"The Consfcration."

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1378, 26 February 1861, Page 3

"The Consfcration."

To the Editor of the Southern Cross. Sir, — Two attempts have been made to justify tlio Bishop of New Zealand, m tiymg to eliruiaato out of thomomboisof the Ulrnicb of E.ujLviid, .v spooial congiogation to witness the consecration ot a Bishop:

— onfy by "Dr. Dalliston, in the "New Zealander" of Saturday, and the other, by his Lordship himself in the pulpit yesterday, The first, in couitesy to the writer, requires mention, but, in justice to others, nothing further. If sustained by any show of reason, or if adopted by the Bishop, it might rank as one of those zealous and indiscreet efforts to aid, which serve rather to sink, than to save a struggling, friend. Fortunately, the writer proves, and then ingenuously confesses his ignoiauce of the subject, and the Bishop in his line of argument, utterly repudiates that (if 1 may call it so), propounded by the Docter. The Bishop in his sermon, quoted from the epistle for St. Mathew's Day, the woids "and they prayed," inferring therefrom that the prayers of a Special Congregation, were required in. this conseciation, analogously as in the election of Matthias to the apostleship. He, however appaiently foigot that m the case of the election, St. Matthias, theie was auother candidate for the office, and the prayers of the congiegation were expressly for the purpose of asking God, "to show whether of these two thou hast chosen." This was done as a pielimiuary to caving foith the lots to determine that point. Had theie been yesterday anything appioaching to an election of a Bishop, as between two or more candidates, I willingly concede the right of the Bishop to summon for that purpose, a congregation of those who are full members of the Church, but there was nothing of the kind. Mr. Patterson, the Bishop elect, had been chosen, and the congregation merely witnessed his consecration, and prayed for heavenly blessings on him m his sacred office. Those prayers, I firmly assert, the Church of England intends to be given by the general congregation, and not only by those whom Dr. Dalliston, teiins the elite. The analogy, therefore, betweeu the two cases completely fails, and with it, the justification dependent thereon. The Rubric of the Chiuch clearly contemplates the Consecration Service as one to be peiformed in conjunction with the usual morning Sei vice, and lam, iheiefoie rather sui prised at such a stnet Rubrician, as the Bishop is understood to be, introducing it into the Evening Seivice, and substituting, for those of the day, special psalms and special lessons, but this is a slight matter compared with any attempt to cieate, by sacramental test or otheiwise, a special congiegation to listen to such Service. If it had been wished to collect in the Church persons from St. Paul's and other parishes, and not to over-ciowd the building, it would have beeu qiute easy and justifiable to issue a limited number of tickets for each parish, and to allow the first applicants to obtaau them. Thus, all that is objectionable in the principle of selection would have been obviated. Pew cau entertain a gieater lespect, than I do, for the Bishop of New Zealand, aud my knowledge of his wish to make the Church of God, as he expresses it, "as free as an to the nch and the poor, the high aud the lowly, the communicant and the proselyte at the gate," made me regret this unhappy deviation from his usual course. I remain, Sir, &c, Your obedient Servant, A Member op the Church or England.