THE DANGER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 19 December 1912, Page 4

THE DANGER.

The Rev. J. W.Burton, a young Methodist preacher who is well known, in Masterton, in the course of a spirited sermon on the Bible-in-Schools question on Sunday evening last, said :

"It is a thousand pities to emphasise before our children these denominational differences of which all righi-thinging men are growing more and more ashamed. Think what will happen in New Plymouth under this system! Mr Roseveare will go to the Contra! School and say, "Now, all of you little Presbyterians come into this room with me." Mr Colvile will say, "All you little Episcopalians follow me." Mr Hales will cry. "All you little Baptists come with" me." And I shall have to muster up the little Methodists and instruct them separately. Then there will come along a representative from the Salvation Army, one from the Spiritualistic Church, two or three from the various types of Brethren —for each one has equal rights. This canjiot but breed division. We need not fear, I am glad to say, that

our present representatives in New ' Plymouth will take the advantage of this opportunity to inculcate narrow dogmas; but v.- 1 -"it is to prevent a narrow; bigoted High Church curate from outlawing in

the minds of the children all other ■Christian churches? What is to prevent some Ritualistic Baptist from proclaiming that all who have

not "gone under" the water are not part of the body of Christ. What is to prevent a small spirited Methodist from declaring that only men of a certain emotional experience can enter the kingdom, or a rigid Presbyterian from telling his charges that gome are predestined to eternal dnmnn+'on? At anv rate, I do not ifeel inclined to open the door to such possibilities. Let us keep our educational system free from all susmeioii of denominafconalism, and not make our .schools thfl media of sectarian instruction. If churches have some special dogma of their own to inculcate —and they have perfect, freedom so to do —let them make their own arrangements and not ask the State to gather the children for them. I

- know that it is temptation to cerI tain good men, while strongly objecting to tins denominational element, to accept it because of the advantages to be gained through having the Bible taught in the schools. But wa may pay too dearly for that privilege, and personally, I would a thousand times rather see our present system continued than allow the introduction of this element into our school life.' Nor do I believe, if I interpret truly the spirit of our people, that such teaching will be desired by , any considerable section of the 'laity'; it may be dear to the heart of the ecclesiastic; but the soul of 'hum an- ) ity is crving out not for church and dogma, it is hungering for the Word j of God and the Sp'Wt of Jesus Christ. And only these will permanently satisfy its deeper craving."