Dr. Laishley, upon Religion in Primary Schools.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 305, 22 December 1894, Page 2

Dr. Laishley, upon Religion in Primary Schools.

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rpflrFf-tanaiL appeared in the, Stab SitkC Skmevts of tfisth, and 15th, instants, respectively.)

Wnz whole of Inspector Fitch!* article, is, gsvfersrss w£M§m alabVofiiliy of very special study. For in those countries, religion «>.. Asa "eatery tfchobla, *itb/protect.On for near y Sfo D «f^ and is *h ß p»WsdbgJ in acb"doTtrfogVduiMea: and it is; worthy of S Sn&deratiop, whether the^ational SglhVaJvJgOur, there dx£ nob argeiy atttfWitable to these circTimsbances ?_- . Indeed, nobwitbstanding boat in.rejiftwM m S Jri Germany, we find the feature Of tells us that, in bhoso subjects,.the German pe|feW th'emWves to be J*** jj» " StffiottaA' the highest inbelloc J^ 1 °f"" c: But a great reform .generally require aoSoiily;intense effort, bub, otherwise, been "ißor* knowledge cornea, bujc^wiadbm lini&W; "iM faitih - faaafcie faith-^-once wetftfed fast to some dear falsehood, hugs ib to.the. last: so that the story \oHhe pio'uf Bi-ahmin, aft fold'by Macaulay, liabor. Blly^s'ug'g^sbs- tMtf.: ■ (See' Essays, etc., bit'isor" expfirionce, 1 know well, tb^U fed (Jtfnicfentiously advodabo here a system,, whereby instruction l\ religion, milnFßd jnelu-ded In the syllabus of our pubifff printer f schools, involves nob Only arduous labour, bub bitter eelf-sacnnce : including-' pronrfuneed unpopularity. . FbHastf as a person is -considered to be agreeable, if, he ag'rfida with you, so ia he deIHM "to" be di^greeable, U he disagrees witr you : and ib wOuld, indeed, be very poqr consolation for the unpopular man, if he vwere' drily comforted by the Spanish pr'd^rb^' N6'.pne ( ever polta a tree unless * §'dSfl!?whaS is needed to make public opte, is men; who worship honor, not hoh'6rs: rmen; who do nob Cairo a straw for public opinioni'. .-...-• , •, for'amaii truly, worthy of bho name, Du|bC:noi:>; trouble himself with what people bhinfe' about him. 1 AiGrejnllo wrjtes— , •ffeirat. thing isfobein the right.,to do ao'ffitfg unfaecomfiiß. or unjustj bttt i«thnfi:ht va&Vtofrfclf. clearly dtt your side, to be as ilrm as a rook." • ;

lfr is, thereWrei gratifying to observe* thtftfOnr-present Governor* irrespectiveor piiblte opinion here, Has nob followed the popular fashion of disregarding Gods injufffeSfdri'-^ 1 Thflu shalb nob follow a mnlt> tudr#-; td< do- evil,' but unmistakeably ddela-rtdbis viewa. on the occasion of presenting lasfiDeeenibdr, the prizes ab Christ a CoS'dge1;' C^rttefbai'y. to? he then stated th'titb'6' bas" * a very 'strong opinion as to the abspfyise''tiecessity of bridging together teligioo'B^ and secular, teaching.' By reason of the ignorance, and unprincipled •sSlf^e'e'kftfg'toadyistti to' popularity, oil the part of the overwhelming maibrity Of Our politicians, life here,,unless radical reforms be speedily initiated, proiaisea,.to be, at no very distant date, a fair fof&iaW of hell: whereas the only consideration which should influence public m'ttf; is'nob What will merely, temporarily, please (Which is oftentimes something worsef thin t brummagen),v latt't'whStr Is true ;' and tb^eioti what will tend to render the iifeVoJ the people, permanently, happy. ' ®c*if • Kappimeaa- is the only good :< and tb* only'w&yfd bo ffdfffpyViVW'inake dbhora i'eoiHv ,; , ■ ■■••• '"■'■'■ ■ ' '." f ; iyd6eclr wftatf ■ Use aro wa more than artJritfalß,-'wbirt: do vre "live for, what satis\fadtitfti1 fa ,'thcJi'o'ln Kvfng—unless it be to add'to the happiness of dfchtirg ?' .. Success, pfcherwisd, is, 'verily, a melanch^dcrhievetaeht1: and.'ina^mtfch as uiy reiJitmtoefidatibris appear tcf the (as Iri 1886), stiHi^^'wisesft thdt' I know, of, for1 the ptirpew*«f ■ ittei*6asin^ the' permcfnenb1 happinewr: of "tfte- Ctfmniniiit'y, throagh f State educabipnal channels, I do nob h'esifciito td «//^t'ijfr^e-'(!Beiir adbp^ ; i6'n.: . ' Sif&reoHrefr/ 2 alscn urga;' that if my -recdijlm^rtdaHcin, fh respecb of deridminatidia! dftl{ be* refected, that then, as adisfterirtrtiivte, 1 the ' ayafceni in operational! parts of Canada, of proportional exemption: froSb'fiaiatidn' (ks miatitHJhed in niy fieport, p.^fiTffo'otno'efr-c), should be weighed—a Bytb«ifl"#Mch a^rßpresienfiative conference of^ti^BiblisiirSahdofsL'CagtJflin Victoria, cottsra^red dhotfld be the remedy. ' (See1 also aiy Report, p 87, foob note 6, how in th^ißlinitoba'^sygteto', fridtiotrr afld dia6^^ment^ hartf'been avoided.)tff vgiVel'eff6eb to my Religious I^focfcibflprbpdsitfdnS-^Ldcail Option, and De^dmin'tiMOnal Aid—they! musb be made teg^tfuSstion'S-af all General Assembly elections, until the end be attained. Peairiitttey a:! Rflligfouef- Ihrtfuction In .Scwdlf-' lieaguey sbotaM'*. be forthwith foj^farf r-affd azealflus sarapai^rt promptly infetitUteid1, df press/ polp% sttid platform, exw^ffaliidfiß;''£tMd flf.pariiphletg; ahdr leafletife,«ii3, of course, of prayerß ; conducted 'Tofwoii pledged not (foffoeb Itill success be obtained. , ' . ~. , iMfife(Mßß- w-dnld thereby be speedily ia&Kriid;-.' "-';■ ■- . '■■ ;. • " ■ i 'Bfiif 'urttff -tKrenV noli- merdly ; the ' well-lie:}n^»,btfe-even" the safety of the State"— aiW^;:*:tharefore» mrtr happiiiflß?,- ar.o in je^fcsifdyv •'•"'•■ - ■ ' .;'.'..'' To the thtfaghtfctl, the absolute necessitjjifqr the speedy adoption Of my recom' mindtltfons: caribut ber apparent. Indeed, ibjll c&eerntg to observe that the Auckland wUt^ijt District Synod;' in its juab con • , cl«d%ds^sßrotr, recognised that there were g^pund'fl forfeariisg that, in a large measure, tTO^tivenil'e drime in our midst, id attributiafil'eto the absence otrelig^ious instruction' irf/our'Stafce schools:1' /' 'It'ls only too evident on all sides', that ttt^tfdtpptfon of some such recommendation »||rfftfd, ii indispensable; for' such ad optida'■•'tiutst reaulß ttofe only in the exercjee of abstract justice in'this matter—as nearly aSfJ^jatßatSfi jriStjc!* cain bo* attaiired by in^lfeipfocS humattiby^bub otherwise, rieceses^fly, in viral benefit to the State: and tfti|)eißon—'howe-ver iflsighificant he" may ; oißWwlsff, be—who ia the instrntnerit'ifl elilu»iffg*&eiir adoption 4, May nob anly well nayl —' Exerfi htdrrUmentUfn,' we p&rennius' — but aaay feel the rare f and I substantial, joy of nob having lived in vain. j^Che intirmity: of humai*, efforb may, ,hpw«ver,^ yet delay, the, triumph of righteoasnasSiin State.education. , ./■^Eratf the triumph of rightaoueneas, ia, of ,/ epffift, ijltimaliely, inevitable: and even, if iWffi We're no other ground of hate. State as cdnducfied here; "must, by Teason alone of its godlessnesff, hi Anathema Jlafctn-athu. ' ■■~-■' ■ ' ' .-■- ,v"-* -• ■■ ■>- ■ .

;f#irs-adißtincb- exeepfcioir to^the applica-' biti^olEochefoucHuld'a-jmaxirn-i.! Lorsqu? on n a pas cc que I', ouavaxQi il fautr aimer ca^e.l' go i t ' <~«,' ~, -. ..,' ■ ■ !*|n«je^»even were thereno divine feature ofei;^Jste6usnesa. in issue, It is" consdla'tdt'y^ anH|^afe,.to temomber that, in accordance wij)j|. i otIher ordained'laws, and, as Queen W|^«'are|., of", ? Navarre, writes in . her, •^gtaiifleron:^>.' no fortress wae ever well aoKc^dnbub.w.as taken at laat'.f" To Bbneab 'devoteeß,. thereforaj; 1 say, like.rrivy Councino^Eßmarach Of'lLieU.' Bo"ot E4od, .cnutage,. in your attack on deep-; •a^tpcl piqoj,u,d.ice?,, ay en. if. our. descend anta; tfiStif"eeß' tne'fivafc'.fruit's* ofi^: and—in

addition to directly influencing the com-munity-Aiake cflre to pefpebuallf remind your politicians, thab when the people are against a righteous alteration of tbe law, id la"their duty, not to obey public opinion, bat to mould it. . For, as Macaulay puts ib— 'Wo can never admit that a ruler can be justified in holplDg to spread a system of opinions, solely because that system is "leasing tp the majority.' (Essays, etc., 1880. p. m>

The mobto, therefore* of public religiousinstruction reformers should ever^be the Bernhardtian precept-' QUAND MEME : and let it bo remembered tbab ib is ab least within the roach of all Of us bo deserve the glOrioue praise bestowed upon.Mary, the sister of Lazarus—' She hath done what she could.' 11 But, of course, any precepb to have any reasonable prospect of prosporiby, musfc.be applied wibhoub socbional injustice, t or selfishness : and, of course, without obvious improprieby. Moreover, any campaign to succeed—as I pointed out on the 3rd_oiE March.-lash, in the course of 'The Irish Scripture Lesson Book' controversy—musb be; conducted by men who are courageous, well-informed, capable, tolerant, and mindful Of the proprieties1; and who, therefore, of course, do nob ignore The Church of Rome. ii> And yet, amazing fco reflate, the resolution of The Auckland Diocesan Synod of the 22ind of last monbh— •That as a text book, the four volumes of Scripture extracts which were for some years in use in Ireland, and are now used in; Now South Wales, be recommended for use in me Board schools of the colony—-' r ■

shows bhab—even aparb from the sectional injustice, and solnahness, thab such a motion involvos—bhe majority, at leasb, of the Anglican comrtiuniby here would still support) The Irish Scripture Lesson Books, containing the 'grossly improper teachIngs ' thab-1 exposed lasb March. I Indeed, the modb charitable construction that lean pub upon such a resolution, is bhatib is intended merely as a ttiaiivaise plaisanlerie. , ~ Bub, in addition'to the consolation that, hotwithsbanding clerical sophistries, and the yearly, effete, resolutions of bhe Synod, I havo (as I venture to think) aided in effectually precluding the introduction Of these books into the State schools of New Zealand, I am further cheered wibh bhe recollection of fcho following charming libtle anecdote :-~-

• When Tame wrote a hard_ ana sovere portrait of her uncle, the great Napoleon, she (Princess Mathilda) simply put him out of h6r house by sending him a formal card, with the letters P P.O.* .'Tame' mourned tho end of their long 1 ]■ Biifc° what would VOiV have done in toy place? she inquired sadly of Kenan, another friend of the house. ■ ' * ""My dear Tame. answered the author 01 tho "Life of Jcsns." "I have, for the sake of What I think truth, quarrelled with a much greater lady than all Hie princeaseson earth : 1 haVo quarrelled with Tho Church.

:My duty is, again, done. . -, ■■ | For, again, I have diagnosed our educational cancer: and, again, prescribed the remedy. Like Bacdn,-1 say—' Read nob to contradict and refute, nor ft> believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discuss, bub to weigh and consider.1 {Sic. Cogitabi.) : Incalculable mischief has already occurred : but a cure is yd practicable' for us —although, possibly, nob for France. The issue is with the electors. Or, to apply the figurative words of Junius—'l have bound the victim, and dragged him to the altar.' lto iB for the ele.ctora to exercise the powers of a sacrificing priest. "If they again neglect to do their duty to God, and to the colony, . and therefore to themselves, I shall have had ab lea'sb one consolation left—that I have nob failed to repeatodly, and boldly, warn bhem of their danger, and of their obligation and, in default, of their fate. . Such is my offering—bucli my alabaster box of ointment: and I venture bo, humbly, cherish .the.bone that it .may be^Ba,id_— lie hath d&tie'tb'hat'he could;

Of course, I fully expect that bhere will be those who will again endeavour to mislead : by again sneering ab my reasoning* a& fallacious; and at? my conclusions as Utopian. Bub for that I care nothing: because lam satisfied • tha6 there Is* still a period of good sense in this colony, which cannot much longer, be deceived by the arbs either of false reasoning, or false patriotism.1 R. LaiskceY, junr. November130 th, 1894.

'DuriMg the last' few days.l have received from The Public Instruction Departriientof The Canton of Berne, the latest report of their educational systdm fot the scholastic year i 893-1894. In it occurs the reports of the inspectors of the primary schools, including: their report on the subject of Biblical history; and also the report of the inspector of the secondary schools, wnicli contains the fallowing1 very interesting paragraph, under the heading of' Religion f-* •Cette branche, gui est souvent.une pomtne de discorde. parmi les differentes confessions, produit generalementune bonne impression but fesr sieves, pavce qu'clle est generalementde' ponillee de I'cnseignment dogniatique. dont on ne doit pas occuper les enfants. L'indlfference. dune part, e't la lame, d'autrc part, sont quemmentlacoflsequencedel'cnseignmentnogmatiqiie;. donl Io but n'estpas toujoursd inspirer Thuroilite cbretionnc. et dea sentiments Chretiens.' ,-, jt. "In addition to the facts already adduced by me in Parti, of the article, the data cited by Sir John Lubbock, in his recent address before The Sociological Congress in Paris, dealing with the effect in England of education upon crime, are" worthy of most serious attention. The 'New Zealand Herald' of the 15th. inatant states, in respect of the address, that since the Act of 1870 the number of children in English schools has increased from 1,500,000 to 5,000 000. and the number of persons in prison haa fallen from 12,000 to 5.000. The yearly average of persons sentenced fd penal servitude for the worst crimes has declined from 3,000 td 800. while juvenile offenders have fallen from •14 000 to 5.000. Sir John Lubboch sees in" these' figures a confirmation of Victor Hugo a Baying that 'he who opens a school Vloaes a prison.' In France, according to the 'Temps,' criminal statistics and_ thd statements of magistrates showjthat aa schools have been opened prisons have been filled, ana the diffusion of education has been accompanied, apparently, with increase of crime, flnd especially of juvenile crime. In attempting to account for this phenomenon, the 'Temps points out that in France, under the Republic, education is simply intellectual instruction. In i ETfiKlaha there is not only instruction", but training. Moral and religious influences are Drought to bear upon the children. The French press of to-day cannot certainly be accused of excessive religious zeal, and such testimony as that of the 'Temps' ought not to be ignored by thoso who are responsible for the instruction imparted in the publio schools of New Zealand.