RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION -FOR CHILDREN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 40, 15 February 1894, Page 2

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION -FOR CHILDREN.

DISCUSSED- AT THE CONGREGA.

TIONAL UNION.

Yesterday afternoon ab the meeting of the Congregational Union, in the Beresfordv street Church, the Rev. H. J. Lewis, of Gore, read an interesting paper on " lhe Best MeSns of Securing Religious Instruction for the Children of the Colony Without Incurring the Perils of Denominationalism." The reverend, gentlemen was seleoted at the last meeting of the Union in Christchurch to prepare papers, on the subject in conjunction with the Rev. W. Saunder3 (of Otago), but the last named gentleman was unable to be present to read his paper, arid . previous to •Mr Lewia deliveringthe contents.of the paper he had prepuved, he apologised for the absence of Che Rev. Mr launders. There was a good attendance to hear the Rev. Mr Lewis's paper, among those present being a number of ladies. Proceedings commenced with special prayer',, ottered up by the Rev. G. A. Lyon. ' ' , Mr Lewis commensed by statlng-that the question, "How ought religious education to be conducted ?". run.up into the large question —"What is religious education?" lie thought that, it was something more thau mere imparting of Biblical information. A child might. know the . whole, of the Bible without possessing a particle of real religious education, and the real worth' of the edudabion depended nob on what waa put into a child, bub w-hab was drawn out of him or her. Religious education was something infinitely higher than the mere formal recognition of the existence and the authority of the Deity. The question arose where is the education to be imparted, and the simplest answer was, in tho State schools. There they had the machinery to do the work, and the material on which ib is to work, brought together as they could be nowhere else. There they also had teachers and scholars face to face. Many conscientious Christian clergymen and" Christian parents might be in favour of the introduction of the Bible in schools, but the majority of the people were indifferent to ib, and tho overwhelming majority of their statesmen were dead against it. Tho press of the colony, he believed, were practically unanimousin their opposition to any interference with the . present system of secular education, and that unanimity only voiced the widespread, deeply-rooted suspicion the people of this colony entertained of any attempt on the part of ecclesiasticism to touch the nati6nal system of education with oven its little fingor. That opposition was a factor in the.solution of the problem they could nob afford to ignore, and it meant that directly, they attempted to push religious education whero thare was little or no sympathy thoy would raise a controversy which would bs fatal to its succe-s. The stamping of religious education with the imprimatur of the State was far more Ukely to excite a revolt against the authority of the Bible than to create respect for it. The mere teaching of the Bible or of a text book containing selections from the Bible would never content the sacerdotal party, for ib always had been, and always would be regarded by them as a stepping stone towards the recovery of the State schools by the clergy. The best teacher of the Bible any child could have was a godly father or mother. The father of the family was its true high priost, and until they had taught the father to take his proper place Bhould they ever solve the problem of the religious education of the children? He had no cub and dried echeme to oiler, but tho religious destitution in which the children of the colony were growing up ought not to be. Tho religious education ot the children must be the work of thccwhole-Church: It was not a clergyman's question, bub a Christian question. Mr Lewis concluded hia paper by suggesting that by way of a start all Christians in one town who wore in favour of religious education should meet together for initial prayer, call for a band of volunteers to be divided into two brigades, a staff of teachers to go round from house to house soliciting the sympathy and cooperation of parents in the work of giving the children three half-hours of religious instruction every week at such time and place aB should be for the greatest good of the greatest number, and that the teachers should instruct the children gabhered together. There was only one of two systems poesible—Denominationalism or Secularism, There were difficulties in the way of voluntary effort, but there had been difficulties in tho way of all great works and they must be overcome, and they could be overcome without Sute aid.

A long discussion followed tho reading of the paper. The Rev. C. H. Bradbury (of Wellington) condemned Sunday-school work as it was done at present. He urged that parents should impart religious instruction to their children at home as it was their duty.

Mr Tudehope endorsed the sentiments expressed in the paper. If the Sundayschool were faulty much of it was due to the clergy and the Churches. It was from the Church that the teachers were secured, and if they were poor teachers they were samples of the work of ministers. Christian parents should attend to the instruction of their children, and should nob entrust the* work to others. He thought that the great work of tho Church was to attend to those children who had not godly parents to whom they could look for teaching. Mr George Fowlda advocated moral teaching in tho public schools, bub he would nob have that done by introducing the Bible there.

Mr Meadowcrofb urged ths»b parents should co-operate with the Sunday-echool ceachers in imparting to youth a knowledfee of the Scriptures. Mrs Captain Daldy also spoke. She advocated a systematic visitation of all homes in the city for the purpqse of teaching Bible truth, and commended such a scheme to the favourable notice of the Council.

Rev. H. W. J. Miller strongly opposed any change in our present system of education, '

The Rev, F. Seth Smith spoke in favour of the introduction of the Bible into tho schools.

The Rev. Robert Dey (of Sydney) explained the system of religious instruction in the schools in New South 'Wales. He said that two hours a week were allowed ministers sor instruction, and ministers of all denominations availed themselves of the opportunity to teach the scholars. Cardinal Moran had expressed his approval and that of the Church he represented with the system, and he (Mr Dey) regarded the State education question a8 practically settled in N/ew'South Wales.

The Rev. G. R. Glasson (of South Australia) also spoke. He thought it waß tho work of the Church, and the Church alone, to teach religion. -- - — - - ,-. _ - Several others also epoke, and the Rev. Lewis replied. The discussion was then adjourned.