RELIGION AND MORALS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 157, 5 July 1899, Page 2

RELIGION AND MORALS.

DISCUSSION BY THE PRESBYTERY,

A special meeting of the Auckland Presbytery was held yesterday afternoon, to confer upon "the state of religion and morals within its bounds," and to consider "what special means, if any, can be adopted for winning the young to Christ and His Church,' this step being taken in accordance with a recommendation from a Committee of the General Assembly. There were present, Rev. Thos. Norrie, junr., who occupied the Moderator's Chair, and Revs:R. Sommerville, Jas. Milne, H. Kelly, R. P. Macnicol, R. Ferguson, D. J .Steele, McLean, McDonald, T. Norrie, senr., Wylie, W. Gillies (Timaur), and Messrs Entrican and Gray (elders).

The Rev. H. Kelly, convener of the meeting1 ex-officio, said they had come together as ministers to ascertain the cause of the evils prevailing, and to indicate a remedy. He did not think the extraordinary efforts in evangelising accomplished much that was useful and lasting-, but a more earnest and prayerful use of the ordinary means of grace might do much. There was a tendency to high pressure in their spiritual life, and to new methods, but he preferred the old methods. The Rev. Mr Gillies, of Timaru, their visitor, had a practice of issuing a friendly pastoral letter, in an informal way, to his young people, which proved very helpful to him and to the young of his congregation. Dr. Waddel, editor of the "Christian Outlook," took occasion annually to have a week of special services for the young, which had done much good. The Rev. Mr Norrie said some means ought to be devised to get the young people to join the church.

The Rev. R. F. Macnicol said he endeavoured to look after the young in his classes, and from these get his young communicants. Very few of the evangelists who came to Auckland had left lasting results behind them. Here and there a man was found to be adapted to the work, but there were not many of them under whom he would place his children or even his congregation.

Other speakers urged the necessity of family worship, earnest Sunday- : school teachers, and more conscientious parental instruction and control. Rev. Mr Sommerville said that with regard to children outside the pale of the Church, the latter had a large duty before her. He had been told by an officer of justice from the South that the immora-lity among the young in Auckland was worse than ;in the South. At the last session of the Supreme Court the Judge had commented on the fact that many of the prisoners were young men and colonial born. The Church should devise measures of an attractive character, in the way of entertainments, etc., to get the young off the streets, and to check the larrikinism and hoodlumism prevailing. Eventually the following resolution was carried, on the motion of the Eev. Mr Kelly, seconded by Rev. Mr Norrie: "The Presbytery haying conferred upon the state of religion and morals, and the means of winning the young to Christ and to His Church, has no special report to make; is strongly of opinion that more earnest use should be made of the ordinary means of grace, that we should afresh exhort parents to realise their responsibilities for, the spiritual welfare of their children. A good suggestion made is that the minister occasionally write a friendly letter to his young people on the subject of their relation to the Saviour. The Presbytery is of opinion that the Church should give particular attention to the children who are outside of Sunday School influences, and by some systematic and sustained effort endeavour to win them for Christ. The Presbytery calls the attention of the Committee of Religion to the utterances of the Judge of the Supreme Court as to the growth of crime .among our colonial youth, to the proposed curfew legislation, and the advisability of providing reading-rooms and places of recreation for the young." The Presbytery then adjourned to the evening. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. At the evening session of the Presbytery the question of Biblical instruction, in schools came up for discussion. All the speakers were agreed &s to the necessity of such instruction, and various opinions were expressed on the question of the best way of securing what was needed. The Rev. Kelly pointed out that there were two methods open to them, the voluntaiy method, and the national method. The voluntary method had been tried by many ministers, but was not a success* It did not meet the case. They would, therefore, need to fall back on a thorough-going national method in which the religious instruction was not only given in school hours, but given under the supervision of the teachers of the schools. He knew it was asked, "Would you trust teachers?" Yes, he certainly would. The moment the teachers knew that it was the wish of the people of New Zealand that the Bible should be read in the public schools, there was not a teacher would dare to read the lessons otherwise than (reverently. Insinuations were made about the teachers, but he declined to believe them. He knew, perhaps, as many teachers as any member of the Presbytery, and as a body of men and women he could say that many of them would not only be ready but willing to have the Bible read in their schools. But they must prove that the people wanted the Bible. His idea was that the churches must take a plebiscite. That course had been taken in Otago, with an overwhelming majority in favour of the Bible. A plebiscite would have to be taken to prove that they were keenly anxious to have the Bible. >

After a lengthy discussion the following resolution, moved by Rev. Mr Sommerville, was carried unanimously: "The Presbytery, in conference with, the members of the sessions within the bounds, having fully considered the question of taking steps to get the law so changed as' to allow the Bible, guarded by timetable and conscience clause, to be introduced into our national schools, being unanimously of opinion that the moral well-being of the community is seriously retarded by depriving the children of the knowledge which the reading of the Bible gives, resolves to recommend to the Assembly's Committee on Education to take steps to have a Bill introduced into Parliament authorising the taking of a plebiscite of the people on the question of introducing the reading of the Bible into the daily curriculum of otir national schools; or should the committee, in its discretion, think it desirable to take an immediate

plebiscite, the Presbytery recom- \ mens that the co-operation of the other Christian churches to gain the desired end The Presbytery further recommends that the Assembly's Committee take steps to put to every candidate for Parliament at the forthcoming election the question: 'Are you in favour of taking a j plebiscite on the question of the introduction of the Bible into our public > schools?"