BY REV. W. C. ANDERSON, D.D.,

PASTOR OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, OF SAN FRANCISCO.

"In what age, by what sect, when, where, by whom has religious truth been excluded from the education of youth? Nowhere, never.-DANIEL WEBSTER.

Reason and experience forbid us to expect national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles.”—GEORGE WASHINGTON.

"The work, [the English Bible] therefore, is not sectarian in its origin or its character."-Princeton Beview.

SAN FRANCISCO:

TOWNE & BACON, PRINTERS, EXCELSIOR BOOK AND JOB OFFICE,

No. 125 Clay Street, corner of Sansome.

1859.

406 .C2

A55

gift

Tappan Presb. Armor, 1-9-1933

TO THE READER.

THESE pages are given to the public under the following circumstances: In the course of my regular pulpit ministrations, I delivered four evening lectures on the propriety and importance of placing the Bible in the Common Schools of California. These lectures were published first in the Pacific, and afterwards in pamphlet form. The reasons assigned by me for their delivery and publication were in these words:

"It may be asked, why discuss the matter at all? We do it for two reasons. First, to direct the attention of the community to it. It is a lamentable truth that, with here and there an exception, California has no Bible in her Public Schools; she invokes not the name of God in her legislative halls, and her Sabbath law has been wrested from her by her Supreme Court. This state of things exists not, as some allege, because the majority of the citizens are infidel or papist, but because the public mind is not aroused to the subject.

"Our second reason is a sectarian one. In common with all the other branches of Christ's House, the Presbyterian Church is forming its character on the Pacific coastand what shall be its type? Shall it bear the noble form of the old church at home, which has ever been found in the van, when stout battle was to be fought with infidelity and popery, in defense of the Bible in schools, in defense of laws for the better observance of the Sabbath, and for the suppression of Sunday mails? Or shall it lower its standard, and assume a form which will not do violence to the spirit of the world, and the existing state of things here?

"In discussing this subject we hope to contribute somewhat toward the restoration of the Bible to our California schools, and at the same time to show to those unacquainted with us on this coast, what is the uniform faith and action of the Presbyterian Church of the General Assembly in relation to the subject, for the views we hold and here express, are but the views held and expressed by our whole Church.”

In a pamphlet of one hundred and forty-six pages, designed as a general answer to all the arguments of all the friends of the Bible in schools, and as an exhibition of the true doctrine on the subject, Dr. Scott, after quoting the above reasons says: 'I regret that an effort has been made to show to those unacquainted with us, that the type of this Church on this coast is to be found in stout battle in defense of the Bible in Schools; in defense of laws for the observance of the Sabbath, and for the suppression of Sunday mails." Falling back on what he calls the "Articulated faith and action of the Presbyterian Church," he proceeds: "And whatever dictatorial utterances by individuals or Presbyterys or Synods may be made on the subject, in the light of Presby

terian history it will be found to be something absolutely new in her policy to wish to compel the use of the Bible in her Public Schools. To take the taxes of citizens of other denominations, and of citizens who do not believe in any religion, or, at least, not in ours, to establish schools, and then by legislative acts cause our Bible, which is the 'Religion of Protestants," according to Chillingworth and the whole Protestant world, to be used in those schools, contrary to the remonstrances of those citizen tax-payers, is just what I protest against, and declare it to be wholly antagonistic to any resolution, act or deliverance of the Presbyterian Church, and wholly against its institutions and spirit."

In his exhibition of what he supposes to be the true doctrine, the Dr. takes the broad, startling positions-that our English "translation of the Holy Scriptures is just as much a sectarian book as the Articles of the Synod of Dort or of the Church of England"; and that Protestant Christianity is no part nor parcel of the common law-hence our Government knows no Bible, no Sabbath; an appeal to God is not even necessary to the validity of an oath.

At the earnest solicitation of members and friends of the Presbyterian Church, resident in this city, and in the interior of the State, who desire to see the character of the Church vindicated, and at the solicitation of the friends of the Bible in the schools generally, these pages appear. They were written hastily for the columns of the Pacific and California Christian Advocate, and now appear as when first issued. I say this for the sake of my friends, and not to deprecate criticism, for that concerns me not. To advocate laws which will interfere with Sabbath-theatres and public gardens and open stores, and which will throw the Bible open to all, is not likely to meet with popular favor at the beginning; but in the end it will be approved, for God has decreed that the land shall enjoy her Sabbaths, and that His Word shall have free course. With Him I leave the issue.

W. C. ANDERSON.