§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report the General Lesson issued in 1835 by the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland and circulated to schools in the Province by his hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the hon. Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney).
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe text is as follows:—
CHRISTIANS should endeavour, as the Apostle Paul commands them, to live peaceably with all men (Romans c 12 v 18), even with those of a different religious persuasion.Our SAVIOUR, CHRIST, commanded his Disciples to love one another. He taught them to love even their enemies, to bless those that cursed them, and to pray for those who persecuted them. He himself prayed for his murderers.Many Men hold erroneous doctrines; but we ought not to hate or persecute them. We ought to hold fast what we are convinced is the truth; but not to treat harshly those who are in error. JESUS CHRIST did not intend his Religion to be forced on men by violent means. He would not allow his Disciples to fight for him.If any persons treat us unkindly, we must not do the same to them; for Christ and His Apostles have taught us not to return evil for evil. If we would obey CHRIST, we must do to others, not as they do to us, but as we would wish them to do to us.Quarrelling with our neighbours and abusing them, is not the way to convince them that we are in the right, and they in the wrong. It is more likely to convince them that we have not a Christian spirit.We ought, by behaving gently and kindly to everyone, to show ourselves followers of CHRIST, who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. (1 Peter c. 2 v. 23).