The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-03
Religio1s lvssOs of
 Montgomery
FOR FREE SCHOOLS
SEPARATION FROM CHURCH IS
 GAINING GROUND.
England Stirred over The Question Os Parting Religion And Educntfon. How The Churches stand
 On The Matter

spondence.) 1.-The separation of church and State is gaining ground in Eng land if the last two great church con- gresses have been at all indicative of the sentiment of the people. Morescer- lain than that, however. if these same congresses be accepted, is the fast ap- preaching dfsassociation of church and schoois The latter matter has been discussed for years without any evil dence that the time was at hand when action would be forced
 There has been a radical change in the past few months. Instead of the subtle subterranean current. there is now almost q roaring torrent moving swiftly toward the free school sea, and the man who fights against that pow erful stream now has his strength sore ly tested.
 The Church Congress which met at Yarmouth and was made up of about 5000 delegates from the Establish ed Church, and the Congregational URS ion, which assembled at Blacikpooi with 1,726 delegates, both took up the school question with more Nserious purpose than ever.
 The congregationaiists have always been liberal in this respect, because they have much to gain and nothing to lose by a change that will divorce ec- clesiastical and national management of education. The Church Of England is still opposed to the proposed change. but not so firmly as several years ago.
 One of the most remarkable oontri- buttons to the discussion as taken up by the Church Congress was made by pr. Knox, the burly Bishop of Man-, chester, who declared that peace and end of strife are possible only on the basis of equal treatment. He has heretofore been regarded as the mili- tant defender of religious education in n fu r<4y tsrya afad Is.maA nH.a anrsr greeted his further statements. which were looked upon by the men who have been attending congresses for twenty five years as little short of revolution ary.
 Summed up, his way of securing future religion for the school with minimum controversy, would be by ad- mitting the following principles:
 Supremacy of the State in all pub lie elementary schools.
 Liberty to teachers who wish to give religious instructions, to give it to children whose parents desire 1t.
 "The instruction to be given in alls schools alike in school hours. by the school staff as far as possible, co-op- eration of the religious organizations being effectively secured through man agers appointed by the organizations.
 Promotions Of teachers not to be affected by their religious belief"
 All AOIfHb OL tGfABlQuS #An8EEUtLt0n to be equally treated as to the cost of the instruction given, and by no penalizing of schools on account of religious obstruction.
 ''No school having denominational trusts to be used for educational pur- poses other than those of it's trust deed, and no denominational school to be closed so long as the parents of thirty children desire it's continuance.
 No parent to be placed in the poe siti0n of being compelled to send his child to a denominational school un- less he desired to do SOS
 E The Congregational Union put these form by agreeing that every effort should be made to pass the bill which the government will introduce once more into Parliament. This measure, it is admitted. should sweep away exist ing injustices and set up a truly na- tional system of education.
 These last congresses have shown, also, "a tendency toward boldness in the selection of topics. The ecelesiasti- cally minded layman has been com ing to the front. He has been sav- ing the situation of late. There has been a displacement of the clerical silk hat and the frock coat.
 Extremists on either side are more prominent in actual utterance than those who hold the most generally ao- cepted middle view. It was all the more notable. therefore, that there should have been a rather general ex- pression of hope for greater freedom of the church through disestablishmept.
 The Bishop of Norwieh, as president of the congress. declared in the main for disestablishment. as did nearly every man who followed him. They agreed that it must come sooner or later, as the temper of the people was beiag sorely tried at present.
 The greatest changes would be as to the privileges which the Episco- palians hold as the national church. The Lord Bishops would lose their seats in the upper House of Parliament and State ehaplaincies would come to an end. These were not to be mourhed It was agreed, in view of the greater spiritual independence which would ha had and the ability to shape the by laws of the church to meet the chang Ing requirements of the time.
 The Congregational Union,. on the other hand. dealt lightly with affairs of the church except as they gave the CTS during all of one day devoted to the matter of national as the gospel of the day.
 The belief is that with the assem- bling next year of the Church Congress and the Pan-Aglican Congress, or the two of them together which now aeems that the Church of England will find other topics for discussion than those purely ecclesiastical in their trend. There is strong evidence that even the establishment is becoming more free of thought.