ANGLICAN SYNOD.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 6

ANGLICAN SYNOD.

PROPOSED COLLEGE OF THEOLOGY A BILL REJECTED. KGLIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN STATE SCHOOLS. The second day's proceedings of the Anglican General Synod began at 2.30 yesterday afternoon in the Masonic Hall, and were continued throughout the afternoon and in the evening. Tho Pri-

raised for the mission in New 'Zealand' which, before the board commenced its work, were very' fimn.ll, amounted; for the Mast three years, to.some, per annum. The board had not olaimed, and was never.-intended to exercise, any control over'the management of tie mission : work; but in theSe directions .in which, it was intended ;tb creation .of interest, the '-'dissemination::, of .information; and. the raising of funds—it might be fairly' claimed ! that -it had;:fulfiSed its obligations' and'done "valuable 1 sei ; -' vicelr' ,v' ,'■•'■■ ■■■-".■.'•'.■■■■.'•" - . '' '.

, .The -report.', embodied, proposals' for •, a' reconstitution "rf : -.■.'the! Maori ■ Mission "Board' following lines:—The board v to consist; of, one; bishop, two clergymen in priesfs. orders, aid 'two 'laymen, with

; effect • to this , resolution and to make ■'sneh. provisipn . as may bo. deemed proper,' the 'expenses with, such Bill to be borne by tho parish of Wangan-ui:" : :. ~; .The mover mentioned that although the Church possessed this valuable acre in the'heart of °(Vanganui,. the work of the parish was being hampered for want of funds; They had no evidence that the land was consecrated.. The. proposal to 5e11. , -the acre' was' rejected by the Diocesan Synod, and hence this appeal to the .General'.Synod. A single church on the; acre would not supply the' needs, of the parish ,nearly, so; well .as the ; three churches'proposed. , '. , Mr. T.. li , . Maftin , . seconded 'the; mo- I tionl. .". .-..; .'■.■'.., •■' ■;' . ' ■■ "■'• - ■'■'.. J

them to consider by; what' means the operations' of the hoard can be extended to the furtherance.of theological studies, and to report to the chairman of the board." ..■'./ .-■. ■'■ :, ,\ : i The Rev. ,E;> H. Strong also opposed the Bill. He said ;the .University, of New Zealand was' an excellent instrument, for general education,', arid'he would deprecate anything that might'cause students to. specialise/ too soon. •Bβ, favoured stu- ' dents matriculating in.the University of New, Zealand,< and .then'- specialising in- . theology under the.pruidance of the Board of ...Theological Studies., ■. ' ■ •-'■'' Bill Thrown (Jut; ■ ';'■'.;. V •.:■"':',. ''■; ; -Baid the Board J of Theological Studies,.under which some

jooted. •It had, been contended that many of the teachers would not be prepared to give such religious teaching as was de-' sired, but Inspector Hill had said that that was a .libel on the teachers/ and that if religious instruction had a place on the. syllabus, they.'would loyally give such instruction:' Hβ '' hoped all education boards would follow the example of Nelson and HawkeV Bay, and allowjhalf an hour out' of. the fivo echool hours to ba used ; for religious instruction. - The Hawke's Bay Education Board had thrown upon the committees the. responsibility, of■ saying: whether there should be religious' instruction or- not,' and in cases where -the committees,had obtained the views of parents, five out of six had declared- in favour of Bible reading in the schools.-

A Conference J Suggested. ■'■-\ Canon - Mac Murray also: advocated the New. South.Wales system, which, he said, , was in operation in several of'the Australian States.,. If they had those privileges hero, he, for one, would never ask for any more. There had never been a single' complaint of a teacher , in New South Wales misusing his .'position; ; and he believed the teachers: of New Zealand were equally honourable and competent. He had tried-giving religious lessons outsido school hours'for four-years in Ballarat and for three years in Auckland, and he would never try it again.' Eβ-" ligious instruction outside school hours would always be a failure. (Voices: Question!) While personally' advocating, strongly the New South Wales systenyhe thought the Synod, instead of affirming it, might be: better .advised to eimply arrange for . a/conference with :• representa-. tives of other churcbos on the matter/on the' hope that they, would unite in favour of the 'New.South .Wales eystem;, , '' ' ,- The debate\was, interrupted by the ad-■ journment: of ■ the Synod until 2.30 p.m. on Monday.'- .'-...- ~-!-' : ■:"■;. ■■•