THE BISHOP'S REPLY TO THE REV. MR TANNER.

Southland Times, Issue 941, 27 April 1868, Page 2

THE BISHOP'S REPLY TO THE REV. MR TANNER.

There is no difficulty in dealing with a generous opposition like that of your vestry. I should be quite content if people would not misunderstand me or impute to me sentiments and intentions which I repudiate. Msy I ask you to express to the vestry my sense of the courteous and delicate terms in which their resolutions are couched. I trust my answer, which I now give, may suffice to allay their apprehensions and induce them to receive me aa their Bishop in the same candid spirit of charity and forbearance as- 1 earnestly desire to display towards them. 1. The first- resolution I pass over as j of minor importance, now that my consecration is an accomplished fact. /

2. I admit that the progress of eventi 1 in the Church at home during the last two yeara has been such as to justify the alarm that has been felt in New Zealand, and that the reports of certain proceedings of mine which have been given in unfriendly journals may reasonably have created the unfavorable impression to which the resolution refers. But it is surely somewhat hard to make me responsible for the opinions of my fciends or of those clergymen in whose Chu?i?ciies I have officiated. I quite admit that my sympathies are with the High Church party, as they have been for a quarter of a century at least, yet a reference to my diary shows me that my ministrations during the last year and a half have been exercised far more frequently in Churches where a moderate Eitual prevails, than in those which are called extreme. Thefactis, I have preached and performed other minis--1 terial functions in almost e^ery Church to which I have been invited, without troubling myself about the views of the incumbent. 3. "With regard to the danger of my disturbing the Church by the agitation of questions which have not yet arisenI can only say that it shall not be my fault if any disturbance or agitation on any question takes place. I utterly hate and abominate strife and controversy and I am resolved not to engage in them, unless absolutely compelled. I cannot and will not give up my own fixed opinions, but they shall never be forced by me upon others. Honest convictions and even prejudices, however much opposed to my own sentiments, will be invariably respected. Nor are these determination at all new to me, they embody the principle on which a considerable experience of mena minds and dispositions has taught me to act in my dealings with those who have been under my spiritual care. As to my intention of introducing extreme ritual or any ritual, except what people are prepared for, and desire, I altogether disclaim it. I have asthetic tastes. I have given much attention to Church music. I hope to be able to promote decency, and order, and •reverence in my diocese, but I hold, and ever have held, that even in such things as these we must carefully avoid giving offence. Anything may be abstractly right and yet prove a stumbling-block which we have no right to place in a brother's path. 4. The last resolution, after referring to the tone of feeling in Church matters existing in the colony, invites me to judge whether I can be one in intention and sympathy with those who are working in the Church as it has been already established. I have no sort of difficulty in forming a judgment on this point. Wherever I see real work going on — wherever a man displays a real hearty zeal for the honor of his master, and the welfare of his church, thither will my sympathies extend, for in spite of differences of opinion there will always be a large extent of common ground. There will be one common object and one common hope, even as there is one common Lord, whom we both serve, although, perhaps, in a slightly different fashion. I intend to work as hard as Q-od gives me strength myself, and my waru support will be given to all who are likeminded in this respect, however much they may differ in others. I have, now I think, put you and the Invercargill Vestry in possession of my views and intentions in regard to the subject matter of the resolutions forwarded to me. If there is still anything needing explanation I will most gladly answer any questions that may be asked. I do not hope to satisfy all objectors, but I do earnestly wish to leave no reasonable ground of objection. The question will still remain, how far I shall be able to carry out in detail the plans that I have formed. But for this I cannot be wrong in trusting primarily to God's blessing on my sincere and hearty endeavours to please Him and benefit His Church, and secondarily to the kind and cordial support, forbearance and sympathy of the Clergy and laity of my diocese." In a letter dated February 1 1868. the Bishop of Dunedin writes : — " I hadno fear but that my reply to the resolutions of your vestry would prove satisfactory to such courteous and considerate opponents. I only trust that when the vestry meets, the members will with one voice endorse your cordial acceptance of my episcopal status in the new diocese. In Otago the opposition Btill continues and I fear gathers strength. So at least thinks the Archbishop of Christchurch, i who has received letters from New Zealand, which have caused him to urge upon me the necessity of deferring my departure from England until after the meeting of the General Synod. This is especially vexatious to me, since I had quite made up my mind to leave this month or next at the latest, a resolution which Bishop Harper approved and applauded. If he adheres to his opinion, which is that also of Bishop Selwyn, I have nothing to do but to submit. My elder brethren imagine that if in any sense I am forced upon the Otago and Southland Churchmen the general Synod will be the more likely to refuse to sanction a division^ of the diocese. My own idea is that after the resolutions passed by the Eural Deanery Board there can be no forcing, since my acceptance as Bishop by the Church in the two Southern provinces was then definitely completed. This I observe is your opinion also. I a^preheud too that my best, if not only chance of conciliation is to show myself as an actor as well as a writer, to prove that I really do mean what I have so often said, and intend to abide by my repeated engagements. You are quite right about the danger of a reaction, nothing would be easier then to check by imprudence that steady growth of Church feeling of which your letter speaks so hopefully. I never could consent to lead an advanced party and I heartily trust my friends will beware of making ( my name and principles a party watchword. This letter you are at liberty to

show to any one yoa please* or to pritli the whole or any part of it." • At & meeting of the Invereargill vestry, held 24th April, 1868, it was resolved i— » "That since Bishop Jennerhas distinctly declared that high ritualism is a matter of taste, and nothing more, and since ha has honestly told us that he has such tj^tes, but at the dame time has assured u§ that he can fairly sympathise with those who have different ones, we accept his assurances, and acknowledge him as our Bishop. That though we still believe the formation of the Bishopric to be premature, yet on account of tho advanced action now taken, we request the vestries of the several parishes in this Rural Deanery to> join with us in inviting the Bishop o£ Dunedin to come at once to his Diocese*, since he has been twice accepted by thft Eural Deanery Board, and has pledged! himself to be a liberal and constitutionalBishop. That these resolutions be sent to his: Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury* and to the right Revs the Bishops of Lichfield," New Zealand, and Dunedin." A Rule pob Bachelors. — He was reputed one of the wise that made answer to the question when a man should marry — " A young man, not yet r an elder man, not at all." — Bacon. " Why don't you trade with me ?" said a close-fisted tradesman to a friend the other day. The reply was characteristic, " You have never asked me, sir. I have looked all through the papers for an invitation in the shape of an advertisement, and found none. I never go whereI am not invited."