Page:The Conscience Clause (Oakley, 1866).djvu/60

48 12. Because the Church knows that there are two things in the matter which she may and must do. First, bring up her own children in the one faith, to do their duty in that station of life to which God has called them. Second, bring children who are not yet her own to be of the one faith."

13. "Because the Church knows that there is one thing in the matter which she may not do—i.e., teach any child anything apart from or independent of the one faith."

These two reasons, which I take together, are imposing from the sound of the words, "the one faith;" but they are also imposing in another sense. Granted that the "one thing which the Church may and must do for her own children" is to "bring them up in the one faith, and to do their duty in that station of life to which God has called them." There is here no question of her duty towards her own children. The Conscience Clause only affects her conduct to those who are not her own. As to them. Archdeacon Denison says, "Second, to bring children who are not yet her own to be of the one faith."

It is impossible to discuss now all that may or may not be included under the phrase, "the one faith." It is enough to reply, that to proselytise is not the one thing which the National Church may and must do towards children not yet of her own faith. The Archdeacon may say that he is not talking of the National Church, but of the Catholic Church. He is talking expressly and exclusively of the duty of a National Church; but never mind that. I deny that it is the duty of any one branch of the Christian Church to proselytise from another. He surely will not say that English Dissenters are in no sense members of the Christian Church! If they are not, then are Roman Catholics in England in no sense members of it? Or are Roman Catholics in England better members of the Church than Protestant Dissenters? or is the Church of England alone the