What had he ever been taught of theology, the Divine word to man? In
his school-days, if his father was an income tax payer he probably had
a weekly lesson in “Divinity,” when he construed a few verses of the
Gospels in the Greek Testament, and showed up to his master, now and
then, a map of the journeying of the Apostle Paul in Asia Minor and
Eastern Europe. If his father expected him to be confirmed, in due
course, some lessons in the catechism were added for his benefit, but
prudent pedagogues took care not to endanger the popularity of a
school, whether public or private, by any definite teaching which
might be accused of being dogmatic. The head-master was probably a
person of unsuspected orthodoxy, with a possible deanery or bishopric
in view for his days of superannuation. His sermons in chapel used to
set a fine standard of conduct before the boys, and were gracefully
free from all mention of controversial questions. In due course they
were published with the title _Sermons at Yarrow_, and enterprising
parents turning over their pages would find little to criticize and
much to admire. The Cross, if presented at all in these publications,
was so bespangled with rhetorical jewellery that “Jews might kiss and
Infidels adore.” And the children of Israel as public-school boys were
never painfully conscious of any great difference between themselves
and their baptized companions. But unfortunately only a few of the
boys came under the civilizing instruction of the Chief. Bright young
athletes from Oxford and Cambridge, lured into the ranks of pedagogy
by their love of football and cricket, were the assistant-masters. A
regular salary with holiday for a fourth of the year, the prospect of
early marriage, and a remunerative boarding-house, attracted them to a
pleasant position, and they had no wish to rebel against the
time-table which made them teachers of “Divinity” for at least one
hour in the week. All educated people should be tolerably familiar
with a book so largely used in quotation as the Bible, and the
succession of the Kings of Israel and Judah could be used in
strengthening the memory, whilst the stories of “Jehu and those other
Johnnies you know” were by no means devoid of picturesque incident.
Greek Testament could also be made useful in the acquisition of a
vocabulary, or in a lesson showing the difference between classical
and vernacular Greek. “Of course we must leave the application of
these studies to conduct to _Home influence_,” the headmasters would
blandly observe, and between parent and pedagogue the teaching of the
Christian Faith fell neglected to the ground.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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