BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2326, 7 December 1914, Page 7

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

: * ANNUAL CHURCH OBSERVANCE. The Bible-in-State Schools League for tho third year in succession observed yesterday as Bible-in-Schools Sunday. Tho observance was made throughout the whole Dominion, Anglican, Presbyterian, ' Methodist, and Lutheran Ohurchbs, some Congregational churches, and churches of the Church of Christ, and the Salvation Army taking part. There were large congregations at St. John's Church yesterday. The pulpit? was occupied at both services by the Rev. Dr. (iibb, r who ■in the morning preached on "The Cost of Privilege," basing his remarks on Acts 9, 15-16. It was a universal law, he said, that every privilege had to be paid for. This was applied to their duty in respect of the Bible-in-Schools question. If they believed that that cause was of God they must give it priority at the polls. It might be that they might find themselves compelled to abstain altogether from voting. In that case loyalty to Christ demanded the sacrifice, of disfranchising themselves on this occasion. He himself was prepared to make that sacrifice. He did not hold up that, however, as an example they necessarily ought to follow. What he asked them to do was to consider, and see whether this were not the sacrifice they now owed to their Lord. Every man must judge himself. T&<s question was: Does the cause of Christ and religion in New' Zealand demand' that we shall subordinate "our political predelictions for the sake of Bible-in-schools? Does our loyalty to Him whom we-call Lord and Master demand that at ,the polls all issues shall give place to this? Shall the word of God have free course in the schools of this country, or shall it be still banned in and barred.out of .these institutions? At many churches throughout the Hutt Valley yesterday special Bermons on Bible-reading ,in schools were preached. " . •' ' THE OPPOSITION LEACUE. TWO RESOLUTIONS. A publio meeting held under the auspices of the National Schools Defence League was held in the Emerson Hali, Ingestre Street, last evening, Mr. A. R. Atkinson presiding, when the followinp; resolutions were carried: — "That this meeting expresses its great satisfaction at the action of the last Parliament in nobly defending our national schools from clerical domination, and at the action of the great majority of the ministers of the gospel in New Zealand in refusing to be dragooned into voting for candidates, irrespective of their moral and political qualifications. On the eve of the elections" the National Schools Defence' League appeals to all electors to remember the benefits that flow from' our' national system of education, and to realise that if the proposals of the Bible-in-Schools .League were adopted justice would demand that denominational grants should be given to thoso churches that cannot on grounds of conscience accept i the league's scheme." • 1 I