ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Southland Times, Issue 755, 27 November 1867, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

WE DO NOT IDENTIFY OTTBSBLVE3 IN AST WAT WITH THE OPINIONS EXPBE39ED BY OVA COEEESPONDENTS. + (to the editoe op the southland times.) Sib, — Perhaps you will insert the inclosed, taken from the Norfolk Chronicle, as I have no doubt ifc will be read with interest by all members of the Church of England in Southland. P. L. F. Stibbard, Norfolk, England, | September 19, 1867.

THE BISHOP OF J>TIKEDI2f A.l ST. LAWBENCE CHUBCH. There wa s alarger congregation than usual the church being filled — at St. Lawrence church, on Monday evening,in consequence of the announcement that Dr Jenner, the recently appointed bishop of the new diocese of Dunedin, New Zealand, would preach a sermon in behalf of the mission in that diocese. The adult portion of the community, however, was but feebly represented; and the three non-officiating clergy present — the .Revs W. Vincent, Green, and D. Smith— did not respond to the special request to attend in cassock, surplice, and green stole. At eight o'clock the service commenced. About 25 choristers, habited in their customary costumes, formed the commencement of the procession, which left the " auxiliary vestry," above the south porch, and consisted, in addition to the choristers, of Mr Edward K. Harvey (the reader), the Rev C. Norris (Briston), the Rev A. Pownall (rector of Trowse), the thurifers, the cross-bearer, the rector of the parish (the Rev E. A. Hftyard), the Rev C. J. Legeyt (the bishop's chaplain), and the Bishop. The three latter wore thebiretta, and the other clergy were attired in the cassock , surplice, and green stole. "While the procession proceeded up the aisle, and while the clergy were taking their respective places, the choir sang the 132 nd Psalm * The prayers were intoned, by the Rector, and the "first and second lessons were read by Mr Harvey and Mr Norris. At the singing of the Magnificat the clergy went to the altar, whicn was incensed by the thurifer,as were also the clergy, but not the Bishop. The altar was what might be said to be, in a Ritualiitte sen.»e> ta# '^limply adorned, i^

embellishment consisting only of six candles, — four of which were lighted during the service, — and several vases of flowers. The service was that common to the advanced Ritual school ; and there was nothing beyond what we stated above calling for special remark ; except, perhaps, that at the conclusion of the service, and as the Bishop was about to leave the church, an elderly lady was led by Mr Hilyard, and he, after she had removed her bonnet and fallen at his feet, extended his hands over her, and, we presume, pronounced a blessing upon her. The sermon was preached from the 9th chapter of St. Matthew and the 36th verse. It was chiefly an exhortation to mission work, and a special appeal for the prayers and contributions of the congregation in behalf of the Dunedin mission. The Bishop is by no means an eloquent or fluent preacher ; but what he lacks in both these respects is made up by a clear enunciation and an earnest delivery. In the course of some observations upon the geography of his diocese, and the spiritual need of its inhabitants, he said that the missions would consist not of priests, but chiefly of laymen, who would live the life that the old friars lived in the middle ages, and who would prepare the way for a full supply of the privileges of Church membership to the diocese. Referring to the petition presented from the diocese to the Archbishop of Canterbury against his appointment, he said — " I feel how much I want the prayers of the faithful at home. So ne of you may, perhaps, know that even now, before I have arrived in my distant diocese, before I have left England for it, men there are beginning to say, in very much the same words that our Lord used in His parable, ' We will not have this man to rule over us.' This has been said of me, and an attempt is now being made to prevent my taking spiritual rule over those in my diocese, because I have tried in some measure to promote the worthy, the efficient, the dignified, the gorgeous rendering of the service, the ritual of this, the Church of England. That you know, my brethren, the men of this generation will not as yet bear ; they will put up with any amount of meanness in G-od's worship, because they do not recognise the truth that our dear Lord is present amongst vs — that He is present above all in the blessed sacrament of the altar — and, therefore, they will not admit of anything like carefulness or splendour in the offering of the great Christian sacrifice." — The offertory amounted to £8, and the service concluded with the singing of the Litany and other hymns.