THURSDAY, JUNe 30, 1904. THE BISHOPS' REJOINDER

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 26, 30 June 1904, Page 17

THURSDAY, JUNe 30, 1904. THE BISHOPS' REJOINDER

«^^k^ KSTRK'TIONS of apace pie\ent us Joiu-j; 2?'(3] m) m ' ucn more than to refer our readeis to the SJ ! jsS^Sf pages of this issue (»n which appeals Mie 1) OS^. lnill "' lble rejoinder ot .tthe Catholic 11k-i-archy to tihe recent mamfusto of the Biblex^^¥ m-schools League. But their Loidships' otSeia^* latest pronouncement on this thorny gheuie ?»^s^ needs neither note nor com,mcsnt It lurnishes its own gloss, and is a model of lucid

and decisive tSiinking and of plain and temjparate speeti h The two weighty documents thus far ist>ued by Wie Uiwhops ha\e, we \cafure U) say, ser\ed tjien liHtcnded p l uirpose to an extent beyond their Londsflnps' tally hopes. In tihe first place, our Pielates slucceiided 111 unmasking the callous partisan principles that actuate the Bible-in-schools League, whose exposition and attempted justification of its position mudt be icgai'ded as a serious blow to tlie \ery cause winch it was intended t< serve. In the sec and place, the Bishops— Uhaiiks to tbe fair-minded Irfpint of tihe seculai press— ha\e plaxul un)der t^he eye of the great body of the elect'ois ot \(\v Zealand two documents— logical, statesmanlike, and ccmiplote— which (as the 'X Z Times ' says) ou^ht to exert a powerful influence in sih aping public opinion Ajrld, fijnally, tdiey ha*vc alighted upon the happy discovery t|hat, m the struggle agaitis-t the sect-at laansing o! I^lie pu'bhc schools, thcic stand side by ,side witti us a graat boriy of thoughtful men of e\ciy creed, an<d pi.ittically the "whole of t s he secular pi ess— so fai a.s it ha-. a voice in this mattoi— tiouet'hcr with Uie \ ast muss of piFblic opinion w<hith t moulds or lppiew^nts Bishops deserve the wannest thanks of the tommiinit \,' the ' Lyttelton Time, ' '1 he honoiis ol tihe uiiitrdveisy,' '•ays the ' OLago Daily 'lime.s, 1 'mi l.v as ll Ti^s gone, between tihe Roman Catholic BisJiops and the Bible in-sch'ools Conference, oil the education question, rest decidedly with the Bishops ' These opuuotns ate typical ot others that ha\e ouinc to hand Their Lotds}hip.s ha\e done wtia.t is acknowledged to be, boldi m its siibstajiee and in its niaainor, a \aluable setMie to tincountry, and the national, rather tliaii Ulie dcaibminational, standpoint winch tules then uttniantes i.ui'iot fail to commend itself to tair-mitided people ol e\ei\ class and creed II mow lemains lor the iletgv and Ihe laity to continue, e.t'ch 111 its jnoper w a\ , I lie goi,jd woik wihitih t.heir Loidships ha\e begun in the struggle tio m. 111 1 nl am ru 4 hl sof i 111 isi wn>call dI o defeal t \\c al l c 111 pi < 1,0 uiJ'i'l ii|ioii \r\\ Z'«ala(itl a |).i 1t v ul.u I \ odioti:. [ntm of ' St j to-endow ed st'tt aiuiiiMn '