Mr. C. S. Read, M.P., in distributing this day week
the prizes won by the children in the religious dupes of the diocese of Norwich, expressed himself much satisfied with the working of the Education Act in relation to religious teaching. He justly observed that the religious difficulty had been found to be no difficulty at all, and that practically all the children's parents wished them to be instructed in religion. But after praising the good-sense of the people of England in this matter, he went on to say that "it did not say much for the Government of a Christian country that, although it insisted upon secular education, it yet appeared to be afraid of, or at all events, did not encourage, the religious education of the rising genera- tion." Why, what would Mr. Read have ? If the Government did encourage religious education of any. Val, kind, it would have all the religions of every other kind-ht4. against it ; and if it did not encourage religious teaching of any scial kind, how could it encourage religion of any kind more than it does now, when it leaves the School Boards free to teach undenominational religion ? Mr. Read, though he is satisfied with what is, neverthe- less insists on grumbling that it is not something quite inconsistent with it, and quite destructive of it.
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