ANGLICAN CHURCH CONSTITUTION

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1574, 18 October 1912, Page 4

ANGLICAN CHURCH CONSTITUTION

e PROPOSED CHANGE: VIEWS OF BISHOP SADLII3R, The new Anglican Bishop of Nelson (the Right Rev. AY. C. Sadlicr), in the course of his address to his Synod yesterday, said:—lt will be our special privilege to welcome to Nelson in January next the General Synod of the Province of New Zoatnnd, Eighteen years have passed since a session was held in our diocese. The business-sheet is.not ready yet, but we mny gauge from the temper of the Church that the most important matter for discussion will be the question of the fundamental principles of the constitution. As yet I am too new to •Synodical government in New Zealand to pronounce a well-informed opinion; bub from all that I have hitherto read, I am much more impressed with the arguments of the opponents of chabge than with those of the opposite side. Just now tho fires of idcbate on tho autonomy of the Church in Australia are burning fiercely. Wo have nn autonomy tho like of which many Australian Churchmen covet; but wo have limitations, and it is around these limitations our fires will burn. Meanwhile I have read Archdeacon Richards's pamphlet, and have come to tha conclusion that, lie lias proved this thesis. A Provincial Church has inherently the powers of self-government, and the au> thorily to exercise those powers, but a council or synod has not inherently the full powers and authority of the church which it represents. I say nothing more at present.