CHURCH SYNOD PROCEEDINGS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 734, 5 February 1910, Page 13

CHURCH SYNOD PROCEEDINGS.

ii l v.^? h J e ''- Chp^cll? - ln ' ll : c ! an d , was 'disestablished,, or severed- from -the State,-' on :; January.l,-1870./ The'Churbh; being tnenentirely^free'of :Parliameht, : - set about- to govern herself in/all matters-'ahd-though"• ;^ ) ?^^m";a'fam^.o^;•.:waißty ) ■■■,•6n'.:■.the' -whole;/ I-'rthink,;/;diseßtablishment:,'was beneficialr.in.its -results.-',I-/know"the Prayer/Book was -considered by the lav ,members:/gonerally; ,vto/;/ require':: some moderate/ alterations!.'- -What ; they '■ were' I .do. not remember, /but: there'was 'something: done tb-meet'the-'- '.'-the uaity.who/had- a ; vory..able'leader in the person of , Lord James "Butler,--whose scliplarship was hardly .inferior to any of the/Bishops,; and-superior to-that of the average,,clergyman.:■•:There,;are..;as able' men m, the .Irish Church,-' in. every, ; 'way, in/England, or;-elsewhere, and;therefore I take it what/-could be done in /Ireland/could.'-be. done 'in ;New : Zealand,;the';;Church:.being, entirely/free of the' Stateas a/Church;-'-. .::,..:,;■ .For many. "years - th'o 1 Irish 'national schools vhavo existed; and;, from the be-' gmmng,- .had / Scripture, lessons, .compiled, by, representatives' - of- all'/ the Churches,-including, of course; the Roman Catholic, community,' and a'large number of-.Roman Cathplio clergy are "managers" of- the schools, in virtue of /their providing the building; has gone well with them. ./The Scripture ."portions:: are all ;Such/'as are-free of .controversy. ./It has such lessons as are!considered necessary, to inform the ohildreh what the Christian religion../teaches; : and /requires :" to' be .accepted;/and/these/.lessons; count for examination as other subjects count, and, I ;,believe„ apart from land disputes, and the lawlessness that unfortunately follows • them,/ Ireland' is .free,,from; the grosser crimes common'in this country. The fear /of. God "and reverence-for sacred things ■is the atmosphere of 'schools: in Ireland.'' Respect^and/pity for old. age and infirm .people' is a feature of character among: the : very poorest. I cannot but think to omit teaching, the principles of .Christian-, ;ity in;the schools .is practically a national crime, ■ -,'for ■'■ a: large number of ■ children in New Zealand, are neglectbd: by their parents who,; in :many -cases, are unfit, and often too poor, to: spare the time, and too tired after working. I don't , say thev' are ; neglected,by :. all parents,

and I know-the Sunday Sohools help all they can in the short time at their disposal. I remember the late Dean Hovell, at Napier, gave an:, hour in the district school every Monday after sohool hours, and provided liberally .handsome book prizes at Ms,own expense.' Once.he in"tedjie to. assist in the pleasant duty of. distribution- of prizes, under a beautiful willow tree in his pretty lawn; and Mrs. Hovell provided tea. The Dean felt ■Jus reward in the pleasure of the scene, and', his memory/ will live long and his wo l * will be fruitful to the; glory of God in the-place.blessed by his happy ministry, not merely to his own people,' but to all. v I cannot think this, is • purely , a "layman's" question, though they willbo sufferers; but if the law does not permit Christian teaching in school, hours, 1 the Church and the parents should mutually get. over, the difficulty in some way.. If they were really in earnest, they could, vltis the plain: duty of both the Church and the parents, and both'i must suffer for'neglect of so serious a matter.—l am, : r '":'-■■-■ :'-[<: .'■'• ■'■■■'■ '• HIBERNIAN. .Wellington, January 29. ~; 7