LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2411, 17 March 1915, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

BAPTISM BY IMMERSION IN ANGLICAN CHURCHES. Sir; —I am surprised to see in your issue of to-day that tho Auckland "Herald" says that "It is not commonly known that baptism by immersion is recognised by the Anglican Church," and goes on-to say that St. Matthew's, Auckland, "is furnished with a font to meet such a demand." When Mr: Barnard and 1 designed the timber church of St. Matthew's, built in 1883, we provided a sizeable baptistery at the west end of the building, and 1 did the same in St. Stephen's,' Mar.ton, in 1872. The R-ov. Arthur Towgood (afterwards Archdeacon To'wgood) was gratified at the sizo of the baptistery (about 18 by 12, I think), and said lie looked forward, to having proper arrangements for the immersion of adults. The arrangement for supply of wqter to the font may be worth mentioning. Tanks were fixed over the porches, which were built on the north and south sides of the baptistery, and from these tanks pipes were laid under the floor, from which an upright pipe led : into the. bottom of the font, into which the water bubbled up. 'After a baptism it wgs. carried away by a waste-pipe. Mr. Clere also: has provided baptisteries in many of his church designs. There is one at St. Cuthbert's, Eketahuna, but I think that those at St. Matthew's, Auckland (old church), and. St. Stephen's, Marton, were the earliest in New Zealand.—l am, etc., GEO. FRED. ALLEN. Eketahuna, March 15, 1915.

PEACE SPEECHES AT .PANAMA , EXHIBITION./

Sir,—On page.6 of Monday's issue a telegram informs' the world that Mr. Edmund Clifton' said:'"l hope your great President. will find some way 'of bringing the warring nations t-o. their senses—and before this great Exhibition closes.". I wonder who ,the party was who appointed that'gentleman as the New Zealand Commissioner, if he thinks : eyeryone has lost their senses except , himself and the'great President. How that speech belittles the great statesmen of the Allies. Does he think for one moment that Sir Edward Grey, our own statesman, would take a back seat and allow the great President to dominate tho nations., His vacillating donothing policy does not in the least entitle him to the position. Let him attend to the Mexican affairs, and tho Allies will attend to theirs, otherwise there might be trouble and ill-feeling bred.—l am, etc., - HENRY WALTON. Waikanae, March, 15, 1915.

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Sir, —I' was in the city of Melbourne ■two weeks last month, and I made.it my business and a matter of interest to inquire about the working ' of the State schools . with : reference to religious education.'. . I was told by one of the leading men in public affairs that om account of -the war they had declared a truce on-the Biblo-in-Schools. but were anxious to begin the orusade again. They are not satisfied with the voluntary system; My inquiries in Brisbane,' Queensland,- were very satisfactory. The system of teaching the Bible worked well. There wias no friction, except, a little inconvenience when the children went -to their various rooms for ministers to impart. Bible instruction.' In New South Wales I visited three publio schools. In the Burwood district the head teacher was very positive of the good results of Bible instruction, and • he said they had examinations on'-the subject. At Pyrmont 'I had the -samegood.. testimony. I h'ave just visited a veiy 'large'gifls'. school in the vicinity of the University, and I told the head teacher we had been making a great, ef T fort to get the Bible.' in the. State schools. She said: "There is no earthly, reason ,whv you should not have the Bible, in Schools." She asked the reason for,the objection. I said I could not tell; I felt sure-.that there could be'no real reason giveii. that would .outweigh the great advantages of a real' Bible education. .There has been immorality whore people have known . their duty, but there is far more where-they are ignorant'.of'their responsibility. _ I feel confident from, these few .testimonies that we should, be encouraged to put the. : Bible into the hands'of the youth of New Zealand. —I am, etc.,: ■ DAVID NIELD.'-