THE COUNTRY AND THE EDUCATION BILL. [To THE EDITOR OF
THE esescraroa."1 Sin,—The opinion expressed by so earnest a Wesleyan minister as Mr. Burrows in the Spectator of September 20th, that the object of the Education Bill is to "destroy Dissent," almost drives a reasonable man to despair. But perhaps it strengthens a suggestion which you permitted me to make recently in your columns, that the question at issue with the opponents of the measure is at bottom that of the connection between Church and State. It is true that Disestablishment aI a practical question is at present in the background, but the desire for it supplies the raison d'être of the opposition to the Bill, which is regarded as likely to strengthen the Church and State connection. Nonconformists see the status of the .Established Church injuriously affected, her clergy much 1111Pnverished by the decrease in value of the tithe-rent charge, her. Parochial schools sustained with difficulty, her relations with the State in respect to self-government regarded by her own members as needing readjustment. They perceive, in silort, that great changes in the present position are inevitable.
It might be hoped that under a regime of complete religions toleration provisions for the greater efficiency of the National Church would be welcomed, even by Christians outside its pale, but this can scarcely be expected from those who object on principle to all connection between Church and State.—I
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