CONSECRATION OF THE REV. S. T. NEVILL TO THE BISHOPRIC OF DUNEDIN.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 1040, 12 June 1871, Page 2

CONSECRATION OF THE REV. S. T. NEVILL TO THE BISHOPRIC OF DUNEDIN.

[abridged from the ot ago DAILY TIMES, JUNE ?.] The ceremony of consecrating the Rev. S. T Hevill to the episcopal charge of the See of Dunedin, took place at St. Paul's Church yesterday. At 8 o'clock, morning prayer was said by the Rev. E. G. Edwards. As early as 10 o'clock persons bad assembled' at the door of the church, but the public were not admilted for another half hour, during which between 200 and 300 peoplo were waiting without. The arrangements throughout were excellent, ticket* holders only being admitted until shortly before the hour for the service commencing. The result was satisfactory in the extreme, over crowding and confusion being altogether avoided. By 11 o'clock the church was well tilled', seats placed down the aisles being also occupied, but we nevertheless noticed several empty seats in various parts ef the church. At four minutes after 11, a procession advanced up the nave to. the chancel in the following order : Mr W. Mason, Mr H. Howarth, Churchwardens. Mr James Smith, Chancellor of the Diocese. Rev. Messrs Gaskin, Nevill, Stanley, Beaumont^ Dasenfc, Granger, Stanford, and GifLrd. The Bishop Elect. The Bishops of Wellington, Nelson, and Wainpn. Rev. E. G. Edwards, Chaplain to the Primate. On the procassion entering the church,, the choir and congregation rose and chanted the 122nd Psalm. The antecommunion service read by the Primate, the Bishop of Nelson reading. the Epistle, and the Bishop of Waiapu the Gospel. The Nicene Creed followed, and after it as ?he Introit, ITymn 214 (Hymns Ancient and Modern.) The Bishop of Wellington then preached an admirable and appropriate sermon from Titus i s—" For this cau.se left I thee in Crete, that thou *houlde*t set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee." In the course ot hi. c remarks the right reverend gentleman said that it was evident from the Scriptures that Christ had laid down the broad rule that whoever believed in him should be saved;" and to this rule all forms and modes of church government must be subordinate. He (the Bishop) also reviewed the appointment of the various officers of the church by the according as the necessity for them arose ; first, deacons, then higher order, consisting of elders, and then the highest order, consisting of bishops. It was worthy of note that the word translated "elder" and the word " presbyter" were the same, and the word " priest." was also a contraction of the same term. The word " bishop " was used to signify a person holding the same office, hue during the lifetime of the Apostles at least, it was chiefly applied to persons having charge ol Gentile churches, as, for example, Timothy at Ephesus, and Titus in Crete. In tact, so long as the Apostles lived, bishops were only appointed to supervise district churches not easily accessible to the Apostles themselves. With regard to the charge made by some that the Episcopal priesthood was a sacerdotal one, the Bishop said that such a statement was altogether erroneous. Indeed, it was a remarkable fact that throughout the New Testament the word " priest" was never once used in a sacerdotal sense, i.e., as one offering sacrifice ; nor was the word " altar " once used in connection with the Christian religion. These facts must be regarded as striking proofs of the inspiration of the New Testament. The real office of the Christian minister was that of pastor and teacher, and he held from God his commission to proclaim the Gospel, to baptise, to rule and to guide those committed to his charge. At the end of his discourse the Bishop addressed a few earnest words to the Bishop elect, who had, he said, been brought to this country by a series of remarkable coincidences, and who had not come here with a view to undertaking the office to which he was about to be consecrated.

Mr Towsey, at the organ, then played with much expression a voluntary from. Beethoven, which was followed by the anthem (Mendelssohn) " How lovely are the messengers that preach the Gospel of Peace," excellently rendered by the choir. Indeed the performances of the choir throughout, especially when it is remembered ihat they had hardly any practice, were very creditable.