DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Press, Volume XV, Issue 2045, 4 November 1869, Page 2

DIOCESAN SYNOD.

The eitting of the Diocesan Synod commenced yesterday. At eleven a.m. Divine Service waa held,at St Michael's Church, and the Holy Communion administered. 'At one pm the members^of;the Synod met in the Masonic Hall, Hereford etreet, the followingin - embers being present :-— •3 be /Roy Dr Harper, of Cliristchurch and Primate of New Zealand, president. . . Clergy—The Very Rev Henry Jacobs, Dean of ; Rev Canons Wilson, Dudley } WUlock and Cotterill. JRev Messrs Jackson, Bdwen, Lingard, Knbwles, Chplmqndely, Stack, Martin, Harris and Pember. Laity—Messrs KobwlesV Gordon; Donald; Mateon, Roljeston, Hennah,; J. S.,Williams, Q y Leslie Lee, Deamer, Hanmer, Webb,; L -Harper, Stedman, MarohV Westenrai 0. R. Blakiston, A. E. Blakiston and Graham After prayer the Bishop delivered.'the following address :— Betjeeend Bebtheen and Beetheen of Tan Laity,

Since bur meetirig in 'Synod last year, the General Sjnod hai held its trieririal meeting, and several measures were then adopted, : <vhieh;imark the advance of our New Zealand Church in her efforts for and which will, I trust, under God's bleasing, tend also to her edification and increase. . '. 1

Among these the most important are, the Statute for the appointment of a Primate, and for've'sting in .hini certain powers, the Statufe to provide for' the appointment of successors ,tp !th s e Biehop among tlie. Islands, of Melanesia, and the Statute tq__p_i'pyi3e for, '"the" division of the Dipcese of-Christchurch into two sepatite dioceses. The last statute is that which most immediately'affects ourselves, aridt taken in connection vvfith the resolution of" the General Synod, by which the Hurunui and Teremakau rivßrs are made . the - dividing boundary between thiS and the Diocese .of Helson, will necessitate some slight alteration irt our Diocesan Statute for regulatiwj'g th« elect'oirof Synodtnen. ; Since, on the one SynodmenarQ now returnable from the Provinces of arid Southland, ,aiid pjQ the other hand, tliat part of Westland -whish; is now included in the dipcese is en%ffled to 'gome represenfcatidh in bur Synod, f he" , necessary alterflitiqn can be 'maclo in schedule B of the Statute, arid tne Statute itself remain untouched.

- :rtj draw the attention of the Synod,to :i tw6 of its' dwih ■which have received the consideration of the General "Synod. The..first relates tollie doubts, respecting the right of ■ 'palSfbiail; districts to be represented in .out ' Synot?. It \Hll be seen by a reference to ; the aiijf«rided ; statute of the General Synod for organising Diocesan Synods, that such districts, equally vnffi parishes, are entitled to ; representation. JT|iei was a request Wivtt eerlain adopted in the Mother Church m 1 tfse 'manner.and mating of sub-' ecriptidns 1 and* declarations, and taking the oaths at ordination hy candidates for ; holy orders,- a*j3 by clergjmen licenced to'.c'Urtsvia England, might be adopted in the Ne¥'Zealaridi.OhArp.hi hyti thejaction of theXSeneral in~accordance-with 4he to that bpdy to Jiisei feeeijTCfEßplisci?witii:;eo fajt as relates" to tlie form of ordering ; bi9fa<*ps, priests and deacons, beiog> the

omission of the oath of supremacy in the course of divine service. I havo laid upon the table v detailed report of the state and prouress of the Church in West land. This portion of the Diocese has hitherto been dealt with as a missionary district, and it is for the Synod to consider whether the time lms arrived for any more complete pnroehml organization of its settled parts, and how. far v UMV »c expedient to extend to it, with some modifications, our financial system. A report of the Maori Mission will he furnished by the clergyn ixn in charge. We are etill receiving from the home society for the proposition of the Gospel in foreign ports j a g'ant of £100 for church purposes in the diocese ; thi« is now applied towards the support of this mission. The grant i? made from year to year, and the present grant will expire on the 31st of "December, 1870. It is my purpose to apply for a renewal of it, but we must be looking forward to the time when the Maori Mission of this diocese must be supported altogether from our own resources. It will be generally acknowledged tohare especial claims upon U3, as also the Melanesian mission, which is so closely connected with the New Zealand Church.

Three grants in aid of church building, to the amount of £140, havo heen made to the Diocese during this year, by tho society for Promoting; Christian Knowledge, besides grants of books offered to clergymen for clerical libraries, and free grants of bibles, prayer books, and Other religious publications, in such various languages as are likely to bo in use on the gold fields and in other parts of the Diocese. Our 'best"thanks ore duo to these societies of our Mother Church for their timely assistance, which is not only of great value in itself, but is a kindly token of their unabated interest in the colonial churches. I hope it may be in our power before long to express in some measure our sense of the aid we have received, and are still receiving from these eocieties, by some contribution to their general funds. This might be easily done in the case'of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge if the debt of the Diocesan Board were discharged. Nothing is more calculated under God's blessing to maintain and strengthen the vital union which, I trust, will always subsist between the mother and her daughter churches, than ihis communicating with each other " as concerning giving and receiving."

I have laid upon the table a list of the confirmations which have been held by mc since our last meeting, with the number of persons confirmed in the several parishes and districts. A.return of this number is given, in the annual parochial returns, which are also laii before you ; but it is due to the Synod that I should myself report the results of any special exercise of my office. I wish it to be understood that I shall be ready, God willing, to confirm in each parish and district every year, however few in number the candidates may be. " Since our last meeting we have lost the services of three of our clergy, the Rev J. 0. Bagshaw, the Rev A". P. CKCallaghan, and the Key H. Torlesse, the last* I regret to cay. from severe": illness. The place of the Incnmbent of A/vonside Kas been" supplied by a clegyman.wbo baa served in the Diocese of Melbourne and Dunedin. One clergyman haiftjoined us from England, and is in charge of the parochial district of Burnham and the Malvern hills ; a third, ordained by myself, is serving as an assistant curate on the goldfields of Westland; In point of number therefore the Diocese has sustained no loss of clergy ; but two country districts, organised as cures, and provided with parsonage houses, one of them, moreover, holding the status of a parish, are now under no direct pastoral charge ; and there are besides large portions of the Diocese occupied by members of our communion, for the spiritual wants of which no provision has yet been made.' I. "refer more especially to Banks Peninsula,-to the parts, of the Diocese whjch he to tho south of tlie Rakaia, to the populous townships pf Temuka and Waimate, and to 'some of the-goldfields in Westland. Some of these districts puet he regarded 83 Missionary vdistricts; that is to say, parts of the piocese which being, as yet, unable to maintain a ; clergyman within a definite area, can only receive such instructions of our Church S3 may be offered by them at certain intervale of time byv itinerant; clergymen ; and. among these we must necessarily place cures during their vacancy. \ There is at this, preaent; tipie>ample employment in these disjtricte inclMding cures, and the Chaplaincy of the Lunatic Asylum, Hol>p.if^^^^ additional' -and even if thee.. could be obtained at once, it still would be expedient that we ehould be making some provision for the supply of our fujbure wants. And iVow this maybe most effectually accomplished is well deserving the consideration p{ this Synod, and I know of no matter that can be brought,before you, of greater or of more immediate importance. We may hope, I trust, to find from, time to,time among the; residents in ; this colony, \ some young men of piety and {.education .qualified for the ministry; but our chief dependence for many years to . come must be on the mother. Church, and it is quite r poßßiUe that there are clergymen there fitted for colonial work who might; be.willing to cast in their, lot with us. But we are not justified in eiprcting that they will do co, unless, with tho offer of service here, we can.-gire some eatiefiiiitory- assurance of being maintained in 'tfieir service". "In the care of our fown and suburban cures this, might." "be given without, hesitation, but it is otherwise in our pastoral and agricultural cures. In these, as may be seen from our- returns, tHe- guaranteed stipend is not unfreque'itly belowwhat ie required by our finariciaT regulation?, or the amount guaranteed ViioVi duly maintained When a vacancy, therefore,, occurs in any of these cures, and a clergyman i* to be Bougl|t, for from it 13 not poasible to Hssurje. him, as he will expect to be assured, that lie. will receive for hie servises an adequate maintenance; still, less can this assutance be giren "in respect, of those districts' which have not y<4 been organised as cures,'but for which a clergyman is needed.' There is, moreover, an unwillingness, not indeed peculiar, to euch: districts, and not altogether inexcusable, to guarantee, even ifor a definite perfod, a fixed amount of stipend in the case of any clergyman who is Untried end-unknown ; abd still more, unVillingnees to advance what may be needful to defray his passage froim-Eng-land. -■' ■■ • - r^ ■ I see ho remedy for this except in providing β-generaifaiid, or rather, it is thought expedient, in extending;the operation of the Home Mission an.4 "aDpjying.it. tp t , the gay--h¥rrti)f their maintenance on their''ftf&5 4 Arrival in jcfergymen ehooidibe

needed for any particular cures, the. demand for maintenance on this fund would ceaso on their appointment, mid we should be justified nUo in requiring from the cures the repayment of the passn-ie money ; hut. pending any arrangHnt'fit of this kind, ninnlo employment misjbt ha found in tho Diocese in n-,i* sionnry service?, and euc.h service* would be a satisfactory t«t of fitness for duty iv the

more •ettlfil p'irta. Tf is f-i- tho Synod to dcrido whether tmy nortiou of the Chim'h Property Tru*T income might be appropriated for these purport** ; one thing is obvious, tha', it. would b. , very inexpedient to restrict/ tho services of c!e"srv!iien so long as they »ro employed as ni'iei'oniry clergymen to that p-irt of th«> Diocese which ie called the Canterbury block, on the ground that they might be supported in part from tho Church Property Trust. The Synod has already "commended to the favourable consideration of the Church Property Trustees, tie propriety of extending from time to time tho &pplica , ions and benefit of the Church Property Tru«t. to such portions of the province beyond the Canterbury block us may appear to the Synod to need such assistance as is offorde'd to cured within the block," aid some effect, might be given to this recommen-. datio" if the contribution from the trust to the fund which I have suggested, might bgenerally employed for missionary purposes throughout the Diocese, and this perhaps would bo a less objectionable mode of carrying on the recommendation of the Synod, than the appropriating annually grants for certain cures outside tbe block, as is now done for those within it. All advances' for passage money, would, according to my phin.be repaid to this fund by any cure which might desire to secure for itself the exclusive service of the clergymen te whom tho?e advances might have been made. Sucli advance?, therefore, if supplied by the aid of the Church Property Fund, would be only temporary loans Some church collections in behalf of tho Home Mission Fund have been already made, and these I have no doubt, would be incroasi d in amount, if missionary clergymen were already nt vrork in the Diocesp, and contributions also might then be expected from the missionary districts —at present the services given in them by the occasional visits of some of the parochial clergy, are too slight to warrant any direct application to them for contributions. It is evident, however, that some more than usual efforts must be made before the Home Mission Fund can fully answer the purposes to which I would apply it» «ncl since these purposee are of very general importance, so have ground for making these efforts with hope of success. Those who are living in the outlying parish of/the diocese have evidently a direct interest in what I have proposed as the most effectual means by which the ministrations of the Church can be extended to them, until these districts can be formed into independent cures, and clergymen be provided for them when such cures are formed. But the wuole diocese has an interest in the maintenance of a sufficient ministerial staff; vacancies from time to time must occur in the cures which are most fully organised and best able to support their clergy, and it will bo an obvious advantage to be able to select from clergymen already in the diocese, and who have acquired some experience hy their service in it j as it is, these vacancies must either be' supplied by clergymen from England, of whom we can know but • little, and who cannot possibly arrive here until after the lapse of several months^—or clergymen must be'nominated from some other cure in the diocese, and thus vacancies be created in places perhaps oi leß3 importance, but which ought not to be left without the regular ministrations of the Church.

I cannot but think therefore thafc the Home Miesion Fund, if applied as I propose, might fuirly'claimC'the general support of the whole Diocesan Church—and to obtain this support I conceive wo are fully juetiQed in asking for some contribution to it froth every 'adult member of our Church ; and that this contri-. bution may be within the reach r of ail, and yet bo no encroachment on the contributions which are needed lor local purposes, nor excuse any from the obligation of assisting in proportion Jo their means, I would ask for an annual contribution of a very email amount. It might be : regarded as a recognition- of Church membership, or a,slight acknowledgment of services whrch are offered to all, and of which it is notorious, that many partake without a thought of the. duty of doing aoiuething towards their support. I ; mean, there are m .ny who not only use our churches' for public worship, but the services of our clergy for various oiEces, such for instance aa thy baptism of children, the burial of the dead, and the visitation of the sick, and fur. ot;her purposes connected with their ministry, but who contribute little or nothing for Church purposes.' I should much regret indeed if the services, of the Church were to be measured by tlie conduct of those who seel them, how- , ever neglectful they might be in other,respects of their Christian obligations. Ilxe Church, through its ministers, is tho servant of ull who are , willing' to use her services, and she must riofc limit her offices Or exertions to those who recognise her claims upon them. But this is no reason, why those who are forgetful of her claims should not be reminded of them ; and this might be moat fitly done in connection with a fund which directly or indirectly is for the benefit of every part of the Diocesan Church I say adviaedly let the contribution asked of each adult to this fund be Qf amall amount, the , object of it being as much for the purpose "of reminding them of their as of providing means for the work of the Church ; we may, however, well hope and believ • that if the duty which is now so much overlooked be acted upon in: an instance^of this kind, it will lead to more systematic and abundant almsgiving ; nnd ,no clergyman need ecrupJe to bring ibe claims of , this, , fund prorninentlv before his people, since there could be no euapicion of self-seeking in advocating tbeta thus, nor are the efforts of parishioners for local purposes likely to be diminished thereby. All i experience htfs shown that they who realise most fully the duty which they--owe to the Christian body^oi : which they are. members, are the most ready to aid that part of it with which they ar> more immediately connected., The welfare of the Church must necessarily be dependent under, Goti's blessing upon a due supply of clergy labouring zealously in their respective cures, byt we cannot, even in epiritual matter*,' do without fcbp cooperation of our lpy brethren. ; It was; evidently by the multiplication -of its agencies,;that Mβ Church in its first days extended its, work and infhieniee, ia; the wov}§,L and laymen were among her agents for this though ministers were tneii, as now, iekclusiyely for it, aad ; aecessitf of the

ministerial office wae fully rrnvmi«p<l • ColoniHl Chur.h with v ' ° ? ''"'» °» » (.on. jt* inadequate iM,do* ln ,. nt(< ,„,,, . popul.itioiy.nH v wo «»u,t a,ia nU „,;; iiin HTu-o imd umnVivnco of \, anv „,,, • " , :»M,out it, fold, »hi,l,r M4 ; Z, r r' ""J 1 " difii>-v «i employing Jo the ~ . ' ivinlii!)lo Mucnoy winch vunv bo 4 •* ,vith its constitution imd prim^ , ' 0, ! , n , n, I t never he forgotten that n . Jot I ivloMßs of ri«ht. through baptist,, t£.j, I,' 0 ls-mbiTs of the Church, ami they have k, ! :lio.y aro fuithful to their » n iuk\ . ''/■ from the ITuly One for tho duo ' heir otlK'O Thin, of course, does nut jusnfv the self assumption of ciutii>s to which they have not been called by competent uuthorii V 3i- the independent exorcisa of their y;it"t"s without reference to tho sanction of the Church, or tho harmonious working of its ■ertMNil parts ; but it docs invo«t °tho lay members of tho Church with certain responsibility nnd powers of usefulness, und ooint3 the way to services in which thoy may by pro* firably employed. It is much to b» wished, therefore, that the number of our lay readers vvre increased, uot alone or chiefly for publio ministrations in our Church assemblies, though there are parts of the Diocese were this would bo desirable, but for those eervicea which ftn y Christ i'Mi may render wl>o baa some alight knowledge of Christian truth, nnd who is hont on doing god to hie fellowmen. Wo have lioepitule, Suiriuy achools, and an orphan aeyhnn, where instruction ie needed ; and eick bede vvhero men tnuy read and pray, besides tho many opportunities continually occurring in which Christian men and women might bo helpers in the cause of truth and charity, ami nil this without trenching on tho peouliar functions of tho clergy—rather in hearty sympathy with them, and laboring with them as members of tho pame body and under tho enuin rule. I hare laid upon the table ft list of lay readers, acting at this tiino, under my license and with the consent, of tho curates of tho pererul parishes nnd districts, where there nro any in charge. Our bestthanke areduetothem for their gratuitous servicfp, which ure rendered for tho most part in our places of worship. A similar Jicenso, with some modifications, might bo issued to those who would survo in a k>33 public capacity, and might be acceptable to some who would eerre with lees reluctance, if their ministrations were thus specially recognised. I must ask tlio Synod to appoint a select committee for tho re-considerution of Its regulatipns relating' to tho capitular bony, adopted in 1865 and 1866, These, it will bo | seen, are three in number; the first determining the constitution of the body and tho number of members of which it should consist ; rhe second, expressing its assent to the principles upon which it had beon constituted ; the third apportioning to tho members, in equal parts, the income accruing from tho Dean and Chapter Estate. The principlea upon which the capitular body, was constituted, are detailed in a letter 'addressed by myself to the eereral members, and is ):ho licenso in which their appointment ie made, both of which are published in other reports—and ifc will be eoen at onoo that their dulios havo tx reference to the whole Dioceee, that they are in fact co-eztensive with tho jurisdiction and functions of the Bishop, of wh<»m the Dean and Cinone are declared to bo tho oeclosiastical assistants, and this also is in strict accordance with the object; rthiob. a Cathedral ia intended to serve, namely, to bo a ylaco of worship, open without distinction or res«nr6 8 to every member of the Church within tho Diocese. . . > I have brought this matter forward bocause I funderatand that aomo objection has been made to the employmesit of tho Cathedral Clergy beyond the Canterbury block, on tho ground that the Dean and Chapter, Estate, from which they receive some remuneration for' their services, belongs exclusively to that part of the Diocese. And 1 am anxious ■ that thia objection, should be well considered, since it is evident that if it holds good, thofloimembers of the Chapter who have .an'interest in that Estate can no .longer be regarded as Diocesan officers,; or be called upon: to be the assistants. of the Bishop in the Diocese generally. So far : as I can see, the cf a capitular body, which are peculiar to the Canterbury bloplt, are those in immediate connection with the Caihedriil, and these can huve.no place until the Cathedral i@ built. What,: h.Qweye* , , .has been .hitherto done\xi tln&, matter, is plainly in accordance with the mind of the Synod ;as, expressed in the resolutions to which I have .referred. The report of the standing > committeo will be laid before you, and you will, I am euro, observe with regret that in some instances tho regulations of the Synod have opt been complied with ; I refer more especially to those requiringparochial returns, and collections m our Churches for.Mission aid, including tho Melanesian, Maori, and Home Miaeion, and ■ the Assisted Parjehee Fund, and the forwarding to the Diocesan treasurer tho local .contribrttipns for the maintenance of the clergy: , If there are good reasons for any modification or alteration in these regulations, tbe Synod will no doubt take' them into, consideration, but bo long as they confcinuer as they are they | have an unquestioriable claim to the obedience of all whom they may concern. J Among our financial regulations the -Synod J at the la«t session introduced the foUowing— | receiving a grant from d.ocesan fuuda I shdl, as a condition of such grant, be held i bound by financial regulations By nod, and | shall engage to conform to them. li>ere j may be a neces S ity perhaps to this-but t wan.ceesiry.i think, much" to be doploreJ, and I muetidd very humbling , for j as if we could not eacure a compliant.Vito f of some importance mthoiu t c Q xerei.e of what » termed tho power of tho the; muhwn morOT » now.. stands is open to the inference that i[*™'r bq not receiving a grant from dioceea^fur uL it ie under of ;CO»PV?e the - financial ■. reguktiooa- * l } l *> J "ne'e hardly say, is an illegitimate wferenw, ewco heae y rcgaiations are evidently,ip W ded to antjlv to ever? cure in the diocese. It may , iricesZs 7« t *» id > th&t th %£ l still be enforced by pec.rn.ary eon.ujerauonj . but in a community like th«t this Synod their claims on ow obeerT*n«e wu • , at W aye rest on the highest The/ are indeed enticed .to our obedient . for conscience, and art enacted for the general welfiw <ou'^ob ed eneeeHould be not ofconstraint, but ot a m mind. <■-■ .. TheDBAK oVyCsmiS'iQß.vncq, mJj <S m the Synod should, be / "to , his' Lbtoup for his coupled with the requeet that he ito*

'-'""""'.oMnn* >f the ■ Synod, said he was the me . tilwrß>ttnM join with cure '_»« .j ? wa9 no mere formal vote of in earing »*;.,;„, ond hearty expression of entertained of His l.ord.hij.', , " 9 "^* , * Cenon WllSO> ' S(, c° nclpa the *ir}) was .'Hir.od to uniiniraously. motion, W ' BIECTION " OF officers. mt. fol.rwing genllenien were elected -of tho Synod :—Clerical Secretary. p °7. A. Lirurard • Li»y Secretary, Mr A F tfji?ton ; Chairman of Committees, The i-ry l< ev tho Dean of Chrbtehurcb. PAPEB3. The Kov Canon Cotterill laid upon the table the report of the Standing Commi tee, wliieh vms read. The Rev Canon Willock laid upon the table an account, of the receipts and expenditure of the. Church Property Trustees for the past Year; also, an' estimate of tho receipts and expenditure for 1870. DAT 3OF SITTING. On the mot ion of the Rev Canon Cottemll, it was resolved that the Synod eit on each day in the week except Saturdays and Sundays, the sittings to commence at 4 p m. EBSIGNATION. The BiaiJOP eaid that he had received a letter from Mr Walter Kennaway, resigning his office; of S?ynodeman. The Synod then adjourned to 4 p.m this day.