SELWYN CENTENARY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 490, 24 April 1909, Page 6

SELWYN CENTENARY.

:■ CELEBRATION IN WELLINGTON. St. Paul's pro-Cathedral wa3 well filled last night, when a special service was held in celebration of tho centenary of the birth of George Augustus Selwyn, the first Anglican Bishop of New Zealand, founder of the Molanesian Mission, and subsequently Bishop of Lichfield, and first prolate of the order of S.S. Michael and George. The service was full evensong/with the massed, choirs of .the various churches. To. Sullivan s Bishopgarth/ the processional hymn, "Thy Hand, Oh Lord, Has Guided," was sung with fmo effect. The anthem was the duet from Mendelssohn's St. Paul, "Now we arc Ambassadors," with accompanying chorus, "How Lovely are the Messengers." Special lessons were read,. the first by the Rev. T. H. Sprott, Vicar of St. Paul's, and the second by the Venerable Archdpacon Fancourt. The Rev. Joshua Jone3, the preacher, took for his text Isaiah xlix, 2, "He hath, made me a polished shaft." In the courso of his remarks, he said that the birth of Bishop Selwyn was the beginning of an illustrious life, in which; natural genius, good education, lofty, unselfish, and sanctified character, 1 were united to marvellous physical

power and found unique opportunity for exercise. The results of his labours were widely and lastingly influential and beneficial, not only to,the Church, but.to the whole community. Men, to whose, minds secular matters only seemed important, grudged'him to the Church, statesmen would gladly have followed him as a leader, ' soldiers looked up to him with admiration, and sailors said that he was a great admiral spoiled. Churchmen might find in his life comparisons instructive both, in likeness; and in difference with several epoch-making personalities in their 'own Church history. _ Like Augustine he was a pioneer in. missionary enterprise,, but he possessed a clear intellect, already grasp of facts, a faculty : of placing things' in their proper perspective, of importance and independence of thought with promptitude and self-reliance in action, which was not discovered in Augustine. A' much nearer resemblance one might find in Chad, whose'9oth successor he beoame in the See of Lichfield. In each there was the same saintliness. of character and spiritual earnestness, the same indefatigable industry, the same tactfulness in dealing with, tho peculiar type of heathenism prevalent in their respective fields of labour. Another parallel with Selwyn one might find in Theodore of Taisus, the great'organiser of tho Anglo-Saxon Church. There was the same recognition of facts, as they, were, wise formulation of plans, and porseverance in carrying, them out,'in the face of difficulties, produced in Selwyn's case by the attempts on the'part of the English legal authorities to force upon a missionary church the conditions and limitations of the English establishment. That'such: a man as appeared when the ciroumstancos required him was a fact which might well bo used in confirmation of their belief in the watchful care of God over His Church- For the Christian would find it impossible to believe that the coincidence of such remarkable conditions with the life of a man so conspicuously fitted to deal with them was merely an accident. Selwyn's dominant mental bias was from the

first in tho direction of order and organisation. Hie scheme for the restoration to the Church of the system of diocesan councils or synods, which he lived: to realise, was the great work of his life, and was of inestimable advantage to the whblo Church. By sending Selwyn to New Zealand, the Church gave of its very.best, whilst the sacrifice involved on Selwyn's part was euch that the sense of it deepened more and moro' as the conditions were' studied. His fruitful work and spiritual influence remained, and .were the heritage of the whole Anglican communion,_ but especially of the New Zealand branch of it. _ ■ Tho "Lichfield Diocesan Magazine" contains full particulars relating to the. proposed commemoration of the, centenary of Bishop Selwyn's birth. Tho commemoration' services were to have been held in Lichfield Cathedral yesterday, Bishop Welldon,-who visited New Zealand a few years ago, being tho preacher, i The Bishop of Lichfield writes:—"Those who are connected with the old Diocese of Lichfield will remember how closely Bishop Abraham was associated with both St. John s College, Auckland, and Selwyn College, Cambridge. It was on his arrival in Auckland in 1850 that the Council of St. John's Collego was established to carry out the founders purpose of making the college 'the nursery of the ministry and the centre of all sound learning and religious education to the islands of New Zealand. , It was he who, after an alliance of. nine years with Bishop Selwyn in his work in tho Lichfield Diocese, only terminated by the death of tho latter, proposed the foundation of Selwyn College, Cambridge, as the fittest memorial of the great chief whom he and the Church in England had lost." ".■■■: ' ■ . >■

The following is a chronological outline oi Selwyn's career as Bishopof Now Zealand: — Consecration ... ... ... ... 1841 Arrival at Auckland .... - ••• 1842 St. Paul's Church, Auckland, consecrated ... ... ... •-.:.. 1843, First ordinations ... ... ... 1843 First visit to South Island ... ... : 1844 First synod of the clergy ; .. ' ' ... 1844 Beginning' of Melanesia Mission , ... 1847 Conference of Bishops in Sydney ... 1850 Pastoral re Church Constitution ... 1852 Bishop Harper (Christchurch) consecrated . ... ... ' . ... ... 1856 Framing of the Constitution (conferenco at Taurarua) ... ... ■ ..'. 1857 Sees of Wellington, Nelson, and Wajapu formed ... ' ... 1858 First General Synod ... ' ... ■ ... 1859 First Bishop'of Melanesia (Patteson) consecrated ... ........ .: ~, 1861 Second General Synod ... ... ... 1862 Third General , Synod (Revision of Con- ; stitution) . ..; ' : ... ... 1865 Selwyn appointed Bishop of Lichficld 1867 Fourth General Synod ...... ... 1868 Office of' Primate established ... ', .„ 1868 Bishop Selwyn leaves New Zealand ...■ 1868 Diocese of Dunedin founded ... ... 1869 Death of. Bishop Selwyn ... ...1878 Through inadvertence it was , stated in an interview that Mr. Wybert Stamford, of the Royal Comic Opera Company, produced "Havana" in Sydney* That successful musical comedy was produced by Mr. Spencer Barry. MUSCLES IN KNOTS. JOINTS ALL STIFFENED AND SWOLLEN. Lance-like pains torture and torment tho victim of Rheumatism, and you don't think you will ever gut rid of the disease. Perhaps you have tried all kinds of so-called cures and much-advertised quack remedies all to no purpose. Well, don t despair. Thoro is a medicine, that can ami will cure you. Take RHEUMO. It is a positive antidote for: uric acid poisoning. It relieves pain, removing tho strolling, and clears the system of excess urio acid—the cause of all the trouble. RHEUMO is Neither a liniment nor a pill, but a liquid medicine of marvollous therapeutic value. RHEUMO conquors Rheumatism. Sold by all chemists and storekeepers at 2s. Gd. and 4s. 6d jjer bottlo. . • . : A

. : ;. ■ PAHIATUA". '. A.short meeting' of the Pahiatua Racing Club was held'in tho Commercial Hotel on Tuesday.night, the president, Mr. J. Breeds,occupying; tho chair. Tho matter of fixing a now date, for the next- annual meeting (owing to the usual ones coming too close to thoso fixed for Wellington and Foxton) was loft to a sub-committee consisting of Messrs. V. Pressor, W. W. M'Cardlo, and E. B. Hare to deal with. The free uso of the course as a golf links for tho ensuing season was granted to the Golf Club. 'A statement submitted by tho secretary showed the farm account to have a credit balapco of £47 165., while stock was owned valued at £60. The manager, Mr. L. Johansen, was accorded a hearty vote of thanks, and granted a bonus. Heavy rain commenced on Tuesday, continning all Wednesday and Thursday with practically no cessation. The local rivers are all in high flood. The road from Pahiatua to the railway station is partly under water, and, a good portion of tho new. footpath, which is being formed has been washed away. A bridge on tho Scarborough to Konini Road has also been rendered unfit for traffic. Despite tho rough weather the Woodlands Hunt Club held their first run on Wednes-. day, a fair number participating. ~The'run took place at Mr. T. Mexted's property, and proved highly successful. Afterwards the huntsmen and visitors were hospitably plied with .afternoon tea by Mrs. Mexted.' The campaign for the election of Mayor commenced on Wednesday night, when Sir. Crewe, tho present Mayor, addressed tho burgesses in the Olympic Theatre. His address dealt mainly with borough finance, in tho paet and tho progress made up to the present in both the borough and the district. The candidate claimed a.distinct share in bringing about the present satisfactory position. In reply to a question touching fcho muchdiscussod, post office site, he made it clear that he would strenuously oppose the building of a post office in the town square. The first of a series of winter socials, inaugurated by Mr. Herbert Hicks, was held on Thursday evening, and, despite the inclement weather, was well patronised,