The Dominion. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1911. PUTTING BACK THE CLOCK.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1265, 21 October 1911, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1911. PUTTING BACK THE CLOCK.

The Anglican Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Crossley), who came over from Australia early in the present year to succeed Dr. Neligan as Bishop_ of the northern diocese, gave his first address to the Auckland Diocesan Synod yesterday. His remarks cover a wide area and touch upon a number of interesting matters, his opinions possessing "a value all their own," to quoto his own words, "as a sort of semi-outsider's view." A new-comer sees things in a new light, and the first impressions of a fresh and activc mind on the pressing problems concerning the religious life of the community arc deserving of the most careful consideration. Dr. Crossley places in the forefront of his address the important question of the supply of candidates for the ministry, declaring that his. diocesc at present requires 21 more clcrgy, and fixing ton as an irreducible minimum, lie goes on to make certain suggestions as to the best means of dealing with this urgent problem. Though for the immediate present he thinks it will bo necessary to seek help across the sea, lie is very anxious that New Zealand should supply her own clcrgy, and for this purpose he seems to hesitate as to tie future between relying

on St. John's College or establishing a special theological college. for the diocese of Auckland. It is to bo hoped that he will think well before he advises his synod to adopt this latter course.. There are already three small struggling thcological_colleges belonging to the Anglican Church in Now Zealand, and to start another at Auckland, where Srmvyn's historic foundation of St. John's already exists, would bo a most regrettable blunder. In the place of Bishop Selwyn's noble and inspiring ideal when he founded St. John's College to bo "a nursery of the ministry and the centre of all sound learning and religious education to the islands of New Zealand," we have the present pitiful policy of divided effort and wasted energy; and whatever excuse there may be in the case of Wellington, Christchurch, and Duncdin by reason of distance and consequent additional expense of maintaining candidates for Holy Orders at St. John's, such excuse cannot bo urged in the caso of Auckland. Yet the new Bishop, from whom bigger things might have been expected, talks of increasing and perpetuating a state of affairs which reflects little crcdit upon the Church, and can inspire no enthusiasm cither among the clergy or laity.

Dr. Crossley's alternative proposal is open to equally strong objection. Ho suggests that the scholarships connected with St. John's should be conditionalised so that every holder should be required to serve a-s a clergyman in New Zealand for a term of years. _ He also proposes that the scholarships should l>e apportioned among the different dioceses periodically on the basis of population. It must not be forgotten that St. John's College is not an exclusively Auckland institution, but belongs to the whole' Anglican Church of Now Zealand; and it is very doubtful whether the General Synod would agree to such a serious alteration of the fundamental principles upon which the college was founded. Dr. Crossley's proposals would practically confine the scholarships to candidates for Holy Orders, and also make distinctions between one dioeese and another, in marked contrast to Bishop Selwyn's ideas which were broad enough to include "the islands of Nov/ Zealand"; and in only one case liasihe benefit of a scholarship been limited by the donor to candidates for Holy Orders. It would be no light matter to vary these trusts even in the direction of greater liberality, and it would be almost unthinkable that the General Synod would agree to the imposition of such limitations ancl conditions as those suggested by Dr. Cros'sley on the broad and generous ideals of the original donors

Only a year or two ago an appe-al was made for funds to extend St. John's College to mark the centenary of tho birth of Bishop Selwyn, and as a result portion of a new wing was opened last year. In tho appeal the statement was made that

"the broad !>elwyn idea has never been r(nito lost sight of. Men in all walks of life have held scholarships. In a very real sense the college has been of national benefit to New Zealand. Herein lies strength for St'. John's. Men preparing for Tloly Orders, whilo getting tlio necessary spiritual and theological help, get also the social help of mixing day by day with men preparing to servo God as laymen. Thus our future clergy caniKit becomo mere seminarists."

It is true that the subsequent foundation of the University of New Zealand and other State educational institutions has rendered it practically impossible to fully realise all the secular aspects of Selwyn's foundation, but an effort has always been mado to carry out, as far as the altered circumstances will allow, the spirit of founders' intentions. Dr. Chossley, however, in his endeavour to overcome a temporary difficulty, would apparently convert St. John's into a theological seminary of the strictest kind, and so obliterate the last vestige of the Selwyn tradition. And yet St. John's College has a great future before it. Its scholarship endowments have largely increased in value, and in the near future, with the growth of Auckland and its suburbs and the extension of the tramways and other_ improved means of communication, its large landed estate at Tamaki must become exceedingly valuable. Its revenues will then enable it to erect suitable buildings and attract the very best men to its teaching staff, and this, combined with the broad and liberal principles upon which it was founded, should in the course of time make it one of the greatest Church institutions in the Australasian colonies. Then at last, after many ups and downs and trying vicissitudes, will Bishop Selwyn's splendid hope be realised in a noble institution which will be indeed a nursery of the ministry and a centre of sound learning and religious education to the islands of New Zealand.