The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA : FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1877.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 156, 6 July 1877, Page 5

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA : FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1877.

The general consent of the great body ■of Protestants as to the essentials of Christian faith and practice — the desire -common to every Protestant parent that his children should become acquainted with the teaching supplied by the Word -of God suited to their capacity — the good sense and the common practice of teachers as to the inculcation oi Bible lessons adapted to the age and intelligence of their scholars— the fact that in the great majority, even of denominational schools, the peculiar " ism" of instruction, so that any child may give the denomination forms no part of school -attendance without ff-ar on the part of the paren r that the child should hear or learn aught foreign to its faith — are just so many reasons why in public schools the matter of a v religious difficulty" has no need to be raised, and why no obstacle should be set up to prevent religious instruction being given. If our readers will reflect on these facts, they cannot fail to conclude that ie is not for the sake of the Protestant children ol the land, or on their account, that it is proposed to attempt the impossible thing of introducing a secular education — an education from which religion, and what appertains to religion, is to be secluded. We say this is

impossible, for the simple rerson that religion has had to do with the whole history of man. and has, according* to its character, wielded a va*t influence on the sin, progress, decay, and fall of many of the nations of past times : while The Christian religion, in one form or •another, has entered in the highest degree into the determination of much that makes up the history of modem nations. The histories of Greece and Rome, for instance, cannot be read and learned apart from their respective religion. The history of any especially of the southern and western nations of Europe, for the last three centuries and more, cannot be read and learned apart from the part played in them by the Romish and Protestant faiths. To teach history, leaving out all consideration of the religious element that has in all countries played so important a part, is to act the play of Hamlet with the part ol Hamlet left out. We should like to see the teacher who could make his pupils acquainted with ancient history without making* mention of the gods and goddesses of ancient nations — who could tell the story of ancient Britain without alluding* to the Druids -■ — who could make his pupils acquainted '-with the civil and military facts that •make up English or French or German 'or Spanish history without reference to 'the doings of Papal legates, cardinals, bishops, priests, iriars, and Protestant reformers, lay and clerical. Such a teacher we would regard as a greater wonder than the famous seven wonders of the world all in a heap. The fact is that the matter of religion is so intertwined with the whole history of every nation, that it is impossible to teach history without some and that a very large reference to religion — I heathen, papal, protestant. A purely secular education must necessarily therefore fail to embrace history, so 'essential an element in the education of our youth, or, if taught, we must have it written anew, with its most potent factor ignored. But this were •an itnpossibilty. Now, one of the great reasons why Roman Catholic priests oppose a rational education is just the fact that the facts of history tell a tale regarding the doings of many that have go^ie betore them, in guiding their ■church and directing the nations of Europe, which they would conceal from the children and parentage ol their own communion. Hence it is that they have made as strong an objection to the books of history in common use in the public and private schools of Britain having a place in our schools, as they have made to the authorised version of scripture, and the imparting a knowledge of its contents on the part of the teachers. They raise the cpiestion, therefore, Shall our education system be moulded to please them ? shall it he made to suit their wishes, or shall it be adapted to the wants and wishes of the Protestant parents of the land, with whom, we •^re well aware, hot a few of the Boman

Catholic parentage would be found [

much in accord, were the priesthood to cease their interference, nnd withhold thpir ghostly censures ? There are threo reasons why our present system in Otago should ho continued, nnd a purely secular education, with a view of conciliatinsr the Koman Catholic priesthood, should ho avoided. Ist. The Roman Catholic community is largely in the minority, and a conscience ctausf-, securing* the absence of Roman Catholic children ir un religious instruction according to the request ot tlieir parents, sufficiently secures their rights in th j matter. 2nd. The Roman Catholic priesthood have as much objection to a secular education as they have to one whicli emhraces religious instruction other Than what they themselves would impart j no schema will satisfy them that is not wholly under their own control. 3rr\ Because popular education, the education of the ppople at. larg*e, is contemporaneous with the putting of the Bible in the vernacular imo the hands of the people generally, and just in proportion as the Bible has influenced the pnhlic mind, so lias education been spread among the masses. Previous to the Reformation, which gave the Bible to the people, there was no provision existing for the education of the people. There were universities and seminaries for the education of the clergy, but for the ' common people there were no schools. Reading* and writing were unknown ; even of the nobility but few could write their own signatures. The Reformation, -with its Bible laid open as the common privilege of all men, altered all this, and soon England, Scotland, and Germany became studded with schools, while to this day, in Spain, Italy, and even France, well nigh as much under the Papal sway as hefore the Reformation, the numhers who cannot read or write far exceed rhose who can. What Ims made the difference ? The circulation of ihe scriptures. Strange that the volume that has nearly founded and impelled the general education of the people should be excluded from the, schools that owe their origin to its influence, and that chiefly to please those who would rather hum its sacred page-? than allow th? people to peruse them. Verily, this is to kill the goose that lays the golden ep: I^, and to prostitute our Christian liberty before a despotism that has proved the most hurtful to the hest interests of humanity.

The " Sunday opening" quv-.-nion agai n incidentally came up at the, annual meeting of the memhers of the Balclutha Athenreum on Wednesday evening* hi^t. This has been a much-vexed question in connection with almost every such in- j stitution in the Colonies and elsewhere. Jt has, however, remained for Balclutha to solve the difficuhv, and it must be admitted that this has now been accomplished in n very ingenious manner. We commend the decision to the consideration oi those interested in other institutions of a similar nature throughout the country. Those in favour of opening on Sunday may argue that the Athenaeum is now open on that day, but the opponents of such a course have a very good reply that ths building is not only closed but doubly locked on Sundays. The question as to whether it is really open or closed on Sunday is one admirably adapted for discussion at a debating societv. It seems to us that the institution is both fully open and strictly shut on Sunday, while at the same time it is neither the one nor the other. That is the conclusion we have arrived at upon the decision of Wednesday evening*. The Sunday question now stauds thus : that the Committee, as such, do not in any way countenance or recognise the use of the institution on Sundays, while any member who may so desire can, upon his own responsibility, obtain admission by using a private latch-key of his own. No doubt some captious individuals inav yet find cause for dissent and controversy upon the point, but we think the matter should now be allowed to rest, so that the, business of the institution may be carried on in a united and harmonious manner. With the inhabitants of Balclutha united, they can accomplish anything, and we have no doubt the Athenpeutn will }*et become a prosperous, popular, and useful institution.