BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1650, 6 January 1914, Page 6

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Sir, —Your columns tell us that the Church of England clergy are again making an attempt to galvanise into life their Bible-in-Schools scheme, of which we havo heard so little lately. I say the Church of England clergy advisedly, for on looking down the advertised list of churches that wero to observe Bible-in-Schools Sunday, wo indeed saw the names of some. Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, but tho omissions wcro very significant. The leading Methodist Church, that in Taranaki Street, is not on tho list, nor is the Terrace Presbyterian Church, while, except for the Salvation Army, no church of any other religious body is to bo found amonz thoso enumerated. When the advertisement, of a Bible-in-Schools Sunday first appeared in your columns, close by we saw tho words: "Pray that tlio Word of tho Lord may havo free course." As we knew thoso clergymen wero agitating for a Bible text-book at the expense of the State, wo thought some wag had put that in about, "free" course. In the report that you publish of Canon Garland's address, however, ho took that as the text of his sermon. Of course, tho different Anglican ministers Have to their various congregation is a rechauffe of tho various arguments that havo been refuted and again, including the extraordinary statement that a State school teacher mast not so much as mention tho name, of God to his rmpils. If these clergymen do not use "these exact words now since the statement has been refuted, they, at least, use a paraphrase of them to endeavour to ■ convey the same kind of idea. Of course, too, tho Nelson system was unreservedly condemned. How much more reasonable was the attitude of tlio Presbyterian ministers at their moetina; in Cliristchurcli. They want Biblo in schools as much as, probably more than do tho Church of England clor<rv, yet so far from condemning the "Nelson system they sny it is a Rood one. Are, tlio ■ Anglican clercy taking their cue from the utterances of the Bishops of Cliristchurcli and of Nelson? Or is it that those bishops were voicing the opinion of the clergy? At all events those bishops have practically said that a Scripture test-book is only so much rubbish. The demand that they shall havo the right to <to into the State schools to teach Anplicanism. It is those utterances that seem to havo knocked the life out or tho movement, for they show the peoKelburne, December 15, 1913.