Page:The Conscience Clause in 1866.djvu/28

24 "3546. You have heard, in the course of this discussion on the Conscience Clause, a great many hypothetical and preliminary objections to the Conscience Clause, have you not?—Yes. 3547. Has the fulfilment of any of the prophecies of evil, which have been made so largely, ever been brought to your knowledge?—No, I have never known of a single case. 3548. Have you ever heard of any practical difficulty whatever arising from the Conscience Clause?—Never.

"3549. Have you ever heard of any vexatious interference with the religious teaching in a school?—I never heard of such a case.

"3550. On the other hand, have cases ever been brought to your knowledge officially, which demonstrated the necessity for a Conscience Clause?—I have no doubt that within the last three or four years, there have been from twenty to thirty such cases if they were all collected, of children who have been either turned out of schools or refused admission into them, for not attending the Sunday Schools, for instance. They are very few, as compared with the majority, but still there would be found no doubt that number of cases if they were looked up."

This evidence seems to be thought important, and requires a careful scrutiny. The Conscience Clause, according to Mr. Bruce's own definition, is a bond to give a secular education in a Church school. The school managers to whom it is proposed either scruple to bind themselves wholly to exclude religion from the instruction of certain children or they do not. If they scruple they decline the clause and lose their grant—if they do not scruple, they accept the grant; but then it follows as a matter of certainty that between such school managers and their scholars no practical difficulty can occur. If a vessel is empty you cannot differ as to the colour of its contents. If no religion is taught religious difficulties cannot arise. What is far more to the purpose than these queries with their inevitable context is the abundant testimony, that whether there be a Conscience Clause or not Dissenters, when they have the power, very rarely object to Church teaching, whether through the Catechism or any other medium. "Practically"—says Mr. Griffith, speaking of a Church school in Wales, unconnected with the National Society—"practically an objection (to the Catechism) is never made."