CHURCH OF ENGLAND GENERAL SYNOD.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4944, 26 January 1877, Page 2

CHURCH OF ENGLAND GENERAL SYNOD.

BY TELJSQRAPB. (from our special reporter). Nelson, Thursday. The General Synod of the Church of England was opened to-day by a choral service and the Holy Communion being celebrated at Christ Church at'll a.m. The Bishops of Christchurch (Primate), Wellington, Nelson, Auckland, and Dunedin, the Dean of Christchurch, Archdeacons Stock, Williams, Harper, and nine other clergymen took part, and walked in full robes in procession through Nile-street to the church. The Synod was formally opened in the Provincial Council Hall at 4 p.m, when thirty members were present. The Primate, after declaring the Synod duly opened, delivered an address, of which the principal features were as follows:—Referring to the resignation, of the Bishop of Waiapu, the Bishop expressed his sense of the great loss in the resignation of one who so. long had been connected with the Church. It uas a loss very difficult to be supplied, there being no fewer than 17,000 Maori churchmen in the diocese, who, have provided the whole endowment, small as it may be, and who require a bishop conversant with their and customs, though a plan for providing a general bishopric endowment fund had not met with general support. The principal business of Synod would be the alteration of the Formularies Bill In reference to this important measure, the Primate said : —“ Resolutions in reference to the alteration of the Formularies Bill have been forwarded to me from the dioceses of Waiapu, Wellington, Nelson, and Christchurch. They present, as might have been expected, some points of difference, but they agree in assuming the fact that the Church of the ecclesiastical province has power|to make alterations, not affecting doctrine, which from the altered circumstances may be considered necessary ; and, on the other hand, in the necessity of putting some restraint on the exercise of this power. If the Bill should pass with or without the proposed amendments, the second clause becomes a fundamental part of the constitution. Three years must at least elapse before the Church here can bring into use any alteration of her present services or -formularies, or of the version of the Holy Scriptures; for, as the Bill prescribes, every such alteration must first be proposed at one General Synod, be accepted by the majority of the Diocesan Synods, and be finally agreed to in the meeting of the General Synod next ensuing. To this I conceive there could no objection, if the proposed alterations emanated from the members of our provincial Church, and should be, or appear to be, of a novel kind, unsupported by the authority of the mother Church ; but in the event of its being an alteration admitted by that Church with the consent of the Crown, with the concurrence of churchmen generally as expressed through Convocation.or otherwise ; it seems to me that we might be seriously hindering the welfare of the New Zealand Church, if our adoption of it were contingent on the course of procedure described by the Bill. For it is quite possible that an alteration approving itself to a large majority of the most thoughtful and devout members of our communion, might be postponed for a period of six years, and be introduced into our services in direct violation of our law; and in either case the’. Church here would suffer loss. I would claim for the Church of New Zealand full independence in all matters which concern her work and mission, even to the extent of altering all her services and formularies, and revising the present version of the Scriptures. For independence would not exceed that which is claimed and exercised by separate bishops in the early days of the Church. But for obvious reasons it is expedient that the exercise of our independence should be duly regulated, and the too hasty adoption of any alteration prevented, whether such be recommended by some supposed necessity of the provincial Church or example of the mother Church. But we must be careful not to tie our hands to the probable hindrance of our work in these islands. It may be a further question whether, as the Bill now stands, the power given thereby to two of the Diocesan Synods of negativing some proposed alterations, is altogether consistent with the constitution, which assigns to the General Synod the absolute power of controlling, altering, repealing, or suspending any regulation which may be made by any Diocesan Synod. The General Synod may, of course, set limits to its own powers, and it is very expedient that the Diocesan Synods should express their opinion on any question which may come be» fore the General Synod, and their opinion would be entitled to every consideration ; but it must be remembered that the clerical and lay representatives in the General Synod are

not the delegates of the Diocesan Synod, or even their representatives, but the represen* tatives of the churches of the several dioceses, and when assembled with the Bishops in General Synod they are the representatives of the provincial Church, and are responsible to it for what they adopt or reject. It has been said that under the present circumstances they can hardly be considered as representing the provincial Church, especially as regards the lay portion of the Synod, inasmuch as it is difficult to secure from the several diocese the attendance ot laymen really representing their views and qualified to maintain them. It is obviously of importance that this should be remedied, and will doubtless be so as the means of communication increase and a deeper, and more general interest be taken in the ' government of the Church; but that interest' will scarcely be promoted if important questions affecting the government and well-doing can be determined outside the central authority. I cannot but think therefore that all reference to Diocesan Synods, except for information or for the expression of their views', might be dispensed .with. In other words, that the General Synod should take upon itself the whole responsibility of rejecting or accepting any alteration in the services or formularies of our Church." In reference to the Board of Theological Studies, the Primate said : —"The Board of Theological Studies has held two examinations since our last meeting, and the interest taken in them, as may be seen from the reports, has not been limited to candidates for hifly orders. They have given in other instances a stimulus to the study of theology, and will, I hope, eventually be extended to the more advanced scholars and teachers also in our Sunday-schools. Their importance as helping to raise the intellectual standard to clerical attainment can hardly over-rated. The working of the statute has hitherto devolved upon, the Bishop of Nelson, and our best thanks are due to him for his unremitting exertions in carrying out its provisions, and I trust that he may still be able to give us the benefit of his an vices. It has been suggested that the General Synod should testify their satisfaction in the case of those who have passed so creditably in Grade iv. by a public presentation of their certificates of proficiency, and Inordially approve of this suggestion." Referring to the increase of the diaconate, hia. Lordship said: “It is simply, therefore, a question of expediency whether deacons, so long as they continue deacons and: are discharging certain sacred offices, should be permitted to engage in some secular calling, and derive from it their means of subsistence, and there IsT much in the condition of the Church hero to recommend this. It is inadequately endowed, as in the primitive times, and the clergy of necessity are mainly dependant on the voluntary contributions of the people, and( these contributions, both in the more populous and wealthy cases, are insufficient to support them in numbers proportionate to the increasing demands for unremitting pastoral labors, for the frequent and due celebration of divine services, and for the continuance of preaching of God’s Word. It is obvious how much the: Church would be the gainer if laymen of known piety and faithfulness were admitted to the diaconate, and were willing to exercise its functions without remuneration. As assis-., tants of parish priests, or, under the direction of the ordinary or other chiefs ministers of the; Church, as deacons, they could serve with the degree of authority which, in the estimation of so many, is wanting in the office of a lay„ reader, and their disinterested sevices would have weight with those who recognised no particular authority in any office unless supported by personal character and devotion to the work of God.” Noticing the Lambeth Conference, the Primate suggested that it might establish a final Court 1 : of Appeal for all colonial Churches, to be binding only on those Churches which should assent thereto. The Bishop concluded with the following allusion to the Melanesian Mission and vacant bishopric:—“ Among our duties will be the appointment of the Bishop, and his consecration to his arduous office will be solemnised I trust during outpresent session. ; It is a matter for thankfulness that by the union of this mission- with our provincial Church, we are so distinctly | reminded of our Christian obligation to look * beyond New Zealand, and are able to test the reality of our spiritual life by the interest which we take in the: extension of the Kingdom of our Master to regions which as yet are ignorant of Him. And it is no slight advantage to us to have so near at hand the example of men who in their zeal for the salvation o£ souls are enduring hardships as good soldierer of Christ. -It is an example which appeals to us all whether we are- clergymen or laymen, for we no less than they have in our several vocations and ministries our own appointed work, for the right fulfilment of which there is need of not! ouly the willing mind but the persevering labors of self-denying lore." The following officers were appointed - Chairman of Committees, J. W. Bamicoat J Clerical Secretary, Rev. W. Ronaldson ; LaySecretary, Arthur Olivier ; Treasurer, R. B. Lusk. An immense number of notices of motion were given, proving the session likely to be ver interesting. The Synod then adjourned till 4 p.m. next day. ____________