Page:The "Conscience Clause" (Denison, 1866).djvu/44

40 the question whether "secular education," apart from religion, is under any circumstances allowable in the schools of the Church. The Church, I need hardly say, knows but one education, and that is her own religious education. Under the "Conscience Clause" she is asked to give another "education," one with which religion has nothing to do. I submit that she cannot be asked to do this justly, nor can she consent to do it safely.

Nor, indeed, do I believe that Dissenters, when they see clearly what the issue is, will desire an invasion of the schools of the Church, which can only work to the injury of their own children no less than to the injury of the children of the Church.

Faithfully yours, GEORGE A. DENISON East Brent, Dec. 27.

Therefore, to sum up what has been said:—

Because a "Conscience Clause" imposed upon parish schools is contrary to all the recorded principles of a national compact, twenty-six years old, and only infringed upon during the last eight years;

Inasmuch as—

(a) It destroys the denominational system which, though not insisted upon in all cases, as by Minute of December 3, 1839, was never violated by forcing scholars of different denominations into the same school, till "Conscience Clause" came;

(b) It introduces the "Secular system" into parish schools;

(c) It establishes the severance between religious and secular teaching;

(d) It admits the interference of the Civil Power with the matter and the manner of the teaching of the Church;

(e) It applies to the Church of England a rule which is not applied to any other branch of the Church Catholic, in England, Wales, or Scotland.