was not all. The editors taught the pupils to thank God for having made them happy English children. Here is a morsel of a hymn that used to be sung in school:

"I thank the goodness and the grace

That on my birth have smiled,

And made me in these Christian days.

A happy English child!”

The following is the number of pupils attending the National Schools, December 31st, 1876, and the religious denominations:

In the mixed schools where the teachers are Protestant the percentage of pupils is more than 50 per cent. Protestant, and, in Ulster the percentage is 107 per cent.

Now, if precautions against proselytism had to be made we would expect that in the Catholic districts they would be in behalf of the Protestant children, and in Ulster in behalf of the Catholic. Let us see. The old rule was that children should be obliged not to remain, if of a different creed from the religious instructor. This rule was twisted so as to mean that the teacher could not oblige them to remain. A very wide difference. In the first case the teacher was obliged to remove the pupils when of a different creed; in the second case he was not; the children might remain without the consent of parents or pastor. The schools were managed strictly according to the old rule in the Catholic districts; but in Ulster, the Protestant pale, the second rule was enforced. Protestant landlord influence was brought to bear on the schools, and parents. were often afraid to oppose it. All this is matter of record. It was not denied; it was openly avowed. Hence the "National System" called forth remonstrance from an early day. It was assailed in the press, Parliament was petitioned, and the bishops laid the matter before Rome. All this in time had its effect. Rome declared in favor of denominational schools, but pronounced no final judgment on the National System. Various modifications have been introduced, so that if all danger be not prevented it is greatly lessened. The board of commissioners are now twenty, one-half of whom are Catholics. Parochial school property is not vested in the board, but in the parochial managers, and we learn from the papers that the Irish language is now taught in them. The

Synod of Maynooth, held in 1875, laid down these statutes, which are to be strictly observed by all pastors: 1. Books containing aught repugnant to faith or morals are to be absolutely rejected. 2. No book treating of faith or morals to be introduced unless first approved by the Ordinary. 3. Bishops and parish priests to provide in each parish a sufficient number of schools. 4. That they, in co-operation with the laity, constantly urge on the government to grant more equitable conditions with regard to these schools. 5. As far as possible that school property be vested in trustees, to wit, the bishop, the parish priest, and one or more persons approved by the bishop. 6. The parish priest in person or by his vicar should visit at least every week the National Schools, attended by the Catholic children of his parish, and see that the teachers properly discharge their duties; and also give religious instruction and make an entry in the register kept for the purpose. To neglect this duty during four successive weeks renders the priest liable to severe censure by the Ordinary. It is furthermore enjoined on pastors not to solicit aid from the board to erect schools without the consent of the bishop, nor to transfer the title of schools already erected to the Commissioners. These precautions were deemed essential to prevent abuse and guard the rights of Catholic parents and children. But the government has the right to inspect these schools.

We have seen that there are a million pupils attending the National Schools, 79 per cent. of whom are Catholics. But we are not to suppose that these are the only Catholic children receiving primary education. In nearly all towns of any importance there are schools for girls conducted by the Sisters, and for boys by the Christian Brothers. It is a well-established fact, that personal devotion and Christian charity can and do what salaried officers never

Our hospitals and schools prove this. The schools of the Brothers are thronged, the best order and cleanliness prevail, the schoolbooks are equal and in many respects superior to the government ones. They give the elements of reading, writing, and arithmetic; and they are not ashamed to recall the saints and heroes, "the cloud of witnesses," to the pride and glory of Ireland.

It is almost within the memory of men still living when Catholic colleges for intermediate education could be opened. They were generally on an unpretending scale, as the people were just beginning to repair their own fortunes. Yet some, such as Carlow, Thurles, and Kilkenny presented an imposing front. But they could not compete with the endowed Protestant colleges. The author of a book, who signs himself an Ulsterman, remarks that in the early stages of their college course the Protestant students outnumber Catholics; but after fifteen years and upwards the Catholics were far in the

majority. How was this? The Protestant had passed to the University, but the Catholic had to continue in his college to receive all the education he was ever to receive, for there was no University for him.

Over thirty years ago the Queen's Colleges were erected, now clothed with the powers of a University. But as they are based on the secular system, neutrality in religion, they were condemned by Rome. Some are surprised at this; but can religion ever be a neutral question? Religion is a science, and has its prime principles from which deductions may be drawn, just as mathematics or any other human science. Religion teaches that man originally was created after the image of God, was surrounded with honor and glory, and little less than the angels. A learned pundit in his chair coolly states to his pupils that he is a little superior to his ancestor, the monkey. Can both these propositions be true? Impossible. For these and other reasons the Church condemns the neutral system. The majority of those who now frequent the Queen's Colleges go there to study some practical course, such as engineering or medicine. Those colleges are practically a failure.

Within the past year Catholic intermediate education has been recognized, and a law passed to put it upon a solid footing. We have not read the act, but hope it is equal to the requirements of a Catholic people. This last "instalment of justice" must lead to another,—the granting of a charter to the Catholic University.

The mere granting of a charter cannot, by any means, satisfy the Irish Catholics, as it would only give a legal recognition to its academical diplomas. The people have a right to claim more,the Catholic University, to fulfil its functions, should be endowed. This can now be accomplished without injustice to any party. What was styled the Church of Ireland was, from the beginning, a magnum latrocinium. Its dignitaries were enriched with the spoils of Catholics. Trinity College had over $200,000 per annum. Its revenues and those of the Protestant Bishops could not be accurately ascertained. They held large estates, and rented them on long lease, on easy terms, taking a consideration in money, imitating the steward in the Gospel, who made friends with the mammon of iniquity. In 1829, after the granting of emancipation, Tom Moore started an Irish gentleman from his chambers, in Trinity College, in search of a religion, by exclaiming “Thank God, I now can become a Protestant." After Gladstone's act of disestablishment, a Protestant may exclaim, "Thank God, I can now become a Catholic." The stigma of his Church is removed. He can now search into her merits. The resources of the Establishment will be ascertained, and after settling all just claims, there will remain ample means to put Catholic educational institutions on a proper basis. No ascen

dency, but just equality; Irishmen of all creeds will know they have a common country.

We have exhausted the proper limits of our paper, and, we fear, the patience of our readers. We have touched only on the summa rerum of education in Ireland. But it was not our aim to write a treatise on education. That must be done by abler pens than ours. In America some do not appreciate the Catholic University. High education is for the benefit of the few; why, then, trouble the poor with annual collections? They forget that the history of the world verifies the words of St. James, "that every good gift comes from above." When the higher and educated classes are unsettled in faith and morals, the lower soon suffer in consequence. We could accumulate proofs. Can mobs and riots regenerate Ireland? Had not O'Connell been a Catholic, what would she be to-day? Is it nothing that Catholic scholars can take care of her interests and reputation? And instead of its being thought that faith was for the uneducated, it is seen and known. that it is compatible with and adorns the highest mental culture.

Therefore the Synod of Maynooth exhorts "all Bishops and priests and laity to favor, as far as they may, those who have satisfactorily completed their studies in the Catholic University. In this is our hope that we will effectually repel from our shores, the monsters of Rationalism and Indifference, and at last vindicate, for this Ireland of ours, her hereditary glory of being in name and fact, the Ireland of Saints and Doctors."

I

STEPS TO ATHEISM.

READ some time ago in the Correspondent, a few articles bearing the title: "What is found in Old Letters ?" Now old books also contain something. Lately I have been running through one that was printed first in 1717, and again in 1724. It is this latter edition that fell into my hands. Fortunately for me-however it may be with others—the aforesaid book deals with a subject which is not out of date. It is all upon atheism, or upon those who say that there is no God. Now though we live in an age of unusual light, it is our painful duty to confess that atheism, practical and in a manner doctrinal, is common among even what are called the educated classes. Many scientists openly favor it and teach it, and as unhappily in this instance, their word is law, others who know little or nothing, fall to echoing: "There is no God." It is sad to have to make such an acknowledgment at this stage of the world's existence; but the error itself is sadder still on account of its results. God is the basis of all religion, of morality, government, and society. To eject him is to ruin all that is desirable for man. There is nothing more nonsensical than atheism; it is the surest and worst road to every ruin.

This excessive evil does not culminate at once, for the adage says: Nemo repente fit summus. Like other diseases atheism has its stages. The book that I have been reading treats of the origin, not of the nature of the malady. Indeed, some of our modern great men assign a very grand origin to disbelief in God's existence. It is born, they claim, of intellect; it is especially the child of science and of progress. Higher civilization and culture infallibly beget it. But the author of my book is not quite so flattering. He was a Jesuit named Gengell, and a Pole at that. Who does not know that Jesuits are famed for saying and doing queer things? Fr. Gengell published his work at Brunsberg, and modestly called it Gradus ad Atheismum; or, as we would say in English: "Steps to Atheism." We shall draw on this book for the substance of this article. Note the We replacing the foregoing I. Since Fr. Gengell is about to speak, I must naturally be silent. As we journey on, the steps of more than a hundred years ago may appear very like the steps of to-day.

Fr. Gengell reduces his Steps to three: First, certain kinds of sins; secondly, heresies; thirdly, erroneous opinions. We might condense them into two, namely, errors of the intellect and of the will; but let the author have his way, since there is no great harm in it.

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