The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 1879. A MUTILATED BIBLE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 320, 6 June 1879, Page 12

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 1879. A MUTILATED BIBLE.

HE advocates of Bible reading in Government Schools are, it appears, divided into two classes ; one, which is consistent, demands that the Bible, the whole Bible, shall be read and explained by the teachers in these schools. The other class will, it seems, be satisfied with a mutilated Bible interpreted by these teachers. As regards the latter, it will be asked what has happened that the old cry, — The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible should be given up. It is not for us to attempt to solve this question. But we may say that it is strange to find men who used to be loud in their condemnation of a mutilated Bible, now strong in their advocacy of such a Book for school-children. It is for them to give a reason for withholding any portion of the word vf God from the children of the public schools. One thing, however, is certain, these gentlemen are not very modest in their demands ; for these amount to a claim for denominational education for Protestants, maintained at the public expense, whilst they obstinately refuse to concede to others what they demand for themselves. Were the Legislature to permit the reading and interpretation of the Bible, whether whole or mutilated, in the public schools, it would permit tlxat which would exclude, even in a more marked way than at present, all Catholic teachers and all Catholic children from these schools, whilst Catholics would be compelled to pay for the maintenance of these schools. Truly godlesenejg hag already begun \fi produce it? natural

effects, It has driven many Protestants to give up the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, in the public education of children, and the substitution in its place of a mutilated Bible; and it has forced all advocates of Bible reading in schools who opposed Catholics, to make a tyrannical and monstrously unjust request., viz., that all shall be compelled to maintain an education system for their especial and exclusive benefit. This is the outcome of godlessriess and bigotry. We were amused and at the 9 same time shocked whilst reading the suggestions of the mutilators of the Bible in reference to the passages to be read and explained historically and morally, but not dogmatically, to the school children. The history of the creation of the world and man as recorded in the Book of Genesis, is to be altogether omitted. Several entire Books of the Old and New Testament are to be excluded, others are to be re?,d only in part. Some of the most important texts and pacsages are to be left out, and lastly not a few of the most controverted parts of Holy Scripture are to be explained historically and morally by every chance Protest xnt schoolluaster and mistress, to "the rising generation. The whole project refutes itself. The public has not been told what version is to be read. Is it the Authorised version, of which the Westminster Review says that in the Pentateuch alone there are sixteen hundred substantial errors ; or is it to be a new version which is in course of preparation, and which is to correct the numerous mistakes of the Authorised version. Some light ought to have been given on this point. If the Bible, even in a mutilated form, is to be read in the public schools, the public who pay for these schools are entitled to some guarantee that the article they pay for shall be the genuine thing. But there a rather anxious question arises. What guarantee can there be that the new translation will be in reality moi'e correct than the admittedly incorrect Authorised version ? The translators may be, and no doubt are, very good men and very good scholars, but our Biblicans would readily admit that the lame can be said of the translators of the Authorised version. So that really there is no reason for saying that' the new version is likely to be more correct than the old one. This state of things presents no end of difficulties. For example, suppose a Bchool-teacher should select for reading some passage containing one of these substantial errors, and proceed to explain it historically and morally, the result, we fancy, would be somewhat comical, and might be tragical. Again, suppose the teacher to bo a good Hebrew, Latin, and Greek scholar, or only a Greek scholar, — a supposition, however, barely possible — might he not take it into his head $o tell the children, historically of course, that the passage they had just heard read was not a true translation of the original. This would be calculated to disturb the little ones, and weaken their reverence for the Bible, and undermine their faith in its infallibility. Between a mutilated Bible and substantial errors in the Authorised version, we fear the advocates of Bible reading in schools are getting themselves into a difficulty. There is another consideration worth attending to. All the children of a public school are not capable of profiting by the reading of the Bible, even in a mutilated form, and when explained historically and morally by a very poor scholar and imperfectly qualified expounder. Are they to be left without Bible training or teaching ? Is no care to be taken of them ? attention to be paid only to adults capable of understanding what is read, when explained historically and morally ? It appears so,- for no proposal has been made as to the instruction of the others in the Bible. This is not considerate. We hope these neglected little ones are not regarded as amongst the number of those from whom the merciful thoughts of Divine Providence are averted, according to the teaching of Calvin. There is only one solution . of the education difficulty, and that is the - introduction of the system that prevails in England and Wales, under which Government aids all denominational schools, and authorises the establishment of board schools where the denominations fail to meet the educational requirements of localities. Such a system would meet all our wants and requirements, would place upon the proper shoulders the chief burden of education, establish a happy rivalry, nnd secure peace and contentment.