THE CATECHISM IN SCHOOLS.

Evening Star, Issue 7298, 24 August 1887, Page 4

THE CATECHISM IN SCHOOLS.

TO TUB EDITOR. Sm,—The advance that the Bible-in-Schools Association has made must be pleasing to all. 1 cannot forget the good old time in Otago when the Shorter Catechism was taught in our public schools. Consideration for seotarieß led to its discontinuance, but now that local option for the Biiilo is about to be obtained I hope to live to see the Catechism restored. Bible-reading by itself is of little value in religious education. If the Catechism were taught our children would soon have acquaintance with a solid body'of divinity. The Shorter Catechism was drawn up 1 y eminent divinea in Westminster, England. It is not, therefore, a Scottish compilation, and it is the doctiine of the true church militant. To meet 0 jections, however, that might be made to its being used, I see no objection at present in places whore a majority is Episcopalian to having the Church of England Catechism taught, and where a maj irity is Papist by all means give the concession at present for the Roman Catechism being used. If there were any 8) demented as to be followers of the French infidel August Comte, and who asked for the Positive Catechism I would reply the State is a Christian State and cannot permit infidelity. It is true State schools would have varying creeds taught for a time, but there would to the inestimable boon of religious education. Bible-reading without note or comment can never give religious instruction. Some people may say what of the minority? I reply there will be a conscience clause, and the children cf the minority can wait in the play-ground or play-shed till the majority are taught; or a teacher might even teach diffeient Catechisms. Wc do not need to care what views a teacher holds so long as the Catechism is taught; even a Catholic teacher might put the questions in the Shorter Catechism, and a Presbyterian might ask What is your name ?” and listen to the M. or N. with complacency. Of course in time the State iqight have to insist on no teacher being admitted who was not an Evangelical Protesiant, as such the English nation is, f hope at the 1 ext meeting of the Bible-ln-Soho:U Assoeiatlon the question will be discussed and steps taken to have the Catechism added to the local option demands. There may be some of the smaller sects that will object to such a proposal some Methodists, Baptists, and Con regaMonallsts, but as small sects are in a minority thevmmtyisld to the proper requirements of the majority, to the Presbyterians, Anglicans, and Romanists. In fact the State has a tight to teach religion, and what some of us were accustomed to hear in Scotland bom voluntaries and M.P.s, and in England from Independents and others, about non-interfercneewlth religion by the State, is an exploded fallacy. Kings and q ieens, as the Bible says, must be nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the Church; and how can this be done except by cathcchistipal teaching ? Local option has solved the problem, and voluntaries—if such fools there he in Otago-qan move to countries like the United States, where they ean have full liberty. We live under a monarchy and a State that considers it its duty to teach religion, and they being in a minority must conform to the views of the majority or voluntarily exile themselves. Of course there will be a hubbub kicked up. So there was over Bishop Nevill’s address; so there is oyer payment of tithes in Wales; so there is by the Liberation Society against the Church of England ; so there is by some of the Free Kirk and Seoeders against the grand old establishment of Scotland. But these disturbers of the peace can easily be silenced. Wo have local option, and the majority must rule. What has the State got to do with the religion of the majority so long as they are foot forced to send their children to school during the Catechism hour ? Time was when they were forced, and the absurd viervs of toleration that have spread have prevented this being done at pretent, |n‘ the future ft may yet be seen to h® ncccpsary to have a State Church here, if the Evangelical Protestant religion is to be preserved. Getting the Bible ami Catechism is t|ie first step towards this end. Soon the State will perceive that looking after lads and lasses up to eleven or thirteen years of age Is not enough. True religious education must continue until they are twenty at least (re-petuse Bishop Nevill’s address on this point), and why not have State teachers to continue these studies'? If a small sum wore given by way of grant to the clergy who would enter on this work, it could be accomplished—ej,y L2O a year each as a bonus. It might add an additional burden of a sixteenth of a penny in the & on property, but what a boon for such a small sura? Every youth placed under religious instruction till the age of twenty 1 What are central railways, a mail service, or universities compared with a knowledge of Scripture truth ? I hope the ines I have laid down will be elaborated by the Blble-in-Sohools Assoeiatlon,—X am, etc. Evangelical Protestant. Dunedin, August 24.