A SHORT HISTORY OF THE DUNEDIN BISHOPRIC.

Southland Times, Issue 1136, 5 April 1869, Page 2

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE DUNEDIN BISHOPRIC.

(PBH FAVOB OF THB SOtTXHIiND TIMES.) The Bishop of New Zealand about four years ago visited Dunedin, and found that many of the members of the > church were wishing for the appointment i of a Bishop, and he then wrote to the , Archbishop of Canterbury, and asked him to select a clergyman who might be Bishop of ths new Diocese. The Archbishop chose Mr Jenner, and ' information was seat to the Rural Deanery Board that this nomination i had been made, and it was asked whether ; it would be accepted. It was then resolved at a meeting of the Board that > the time had not arrived for the appointi ment of a Bishop, and that Mr Jenner should be respectfully informed of this resolution ; when the Bishop of Christchurch heard of this action of the Rural Deanery Board, he ordered that these resolutions should not be sent home, and i though there was much private dissatisfaction nothing further was done, and after a time there came the information that the new Bishop had been consecrated for Dunedin. At the next meeting of the Rural Deanery Board the informality of the election was strongly discussed, but at the urgent request of the Bishop of Christchurch, is was resolved that Bishop Jenner should be accepted as the Bishop of the new Diocese, and that it was desirable that a fund should be raised for his support. There then came reports of some extraordinary services at which the Bishop of Dunedin had officiated, and a meeting of the Rural Deanery Board was especially called to decide whether these reports were sufficient to change his relation to the Diocese. It was then resolved that there were not sufficient grounds for fear, and the feeling died away because all the answers returned to urgent letters sent home were more or less satisfactory. Some time then elapsed, and it was understood that the Bishop of Dunedin would leave England about the beginning of 1868, and his coming was hopefully looked forward to by many, greatly by all. There then came the news that the Bishop of Christchurch had prevented the Bishop's starting, saying he had received intelligence which led him to believe that the peace of the church would be disturbed by the new Bishop's arrival. What this information was and whence it came is not yet known; the Rural Dean and many of the clergy at once wrote to say that it was incorrect. However, for reasons which have not been shown, the Bishop of Christchurch seems to have changed his mind about the desirability of the new Bishop's coming out here, and he called a special meeting of the Rural Deanery Board for the purpose of reconsidering its decision before the meeting of the General Synod. As no fresh evidence was brought the Board determined to abide by its past action, at the same time that it refused to incur any fresh responsibility, and so it left the whole question of the formation of the new Bishopric and the appointment of the! first Bishop to the final decision of the General Synod. The General Synod

referred the matter to a committee chosen by ballot. This comiaaittee seems to ln»!s%£ refused to look into the question "6f "^ ritualistic practices, which was the only. point on which the new Bishop was.v. accused, and yet it condemned him by' recommending that his > appointment, should not be confirmed, and that a fresh Bishop should at once be chosen. This report, however, the General Synod declined to adopt, and after much discussion, it was at last resolved — " That Bishop Jenuer should be asked to withdraw his claims for the peace of the Church." Bishop Jenner has not thought proper to resign his bishopric in this way, and so the question, is at present left to be decided by the two parties that have been created by this uncertain action of the Synodical system, between whom there is a trial of strength going on with almost universal suffrage. We are waiting with great interest to see whether the people are better than the system, and to observe how far party feeling has yet eaten into the heart of our religious life.