CHURCH SERVICE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13430, 11 July 1914, Page 4

CHURCH SERVICE.

Patutahl Church of England services for to-morrow. Waercnga-o-kuri. 11 .a.m.; Patutahi, 7 p.m.— ll. T. Rawnsley, vicar. Waerenga-a-taika v Church District.— to morrow's services: Waerenga-a-hika 11 a.m.. Makaurt 7 p.m. No service at Makaraka.— Rev. E. Ward, vicar. Matawhero Presbyterian Church.—Sirvices for to-morrow: Patutahi, 11 a;m. Te Aral 2.30 p.m. (Farewell Service). Matawherp' 7 p.m. (Rev. 11. T. Blair), Matawherb 2.30 p.m. (Supply). Ormond Presbyterian Church.— Services fo*r' to-morrow: Whatatutu 11 a.m.. Puua 2.30 p.m., Ormond 7 p.m. (Rev. .7. B. Hall); Te Karaka 7 p.m.. (Mr W. W. Bridge). " 'St. Andrews Presbyterian Church.— ll ji,ni., llcv. Win. Grant. "Fanning the Fljimc"; "i P" 1 - R« v - Wpi. Grant, "The. Wideriess of God's Mercy"; 3 p.m., Mr Frazer Balton, B.A. ("One get One" campaign); Mangapapa, 7 p.m.. Mr F. T. Robinson; Kaiti, 7 p.m.. Mr W. J. McCllsklei fl.'is'nn(l 10 a.m., Young Men's Bible Classes; 2.30 p.m.* Sunday-fcchools , (St. Andrew's. Mangapapa and Kaiti); 2.45 and -3 p.m.. Young Women's Bible Classes; Tuesday, 7.30 p.m., Endeavor Society; Wednesday, 7.30 p.m., Prayer fleeting; Thursday, 7.30 p.m., Endeavor Society (Mangapapa);, Friday, 7 p.m. Physical • Culture, 7.45 Choir Practice. The Rev. W. Grant and his oillce-bearers extend a ; cordial invitation to residents and visitors to any* of 'these services. Parish of Holy Trinity, Gisborne, Rev. L. Dawson Thomas, vicar. — Services to morrow (sth Sunday after Trinity): In Holy Trinity Church— B a.m.. Holy Eucharist; 11 a.m., ChonU JMatJins, Litany and Sermon; . 2.45 p.m., • Children's Service; 4-; p.m., Holy Baptism; 7 p.m., Choral Evensong, Anttt'etfi,' ' and Srirmon. In St. John's , Hall, Mangapapa— ll a.m., Morning Service and Sermort; 2.45 p.m., Sunday School; 7 p.m., Evening Service and Sermon. In St. Paul's Hall, Kaiti— 2.4s p.m., Sunday . School; 7 p.m., Evening Service and Sermon. In To Hapara Public School— 7 p.m.. Evening Service and Sermon; Note,— Short Service every Saturday eveiiihg .at . 7.30. "yVll parishioners and residents generally are very heartily invited to the 'above Services. Strangers and visitors to the district are always very welcome. Special seat's for men. All books provided.' Baptist Tabernacle, Palmerston road.-*— Suntlay morning worship ll a.m., preacher Rev. P. J. WafnwrifCht; evening at 7, preacher Mrs Nalder (Trom the Ramabai Mission, India). Sunday-school •at 2.45, . and Young Women's Class (there will be.no Young Men's Class); 6.30 p.m., Prayer Meeting m Vestry; Tuesday, 7.30, Christian Endeavor; Wednesday. 7.30, Prayer Meeting; Thursday. 7.30, Choir "Practice.' Methodist Church. Bright street.— ll a.m.. Rev. R. Raine (Orange Lodge Parade); 7 p.m.. Rev. R. Ralnc, subject, sth of series on "Greatness of Man"; resurrection. Te Hapara, ll a.m.. Mr C. Eyre; 7 p.m.. .Mr R. E. Fordyce (mlssioner). Mangapapa, H a.m., Mr R. E. Fordyce; 7 p.m., Mr A. Nicholls. Kaiti Scho\}l, 3 p.m., Rev. R. Raine.

[ADVKUTTSBMENO'.J BIBLK IN SUHOOLfc'. TE'AClffifts r ~A'rnTUDi:. (By Mr U. M. Yeats, Me Jltad Teacher Hiitt District Hig.li School') For a long ti me \ j Ul( i j^,, . m t.; lS / U fii :!4 tic to the intrcductioji or the Bible into our Statt\ schools', bat, after considering the proposals mtde by the Bible m •state Schoo's League, and forming my own independent judgment of the overwhelming testimony "to its success m those States of the Commonwealth into which it had .been introduced, T, more than a year ago, came to the enndu-. si on tihat the proposal d«f. i Prved n;y support; t notice it has been said that the testimony from Australia is worthless because it is given by teachers who say only what they think will please their superiors. With this p-ui-tion I <]o not agree, and it cannot npply to testimonials given by others, sm.'lias Sir Harry Jlawson, (fovt'rnor of Xc.v fc>outh Walt*, who said :— . "The Public Kducation A(k >howrd that the statesmen who framed it hixxl considered it very carefully, fairly, and discriminately'. for although they had very strongly laid down the rule that religious instruction m State schools was to bo non-sectaria-n. they had, at the same time, opened the way for clergymen of every denomination •to teach the children of their own Church." Thcro aro many other testimonies from people quite in'edpendeni of tho ioduca.tion Departments m Australia, such as the Jion. J. T. McUowen. when. i J reviiwt u{ Xi>w South Wales, and those opinions cannot be tiirust on one side. The objection to our syllabus as overcrowded does not seem ' to be a -valid one. There was a tina; when our syl-. lubiis was rigid and teach.-is luul nu choice vi their i:\ni, but had t<> follow, a lixed routine. Now, as pointid out by Sly . Il'oghen. :it the nice! mg 1 -.of ti<> X.Z.TT.I.j m Auckland, last jjiiiurti/; the sy!la.lni.s it merely a suggestion of wh:U work- ahoii'd "be* dune, not :i hard and fast set ot' regulations m each subject. Mr llogben's visw is bone out liy the action u( our inspectors for thcla.sl few yc-irs, wiio have In on m Ihe habit of «iyiriir, "It is the quality ct the work \vr aie going to louk at, not thtv quantity dono.' Every hcitdrhastcr makes out his own general scheme of work, ard it" ing.jjjeoiur* are satistiid 'with it, 'they examine within iU iimit.s. I have no .hesitation, from an experience of 35 years u.s a headmaster m oor schools, m saying that the intiod-.iction iA Bible-reading as part of tho literary training of our chilaren, and. the visits of accredited teacher.*, will not interfere injuriously with the school syllabus of -work. Something lias also been said about :.hc conscience 1 clause for teachers, but i-.j they ale not being asked t<> teach religion, 'why ask for >uch v clause at all? They axe only asked to Jiavci tiie Bible lessons m tho same way that they have any other reading Jessou, nnd deduce from them the moral and .literary boauities therein to be found. The religious teaching will be given, under the League's proposal, not by tihe State school tea-chers, but by the accredited teachers from the Cmirclies, so tlxat a teacher will be able to say, "I have no j responsibility ; that lies . Avith the Churches." My own opinion is tihat if a -Scripture-, reading lesson had to be taken,' it Would, bo taken with all due reverence and respect liy almost all those engaged m the educational service. The fact is surely convincing to us that m the Stntes m w'hk'h the system has been carried on m the Common-wealth of Australia .not one teacher has -been heard of who refused, for conscience silk?, to take the required shafe m the work, nor hatf any demand for such a clause ever been made by the toaohcrs, and this notwithstanding that tin* toacliFrs have their unions which put tlicir grievances before the public and Parliament. What stronger refutation of the need (if such a clause can be brought forward than this? The fact that appointments by committees would be aiiected by a teacher's religion seems to me very fur-fetched. My own opinion is that exactly the opposite effect wi'.l be produced, because, as every church, will liavt' the light to take its own share ii> religious teaching, there will not be the same necessity (as some allege ha.s existed m tha )>ast) for appointing teachers belonging to any particular church. 1 do not for a moment think, that a teacher's religion would come into consideration with a- school committee any more th.in it <Joes how. As a re3iilt of my 35 years' experience, I deliberately express the opinion that if there had been some .-such system, as the League proposes, included m our educational system, tho beneiits thereunder would lhavo bron much greater and the rising -generation more moral -under a non-secular system. The suggestion tliat a referendum is not suitable to a religious question -because the religious aspect is regarded 'as - being Jield by the majority, is hrst of all a plain admission that the present educational system is approved by the majority of the peop'e ; but, secondly, the argument ha* no force, because there is iio attempt under the proposal to force the minority to do anything to which they object.-.. The parents of those children who do not m'LsJv ' them to read Bible lessons, or to be visit fed by ministers, will nob fce 'interfered with m the least. The minority will have iis irig\its TBspecie^, just as at the jnes&nt 'time, tmt with the difference, the majority will have exactly the same rights. There is no compulsion m the matter at a'l. The suggestion that the teachers are to be compelled to givo j religious lessons is met with by the fact that they are not asked to do anything of the sort. They are asked to givfe reading ( lessons taken from tha.- pest literatui'e m the English, language. I, have gone carefully, over these reading lessons m the Queensland books, studying them with a. vie>v to seeing how I would take them with a. class. I find no difficulty m treating tihem as ordinary reading lessons, giving any necessary explanations' as to- mean ings,, without any religious comment 'at all; and I believe there arc very few teachers m the whole of New Zealand who would' find any • more ' difficulty thim I myself. Kven for its literary value 'alone teae'hers should Welcome, the introduction of the Bible into our "national schools. 1 believe that 30 per cent, of our i teachers, are heartily m accord with the 1 proposals of the Bible m State Schools 'League. ' ' ' '. '' / -