Edward Bickersteth

“ But if it is the only School, they have a right, at least, to their share of the Education Grant, according to the system, deliberately adopted by Parliament, of supporting a denominational education. But with regard to the annual grants in such cases, there is a concession which the Church might make, as it seems to me, without any surrender of principle. ”

“ Do not put weights on the Church, because she outstrips her competitors in the great race of educating the people. Treat Church of England promoters just as you would treat the promoters of other Schools. Satisfy yourselves that there is a reasonable prospect that the proposed School will be supported, and then let them have their grant. ”

“ In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the Clergy would thus simply record their usual practice,—the ground of the grievance would be cut away,—and the action of the Clergy would be left perfectly free; because, in any instance, they could at once release themselves, if they thought fit, by declining to accept the Annual Grant at all. ”

“ It is probable that the result is, that in some instances the children of Dissenters are thus drawn to the Church; though I am inclined to think that, in the far greater number of cases, the children, upon first leaving school, follow the religion of their parents—the home influence being stronger than the influences of the school. ”

“ The principle of the "Conscience Clause" is this, that in the case of Parishes such as I have described, (for I am not aware that it is pressed in other cases,) it shall be a condition of receiving a Building Grant that the promoters shall insert a clause in the Trust Deed, which provides that no child shall receive religious instruction contrary to the declared wishes of its parent. ”

“ We should remember also, that while large numbers of our population are still unhappily beyond the reach of any religious teaching, there is another large proportion of this population which has become alienated from the Church, and has attached itself to other religious bodies, because the Church has not adequately discharged her duty as the National Church of the country. ”

“ As a rule, the present system is working admirably; and, as a matter of fact, the Church of England educates not only her own children, but a large proportion of the children of Dissenters. The rule itself is strict ”