THE NEW BISHOP.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1147, 7 June 1911, Page 6

THE NEW BISHOP.

CONSECRATION SERVICE.

IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY AT ■ ~" ST,-PAUL'S. : • , : •

ARCHDEACON FANCOUaT ? S SERMON

At St. Paul's-Anglican Pro-Cathedral

i ' yesterday morning, in the presence of a ; p-eat ' congregation, which filled ■ the ■ church in every part, tho Rev. 'T. H. ! Sprott, M.A., late view of St. Paul's, ;, ■ Thorndon, was consecrated Bishop , of ! Wellington, in accordance with the eolI emn and impressive ceremonial of tue \, Anglican Church, as prescribed in "theI form of ordaining or consecrating of- a [ fcishop" contained in the Book of Com- ! mon Prayer. Shortly before half-past ! vten, tho hour appointed for the commence- ; xnent of the service, tho clergy and choir, ■',- having robed in the Diocesan Hall, wero [ marshalled by the Rev. Joshua Jones, and i then slowly moved along Mulgrave Street ' in solemn procession, entering the Pro- \ Cathedral by tho west door. At the head I of the procession marched the cross--1 bearer. Then camo tho general body of i> the clergy, about fifty in .. number,, I including Archdeacons Fancourt, Harpi er, and Jacob, and followed by i the: Chancellor of tho Dioceso (Mr. ' 'i\ F. Martin), in wig ami- gown, i attended by his secretary. Next came i the Bishop-elect with his chaplains (tho ; Revs. A. M. Johnson aud V. H. Kitca't), I Bishop Williams and his Chaplain i (the Rev. H. G. B'nckbiirne) ; the Bishop ' of Waiapu (Dr. Averill), and his chap- [ lain, the Rev. Canon Eccles; the Bishop I ■;. of Auckland (Dr. Crossley), attended by ; Archdeacon Cole; and, lastly, the- Act- ' ing-Ffimate, Bishop Julius, of Christ: ; ohurclii with his chaplain (the Rev. A. ! I. Hnnsell), who carried tho primntial !' Sross..' The Introit -was Psalms 121 r and 122, Mr. 'Robert Parker : presiding ; at the organ. - •■ ■■ ' ' .' ' . Thiv procession having-traversed ■■•the length of the church,' those taking part ! in it took their ■ seats, nndthe Actiitg- : Primnte,- proceeding to 'the nltnr, began '.' the communion service. -The Epistle ; ■ ivas read by the Bishop of Waiapu, and : the Gospel by. Bishop Wjlliams. Tho I communion service, to;, the end of the i Nicene Creed, was then sung (the music being Harwood's Service, in A Flat). THE SERMON. OFFICE AND WORK OF A' BISHOP. Tho''sermon -was preached by Archdeacon Fancourt, who took as his text 'the wojf(ls,."As. the Father hath sent Me, ' even so send .1 you" (St., John XX, 21). The preacher, in the'opening part of his address; referred to the .divine purpose in the mission of the Son of God. to the .world.. That mission did not end.with His ascension, but was an .abiding one, aud its eternal issues had still to he wrought out through- the Church and ''through the ministry*,-.-. The-preaclißr •went uu to say that;he;-saw no,cause to ; despair/ of the Church, not 'only, because ihe believed that Christ',was in ; 'it, but also, because of what he daily beheld of tlip power of tho Church upon its .individual. members. His .own experience in the.; ministry was that the..potentialities of!.the Church were as.great now as 'ever, the.v, wye...- Tlio ,Church .was , , not I dead; , ribr dying';: Christ was :sr'ijl .alive and in His Church. The Archdeacon concluded his sermon in the following' ■.words :—■ ' "The solemn service in which we are engaged, and the solemn act of which, we.are about to be spectators, and wit- . nesses, is the consecration of one who is U> be the Bishop and chief pastor of this diocese. The offiee of Bishop is an exalted one, but it.is also an. arduous one; to govern the Church of God—that portion at least tho Holy Ghost shall laako him overseer—in great measure, to frame its policy, and to guide its counsels; to have more or less the care of all the churches resting upon his shoulders; to have tho responsibility. i)t choosing and ordaining fit men to •nerve in the sicred. ministry of the ■Church; to provide, , from elsewhere oftentimes, suitable clergy to fill new and vacant cures;.to..spend-long months in travelling over the' country—some parts hard of access-in order to minister confirmation; to', make visitations to parishes, and make himself known and ■:ii>lt as a true ' father in God; to 'be the pastor of pastors as well as the shepherd of the whole flock; to, guide by his wisdom, his ieadln"-. Ins experience, all those who apply to him tor, or whom he deems to Teqiure guidance, help, or, it_.may be, ex•flortation, rebuke, or remonstrance; to be , Ihe. bond of unity, between clergy and people, and all members of the Body pe, dear brethren, it is a hard thing rto fulfil aright, this office of Bishop. Unites it were that a man felt he is sent m- Christ, and that Christ's power is ] with him, he could scarcely dare-to urilileitake tho office. It is no wonder that imen, when, perhaps, suddenly called upon Uα.accept so high and responsible an ;ofnee, are appalled by the call, and scarce jtiitrc to accept it. Brethren, I know how [many of "you feel towards him now about |to. be consecrated as Bishop of this idiocese, and especially you. who have been fhis parishioners for so many years; and show we of the clergy who have known - .'-him. so intimately .'feel towards him. : I. Ijneed not ask you -to pfay. for him. I ;Jmow yon are doing it, and will do it. )1; need not ask you to help hiniin all fhis, endeavours for tho good of the dioc6se; any appeal or call from him to tho men of Wellington will hot be unheeded. The loyal co-operation of his cl.ergy is assured to him—so be it." Addressing the Bishop-elect, the Arch<leacpn said: "'To you who have' been moro than ibrother to me, who, to my great joy, •hive been chosen, to be Bishop of this diocese, i daro. not, tmst myself to s.iy many words..'lt is>not. you. nor even'we, who have chosen—God has chosen you. •■ Wo prayed God that we might appoint him whom" He had. chosen, and the lot fell upon you. As Christ called His Apostles of old, so has He called you. and, God be thanked, 'you have obeyed the.call. And now, as you are about to receive; tho outward and visible sign of His call, and authority from Christ to exercise'the office of a_Bishop, wo pray: May the. power of Christ ever rest upon you: ■ may the jqy of Christ ever gladden your lifo.'and work; may the patience, the gentleness, the love of Christ ever display themselves'in your person; may tho Grace of God always bo in your heart, and may ■ His, blessing ever rest upon you anil ■yours. .During the course of his address. Archdeacon Fancourt read the following cable message from Dr. Wallis, formerly Bishop of Wellington:— "God prosper dioceso and Bishop." .. THE PRESENTATION. The se.rmon ended,.the formal presentation of tho Bishop-elect to the ActirigPrimate, who was now seated in front of,the altar, took place. He was presented, by Bishops Crossley (Auckland), and Avenll (Waiapu), in these words: ■ , "Most Reverend Father in God, .wo present unto you this godly and welllearned man to be ordained and consecrated Bishop." The Chancellor of tho Diocese, Mr. T. F. Martin, then read the certificate of legal and canonical election, after which the Bishop-elect recited the declaration of obedience to the Primate of New Zealand. The Litany was then sung by. the Rev. H. G. Blackburne, after which the Acting-Primate, addressing tho kneeling Bishop-olect, said: "Brother, forasmuch as the Holy Scripture and tho ancient canons command that we should not be hasty in laying on hands and admitting any person to government in the Church of Christ, which He hath purchased with no less price than tho 'effusion of His own blood, before I admit you to this administration, I will examine you in. certain articles to the end that the congregation here present may havo a trial, and bear witness,, how you are minded to behave yourself in the Church of God." The cifjhfc questions prescribed in , the Prayer liook were then put and answered according to tho form laid down, and the. examination boi'ng concluded the Bishop-elect retired to tho vestry,, to put

on "the rest of tho episcopal habit. During this interval tho anthem ino Lord bo a Lamp" (Sir Julins Benedict), was ' expressively sung by tho choir. THE CONSECRATION. Reappearing in the vestments of his new dignity, .the Bishop-elect knelt once more before .the Acting-Primate, and the ancient hymn, "Como Holy 'Ghost, our souls- inspire," was sung, after wnicii tho Bishops laid their hands upon tho head of the Bishop-elect, the ActingPriniato saying:— . "Receive the Holy Ghost, for Hie Office and Work of a Bishop in tho Church of God, now committed unto thee by the Imposition of out- hands; ' in the, Name of the Father, and of . : the Son,, and of the Holy Ghost. i Amen. And remember that thou stir up the grace of God which is given thee by this Imposition of our hands; for God hath not given us tho spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and soberness." The Communion office was then proceeded with, the service concluding with tho Benediction and the Nunc Dimittis (Parisian tone). The .whole service occupied about three hours. A PRESENTATION. AN EPISCOPAL RING- FROM THE CLERGY. When tho clergy assembled in the diocesan office after the consecration service, Archdeacon : Harper, on behalf of tho clercy-of the'diocese, presented the new Bishop with an episcopal ring, ask,ing him to accept it as a token of regard and affection for him as their new Bishop-and father in God. In the course of a brief but feeling reply Bishop Sprott thanked the clergy for tho great honour they had done him in electing him as their Bishop, and said they had also made a great venture of faith. Ho hoped their gift would be a symbol of the fact that their relations would not be merely official, but would be in the nature of a comradeship in the family of God.