CHURCH AUTONOMY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 555, 9 July 1909, Page 8

CHURCH AUTONOMY.

a FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THE ANGLICAN BYNOD. THE BISHOP'S VIEWS. , THE REV, T. H. SPROTT'S MOTION CARRIED. Th? interrupted debate on the Rev. T H Sprott's motion in. favour of giving th Church of the Province of New Zealand com oleto 1 autonomy was resumed at last night' Bitting of tho Wellington Diocesan Synod The. motion was as follows. — * "Thaf; ! this Synod, whilo gratefully' • acknowledging the wisdom displayed by those who drow up tho constitution of , this Church of the Province of New • Zealand, is strongly of opinion that tho unalterable character of tho provisions in the constitution' called fundamental is injurious to the best interests of the Church, and a hindrance to its progress, and prays the General Sjnod to scouro, by Act of Parliament, tho right of com- _ pleto Eolf-'governmcnt for the Church." Tho Bishop's Views. The Bishop (Dr Walhs) said he was vorj grateful for tho speech of the Rev -Joshua Jones, whom he regarded as perhaps tho most conservative irember of the Synod, tho ont who valued most highly the, benefits that had i come down to them fiom tho past Ho (the Bishop) quite thought that if their Church was to have tho power indicated in thq motion it ought to bo difficult, but not impos sible, to it (Applause ) Ho would move to amend tho resolution by adding the following words — I "Provided always that no alteration ,' in the Book of Common Prayer, in tho i form and 'raaiinor of making, 01 darning, 1 and consecrating of bishops, pni sts, and deacons, and in tho Thirty-Nme Articles of religion shall bo made until it shall be first proposed to ono General Svnod, and made known to the several Diocesan i Synods, and finally agreed to m tho meeting of tho General Synod next ! ensuing." A similar provision (continued the Bishop) applied to other alterations in the constitution, and they could not dcoire to have less effective safeguards when alterations of the provisions called fundamental were in question. It seemed to him that it would do a hornblo thing to say that they must never make ouch changes That would bo a denial *U of/ the presence of tho Holy Spirit in tho £ Ghurch. Thej had a right to saj that changes should only bo mado with cautidh, f but it would bo wrong to say that thin Church, almost alono among English ' Churches, was never to make such changes He earnestly hoped tho members of tho Synod would adopt tho view he was taking. It would be a ternblo thing to say that the Church was to bo bound foivgoneratnona to come by regulations that were framed three centuries ago. and to have no power to alter thorn (Applause.) The Bishop then left tho Synod, and Archdeacon Fancourt took the chair. i The Rev. T H Sprott and his seconder accepted the suggestion of the Bishop, and it was added to the motion Another Addition to tho Motion. \ 'Mr. T. F. Martin supported the.amended motion, but desired to further amend it by inserting tho following words at tho end of the original motion and before the proviso, which had "been added on the suggestion of'the Bishop — "And also tp seek legislation by private Bill vesting all lands in New Zealand granted or convejed for purposes in connection with' tho Unrted Church of' England and Ireland in trustees appointed by tho General Sjnod, 'to bo held for the liko purpose in connection with the Ghurch,oi the Province of New Zealand, and m asking tho General Synod to >tako this couise, this Sjnod reaffirms that tho Church of this Province is Jn full communion with tho Church of England, and suggests that a declaration to this offect be placed ' in the forefront of any resolution that may be passed by the General Synod on tho subject or altering the fundamental provisions, and in any Bill on tho snbject that may bo introduced into Parliament, and further agrees to this course." . This addition also was accepted by tho mover and seconder. Against Fossilising Tondenoles. Mr. W. H. Quick said he did not regard the motion as revolutionary. It had been discussed it several previous Sjnods, 'and vtho lay representatives, who were tho conservative section of tho Synod, had generally opposed it, but after attending boveral successive Sjnods, he, for one, had changed his mows od the subject Ihe Church of New Zealand was wrtually a separate church, and should recognise and do'claro its autonomy Otherwise it was likely / to become a fossilised church. He insisted that the resolution had no doctrinal intention It u,v> thp inherent right of a branch of the Catholic Church such as tho Church ' in New Zealand to fix its' own ritual Mr E H. Dean, Captain Hewitt, and Mr E Hadfiold also supported the motion The last-named said his hesitation had been removed by tho Bishop's addendum to tho reand by tho further addition of tho stipulation of'a private Bill, which wa3 a Strong "additional safeguard. Archdeacon Fancourt Dreads Changes. Tho acting-president (Archdoacon Fancourt) said that as ho occupied, for tho time being, the placo of the Bishop, he could not express his views as ho would have been ablo to do O'l tho floor of the House He stood to ascertain extent alone on tho question under'discussion He was getting an old man, and was perhaps rather inclined towards conservative ieehngs lie looked with ( great fear upon the idea of any changes' in tho Piajor Book' Ihe few changes that had, been made hero in the ' past showed i that the right had been exercised, but the alterations ,wore few and wcro necessitated b> tho fact that the Church oi New Zealand was not under tho Crown He thought the Church hero did not possobs experts in htuigiologj, or in tho framing and fashioning oi prayers Tho whole ques tion of tho ritual and services of tho Church or England was now beforo the Convocation ot Canteihurj, and would almost certainly come before tho Convocation of York at an early date. Ho would not like to see different Prayer Bqoks in use by difterent colonial churches Ihe Church of New Zeabe as closely connected as possible with the Church or Anglarid Tho Mover in Reply. Tho Rev T II Sprott, replying to the debate, said that the autonomy gained by throwing off the yoke of the Roman Chuich was a powerful stimulus to English national life Nationalities'should havo tho right to order their own rites and ceremonies, and tho recognition of this right under the Eastern Church had kept nationalities alive, though politically under oppression. Tho Church hero w'as really more conservative than fho Church of England, and even if his proposal were adopted, and the necessary legislati6n passed, ho would not expect to hvo to see a singlo comma changed in consequence (Laughter and applause) He was working, as tho late Sir George Groy used "to say, for the unborn millions The motion was carried almost unanimously, with tho following further < addition — • "And that tho Bishop bo respectfully requested to bring this resolution beforo tho uoit meeting of tho General Synod."