REPLY.TO "CLERICUS"—MR. EWINGTON'S' PLAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6004, 14 February 1881, Page 6

REPLY.TO "CLERICUS"—MR. EWINGTON'S' PLAN.

TO THE EDITOK. Sib, —"Clericus" if I have a plan "by which earnest me a can, under the present Act, teach'the children in the common schools in the truths of the Bible ?" iSTow, ,seeing that several earnest clergymen have tried to work under the present Act, and failed, it. might appear impertinent in a young layman to say he has a ' plan." Hitherto, I have only asked for information andguidance, and stilllsincerely wantonly to sit at the feet of my seniors humbly makin" a suggestion, and after they have acrreed upon a plan, to co-operate with them to the best of my ability. But no modesty shall prevent me from saying'and doing my utmost to further this movement, and if I do not please everybody I shall be sorry, but not; surprised, for when men cease to like "dumb driven cattle," they necessarily come in the way of those who challenge their right to think, speak, and act for themselves. Hence, ,1 am glad, to find that "Clericus" says—"lt is most desirable to find a way to work the present Act before we ask for a change 111 it." I said so too ; it is all lam contending for. So far, we are agreed. But can we find away? Yes. By what means ?. I will answer thisquestion straightforwardly, after laym<' down the following propositions : —1?> There must be 110. Bible in the schools, for first, the Romanists will not have it, secondly, it is a cruel sham and mockery to say that the mere reading of the Bible is religious teaching ; and thirdly, if it is put in; only as a good tcxt book and not as the Word of God, it will muddle children's heads without changing their hearts. In the words of a Princeton Reviewer : " Divest the Bible of its supernatural character, and it-ceases to be what it claims to be. . God is not 111 it. It is not vouched for by his authority. Its precepts are not his commands, and its promises are not his pledges. Its doctrines are not divine and its morality is not divine. Ita words are not the words of God. The central mind of the Universe is not committed to it, and not in personal communion with man through it. It says nothing upon divine authority. The words may be the same simply as words ; yet the fundamental condition of their power to rule the conscience, to move the affections, and rr ovcrn the life is gone." ' 0 2. There must be no ticketing of children in tlie common schools as Wesleyans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Independents, &c., for secularists -would be up in arms against any-, thing so likely to foster sectarian differences ; hence there must be something to teach which all parties can accept. 3. There must be no State-teaching ; the Church must do the work, not tlie Statepaid teachers. 4. There must be no tinkering with tlie present Act, or the hue and cry will be raised about us. Faithfulness in this respect will disarm our bitterest enemies. 5. There must be hearty co-operation of all the religious bodies, so that the strong can help the weak, and all escape the ticketing and rise above mere rivalry. 6. Tiiere must be religious teaching in reality, not merely in name. The religious teachers must be as competent in their line as the secular teachers are in theirs. There must be 110 muffs who allow children to turn the schools topsy turvey, or who only mumble like_ automatons, and whose souls are no more stirred than automatons. There must be rigid discipline • and effective teaching, or the sham will explode in a month. Ivow, these rocks have wrecked the best-laid schemes hitherto, and whoever can steer clear of them will succeed. My plan does steer clear of them. It is the only one that does. I have no doubt about it. It only requires to be worked as if we would starve if it did not succeed, and then it would work m ell. I say this modestly but unfalteringly. I will explain .. it too, and defend it against any man anywhere. We have cliased'Willo -the-wisp long enough, and secularists are laughing down their sleeves at us, for they know that while we are squabbling over this and. that nostrum our cause is gasping in the agonies of death. Nero fiddled while Kome was burning, and Christian men and women trifle with a system which, if allowed full swing for 15 years longer, will make their children look on the Bible and the Church only as the antiquary works upon old relics. Then, what is the remedy? " The truths of the Bible," as " Clericus" puts it. These truths must be got properly arranged in a text-book, and put in people's hands, saying Teach those truths." ■If the Bible were put in their hands, saying "Teach that," every person would teach something different, and bickering would begin ; but a suitable text should satisfy everybody. Now, these books are to hand. Th.ey are the "Peep of Day," for youD" children, and " Line upon line" for older children. They are Scriptural, interesting, comprehensive, and catholic. They are used and believed in by multitudes. Over lialf-a-million of these Peeps of Days have been circulated, and nearly a quarter of a million of line upon line by tlie same author. suggest this : Let the clergy of all denominations confer together and invite the coDperation of laymen; agree to teach from these books ; parcel out the city and suburbs into districts for personal interviews ivith parents, taking from the various schools the rolls of , scholars, and going over, name by name, as the electoral roll is used n an election, arrange a quarterly or monthly plan of teachers, each detachment to be inder a clergyman, if possible, going at present after school hours, but begging the uithorities to allow the secular teaching on Fuesdays and Thursdays to last only duriiK' 'he four hours provided by the Act, so as to et us have the children before they are ixliausted ; that tlie clergy should train pile laity to assist in religious teaching. Chen, let us ask the school teachers to coiperate with us in tlie school, and, lastly, et us set about the work with the solemnitv lie case demands.

To set the plan in motion we shall all have to work hard, but the object is worthy of our toil. And we must not skip off to victory as the French soldiers skipped towards Berlin, or we shall be discomfited like them. We have a herculean difficulty to deal with. After taking the first step no soul must blanch. We must go sternly and steadily forward.

" But," some say, "it cannot be done." I reply that Mrs; Wallis lias taught for two years in the common schools, and now lias 197 children- attending on her instructions. All may not succeed in the same measure as that gifted lady lias succeeded, with the kind assistance of Mrs. Skene; but if "apt to teach"'they will succeed. All honour to these two ladies for proving that "where there's a will there's a way," and for affirming, what I affirm, that others can go and do likewise.

Lastly, some may say this plan violates the Act. I reply, no. Already the Act allows the children'in the common schools to be taught a little about God's anger, prayer, sin, heaven, the personality cf the devil, providence, reverence for the Bible, &c. Especially in religious matters, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Our plan would increase the quantity. The authorities permit the teaching of religion; the quantity is only a mere detail. People never having objected to the relidous teaching up to date, ought not to be listened to now,' for if they had been sincere and done their duty, they would have objected long ago. Thus this plan (1) avoids the Douay-Bible- j difficulty ; (2) avoids the schismatic-ticket!

difficulty • (3) mates thV .Church the religious teacher; (4) preserves't&e present Act intact; and --(5) insures- unity"' of "object"' effort, and feeling; and insures efficient teaching.—l haye, ; &c, F.,G.' Evtington. P.S.—Permit'me, Mr. Editor, to say iii correction of your "remarks upon my last letter, about Sunday-schools being abandoned to the laity, that the clergyman of my parish conducts • a teachers' Bible or preparation class every Monday evening, and is seldom absent from school on Sundays.—F.G.E.