CHAPTER RESIGNS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 189, 11 August 1928, Page 7

CHAPTER RESIGNS.

WAIKATO DIOCESE DISPUTE. "A MATTER OF DOCTRINE." CLERGY ALSO RESOLUTE. PARISHIONERS TO BE CONSULTED. {By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) HAMILTON, this day. The banner of "no surrender" has been raised by the lesser chapter of St. Peter's Cathedral, who last night resigned in a body, as protest against the lite of ritualistic practices in the cathedral. The chapter held a meeting on Monday evening, and it wae unanimously decided that it should resign, and that the parishioners should be given an opportunity of electing a new chapter. The decision was confirmed at a special meeting last evening, there being one dissentient. The members of the chapter, elected in April, are: Messrs. L. V. Judd, O. R. Farrer, C. Norris, W. H. Blakeawav, H. M. Hammond, J. T. Reid, E. V. Stace, F. Vickery, C. Morris and F. A. Sne-11. The seven last-named, when candidates, issued a declaration in which they stated that if elected their efforts would be directed toward restoring har-

mony in the church, resisting the introduction or continuance of ritualistic or Anglo-Catholic practices in the church, ana the readjustment of services in the cathedral be reinstating matins at the eleven o'clock service on certain Sundays each month. Views of a Chapter Member. Mr. F. A. Snell, a member of the chapter, who holds very definite views on church procedure, said that a deadlock had been reached. The dispute was entirely over a matter of doctrine The chapter members had made up theii

minds to resist the present procedure at the cathedral, and it would appear that Biehop Cherrington and Dean Barnett were equally determined to carry on, ae they had* deemed it fit to resist the wishes of the chapter and the people. Mr. Snell said, the question was: "Is the church Reformed or not? If it is, we should adhere to the principles of the Reformation. If it is not Reformed, then let it be definitely stated and we will know where we are. I say definitely that things are being done .at the cathedral which in our opinion are illegal." He added that the matter was one over which there could be no compromise. There was no half-way line. It was no u«e one side or the other saying, "We will concede something if you will do likewise." Will Stand for Re-election. Asked what the next move would be, Mr. Snell said that in all probability Dean Barnett would call a general meeting of parishioners, and both sides of the question would be placed before them. It would then be for the parishioners to decide. The members of the present chapter would offer themselves I for re-election, and if they were returned this would be a clear vote of

no-confidence in the clergy. ] "And if you are not returned, what ; then will be the position?" Mr. Sneli j was asked. He replied that other measures, which j lat the moment he could not disciose., I would be adopted. They were deter- j mined at all costs to maintain the rights of the Churcb. Mr. Snell said that finance was a very serious problem. The Church was considerably handicapped by lack of J funds, for people would not subscribe to « the present order of things. He concluded by remarking that the action of the chapter was not prompted by bit- ■ terness. It was merely a fight for a 1 principle. Public Controversy Not Wanted. ' Mr. Douglas Hay, a member of the chapter, said: "Churchmen will have the opportunity of expressing their views at an early date. Nothing can be gained by a newspaper controversy, which is apt to show church people at their worst, rnd this at a time when the State requires the support of the various church bodies more than ever j before." He said he hoped the Ham- | ilton people would remember the Synod's recent exhortation to all to pull together. It promised whole-hearted support to

the bishop, and the bishop, on his part, undertook to co-operate along the lines which were agreed to by the bishop and the Synod. What was disturbing Hamilton was disturbing the Anglican Church wherever it existed. So far, in other spheres, the men of moderate views had been able to avert anything in the nature of a disaster. It would be a great calamity if the Cathedral to-dav should itself raise the cause of retarding the development of the diocese, of which it was the centre. The task, even without such handicaps, was a quite difficult one. Agreement at Synod. It is interesting to recall that at the recent Synod every possible effort was made to reach an amicable settlement of the unrest in the Diocese. A petition was presented to the Synod, referring to the disquiet and a sub-committee, representative of all parties, was elected to meet the bishop and thrash out the whole dispute. The committee made it quite plain that the confidence of a considerable portion of the Diocese had been shaken, and the committee insisted 011 the necessity for a great effort being j made to regain this lost confidence and | to make a fresh start on the lines that, would reunite the whole people. lu this work the bishop was assured of the whole-hearted support of the Synod. The report of the committee was received unanimously, and it was hoped that a solution had been reached. It was declared t-> be "a victory for neither side, but rather- a coming together of all parties for the benefit of the Diocese." Evidently great relief was felt by the Synod at the statement, and the lope 1 was expressed that church people would loyally follow the lead of the Synod and I the bishop.