LECTURE AT CHALMERS CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 15515, 10 June 1914, Page 6

LECTURE AT CHALMERS CHURCH

The Rev. R. Wood gave a lecture in Chalmers Church last night on * Presbyterianism in History,’ illustrated oy a lame number of slides specially made for this lecture. The Rev. R. R. M. .Sutherland presided. Mr Wood sketched the progress of the modern rise of Presbyterianism in France, and Switzerland, in the Netherlands, and in Scotland. lie referred to the influence, of ■ Presbyterianism in history, ami quoted Marly Pattisen's eulogy of ■' Calvinism, which, he said, in a crisis “had saved Europe. In speaking on John Knox he referred speciallv to his great work as an educationalist, and to a printed eulogy by Sir Robert Stout on .John Knox as a framer of a grand system of national education. The lecturer referred to the fact that Presbyterians had Always stood up for a. recognition of God and religion in national systems of education in Christian communities, and they .had sunk their denominational interests for the benefit of the national system. He called attention with regret to the cry that the people were .asked to raise, to block the Bible in the schools of New Zealand, of “No priests in our State schools. _ This intolerant cry really meant no ministers of religion were to bo allowed to enter our State schools. In previous agitations for the Bible in schools the small secular party flouted the demands for the Bible by saying that ministers should entertho school and give religious teaching. Now, when ministers asked to have the legal ridit of doing so, the cry was raised : “'’k'o ministers of religion to enter our schools.” He asked the audience to recall what John Knox had done for Scotland and what the Presbyterian Church had done for Otago in education, and to see the cruel intolerance of this cry , to shut out the Bible and the religious teacher from our national schools.