SCRIPTURE TEXT BOOK IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9300, 30 December 1895, Page 6

SCRIPTURE TEXT BOOK IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

TO TUB EDITOR.OF THE PI;ESS. SrH,—The above subject has, up to the present time, been treated in many of its aspects, and by a variety of correspondents. All have, I presume, given their testimony for or against the proposed alteration in the laws regulating our State schools. But there was one amongst us whom we knew not, and whose letter appeared in your very libtrnl correjjpndence columns of the

27th. The writer to whom I refer h&e evidently studied the Scriptures very closely, and, as he clearly informs us. with great respect. It does seem a pity that " X A r .Z.' was not of those who paid tribute to Caeaar, i\e in that case hs would have set both Pharisees and Herodians on the right path, without reference to a higher authority. We should consider ourselves fortunate having in our midst such an infallible exponent of Scriptural teaching, as shown in his definition of Rev. >i., xvii., &c. Now, Sir, personally, I have never held with the introduction of the Scriptures into the public schools, and still less with the Text Book. There are, however, some points in "X.Y.Z.'s" letter that do not appear clear to my dull comprehension. He repeats the words of our Saviour, " render to the things, &c, and to God, the things that are God's." Our Lord also gave the following injui.ctioD, "beck ye first the kiugdom of Heaven, and the rest shall be added unto you." Is it Uwful for Governments to legislate on matters appertaining to morality ? or, would this bring them under the " spiritual designation " quoted by him ? I »m extremely anxious to be enlightened. Will "X.Y.Z." also kindly mtorm mc what part of the Scripture it is which teaches, that Bible reiuliug is " Solely a matter between man and God ? In my simplicity, I have been always under the impression that a% man wrote the the Bible he would naturally take some part iv the explanation thereof. That the religions instruction of their offspring should be the aacred duty of their parents, is universally admitted ; but how does " X.Y.Z." propose to overcome this difficulty, where parents are themselves illiterate, or, what is worse, immoral ? He has not been' sufficiently explicit on this point. Anxiously awaiting the information, —I am, &c, A. B.