網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

those whose only object is to gain a diploma. Hence the number of specialists, i.e., incomplete savants, in Germany. For medicine specialization is impossible; you cannot know a part of the science without knowing the whole. The physician must have taken a survey of the whole field, before he pursues any branch separately. The great German philosophers and savants never had any practical notions of the immediate application of scientific knowledge. Against this excess of pure science a reaction is going on in Germany, and utilitarianism is fast gaining ground. The scepter is fast passing from Germany, and it would seem as if Italy was destined to be her successor. France offers a better example than Germany for Belgium to follow. There is the Collège de France, and the Ecole des hautes études; bodies which pursue science simply without giving diplomas; while, for professional studies, there are the faculties of the University. Such bodies form a sort of normal school for higher education.

M. Tempels, the Vice-President, pointed out that the faculties into which the Belgian Universities were divided, made no provision for giving a general basis of knowledge on which all special studies should rest. Again, in his care to develop professional aptitudes, the legislator wholly neglected political education. There ought, in all Universities, to be a course of constitutional history, of international law, and of political economy. There ought, also, to be a course of the history of religions. The history of religion is, as it were, the soul of history; it shows us the main currents of the ages, and the highest aspiration of mankind; it is not inconsistent with free thought and perfect liberty of conscience. Another side of education that the Universities neglected, was the moral training of the student. Debating societies, literary clubs, musical unions, etc., would be found to promote public spirit and esprit de corps. To sum up, the duty of a University is not only to manufacture savants, but to train up citizens, and to diffuse culture among the higher classes.

M. Thomas and M. Beaussire both protested against M. Crocq's proposal to create special scientific institutions; such a divorce would be a fatal blow both to science and to professional study. The scientific colleges would be empty, and the professional training would be barren. "Found as many professorships as you like," said M. Beaussire, "the more the better, and make the different courses optional, but let them be united in one University."

Thursday, August 26.

In the first and second sections, Normal Schools was the question of the day. In the first, the debate, lively but local, would hardly interest our readers.

In the second section, the debate was less animated, but more instructive. Professor Stoy, of Jena, drew a vigorous sketch of an ideal normal school for secondary education. Two conditions he declared essential; it must have annexed to it a school in which candidates can learn their business by experiment, and be tested themselves; and it must be in a university town, or at least in some great intellectual center. But the pièce de résistance of the session was the account of the École Normale of Paris, by its director, M. Fustel de Coulanges, the worthy successor of M. Bersot.

M. de Coulanges is a firm believer in classical culture, and he helped to restore the balance against the preponderating weight of the scientists. "If I am asked, he said, what courses of pedagogy we have in our École Normale, I must answer, none. Our pedagogy consists in making our pupils study everything thoroughly. History, for example, is studied only in the original sources. We put the documents, chronicles, treatises, etc., into their hands, and tell

them to digest, analyze, compare, and sum up. Experience has proved that this course of study produces the best professors. After a trial of a fortnight, which is almost nominal, during which the candidate attends a selected school, takes classes, and receives hints from the director, he enters on his functions at once. The signal successes are numerous, the failures comparatively rare. The other method was tried and deliberately abandoned. In 1853, every professor had to undergo a probation of two years in some school, but it was found that the best men were irked by this position of professeurs fainéants, and either threw up their appointments or wearied of their work before they had begun. The weak point of our professors is not inexperience and want of tact, but ennui. The younger the teacher the better. As to the question of internats versus externats, I am strongly in favor of the former. A common life not only promotes professional feeling, but is in itself a liberal education."

To Mr. Browning, who has insisted on the triple necessity for a teacher of knowing the history of education, psychology, and the practical art of discipline, and who has given us an account of what has been done to meet these needs by the Teachers' Syndicate at Cambridge, "I would reply that with us the history of education is included in the general study of history; psychology forms one of the courses of the École Normale; and as to discipline, a failure in that respect with our pupils is a very rare occurrence. After all, the best preparation for a teacher is a thorough knowledge of the subjects he has to teach, and an enthusiasm for truth and goodness (aimer le vrai et le bien).”

Professor Pisko, of Vienna, gave an interesting account of the normal schools of Austria. For primary schools, the training of masters is much the same as in France. For secondary schools, the candidates follow a three years' course at the University, and after their final examination, which includes pedagogy, are sent as Probe Candidaten to schools selected by the government inspectors, in order to follow the lessons of professors who have gained a reputation in any branch of teaching.

Friday, August 27.

In the first section, a debate on Memory was not very fruitful in practical help for the teacher.

In the second section, the question proposed was, “Ought the curriculum of secondary education to correspond to the special higher studies that the pupil intends to pursue; or ought it to aim at giving a general culture to serve as the common basis and preparation for all special studies?" Actually the question was narrowed to the old quarrel between the Scientists and the Humanists. M. Wagener, Administrative Inspector of the University of Ghent, found a solution of the question, not in any modification of programmes, but in extending the years of study. A German devoted nine years to secondary education, a Belgian only six. He was the last to depreciate the value of modern languages, and had himself advocated their introduction in Belgium as part of the first stage of secondary education. At the same time, he was convinced that they would never take the place of a study of antiquity. In a recent tour through Germany, he had taken pains to gather the opinions of all the most distinguished scientific men, and had found that, with few exceptions, they were in favor of retaining the study of ancient languages.

Mr. Oscar Browning thought the attempt to formulate a universal system of education chimerical. His ideal was the Port Royal system, in which there was no general programme, but the personal influence of the master was brought to bear on a small number of pupils. Herbert Spencer went even farther than

[ocr errors]

Dante

He did

this, and, in a private conversation with Mr. Browning, had maintained that schools were an excrescence and an impertinence, the only real education being that gained by life and experience. Without endorsing his illustrious friend's opinion, he quoted it as a protest against exclusiveness and excessive systematization. The education of the middle ages had had bare justice dealt it. alone is proof that it was sufficient to develop all the faculties of man. wish, indeed, stare super antiquas vias, or to put new wine into old bottles. Science is the characteristic of our age, and scientific discoveries are preparing a new renaissance, just as the renaissance of the 15th century was wrought by the recovery of ancient literature. But we should never forget that our civilization is the resultant of Hellenism and Hebraism, and we cannot afford to neglect either force. We cannot, indeed, hope to pursue both pari passu: the encyclopædic education of the middle ages is no longer possible. But both may be pursued separately. We may pursue science without neglecting classics. Our danger is, not an excess of science, but idleness and ignorance. In any case let us not sacrifice Hellenism, one of the two bases of our civilization.

Saturday, August 28.

The first section, A., was unanimous in favor of gratuitous instruction, the only question raised being, whether it should extend, as in Switzerland, to secondary and higher education.

In the first section, B., M. Sluys expounded the theory and practice of excur sions scolaires, of which some account has already been given.

M. Sluys called the attention of the section to the curious fact that corporal punishment still existed in certain civilized countries, such as Saxony and England, a survival like suttee and cannibalism. In his model school there were no prizes, and no punishment, except dismissal from the class. If a boy was idle, or played the fool, he simply said to him, Allez vous promener. Extra lessons were only one degree less barbarous than castigation; they made work a punishment. Discipline must rest, not on the personal superiority of the master, but on the idea of law, an idea that cannot be too early impressed on children: "This is the law of the school to which you and I are equally bound." Miss Archer gave a most interesting account of the Victoria Lyceum, an institution founded by her at Berlin, with the assistance of the Crown Princess, in order to continue and supplement the defective education of grown-up women. The idea was suggested by the constant complaints she heard from mothers, that they felt out of rapport with their educated daughters, who lived in a world from which they were shut out by reason of their ignorance, an ignorance which seemed to them past cure. Last year the conferences and classes of the Victoria Lyceum had been attended by more than 7,000 ladies.

Official Publications.

[The Preliminary Reports, forwarded to the Secretary of the General Committee, in response to assignments by the Executive Committee, were submitted to the Congress, in a well printed volume of 982 pages, octavo. Of the Rapports Preliminaries, in the Section of Primary Instruction, devoted to the Kindergar ten, we shall publish those by Jules Guilliaume, of Brussels; Mr. Fischer, President of the Vienna Froebel Society; M. Sluys, Director of Model School of Belgian League; Madame de Portugall, Inspectress of Infant Schools in Canton Geneva, and Miss Caroline Progler, Directress of Special Course for Kindergartners in Geneva.-Ed. American Jourual of Education.]

A FAITHFUL MINISTRY AND SCHOOLS OF LEARNING.

A Sermon preached the Day after Commencement, by CHARLES CHAUNCEY, B.D.,
President of Harvard College in New England, 1665.1

AMOS, II, 2. AND I RAISED UP OF YOUR SONS FOR PROPHETS, AND OF YOUR YOUNG MEN FOR NAZARITES, IS IT NOT SO, O YE

CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAITH THE LORD?

THE Spirit of God by the Prophet Amos seems to aggravate the sins of Judah and Israel, mentioned from verses 4-9, by calling to remembrance the mercies bestowed upon them. And four mercies especially are here mentioned: 1. The destruction of the Amorites before them (under whom are comprehended all the Canaanites), which mercy is amplified in two ways: (1). By the mighty stature and strength of this people (that their height was like the height of cedar, and he was strong as the oaks); (2). by their utter destruction (yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath); we gather the fruit of trees many times, yet the tree stands many a year and bears new fruits, so the Lord doth impoverish a people, and suffer all their cattle and substance to be taken away, or plundered by their enemies, which do afterwards recover themselves and flourish again, but when a tree is rooted up, there is no more hope of it: thus did the Lord pluck up the Amorites by the roots, notwithstanding their cedar-like tallness, and strength as heart of oak. This is the first mercy mentioned.

2. The Lord telleth them of their deliverance out of Egypt, verse 10, which the Lord often insists upon. 3. Of their safe conduct through the wilderness forty years together, and these were three great blessings, yet they were but temporal; but the next and last passeth all the rest, and is spiritual. 4. I raised up of your sons, &c.; this is that blessing that is now to be spoken of.

There are two general parts of the text: 1. A description of the spiritual benefit bestowed, in the first words [I raised up of your sons, etc.]. 2. A testification that such a benefit was bestowed in the last words [is it not so, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord?]. In the description we may note: (1.) The cause and author of this benefit [the Lord]. (2.) The manner of working [I raised up]. (3.) The benefit and effect itself [Prophets and Nazarites] amplified by the persons that were so raised up [your sons and your young men].

2. For the testification it is set down in the form of a question; wherein note: (1.) Who makes the question? [The Lord]. (2.) The persons to whom the question is made? [the people of Israel]. (3.) The intent and meaning of the question, which is a strong and vehement asseveration, for the meaning of [is it not so] is, that it is certainly so.

Now to open the meaning of the words. And I] that destroyed the Amorites, etc., was the selfsame person and power that raised up these prophets among you. Raised up] word for word; I made them to arise; I made

Annotations 1-18 at the end.

prophets to arise from among your sons; or, I made them to be such. In this sense the word is used: Deut. 34, x, there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses; and (among them that were of women, there arose not a greater than John the Baptist.) so then here I raised up, viz.: I made them to be prophets; I raised them out of low condition as if I had raised them out of the dust. I have raised up of your sons], or from among your sons, that is, some of your sons (saith Mercer). If they were prophets, though strangers, it were no small mercy, but to raise them up from among your sons, such as came forth out of your own loins (as Samuel and Jere miah were), this far exceeds the other.

2

[ocr errors]

For prophets, not only do foretell things to come, but faithfully teach and instruct you, for there were two sorts of the prophets in these times of the Old Testament: 1. Such as were taught in schools (as Samuel), under the discipline of other prophets; such were usually called the sons of the prophets,' 2 Kings, 4, 1 and 6, 1. This may appear by comparing together 2 Kings, 2, 12, and verse 3, of the same chapter, verse 12, Elisha said, my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof. Elijah was not Elisha's natural father, for it is said, verse 3, Elijah was Elisha's master, and so he was indeed; he taught him and instructed him, therefore the sons of prophets were such as were trained up under the prophets in good literature, and so fitted for the office of a prophet afterwards. 2. Others had their calling immediately from God, and were by Him extraordinarily inspired with gifts from above, as Amos, 7, 14, 15. Amos saith: I was not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but I was an herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit: that is, I was not trained up in any of the schools of the prophets, but I had another calling, until the Lord was pleased to advance me to the office and dignity of a prophet, and verse 15: He took me as I followed the flock, and said, Prophesy to my people Israel. Both these sorts of prophets may be understood here, both such as had their education in the schools of the prophets and such as were called immedi ately, and extraordinarily inspired. God was the raiser up of them both, for human instruction is not sufficient to make any man to be a prophet. Yea, and no less power of God and grace is requisite to raise up your sons to be prophets, whatsoever their education is, than where he doth inspire others immediately and extraordinarily, therefore, where extraordinary means is wanting, the goodness of God in blessing ordinary means must not be forgotten. [Of your young men.] It is spoken of young men emphatically, for it is a mighty change that young men that are addicted to their pleasures and lusts, that now they should be so changed as to preach Christ and to favor heavenly things, and to be set apart to God. [To be Nazarites.] The Nazarites were separati (saith Mercer), men separated from vulgar delights, that they might apply themselves and their study to the word of God and His worship. Some apply that which is spoken of our Saviour Christ: Math. 2, He shall be called a Nazarene, to have some reference to this vow of a Nazarite, but, no doubt, that place hath respect merely to the city Nazareth, which is derived of Natzar, that signifies to keep, and not of Nazar that signifies to separate.

So the Nazarites were separated from the vulgar sort of men to a strict course of life. The law of them is set down, Num. 6, which ye may read

« 上一頁繼續 »