Wellington Diocesan Synod.

Manawatu Herald, 20 October 1896, Page 2

Wellington Diocesan Synod.

» CHINESE CATECHIBT. Another subject of interest at the Synod was the announcement by the Bishop that steps were being taken to secure a Chinese Catechist to labour amongst the Chinese in this diocese. The Synod, by resolution, assured the Bishop of its hearty cooperation. RAFFLING AT BAZAARS. The most interesting debate during the Synod was a debate which arose on a proposal moved by the Rev. J. D. Russell, that the Synod should commend to church people the advisability of avoiding raffles and kindred schemes of chance in their efforts to raise money for church

purposes. Mr Russell's speech in introducing the motion was a very earnest appeal to the Synod to assist the Legislature in its efforts to suppress gambling by discountenancing raffles and other doubtful forms of raising money at Church Bazaars. The Synod was moved by the appeal, and if a voting could at once have oeen taken, there is little doubt but i.hat the motion would have baen passed. At the adjourned debate, the Bishop spoke in favour of the motion, but it was opposed strong'y by the two Archdeacons and by the Rev. T. H; Sprottj who urged that raffling at bazaars was not gambling. In the result the motion was lost. NOTICE OP MOTION. 'On the 12th instant Mr Ray, the Synodsraan for Foxton, gave notice of his intention on the following day "To call attention to a book, published by Mowbray & Co., Oxford, in 1895, entitled • The Catholic Religion— A Manual of Instruction formembprsof the Anglican Church' by the Rev Vernon Staley, of Clewer, with a preface by the Rev. T. T. Carter, Hon. Canon of Christ Church, Oxford, which has been introduced into this diocese, and which contains teaching contrary to the authorised teaching of the Church of the Province of New Zealand, such as (1) That the Church alone can rightly interpret the Bible ; (2) That Jesus Christ has given to His prie3ts power to absolve from all sins ; (8) That absolution by a priest 19 the divinely-appointed means through which God's forgiveness flows out to the penitent; (4) That sins are forgiven in the sacrament of penance in which the priest absolves the penitent after facramental confession to him; (5) That it is right to pray for the dead ; (6) That there is an intermediate state after death in which souls are purified from the stains of sin ; (7) That in the Lord's Supper the bread and wine hecome the body and blood of Christ ; (8) That the Lard's Supper is a sacrifice, and that the body and blood are offered to the Eternal Father before being partaken of by the communicants ; (9) That souls in the intermediate state are benefited by the offering of this sacrifice ; (10) That, before partaking, communicants should adore our Lord, then -sacramen tally present under the form 3of bread and wine — and to move, That the members of the Church in this Diocese be warned against receiving the teaching of this book as that of the Anglican Church." Mr Ray's motion did not appear in the Order Paper, and the Bishop explained the reason for its abscence. He sail that it was not within the province of the Synod to deal with doctrinal matters. Mr Ray thereupon asked Hl3 Lordship whether, if the. diocese should be flooded with manuals teaching, as the doctrines of the Church, doctrines absolutely contrary to the authorised teaching of the Church, the matter could not be brought before the Synod. The Bishop ruled that such a matter could not be dealt with in the Synod ; that action could be taken by anyone against any clergyman teaching erroneous doctrine or disseminating books containing erroneous doctrine, but that the action must be taken before the tribunal provided in the Church's Statutes. Mr Ray attempted to point out that the tribunal referred to would not meet the present case, but the Bishop said no discussion could take place on his ruling. [We are informed that anyone taking action under the Church's Statutes for the suppression of erroneous teaching, incurs liability for unlimited costs (subject to taxation by the Chancellor of the' diqoese) to be reoovered under order of the "Supreme Court.] NEW CHURCH AT LEVIN. Whilst the Synod was in com mittee on the General Church Fund, Mr Ray raised a discussion as to the j delay in the consecration of the new Church at Levin. The Yen Arch deacon Fancourt stated that the delay in opening the Church was j caused by the fact that a complete i account of the cost of the Church and of the monies still owing in respect of -the cost had not been sent to him, but that he expected to receive this very shortly and that he would then visit Levin and try to bring the difficulty to a conclusion.