The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-07-24 00:00:00

brat Candi expless.

DOROWIBTICII, JULY 14e6, 18113.

00I&MON SENSE EN TEACHING.

It is tatosiablog bow views of subjects booms
modified by Sc. application af • little common MISS,
mad he who applies it is of tea regarded ass discoverer.
It was Bishop Wilberforce, we believe, who pointed
out that shattlag up young &Urea in Sunday
Schools was half as error, and that 'van on the first
day of the weak relaxation of body should not be
entirely asslmhad• Mr. Ilinadsila, from his official
positios, might be domed an educationist of a rather
severe tips. Ho, however, Mrs the waists last named,
sees MOSS good is adapting rola, to children than in
snaking °bikinis conform to roles. It asses strange
to find so high an authority recommending the
minimum instead of the maximum of religious in-
strsotiou ; but he does so with tha wise ids* that it
I. better to lawn a little thoroughly than a great deal
la as Imperfect way. He says 'You cannot expect
children in ths fifth and sixth standards to pass an ex-
assiastion which would be troublesome to many gentle-
men who go up for ordination." This I. the kind of wis-
dom which, from its sins plioity,is apt to maks ma open our
eyes with woodier. A groat deal of anxiety has Imo
felt in some quarters, bowsaw of the irreligious nature
of Board School instractioo, but ltr. Mundell& shows
closely enough that the fear is without foundation. It
Is only the sectarian teaching which is misting, sod
this it is Intended by the Act to avoid. So far at
simple re/igions Instruction goes—that is to say, the
dairy reading of the Bible with explanation, it may
be saki that it forms part of the national system, and
It is a significant fact that the percentage of obi' ten,
whom wont& object to the present amount of instruc-
tion is so small, that it can scarcely be calcu-
lated. Some School Boards, however, am, as
Mr. Mundell& smarts, " ambitions r they like
to make a show in examinations, and they
so &commit their syllabus that competition is
is tough SS UM roars for ordination itself. It is
Is this that mistakes are made, and that the intro-
&sodas of a Mils memos mess busmen so valaabis.
Tin study which goes under the names of Divinity is
often abused, not only in Government Schools, but in
nearly all establishments. The Scriptures
mom to have been regarded as means for improving
the power of mammy. Until the Act of 1870 those
pupils gained most credit who could trace the
of kings sad tell the dates of titian It is
=6lllto believe that instraotica is nacesaarily " goa-
lies " booms, of the shows of so mechanics! a
ourrionlam. The omit:try, iodesd, is more
___Mtto
he the result. Religions instruction is
early at the same rate as =timid sductatios
there being almost as many attoodants at
Schools as at Bseard Schools. It is right that
biomass shoulli be working on parallel ibis; and
the foot that they do so ought to be oonninsirs to
those who predicted that Christianity would sato
from the spied of education It was said we
should be following in the woks of Francs; bat such
gamily of miming Is often deceptive. In the first
phase, than was in our snowy no widespread
basin for a purely sacialar system; In the wood
slaw abundant mamas existed for Sunday instruc-
tion. It might be said that the spread of ednostioo has
laccessiesd rafts, than dimia the desire for
religious icarorkedge, that demonstrating moo more
the foot that diesed national aindiociss are in
no danger of iradisatiOc. Even the promoters of Mr.
larstsr's Act must be emptied at the almost exact
Crerof increase in Swag and daily education.
ang dslis would be justilad in advocating •
simple religions inurionlum in Board Schools from the
=g facts
alone; but his advice is bated on
ssnaidsradon, namely, that the highest
morality of the best of books is contained, shot all,
very small csompais, and that it is batter to impart this
little thoroughly than to require a large and comprehen-
sive stasdy of theology.
•

In tbs midst of the serious pre-occupations of the
Howe of Commons, whioh ar• sufficiently peening,
what with the Sues Canal Question and the Temeter•
Asir. added to urgent legislative and financial business
—in the midst of all this, the Bradlaugh imbroglio
lass este more come to the front. The sest-lers
Umeber for Northampton could not hare chosen
rardso=rtune moment for potting him& In
ov
is, as regards the Howe of Commons
.elf; but no doubt ha °maiden that the difiloulty of
that mesculely le his oppor tunny. Fortunately, how.
ow, the Ministry kid th s time a definite course to
repose by the mouth of the Attorney-General, and,
so far as the Hones is concerned, tbe incident may hi
said S. have closed by its sanction to the proplesla
that the Bargennt4d-Aress iboull be allowed to plead,
and the AttornerGeneral be instructed to defend
him It is to be hoped this le the last we gull hear
of Kr. Bmdlangh le Parliament this Sendai, and that
the remaining time of tbe Hons. of Commons may be
devotwl to matters of far more public importance, of
which there are too many demanding mosideration
just at prensat.

Kr. Lebowhomed ridiculous amendment to the
Corrupt Ythotioss fampo=::: rank the accept-
ance of titles for mamma acts of
bribery, has ied to • great deal of stupid talk &ad writ-
ing about the sins of both Liberal sad Omairratire
Communing in eouferriag peerages and other die-
d/otiose upon their followers. It is somewhat
unfortunate, no doubt, that in some oonspicuous
lastaaase there has beau an appearance of rew=
mere elonioneerhig •11117i011111. But it is simply
to my that the peerage is not a reward for
potty service.. No ass takes ems to the &-
which are conferred co distinguished soldiers
and dithinguithed lawyers, and onialnly the profession
of itatemianahlp is as creditable as that of arms and
law. Under our political system • statesman most be
• pot.y mac. And • politician who has had the
bosom of a seat in the Cabinet may be surely con-
sidered to have dose 'mai°e to the country me well as
to his party. Yet the political poll-parrots who repeat
Mr. Laboooliere's nonsense emphasize it by referenoe
m the awning of ex-Cabinet Ministers who have
reogived peerages.