THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Evening Star, Issue 7339, 11 October 1887, Page 3

THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

TO THB EDITOR. Srß,—l would, through the medium of your co'umos, earnestly entreat all who intend signing the requisition now so being circulated in favor of the reintroduction of the Bible in schoo's, to pause and seriously: consider the 'matter. Cannot the peop'.e of New Zealand see that it is a move of the " parsons," more especially those of the Presbyterian and Episcopalian bodies, to drive in tile thin enq o\ fhe wedge, and eventually to secure' the governing in' our' at present almost perfect educational system 'i Are w e to become a pri>st:i'idden people, when all the civilised nat'ons of the world have (or are fast do'>ng so) thrown off the piiestly yoke so grievously heavy to bear ? Is priestcraft in this 'Britain of the South" to become dominant, as it formerly was in Italy, Spain, and especially Scotland ? Personally, I have no objection, to the reading of the Bible in schools, belitving, as. I do, that it is the Book of books; but Ido object to bishops and parsons having " a finger in the pie" of our secular education. Bigotry is as rife as ever jt was, and inqre especially in Otago. I do for these reasons ask my followcitizins to \veisb the matter thoroughly Before signing any'BUch requisition, and to remember tbat *' presbyter is but another name for priest writ large."—lain, etg., R-'QNoa. AST. Dunedin, October %

TO the editor. Sir,—l'm very glad tj see your correspondent "Peter Greephe" takes such intense and highly commendable interest in the Bible-in-schoola movement. We sadly need more of the Peter Greephe sort in New Zealand at present, but truly J must proteat' against his assertion that the members of the Y.M.p.A. are fond of taking their ease in rocking chairs re»ding yellowback novels. I'm sinner enough, though, to see no sin >n reading novels not three-halfpenny ones. But the Y.M.O.A. is at present very heavily burdened with a debt of L2OO or L3OO. The Y.M.O.A. could do ten times more good in the City if Christians would send in LI each. Hundreds of gentlemen in this city could afford it. The Y.M.O.A. need all the cheer and encouragement they can get. They do their best: let us not discourage them.—l am, etc., Y.M.0,4Dunedia, Qctober $.