AN ANGLICAN SISTERHOOD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 251, 20 October 1904, Page 4

AN ANGLICAN SISTERHOOD.

ORDER OF THE GOOD ! SHEPHERD. VOWS OF POVERTY, CEUBACY: AUD OBEDIENCE. WARM DEBATE IN THE SYNOD. THE BISHOP DEPLORES PARTY FEELING. The appearance of the following motion on the order paper after the name of Mr W. J. Speight on Tuesday caused a sensation at the Anglican Synod, and especial anxiety was felt lest free discussion of the motion and the causes of it should lead to further sensations and happenings perhaps regrettable. The motion read thus:—"That this Syuod emphatically disapproves of the establishment in this diocese of nay religions 'order' which requires as a condition of membership adhesion to a constitution enforcing vows of celibacy,. surrender | of income, and an undue submission to a spiritual director." -This, therefore.: meant a direct expression of censure' on : the Cathedral Chapter from the Synod, and the subject was watched and the i j debate listened to by an anxious assein- ! Wage of clergy and laity. The motion was not reached till about half-past four yesterday afternoon, though on Tuesday's order paper, and the opening remarks of the mover (Mr W. J. Speight) extended over nearly an hour, bringing the meeting to the tea adjournment. The discussion was resumed Jn the-evening, and resulted in a modification by Mr Speight of the motion, which, by implication, blames the Cathedral Chapter-for its action. THE RULES OF THE ORDER. In the constitution of the "Order of the Good Shepherd," published uy authority, it is. stated that the object of the society is "the cultivation and deepening of devotional life amongst wtfmen," for Church purposes, in such manner and in such places as the Bishop shall direct. It is to consist of two classes—sisters and probationers, the sisters being unmarried women and widows who, having signed their, assent to the rules of the Order, have been admitted as sisters, and, the probationer women, who have been admitted to the working and residential privileges of Order for such time as the Bishop j may sanction. - There are; also associates and subscribers who support the Order. The Bishop of the diocese shall be the warden of the Order. The warden shall determine any appeals from members or other persons connected with the Order. The'chaplain shall be a clergyman in priest's orders, chosen and appointed by the Bishop, and; licensed by him as chaplain of the Order. The chaplain shall be responsible for the arrangements for the' work of the members proposed by the superior. The chaplain shall be responsible for the theological studies of the members, and shall act as their spiritual adviser. The chaplain shall, in the absence of j the warden, preside at all meetings of the Chapter of the Order and of the committee." There is also a superior; of the Order, nominated by the Chapter (which consists of the warden, chaplain and sisters) to the Bishop, with whom alone the appointment rests, and who has the power of removing the superior after consultation with the Cathedral Chapter. She holds her office for five years. The Bishop may remove any member at any time he thinks fit. The financial arrangements are alluded to below. MR SPEIGHT'S SPEECH. Amidst an impressive silence Mr W. J. Speight rose from his seat in the body of the hall to move the resolution. Mr Speight said he felt a certain difficulty in approaching the subject, because, in the first place, of the comparative ignorance of the matter in hand of many of those gentlemen around him—an ignorance to which he had been no party, since it had arisen out of circumstances over which he had no control; if he had been one of the controllers such ignorance would not have existed. THE STREETS AND LANES MISSION. In July, 1899, a society was formed under the name of the Mission to Streets and Lanes, under the direction pf the Cathedral Chapter. Its objects were (1) mission work for the poor and destitute; (2) rescue work; (3-) the visiting of public institutions; and (4) general aid to the parish clergy. This work had been undertaken by a number of estimable ladies. The constitution of that society was - granted by the Chapter in July, 1699, and the text of it published in the "Gazette"" of September. The Synod met in October in the same year, and being seised of the facts made no objection. Mr Speight did not blame the. Synod of that day for not doing so. AN APPEAL. He went on further to say that while in this matter there might be much to cause angry debate amongst their dearest and best friends, he hoped they would restrain their feelings and curb themselves. He would use no names — he would not name a single individual, nor had lie in his mind any individual. He purposed, God helping him, to deal with principles which lay.deep down in his soul—principles which he could not quietly stand-by and'see broken. "THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH." Resuming his narrative, Mr Speight said that in ISB9 the original society sprang into existence; "on August 25 1004, the Cathedral Chapter reorganised the constitution "and set the society going on entirely lfew lines under the fixed title of the Order of the Good Shepherd, with rules and regulations controlling the method of admission to the Order and a series of form of prayer "for the setting apart of a sister." . "AN ECONOMY OF FRANKNESS." It was by the meresl chance that he (Mr Speight) had discovered this fact, and it was for this that he blamed the Cathedral Chapter most. It showed an economy of frankness, a lamentable economy of confidence in the Synod r.v a matter of which it should be fully 1 formed. The report of the Cathedral i Chapter had been brought down befor» the Synod, and there was absolutely no reference to any great change made in the constitution of the vocxety—absolutely none. < Yet within ■ * few days

past the new rules and regulations of the Order were "published by authority." and were supposed to be on sale. It was only yesterday, however, he had found they could be* had. He was not suggesting that the constitution was kept back' would not believe it was; if he did he would not occupy his seat on the Synod for half: an hour with the men who kept it back; but he did believe the Cathedral Chapter bad done things which he did not think it should have done, or had power to do. THE OBJECTIONS. Having said so much, by way of introduction, he felt it necessary to do some pioneer work. He found it necessary to tell the Synod the contents of the new constitution, and he felt that he should not have to do so. (Applause.) And yet insignificant matters—fiddlefaddle of the most insignificant character—had been ceremoniously brought forward for the Synod to solemnly discuss. In this ease, so far as the Cathedral Chapter was concerned, the Synod had no information at all, and he said it was unfair to the members. The objections he took to the constitution were of a radical kind. First, he wanted to say that it was never contemplated that the Cathedral Chapter, or any one else, should dare to establish such an Order of the Good Shepherd in the Diocese without instructions from the Synod. Had it been suggested at the institution of the Cathedral Chapter that any such power was implied, itwould have been flouted to the four winds of heaven. , ' "No, no,", he cried; "if we want these things done' it must he in the broad light of heaven." (Applause.) "I recognise no authority in this diocese that has not the sanction of this Synod." (Applause.) "And I think there are many who feel similarly." Mr Speight proceeded to read extracts from tlie .constitution (several copies of which had in the meantime been sold to members by the attendant). The object of the society is described in the constitution thus: "The cultivation and deepening of the, devotional life amongst women associated together for the purpose of work in the Church of God, in such manner and places as the Bishop of the Diocese shall direct." A CELIBATE ORDER. . ■ ; The Mission to the Streets and Lanes as a distinct institution disappeared, said Mr Speight. It might be incorporated in' the new Society, but it did not appear; that which people were being asked to subscribe for had ceased to exist, and there had been called into existence a community of women, unmarried women and widows, taking vows of celibacy, poverty and obedience. c THE VOW. It was, he felt, pitiable that he should again have to read from the booklet, but he felt bound, to supply the ignorance of his auditors by doing so. This was the declaration a "Sister" had to A.8.; being of full age, freely and without compulsion of any kind, do solemnly make the following declaration of faith and obedience:—«l believe the doctrine of the Church of the Province of New Zealand, commonly called the Church of England, as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer, to be agreeable to the word of God. I will pay true obedience to the Bishop of Auckland, and his successors, in all things lawful and honest. I have read the constitution of the Order of the. Good Shepherd, and 1 agree to be bound thereby so long as I remain a member of the Order. I will resign my membership of the Order whensoever I shall be called upon so to do by the Bishop of Auckland or his successors. I will remain unmarried (or a widow) so long as I remain a member of this Order. I hold nryself hound by this declaration of obedience until such time as the Bishop of Auckland shall dispense, mc from this my declaration." "OLD CROMWELLIAN STOCK." The declaration of the "probationer" was similar, but modified. Well, some of the Synod came of old Cromwellian stock, and some of them had been trained in a school where they had been taught to avoid the approach of evil. Nothing was further from his mind than the belief that the authors of this movement contemplated evil, l-.ut he confessed that it smacked particularly of the very orders which they were taught in their youth to avoid as staunch and true members of the Church of Englandl (Applause.) For had they not in this Order instituted a community of' unmarried women, women without husbands, vowed to celibacy, and ruled by male priests, themselves vowed to celibacy? - (Applause.) "NO THRILLING APPEAL." In regard to his resolution, he was j not. going to make a thrilling appeal to anyone—it was a matter for the individual conscience—and he left it to them to deal with. THE BISHOP'S POWERS: He could only again say that these women were vowed to celibacy so lons as they remained in the Order," and they were bound by their declaration to remain in the Order until sueb time as they might be discharged by the dispensation of the Bishop. These women had to live in a community—that he did not object to—but they had to live in that community under the discipline of the Chapter, of whom the Bishop was the Warden and supreme power, the chaplain a clergyman in priest's orders appointed by the Bishop and responsible for the theological studies of the members, and acting as theL- spiritual adviser- *' What does it mean?" ejaculated Mr Speight. '-"What does it mean? Theological studies and spiritual advice? All I can say is that if it means in any degree what we know of the theological studies and spiritual advising in similar celibate institutions, we. must have nothing to do with it here. God lorbid it!" A FLOOD OF DISASTER. "I know I shall be accused of gross uncharity, but it seems to mc the little leak in the dam that win let loose a flood of disaster to overwhelm the Church and bring it to that ruin which our forefathers spent their blood to escape. If we give the least encouragement to celibate institutions amongst us, it will injure the whole system of our Church work, and cause a recoil in the present forward morement it is making. What is there in celibacy that justifies the arrogant assumption that under it those who practice it have power to do, or are made capable of doing, that which those in the natural married state cannot? It is a slur on our mothers, on our. women, to say that they V.nnot do as well without such vows. We are told of a revival of the prin•ples and practices of what is called ►he Catholic Church, and we know there.are many in whose noses the *cry name of Protestant stinks, but I also know that, than are very many sound and godly churchmen who win resist

to the utmost the practices in this diocese. * *Sa CELIBACY He considered the enjoinin celibacy on the women was i»\* opposition to the principles held on the sanctity of moth**** the crowning glory of a And yet a number of wcraieii,l£i; *«- ish women, seemed to set thai*. - on a separate plane of ority by a celibate life. So could see, such a condition -was ** * to all natural law. And what object of it? Was it additional tion? He could not agree that h*" for he felt sure there was no riaL***' Auckland, however low, * woman bent on ministering to tfc»?!f Iy poor would receive anvthm. hL speet. (Applause.) The toW£" women had to take were a mc» - vesty on the dignified baptia2 * confirmation vows. Was it tafe posed that without these TflW3 constitution they could not "do work they had to" do? -- THE FINANCIAL CLAUSE. Mr Speight then quoted and eoi&a, ed the following clause:—-Tinaatai.t" rangements.—Any woman becoming a member of the Order «2 is in receipt of an income or »»S! of any kind (whether constant «»" shall, before being admitted is a »**'' ber of the Order, surrender saeli». nuity or income to the Order during such time as she shallreatfb a member of the Order, or other arrangements for the dispesSthereof as, may be required it, - of the Order, with th«*«. sent in writing of the Cathedral CW ter: Provided that if any qaesftL shall arise between the Chapter and the Chapter of th= Qtia under this article, the same sfeaQ % referred to the Bishop of the (BocsT whose decision shall be final aaTS THE POWER OF THE CHAPTQ. Mr Speight then took his argasasi into another channel. He wisi«£ jto be thoroughly understood xhit ti* diocese as a whole had had j s do with, nor any knowledge of, - nas constitution, and it appeared taat tfe Cathedral Chapter had arrogated to fe. self power to do this thing -srniaE reference to the Synod. Where ia ife name of the Synod, of the canoes of fi. Church, did the Chapter imagine h m this power? He believed they Lai » such power, and he did not beliereibr, such an Order should be estabMaeJje the colony without reference to tat particular Diocesan Synod eoscersei Were the members of the Synod to Se treated as men to he used for tsrtjk purposes, and was their confidents \a be abused in other directions. It eeM not be t (Applause.) He, had spna? from an old Cromwellian stock, aaiissl been brought up in the faith ci Ids fKffathers. The holy bands of a Waaui* had been laid on his head in e-oEtna*-tion—he had known many of the gayest divines of the Irish Church, and ess* of. them, having the fear of Goj befe; his exes, had ever countenanced asj such practices. (Applause.) HAMPERING THE BISHOP. He feared that the Bishop washkeivlf be hampered in his good designs for tk diocese. He was making an oßsbagE on the virile manhood of the eaimunity. meant tbseb "i-Hs was seeking to bring hack the ladsliders who formerly belonged -to tip Church,'and-men who cared for ussed these things into the Church. That as the' trend of his policy—a tread tiiatse -believed was calculated to reaek. a amount of success that few people Mr estimated at the present- time. (4}plause.) MR. SPEIGHT AND HIS B0T& "But, my Lord," said Mr. •"with all courtesy, with tae gayest loyalty—and I yield to none in das diocese in my loyalty—with the grates feelings of kindness,- I state that lis moment your Lordship iutrudts tie thing upon the diocese, there is a staakage of the feelings against you. Y«nr Lordship's opinions will be ndstraiffstood. People now working wiß das themselves from diocesan work, aai p back to their parishes and cosine ikes services to a very limited area. Y« real purposes will be not nndasie*L and you will find closed doors agiisS your appeals where they were wife to them before. I don't think the Oafter has thought this matter oat ?# ciently, because they have not &3W&& the temper of the men of the diooseta?" reetly. lam not capable of esiboißg what the opinions and the the clergy of the diocese on this easge* may be, but I do say from my 30 yeos* experience of the laymen of this <br«s that if the suspicion once gets into tier minds that we are going hrto ifess tracks, there will be a faffing «2 « loyalty, there will be a retiring to «B own parishes, and there win be a fseral division in the church. THE CHALLENGE, i '•'I have challenged in words taejtfi» of the Chapter, and it is for the ?J»J to give its decision upon this Hutto- * it be found eventually that other at*? 5 are necessary to curb the action <s *» Cathedral Chapter, let us take S» when the time arrives. WARNINGS. "I have already been ia receifS d many letters, all shmed, which l** 8 ? dire "trouble, my Lord; dire troaifefi the event of this new poney ~ lowed to pass. But I will not take f& in any suA suggested. moveEigt W. duty finishes here. It has been upon mc that I should drop tie it would have been easier for n» w«* so—to have effaced myself. It has K® impressed upon mc - that it a™ c **j* trouble. But, my Lord, trouble has «R* been the greatest elervnging world. (Applause.) Trouble hc *&?Z to God when nothing else win, axi F?f ble will bring us to a sense of o *x?r*' I have unburdened my aa» » the Synod, and it is f« £" to act. Let all who «*|r*j tionsly believe in this support' it; and let those IR T* conscientiously oppose it use taeff deaTours to check its progress. Vplause.) As for those Laodicea»f »T do not care for these things »™*=* i» them no thought—let them go gggj their bedsides and pray." l^^Tl*, Mr. W. S. Whitley seconded «B ** tion without comment.

| THE ETENTNG DEBATE. -

' r AMENDMENT* BY CAN(ff I MURRAY. When the Synod resumed i*9* fing a number of formal m **~j"* £r ! dealt with, and the debate op» 1 Speight's motion wss then it standing orders had to he » ■ allow the Bishop time to replf «*"* j o'clock. .. . «.' i»* Canon MaeMurray «*»***#«• j speaker. He said be had **?"*_,*tef greatly the responaibfliry « jg as upon the resolntian nv»ja ▼gg [ Speight. He yielded to no «■• »

MiWnghf f^ in such a v but he I all,; cII stronf «eep eXpr essed. that ~ gS he f Ser But what was 1 1 S an «'! had been two year, , *. .so-nntu they "<* ~ aQ . S ifas W e • t -LpHv The surren-11 * different relation to L in an e*™ e £ prop erty. If per- | »° *t m so by leaving the Order. , fe%Slu?uX Chapter. SBg2£SJ*» bad been left L 5 ivoald wtne folftw i rg am-1, CD lvhafTe omitted, and the words after » .JSrtad- This Synod. I IDSe catllo!i city of the ; 0w ? iJJ and diversity may be ;. peserrci, " = fc Order of the . ■ T<,f "the proposer! eonstitu£7tt.o&Jf the Good She P -: seeded, stating; JgL remarks he might wiA to ; Sefe'woaldmake at another tune. . A PLEA FOR SILENCE. Archdeacon Willis said he would j there were no furferdjaossion of the resolution I Sd redound to the glory ot God and fie credit of the community. He recogrisd that the Bishop and Chapter were tostij Md earnestly trying to do their best for the work of God, and ho tefcßdtbat the result of the discussion would he to send to the Chapter t resolution 'which would result in the toroTemeut of the constitution of the Order, which would then have the full wnldenM of the Synod. Two years ail the Sfrtod was under a God-given impulse to ''sink all personal pride and petty difference, and he app-aled in the Mmc of God to the Syuod to put my tee little things, which esaggcrated their importance in their minds. Sot that le doubted the honesty of all tilt bad been said, but he appealed to Mr Speight to withdraw his resolution.. Mr Speight: "We are asked to re- j EpKtfnlly approach the Chapter to re- j easider a thing that was never put before us. tt (Hear, hear.)- If Canon MacMurray would embody iv his resolution I m undertakiiig that he would agree to. (k objectionable- features he had men-' t&ed Being "removed, he would agree to-f withdraw Ms -amendment. 'Canon MaeMurray said he believed | Be eOnld eliminate all the objectionable features to the satisfaction of. the sen- ! «nl body of the ...Synod, but not of~Mr Speight, and he did not think he would ! he justified in girin? such a promise. The Rev. J.. H. Hawkes suggested ! that the Chapter sliould report upon ! tie matter to the Synod ne:it session. I 'TOO MUCH OF A LITTLE THING." I lir Upton said he was in a slate of I terrified .wond?r that so mucli could be ' of so little a thing. The j things stated by lir Speight did not ! »can what Mr Speight *aid they did.! ™ Order was not started by the: Chapter, and the members of the' Order | £ ofar as he was aware, drew in its i ranstitntion. There were provisions in j fag original constitution which were! Weil und eat down very much indeed. The tenor of Mr Speight'*' Wi was that the Church was in danpr of Romanising influence. There *«? some Homanising features in itarch work far greater than these of «B Order, and if he could swallow a big T?' he eo «W wallow the littl.-. He %N those who had the courage to 2J etheir -™™« 8 and put theml elres D P<"> the same monetary level. Heprocecded'to read the declaration of goners in regard t Q the vow of \°r B 5 Wlth ™t expulsion? m Tpton: 'Simply by niarryir.K.'' IU =tati>-i,-f •; ' . ersstti, - c P Cflr and ta °- prisonffiK?' i B rB ? tc dn*sed in a paiadopted certain rules. m£?% es -f or whafc wera the wort - R ?oC,ct y could «"»lv do tint tt P r» ~ ,' fc was inconceivable ig?S;"* stimulus to do such i Mad *Z etc Were such P po " Pwers• anTl? V " y great re^onin«- ---% let oil c Pe ? ple who things'. *««s£t? ?!° P edo them - " they «C h tack * c CLurch - do not ° n SUch a little thing. tonal theory and ™- ja Md [was pained at the JWfcfon Tf 6 Sub J ect ha[ i b^en »pter ennTf aU , ite thst o n U f ld w make the constituWto^K^v* 0 the nod - H« to look :l t the *s«£feff Ut the when Hed -- e^a Ssur^?° ted for it bemuse re tt of rts practical u.eless- ?** s WSon w Ta l beill S made to sake * the The Lord g^£ d -5 wife, or father W sent T Mighbours. S 1 St. p£n<7 f ° r Even's c heelT! n arcumst ances r serve Got mad e this that

rest sacrifices and were doing that i-ork amongst them. He confessed that te was not quite satisfied that there vas a plain understanding that a memter of the Order was at liberty to withiravr when she so desired. (Hear, hear.) f the Bishop told a woman thafcvhe ould not allow her to marry, he would lot be giving a. lawful command when he laws of the Church did not" forbid narriage. and she would be ~ ,- ~iied n refusing to obey him. He t would be wise if it.were made quits •iear of every member could leave the 3rder by giving six months' notice. THE LEAVING OF THE ORDER. Mr F. D. Greenwood considered that t sister would have broken her vow to Sod by marrying. No reasonable peron could do such a thing without feeing humiliated in the sight of God and naii. The proper way for her to do vould te to first apply to the Bishop 0 bo released from her vow. He res-lec-ted the motives which caused Mr Speight to bring forward his motion, jut he appealed to him to withdraw it. Captain Clayton stated that he reelected asking the Bishop at tho I'bapter whether the Sisters could ..leave :he Order if they wished. Did not His Lordship, he asked, state that they ;ottld leave at any moment? Was thai j.orreet? The Bishop: It is. (Applause.) Canon Beatty sahl he had put it to :lie Bishop, what would happen if a icrsoh wished to leave the Order and lid not obtain the consent of the Bishop, rlis Lordship admitted that there would be a serious moral scruple in the mind of the person. Legally she was free :o go. and free to marry if she thoushi St. but it was quite possible that the person would f°el bound by the declaration until dispensed by the Bishop That seemed to him (Canon Beatty) to be a most serious state of things snd while he. regretted the neceasit;for the discussion he did not. regret thf discussion itself. If the Order was the innocent affair which Mr Upton regard ed it, how was it. that its existence was not- mentioned in the report from the Chapter? Why had Mr Speight to take the altogether unprecedented action of providing, by his own effort, that members of the Synod should have accessto in formation which was in possession of the Phapter? It might be said tha* they were not in the middle ages, bu 4 it was not what was happening now but what would happen iv the future? what, according to the eternal law o' nature, was bound to happen if thil artificial system was kept up, so surely would the evils attaching to monastic systems repeat themselves. It was an experiment, attempting to do the same tiling in religious life what socialist!' experiments were trying to do in political life. "It is an attempt.'' he declared "to do by human machinery what car only be done by following the laws ol God." Of all the backsliding that the world had ever seen, the most, deadly and the one which would be visited by find with the worst c'.tasti?emerit would be that of the members of thf Church of England who bad inheritc' the full Scriptural, Protestant, evan geliral faith, and voluntarily took uobr their shoulders, and placed upon Iheichildren, a yoke wh'eh neither his hear ers nor th«?ir fathers were able to bear (Applause.) NOTHING KEPT BACK. Canon Nelson maintained that thf Chapter had not kept anything back for its report containing tho coustitu tion of the Order, was as much iv the possession of thi.- Synod as the minuti book of the Standing Committee. He took no exception to any part of*thf constitution, but he would line the las' clause to bo made a lirt'e more plai'and clear, that any member of the Or der could of her own free will retire if she so » It would be littl" loss tiian a calamity, be concluded, if they divided the Synod upon the subject. THE RESOLUTION AMENDED. Mr Speight said bis resolution bad had its effect, and suggested that he should be allowed to withdraw his original resolution in order to substitute the words, "That the Chapter be requested to reconsider the terms of the constitution, and that after the revision of the same present it for revision to the Synod next session, and in the meantime no change be made in the rules governing the Order." Canon MaeMurray and his seconder agreed to withdraw their amendment. : and Mr Speight was then given permis- ' siou to substitute for his resolution the 1 words he had just read. T'ne amended resolution was adopted.

SPEECH BY THE BISHOP.

XOTBTXG DOXE SECRETLY. The Bishop, addressing the House, said he could not think that members, unless heated by religious controversy, would have accused the Chapter of keeping anything b-,ck. In his Charge he h;id criven the Synod openly and above board the reason for Canon Beatty's resignation. He was sorry that words had I:pcn ukpcl iv the debate that in calmer moments would not have been u.srd. Nothing whatever had been done secretly or behind backs, or that a single man connected with the Cathedral Chapter had the slightest cause to be ashamed of coming to light. INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES. From the bottom of bis. heart he regretted the inflammatory language that had been used. It might be impossible to discuss religious matters in calm and measured language, but some of the inflammatory language used that evening —well, it was a pity it was used, he added, and it was a pity that motives of a poor and sinister character were attributed to men who were impelled by motives as pure as those of any member of the Synod. When he was made Bishop, be swore at the altar that he would try all in his power to be a shepherd of 'the whole flock, and not the shepherd of any one single department of the flock. (Applause.) He boped it would be handed down to posterity that he had always reprobated anything of a party spirit- He recollected asking theui! at the time of his appointment to wait, before they pronounced judgment, either upon his motives or the plans he laid before them. He was perfectly content to wait. Part of a Bishop's duty was, not to hurt, but to j h elp. HARM TO THE CAUSE. He gave every credit to the motive of the man who brought the motion forward, and he had no doubt that he felt impelled by conviction to bring it up, but no matter what resolution or amendment the Synod passed, they had done harm to the cause of God in "that country that neither they nor their children would undo. They could rely upon the Auckland newspapers giving fair and just reports of the proceedings, and if the. subject was thought of sufficient interest, articles would be written with an endeavour to be just and true, and not to hurt the national lifej hut they couldnotespeei> the eune iking frost ewijcne, became w*y

were not airpresent to report the debate. In.all the papers of the country would I a telegrams on the debate, and with these it was unavoidable that harm was going to be done through the medium of the press. That harm had now been done, and could not be undone. God vras over all, and pod was not going to allow ill to be the final outcome nf what men did from good motives. The harm could 1 not have been avoided by leaving things as they were. WAITED KIKE YEARS. But he wanted to tell them clearly that they could not have left things as they were. He found, upon his arrival in Auckland, a body not known as the Mission to the Streets and Lanes, but known as the Mission of the Good Shepherd, and called to community. He had documentary evidence to prove that for nine years the members had been led to believe that they would be admitted to the order of . the diaeonate. He asked them to wait 1 for a year, and at the end of that time , he would know how to deal with them. , Then at the end of that time he told them that he did not see his way clear, under the present rules of the Church of England, to ordain anyone to the female diaeonate, and secondly, be was not going to administer life vows in a sisterhood. The third alternative -was, "Let it be a go-as-you-please." It was unfair to leave people in that position, and he would not do it. The fourth plan was to shut the whole thing up and let the work suffer. AX OPPONENT OF LIFE VOWS. He had to be a shepherd of his flock, and not part of the flock, and he claimed to speak to them knowing more of sisterhoods than any man in the Synod—knowing more of the history of them, and the svil of them, and what the best men had decided was the only way they would be :ble to meet the situation. It was with hat knowledge that he arrived at the conclusion that if he could prevent it he would not allow a sisterhood with life vows. The alternative which he sugj jested came out after much deliberation I from the Cathedral Chapter's hands. It | '.vas not perfect, for no scheme could be. i It was suggested there that certain means should be provided at the end of the declaration whereby the possibility of a misunderstanding in regard to leaving the ) sisterhood could be avoided. It was not bought necessary, but it might be an expediency, and the Cathedral Chapter was perfectly willing to carry out in that respect what it would have done before. He was not going into the question of the leclaration, but it was only on that line that they were ever going to stop permanent vows. SPIRITUAL DICTATORSHIP. He knew it was said, "You are placing too much in the hands of the Bishop." They had to place it in the hands of somebody, and the Chapter considered this. They' would have to be prepared for the possibility of good work stopping in the liocese. but he would make an appeal to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd for the sake of Him they wanted to serve, and he did not think it would be an appeal to leaf ears. He was sorry for the women who waited nine years, and then another year; and now were asked to wait another year. It was hard for them that they should have to do so. AX APPEAL. He appealed to the younger meu of the Synod to take a lesson from that debate never to engage in originating an enterprise without seeing what principle there .vas underlying it, "and to recognise that in coming to the Synod to engage in church work they were members of the living body ofcdhe living God, and remember that nothing they said or did ought io be said or done except upon one condition, the desire to fulfil the motto of 'His life who pleased not Himself.'' He hoped that his words would not cause anybody any hurt, and that the Synod would never have reason to say again j that ho was dishonest. (Applause.) No matter what harm they would see growing out of the inflaming of passions in the Synod that evening, he would try to show that, wrong and harmful as lie believed the debate to have been, it never should weaken one whit the love he bore to the people of his diocese. (Loud applause.)