salary paid these professors being $1,450. This means that only about one-fourth of all our Presbyterian educational institutions of high grade have any adequate provision for instruction in the Word of God."

The Presbyterian Board of Education is making vigorous effort to remedy this situation by endowment of chairs for the teaching of the English Bible in all of the Presbyterian colleges. The United Presbyterians are making a similar effort, and in that connection the following statement is made editorially in "The United Presbyterian" of April 16, 1914:

"Biblical instruction should be on a par with that in any other department. Under present conditions this is impossible, for the work usually devolves upon presidents who are already heavily burdened with administrative details. The professor of Biblical instruction should be a scholar, with pedagogical instincts, with spiritual attainments, with propressive ideals, with a genuine love for young people. He should also possess the power that is distinctly personal, for college students are often greatly in need of counsel from one whom they know to be a friend. Young men and young women in our institutions sometimes make wrong choices and become involved in lifelong tragedies because of the lack of spiritual inspiration and leadership which might be amply supplied by the right sort of man who is specially devoted to their spiritual interests."

THE BIBLE IN STATE UNIVERSITIES.

While the condition in denominational colleges generally is far from satisfactory, and should call for the admonition of the generous Christian supporters of these institutions, the condition in State universities is much worse. The reports from these universities, both from the faculty and visitors, and our own observations, show that usually the only provision made for religious education is the Y. M. C. A. When a State university slurs religion by omitting "chapel exercises," or holds them only once or twice a week in a hurried fashion, then less than half of the church members who come to the university ally themselves with the Y. M. C. A., and a still smaller number join its Bible classes. Religious activity is regarded in many universities as "bad form," and secret societies take the place of the church.

In some of these State universities, one or two denominations maintain college pastors who mitigate somewhat the anti-religious tendency of the college community, but manifestly the 150 denominations of this country cannot maintain at all the universities a special pastor to give to students the religious education which they ought to get, in part at least, from the institutions themselves.

Since then the Bible study in colleges has increased slightly, but Bible classes in nearly all instances still reach only a minority of students, and the only way that the Bible can be brought to bear as an intellectual, ethical and religious force upon all the students is by impressive reading of appropriate selections at college chapel. At the University of Pennsylvania, where chapel services have been held in many years past only on Sunday, with an attendance of about 400 from its thousands of students, and none of the faculty in attendance except the Provost, the students have discovered a law requiring chapel services during the week and have themselves demanded and secured the observances of this rule. The movement to make chapel attendance voluntary, which has gained such headway, is manifestly based on the fallacy that as no should be compelled to pray, not even minors should be required to hear the Bible read as a part of their education.

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Bible exercises should be dignified in the curiculum as a full "period" of moral and religious instruction, and should be given as much care, and credited as fully as any other study. The Bible should also be the chief text-book in ethics and in literature.

The International Reform Bureau will cooperate with other forces to get such a law passed by every State as those of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania requiring that the Bible shall be read daily in all public schools; and when State does not act, the Bureau will aid in getting a local ordinance of the school board to the same effect, such as are in force in New York City and Washington City. As a purely voluntary matter it seeks to aid teachers to find the most appropriate selections for the young by five lists of "Bible Selections," which together include the passages in both Testaments that seem to it psychologically suitable for reading to and by pupils and students, no passages being omitted at the instance of any sect, and all vital teachings of the Scriptures being included somewhere in the series.

In connection with the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 there was a World Parliament of Religions in which there were represented not only all denominations of Christians, Catholic and non-Catholic, but also the Hebrews and the great Asiatic religions of the Buddhists, Hindus, Mohammedans and others. Each morning the exercises were begun by the repetition in concert of the Pater Noster: "Our Father who art in Heaven." Cardinal Gibbons led the first day, and Archbishop Keane, another Roman Catholic, on the sixth day. On the second day, President J. H. Barrows led, and on the third day Protap Chunder Mozoomdar, of India. On the thirteenth day Rabbi Hirsch of Chicago presided, and the exercises were opened on that day, as on the others, the record shows, by repeating the Pater Noster. In his opening address Rabbi Hirsch, referring to this prayer, which the Parliament had adopted as the universal prayer suitable for all who believe in a Supreme Being, said: "Can an unforgiving heart say, 'forgive as we forgive?' Can one ask for daily bread when he refuses to break his bread with the hungry? Did not the prayer of the Great Master of Nazareth thus teach all men and all ages that prayer must be the striving to love?"

We recommend as atlases that fix geographical outlines in memory, Littlefield's two atlases published by the Sunday School Commission Supply Department, 78 Fifth Avenue, New York City, at 20 cents and 25 cents respectively. The first named book is made up of outlines which enable the pupil to complete each map and so fix it more thoroughly in memory.

We also recommend as interesting sidelights on the histories of the Bible, "Descriptive Charts of Ancient Monuments," edited by

Rabbi S. N. Deinard, Ph.D., of Minneapolis, which give pictures and descriptions of the Rosetta Stone, the Moabite Stone, and other ancient historical monuments, which at once confirm and illustrate the history of the Bible. They can be obtained directly from the Rabbi at a nominal price.

President Charles Blanchard, Wheaton, Ill.: "I, of course, would prefer that the whole Bible should be read. I understand, however, the objections which are made to portions of it and so I am, on the whole, favorable to a book of selections, not because it is necessary, if the treatment is fair, but because the treatment is not fair."

Rev. W. F. McCauley, McKeesport, Pa.: "If the Bible itself is placed in the schools, there ought to be no objection to suggestive lists of passages for the guidance of teachers in the systematic use of the material-not limiting the teachers to the use of those passages, nor requiring that they all be used-at the same time leaving out nothing from the lists at the behest of any sect, and omitting nothing vital to the Scriptures."

Mr. Nolan R. Best, in one of his great weekly editorials on the first page of "The Continent" (October 8, 1914), says on "School Quarantine against Religion": "The attitude in which Protestants and Catholics have both stood on this subject would be discreditable enough if their jealousy of one another was well grounded-if the opening of the schools to moral instruction would really contribute to sectarian proselyting. But the truth is that there is not and never has been any such danger. What does experience show? In the penitentiaries all names of Christians go freely to speak to the prisoners personally of the welfare of their souls. Each institution has a clerical chaplain also-sometimes Protestant, sometimes Roman. Is there any complaint under such conditions that anybody proselytes? Not the slightest. On the contrary, every Protestant minister who speeks concerning religion to a group of convicts is scrupulously careful to avoid anything that could offend any prisoner brought up in a Catholic home. And Catholic priests, with the rarest exceptions, are equally at pains not to affront the sons of Protestant families. Actual trial of it thus demonstrates that when different churches are put to public duty in places where other churches have equal rights, the common honor of gentlemen eliminates all offense. With instinctive consent all of them hold honorably within those fundamental elements of religion which are equally acknowledged by all factions, sects and denominations. So would they if the public schools were open to religious influence,"

Examples of State laws on Bible reading in schools.

Massachusetts.-"The school committee shall require the daily reading in the public schools of some portion of the Bible, without written note or oral comment."

New Jersey. "It shall not be lawful for any teacher, trustee or trustees to introduce into or have performed in any school receiving its proportion of the public money, any religious service, ceremony, or forms whatsoever, except reading the Bible and repeating the Lord's Prayer."

Georgia.-"The County Board of Education shall prescribe from time to time what textbooks and books of reference shall be used in the common schools of the county: provided the Bible shall not be excluded from the common or public schools of the State."

Indiana. "The Bible shall not be excluded from the public schools of the State."

Iowa.-"The Bible shall not be excluded from any school or institution of this State, nor shall any pupil be required to read it contrary to the wishes of his parent or guardian."

North Dakota.-"The Bible shall not be deemed a sectarian book. It shall not be excluded from any public school."

South Dakota. "No sectarian doctrine shall be taught or inculcated in any of the schools of the corporation; but the Bible, without any sectarian comment, may be read therein." [Under this wise permission for unsectarian explanations of Bible lessons a text-book of morals, based in large part on the Bible, is published by the State educational board.]

[The new law of Pennsylvania is unique because it is the only one recently enacted that makes Bible reading compulsory, and especially because it was enacted without any strong opposition. It might be improved by borrowing one word from the otherwise inferior law of South Dakota, prohibiting, not all comment, but "sectarian comment," and we would prefer to have the usual conscience clause added, allowing parents, upon written request, to withdraw their children from the Bible reading, although a strong argument might be made for requiring the attendance of all children on the ground that moral education is essential to good citizenship. In the present state of public opinion, however, we think the conscience clause is desirable.]

"Laws of Pennsylvania, Session 1913. No. 159, Page 226.

"An Act regulating the reading of the Holy Bible in the public schools of this Commonwealth. Whereas, The rules and regulations governing the reading of the Holy Bible in the public schools of this Commonwealth are

not uniform; and Whereas, It is in the interest of good moral training, of a life of honorable thought and of good citizenship, that the public school children should have lessons of morality brought to their attention during their school-days; therefore, Be it enacted, etc., That at least ten verses from the Holy Bible shall be read, or caused to be read, without comment, at the opening of each and every public school, upon each and every school-day by the teacher in charge: Provided, That where any teacher has other teachers under and subject to direction, then the teacher exercising this authority shall read the Holy Bible, or cause it to be read, as herein directed. Section 2. That if any school teacher, whose duty it shall be to read the Holy Bible, or cause it to be read, as directed in this act, shall fail or omit so to do, said school teacher shall, upon charges preferred for such failure or omission, and proof of the same, before the governing board of the school district, be discharged. Approved May 20, 1913."

We cite here as the only State law we have found in any civilized Commonwealth that forbids unsectarian "religious exercises" in school hours, the law of Arizona, but even that law would not bar out the reading of the Bible as history or as poetry or as ethics.

Arizona School Law, Par. 2808, Page 62. "Any teacher who shall use any sectarian or denominational books, or teach any sectarian doctrine, or conduct any religious exercises in his school, *** shall be deemed guilty of unprofessional conduct, and it shall be the duty of the proper authority to revoke his certificate or diploma."

An interesting fact in connection with the Arizona law is that because of the prohibition put upon teachers forbidding "religious exercises," the children in one of the schools undertook themselves to manage the chapel exercises through a society which they organized for the purpose on their own motion. The boy president takes the chair at 8.45, fifteen minutes before the hour for opening the school, and reads the Bible, calls on the teacher to lead in prayer, and then announces hymns for all to sing during the remainder of the time up to nine o'clock. Certainly a superintendent of schools would be going far beyond his duty who should interfere with such a use of school-houses out of school hours in these times when "a larger use of school buildings" is one of the popular movements of the nation. The Superintendents of Schools in New York State expressly rule that when objection is made to the reading of the Bible in school time, it is permissible to hold devotional exercises for those who care to attend just before the hour of be

ginning school or immediately after the hour appointed for closing.

We suggest, as a law suitable for every Commonwealth in the world in the twentieth century, the following:

Be it enacted, etc., That a portion of the Bible shall be read daily, without sectarian comment, in every educational institution supported, wholly or partly, from public funds. On written request of a parent, a pupil may be excused from the Bible reading.

Extracts from favorable court decisions and opinions.

I.

EXAMPLES OF FAVORABLE DECISIONS OF STATE SUPREME COURTS.

Massachusetts, 12 Allen, 127: "The school committee of a town may lawfully pass an order that the schools thereof shall be opened each morning with reading from the Bible and prayer, and that during the prayer each scholar shall bow the head, unless his parents request that he shall be excused from doing so; and may lawfully exclude from the school a scholar who refuses to comply with such order, and whose parents refuse to request that he shall be excused from doing so. more appropriate method could be adopted of keeping in mind of both teachers and scholars that one of the chief objects of education, as declared by the statutes of this commonwealth, and which teachers are especially enjoined to carry into effect, is 'to impress on the minds of children and youth committed to their care and instruction the principles of piety and justice and a sacred regard for truth.''

No

Michigan, Dec. 6, 1898, on complaint against use of Chicago book of "Bible Readings" in Detroit: "The words 'teacher of religion' in sec. 39 of article 4 of the Constitution providing that the Legislature shall pass no law to prevent any person from worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of his own conscience, or compel any person to pay tithes, taxes or other rates for the support of any minister of the gospel or teacher of religion,' must be construed as synonymous with 'minister,' and as so construed the use of the Bible in the public schools is not prohibited by this section of the Constitution. The reading from a book made up of extracts from the Bible in the public schools at which reading pupils whose faith or scruples are shocked by hearing the passages read are not required to attend, does not constitute the teacher a teacher of religion or amount to a restriction of civil or political rights or privileges of such students as do not attend upon the exercises."

Maine, 38 Maine, 398: "The common schools are not for the purpose of instruction in the theological doctrines of any religion or of any sect. The State regards no one sect as superior to any other, and no theological views as peculiarly entitled to precedence. It is no part of the duty of the instructor to give theological instruction-and if the peculiar tenet of any particular sect were so taught it would furnish a well grounded cause of complaint on the part of those who entertained_different or opposing religious sentiments. But the instruction here given is not in fact, and is not alleged to have been, in articles of faith. No theological doctrines were taught. The creed of no sect was affirmed or denied. The truth or falsehood of the book in which the scholars are required to read was not asserted. No interference by way of instruction with the views of the scholars, whether derived from parental or sacerdotal authority, is shown. The Bible was used merely as a book in which instruction in reading was given. But reading the Bible is no more an interference with religious belief than would reading the mythology of Greece or Rome be regarded as interfering with religious belief or affirming the pagan creeds."

Iowa, 64 Iowa, 367; 52 Am. Rep., 444: "The plaintiff's contention was that by the use of the school-house as a place for reading the Bible, repeating the Lord's Prayer and singing religious songs, it was made a place of worship; that his children were compelled to attend a place of worship and he as a taxpayer was compelled to aid in building and repairing a place of worship. The court held that the statute did not have any of the effects claimed by the plaintiff.

Kansas, Apr. 8, 1904: "A public school teacher who, for the purpose of quieting the pupils and preparing them for their regular studies, repeats the Lord's Prayer and the Twenty-third Psalm as a morning exercise, without comment or remark, in which none of the pupils are required to participate, is not conducting a form of religious worship or teaching sectarian or religious doctrine.”

Ohio, 23 Ohio St., 211: "The only question presented or decided was whether the school board might not prohibit the reading of the Bible in the public schools. It was held that they could; that nothing in the laws of that State made it compulsory upon the boards or teachers to use the Bible as a text-book."

Kentucky, May 31, 1905: "If under the guise of public instruction, children should be required to attend schools where worship of God was compulsory, it would seem to be