Page:The Conscience Clause in 1866.djvu/42

38 is a clause which respects all the consciences of the kingdom except the conscience of the Established Church.

To make the injustice more conspicuous, we have the very same form of religion with our own on the other side of the Tweed, and there it is respected by the Government, as Roman Catholics and Nonconformists are in England. There is no Conscience Clause for the schools of the Episcopal Church in Scotland. How are we to account for this intolerance of a religion, simply because it is Established, except on the godless notion, of which it is so hard to disabuse some statesmen, that an Established Church is the creature of the State; that it is bound to accept its inspirations from the occupants of Downing Street, and insist upon no dogma the surrender of which may bring political capital to the leader of the House of Commons? Sir, this may be the doctrine of some modern statesmen, whether Whig or Tory; but sure I am that it is not the condition of the union of Church and State in the British Constitution. It is not a doctrine which you or I, or any of this numerous meeting, will listen to for a moment. If this be indeed the condition of State aid, we shall all be ready to say with the Apostle, "Thy money perish with thee, thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter."

But I deny, sir, that the principle of the Conscience Clause ever entered into the terms, on which these grants have been sanctioned by Parliament. I assert that it was distinctly repudiated by both Houses of Parliament and the universal voice of the country, when the Committee of Council was first established in 1839. Lord John Russell carried the Vote at that time by a majority of only two, after solemnly pledging himself to respect the principles and practice of the National Society; and now we are asked to surrender the Charter of that very Society as incompatible with the Conscience Clause. Parliament has never sanctioned any other principle in this country than the denominational one for which we contend. The Conscience Clause is an off-shoot of the Comprehensive scheme which was unanimously rejected when proposed by Lord John Russell in 1839. It is an innovation on the system of public education as administered in this country from that time till about six years ago. It is the chief impediment to the growth and spread of