EXCLUDING THE BIBLE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1837, 25 August 1913, Page 4

EXCLUDING THE BIBLE.

Sir,—l must acknowledge that tho recent deputation was a gland climax to twelve months of hai;d, strenuous labour in all parts of New Zealand by Bishop Clearv and his allies, and no doubt ho will be abundantly rewarded, fpr all liia labour iu- tliia rnattor, aa

soon as tho particulars roach tho headquarters of his Church. But how are we to reconcile tho unchanging principles of that Cliurch wit!h the formula of Charles Bradlaugh as expressed by tho Prime minister in liis answer to tho deputation—"secular, compulsory, and free education" ? Recently tlio . Archbishop of Sydney (Dr. Kelly]) spoke publicly of the advocates of this system of education as ".monsters of human socioty and enemies of out race," and oven as "wild bulls." Truly thio is a most strange and remarkablo deputar tion of Christian men and women who waited last Saturday on*tho l'rime Minister of this Christian country, and asked for tlio perpetual banishment of tho Biblo and tho teaching of CiirisLiauity from our national school lessons, on which nearly tho wholo of our descendants liave to depend for their education.

Prominent members of this deputation aro men who belong to a great and noble profession, whose predecessors have been t-eaching Christianity from the Bible in tho great schools, colleges, and universities of England, Scotland, Wales, and tlio North of Ireland for a thousand years and more, thus handing this priceless inheritance from generation to generation down .to our time, and yet on Saturday these men were quite willing to sell this peerless birthright for a mess of political pottage.

To-day many toils of thousands of members of this great teaching profession are cheerfully, willingly, and effectually discharging these same Christian duties in the great national schools of Great Britain, Canada, the Commonwealth, and United South Africa. In fact, in all parts of the British Empire, with the exception of New Zealand, Victoria, and perhaps those portions where the black and yellow races have tho ascendancy.

There can bo no doubt that fully one half of tho children, of tho present day in this country never see tho insido of a church or Sunday school, and aro.therefore receiving 110 Christian instruction .whatever: nor can there be any doubt that Sunday is fast becoming a day devoted to tho goddess of pleasure, ai.d a mere secular holiday, for a very large portion of the people, and a day of toil for others. If we aro to retain our character and reputation in, the Empire as a Christian people, we must train up tho children in 6ur national schools in tho same way that all other parts of the British dominions aro doing. It is as plain as daylight that this remarkablo deputation is moving hand in hand with the prelates of a powerful ecclesiastical organisation that is working day and night to overthrow the present national systems of education, and replace it with denominational and sectarian schools, completely under tlio control of various churches.—l am, etc., J. H. COLLIER. Northland, August 11, 1913.