PROCEEDINGS FOR 1900 XXXIX 
been contented with mere secular education anywhere. But are they 
alone to be taught religious truths ? The Protestants, it will be said, 
accomplish the same thing in their Sunday-Schools. The Sunday- 
Schools ! Heaven forbid that any word of scorn should be spoken of 
these schools, or of the self-denying men and women by whom they are 
carried on. But two things may be said with perfect certainty. In the 
first place, multitudes of children do not go to our Sunday-Schools; and, 
secondly, the instruction in many of these schools is pronounced by their 
best friends to be quite inadequate. We have warnings enough on this 
subject coming from the United States. In those rapidly-growing dis- 
tricts, in which the churches can do little to overtake the needs of the 
masses, multitudes of children are said to be growing up without a sense 
of God, or duty, or morality. In our own more slowly growing popula- 
tion, the evil is not so rampant, but it is growing and extending. And 
even now there are multitudes of children educated in our public schools 
who scoff at any argument except that which may be derived from con- 
siderations of pleasure or profit. 
I take no credit for bringing this subject before the present meeting. 
It is in the air. Wherever I turn I hear men speak of it. At teachers’ 
meetings of different kinds, in different localities, the need of more 
definite religious instruction is brought forward. It is an error to say 
that the teachers are indisposed to impart such instruction. I have been 
present at a meeting of teachers where, without a dissenting voice, it 
has been declared that religious teaching up to a certain point was actu- 
ally given, and that measures should be taken to give it more fully and 
systematically. 
Doubtless there are difficulties in the way; but there are no difficul- 
ties which could not be removed if the matter were taken seriously in 
hand. There are certain points on which we are all substantially agreed: 
we are all ready to teach Old and New Testament history and a morality 
based upon the words of Christ. Even J. 8. Mill declared that an un- 
believer could not teach a better morality than this. If more than this 
is desired, it might be imparted by the clergy of different denominations 
to the children of their own communions. If less were desired, if any 
parents wished that their children should receive no religious instruc- 
tion, then a Conscience Class might be provided for such exceptional 
cases, and the children thus removed from religious teaching might be 
set to some other lesson while the others were engaged in that way. 
That something of the kind will be carried through before long, I am 
quite convinced. I appeal to the members of this Society to use their 
great and legitimate influence, so that the work may be done in the best 
possible manner. 
