Page:The "Conscience Clause" (Denison, 1866).djvu/43

39 read a short exposure of this fallacy contained in a letter of my own lately published in The Times.

THE "CONSCIENCE CLAUSE."

To the Editor of the Times.

,—There is a fallacy lying at the root of one great portion of the defence of the "Conscience Clause," which I shall be glad to be allowed to notice in The Times.

It is said—see, e.g., the evidence of Dr. Temple, as cited in The Times of December 26—that "the majority of the clergy act upon the principle of the 'Conscience Clause.'"

Now, this is to confuse between two things distinct in their essence. I doubt whether there are any of the clergy—I am certain there are not many—not having schools under a "Conscience Clause," who "act upon the principle of the 'Conscience Clause.'"

The practice of a great many of the clergy—it may be of the majority—is to admit children of Dissenting parents into the parish school, and then and there either to teach them, or prepare them to be taught, the faith of the Church of England. This is one way in which it is conceived the Church may discharge her missionary office.

But the "principle of the 'Conscience Clause'" is diametrically opposed to the above practice. "The principle of the 'Conscience Clause'" is, that clergy shall have children of Dissenting parents in the schools of the Church of England for secular teaching only—children who, if their parents demand it, shall be there neither to be taught, nor to be prepared to be taught, the faith of the Church of England. "The principle of the 'Conscience Clause'" is therefore to debar the clergy altogether from the discharge of their missionary office, as exercised in their schools, in respect of all such children.

The fallacy is so continually repeated—making two things one which are directly opposed—that I think you will allow me to call attention to it. When I was before the Committee of the House of Commons, I was surprised to find that the minds of members of the committee were possessed by it. I have since found the same confusion elsewhere, where I least expected it.

The real truth is that the "Conscience Clause" has raised distinctly