THE NEW ARCHBISHOP.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 521, 31 May 1909, Page 6

THE NEW ARCHBISHOP.

GREAT HONOUR UNSOUGHT. >: (8? TBLEcmArn—press association—copirioiit.l London, May 28. Archdeacon, "Wright, interviewed by -the •'Manchester Guardian" with refercnco to his : appointment as Archbishop of Sydney, said that he had not sought or expected tho .position. Ho was; unable, to say until ho re- ' • ceived particulars'', whether; ho would acoepi the great honour offered to him.

METHODS OF ELECTION. ; : . .. The above cablegram .indicates that .Arch-, 's : : .. dencon "Wright was not'consulted before nomin-. atioa, ..and probably other .clergymen whose ; > names . were before ' the Synod were;in ; the same : •. . position. . The recent .refusal of a Canadian 1 • 'v rArchbishoprio j.by.; tho present { Archbishop.:; of ..".' York .and . the fact.; that the;. Archbishopric, of Cape: Town 'was; also twice, declined' has lately. . called attention to the method of, election of bishops.; It iscontendcd;by-some that' ;it is' not; fair to nominate .a man /without previously obtaining his consent; as a section of the:.pnbHd;i3.,omy' too'ready .to .attribute un- ... worthy;,motives to a .man who' declines to, acy-. oept such a position-if.elected; no matter what .. his,reasons may be.; On tho.othcr hand, it that under tho'.method of popular election; tfye name of. the person con-. Bulted is'sure io become public, and asthe best ;v \men. will .hot consent to l>e placed in; the post- •!?; . tion of rival candidates; other olergymon of the> front rank - will, not' allow' themselves to' bo nominated. _ Thus tho. choice, of the Synod practically become"'-narrowed down 'tot;- the ; man ;who; had, been first, approached.' The V vi: difficulty ■; asV regard^publicity; i'might,:.-.-to.'.-a. i /certain'extent, ;be.'got l over if the . gated its powers of .election. to a small com- ; ,-:'mittee,'. but,;a representative- body .does not • caro to divest.' itself in - this way of one of its chief functions. ' ' ; . ;; r to this matter recently, .the "Guar- ■ dian" 6aysi,"lt it not conducive to the dignity of the Episcopate so to, conduct, elections as to. , lajr, tho door ; open "to the suggestion that > . Bishoprics !aro being, hawked -about from -one .■reluctant ecclesiostio ' to', another. Whatever ':v i opinions may be -held about the duty of going' ' where the .Church calls, it "is-, unreasonable, to, ;' v/v Bpri ig .the.'offer" of - a/Bishoprio: upon, a - man' thousands .of., miles away whose position -as ;.v .; regards income, or - health, or . family, or' the workiin .hand,; may-be; such ;that acceptance . - ls- impossible, l Such a; oonrse is-unfair, to'the | • . man ai?d injurious to the Church, sinco malici- ; ous or 'unthinking people ,'at once conclude that cordid .reasons are at the. root of -the'refusal. Moreover, 'it'.leaves little room; for the free P'?7 °f„ 6«lf-knowlcdgo.. Many a man - knows ..full .well.that 1 ho.is'unsnifed for;work in! the • . ;.;oolomes,'and:thnt he would injure rather than I;/. help -religion ; by,iundertaking 'that-for " which he is unfitted." i : : Taking..all.'-:things into consideration, it is not easy to seo how the method adopted by tho vV, Sydney, Synod - can'bo greatly., improved upon, i ;..i .' but:'it;Bhould :boNmade .quite clear; that'j'tfiosa ;.v;, nominated,;,are ;' not rival candidates—indeed, they art , no! candidates: at. all—and- that the , , nian -.chosen has a perfect: right;to decline the position.;without being accused of .acting upon . ; any unworthy: motive. '~, . ;; \