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

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 46, 14 March 1874, Page 13

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

The sentiments of such men as Dr Newman on anything connected with the education and liberal studies of young men in public semminaries, may possibly be regarded even by your friends — the Dunedin • Guardian ' and ' Bruce Herald,' as worthy of some little attention — vehemently as they may be opposed to everything Catholic. Dr Newman, as they are aware, was once a Protestant like themselves, and once entertained possibly as strong a prejudice against the principles of the Catholic Church as they now do. He was once the ornament of Oxford University, not merely ac a great divine and a meek and unassuming Christian, but still more as a man of extensive and varied secular -learning, and may therefore be expected to know a good deal about the proper principles on which the education of Christian youth ought to be conducted — especially in schools for higher studies. Hear, then, what he says on such a subject, ye proud Scotch philosophers and . professors, and leaders of public opinion — or would-be leaders. " 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 called ability, the perfection of our moral natures is virtue. It is our great misfortune here, and our trial, that as things are found in the world, these two are separate and independent of each other ; that where the power of intellect is, there need not be virtue ; and that where right and goodness and moral greatness are, there need not be 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 supernatural grace. By man's fall, virtue and talent became divorced. In the system of education sanctioned by the Catholic Church, an effort is continually being'made, to re-unite what God originally joined together, but which the wickedness of men disjoins. He goes on to say :—: — "It is the object of the Holy See and Catholic Church in setting up universities to re-unite things which were in the beginning joined together by God, and have been put asunder by men. Some persons will say that 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 say of Catholic schools ; but adds Dr Newman : " I have no such intention. I have no such thought as if religion must give up something and science something. I wish the intellect to range with the utmost freedom, and religion to enjoy an equal freedom j but- what lam stipulating for is, that they should be found in one and the same place, and exemplified by the same persons. I wish the same spots and the same individuals to be at once oracles of philosophy and shrines of devotion. It will not satisfy me what satisfies so many, to have two independent systems — intellectual and religious — going on at once, side by side, by a sorb of division of labor, and only accidentally brought together. It will not satisfy me if religion be here and science there, and young men converse with science all day and lodge only with religion in the evening. I want the intellectual laymen to be religious, and the devout ecclesiastic to be intellectual." The sentiments here so well and forcibly expressed by Dr Newman are the sentiments of Catholic laymen no less than the Catholic clergy everywhere, and we will all act on them in spite of everything the enemies of the church can Bay or do to prevent us. In the United Kingdom, ever since the so-called Reformation to this day, Catholics have had the greatest difficulties to contend against in upholding schools even for elementary education ; and as to a " University," the thing until very recently has not been so much as named. So it is in New Zealand. Government here, as at home, will throw every obstacle in the way of aiding Catholic schools out of the public funds, until forced to do so. When.forced by constitutional pressure, they will yield — not before. Let us then gather up and concentrate, and husband well our political power. 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 largo towns or populous districts.