GENERAL SYNOD OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 794, 16 May 1865, Page 2

GENERAL SYNOD OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Monday, May 15. The Synod met at 10 a.m. The Primate having opened the sitting with prayer, the minutes of the previous sitting were read and confirmed. Me. Haet moved that the Standing Orders be suspended in order to allowßills to be passed through all their stages, which was agreed.

Mb. Habt moved that the Synod go into committee to consider a clause proposed to be inserted having reference to persons who might be aggrieved by the decisions of the Diocesian Synods.

The Synod went; into committee, and the clause with the proposed addition was adopted. The Synod then resumed.

A ballot was taken for the members of the Standing Commission, a proposal that the number should be increased from seven to nine having been negatived. The following were the seven members elected : —The Bishop of New Zealand, the Yen. Archdeacon Kissling, Rev. J. F. Lloyd, Sir G-. A. Arney, Sir. W. Martin, Hon. W. Swainson, and Hon F. Whitaker.

The Bishop of Waiaptt moved the following resolutions :—" 1. This Synod is of opinion that the main object of St. John's College, Auckland, should be the preparation of candidates for Holy Orders." " 2. That it is desirable that such candidates should have those advantages which a sojourn near the town and Bishop's residence will afford." " 3. That the Trustees of St. John's College be requested to give effect as far as possible to the above resolutions." Mb. Geigg seconded the resolutions. Bishop Patteson, as one of the Trustees of St. John's College, stated with what objects the College was originally founded and the endeavors that had been made to carry them into effect. He also dwelt at length on the difficulties that had been found to arise from various causes in inducing yonng men to give themselves up to the work of the ministry. Rev. C. Bagshaw suggested that a plan might be adopted, which he believed was common in America, of taking candidates for holy orders at the age of 18, and placing them under a clergyman for instruction, Archdeacon Jacobs agreed with Mr. Bagshaw that it was» waste of money to give scholarships to boys of 16. This was a point which might be taken into consideration chy^the Trustees. The Bishop of New Zealand did not see how if the resolutions were agreed to they were to be carried into effect. St. John's College in Auckland, and Christ's College in Canterbury, were the only colleges, in which distinct provision was made for theological students. Up to the time of the meeting of the last Synod 17 students had received ordination from St. John's, and since that time there had been three more candidates, two of whom had been in residence in his Own neighborhood, and had gone through a regular preparation for holy orders, after which" one was ordained, but the other took up a secular calling. The third was still in preparation for orders under the care of Bishop Patteson. Hitherto then St. John's College had fulfilled its original purpose in a remarkable manner, and to a far greater degree than institutions of a similar character in other colonies and in India. He was opposed to overthrowing an old institution which was doing its work well. With regard to the second resolution, candidates for orders invariably passed a considerable time before their ordination, either in his own family or in Auckland, in the house of some clergyman, and : under his own eye. For the school he thought it more desirable if it should be removed farther from . the town than brought nearer to it, I:

At this period of the discussion the morning sitting was brought to an end, and the Synod adjourned till four p.m. On resuming, The Bishop of Weixi>-gto>" read a letter he had received from irehdeacon Hadfield respecting tlie efforts made by the Natives of Manawatu to endow their own Native pastorage. The Primate announced that tho Rev. AndrewBurn Suter, of Trinity College, Cambridge, incumbent of All Saints, Stepney, had been nominated by the Bishop of London to the vacant see of Nel«on.

The discussion on the Bishop of Waiapu's resolutions was then resumed. After some debate

The Bishop of Waiaptx said his object was not to prescribe any definite course, but to bring the subject under the consideration of tho Synod. That j object had been attained, and he had no objection to withdraw the resolutions. Mb. Grigg opposed tho withdrawal. They called tho attention of the trustees to the purposes of the trust, which he thought were not being carried out. Tho first and second resolutions wero carried; the third was, by consent of the Synod, withdrawn. AechdeacoxMattnsell moved—"Thatthe thanks of the Synod are given to the friends who have so hospitably entertained the members ot this Synod." The motion was carried by acclamation. Bishop Patteson moved —" That in order to increase the fund for retired clergymen, and the widows and orphans of clergymen, every diocese be invited to contribute £2 per annum for every clergyman within such diocese, and also allow the offertory in all churches on some one Sunday in the year to be devoted to the same purpose." Rev. J. C. Bagshaw seconded the motion, which was carried. The Instructions to Trustees relative to Cemeteries were read, but after some debate and a division of the Synod, further discussion was postponed. Tbe Synod then went into committee on tho Ecclesiastical Courts Bill. In Clause 9 a proviso was added to the effect that a bishop who had sent a case for trial should not be allowed to take any farther part in the proceedings.

A discussion as to whether the Bench of Bishops should be required to give a unanimous judgment in cases of heresy. A motion affirming the contrary was negatived.

In the 3rd section of this clause, on the motion of Mk. Dutton, words were added giving costs to the defendant in case the charge brought against him was unanimously dismissed.

In the 24th clause, on the motion of Sib. W. Makttn, it was added that if the assessors could not agree at the end of 12 hours it should be competent for the Chancellor to discharge them without coming to a verdict; and in the 25th, that in such cases no new trial should be allowed.

Two clauses were added to the Bill; tho first providing that it should not come into operation in any diocese unless upon express resolution of the Diocesan Synod ; and the second, that it should only continue in force until the end of the next session but one of the General Synod.

A copy of the Constitution Deed, printed on parchment, was produced and signed by the Bishops and other members of the Synod. The Bill for the appointment of Pastors to parishes was read a third time and passed. The Synod then adjourned till the following morning at 10 o'clock.