Chastelard : "Chide me not: The Queen: Pity me that I cannot help my heart." "Heaven mend mine eye that took you for a man! His answer: "Why, there it lies torn up." She: "God help me, sir! Have you done this?" You would have thought that such as he would have made a woman of even such as she. But think it not. She is selfishness beyond all help or courage. And after fondling him she means to let be slain, and he half moaning, half singing, "For I do think You never will be loved thus in your life," she replies with his death staring at her and she could alter and will not: "It may be a man may never love me more." O Selfishness! Your name is Mary Stuart! And when he comes to die last of them all, he craves her pardon, in hearing of them all he craves, "Forgive me, Madam," to shield her against a breath of blame when wild winter winds of blame were hers in just desert, and to his fond "Forgive me, Madam," "Yea, I do, fair sir: With all my heart, in all I pardon you," and he shoulders out alone to die and the Queen still saying to Mary Beaton, "I will be his ransom if I die," and then stood by and saw him dying with his smile upon her nor even lifted up her hand, and went to be the paramour of my lord Bothwell. We cannot weep for her. We must not pray. And selfishness like this is crueller than cruel waves that swallow sinking sailors up; and ten thousand fold more tragic than the grave. ART. III. AN IMPERATIVE DEMAND IN EDUCATION THE time has fully come when thoughtful people in America will demand that the cultural value of religion be recognized. We are becoming wearied with an academic or professional training which appeals almost exclusively to the intellect or the making of money. Human life has an ideal content. That is not an education which ignores this content and the chiefest power in its development-religion. On the lowest plane of the survival of the fittest and the best, Christianity is the greatest and most influential of the world religions. Yet how large a space is given in our scheme of higher education to the history of Christianity, the world value of the specific teachings, or the effect of its transforming spirit? The time will come when the man, ignorant of the nature and influence of the largest factor in modern civilization, will feel that he is not an educated man. To illustrate: there is an imperial university in the capital of Japan. It is a chief aim of the Japanese government to make this institution do all that is possible in the Orient to acquaint its students with the genius and the civilization of the Western nations. These include those of Europe and those of European descent in America, Australia, Africa or Asia, or, to put it in the briefest and most comprehensive form, those of Christendom. For this purpose Japan encourages the brightest of its youth by thousands to seek in this place their intellectual training. For the same end she attracts thousands of students from China, as she desires to become the mediator through which Western learning and civilization shall be accepted by the Chinese. Suppose for this purpose men trained in the best schools of Europe and America are chosen to instruct these studious thousands in the humanities and in technical science. Suppose that the subjects of a modern university curriculum are thoroughly taught by the teachers of acknowledged eminence; will there then be an understanding of the life, power, ideals and future influence of this Christendom if there is to be no earnest and consistent effort to make understood Christian ethics, Christian institutions or the history of Chris tianity? Without these you have the dead body, but the animating spirit of its literature and philosophy, the genius of its peoples and of their civilization has escaped their grasp and comprehension. Until that is recalled neither the past nor the present of Christian peoples can ever be understood, nor can there be any just estimate of their future course or influence. If instead of the university at Tokyo we substitute the universities at our state capitals and in our other cities supported by the taxation of the people of our American commonwealths, the question necessarily arises, Is an education there imparted, however strong and effective in the humanities and science, in civic and professional studies, but in which there is no systematic instruction in the history of Christianity and its institutions or in Christian ethics or sociology, an education which fits for the best citizenship or for the best career and influence in the twentieth century? In any view of Christianity can an education which practically ignores these be adequate to the needs of our time? Among the facts of our life and the factors of our complex civilization can anyone say these do not play a great and often decisive part? From the standpoint of merely secular instruction is it not a grave mistake thus to ignore the Christian religion and the sources of its pervasive spirit and expanding might? If, however, these institutions of higher education are specifically called Christian, that is, if they are under the auspices and control of Christian Churches or of boards of Christian men, can that which they offer be called a Christian education if they give no opportunity to the Christian layman to know the history of the Christian Church, the endeavor and achievements of the Christian spirit? Does that Christian college or university fulfill the promise of its name which teaches concerning the political, social and municipal institutions of our country and of other nations, and has no word of illumination upon the great Christian institutions and reforms which have changed the face of human society and of the world in the last one hundred years? If, as we sorely need, we are to have the support of able and intelligent laymen in our institutional work for the establishment of the kingdom of God, these men must have the firm conviction and accurate knowledge which can only come by systematic instruction by men whose ability and learning fit them for the greatest themes. For example, why should not great Christian schools give instruction in their regular courses upon Christian missions? This country is spending each year upon Christian missions a sum equal to the revenue of one of the chief states of Europe in the era of the Reformation, or of many a minor European state in the eighteenth century. This is sure to be a progressively increasing amount. No man is fitted for our diplomacy or the larger problems of world politics who does not understand Christian missions and the issues to which they lead. In a very real sense, no man is fitted to lecture upon modern history who does not understand the part taken by Christian missions. In many academic circles Robert E. Speer's volume Missions and Modern History would bring a most helpful enlargement of the intellectual horizon. For many a student Professor Jordan's Introduction to the Study of Comparative Religions would give not only clearer vision but greater hold on the great cardinal verities of our being and our destiny. The philosophy and methods, the failure and cumulative results of Christian missions are well worth the closest study of our laity. The great sources of political and social demoralization as well as the centers of power of our civilization are found in our great cities. What nobler theme for intelligent study than the evangelization of our cities? University settlements, the work of institutional churches and of great centers of Christian work, like the Wesleyan Missions in London and Edinburg, in Birmingham and Belfast, as well as the work of the Salvation Army, are of quite as great value to the student and to the race as the development of the Roman state or the problem of municipal ownership, and both make their demands upon educated men. The work of society in dealing with delinquent classes, in the management of hospitals and of charities, in a most emphatic sense involves religious problems. These make large demands upon the time and money, but more upon the interest and knowledge of our educated laymen. Our universities should help to fit men to deal with the largest and saving factors of our city life. Most careful consideration should be given to the obligation for universal religious instruction now laid upon the evangelical Churches. We have no religious instruction in our common schools. The extension and increased efficiency of the great Sunday school movement is as important to the American people as any course in pedagogics. In this same line of associated and institutional work come the function and influence of Young Men's and Young Women's Christian Associations, and of the widespread Deaconess movement. Such a course of study of Christian institutions would have present interest and value, and be an inspiration for Christian work and character of profound and permanent significance. The larger topics of the relation of Church and State, and of the different Christian Churches to each other, and of the idea and mission of the Church, are themes worthy of the careful study of laymen. Only by such study are we prepared to meet our Roman Catholic friends on their own ground. Finally, the best illumination and instruction for the work of life cannot be given in a school which ignores Christian ethics, individual and social. No other course of instruction is more needed by the men of our generation. If such instruction should be given in our great schools and universities, one very lamentable effect of our higher education, too often observable, would be largely counteracted. Our devoted young Christian people leave our churches to attend the college or university, and return to us not seldom religiously and spiritually undeveloped, and even stunted, or indifferent. Is it any wonder, when the eager expanding intellectual life is wholly taken up with subjects of almost entirely secular import? Christianity as they have known it has been almost wholly of individual significance. They become trained to understand the great influence of associated endeavor in economics, in politics, and in society, yet their attention is not even called to the greatest institution known among men, an institution with a splendid past, a present power, and a future surpassing both the Christian Church. Of her history they have no consistent idea, nor of her associated enterprise, demanding the greatest executive ability, and yielding a harvest of beneficial results second to none of those secured by any other agencies in this generation. Give the Christian Church and her work adequate place in the education of our laity and we will have intelligent zeal and enthusi |