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but I do not believe they would give it her, and if they would, I only know she must not have it, for maintaining that, to be faithful to her trust, she is bound to teach all Christian children doctrines which some Christian parents do not wish them to learn.
Reason 11.11. "Because the Church may not do anything to compromise the principle that, without the steady inculcation of dogma, school teaching is no blessing to parent or child, but the reverse."
Answer.Whether she may do so or not, I am inclined to think that the Church of England has done, and is doing, a good deal to compromise this principle. And I do not believe she will retrace her steps because Archdeacon Denison says she must. Nor can the National Society, considering her licence—nay, recommendation—to managers to suspend the "steady inculcation of dogma" at their own discretion, escape the terrific imputation! (Supra, p. 19.) "Steady inculcation of dogma" is not the basis nor the method of education among any Protestant Christians, nor among many Roman Catholic Christians, nor do I think it is likely increasingly to become so among ourselves. Of course, the very words set modern teeth on edge—"steady inculcation of dogma." But allowing for the irritating sound of them, and recognising the scintilla of truth which they embody—viz., that you must teach children something—I maintain that reading and explaining the Bible will supply you with all necessary and reasonable opportunities for teaching children Christian truth, and I even venture to think that training children upon such "steady inculcation of dogma" as you can find in the Gospel history, and teaching them such catechisms of Christian doctrine as are to be drawn from the Sermon on the Mount and from the parables and discourses of our Lord, may possibly be productive of as much "blessing," both to parents and children, as even the admirable compilation of Bishop Overall.
