The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1898.

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2646, 8 March 1898, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1898.

At the conclusion of the session ol the Anglican General Synod on the 16th of February, the Primate read a Pastoral Letter which had been prepared by the Bench of Bishops. The letter concluded m the following words :—" We, therefore, commend to the faithful members of the Church the following proposals, m the hope that there may be found m them some plan of action on which the Christian people of this country can unite, and that if approved they may be submitted for the acceptance of the legislature :—(1) That Government schools shall be opened every day with the Lord's Prayer; (2) that lessons shall be givenby the school teachers on one of the first three Gospels, taken consecutively for two half hours during school hours m each week; (3) that m any school m which the teacher or teachers are unwilling to give such instruction, or where it is desired by the parents of the children being educated therein that such instruction shall be given by the minister or accredited member of any recognised religious denomination, it shall be lawful for such ministers pr persons to give such religious instruction, subject only to such regulations as may be laid down by the schools committee. We trust that these proposals will command the hearty support not only of the members of our Church but also of all Chris-

tian people throughout the colony." There is not much probability of the legislature moving m the direction suggested by the Bench of Bishops, but their Lordships will certainly exert all their influence m favour of the innovation. A very large majority m the constituencies throughout the colony are strongly opposed to the introduction of any religious teaching m the State schools, and that fact ought to settle the question. It is not that the people are gods less, but that seeing the diversity ■ of sects amongst Christians, and being unable to understand why reading, writing, arithmetic, etc., should not be taught without the smallest admixture of theology, and believing that the introduction of theological teaching would ens danger the national system of education, they — the great majority—are unwilling to alter the fundamental basis of the system. The danger of introducing such a change as that suggested by the Bishops may be purely imagin--1 ary, though that is' not our opinion ; but no amount of argument will convince the majority that their fears are. ill-founded. Nor can they, as Christians, see the necessity for introducing such teaching m the schools. It can be given out of school hours, and the clergy, with the Bishops as their guides and leaders, should devise the means.