EVENING SITTING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 250, 21 October 1891, Page 2

EVENING SITTING.

The Synod resumed at 7 o'clock. Chubch Gazette.—Mr W. S. Cochrane presented the report of the management of the "Church Gazette,' which showed an expenditure of £332 17s Id. leaving a balance due to the managers of £7 Is Bd.— It was decided to consider the report on Wednesday. -. .. Mk McCulloctgh's MoTioN.-Mr McCullough then concluded his reply to the debate upon his motion. He eaid that the spirit of the age was in favour ot the principle underlying his motion. Probably the cKy would vote in a block against the motion, as all bodies relinquish privileges with reluctance. Still it was a matter that) would receive greater attention in the Sure The question was put and lost on Ec voices, a division being called the motion was lost, voting being ajfol lows:-Ayes: clorpy 0, laity 4; noes, clergy 30, laity 33.

Defining Communicants.-—Mr Templer moved, "That whereas, by the canon law of this Provincial Church, certain offices in the Church are limited to communicants of the said Church; and whereas great diversity of opinion prevails as to what constitutes a communicant, it is therefore important that the term ' communicant' be defined as early as may be. That in the meantime, and until a definition of the term be given by the General Synod, it is desirable that no one be elected to the office of vestryman, churchwarden, or Synodsman, except Ruch as at the time of election shall have been confirmed. That the foregoing be respectfully submitted to the General Synod for consideration ab its next session." The mover spoke at some length upon the importance of having sound churchmen in offices connected with the Church.— Mr F. G. Ewington seconded the motion. —Rev. Mr Sprott said, what constituted a member of the Anglican Church could only be done by a representative body of the whole Anglican Church of the world.— Rev. I. Richards spoke in support of the motion. He considered that all who were. baptised were members of the Church, but they were not communicants. There was j such a diversity of opinion on the question i that it was important it should be defined. He thought the request was reasonable that the men who ruled the Church should be true and loyal members. If a man'; would nob be confirmed, then he could not be considered a loyal churchman. If a man was a loyal member of the Church, then he would confirm to the rulesof the Church.— Rev. Mr Bates said that as the General Synod had declined to define a communicant, he did not think the Synod should do so. There was abroad a breadth and liberality, but he believed that vrhab; was sought now was in the direction of narrowness and ilHberality. — The President said they would all agree it would be very unbecoming for them to define'the meaning of communicant. Ab the Lambeth Conference it wae said what a great harm would result from a provincial church giving a definition of the term communicant, which might result in severance of large bodies. Whilst they would all agree to that, still it was quite another thing if the General Synod were to define the term " communicant" as related to its own statute boob.— Rev. Mr Nelson supported the motion. It was perplexing when from time to time they found the term communicant and yet weie nOb able to give that term a definition. They only wanted the meaning of " communicant " defined when used in the canons with reference to certain offices. He thought the request was a reasonable one. —Rev. Mr Hazelden hoped the General Synod would act upon the hint given by Mr Templer's motion. Hβ thought the Church should be as wide as possible, but her rulers should be truly loyal churchmen. —Rev. Mr Marshall said he would vote against the resolution. In the country they 'Sometimes found it difficult to get churchmen to accept office, while at the same time they found Dissenters of good standing who were willing to render assistance. When churchmen would not help him Dissenters had come forward and assisted him, so thab he was enabled to erect a church. He would vote against the mobion.—Mi# V. Rice pointed oub as a reason that r the motion should nob be proceeded with that the question mighb be submitted to the Standing Committee. For theie reasons he should vote againsb the resolution.—Mr C. C. McMillan said in his own case he was brought up at a Wesleyan Church, but had gone into the church ab Remuera, and ulbimabely taken office. He had never been asked to be confirmed until very recently. Hβ felt that any member who had been an active communicant in another church, and who joined the Anglican Church, would look upon it as an insult to be asked to become a communicant. Hβ considered that the movemenb was a narrow one, and calculated to exclude men who, like himself, had been Dissenters. The church to which he belonged at Remuera had been to a great extent supported by men who had been Dissenters. If this resolution was carried, personally he was quite willing to resign his office. He had never sought office, but had been asked to accept it. He would be sorry if this branch of the Anglican Church enunciated a narrow principle and shut oub men who would render good assistance to the Church. —Mr Upton said that he hoped sooner or later Mr McMillan would conform to the rules, of the Church. He wa3 sorry that this matter had been brought up. He objected to the.way in which the second part of the resolution attempted to assume how the General Synod would decide. _ This was not so. much a question of principle as it was of policy. It would be undesirable to "lay down a hard-and-fast rule at the preeenb time, He should vote against the resolution. — The President said thab while he attached great importance to confirmation, and while he sympathised with Mr Richards in his difficulties, still it must be remembered that there were other much greater difficulties that had to be borne. So they must wait and be patient. Mr Upton had said it was a quesbion of policy, and bo it was—the policy of charity towards others. They must wait for people to understand more fully the privileges of communion. If the clergy in the early days had waited for duly trained churchmen to assist in building the Church in this country, they would have waited a long time. The right of confirmation had not been forced in those days. i r ears ago the Bishop of London had welcomed Lord Aberdeen, a Presbyterian, to Holy Communion. He thought that was a precedent they might safely follow. The confirmation service in tho prayer book was prepared for bhose who had beern reared in the Church. They could understand that a man who had been reared in another section of tho Christian Church would hesitate in becoming a communicant when it might seem thab he was baking up rites that his parents had not deemed requisite. They must wait and show the policy of chariby towards other churches. As the matter would come before the General Synod, he thought they might safely leave it. He hoped the Synod would allow the matter to drop.—Rev. Dr. Purchas moved that the Synod do now proceed to the next business on the order paper. A division was taken with the following result:—-Ayes: .Ifctergy 14, laity 30; noes: clergy 18, 'laity 10. The motion was therefore lost, and the discussion resumed,— r'Slr Boler spoke in support of tho motion. said while they received all who came, ■?still they should nob let them govern the without conforming to the rules of the Church.—Rev. Dr. Purchas said he believed in one Holy Catholic Church, to which no Chritbian was an alien. He felt thab if they stood upon these minor matters, they destroyed love where it ought to be culbivabed. The mover might nob mean to exclude anybody, still they would do ib. They could do no pood, but might do much harm.— Sir Boler explained that ho used the word alien meaning that they were so to the Anglican Church, but nob to the great church of Christ. —Mr Ewingbon said he would bo sorry to narrow down the Church. He thought they should be guided, nob by the whim of a clergyman, but. by the voice of the Church. Hβ advocated affirming their principles, nailing their colours bo bhe mnsb and sticking to them.—Mr Wells said the motion was simply narrowing down the Church. He would like to l<now if Mr Richards knew whether he was a communicant himself. Men who had come over from otherbodies had been bhe props of 11 c Church. The Church in the colony wa= :■.; a great extenb, a missionary one, n , i therefore they must not draw the linos too closely. He appealed to the good sense of the Synod to throw bhe motion out.—The Rev. Mr Fox spoke in support of the motion, also Mr W. J. Speight. The latter objected to

reducing their church until ib should become all things and all men, and nothing in the end. As to country districts, he considered they were not ready for churches where there were no churchmen. The resolution only asked for the right of the Anglican Church to be conducted by its own members.— Captain Clayton said he intended to show his colours. Ib appeared to him that the sailors connected with the Church were likely to be overlooked. They left home early before they were confirmed. If they became commanders of the ship they had to read the Church of England service and etill they had not been confirmed. According to Mr Templer, these men when they got into years and retired from service would have ■bo be confirmed before bhey could take office in the Church. Still, they might be true, loyal churchmen. He had nob been. confirmed himself, although he had held office for over 20 years. If he was not worthy bo hold office because he had not been confirmed, then he would resign. —Rev. Mr Larkins said that the motion would be unnecessary if they followed the prayer - book, that every parishioner should communicate three times a year. He would say that all men who held office in the Church would be none the less happy if they were confirmed. Sbill, ib was quite another question as to whether they should hunt down those who had not been confirmed. Therefore, he should vote againab bhe resolution.—Air Batger objected to the resolution aa a mistake of policy. They should nob attempt to coerce others who did nob bhink communication necessary. —Mr Crispe said he would vote againsb the motion as calculated to injure . churches in country districts. The very discussion showed the narrowness of some of their members.— Archdeacon Dudley did not regret the debate generally, though they mighi) regreb bhab a personal element had been introduced. The question should be discussed on ibs merits. For himself he was nob prepared to vobo for the mobion. He objected to supply temptations to Christian men to qualify themselves for office.—At this stage bhe debate was adjourned unbil to-morrow evening.

Sympathy.—Archdeacon Govetb moved, "Thab a telegram be sent to Mrs Suter expressing the sympathy of this Synod with her at the distressing state of the health of the Bishop of Nelson."—This was agreed to. , *

The Synod then adjourned. NOTICES OP MOTION.

The following notices of motion were given :— Archdeacon Willis to move, " That this Synod views with alarm the present efforta to loosen the marriage bond as perilling the basis of society."

The Rev. P. Walsh to move, " Thab this Synod would gladly welcome an extension of the efforbs hibherbo made bo publicly discuss questions of moment to the Church, religion, and society ; bhab bhe Synod would be glad to see a repebibion of the Laymen's Conference hold two years ago, or on, the other hand, an extension of the plan of the annual church meeting, at which both laymen and clergymen could alike speak as they do at the Church Congresses in England."

The Rev. P. Walsh to move, "Thab the thanks of the Synod be given to the Yen. Archdeacon Govett for his sermon at the opening of the Synod." Mr W. S. Cochrane bo move, " Thab bhe report of the managers of the * Church Gazette' be considered."

The Rev. N. D. Boyes to move, "That the thanks of the Synod be given to the Rev. C. M. Nelson, for his sermon preached at the Church Festival, and that the managers of the ' Church Garetto' be requested, if possible, to prinb ib in bhab paper," , ..Mr J. H. Upbon bo move, "Thab the General' Synod be recommended to'consider the propriety of moving the Legislabure to, enlarge the powers ot brusbees for religious, charitable and educational purposes, so bhat they may be enabled to grant leases for mining or other purposes involving waste."

The Rev. Arthur S. Fox to move, " Thab the bhanks of bhe Synod be given bo bhe Yen. Archdeaoon Govebb, for his sermon ab the opening of the Synod, together with the hope'that ib will be printed in the 'Church Gazette.'" ,