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Untitled Article
the very system ' which these self-stiled biblicals sbtnu 6 h condemn , "was proposed and planned by members of their own party ; by no legist personages than the late Bishop of Armagh ( Dr . Stuart ) , the Archbishop of Cashel , the Bishop of Killaloe , the present Bishop of Ferns ( Ebrington ) , Leslie Foster , and others . Such were the
men who signed the Report of 1812 , —and what are the words of that Report , with regard to the books proper to be read in these schools ? * It appears to us , that a ' selection may be made , in which the most important parts of sacred history shall be included , together with all the precepts of morality , and all the instructive examples by which these precepts are illustrated and enforced ;
and which shall not be liable to any of the objections which have been made to the use of the scriptures in the course of education * The study of such a volume of extracts from the sacred writings , would , in our opinion , form the best preparation for that more particular religious instruction which it would be the duty , and , we doubt not , the inclination also of the several ministers of religion
to give , at p roper times , and mother places , to the children of their respective congregations / Without further noticing this point , however , I shall proceed to the objections which have been advanced against the measure introduced by the present government . The first objection amounts to this :- —That the scriptures being the only rule of faith and practice , their use should be unlimited and not partial ;
but that by the present measure the Protestants will in effect be deprived of the use of their bibles . Secondly , that extracts are improper and unjust , arid that the present plan of selections is in effect to mutilate the Word of God . In these two objections to the principles of the bill is contained the marrow of the question at issue . Religion , they tell us , is to be systematically excluded from the rising generation of the Irish poor for five days in the
week . Now this position I beg most positively to deny . Mr . Stanley in bis letter distinctly states , that two days in each week are to be devoted exclusively to religious instruction , in contradistinction to that moral instruction afforded through the medium of extracts . And , also , to quote his words , ' they ( the Board ) will afoo permit and encourage the clergy to give religious inxttuction to the children of their respective persuasions either before or after the ordinary school hours on the other days of the week / Does this look as though ministers were desirous to exclude the
bible ? Does this bear out the assertion so confidently advanced , that « religious instruction is to be systematically excluded from the rising generation of the Irish poor for five days in the week ?' And be it remembered , too * that the object of the Government is to introduce a cofnbined system of education in order to unite in
one common bond persons of all denomination * , Protestants and Roman Catholies ; and to do aWay With those religious feuds and animosities , which fo * so many centuries haVe been the bane and < M * b < b of my unhappy country . In making this noble attempt ,
Untitled Article
^ W Tfish ScYiptnrtil Edutatioji .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1832, page 310, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1812/page/22/
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