ANGLICAN CHURCH CONSTITUTION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 549, 2 July 1909, Page 6

ANGLICAN CHURCH CONSTITUTION.

AN IMPORTANT PROPOSAL. At the coming session of tho Wellington Diocesan Synod, the following motion will be moved Dy the Kof. '£. H. Sprott, vicar ot St. Paul's, Wellington:— • "That this Synod, whilo gratefully acknowledging tno wisdom displayed by i those who drew up tho Constitution of this Church of the province ot New 'Zealand, is strongly of opinion that the unaltorable character or tho provisions in tho Bold Constitution, called fundamental, is injurious to tho best interests of tho Church, and a hindrance to its progress, and prays the General - Synod to secure, by Act of Parliament, the right of complete Belf-government for the' Church." Ono of v tho fundamental provisions prohibits the m-ilring of alterations in the authorised version of the Bible, or in the Book of Common Prayer, unless the some ahould'haTO been: previously -adopted by tho Church of England, with tho consent of the Crown and Convocation, or unless the Church is separated from the Stato in England, or unless Zealand becomes soparaled politically from'the Mother Oouutry. It is felt by many that the clergy should have tho option of reading the lessons in church from | tho Bevised Version, and that cortain > Psalms, or portions of Psalms, the spirit' of which is folt to bo out of'harmony with Christian teaching, should be omitted. It is also urged that a living church must havo the power to adapt her services from tune to time, to meet the new needs of each n6w age. A considerable party in the Church, however, is strongly opposed to any alteration in the Constitution, and doubt has been raised.as to whether tho General Synod has power ,to' amend the fundamental provisions. Referring to this question, Mr. T. F. Martin, in his little book on "The Position and Constitution of tho Anglican Church 'in New Zealand,": states: ■ "Various opinions havo been expressed from timo to time us to the power of the tramors of tho Constitution to impose the condition that tho fundamental provisions should bo "unalterable. A provision to "tho'like' effect in an' Act of Parliament (tonned clausula derogatona) is admittedly of no effect. Sir Wdkam Martin, however, on page 14 of his pamplet, distinguishes a Constitution from ian ordinary Act of Parliament, ar'l holds the view that the fundamental provisions may not be altered. •It seems worthy of note in this connection that each of the bishops has declared his assent to the Constitution. Tho Bishop of Wellington (l)r. Wallis) has suggested that an alteration of tho fundamental provisions might jeopardise the tenure of tho endowments of the Church.,