CATHEDRAL GUILD.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1257, 29 March 1878, Page 3

CATHEDRAL GUILD.

There was a general meeting of the Cathedral Guild held last night in the College library. The proceedings were presided over by the Very Rev. the Dean of Christchurch, and commenced by tho singing of the hymn “ Angel voices ever singing ” and by prayer. The Chairman reported the resignation by the Eev. S. F. Clinton 'of the office of secretary, and stated that the committee had passed a vote of thanks to that gentleman, and also recommended the appointment of Mr Walter Bentley as his successor. The meeting confirmed the vote of thanks, and appointed Mr Bentley to the secretaryship. The Chairman reported that the work of the Cathedral was progressing, and that the commission had ordered two more columns and arches to be made, which would make the portion available for temporary use larger by one hay than had been at first intended. The Guild choir, accompanied by Mr Parker on the harmonium, then sang the “ Kyrie ” of Mozart’s 12th Mass to English words, after which the Rev. H. C. M. Watson delivered some remarks on education and the new Education Bill. He prefaced his remarks by stating that he had been called upon at almost a moment’s notice, and regretted that he had not declined the honor. He quoted from the Bishop of Melbourne a saying that the idea of State education was of modern growth. This burden had fallen upon the State through the neglect or inability of parents. Children could not be without edu- i cation in a certain sense. The powers of tho body must be developed more or less, but those of the soul needed also educating. Developing the individual character was not the only work of education, it developed also a genius in the whole nation which benefited the community at largo, As an illustration of this Ruskin was quoted on the necessity of instructing all in drawing and then selecting the more gifted for further education in or t The new Education Bill provided for firstclass schools throughout the colony, and established an improved system of education. What was needed was the establishment of secondary schools which should pass on the best scholars of the primary schools to the University. But there was one blot upon the system; it entirely failed to educate the heart. The best and highest instrument for educating the heart was the Bible. He regretted to have noticed that clergymen, even in the General Synod, had declared their preference for the exclusion of the Bible rather than that it should be taught by the teachers or simply read there. The striking out of the religious clauses of the Act was an unstatesmanlike act, for Christianity was the highest form of civilisation, if nothing more. Dr. Dollinger had said that the greatness, purity, and freedom of Britain were due to the open Bible in her thousands of cottages. Professor Huxley, Matthew Arnold, and others, had spoken of the Scriptures as writings which had tho highest effect upon the heart. Theodore Parker, a thorough-going Socinian, speaking of the words of Christ, called them the “ breath of the good,” which purified our idea of purity, revealed to us the presence of God, and without which nothing hut the cold bleak world would be left to us. As no provision had been made in the State schools for the teaching of religion, children would be brought up without religion, Tho two great systems of religion were the Catholic and the Protestant. Statistics had shown that five criminals were drawn from the Catholic portion of the population to one from the Protestant. This was due to the difference in the systems of education. It was useless to say that the Churches should furnish the religious instruction. As far as the State was concerned, the Churches were private societies. The conscience clause should have been left in the Bill. But the Roman Catholics had agitated for the striking out of the Bible, and they had succeeded in getting the Bill made what it is. This, however, had not conciliated the Roman Catholics, while it made the educational system extremely distasteful to many Protestants. The result would be an agitation for the establishment of denominational schools. He would have been content with the Education Bill had tho conscience clause been maintained, but without that clause he would agitate for a denominational system. This being a question affecting the morality of the people, clergymen were entitled to use their influence upon politics to ensure a national system of education, from which religion should not be excluded. It was useless to say that many could afford to have their children educated where religion would be taught, for those children when they went out into the world would be brought into contact with, and be influenced by, men who had been educated without religion. Ho thought tho laity would support the clergy in such an agitation as that which he had alluded to.

Mr Watson was applauded at the conclusion of his address. The Chairman invited discussion upon the views which had been given utterance to by Mr Watson, No one responding to the invitation, The Chairman himself referred to the remark made by Mr Watson, as to some of the members of the General Synod having objected to the Bible being merely a text book. He had been one who had expressed that objection. The reading of the Bible under a teacher who was not a believer was a sham, and would lead to profanity. li was from a feeling of the importance of Bible reading as a means of edification that he had objected to its being irreverently read. The Bible alone could not educate, “ but man w r as taught by man.” The General Synod wished for provision to be made for ministers of religion being allowed certain hours for the purpose of teaching religion in the schools. This was for scattered districts ; in the more populous districts, the Synod wished that there should be provision made for subsidising denominational schools. Archdeacon Dudley thought it was very much the fault of the clergy if the Bible was not read in the district schools. Ho mentioned several schools in which the first hour was occupied in prayer and Bible reading. The committees would, as a rule, willingly allow religious instruction. The Bible was a living word, and would have an influence in after life if even read, perhaps with but little attention, in youth. With regard to the opposition of the Roman Catholics, their object was the obtaining aid for their school!!!, not the ousting of the Bible from the

national schools'. Mr Bowen had expressed surprise that the Jews should have qbjected to the Lord’s Prayer, in which no mention of Jesus Christ is made. Had it been put to them properly he (Archdeacon Dudley) did not think that they would have objected. The Rov. Mr Bowen agreed withj the last speaker that the Education Bill would work better than was at first expected. It might he found even preferable to the old Provincial Act. For his own part, ho went into the school in his own district at 9 o’clock, and not merely read the Bible, but explained it to the children. The secular teaching began at half-past nine. Ho thought that in this or some other way the religious difficulty might be met. The Chairman was glad that Mr Watson’s paper had led to the discussion which had taken place. lie might say that the Bishop, before his departure for England, intended to call a meeting of the clergy for the purpose of devising the best means of securing religious instruction in the schools. The choir then sung the “ Qui tollis ” and the opening movement of the “ Gloria ” of Mozart’s 12th Mass to English words. The Rev, F. A. Hare then gave a reading from Schiller, and was applauded at its conclusion, The choir next sang the “Benedictus ” and “ Dona nobis ” of Mozart’s 12th Mass to English words. Votes of thanks were returned to Messrs Watson, Hare, and Parker, and to the choir, after which the meeting closed with a hymn and prayer in the usual form.