Church of England Conference at Melbourne

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 556, 13 August 1851, Page 2

Church of England Conference at Melbourne

Another and an important step in the ecclesiastical movement now going fonvai d amongst the clergy and laity of the Church of England in the Australasian Colonies, is presented in the Conference which assembled at Melbourne in latter part of June the intention of holding which was mentioned in our remarks on the recent, great anti-Tract arian Church Meeting at Hobart Town. The convening of the assembly to which we now more particularly invite the attention of our readers, originated in an application made to the Bishop of Melbourne by the Diocesan Society of Geelong, requesting him to call together the members of the Church of England, by their representatives, to deliberate upon two subjects of vital importance to the interests of the Churchits permanent endowments, and the exercise of its patronage. His Lordship having acquiesced in that desire, the gentlemen who had been chosen as delegates assembled on the 24th of June at the Cathedral Church of St. James, Melbourne. The business of the meeting was preceded by the celebration of Divine service, the sermon being preached by the Ihsuor, who took as his text, Ephesians eh. 111. v. 10. The Preacher commenced by stating the deri- ! vation and proper signification of the word | Church. In the outline of the discourse which is before us, we are not informed how he explained the true meaning of this term ; but I'iom our general knowledge of his liberality we are warranted in believing that he expressed views on this subject more in unison with the comprehensive catholicity of the Nineteenth

Article of the Church of England, than with the narrow and sectarian exclusivism of those who uould consign the members of other Refoimed Churches to what Tractarian writers love to call " the uncovenanted mercies of God ;" or would illustrate the relative uncertainty of their salvation by the precarious chances of escape which a shipwrecked crew who were clinging to rafts or planks might possess, as contrasted with the comparative security of those who were in the life -boat of deliverance and safety. He pioceeded to dwell on the necessity of assimilating the management of the Church in the present day to that of the Church established by the Apostles under Heavenly influence ; and then " adverted to the evils that had crept into the Church, the chief of which were the undue elevation of the Bishops above the Clergy, and the dependence of the Church upon State support ; and went on to show that various other modifications were required in the Church of England, in oider to suit it to the soil to which it had been transplanted in that colony." After Divine Service the Conference met in the School-room of St. James's, and the Bishop, having taken the Chair as Its Piesident, delivered an Opening Address which is very interesting, both as a development of the character and objects of the Meeting, and as a declaration of his own views on various controverted questions. We extract the most impottant passages from a lengthened Report in the Melbourne Argus: — He felt that at the present time, and in the present state of the Church, that there was an occasion, lie would almost say a necessity, for its members to meet together and to consult upon the best means of maintaining its stability, and increasing its efficacy. It appeared to him that there was much necessity for the clergy and laity consulting together on various points, for the clergy alone did not constitute the Church, they formed one portion only, but, to make the whole Church, the lay member'", must be joined together with the clerical j whilst he firmly believed that the laity were quite as capable as the clergy, if not more so, of deciding many practical points upon which the efficiency of the Church very largely depended. It would perhaps be proper, and it might be expected from him, that he should notice briefly the different subjects that they would have under consideration. The first of these was — " The propriety of providing for the permanent endowment of the Church of this Diocese, and the best means of carrying out this object." At the present time, the position of the Church was most peculiar, and most unsatisfactory. The majority of the clergy were supported from funds received from friends of the Church in England. Now, this ought not to he so; since they had abundant means in the colony for maintaining their own clergy, all they wanted being to be put in possession of the pioper means for calling them forth. It would be for the Conference therefore to consider what would he the best course to be pursued under the circumstances, though their consideration would be limited 1 to the question of permanent endowment. Probably it had been the object of the committee to bring under nolice, the importance of making an independent provision for the clergy, so that while on the one hand they might be dependent upon the voluntary system of support, founded upon a full sense of the responsibility of every member of the Church contributing to its maintenance,.yet on the other hand, means should be taken to preserve them from the evil influences that might arise 1 out of the system, and to maintain their independence. Most essential was it for the well-being of the Church, that their clergy should be independent of their congregations for support, so that they might be regarded aa persons set over their chargps, and might speak as occasion required in the tone of authority, or in that of reproof. The second question that would come under their notice, was " The syetem and administration of Church patronage generally throughout the Diocese." Perhaps the Conference might not be aware of the present state of patronage in the colony. With regard to clergymen who were maintained in any degree out of the money appointed to them from the Government, their appointment was claimed by the Secretary of State for the colonies on behalf of her Majesty, and although this right had been kindly left by the Secietary of State, in his (his lordship's) hands since his arrival in the See, he yet knew that the power was still claimed, that the claim was disputed by some of his right reverend brethren j and that the Bishop of Sydney would not allow of its exercise in his diocese since he felt that it could not be exercised without injury. He had written to Earl Grey on the subject, submitting to him for consideration a copy of the bill which had been introduced by Mi. Moor, by his lordship's request, into the Legislative Council last year ; and Earl Grey, in answer, observed that he saw no objection to a nomination such a<j had been proposed in the bill, but pointed out the difficulty that would exist in carrying out such a measure. They were probably acquainted with the plan he had laid down in the bill, that the clergy should be nominated by the church-wardens, subject to the approbation of the Bishop, and ia a letter from the clergy to himself almost the same principle was advocated. He came next to the third subject—" Jhe Constitution of the Church in Port Phillip." With regaid to the points intended to be considered by the present Conference, he came first to the appointment of Bishops. The colonial Bishops had hitherto been appointed by the Queen, aa head of the Church, but in her nomination she receives the recommendation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, in pursuance of an undeistanding that had been come to when the Bishoprics were first founded. The question was, was it desirable to recommend any alteration in this system of nomination. The report suggested that the appointment should be made on the recommendation of the Colonial Synod. The second point under this head was, "The expediency and mode of organising Divine Synods and Conventions, acting either separately or collectively, and the functions with which they should be invested." The questions involved in ibis were, is it expedient that there should be a Church Council in the diocese ; and if they determined it was expedient that there should be one ; then, whether the clergy and laity, with the same powers, should meet in the same or in different assemblies ; how the assembly should be formed, whether of the whole of the clergy or only of a certain number as repi esentatives of the rest ; and from whom and by whom the lay members should be chosen. His Lordship here read extracts from the minutes of the Bishop's Conference in Sydney, and from the letter of the Melbourne Clergy, bearing on this point. The bishops did not in their recommendations contemplate any change in the Thirty-nine Articles or Book of Common Prayer, or in the Holy Scnptuies, all they intended was to remodel the constitution of the Church, by a meeting consisting of Presbyters and lay representatives. He now came to the last subject:— " The expediency of appointing a Committee to enquire into, and report upon, the present state of the law, which regulates the temporal affairs of the Church o£ England in this district, and what provisions or alterations it may be necessary to make therein." The resolutions on the two preceding subjects would be transmitted home, and any effect they might have would be on the authorities at home, and would consequently be calculated to have a lasting influence on them as a Church. It was therefore important to be careful in the consideration of the measures to be submitted. With respect to the Conference of the Bishops, he had therein expiessed an opinion on many points; but they had there made a rule to have as much the appearance ot unanimity as was possible, and had consequently mode mutual concessions; now whilst he would stind by thos j opinions, ytt on many points he did not feel hm - self so bound as to be precluded from re-consutenng them and expressing a modified opinion, lie did not think of anything fuither that he would add ; but he confidently expected from them the conduct of Christian men, and he felt that then the issue must be for their good. A considerable time was occupied in arrangino- the oider in which the business of the Conference should be conducted, which at was determined should be, as nearly as ciicu instances admitted, according to the usages of the

House of Commons. . .. A Committee, consistino of Archdeacon Macartney, the Rev. A. Strong, the Rev. T. C. Russell, and Messrs. Pohlman, Griffiths, and Moor were appointed to inquire into and report upon the present state of the law which legulales the temporal affairs of the Church of England. Mr. Wathen then brought forward a motion embracing a plan for the maintenance of the Clergy, and the extension of Chinch accommodation, the discussion on which occupied three days, not having been concluded until the 27th ultimo. We condense the suhstance of it as follows -.—after referring to (he precariousness of those extra- colonial funds from which a large propoition of the stipends of the Cleigy has hitheito been made up,— the inadequacy as well as uncertainty of the Government grants in aid,— and the insufficiency of the existing supply to meet the spiritual wants of the augmenting Church of England population, — it was proposed that all clergymen should have a fixed stipend, varying from £150 to £250 per annum ; these stipends, however, to be open to increase from Easter offreings (ten per cent being deducted from the offerings for the general stipend fund) , from surplice fees, and from one-half of any surplus in the pew rents which may remain after paying the expenses of the respective Churches (the other half to be appropriated to the general fund) : — in addition to this "General Stipend Fund," (to be raised from an annual collection by the Church wardens at Christmas, by one-half the surplus pew rents, by one- tenth of the Easter offering, by one-fourth of the sums collected at the Offertory, by the whole of the Government Grants, , and by casual contributions and legacies, and to be devoted to paying the stipends of Bishops, Ministers and Catechists, in whole or in part), it was proposed to institute also a "General Endowment Fund," to be raised by levying j one-tenth on the total annual amount of the General Stipend Fund, and by casual contribution and legacies ; this Fund to be invested in houses and lands, and to be appropriated to the support of superannuated clergymen, to the building of churches, chapels and parsonage houses, to the endowment of Bishops and Archdeacons, and to any other purpose which the Administrators of the Fund may think fit." Both Funds were to be administered by a Diocesan Board of Finance, to consist of nine members, of whom the Bishop was to nam e four, two clerical and two lay-members, the remaining five to be elected by the Conference, or by any future convention of the Church in the diocese. We cannot afford space for even an outline of the numerous speeches delivered and the suggestions advanced during the protracted discussion of these propositions, but must confine ourselves to merely indicating the lines of argument and opinion pursued. Much of the debate turned on the propriety of receiving continued aid from the State. The lawfulness of this seemed to be admitted by all the members, but theie were considerable differences of ; judgment -as to its expediency. As an illustration of the grounds taken in opposition to the reception of Government support, we extract the following brief but pithy remarks made by one of the clerical members •.—. — ; The Rev. Mr. Hues was in favour of the voluntary system, maintaining that the first and most usual effect of a State endowment was to produce sloth, not alone upou the minds of the ministers, but upon the people also, and hp would refer to the results shown in the American Almanac to show this. Before the Revolution, the Church of England was the established Church of America, and for some time after the Deelaratian of Independpnco, things went on in the usual fray, but fiist one State and then another lepudiated this State Church, until the Chinch established was now the lowest and the least numerous of all the religions in America. Again, (o ask for an increased endowment would be to cast amongst this community the most "bitter of all the apples of discord that could be cast amongst them, and to create hostile feelings even amongst their own members; and for these reasons, also, he thought it would bo unwise to seek State support. Whatever might be their own feelings in the matter, they ought not to shut their eyes to the fact that things were on every hand verging towards liberalism, and as like effects always proceed from a like cause, they would become like the Church of Ampnca, instead of being the first they would be the least, and they would fix a. canker in the bosom of the j Church that would never be healed. On the other hand, it was contended that it would be impossible, judging from past expe- j rience, to maintain the Church of England in the colonies, by such contributions as its members would voluntarily give ; that although their own colony was wealthy, yet " members of the church could scarcely be induced to contribute a solitary six-pence," and most energetic and stirring appeals from the Bishop had failed to elicit liberality ; — and, moreover, that the voluntary system fettered the independence of Ministers, making them " afraid to declare their sentiments, lest some busy man, or still more busy woman should be offended." The Bishop entered into a Ion? and elaborate analysis of the reasonings which had been advanced during the debate, and stated his views, which, as we gather them from a somewhat inconsecutive report, were as follows .—. — he would distinguish between a church established by the State, and a church paid by the State, and between the voluntary principle and the voluntary system; — he earnestly deprecated making Ministers dependent on their congregations, and preferred that they should be dependent upon himself as Bishop, so far as receiving their stipends from him ; and in accordance with this view he had declined to induct a Minister unless he obtained such security for his stipend as would enable him to recovet it in a couit of law ; — he consideied it the duty of the State to promote religion amongst its people to the best of its judgment, for a government was composed of individuals, and that which was the duty of an individual, must be the duty of a combination of individuals;'-- -but

while he thus fat concurred with Government, he must protest against a plan of distribution founded on a system by which error was supported, believing as he did that one of the churches thus supported, taught doctrines which were subversive of true leligion ; — but, as respected the Voluntary plan, it had not failed ia Ameiica, (although there were many defects in the American system against which they would have to guard); why then should it fail hem 1 ? — finally, he would not reject the State support, but receive it so long as it was offered, protesting at the same time against the principle of its distribution, and preparing always for the time when they should receive it no more ; " above all, let them not lean on the State for suppoit, or assuredly it will prove a bruised reed which will break and pierce their side." After a variety of amendments had been discussed, the issue was the adoption of the following Resolutions, proposed by Mr. Moor :—: — 1. That this Conference approves and recommends the establishment of a Society within this Diocese, having for its object the providing a fund for the permanent endowment of the United Chinch of England and Ireland in the colony of Victoria. 2. That its title be the United Church of England and Ireland Endowment Society. 3. That the government of its affairs be intrusted to a Board, to consist of the following members, namely: — The Bishop of Melbourne, for the time being ; the Dean or Deans, Archdeacoa or Archdeacons, Registrar of the Diocese ; the Treasurer of the Diocesan Society, and six lay members. 4. That tbe duties of the Board be to receive donations and subscriptions in money or land. To invest such money in securities, and to vary and change such securities. To sell such lands when deemed advantageous, and with the purchase money, buy other lands. 5. That the Board shall have power to make fiom time to time all necessary rules and regulations for the due administration of the Fund and its own proceedings. 6. That on the first of January in every year, the board shall convene a meeting of the members of the Church, and lay before it a report of its proceedings and results. 7. That the Board shall have power to nominate and appoint branch Boards in the several towns and parishes of the diocese, of each of which the minister or senior minister shall be president. After an adjournment from the 27th ultimo, j the Conference re-assemMed on the 2nd inst. j We transfer a summary of that and the next j day's proceedings as we find it in the Sydney Herald of the 12th instant : — Pursuant to adjournment, the Conference reassembled on Wednesday, the 2nd instant, the Bishop of Melbourne in tbecbaiv. Tbe bouse went into committee for the purpose of considering one resolution in Mr. Moor's series, which had been deferred until this day. After some deliberation tbe resolution, in an amended form, was carried; its object being as follows: — To authorise tbe Endowment Society to accumulate tbe annual profits of such investments, and to lay them out in like securities until such piofits shall amount to j£3ooo annually, or until the expiration of twenty-one years, and to apply during the 21 years any poition, m the discretion of the Board, and afier the expiration of that time the whole, towards the maintenance of the clergy. After a long debate, an additional clause, moved by Mr. Stawell, and modified at the instance of the President, was agreed to in the following terms :—: — That the Board may, with the consent of any Synod. 1 Conference or Convocation, beieafter to be held, then with the consent of a general meeting of the subsciibers, being members of the Church of England, to be called for the purpose, vary the trusts, or limit or increase the power of the Board, and pass all such rules as may be necessary for the purpose. A further resolution was moved by Mr Stawell, and carried nem. con. } viz. :— That the Board be empowered to appoint trustees in whose name landa and other properties are to bo held. The Conference was engaged during the remainder of the day, and also tbe whole of the next, in forming a code of regulations by which the Board was to be bound ; and bad not concluded their dehbeiations at the date of tbe departure of the last Melbourne mail. It is only just to state as the general impression which we have received from a careful perusal of the Repoits, that the proceedings of the Conference were conducted in a spirit thoroughly consonant with the character and objects of the meeting, and that even wheie most marked differences of opinion existed, those differences were expressed and discussed in a tone which indicated a desire rather to secure the best result than to attain victory in argument. The Bishop of Melbourne's presidency no doubt contributed much to this, characterized as it seems to have been by an uniform paternal kindness towards all the members, as well as a deep interest in the welfare and independence of the church of which he is a justly honoured chief Pastor, exercising the functions of his office with a sincerity and simplicity of intention so manifest as to command the respect of many who do not concur in all the conclusions at which he arrives. Ihe following statement elicited from the Bishop during the meeting, is interesting in relation to the object of the celebrated Sydney Conference :—: — His Lordship, in answer to a question from Mr. G. Airey, said, that at the meeting of the Bishops in Sydney, it had been agreed to send home copies of tbe minutes of tbe proceedings to tbe Archbishops of Canterbury and Yoik, and all the Bishops. He did not know whether the Membeis of Her Majesty's Government weie to receive copies, but they would no doubt do so through the English Bishops, if m no other way. These minutes were sent home with a view to their having an influence on every Bill that the Government miirht introduce. Here be would mention that on erroneous impression was abroad, that any lecomraendation from the Conference would reach England too late to be of servic 1 . It was idle to suppose that so important a subject could be considered by tbe Government, and a Bill fiamrd, introduced into Parliament, and passed in tbe short time they could spare for the purpos-e. They had now news to the commencement of Maich, and no notice bad been given cf any intention to introduce such a Bill into Parliament. It is worthy of notice, that at the recent meeting in Hobart Town, the Chairman stated that the Bishop of Tasmania had virtually denied that the Sydney Minutes were sent to England with any view to Imperial legislation. As the passage in which this question was lefeired to, is one of those which we did not copy in our necessarily abridged (though stil copious) repoit of that meeting, it may Le woith while to introduce it in this connection. The Chairman (Mr. Knight) said, — The fact is, His Lordship was not aware that the resolutions had been sent to England "with n view to Itnpeiial Legislation." He says, (if wouls hate meaning) that they weie not ; and he puts forvvaid that ab a reason for declining to conveno the mppung ; liis Loidship writes as follows :—": — " You Anther state ' that thi^ lepoit has been transmitted to England with a view to Jmpmal Legislation.' I am nolly perplexed to discover what portion of the report can have given use to mio!i an opinion. All that the Bi&hops have tJjpin'.pl vps said upon the sulijuct is, that they propopo

' transmitting it to the Archbishops and Bishops of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.' You will, upon reflection, admit that tins is a widely different thing from submitting it lo ' Inijieucil Legislation,' or courting the supervision of the two Houses of Parliament. Now, I ask, what in all candour and sincerity is the meaning of that passage? Ingenuity can scarcely represent it to mean any other than this — " Tup meeting that jou desire is not required by the occasion that you suppose; you think tb.it the resolutions were sent to England with a view to Impeiial Legislation ; but the fact is, that they were not sent to England with that view." Now, the fact is that the Bishop is mistaken. It is a singular riicumatanct 1 that, whilst other Bishops in that conference did know the cause of their being convened, the Bishop of Tasmania was kept in ignorance of it : this appeals from a letter wntten by Bishop Short, the contents of which only a day or two ago came under my observation. In a letter dated c 2Ut Januaiy, 1831, the Bishop of Adelaide says—*' When I left Adelaide I was Mirnmoned by the Metropolitan Bishop to meet my brethien. The proposed meeting was known to the Aichbishop of Canterbuiy — And it was called for by the legislation touching the Colonial Church in the Imperial Paihament." The "fact" we may now regard as established by the conjoint testimony of the Bishops of Adelaide and Melbourne, that the Sydney Conference ivas convened, and that its Minutes were sent home, — " with a view to Imperial legislation." It seems strange, as Mr. Knight suggests, that Bishop Nixon should not know this ; or if he knew it, that he should have written to the effect here cited ; unless indeed^ deeply Tractananized as he is, (more so, we believe, than any other of the Australasian Bishops) his statement was made in the " nonnatural sense" with which the Tractarian sect is so familiar. Since the foregoing was in type, (the pressure of other matter having obliged us to postpone its insertion), we find, in one of the numbers of the Sydney Herald last received, a short paragraph stating that the deliberations of the Confeience had not concluded on the 7th ultimo. The Church Endowment and Annual Stipend propositions, and a series of lesolutions relative to Church Patronage, had engaged much attention ; but the Conference had not up to that date, come to any final decisions on. the questions under consideration.

It was only on the first of last month, (July) that Port Phillip legally assumed its independent position as the new and distinct colony of Victoria. The New South Wales Government Gazette of that date contained the Governor's Proclamation of the issuing of writs for the first election of memhers of its Legislative Council ; and, under the recent Imperial Act it is this Proclamation which formally effects the separation, and terminates the authority of the Governor and Council of New South Wales over its territory and revenue. The elections were not expected to take place for about three months from that date, but already the notes of preparation were loudly sounded, and several sharp contests were anticipated. Candidates were in the field for nearly all the constituencies, — six offering themselves for the City of Melbourne itself. Several official appointments had been mentioned confidently ; but some of the statements were contradicted by the latest accounts. It seemed certain, however, that Captain Lonsdale was to be Colonial Secretary; — Mr. Croke, Attorney-General ; Mr. Ebden, AuditorGeneral; Mr. McKknzie, Colonial Treasurer^ and Mr. James Simpson, Deputy Sheriff. It was said, but less positively, that Mr. E. Bell was to be Piivate Secretary to the LieutenantGovernor ; Mr. R. Barry, Solicitor-General ; and Mr. Williams, Commissioner of the Court of Requests. Several mail robbeiies had taken place, especially on the western side of the colony. The search for gold was anxiously continued and there were various rumours of its having proved successful. It was confidently affirmed that gold had been found within a short distance of Melbourne, and that a specimen had been placed in the hands of the Secretary of the Committee, with a view to obtaining the reward offered for its discovery. A meeting was held at Melbourne on the 30th of June, for the purpose of forming a Moravian Missionary Society. LieutenantGovernor Latrobe presided, and the Bishop of Melbourne took part in the proceedings. The Melbourne Times had ceased to exi st having been incorporated with the Daily Newt,. A new weekly journal, to be called the Telegraph, was to be started on an early day.

Concert Tins Evening. — It will be seen by our advertising columns that a Concert will be given this evening, under the patronage of the Lieut. -Governor and Mrs. Wynyard, by Mrs. Bell, a lady who has recently arrived in Auckland, and who is therefore entitled to that hospitable reception with which our townsfolk are accustomed to welcome deserving stiangers, and whose musical abilities, if repoit may be credited, only need to be known, to secure favourable appreciation and patronage. The programme is one of the most judiciously selected we have seen here ; — the pieces chosen for Mrs. Bell's own performance being especially atti active.