THE REV. FATHER CUMMINS ON DUCATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 137, 17 December 1875, Page 8

THE REV. FATHER CUMMINS ON DUCATION.

+4 "We take the following extract from a long and able letter by Father Cummiugs to the Weekly 'Argus :'— Sir, — As you have taken tlie liberty of placing my name before the public in a false light, you may now be disposed to do me the justice of inserting my views on the matter. In the first place I, Father Cummins, di i not recommend my people in Church to vote foi Mi*. Newton, for you, or any body else, and I should be sorry to recommend any of those before the public from that hallowed spot on any political matter. I distinctly stated " that I believed priests ought not to interfere in such matters further than to instruct their people in matters of conscience, and this done, the responsibility rested with the individual so instructed. I would discharge my duty, and therefore place before them very plainly the Catholic view, yea more, the only true Christian view of the question of Education, which with us must be a question of vital importance in consequence of the bigotry and hostile spirit of some of the Boards of Education. Here Father Cummins speaks of the condition of children generally in this country, at length, and of the various kinds of school systems. He then goes on to say — I object to the purely secular or Godless, because it is supposing that education and religion can be separated, because it is pretending that a society can be established and served or preserved "without religion. Horace did not think so. He asks " Quid sine legi moribns prvficiimt /" Nor Plato, when he asserts that ignorance of God is the greatest scourge for any country, and the one most to be feared ; nor Plutarch, who asserts that it would be easier to build a city iv the sky than to found a state without religion. Nor Montesquieu, who says that irreligiou hastens the decadence and downfall of an empire. No legislator of any note ever tried to found a society without religion. Not Solon, in Athens, nor Lycurgus in Laccdeinonia, nor Nivma Pompilius in Eome, nor any other great legislator of student or modern times. On this point philosophers, statesmen, orators, and poet.s agree The great work of education, says Milton, is to repair the fall by learning to know OJ-od aright ; Locke declares that a literary without a virtuous education is rather an evil than a benefit ; Washington says " of all dispositions and habits which lead to public prosperity, religion and morality are indispensible supports ;" Portales, Minister of instruction under Napoleon I, declared openly to the Assembly the conviction of his experience — " There is," he says, "no instruction without education, and. no proper education without morality and dogma ;" and the great secret of the Christian life and spirit is given us by St. Paul, " whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, do all for the glory of God 5" therefore why not study and learn for God from a sense of duty and justice to God, to parents and to teachers — how do so without religion ? Therefore, I object to irreligious, godless, teaching, because it is the bane of society, and every Government advocating it, stultifies itself, and casts the germ of revolution, anarchy, and oppression — might assumes there the s place of right. Again I object to it in these countries because it is illiberal and unjust ; the Government here represents a population of which the great majority, Catholic or Protestants, profess religious belief; with what political consistency can it therefore ignore that faith, or refuse to admit il in practice, rather granting a monopoly to those (Duncditiites, if ;uiy) who prefer that their children should be educated without religion. What is it then that we require ? Let those seeking votes hear it, and then they may know truly the one / will recommend in Church. The man who will bo in favor of and propose — Ist. Thai in centres, where two or more schools do or can exist, the Government should afford assistance to all well conducted schools that give a certain amount of secular instruction to the satisfaction of Government Inspectors (one of each creed to judge ail), the Government not in any way to interfere in the religious instruction given in schools. 2nd. Thai in countiy or unpopulated districts where there can be only one school, that no religious instruction be permitted there during school hours ; that no children be permitted to religious instruction not their own without a written request of parents or guardians ; and that no books, sectarian or historically false or biased, be adopted in such schools. This plan will meet the views* of all, and wo ask the same rights ior all, Catholic or Protestant. Where is the difficulty to adopt such a system thai will help the State, establibh a hoalthy emulation, and educate and Christianise all classes ? If there are Boards, let each denomination have an equal number of representatives, and lei each have a right to clout their own representatives. M. S. Ciiwraixd.