"THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS AND THE NEW CENTURY FUND."

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 161, 10 July 1899, Page 2

"THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS AND THE NEW CENTURY FUND."

Th© fcej?vic« Jwst faTeninii1 at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church was ebfldueted by Rev, >Ir GJUiei*, of Tifflaru,. who spoke on the Bible in schools and the Few Century Fund of tfee Preibyteriß.n Church, combining th« two subjects in a very felicitous taauner, eboosingf as his text JerviJl, 9, %tho they have rejected the word of the Lord, and. what wisdom is 1R them," The reverend, gentleman gEijcj the Prophet's words voiced well hew the. matter was in this polony at present with respect to the Bible in uphooJs* It should, however, be understood that the Bible w«j never excluded by the people generally, but by the Legislature, through the intrigues of politicians and an the gry that it was not fair to certain, see.tioiiß of the community. Previous to the Act Pf 1877 the Bible had been read without objection from the pecu pk> of the colony, and he hoped it would be soon reinstated again. The rejection of this Book was unwise, as it constituted a treasury of wi'aflora, giving advice as to land laws, sanitation, charitable aid, education, and other secular affairs, as well as relating te religion. Politicians had a great deal to say about the wealth and wealth producing power of New Zealand, bufc the true wealth of a country was ever found in the people »nd their character, and a. nation's life, like a man's, consisted not in the Bbup^ftuce of thing* poaiepped, The Inutitutioßß which more directly went to the production of true wealth were school! and. churches. Expenditure la tb« way of making schoole truly iefßeiient watj never money Joet, but their efficiency had been very much warred by deluding' the Bible from them, which was an instrument for making *o.d moulding character, Today in the schools while the inteHee< *p.al and emotional nature was trained, the religious and moral was very much neglected, A trinity of evils had to be deplored in the colony— 4n}Bk«Bneep, gambling, and iinpur, Hy t and in tracing the relationship between the absence of the Bible in §ehoola and these, the preacher (said that, while the classics, in which «vilß were glowingrly and enticingly, described, werii placed in the bands of our youth, the Bible, which spoke plainly but ever in a way to warn against (hew, was ignored. Churches, too, were character producers. jSvpn ac buildjnge they constituted, a, gUent testimony to all that wins gpoa jn any community, In districts where there was no church the ehwaoter of the people was inclined to deteriorate, hence the necessity of providing1 ordinances jo every new community. The approach of a new century was a calf to every section of thp Ghureh to renewed energy, end in the Presbyterian it was sought ta raise £16,000 as a New Century Fund to help forward the erection of ehijwsk.es in country districts by providing money on small interest, and otherwise helping sparsely populated dtetriota. Two and a Jialf years was the time allotted, for payment of contributions, and all were i earnestly invited tot subscribe. Mr Gillies met the minister and offieebeairrs aft«r the service relative to the interest* ef the fund.