BIBLE READING IN SCHOOLS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1316, 16 August 1886, Page 2

BIBLE READING IN SCHOOLS.

(CONTINUED.) If nil religion be s ctarian then the administration of ortis in Courts of Justice la sectarian. But no one affirms this. I hold, on the contrary that the Bible is notsectrain and shall adduce proof. Those who bring forward thh objection studiously conceal the fact that there are certain gre it religious truths which are ad-

mitted and firmly be ioved by all Chracians. They a’l believe in the existence of a God ; in the immortality of the sou l ; in the beneficent character of the ' caching of the Now Testament, and in its divine origin and authority. All who really value Christianity and its noble and benevolent agencies, rejoice that there Is so mo r ’i that the various divisions of the Christian Church have in common. And it is the earnest desire of all such in every portion of the British colonies, and throughout the world, to see the broad

foundation of truth laid, the pillars firmly fixed, aud these benevolent agencies in vigorous operation. This objection to the number of the sects, and the differences of their doctrines, is an old infidel argument It is those who dislike Christianity who cavil abont sects, magnify the differences that exist between them, and ignore the broad basis of truth about which there is no controversy, and no difference of opinion. The whole argnment, in the opinion of some of our senators, has turned npon the supposition that the Bible in a volume whose teachings lead to sectarianism, and therefore it ought not to remain in the

schools, To this we strongly detnor, and it can be easily disproved The Bible is the word of God. Sectarianism is the work of man. In the Bible we are taught that God hath made of one bkoJ all men that dwell on the face of the earth, that wo are to forgive injuries and to do unto others as we would that they should do j unto us, that we all have one origin, and must all stand at one judgment seat; and the volume which contains such truths surely cannot be charged with being sectarian. It is a singular thing that Roman Catholics and Secularists are both agreed in their opposition ; the first because they will have no creed taught but their own, and ns Bible reading without priestly interpretation, the glatter because they disbelieve in creeds altogether. The advocates of Bible reading hold against both, that there are eternal principles of truth In the Bible which lie at the basis of religion, and which, apart , from creeds and formularies, ought to find place in the school. In point of fact the differences among denominations is net a sufficient excuse for the exclusion of the Bible, seeing tlut religious te ;ching is successfully carried out by the School Boards at home. That the Bible is not sectarian appears from the result of a lawsuit in America regarding the reading of. the Bible in a College. The testator hod positively enjoined “ that all the instructors and teachers should take pairs to inetil into the minds of tbe tcholars the puiest principles of morality, so that on their entrance into active life they may, trom inclination and habit, evince benevolence towards their fellow-creatures, and a love of truth, sobriety, and industry, adopting at the same time such religious tenets as their matured reaso may enable them to prefer.” The decision of the Court In this case was unanimous In favor of the i use of the Bible as a text book, the Chief Justice being a devout Catholic. The Bible, without note or or comment, was recognised by the highest court of the land to be the purest and best source of morality as well as of religion, and to be not sectarian in its character or teachings. Joseph Cook, in his book on “Socialism,” says :—“ A sectarian system is not natural —a godless syatam is not natural. Germany, under the lead of Infidelity, once drove the Bible out of tire school', but has smeo restored it. Iho most learned land in the globe, incisively divided between Catholic and Protestant, infidel and believer, scouts the idea that the Bible is to be excluded from the common schools.” Professor Stowe, in his Report on Elementary Education in Europe, says : —“ I enquired of all classes of teachers, and men of every grade of religious faith, instructors in Common Schools, High Schools, and Schools of Art, of Professors in Colleges, Universities, and Professional Seminaries,—in cities and in the country—in places where there was an uniformity of plan, and where there was a diversity of creeds.—and I never found but one reply , and that was, that to leave the moral faculty uninstructed was to leave the most important part of the human mind undeveloped, and to strip education of almost everything that can make it valuable. Every teacher whom 1 consulted repelled with indignation the idea that moral instruction is not proper for schools, and spurned with contempt the allegation that the Bible cannot be introduced into common schools without encouraging a sec arian bias in the matter of teaching. 3 Another pretext for the exclusion of lire Bible is, that the State has nothing to do with religion. If by this is meant that that it is not the duty of the State to support the Church with endowments, we are agreed. If it is meant that it is not the duty of the State to give proferen e to one religiousbody above another, we can under stand that; but if it is meant that the State is to have absolutely nothing to do with religion we strongly demur. What is religion ? Dr Johnson defines it as “ Virtue as founded upon reverence of God, and expectation of future rewards and pifdishments,” Dr Webster defines it, “ As distinct from theology, religion is godliness, a real piety, in practice consist i imr in the performance of all known duties to God »nd our fel! .w men, in obedience to divine commands, or from love to God and bis law.” The custom of a country will define the use of jthe word j religion i r China, for example, weald be allowed to mean the observance of the precepts of Confucius Now, there can bo no question that in Britain and the colonies the prevailing religion is the Christian. Phis is a Christian country. The precepts and principles of religion enter largely into the formation of the common law as now

administered in this iand. The laws of Alfred and Edward the Ponfer§ior continually cite the Scriptures as their sanction, and the influence of religion is to be seen more or less in the practice of the Courts A ju»y is not empannolled, and a judge does not sit, without taking an oath to Almighty God. The letters D.G. arp imprinted on our coins.

The cross of our Lord is the emblem of our National flag The Holy Bible is to bo found in tho two Houses of tho General Assembly, and in every Court of Justice in the land.

The State deals with offences against the observance of the Sabbath, and with o&epccp of the nature of blasphemy against the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

It is not correct, then, to say that tho State has nothing to do with religion As a matter of fact it takes to do with it every day. It does not take to do with it for the spiritual welfare of tiie citizens, but it takes to do with it for its own.