BISHOP SPROTT'S FIRST

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1181, 17 July 1911, Page 6

BISHOP SPROTT'S FIRST

ORDINATION,

IMPRESSIVE SERVICE AT ST. PETER'S. Tho Anglican Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprotl) held h'is first ordination yesterday morning, when the Rev. C. G. Mutter, Licentiate, in Theology of the V'n"'cr*ity of Durham and of Augustine's C'oi- : lege, Canterbury, England, was raised lo the priesthood. The service took place at St. Peter's Church, Willis Street, tho Bishop being assisted by tko following clergy:—Archdeacons Fancourt and Harper, tho Revs. A. M. Johnson (vicar of St. Mark's), A. W. H. Coinpton (warden of Hadfield Hostel), and W. lfaino (in 'charges of St. Peter's Mission, Taranaki Street). The preacher (the Rev. A. M. Johnson)' proceeded direct to tho pulpit and gayp nn appropriate address, on the lines laid down in the "Form aud Manner of Ordering of Priests" which states that the sermon shall declare "the duty and office of such as come to bo admitted priests; how necessary that order is in the Church of Christ, and how the people ought to esteem ■ them in their office." Mr. Johnson, who took, as his text the words ' a teaching priest" (11 Chronicles XV, 3), referred to tho origin and development of the priesthood in the Christian Church, and said that teaching was its primary function. That the priest was essentially a teacher had come to bo recognised at an early stage in the history of the Church. To the Christians of the first century—perhaps' to a greater extent than most people realised to-day—the second advent of. Christ was near. The leaders of the early Church, men boiling over with zeal, awaited His return. There were evangelists and prophets who spoke from personal knowledge of the.life of our Lord on earth', but' in tlio course of time writtea'records came to. take the place of the evangelists and it beenino the duty of the priesthood to carry 1 out the Divine Commission: "To teach all nations." Tho priest should teach by word, fortified by diligent study aud prayer; he should teach by the celebration of the Holy I Eucharist, te>ick by faithfulness and example—aud example would effect mor» uian any spoken word. Addressing the congregation the preaeher remarked that they, and the rest of the Church people in Wellington, would not forget all that Mr. Mutter had done. No one else could have done the work as ho did it', in connection with the grand mission of the previous year. Mr. Mutter had had a longer and much more severe discipline and training in preparation for the high offico to which he had been called than tvas gsme through by most of those wlm entered the priesthood. He who was that day to be admitted to the priesthood had. in the short year which he had spent among them, won their respect and love. How often did they hear people .say that' they learnt nothing from the clergy, and how frequently did people jump to the conclusion that the clergy neither read nor thought. Perhaps the fault lay a little, nn bath sides. Perhaps the clergy read and thought on different lines from tho laity. The people should help their clergy so that they might bring those lines together and bring tho study of God's Word to - beai more effectively on the problems of life. The keynoto- of the ordination servico I was net authority, but service. The sermon having concluded Archdeacon Fancourt presented the candidate to tho .Bishop, after which Archdeacon Harper sang the Litany with the proper suffrage Y'Tliat it may please Thee to bless this Thy servant now to be admitted to the Order of. Priests, and to pour Thy grace upon him;.'that he may duly execute his 'office,to the edifying of Thy Church, and the glory of Thy.holy Name." '. After the Litany the Bishop began the Communion service; the epistle being read by the'.Rev. AJW. H. Compton; and the gospel' by Archdeacon Fancourt. The Bishop then addressed the candidate in the words of the ordinal, reminding him of the high dignify.and'weightyoffice and charge-to which he had been called; He concluded by. putting the prescribed questions, to each .of which the candidate-' gave- the required answer. .The secret prayers of the congregation ' were asked for, and after a short silence the hymn "Voni,-Creator Spiritus" ("Come, Holy Ghost; our. souls inspire") was sung. Theiv the candidate knelt beforo the Bishop (who was seated in a chair placed iii front of the altar) and the Bishop and all the priests present laid their hands on the head of tho candidate, tho Bishop saving: ■. . > . "" Receive the Holy Ghost for the offico and work of a priest in the Church of God, now committed unto thee by the imposition of our hands. Whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins thou dost retain they are retained. And bo thou a faithful dispenser of the Word of God and of His holy Sacraments. In tho namo of the Father, and of the Son, and of the . Holy Ghost, Amen. The Bishop then delivered- a Biblo to ' the candidate saying :"Take thou authority to preach the Word of God, and to ; minister the holy Sacraments in the congregation where thou shalt be lawfully < appointed thereunto." , The Communion service was then proceeded with, concluding with the Benediction, pronounced by the Bishop.