Later in the evening the Bishop of Ripon made a
contribu- tion to the debate of the greatest value, and defended simple Christian teaching,—that is, in effect, the teaching that can be given, and is given, in the great majority of Provided schools under the Cowper-Temple Clause. He was as loyally attached to his Communion as any man ; but he thought they ought to magnify the grounds on which Christians agreed and make them real. He had the danger of secularism before his eyes. The power which moved in that direction would be kept in abeyance if the Christian men of this country, while holding their own convictions, said that this was not the hour when they could dare to exaggerate them, and that, in order to resist the common foe, they would agree upon what was needful to be taught. Let them surrender something if it were necessary for the maintenance of some- thing that was greater and more lasting still. The simple Christianity of which he had spoken should be maintained as an integral and nec essary part of the education of the children of this country. With the Bishop of Ripon's position we are ourselves in the heartiest sympathy, and, what is of infinitely more importance, we believe that the Bishop in this respect represents the great volume of Christian opinion throughout the nation. It was a misfortune that the Bishop's speech came so late in the debate, and was therefore not reported in Thursday's newspapers, and only shortly in Friday's Times.
Previous page
