Lord Salisbury has written a sensible letter to the Dean
of St. Paul's (Dean Gregory), stating his indifference to the question of the discretion or indiscretion of those who issued the circular explaining what religious education ought to mean, but also his conviction that the friends of religious education, amongst whom he reckons himself, should vote in favour of those members of the Board who have insisted that definite religious teaching should be secured. He cannot doubt for a moment, he says, that the party opposed to the circular are largely recruited from amongst those who are indifferent whether religious education be given or not, and on that ground alone he shall vote for the candidates of the majority. That some of those who are called the Progressive party are more in favour of progress towards colourless or tepiclo religion than even of progress in improving the secular teaching, we have no doubt. But we have no doubt also that a great many who are not at all desirous to water down the religious teaching till it makes no distinct impression on the children's minds, also condemn and resist the circular on grounds closely akin to those which prompt the Disestablish. meat movement,—the ground especially of the friends of so-called religious equality. That really means the ex- clusion of all definite religion from the State schools, and its relegationto denominational Sunday classes. That was certainly not the meaning of the Compromise of 1870.
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