BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1931, 13 December 1913, Page 2

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

vinvs or presbyterian J j ASSEMBLY. j! VIGOROUS DISCUSSION. " ' xSKfii; •. * MOVEMFM 1 ArPROVED BY ! « LAPGL MAJORITY. - < ■ ~~ 1 TelOEVr.pli.--Press Af-soofotton.) ' ( Clmstrliuich, December 12, i Tin; General Assembly of tins Prcs- ■] Cliurcli this morning, discussed ' Alio ' Bible-in-Siate-schools movement, , ;](L;pqi'i:s;:>v/t're Siiiiniitlod oil tliu Nelson , systeiirand/'Aiistraliaii systems. j »?«lii'-;l>rcsoiitiug' their report on the j fNelsoii'systcm/.tho couimittec desired to ] ."oinphnsi.se -'tlio' facb that they, did not j jvyurd'this}system as ill any sense anj'tagotilstie'.to the platform of tlio Bible- '' j:!_n-Sehoqls League, but the majority oftheir.- members . wero convinced of the j necessity/'<sf . securing a wider scheme in |- their- endeavour:., to ascertain, to what i.o>;le:it. tlio liberties enjoyed under tlio | present* system d education were- takc-n £ advantage, of. :. T!iq committee issued a I list of. queries to 'ministers and homo missionaries. i''rom 119 replies received it'would appear that there were now lio3 Biblo classcs held weekly, ivith an aggregate nttendanco of 1(J,U60 young people. Tlio figures in cach case must bo regarded as the minimum. While many of {Tie classes were held outside ordinary school hours, 90 per cent, wore, conducted according to the Kelson method. "If we desire to l'.avo a mere comprehensive scheme of Biblo instruction, " tho report continued, "lot us by all means work for it with our might-, hut until this scheme lias been sanctioned by out legislators, let us, wlic-ro possime, adopt the Nelson method, or any other method that will give us our ofportimiiy with tho children, and reject the narrow policy of refusing to accept anything becaus© wo cannot get everything." The report concluded by slating that the committee was persuaded that, whatever schemo for Bible instruction might be adopted, it would bo loyally and conscientiously earned out both by teachers and children. - Tho Itev. G. Sliller (Asliburioti), in tlio absciieo through sickness of the Ituv. It. J. I'ortor (Danism), convener of tho committee, moved tho ad-option of the report and deliverance, inelvid- . iis;j; thanks to education boards, school committees, and teachers for kindly co-operation, and commending tho Nelson system of Bible-reading to all Ministers and office-bearers until soma better' schemo has been provided. ""'flic 'llev. H. E. Davis seconded tho mouon. ■■'.'Tho Rev. J. 11. Mackenzie (Nelscn) nmde a trenchant criticism cd an address delivered by Bishop Sadliet, of Nelson, at the i.ist Anglican f-'vuod. ?fie Bishop of Nelson, ho said, had tioyoteu'six hundred lines of bis address to a condemnation of tho Nelson system, and but a polfry six lines in its favour, lio claimed that that address clearly showed t'hat Bishop Sadlier had not made 'himself acquainted with tli-o simplest facts of the system. Mr. J. Caughlcy (C'hristehureh) said that ho was glau that the Assembly thought well oi tho Nelson system bocanso tho principles upon which it was based were a direct negation of the Bible-in-Schools League policy. The Nelson system did not 'involve St-ato ewitrol oi religious instruction. There was no compulsion on the part of schob ars or teachers. Tho whole matter war. purely voluntary, as all religious work should be. Tho only objections made,to the Nelson system wore obstructions mado by some boards and committees. Tho objections.could easily bo removed by Act of Parliament, and so leave all tile schools of New Zealand -open to tho operation of the Nelson system. The llov, J. Mackenzie (Christdrareh) submitted that - tho discussion was not *in order. The Nelson system had never been suggested as a solution of a. wide problem. ~ Professor Hcwitson (Dunedm) said that the Nelson system had been found to make scholars in classes become communicants of the Church. Iliat 'had been the case in Port Cnalmers. Dr. Gibb: But. in Wellington tho door is' skimmed 'in. our faces, locked,' and double barred. Tiio Kov. Mr. Miller: And also in Auckland. . Tho llov. W. Scorgto: And in South 1 Dunedin. . . , ' The .llov. A. Cameron (Anderson s Bav), ninid a chorus of dissent,_ said that tlio Clnirsli- was crying out in its weakness for help from tho State. Mr. i Fraxer had, ho clairocd, quite crroneouslv stated tlio position. The Ciinrcu was confessing its Weakness and citing 1 out to Caesar, "Como and help us. The report was thou put to tho meet- ' in--? and carried unanimously. _ The committee detailed to inquire into I tho'Australian systems of Bible reading in schools stated that they had circularised ministers and homo mission* » pries, and tlio report claimed that i" W". evident that, throughout tho length opd breadth of the Dominion, the Pros-

bytorian Cinlrch was earnestly supportinn- th« Bih'io-ii'i-Stato-Schools League. Extracts of replies were received, ami summarised as follows :-"Oiir congregations approve generally, while ministers ore, on iho whole, actively supporting the campaifin." In a few cases riant of entry" lias been a difficulty, bus v.iiilo some of sucli cn'G unflinching in their opposition to the principle, otnera arc willing to waive this objection in +lio interest of tlio children, twuig conviwerl that tho Bible can only be restored to tlio schools by this method. There was still miidli work to bo done Ijv way of canvassiiiß for signatures in favour of a referendum, and honce Uie committi'o uiTJed inmista-s ami oflirobcarer.", to complete the work as early as wssibk. , ... The convenor of tlie eoniunttee (the Hev R Kvan Davies, Duuedin), in moving the adoption of the report, said that he wished that it wore possible thai such a dismission could bo carried on in a cooler atmosphere. he reviewed the steps that had been taken by former assemblies in debating this question, and said that the Presbyterian Church bad been committed to tlio system that was now. before them. Aflei all that had been said during the past two years lie claimed' that tho eyidenco that limil been ])roduced by the Bibie-in-Rtat" Schools' Leaguo remained unshaken. Tho Rev. J. Slackoiwio, of Clsristehurch, had recently made an imiependent investigation, n11 " bad hflou convinced of tho worhi of tho system. . Hev. Dr. Krwin (Chrir.tclmreh;: He had hir, mind made W before he went. Continuing iMr. Baviea oppressed i,im,r.lf ms snrm-ised at the attitude which New Zealand teachers were ta»cup iovanis tlio sy:>toni. Tlf' contended that the industry of their ministry had been held up to ridicule, yev there were > no harder-worked men ill \ust>'aiasia than the ministers of tho iVsbvtemn Church. -(Hear, hear.) Tho followintx motion was proposed by the Rev. 1?. TO. Davies (Dunedin), iliul seconded by the Rev. .Tohn Macken■/.ie (Christehiiroh): "(1) Adopt the re* (port; (2) continue the committee; (3) ! uv.Lto Viiinistors ics ovorv fncility i to'their coiißrepations for tho signing oi I cards: U) reaffirm the demand for a j referendum : and instruct iho eommitI iee to eo'ilinue eo-operatins with the I Biblo-in-State Schools' League, in J'a"iiin iayiii'i liefnre the Government the request of this Assembly for a referen- | diiii): .. (oV that, on a eonvenicnt■ SahI b.'illi. reference lie made to tho religious j ■'•i;\ni!icauco of the movement, prayers I offered for its success, and. where possible,/aretiring collection bo arranger!

i(i? the lunds of 'he league. "■ The liov. J.' Mackenzie, of Christuliureh) seconded tho motion. It was rccoßiiiscd to-day, ho said, thai tho Jiihle-in-schools. question was a real, hY« political issue;'; •. Ho submitted that they were now discussing a policy of the Church determined s>y tlio great Reformation principles, and not more personal opinions. They believed that tho Bible was so interwoven into their national ideas that it should never ho kept out oi' the schools. • The present situation was hopeful, particularly oh (lie point that tho churches were w closo co-operation. It lmd been suggested that Jig was a biased witness, but, .in Australia, 110 bad not met anyone who had not said that tlm system, if imperfect, was tlio best that had yet suggested itself to solve a jiorplcxing problem. Ho would ask that tlio policy of the I'resbyterian. Assembly should be definitely settled, and there should lio no attempt at "side-track-ing." .It should be published abroad just how the Presbyterian Church stood towards the. Bibfe-in-Slato Schools' League.' .■■Tho Key. J. 11. MaeK.ennie (Nelson) moved as an amendment: "That the assembly resolves to receive tho report 1 with thanks to the committee, especially the convenor, a,nd declares that the assembly is enthusiastically in favour of. religions teaching in connection withour Stato schools, provided that this caii bo given without drawing upon tlio common exchequer of tho country, without introducing soctaritw division among children, and without imposing a religious,:..test. on tho State teachers; but, whereas tho taking of a referendum 'in order to settle the disputed question is a matter of Sta,to procedure, and belongs to tlio jurisdiction of tlio State, the General Assembly, being the Church Court, and having its own jurisdiction, declines to proffer instruction to the'civil Government as to carrying out its special functions, and, whereas the taking of a. vote on tho introduction of roligiflits instruction into tho curriculum or the Stato .'schools would be a political action,"and outside' tho sphere of tho Church, tho Court of Assembly declines-to direct members of the Church how they shall voto at tho ballot box."

At tlio evening session a number of speakers emphasised tho right <)f a Christian nation to ptaeo tho Bible in tho schools.' Tlio fundamental principles of the Reformation upheld tho potency of tie reading of tho Scriptures. ' u The Rev. 'A. Cameron moved, and Dr. Envin seconded, the following amendment: "That this Assembly, while advocating religious instruction ill the schools, objects utterly to laying tlio imposition of tho duty of giving religious instruction on tho teachers of tho primary schools, and also to the introduction into our schools of denominational instruction with its dividing influence both on tho religious and social life of tho people. On a division at 10,30 p.m., Mr. Davie-s's motion was agreed to by 132, only 13 voting for tho amendment.