GENERAL SYNOD OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 795, 17 May 1865, Page 2

GENERAL SYNOD OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Tuesday, May 16. The Synod met at 11 a.m. The Primate having epened the sittings with prayer, the minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Pbimate read a communication from Messrs. Mundy and LaMert, requesting to be allowed to take the photographs of the members of the Synod. The Synod then resolved itself into a committee of the whole, for the consideration of the remaining clauses of the Ecclesiastical Offences Bill. Clause 1 was amended by the omission of the word " public " in the last line but one. Clause 3. On this clause being read The Bishop op Wellington proposed the addition of the following : —" The following, amongst others, shall be deemed good and lawful reasons, viz.: That the person died in the commission of some crime or open sin ; secondly, that he be deemed a notoriously evil liver, and that the minister had admonished him during his lifetime ; and, thirdly, that the deceased, although nominally a member of the Church, was an avowed notorious unbeliever : Provided always that he certify his refusal to the Bishop of his diocese within seven days."

Yen. Aechdeacon Jaco3S thought it their most advisable plan to wait. It was well known that the subject was about to be discussed in Convocation in England, and he thought it unwise to make additions to the offences already specified in the Prayer-book. He should prefer the clause as it stood.

Abchdeacon Mattnsell quite coincided with Archdeacon Jacobs. He hoped the clause would be expunged.

The Bishop op Wellington withdrew his amendment.

The Bishop op Chbistchueoh objected to the clause, on the ground that it only provided for two kinds of offences, leaving many very flagrant ones untouched.

Rev. J. Lloyd would like to have some laws framed for the guidance of the clergy. In his parish he was not unfrequently called upon at times, much against his conscience, to bury sailors who were drowned whilst in a state of drunkenness, and those j who had died from delerium tremens, and he should J like some relief from the difficulty. Rev. Stock considered that a man dying from delerium tremens most certainly committed suicide, and they would be justified in refusing to bury him. The clause was amended on the motion of Aeckdeacon Jacobs, by the omission of'all the words down to " church," and by the insertion. of the following : —" If any minister shall be grossly negligent in the performance of his duty, or shall refuse without good and lawful reason to perform for any member of the Church any act appertaining to the ministry of the Church." The remaining clauses were passed without alteration. On the motion of Sib William: Maktin the Ecclesiastical Offences' Bill, and the Ecclesiastical Courts Bill, were read a third time. An unanimous vote of thanks was then passed to Sir William Martin for the great talent he had shown in the preparation of the Bills, the labor he had bestowed upon them, and for the urbanity he had evinced in making the concessions suggested by the Synod. The morning sitting was now concluded, and the Synod adjourned till half-past four p.m. On resuming, Mb. King moved a vote of thanks to the secretaries, the Rev. R. Burrows and Mr. Quick, which was carried by acclamation. Me. FitzGebald moved the following resolutions : —" That this Synod recognises the restoration of the unity of the Christian Church as one powerful object to which its efforts should be directed." " That this Synod requests the co-operation of the various Diocesan Synods in the above object, aDd requests that they will take such steps as may seem to them expedient to ascertain how far the various religious bodies may be inclined to respond to the desires herein expressed, and by that means the unity of the Christian Church in New Zealand may possibly be one day restored. And this Synod requests that the Diocesan Synods will report fully through the Bishops to this Synod at its next meeting." In support of these resolutions he pointed out that the very existence of the Synod and its possession of legislative power offered a hope of the accomplishment of the desired union, as it would be in their power to effect changes in those points which repelled other religious bodies from the Church of England— changes, not in the truth, but in the words by which it was conveyed. The three bodies whom they had particularly to consider were the Roman Catholics, the Presbyterians, and the Wesleyans. With regard to the first the chance of union appeared smaller than with the others, but it might be hoped that the changes going on in Catholic countries would lead to a change in the Catholic Church. The separation of the Presbyterians was brought about rather by political than religious causes, which had long since died out and were no obstacles to the restoration of the union. With the Wesleyans, so far as doctrine was concerned, the Church of England had absolutely no difference. Christianity was undergoing the ordeal of an attack from men, not infidels or profligates, but men who seemed ardently seeking truth and actuated by high moral views, and it was time that all religious bodies holding the vital elements of truth should combine to support it. Aechdeacon Jacobs seconded the resolutions. He had been about to bring forward similar ones himself, but thought it premature; he rejoiced, however, that they had been proposed by some one else. Aechdeacon Matjnsell agreed that the conditions of the Colonial Church led to a hope of a greater degree of uniformity than was attained at home, but there were great discouragements. What kind of unity was sought ? It might be unity of discipline, of forms of worship, or of interests and objects. He held a distinction between unity and unformity, and would have unity in diversity. The unity he desired was in action and inter-communication.

The Bishop op New Zealand thanked the mover for bringing this subject forward, which had never been absent from his mind. Soon after his arrival in New Zealand he had written to the Archbishop of Canterbury saying that he was willing to adopt any plan that might be devised for the union of the New Zealand missions, but he was informed that on the subject being brought before the Wesleyan Conference that body replied that the interests of both would be better promoted by separation. This had shown him the inexpediency of attempting any considerable measures for union while the large bodies at home remained disunited. But by amicable arrangement with the- Wesleyan and Presbyterian ministers, he had been able to work without any dis-.. agreement, if not in" unity of spirit yet in' harmony of action. He strongly deprecated, any changem-tlnr Prayer Book, his feeling towards which were hie those of George Herbert, who begged that no other prayers might be read .to him when on to death, bed; Wesley's saying was a wise one, "They who live by rule live at peace." One kind of unity was practicable, and it might be compared to men approaching a city by different routes j if they attempted to crosTfrom one road to the other, they would be brought to a standstill, but by all going on converging to the same point by the roads before them, they would all at length reach the same city. The resolutions were put to the Synod and carThe report of the Committee on the acts of the Synod was read and considered. A long discussion, which arose on the question of burial ground leases, was ended by the adoption of a clause proposed by Dr. Donald, to the effect that on the application of

any Diocesan Synod, the Standing Commission should be empowered to modify the resolutions of the Synod so far as related to "their diocese. The report having been gone through, the Primate certified to the acts as passed being from henceforth the laws of the Synod. Mb. PtTTTOX moved—" That this Synod invite the serious attention of the members of the Church in the several Dioceses, and especially of the Primate and other Bishops, to the necessity of some immediate steps being taken for providing for tho spiritual wauls of the already large and rapidly increasing population at theAVest Coast goldfields." He would not occupy the time of the Synod at this late period of its sitting. He hoped that members of the Synod would bear in mind the necessity for steps being taken at once to carry out his motion. Thb Bishop of Ghristchtjech seconded the motion. It was a matter of great difficulty to send a missionary to the West Coast; no one would be prevailed upon to go unless he were guaranteed a certain sum for his services, and he did not see at present the way of doing so. The diggings were in the Diocese of Nelson, and he should like to render every assistance in his power to the Bishop of that Diocese. The Bishop op Wellington suggested that collections should be made in all the Churches, and that it should be ascertained what funds were likely to be available for the purpose. The motion was carried. The Peijiate would not occupy their time in making a long address ; by the blessing of Almighty God they had been enabled to conduct their debates in a spirit of peace, and in that spirit he would now dismiss them. The Benediction was then pronounced by the Primate, and the session thus concluded.