DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1795, 21 November 1879, Page 3

DIOCESAN SYNOD.

The Diocesan Synod resumed its sittings yesterday at 4 p.m., presided over by the Bight Bev. the Lord Bishop of Christchurch. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. NOTICES OF MOTION. Notices of motion were given for ttc next meeting of the Synod. CHURCH SOCIBTT. The Rev. W. C. Harris moved—" That leave be given to bring in a Bill for constituting a Church Society.” The motion was carried. The mover moved —“That the Bill be read a first time.” The second reading was made an Order of the Day for 7.30 to-morrow. grant for ohoka parsonage. Archdeacon Dudley moved —“ That it bo a recommendation from this Synod to the Church Property Trustees, ‘That an additional ;sum of £IOO be granted towards the erection of a parsonage at Ohoka.’ ” Mr Q-rigg wished to know what sum had already been granted to the district. The Clerical Secretary stated the sum already granted was £250. Mr 0. E. Blakiston was opposed on principle to such appeals being made, as indicated in the resolution. Mr H. E. Webb agreed with the last speaker, and said if the grant were made he should, in his turn, ask for one for Lyttelton. Mr W. J. W. Hamilton was opposed to the grant unless accompanied by the managing bodies of the Synod, either the Standing Committee or the Church Property Trustees. Mr F. de C. Malet thought they should have the claims of all the parishes before apportioning any grants whatever. The Synod was not in a position to accede to the grant, as they did not know what had been done with the money already. The motion was put and negatived on the voices. CHURCH OF ENGLAND TEMPERANCE SOCIETY. Archdeacon Dudley moved—“ That in the opinion of this Synod it is desirable that branches of the Church of England Temperance Society bo established in the several parishes and parochial districts of the diocese.” The mover cited statistics and adduced arguments in favor of extending the branches of the society. He regarded it as the most important question of the day. Where drink was unknown there was a great diminution of crime. There was a town in Ireland called Besborough where there bad not been a conviction for twenty years, and in that town there were no public houses, no crime, no

lawyers, magistrates, or Court houses. Many of the leading English clergy, commencing with the Archbishop of Canterbury, were total abstainers, and their example had the greatest moral influence in advancing the principles of temperance. He had been an abstainer for three years, and had never enjoyed such good health in his life. Rev. E. G. Brittan seconded the resolution.

Mr Grigg thought it childish to pass a resoluation without pointing out some method of carrying out its principles. He wished to know whether the Church Society intended to take action to establish the branches referred to. He could not vote against the motion, but did not see what good he should do by voting for it. Archdeacon Harper spoke in favor of the resolution, but said he did not regard the vice of intemperance as characteristic of young New Zealand. It was more the vice of those who came to it from the old country. Mr F. de O. Malet moved, on behalf of the Rev. E. G. Brittan, as an amendment—

“ That the Synod approves of the attempt which is being made in the several parishes and parochial districts of the diocese to establish branches of the Church of England Temperance Society.” Mr O. R. Blakiston thought the Synod should go further than place a simple truism on its minutes, but should grapple with the question in a larger spirit. He would prefer, if Archdeacon Dudley consented, to see the resolution withdrawn, and the question dealt with in another manner.

Mr W. O. Walker agreed with the last speaker, and would like to see the question grappled with in a manner which would show some practical end was desired. Rev. Mr Mortimer said he thought it was the duty of the Synod to let the government know that they regarded their measures to check intemperance by legislation as so many shams, that were never intended to be operative, but were only passed to silence certain sections of the community. The Dean of Christchurch read a set of resolutions which had been passed by the Synod in 1874, which had never been acted upon, and hoped whatever resolutions were passed now would not share the same fate. Rev. B. A. Lingard said the resolutions were not now in force. He did not regard the young men of New Zealand as given to intemperance, certainly not in Christchurch. Ho thought the matter should not be dealt with by the Synod, but by the great body of Christian men called together at a public meeting. It would have a greater weight with the Legislature. The Rev. H. C. M. Watson thought that a resolution | re-establishing 'the resolutions of 1874 would be the best course to adopt. The Rev. B. G. Penny agreed with the suggestion made by the previous speaker. Archdeacon Dudley obtained leave to with draw his motion, which was accordingly withdrawn. CLEBGY PENSION BOAED. Mr Malet moved—" That Messrs O. R’ Blakiston, L. Harper, J. Grigg, and H. RWebb be elected members of the Clergy Pension Board.” The motion was carried. ELECTION OP CHTTECII PEOPBETY TEHSTBES. The Rev. G. J. Cholmondeley moved — “That Mr Henry William Packer and Mr Harold Selwyn Smith, who retire by rotation, be re-elected Church Property Trustees.” « That Mr William Henry Hargreaves be elected a Church Property Trustee to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr Thomas Maberly Haasal.” The motion was carried. The Synod adjourned at 6.30 p.m., and reassembled at 7.30. INSTEHCTIONS TO CHTTBCH PBOPBETY TETTSTBES. The Rev. G. J. Cholmondeley moved—- “ That it be an instruction to the Standing Committee, in conjunction with the Church Property Trustees, to prepare a draft of instructions to trustees appointed by the Diocesan Synod of Christchurch, including the Church Property Trustees, to take such legal advice on the question as they deem desirable, and to submit such draft of instructions to the Synod at its annual session in 1880, or any special session which may be held previous thereto.” The motion was carried. EEADJTTSTMBNT OF PABOCHIAL DI3TEICTS. Mr Poster moved —“That all correspondence in connection with the late proposed re-adjustment of the Xieithfield, Waikan, and Woodend parochial districts be laid on the table.” Carried. BBTITBN OF MAEBIAGE LICENSES. The Dean moved —“ That his Lordship the President be requested to direct that a return be laid before the Synod showing the number of marriage licenses issued in each year since the beginning of the year 1871.” Rev. Mr Plavell, in seconding the resolution, said he should like to see the Dean go a step further, and do away with the marriage fees, which were wrong in principle and inexpedient in practice. The motion was agreed to. The clerk read the return, which showed the number of marriage licenses issued from the date specified to be 1054. BtTBIAL OF THE DEAD. Archdeacon Harper moved —“That this Synod is of opinion that it is desir able that the following resolution should be brought before the General Synod at its next session :—‘ That in cases of burial in which the service at the commencement of the Order for the Burial of the Dead forbids the use of that office, it shall bo lawful for the Minister to use, after the body has been laid into the earth, prayers taken from the Book of Common Prayer, and portions of Holy Scripture, approved by the Bench of Bishops, so that they be not part of the order for the Burial of the Dead, nor of the Order of the Administration of the Holy Communion.’ ” The Archdeacon said the object of his resolution was to provide a special Burial Service for such cases as were not provided for by the rubric. The Burial Service was intended for those only who died in full communion with the Church. Cases, however, sometimes occurred where a clergyman was not justified in using the Burial Service, and it would be convenient to have the authority of the Synod for using such

portions of the Prayer Book as would meet the difficulty. He had himself experienced such cases, and he had acted on his own responsibility in using certain appropriate prayers, but he thought the Synod should give its sanction to such a procedure. The sanction of the Synod to a special burial service in the cases of unbaptised children, suicides, and excommunicants from various causes, would afford the clergy great relief. In the case of excommunicants —that was, members who were practically excommunicated from the fact that they lived in open sin, ministers frequently, to their own distress and agony of mind, had to read the full service. He was not justified in refusing to do so. For this reason he thought that a special service should be provided. The resolution had been worded very carefully, so as to prevent any misconception between the two services. The difference in the service he suggested and the existing burial service was principally in the prayers which were said before the body was lowered into the earth ; hence, in the resolution, he had been careful to say, “ after the body has been laid into the earth.” Since he had been in Holy Orders he had constantly been placed in situations of great perplexity, and had to act upon his own responsibility, when it would have been a great relief to his mind if he had been fortified in the course he adopted by the authority of the Church. Rav. H. 0. M. Watson seconded the resolution, but at the same time was not so clear as the Archdeacon on the point of whether a clergyman had no authority for deviating from the regular burial service in the exceptional oases adduced. He thought the rubric sanctioned the use of another service.

Yen. Archdeacon Dudley and Rev. 0. Bowen supported the resolution. The Rev. W. A. Pasooe, while giving his support to the motion, thought omission should be made of the words “ so that they be not part of the order for the burial of the dead,” in relegating the matter to the General Synod. Rev. E. G. Penny was in favor of the retention of the words quoted, and expressed a hope that before sending the question to the General Synod it would receive the fullest discussion.

The Rev. D. O. Hampton and J. W. Stack spoke in favor of the motion, the latter suggesting the omission of all the words after the word “Bishops.” The Yery Rev. the Dean pointed out that there was one difficulty which the resolution had not provided for, which was when the special service and when the regular burial service should be used. Cases might arise where the substitution of the special for the regular burial service might give greater offence than the omission of certain words from the latter. What he could not vote for was asking the General Synod to sanction an alteration of the formulas of the church, and which was at the same time ultra vires. He thought the following amendment which he had drawn up would express his views more fully:—“That whereas the General Synod has already provided that if occasion or circumstances arise in which special services are needed, but are not now provided, such special prayers or services should be drawn up by the Bishop of the diocese, and his sanction obtained previous to their use, this Synod is of opinion that in cases of burial in which the clergyman finds himself placed in difficulties by the rubric at the commencement of the burial service, sufficient provision has already been made, and that it is undesirable that the General Synod shall be moved to give more formal sanction to any apparent interferences with the formularies of the church.” The Rev. Mr Mortimer seconded the Dean’s amendment.

The Bov. E. A, Lingard thought they should be very careful how they legislated on a question which was occupying the earnest attention of some of the wisest and most pious men at home. For his part he had never acted against the authority of the Church by in any way altering the Burial Service. He had either refused to read it at all, or else had read it without any omission. Although he had never broken the law of the Church himself, he would join with those who sought the relief which the resolution proposed. The Rev. Mr Paige thought that even if the resolution was passed the question would be where it was before. He could not see that it afforded any relief.

The Hev. G. J. Cholmonderley expressed his gratification that the subject had been brought forward, but he felt compelled to vote against both resolution and amendment, as he thought both were ultra vires. He was of opinion that exceptional cases should be met with when they occurred. The Yen. Archdeacon Harper said there was no real alteration of the Prayer Book, but still, as it was an apparent alteration, it should be left to the General Synod and full Bench of Bishops. He did not object to the suggested omission of the last words of the motion.

The President said he should not consider himself at liberty to use such a prayer as the Archdeacon suggested. • The Dean having withdrawn his amendment, the original motion was carried, with the substitution of the words “ A service taken” instead of “Prayers taken.” BXiECIION OF CLEEICAL, AND LAY BBPBBBENTATIVES. The Dean moved—“ That leave be given to introduce a Bill to amend Diocesan Statute No. 2, for Regulating the Election of Clerical and Lay Representatives, so far as regards clauses 2,3, 4, and 9.” The Bill was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow and considered in committee at 4 p.m. Notices of motion having been given, the Synod adjourned at 10 p.m.