BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 689, 25 July 1914, Page 7

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

(Published by Arrangement)

SERMON BY THE RIGHT REV. W. SADLIER, BISHOP OF NELSON The Bishop of Nelson preached two eloquent and impressive sermons on the subject of the Bible-in-State-Schools on Sunday last. He said that Parliament was now on its trial, and he demanded courtesy and faith-, fulness to their truat from the membars; some of who had referred £o the subject as "deviltry," and had denounced the Leaguers as fanatics. Tha present Byatem waß not a-tenta-tive one, but had been tried for years and failed. The Bill for a referedum, to allow the people to express an opinion dn the proposed measure, was now before the House, and it behoved them oil not to give out Btrong expressions, but to pray earnestly that their rulers might be guided aright in their deliberations. The proposed measure would in'no way interfere with, or add to, the present syllabus. It merely sunstituted one reading lesson for another; with thu right of entry of authorised persons at a. specified time, not at any hour. The four leading Protestant denominations, this Episcopals, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, ani Salvation Army were all in accord in the matter; and 144,000 electors had signed cards pledging themselves to vote for the measure ar.d asking for the referendum to be granted. If it were refused it would be a terrible check to the Gospel oE Christ in this lsnd, and- the deathknell of the national system. It was strange that the religion of Confuciue, of Mahomet, of Buddhs, of Japan, might be explained to our children, but that of our own race Bhould bs excluded. The had been tried for nearly 50 years in New South Wales and Tasmania,for lesser periods' in Western Australia, Bnd Queensland; in all cf which it had been found to work admirably, and with/excellent results.

Throughout the history of the Church tiers have been many instances of enthusiasts on religious matters. Such people have often been terribly persecuted, and were called fanatics. We now hear it said that they are guilty of "deviltry." The fact of the matter ig, we can be enthusiasts on anything bat religion. For the two years that he had been in this dioeeae, he had never imputed motives to any oppone it, ana had desjred above all things that the truth ehould be brought to light. There was then no need for such terms as bigotry, fanaticism, deviltry; for it was not Christian to indulge in such abuse. The Church cf England, together with the Preebyt irian and Methodist Churches and the Salvation At ray, had come to an a ;reement wilh regard to the teaching of the children in State schools. The questiion they had to decide was not: Have the people the right to determine religious instruction of the child? Bui: Have the people the rijht to determine the education of the child? But these two were inseparable.

For the last twenty months the Bible ! in State Schools League had hail before it a definite Bcheme. The sam 6 scheme had been tested and proved in, most of the Australian States for a great many years. In New South Wales all sorts of . Ministries had been tried; either Liberal, Labour, or a combination of two or mors of thtm, and no Ministry jad ever dared to suggest an alteration of the Act. A thing was either true or not true, and there was no need for abuse. The Act decreed that! selections from the.Bible and Bibli cal history were to b9 read in school, the same as any other lesson. Tfco Bible in State Schools League did not say which version it must be from. One might say that this sectarianism. But thsy - asked for. the same right for all, and all denominations alike.'f,The Roman Catho-: lies and other sects should have. pre-, cisely the sama right that they possessed. This surely was not sectarianism. The well-known conscience . clause, also called a proselytising clause, was drawn up by none ofher than the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin. Under a conscience clause thp. subject of history need not in JSlew; Zealand be taught at all. Their opposition cams from two sources. y (1) The Roman Catholic Church. Tbis had made great sacrifices for its children. It would not have secular education. It was logical in its conclusions, but its justice.failed in one place. The Roman Catholic-Church claims a special State grant for its schools, and because it cannot get this it says, 'We can't get what we want, so you cannot get what you want." (2) The Defence League. On July 3rd, 1910, Joseph McCabe lectured in Wellington on "Sacular Education." He sail, 'Some peopl9 believe that such a person as Jesus Christ did exist!" and other such things As a result of this meeting the Defence League, was formed. Some of its assertions were absolutely false.

The Bill is now before Parliament The result we leave in God's 5 hands. We must thank Him for the magnificent work which Canon Garland has done, in that 144,000 people of th« Dominion have combined together to place the present Bill before the House. It is not the League which shall have the right to deal with thiß, but it is the public men who are put to trial. It is our boasted democracy, and our ideas of common justice which will now be put to the test. We ought to obey God rather than men, and whatever the issue it is the will of God. It is not a time for us to boast, but for earnest prayer for the country, for ourselves, and for our children, and that God will uphold the right.