BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 26 February 1913, Page 2

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

INFLUENCE OF BIBLE TEACHING.

TO THE EDITOK. Sir,—l shall be pleased if you can , spare me space for the insertion of a 3 letter in reference to one in your last I weeks issue from Mokai, I have 1 missed previous correspondence on I the subject of Bible in Schools, and r therefor will write independent of what I has gone before. I do not wish to > say much about it, as lam not in en-. > tire sympathy with the movement ) although 1 do not antagonise it. ; esteem much, those who are prompt ) ing Bible teaching in schools, and much admire their splendid motive, 1 namely to instruct our children in the 1 paths, of .righteousness, but I cannot 9 fully appreciate the methods they pro* 3 pose to adopt. 1 think the scriptures' show a more excellent way, and this 1 much I will say, let us have more j pure Bible teaching in the Church, i and less creeds, formularies and theologies, let lis get the Bible read in Mhe homes and it will soon find its ■way into the hearts of parents, teachBars, scholars, and thence into schools, ■office and workshop. B It saddens me to read Mr Hoppers Hpnfession of false impressions reHjeived during earlier years, and I ■jaieerely trust that in later years were effaced and replaced by a knowledge" of the sublime teachHtor? of Christ Jesus and the Word as whole, although alas: his letter B>eß hot give me much ground for a hope. To me there is nothing ambiguous in the passage he : Christ forsaw the necessity of Hkacting and rigid conditions of disif he was to accomplish the task he had set himself ; namely creation, a new heavens and wherih dwelleth righteousness, forsaw bitter persecution, fierce and intense sufferings, face of which to be His follower demand deep conviction and affection for himself and his A love, high, noble, pure, Hbting, strong as death, and contrast■»with which earthly eff ections dwarf ' insignificance and become nil. that the earthly effections are to destroyed, but they are to be and. Jesua figuratively nomin■jfces them as " hate " compared to the Hpve and attachment essential in his Bjbwers. This saying read in its con■bxt and in the light of the rest of Bur Lords teaching f cannot be mis■understood, and I am sure the multw■hides that heard him saw the meaning ■else they would not have lacked witPnesses against Him when the pharisees ?' were trying so hard to convict Him at his trial. But I need not say more on this point, I have heard of people going blackberryiag and getting more thorns than fruit, and it surprises me why people gather so many thorns and leave all the roses in such a beautiful garden as the Bible : why eo many go away with " witfs " rather than the sweet aroma of the flowers of Grace. I sometimes feel a Jittle impatient and angry with those, people who will persist in wresting scripture jewels from their setting and falsefying them, and the person (if any) who is responsible for the wrong impressions Mr Hopper received, is especU ally guilty in this respect. That anyone should be taught from 1 John 2.14 , that ' our affections must not be placed on even the worthiest objects that this world contains " is ridiculous . and intimates a lack of ordinary common sense or else wicked wilful per* version. The objects of the world we are enjoined not to love, are defined is the next verse (15) as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the vainglory of life. It is the cor* rupt social system, with its pomp and sin we must not love and from which we must keep ourselves unspotted (James 1 27); to be friendly with and partakers of the pleasures and eins ot the unbelieving world who are op posed to God and righteousness is to make onrselves an enemy of God (James 4 4;. On the other hand the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof and it is He « who has given us richly all things to enjoy, a £ d as tor setting our affections O n the worthiest things in this earth-iife we are exorted plainly. in Phil 5,8. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever thmga- are honourable just, . i ovelv? if there -^ • . praise, thmk on these things." rt^ifiT^ 8* 01"1011*'8 infewnce that the.Bible hai, and still has a bad, ml fluence for character, is emphaticallv wrong, the opposite is true and I can prove it from personal experience and always wiUthaUhotSusß^* of the sacred volume »U1 make better nusoancls. Daniel Webster iho great Americau rtatesm^, '■ If we I Uid not Dickens in his will " aichnrt my dear children humhl T to try and guide themselves bv teachm^s If the New Testament." Even Prof Huxley a whSF 08*"?1^ " Tak6 the Bible « wh h * mak^ Q So^esfc deductions which fair criticisms can dictate.;..

andthere still .remains in this, old literature a vast residuum of moral beauty and grandeur." Russeau alter a most touching; reference to Christ, says "Peruse the books of philosophers with all their pornp of diction. How meagre, how contemptible are they when compared with the Scriptures ! The majesty of the Scriptures strike me with admiration." Napoleon Bonaparte ends a long tribute to Jesus Christ, and Bible thus " Even the impious themselves have never dared to deny the .sublimity of the Gospel, which inspires them with a sort of compulsory veneration." More remarkable still are the words of Renan, the first man of letters in Europe in his days, who although a professed atheist •wiote of Christ, " He is the incompar- , **$ble man t© whom the universal conk|J science has decreed the title of Son of "V(Jod, and that with justice. Repose now in Thy glory, noble founder ! Thy •work is finished, thy divinity established .... Complete conqueror of death, take possession of thy kingdom, whither shall follow thee ages of adoring worshippers. Whatever may be the surprise of the future, Jusus will never be surpassed. .. His sufferings ■will melt the noblest hearts, and all ages will proclaim that among the sons of men'there is none born gteat er than Jesus. .. ~ How far removed are. we all from thee, dear Master." Where, I ask, can you find more sublime eulogy than this ; do we need weighty evidences for the ennobling influence^of the Bible thau this, coming as! they do from, .disinterested and . unbiassed men. Ah! listen to the pathetic words of the dying Sir Walter Scott, when asked by his friend Lockheart what book he would ' like him,., to read ; " need you ask " said Sir Walter. " There is but one." At the coronatioe of Edward VI, as the three swords of the state were being borne before him the Young King asked, where was the fourth, sword—the sword of the Spirit? ■whereupon a bible was handed to him, and this has ever sinca iormed a prominent part of the British coronation ceremony. • These are the words of the Archbishop of Canterbury, after the "royal crown had been placed upon the King's brow, and as he presented a Bible to bis majesty, " Our gracious King: we present yon with this book," and lastly do not forget that our late good Queeu "Victoria said that the Bible was " the .secret of England's greatness," These grand testimonies from the heads of the greatest and most glorious Empire this world has ever seen, I place along side the suggestion that the Bible " stifles legitimate ambition, retards studies, inspires most deadly fears." 1 am, etc, Horace W. Milner.