RELIGION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The question of religion in the public schools, which has been disturbing England of late, and with which France is wrestling, is also agitating Germany. In all these countries it is a church-and-state question of a bitter character. In England it is the government and the state church (Episcopal) against all dissenters from the state religion. In France and Germany it is a controversy between the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and the civil governments. In the German state of Prussia important concessions have been made, which encourage the Catholics to work and hope for more. According to a resolution recently adopted by the Prussian Diet, elementary schools, as a rule, are to be either of the Lutheran (or state) Church or of the Roman Catholic Church. In either case the teachers and pupils are to be of the same creed. Only in case of practicable size, may other religious bodies claim the establishment of a school of their own religious profession. In most localities this will shut out all others. For the supervision of elementary education, school boards are to be established on which the state church and Roman Catholics will be represented. This is essentially the same measure that was introduced twelve years ago, and which was so bitterly opposed by the National Liberals. But parties have so changed from that this proposition now has the support of the Liberals, together with the Conservatives and Clericals, as against the Radicals and Socialists. This is a decided victory for Rome, altho it is openly admitted that it is only an “instalment” of what is wanted and of what she expects to secure in time. What Rome is apparently losing (temporarily, of course) in France, she is gaining in Germany. She is not specially discouraged with the controversy in France, for the French people are Catholic, and there is before her the prestige of the reaction from the Revolution of 1798. And her gain in Germany during the last fifteen or twenty years, in overcoming the bitter Bismarckian opposition, with its Protestant and military and political backing, is evidence that the opposition of a Catholic country will eventually yield and humbly submit. Rome’s temporary deadly wound is fast healing, and her short career as a dominating world power, predicted in prophecy, is not far ahead. See Rev. 13: 1-10; 17: 12-18.