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

32 III. I pass now to a wider consideration of the effect of the clause, real or supposed; and I think I can best vindicate this, apart from particular instances, by discussing seriatim the Archdeacon's seventeen reasons against it, which, if your patience be not exhausted, I still propose to do.

I am anxious, however, before doing so, to give a single illustration of its working that has come within my own knowledge, by the light of which we shall be better able to estimate the worth of the alleged inconveniences or grievances of its operation. The case to which I refer is one of the introduction of the clause into the trust deed of a school in the diocese of London.

I am quite aware that the introduction of the clause in this class of school is made use of—indeed, this particular instance was made use of, if I mistake not, at Norwich—to show that the Council Office is not sincere in saying that the need of it arises in small country parishes. In this case, as a matter of fact, the clause was voluntarily introduced, proposed, and decided upon for reasons which will presently appear, before any communication was made to the Council Office at all. But the objection in other cases may be met in this way. The clause will often be called for now-a-days in large and even in town parishes for this reason. The bulk of the population is already provided with the means of education, but the residue for whose education aid is now asked is of a mixed religious character, presenting all the features of a small country population. It is easy to understand that