THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2795, 1 February 1872, Page 3

THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

To the Editor. g IR) Dr Moran s pastoral is as inconsistent with common sense and prudence, as it is insulting to all those who are not of the Rom n Catholic religion. A secular system of education, if carried out her-’, will, Dr Moran warns us, uproot all Christian and Divine faith ; and adds that no form of worship other than that decreed by “ the infallible head of the Church of Rome ’ is of any avail in fact, to attend Divine service other than this is “to act derogatory at once to the sanctity and veracity of God._ The Presbyterian system of education, it adopted, will, we are also told, weaken an 1 ultimately destroy the Romish faith here; but surely this could not be unless that faith is alone founded upon error and intolerance. According to their numerical strength and influence, and in proportionate extent of pecuniary aid being granted to any other religious denominations, 1 hold it just for the Papists to receive corresponding Governmental assistance. The virtue of hreemasonry is, that in the noblest and best of ways it practically illustrates the teaching of the Bible—“ Love one another.” Then why should a Bishop of Rome decree so cruel and harsh a sentence against so noble and ancient an institution —an institution which has hitherto been maintained by all classes of society, without regard to religious denominations and irrespective of nationality? An instance was recorded in the Standard newspaper, during the late hranco-Prussian war, of one man’s life being saved by another on account of one of them having discovered the fact of their both belonging to the Masonic Order, Surely Dr Moran, whilst demanding State aid, betrays great inconsistency in commanding the “ faithful ” having friendly intercourse with “ Protestants to break it off on pain of excommunication. But this inconsistency is only apparently so ; for one of the articles in force in the Romish Church is to this effect—“lf God says.one thing, and the Bishop (or Pope of Rome) another, the Pope is rather to he preferred of the two.” I am, &c., N. A. Dunedin, January 31, IST-.