ON SECULAR EDUCATION.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 806, 16 August 1877, Page 3

ON SECULAR EDUCATION.

Sib,—Allow me to say that the grea difficulty which stands in the way oft system of secular education is the ad op tion of the free use of the Bible in out > bOmmon schools. We honour the motive! Jr^of those who eontend for the duty oi making the saored scriptures a common Bohool book, but we,., think: that the> labour under a grievous mistake. Why place this rtumbling stone in .the way of those who desire to give their children a good useful educatidfi to fit them foi the business of our ordinary life., :, To a reflecting'mind the' firtt qufst.ion, which presents itself is this : If you make the Bible a common eohool book, wnich Bible it to be ' used — for there are many translations — the Protestant or the Roman Catholic? The Roman Catholic has*a right, to saj "If you must use the Bible as a school book, take our f version, , the Rheima or theiDbuayj whidji jou pleise ; usf our translation and We are content." The!Jewj too, may say, '• I believe in the Old Testament scriptures, and you Christians accept it as a divine revelation ; confine the reading of the Bible to our Book and we are satisfied." The first question to be determined is, Whose Bibie is to be used, and where so many differ who shall decide ? The next question which presents itself to a., .reflective mind is,. What right has the majority to compel, the minority to uoe a translation to which they object? Does it not partake of the nature of per* sedition to qompei disentients to adopt a system which neither their consciences ' nor their understandings approve? I say iheir consciences, because every man' who sincerely believes, not only desires to have his children educated in that' form of faith, »ut be cannot, without scruples or even painful emotion,; yield to the will of others a system which he holds is the truth. 1 say his 'understanding,, because the early teachings of home and of sohool and of religious worship, have confirm d in his mind the oui.viction that he oiuihti to train his children in his own-eatabLehed conviciions. Liberty of conscience is tlie boast of Protestants, and they must coacecle in consistency the right to their neighbours to -judge in matters of faith, hot as their'sjjjbut as other men's consciences. mj)y determine, i Lefc'us ataud /na't, ir|l,pur liberty, but let us not abuse it to, 'wound the* feeliugs of our fellow citizens. It is a fact that the national iystem of educati-jnin Ireland was framed with the uttnoit care, by the British Government to me.t the wants and the wishes of a great population,, yet it has failed. With the most scrupulous'care extracts were made from the Saored Book, and liberal minded priests in the Roman Catholic Church juiucd with equally liberal minded Piotestants to select tbe simplest or sublimesfc portions of God's . Word to the fXblusiod 'of every passage which might produce dissension. The system has heen tried, but' has not sueceeded 'Jhe number of scholars in the Irish national schools has decreased, whilst schools supported, by voluntary contributions, and u.)de«*«tbo direction of . Roman Catholic teachers, have increased. What hope remains that .our, common schools, in which the Bible is used, can., embrace our whole population ? -. If, then, we consider that Christian • men differ so muoh about the use of any known translation., of tbe Bible in our , eohoob, and add to this the difficulty of . satisfying the oonaoiencea of so many< t differing minds, and finally remember , -1)h8t some of the Wiseet and best men in Great Britain have tried to introduce a •ystem calculated to meet every objection and have failed, is it possible in our New Zealand to make the Bible a common . sohool book, and to satisfy the mind of every p-irent who desires to have his children educated.—l am, &c, J. F. M. To Awamutu, August 6th.