Page:The conscience clause (Bickersteth, 1867).djvu/16

 to destroy altogether the character of the school as a Church of England School.

For these reasons, amongst others, I earnestly deprecate the admission of the "Conscience Clause" into the Trust Deeds of our National Schools. The Church of England has a conscience no less than Dissenters, and she only asks that her conscience may be respected, and that the same measure of fairness may be meted to her, which is dealt out to other religious bodies in the State.

But it has often occurred to me that if we are left alone with regard to our Trust Deeds, the principle of a "Conscience Clause" might fairly be applied to the Annual Grants in respect of those parishes, such as I have described, which can only support one School. What I would venture to say in such cases is this. Do not impose upon the promoters of Church Schools any conditions which you would not impose upon the promoters of Dissenting Schools. Do not fetter the consciences of Churchmen, by saddling your Building Grant with conditions which they cannot conscientiously accept. Do not put weights on the Church, because she outstrips her competitors in the great race of educating the people. Treat Church of England promoters just as you would treat the promoters of other Schools. Satisfy yourselves that there is a reasonable prospect that the proposed School will be supported, and then let