all citizens are to learn something of the science of the 

 material world. They must be taught how to handle the documents at once 

 appreciatively (which means reverently) and scientifically (which means criti- 

 cally). Above all, their whole study and training must be in the atmosphere 

 of faith. The State training colleges virtually or entirely ignore all thie side of 

 things ; I fear that partly owing to the crowding of the time-table and partly 

 owing to rigidity of method the Church training colleges are in this matter far 

 from efficient. I often marvel that the champions of religious education seem 

 virtually to ignore training colleges, for it is clear that in them is the key 

 to the whole position. 



Beyond all questions, however, of method, or even of fundamental prin- 

 ciple, thei-e lies the supreme task of persuading the people of England, I will 

 not say nf Scotland, to believe in education, for it may be broadly said that 

 the English people at jjresent do not really believe in it at all. Of the three 

 great aims of the spirit — Beauty, Goodness, and Truth — that with which edu- 

 cation as organised by the State must mainly concern itself is Truth. It may, 

 so to speak, make provision for the pursuit of the other two, but its main 

 efforts must be concentrated, when once such provision is made, upon the 

 training of the intellect, or, in other words, upon the pursuit of Truth. But 

 the English people as a whole do not care about Truth. When an Englishman 

 .speaks of telling the truth he usually means saying what is in his mind quite 

 irrespective of whether it is the trutli or not. We are disposed to value know- 

 ledge only for results beyond itself, and for this reason, with the exception of 

 a perhaps almost uniquely large number of distinguished individuals, we 

 acquire as a nation singularly little knowle<lg€ either for the satisfaction of our 

 intellects or for the practical work of the "world. At the present time there 

 is indeed a kind of flutter about education, but the discussions show that it 

 has behind it very little enthu.siasm for the Truth, and it will therefore fail 

 even of its practical object, if indeed it doe.s not as may be expected die 

 down as quickly as it has sprung up. The main purpose of education may be 

 summed up in the great phrase of St. Paul : ' Whatsoever things are true, 

 whatsoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever 

 things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good 



