The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1872-11-19 00:00:00

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BDUCkTION ON "BIRKINGIUM LI&GUR "

PRINCIPLIIB.

To tho Editor.

The report of the so-sailed elorratloned °an-
teroom at Dorchester, and the anecdote told by the
Rey. S. Near. suggests another which is protiebir
@TWIT antheatic "Went is your religion r
" Religion I I have none, I ens pol hail Diseenter."
"Whir. I. your women sense r " Common sense I
That is along with my religion."
Now dr, le tide &a exaggeration? Just cionekler the
enrpoes at the witation In question. The Birmingham
League le unwilling to leave the hooking of the three
Re to voluntary effort Why? "Oh they ere ft verr
important, cud eo idt would never be tanght to all.
But the elementary truths of religion; die blessed
knowledge that Cadet cane Into the world t 0..,.
sinners, the duty of loving and serving God—thle is
either too holy or too unimportant to be mentioned In
our common 'shoals I

But then "schoolmasters are not fit to teeth of these
subjests," it is said. It is my oonviction founded upei,
aside knowisdie of this well.taught and religions bozly
of mu, that they are as competent to do so even u
Yr. Nears himself.

Is org. "there is not time for snob instrno•
Mon.' I will uudertake to my that Mr. Moore 040
hardly being forward • religions schoolmaster who will
887 80, and for every one who will mho this objection,
• hundred will rah* an indignant protest acacia it.
Forsooth iii. right or prop ,r for • maater-masou or a
grOon SO say a word, in mason or out of sewn, to hie
journeyman or his apprentice, but this minister of the
gospel would fain lay a heavy hand upon tho mouth of
any mihoolmostar in his school on whose lips trembles Mu
Soar nom. of the Saviour who died for no ill! He may
talk of Gladstone and Disraeli, of 'squire, fannew, aad
laborer, but the " Ooe Name" may not be iambi
from Monday morniog till Saturday night.
Is tido religion? Is this edneaUon ? Thank God,
neither the weed nor the thing ars so understood as yet,
in spite of the prating of the Secularists.
And now, sir, a word about the common *ease of this
proposal. What is the use of odoostion Is ii not to
make our lads grow up se good (Anima ; as truthful,
honest, sober, loviog. self respeoting men? Will Use three Its do that? Bother will not this kaowledge and
the power it gives, nnleovened so in many oases it will
bar, with a higher and hobo, knowledge, drive on the
1 evil passions as the derilo drove, the swine of old?
Surely it is • strange gospel, and • common sense run ,
mad which frantio•ly I that the power shall be
given, but that the bestowment of • motive for its me
shall be left to °banes and voluntary effort. The
Birmingham programme amounts to this, '' Taro Os
the 'team by law, throw away the brash; leave the
laying down of rails to the goodwill of pareen-lry."
But, dr, what are the objeetions to the little ease
reading or being
y taught from the holy Seripterse ter •
or
short twenty minutes sash day? Do the
Parents *eel The. they have the pewee M with-

drawing their children. But they do not do so, sal
therefore our Birmingham friend' wish to withdraw
i the instruction. The troth is, • emill but note,' knot
of men object, to tide instruotion on sooonnt of the
'moll fun remind by nth school Government old.
They oonecientionsly ttemble led their Illepel2oo.l or
shillings after tieing filtered through the Stets wafers
• ihould actually les laid out in &blot and Testaments
Mitred of trocielade and omelet establishments.
But kit these men be consistent Let them octvelen-
*misty agitate for the expuleloa of the Bible Iron our
workhouses reformatories acid giolS L.t th• en ir7
aloof in their W 1,10.114,48 of •oir.t Viet n more
chaplains be appointed to mar soldiere or 'adore. Yet
let them remember that Diesentere though they NOWT
here no monopoly of oonsoionoe, and that millions .f
Churthroen and thrones-As of the holiest and wisest of
the Noucmiformists (f whom your octrespondent
"Noneon." See= to be one) treading In the footitepe
of their Puritan forefathers, are ready to raid
for oonsolosoo oaks sum to the very utmost, the being
compelled to support the edoestion, heathenish and
hopeless, fraught as they believe, with rule to the
°Gantry ; slake unfaithful to 64 and dithonouring to
Christ.
AK.