SIR,—Mr. J. R. M. Whitehorn, in his article of June
12th on Dr. Arnold, has suggested that intellectual education should come before religious education. Would it not be more true to say that the former is an essential part of the latter?
Arnold's primary educational aim was religion. He gives character and intellect second and third place respectively. The reason for this is fairly clear, for the teaching of character and intellect is the means by which the great aim, the fashioning of Christians, is to be attained. The means to an end is always as important as the end itself.
Could the teaching of intellectual integrity and the habit of thought be rated before the teaching of character? There are two parts to a Christian—a spiritual side and an intellectual side. The one is hopeless without the other. His religion is begun by emotion and then rationalised by the intellect. Without the former we would be like blind men groping in darkness. Without the latter our religion would lack a "sheet anchor," as Mr. Whitehom so admirably put it. Character is influenced by the intellect. Intellect is influenced by the character ; the two are indivisible. We therefore cannot rate one as being of greater importance than the other. Religion is governed by character and intellect, and these in their Another member of the Sixth form School Field, Rugby.
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