THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH in NEW ZEALAND. LETTER I.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 268, 23 December 1848, Page 3

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH in NEW ZEALAND. LETTER I.

coidimr to the fairly expressed opinion of the body that they desire to serve. Even the exalted Apostlei felt that it was not wife to retain in their own hands, the management of the church's ohniities, and they accordingly, (AcU, 6, Hi,) directed the bre'hrert to elect a comtuiitee into whose hands they might consign that duty. The most illustrious of thVm on a subsequent occasion, in addressing the Corintlhan convtr's on the subject ot their contn butinns, shewed the s me delicate perception of pro pnciy, bv which all his> action we «• ch.ir.u tuiz d "When I come," I.c writes " whoms evir ye sJiail approve by yorir letters, tlom will ' b"iuJ to bung your libi'iality unto Jerusale n." (l Cor. 16", iii ) If we wish our church to fljiirUh in New Zealand, we tnuir at once acton (he itme principled. I3ul th" w,mt of fuids is not our only evil Would to God it n.-is! There are others of which we have but lit lie hope of rpirudy. At home, the Slate in securing and managing the revenuei ot the clergy, takes caie also that tht-y be secured Irmn oppiession, as long hs they faithfully discharge their dune-. , and e\en the humble, laborious, ill paid s ipendiary curate haa lately leceiveJ some measuie of its protection. In some of our 010-iips, and amongst them New Zealand, the highest dignit-ry next to ihe Bishop, the most aged and influent' al clergyman, is equally with the youngest, in a more helpless itnte of dependence thnn even the English stipendiary curate. The mere relusal, or withdrawal, by the Bishop of a license, drives the chaplain at once out of the ranks of (he church, or sends bun home with a brand of disgrace that he has no means o( effacing. It is idle to talk of appeuls home. An arbitrary man, rich in resource 5 , can safely laugh at such remote and ineffectual corrective. Neither is this a groundless supposition, — the case lately occurred in one of the neighbouring co'omes. Unexpectedly, without any previous notice whatever, the chaplain received a notice (hat his license was withdrawn. He applied to be furnished with the charges laid against him. The answer the bishop gave was, that ' it would not be compatible with a due regard to the maintenance of his autLority to do so" He then appealed to the House of Commons, but I fear we niiy too truly anticipate the result of that appeal. In his petition, he thus sums up his case.— " Your Petitioner has been deprived of his right of trial, a right which the C nstitution claims for the most guilty felon ; is ruined m his reputation ; expelled from the church, of which he has been an unrebuked minister for twenty eight years, deprived of all meats of suppoit for himself and his family— a wile and nine children, fiom whom he has b.en separated nearlytwo years, being compelled to leave them in Van D emen's Lmd, to the sympathy of the community for subsisence." It nuy be (airly asked, will any man that values himself or his ltbours, venture into a country where such a svßtem obtains ? It is true tint where large stipends are given, men will run any risk. But when in addition to our poverty we hold our such a prospect to anemigrhting clergyman, it «eems pretty cle<u, that we have little chance of inducing men of talent and learning to come amongst us. rite colony Will feel this in more ways than one. Clergymen are generally the best schoolmasters; and where there is an ignorant clergy, theie will it be always found that the people are ignorant and barbarous. It will, I trust, be remembered that the preceding remarks apply exclusively to the system as it is capable of biting vioiked in this Wand. Of it as in operation, lam no complainant. Few Bishops, I believe, could with a safer conscience than that of Dr- Selwyn, stand before their diocese, and clergy, and say, with the veneiable Samuel — Behold heiel am, witness against me before the Loid Whom have 1 defrauded ? Whom have I oppressed ? To those however, who would make light of these evils, I would bay,— there they are. deny if you can, If not — shew what security there ii that the successor of Ur. Selwyn, m-ty rot be a bishop fiom Extter, who will invest these dormant powers with body and life, and turn tlni poitionof the vineyard, iuto a field of deiolattou. I remain, Sir, &c, &c, A Clergyman. Auckland, Die. 19, 18 18.