THE BIBLE IN THE NATIONAL SCHOOLS.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3151, 25 March 1879, Page 2

THE BIBLE IN THE NATIONAL SCHOOLS.

The Synod of the Presbyterian Church at its last meeting adopted the resolftloii :r —"To avail itself of all conetitutioial means for moving Parliament to sanction the use of the Lord's Prayer and the reading of the Scriptures; under a timetable and a oonscience'Clause, in th#<^ schools." The following petition to bbmf Houses of Parliament was adopted by toe Committee of Synod appointed to 'carry out its resolution; It states jrery,clearly the ground on which: the Legislature may be moved to sanction the reading.ojTth.e Scriptures in the jmblw ichooli:~ ;^ To the Honorable the Speakar and Mea)i«n ■ of the LegislativeCouncilof NewZea* land, in Parliament assembled t 'J " The Petition of the undenigiiedOffice- ' ' bearer*; Members, and Adherent* of the Presbyterian Church of Otago . and Sputhland I reMdMtin,, t ,,v«»«i That your Petitioners, while gratified with the establißßMeiiafqfc Natfrtal Sy.tem of Education in New Zealand, and desirous 4hat » it abold be mainUiaed, are Rtrobjjj obnvinoed ~ that the Want of provision' for"the reading of the Bible in the SoboqltTterioualy. ia^pAirn r ,itf efficiency, and has already given rite . r iliesatigfaotion^in tbe community!': l r ',Tj3 t ;.'4 ; Tfia^under the 1 operation of W*'(^&jj^ a STstem in Yictona, as testified by^.^e^aVfrn;': tnent Inspector of School, jji Ba^nit. thou^' ° sands of the youtk in that Colony grow up in '' ignoranceof the Bible; anl there is reason Co believe that,« sioiilar result .wbt^ld appear io some: parti of this Colony, if the prewnt system were continued. , ,__ __, _ _ That, unless tbe young are made acquainted with the Bible, they will be unable to under* stand many of the expressions and allusions which pervade a large part of English Liter** ture, and will be ignorant of some of the most important passages of. the; SSstory of ' the World. That tbe exclusion of the Bible from the Common Schools of the Colony appears to Your Petitioners to catt dishonor on the Bible, which they regard as the Word of God unfolding the ,supreme-<rule trf Duty< an 4-m fitted to promote the Highest Interest of" ; M»n. . r ,, n , ., frT • X ; That Your Petitioners are of opinion that the. adoption of the principle of the Oenpm* inalional System, in any formvis unnebeßiki-f; H inefficient, and expensive; and, if introduced, will tend to the speedy breaking up of the National System of Education. ! That Your Petitioners are stropfly eon* ' vinced that the interetts of all parties'will'be I promoted, and the stability of the National' System secured, by a olaase being added to"' 1 the Education Act providing' for the daily 1 s1 use of the Lord's Prater and the RekdioiMrV of tbe Bible in the Public Schools, withtb#M stipulation of a Time-table and • Conscience Clause. . . ■■-" ■'■. '-; ';/1 ■;;i--i That the great and general satislaetlen afforded by the operation of a system of <this V character in Otago and Southland 4uring many years; the, testimony) borne regarding the schools of the London: Sohoolßpcu^d,-(a which the reading of the Bible obtains, tolhe: effect that the number of children withdrawa during the Bible reading averages only one in four thousand pupils : and the desire,now expressed in many parts of this -Colony. •> present the strongest- guarantee that ibe , re- * ' introduction of the Bible, into the Publio Schools throughout TSleir Zealand will; pro* mote the efficiency and stability of thY ' NaMpnal System, and confer the behest "I benefit on the community. , ,'■ ,"' * ' '■ May,it therefore please Yoar Houourable House to take, the premises into. Your con* >■ sideration, and to adopt such measures as in ( Your wisdom may seem fit to secuie the use Bible in the Oommofa^obli '&*'* And Yonr Petitioners, as in d»ty bound, will ever pray. \ ' . ' ;"' .:i;i '; ;.« *•'■■■;•'_" »-w