The BIble in State Schools.

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 123, 27 March 1886, Page 4

The Blble in State Schools.

Lecture by the Bishop of Melbourne.

(Continued)

Now, does any intelligent man expect the ordinary boy on leaving school to deal successfully with such objects as those unhelped? And if not, think, I pray you, of the thoughtless cruelty of those who. knowing that those problems willpresent themselvee to every soul and that upon the successful treatment of tli'em the whole worth and happiness of the life will depend, yet forbid the teacher to disclose that final and blessed solution of them given to use by our Loro and Saviour Jesus Christ. (Applause. Moralty can never, in these lands, be come a determing force in human character unless it win its motive and suppori from Christianity. That is what made Sir Robert Peel declare of a secular edu catioh that 1 it was "only half an edu cation, with the more important half left ! out." (Cheers.) It was the perception of this fact which inspired the celebrated declaration" of Victor Hugo -" Thost parents who send their children to, a school ■ over the doors of , which it is written, 'Here religion is not taught,' ought to be summoned before the magistrates." (Applause.) What, tbjen shall: we say of a State which, undertaking the education of the people* and by its power of purse excluding all possibility of competition, deliberately affixes that superscription to the door of every schoolroom in the lund ? To make duty a pratical force in the life is the one great aim of education everywhere. (Hear, hear.) What is the use of reading writing, and arithmetic without that containing sense, of duty which subdues selfish passion, and ' employs all mental force and acuteness: in the effort to do good to others P A clever man without the sease of duty toconstrain him is only the more dangerous scoundrel. (Hear, hear.) And he will be, moreover, , an unhappy aad discontented scoundrel ; a curse to himself as well as a danger to the commonwealth.' Without religious ihopes. to open out to him the broad horizon of a high life 'and a future world, he will try .to feed": 'his soul on the swine husks ©f sensual plea sure. He will become effemin* ate, idle, luxurious, and cruelly selfish ; at one*' boastful and cowardly, vile and unw-Tthjin life; and a centre of moral contagion to his neighbours. (Applause.) A nation of such meri could not hold together beyond the second er third generation. Hear, hear.) Must it not be evident^ then, that a ; State, which passes beyond its primitive function of restraining the bad to undertake the edu- j cation of its citizens, is bound to aim at 1 creating in them the sense of duty,'ai>d, and; as necessery means to this is bound to give them a religious education ? (Hear, j hear.) . If it does less than this, it does worse than nothing, for it not only fails in its task but hinders others from attempting it. (Applause.) Is it true, then, I j ask you, first, that the creation of the sense of duty is the mam aim of edu-<-ati*n; and* secondly, that you cannot create the sense of duty in a Christian land without teaching the Christian religion'?'i If so, then our Government system of education must necessarily fail of its end. ;In other words, we are spending £600,000 a year, and employing more than 4000 teachers to dp what; is worse than unless— to carry on what is practically a secularist propaganda, all the more hateful and unjust because it is employed te injure the children 6i pro fessihg Christians. Hear, hear.) Do you approve of this employment of your money? Are you satisfied with this waste of your resources ? Answer that question to "your own minds clearly at the outset, for upon the' answer which you give to it will depend your treatment of^ tlif excuses which are advanced to justify" this waste. .If you think as I think upon tie main issue, you will brush aside all those excu*os with more than impatience — with indignant contempt., (Applause,) What validity is there, for instance,- in <h<- excuse (hat the Bibie enpnot be a text-book in our schools, because the whole of it is not suitable for the instruction of children ? Select, I answer, those parts of it which are suitable. Do you ask who,, is to make the selection ? I answer, it has been made by a large and representative body of Protestant minist«rs ; and Ihe selection is printed in the report- of my own evidence before the R<>j r al commission.. If the -Government docs not like selection, then let it make a better. (Hear, hear.) I am sure, the' friends; of religious education will make no difficulties on this. -subject. (Hear.: hear.) What again, shall we say of jinother. common excuse, viz.. — that, undenominational teaching of Scripturs' is p'ossiWe? Wiiy, lam a living proof of the folly and emptiness of such a plea. At meetings throughout my owii; diocese; I am in the habit of giving religious addrf sses based on Scriptural' teaching, and I so ( perfectly succeed in making my teaching undenominational that members of nil communions, including Roman Catholics; come lo hear me, and tell me that I do them tood without offending them. (Cheers ) Now, it is easier to j;ive undrnominstional religious teaching to children than to adults. Nay, I go sn far as %o say that in teaching chil- : dren from holy Scripture it is difficult to be denominational: (Hear, hear.)

(To be Continued.)