127. Double Utility op Instruction. ВЂ” a remarkable

fact about Luther is, that as a preacher of instruction, he does

not speak merely from the religious point of view. After

having recommended schools as institutions auxiliary to the

Church, he makes a resolute argument from the human point

of view. "Were there neither soul, heaven, nor hell," he

says, "it would still be necessary to have schools for the sake

of affairs here below, as the history of the Greeks and the

Romans plainly teaches. The world has need of educated

men and women, to the end that the men may govern the

country properly, and that the women may properly bring up

their children, care for their domestics, and direct the affairs

of their households."

128. Necessity of Public Instruction. — The objection

will perhaps be made, says Luther, that for the education of

1 Luther's argument for compulsion should not be omitted: "It is my

opinion that the authorities are bound to force their subjects to send their

children to school. ... If they can oblige their able-bodied subjects t<i

carry the lance and the arquehuse, to mount the ramparts, and to do com-

plete military service, for a much better reason may they, and ought they,

to force their subjects to send their children to school, for here it is the

question of a much more terrible war with the devil.'' (P.)

116 THE HISTORY OF PEDAGOGY.

children the home is sufficient, and that the school is useless.

" To this I reply : We clearly see how the boys and girls are

educated who remain at home.'.' He then shows that they

are ignorant and " stupid," incapable of taking part in conver-

sation, of giving good advice, and without any experience of

life ; while, if they had been educated in the schools, by

teachers who could give instruction in the languages, in the

arts, and in history, they might in a little time gather up

within themselves, as in a mirror, the experience of what-

ever has happened since the beginning of the world ; and

from this experience,, he adds, they would derive the wisdom

they need for self-direction and for giving wise counsel to

others.

129. Criticism of the Schools of the Period. ВЂ” But

since there must be public schools, can we not be content

with those which already exist? Luther replies by proving

that parents neglect to send their children to them, and by

denouncing the uselessness of the results obtained b} - those

who attend them. " We find people," he says, " who serve

God in strange ways. They fast and wear coarse clothing,

but they pass blindly by the true divine service of the home,

— they do not know how to bring up their children. . . .

Believe me, it is much more necessary to give attention to

your children and to provide for their education than to pur-

chase indulgencies, to visit foreign churches, or to make sol-

emn vows. . . . All people, especially the Jews, oblige their

children to go to school more than Christians do. This is

why the state of Christianity is so low, for all its force and

power are in the rising generation ; and if these are neg-

lected, there will be Christian churches like a garden that has

been neglected in the spring-time. ... Every da}- children

are born and are growing up, and, unfortunately, no one

cares for the poor young people, no one thinks to train them ;

PROTESTANTISM AND PRIMARY INSTRUCTION. 117

they are allowed to go as they will. Was it not lamentable

to see a lad study in twenty years and more only just enough

bad Latin to enable him to become a priest, and to go to

mass? And he who attained to this was counted a very

happy being ! Right happy the mother who bore such a

child ! And he has remained all his life a poor unlettered

man. Everywhere we have seen such teachers and masters,

who knew nothing themselves and could teach nothing that

was good and useful ; the}' did not even know how to learn

and to teach. Has anything else been learned up to this

time in the high schools and in the convents except to

become asses and blockheads? ..."