MEETING OF THE SYNOD.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1308, 12 April 1883, Page 2

MEETING OF THE SYNOD.

At Napier at the sitting of the ninth General Synod of the Church of the province of New Zealand, Bishop Hadfield raised an objection to the innovation in the designation of the Bishops in the minutes as "Lord Bishops,” and Archdercon Harper raised a similar ob jection to the term “ House of Bishops,” as there was no such thing in New Zealand. A long and amusing discussion arose on the motion of Mr Pierce against holding entertainments in churches for which charges for admission were made. Mr Pierce explained that his motion was designed to prevent churches being brought down to the level of music halls. A great deal of ill-feeling and a great deal of newspaper correspondence had been excited in some dioceses by entertainments, for which fixed prices of admission were charged, in churches, and as there appeared to be no court of appeal he thought the Synod should deal with the question. Indirectly connected with this question was that of lotteries and " lucky bags ” at church bazaars, which he was heartily glad to say had now been made illegal, but morally he saw no difference between such ways of raising money and those to which his motion was designed to put a stop. Fixed charges were made for admission tile same as theatre*.

The Bishop of Dunedin, who seconded the motion, said it was not seemly that such entertainments should bo held in churches; they were consecrated to the worship of God, and if that meant anything it meant that they adopted the canon laid down by our Lord when he set the example of keeping the Temple for sacred purposes alone by turning out the money changers and the sellers of sheep and oxen He had no doaire to find fault with the performance of sacred oratarioe or Bach's Passion music on proper oecasioiu, and where tho money was collected by voluntary offerings, and not by fixed charge, and where there was real service of God I but he felt botind to refuse his sanction where the primary object was not worship but to raise money. He was thankful to say that, after one difficulty, he had managed to prevent what he considered improper performances in churches by getting a resolution passed in the Diocesan Synod in accordance with the principles he had just laid down. Archdeacon Maunsell said both the previous speakers had assumed that entertainments of sacred imtsio must be for the purpose of raising money to relieve heavy burdens of a parish, and that was called converting the church into a music hall. Such an invidious term was unjust. He, for one, would be very glad if the clergy would drop all those modern innovaotious in the services of the church which were so irritating and provoking to the minds of there own brethern, and to a great many of the laity, some of whom were so driven from the Church, (Applause.) It was perfectly well known—the experience of the Church in all ages showed it—that disturbances had been raised against the operations of good men, and argument availed nothing. He was surprised that a logical mind like that of the Bishop of Dunedin confused two things essentially different as these church entertainments and the turning of the money changers and the traders from the Tempel. It was entirely different to an entertainment in aid of the funds of a poor parish, which by great hard work had managed to build a church, and perhaps a parsonage. A certain number of people prefered raising money for good objects in thia way to raising it by means of bazaars and lotteries, against which our good men never raised their voice until the laity took the matter up and made lotteries illegal, and then the good men thank God that the Legislature had done it. (Laughter and Applause.) Why did Mr Pierce take up one evil, and that the least of all ? There were others far greater—he knew that people met for what they called soirde* and then danced until 2 o’clock in the morning. To allow such things and to condemn a sacred concert was to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. (Laughter and applause.) Mr Ronaldson has raised a very fair question with regard to the powers of trustees to interfere in this matter, and he believed the Synod would be guilty of a greater error if it proceeded to legislate on this question. He had a strong objection to the General Synod regulating all these matters of detail. It was going back to the time when every article of a man’s dress was regulated by statue. The same tendency was apparent in general legislation. When the census was taken the number of the people only was ascertained, but gradually it become more and more inquistorial as to a man's private affairs and private opinions. Soon we should at this rate have additional columns showing those unkind to their families, those who ate too much, those who refused to marry, and other inunntia. (Laughter and applause.) It was not well to try and confine men’s views and rights. There might be a majority of one view, but it might be unwise to force that view upou the minority. It was no use to attempt to confine conscience and to regulate the religious convictions of men. At Napier the people migiit put out two moles at the entrance to their harbor, and throw all the water in one direction; a Chi-

ncte gardener might train trees Into the «hape of tigers or dragons j an Indian parent might compress the head of hi* child out of shape but it was most unwise to attempt to deal with men'* consiliences in ways like that, (Applatise.( The motion Was lost.