MEETING IN SYDNEY OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND CLERGY.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 635, 15 May 1852, Page 2

MEETING IN SYDNEY OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND CLERGY.

Two numbers of the Sydney Herald are almost wholly engrossed, in all the space not occupied by advertisements, by a Report of the Meeting of the Church of England Clergy, held (in compliance with the Bishop's Circular of the Bth of March, already known to our readers), in St. Andrew's Cathedral, on the 14th and 15th of last month. The great length of the Report — extending to nineteen or twenty columns of the Herald — precludes the possibility of our copying it ; but we shall probably gratify many readers by indicating in a brief summary the general course of the proceedings, and especially by giving in full the Petition to tho Queen adopted at the close. The Clergy assembled in large numbers 3ii the morning of the 14th ult, and, prayers having been read in the Cathedral by the Rev. George King, they proceeded :o the School Room. The Meeting was an :>pen one, but not more than thirty or forty laymen attended. The bishop of Sydney then read a very iong address, entering at large into most of :he questions which have arisen in the discussions on the subject of a Church of England Constitution in the colonies. His Lordship's views on some of the principal points will appear from the subjoining sumnary of the second day's proceedings. We )bserve that the Bishop took occasion to lisclaim sympathy with the desire of many ;o take the Episcopal Church in the United States as a model. His Lordship, having joncluded his address, adjourned the Mooing till the next morning, to afford the Clergy " opportunity for reflection" on the dews he had laid before them. On the second day, the 15th ultimo, ifter prayers, the Bishop stated his in tendon of admitting tiiC proxies of clergymen at a distance, although he did not wish his doing so to be construed into a precedent for future meetings. The resolutions adopted at upwards of twenty lay meetings were then read. The Bishop observed that in many of these resolutions there was an assumption which was not well founded. He had not asked for any particular form of Church Government, but only for permission that difforont branches of the Church may assemblo together to determine upon a form. Some of the resolutions proposed that a meeting of the Clergy and laity should be held to frame a Constitution to be submitted for Her Majesty's approbation ; but to meet for such a purpose would be to hold a synod or convocation, which they had no power to do, and which he conscientiously believed he was prohibited by his oath from sanctioning. The object of the Petition laid before them was to obtain power to hold such a meeting. The points they had now to consider were, First, the Declaration in favour of establishing the form of Church Government proposed by the Bishops at their Conference in 1850; and Second, the Petition to Her Majesty praying permission to establish that form of Government there. In the discussion which ensued, the right 3f the laity to take part in the government sf the Church was a leading topic. Some strenuously denied the right; for instance, the Rev. Napoleon Wood and the Rev. F. Cameron contended that neither the Scriptures nor the practice of tho ancient Church afforded warrant or precedent for >iving them any voice or participation in lie government. A principal speaker in

support of the privileges of the laity was the Rev. R. A ll wood, who strongly contended that the Constitution could never be satisfactory unless it gave the laity, as a component part of the Church, a full and free voice with the Clergy in their deliberations, and quoted a passage from Lhe Bishop of Oxford's "History of the American Church" embodying proofs that such was the early usage in the English Church. The Bishop also expressed himself in decided terms on this side, which evidently was in accordance with the views of the great majority of the meeting.... The question wtiether the clergy and laity should deliberate together or apart, also gave rise to much discussion. The Bishop thought that the general rule should be their sitting in one united assembly ; but he strenuously contended that there might be subjects on which the clergy must separately decide. His Lordslup used very strong language on this point:— "he could never consent that the clergy should, in every conceivable case, be obliged to sit in conjunction with another order of the Church:"— "he would not for worlds be the first bishop in the Church of England to give his assent to such a proposal :"— it would be " tearing oil the seal of ordination,— contradicting the appointment by which they were separated for the service of God :"— "rather than this, they ought to be willing to die in defence of that authority which had been committed to them, and he unhesitatingly declared his own readiness to lay down his own life, if necessary, in the cause of his Lord." The Rev. Mr. Allwood moved, The clergy of the Diocese of Sydney, having given their hest consideration to the important question proposed to them by their Diocesan —recommend that in any constitution adopted for the better regulation of the affairs of the Church, the clergy and the representatives of the laity should meet and deliberate together, reseiving to each order the light of discussing any question that may come before them, and that the concurrence of both orders should be necessary to sfive validity to any act. After two or three amendments had been proposed and, after discussion, either withdrawn or negatived, this resolution was carried by a majority of 30 to 19. The main question of the admission of the laity to a share in the government of the Church having thus been settled, the form of Petition next came under consideration, and occupied an evening sitting. In the course of the discussion,— The Rev. G. Kin- thought tbat tbe term Synodical Convention would be satisfactory to all parties, as showing that it was an assembly of the clergy and laity sitting under the presidency of (he Bishop. The Bishop reminded the rev. speaker that this was not what was sought for. The Bishop was not the mere president or chairman of the Synod, he was a distinct estate, and this g rea t principle having been overlooked in tbe constitution of the American Church, he was much disposed to question its policy and wisdom. Tbe Hey. G. King said, that whilst he had the highest confidence in his Lordship's exercise of the great power wbich would be vested in the separate estate, jet the cle"rgy could not tell what young or inexperienced person might succeed to such power. He considered, therefore, that it would be better if the Bishop acted as president without the right of veto. The Bishop: Then he would no longer be a Bishop. The fundamental principle of episcopacy would be invaded, and the Church of England reduced to the condition of the Piesbyterian Church. To put such a proposition to the meeting would be, in effect, to ask them to depose the Bishop from' his authoiity, and he certainly should not put it from the chair. Ultimately the following form of Petition was adopted by a majority of 35 to 8 : — To Her Moat Gracious Majesty Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith. The humble Petition of the undersigned, the Bishop of Sydney, Clergy, and Lay Members of the Church of England within the Diocese afoiesaid. Sheweth : That the Ecclesiastical Laws of England not being wholly applicable to the Church of England in this Diocese, your petitioners labour under several grave disadvantages. That in consequence of the present position of your petitioners in this respect, it is found impossible tbat proper discipline should be exercised over the clergy and laity without the appearance of harsh and aibitrary power, on the part of the Bishop of the Diocese. That besides this serious disadvantage, the Church is much impeded in her legitimate eftoits to extend the faith of Christ, and the means of giace, in this extensive Diocese, in proportion to the rapidly increasing population of the country. That in the opinion of your Majesty's Petitioners it would tend for the honour* of Almighty God, the good and quiet of his Chuich, and the better government thereof, that there should be Synods of the Bishop and clergy periodically assembled within this diocese; and also that the laity, acting by representatives duly elected by the congregations of the several churches should meet in Conventions in connection with the Synod of the Bishop and clergy ; and that the Bishop, clergy and laity, being thus assembled, should be qualified and authorised to debate and consult, under proper regulations, for the better ordeiing of the affairs of the United Church of England and Ireland within this Diocese ; and to frame and enact proper rules, regulations and canons, not being contrary to any law of Church or State, for the due ordering of the affairs of the said Church : maintaining nevertheless as heretofore its integral union and connexion with the Established Church of England and Ireland. That doubts aie entertained whether the Supremacy jf your Majesty, as under God tbe only Governor of :his realm in all spiritual and ecclesiastical things or jauses, having been expressly admitted by all Bishops md clergy when consecrated or ordained 10 their resjfictive offices in the ministry, may not prohibit their issembling as is desired, in a Diocesan Synod. That the practice of assembling Conventions of lttf» nen elected in iiig manner herein proposed, to take Dart in the management of ecclesiastical affairs has not )eea heretofore recognized or appointed by lavtf, ?r? r my known custom of the Church of England. Tbat your Petitioners therefore submit with deferince to your Majesty's royal consideiation the expediency of lemoving the obstacles which at this time ippear to oppose the execution of the design which lave presumed to lay before your Majesty of better >rovjding for the secuiity, and for the more extended isefulness of that Church which, during many centuries las flourished under the auspices of your Majesty's loyal Predecessors. And your Majesty's humble Petitioners, as in duty ound, will ever pi ay. The proceedings then terminated, after a few congratulatory words from the Bishop on the advance they had made, and an expression of his Lordship's hope that the Churchmen of the colony would, by their signatures to the Petition, show that they were not " a divided people."

We invite attention to « Notes of a short Tour into the interior of the Northern Co- &%?^ 0W Zealand > ™ March and April, ibDJ, with which wo have been favoured by a gentleman who has recently visited the Interior, and whose intelligent portraiture of the part of the country through which lie passed will, we have no doubt, be interesting to readers here and instructive to those at a distance. We hope to insert the remaining portions of the " Notes" in alternate numbers with the chapters on " Auckland and its Neighbourhood" two of which have already appeared in our columns.

Projected Whaling Company.— A Meeting of persons favourable to the formation of a Joint Stock Company for establishing a Whale Fishery from Auckland, was held on Thursday evening, in the Hall of the Mechanics' Institute, and, although not convcued by public advertisement, was numerously and very respectably attended. His Worship the Mayor presided. The proceedings assumed rather the character of a conversational discussion, in which Messrs. Wbitaker, Merriman, Burn, Abraham, Hunter, Hansard, Harris, Council, Captain Salmon, Major Greenwood, and others took more or less part. There was no second opinion as to the desirableness of the undertaking, nothing- being wanted before the actual opening of a share list, except the business information as to the cost of procuring and fitting' up a vessel, and similar matters. To obtain this information, and to arrange other preliminaries, a Committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Whitakcr, Salmon, Lewis, Connell, Macky, Harris, and Major Greenwood. With such a Committee as this, we have no doubt that the work confided to them will bo done efficiently and without any avoidable delay ; and from the earnest manner in which the project was taken lip by the Meeting-, there is every probability that it will be forwarded with energy. The prevalent opinion evidently was that the shares should be fixed at a low price, so as to enable all classes of the community to have some personal interest in an enterprise which promises to be productive of so much benefit to the port and district. This of course would leave it open for persons able and willing- to invest more largely to do so hy taking a greater number of shares ; and Major Greenwood intimated bis intention to invest £100 in the enterprise. We fully anticipate, as we cordially desire, much prosperity to the undertaking.