THE CHURCH OF NEW ZEALAND

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14396, 12 June 1907, Page 7

THE CHURCH OF NEW ZEALAND

JUBILEE OF THE CONSTITUTION. CELEBRATED TO-MORROW. (By CANON HASELDEN.) To-morrow there will be celebrated tire jubilee of the fiftieth anniversary of the day upon which the constitution of the Church of the' Province of New Zealand was put forth by the conference of bishops, clergy and Laity held at St Stephen’s Chapel, Judge’s Bay, Parnell. Auckland.

To mideistand vho jubilee we must know something of the events of the fifty yeans previous to 1557; and - to appreciate trie observance of the jubilee woVniMt know something of the events of the fifty years since 1b57. Just one hundred years ago, that is, in 1807, tho Rev Samuel Marsdeu, tho chaplain of the oanvjct station in New South Wales, went Home to England and told the Church Missionary Society of the bright, intelligent Maoris of Now Zealand, who came to Sydney in whaling sliips, and in whose welfare be had already taken a deep interest. He persuaded the Church Missionary Society ’ to eend mmionaries , hero. Mb radon thought at that time that the only, way to Christianise the Maoris was by introducing eotae of the useful arts among them. _ . Accordingly, two good men, Mr William Hail, a shipbuilder, and Mr John King, who was acquainted with flax-dressing and agriculture, were appointed as catechists; and they sailed in 1807, with Mareden, for Sydney. Among the orew was the Maori, chief, Ruataia, who became the great friend and helper of the missionaries. After Ma radon's arrival at Sydney he found that difficulties and delays had to be overcome before he could go to New Zealand, and so he sent Mr Hall and a Mr Kendall, who had joined the mission, without him. , They stayed a abort time at the Bay of inlands, and them returned to Sydney, taking Ruatara and five other chiefs with them. At last,,, seven years after Mart-den's visit to England, Hared enj Hall, King audi Kendall arrived in tho brig Active, and on. Christmas Day, 1814, Maiedom preached the Gospel 'in Ruatana’s village, on the spot which is now marked by tho Marsden Cross. Soon after he returned to Sydney and left the three catechists at their work.

In 1819 the Rev John Butler and Mr Kemp arrived, and established tih© missionary settlement at Keriksxi. But the 'missionaries became so disheartened that they 'actually advised the giving up of the mission -altogether. This would most probably have been done, but the Rev Henry Williams arrived iii 1823, and this truly great man became at once the leader of the mission party, and was acknowledged by Hi© Maoris to be a real chief. In 1826 the Rev William Williams, who became one of the best Maori scholars, ami was afterwards Bishop of Waiapu, arrived in the colony. iii 1833 Bishop Broughton, first bishop of Australia, paid a visit to New Zealand, and Mr Hadflold, afterwards Bishop of Wellington, was ordained. Several years previously there had arrived the Rev Dr Maunscll, afterwards Archdeacon of Auckland. Tho mission .to the Maoris nowflourished, and Ulxe Maoris were Christians.

In 1842 Bishop Selwyn, the great master-builder of the Church in this land, came to Auckland, and the Maori mission continued to flourish, and a large i white population to eettle in tho .country. The missionaries had no official position with the white settlers, and Bishop Selwyn had to organise services and. lay the of the Church'of New .Zealand. His headquarters wore in Auckland. • from whence he travelled all over New Zealand, and oven to Melanesia. ■ In 1855 the Rev J. C. Patteson came and in 1861 was consecrated Bishop of Melanesia. In 1856 Bishop Harper was elected Bishop of Christchurch, In the year 1857 there were two bishop® in New Zealand, Selwyn and Harper, and the Church was'organised and many churches were erected, and all the spiritual work of the Church was going on very well. _ Five years before this public meetings had been held in all the settlements of New Zealand to consider the “General principles of a Constitution for the Church in New Zealand,” and, afteryears of prayer, thought, research and consultation, on June 13, 1857, the conference assembled at St Stephen’s, Judge’s Bay, Parnell. It consisted of Selwyn (Birfhop of New Zealand), Harper (Bishop of Christchurch), and Revs Henrv Williams, William Williams, R. B. Paul, A. N. Brown, O. Hadfield, C. J. Abraham, G. A. Kiseling and J. Wileon and the laity, Messrs Stafford, Whitaker, Tancred, Swainson, Haultain, Prendergast and Hirst. It- put forth the constitution, and solemnly declared and established' certain, great principles and provisions for the ruling and guidance of this Church of the Anglican Communion. .... W© will commemorate the jubilee of this important and widely extending event to-morrow.

I wish hero to mention leading events since that great occasion. In 1859 the first general Synod was held, and met in Wellington. Since then the general Synod has met every_ three year’s, and on some special occasions. The Diocesan Synods have met every year. The dreadful Maori war of 1861-62 did unspeakable harm to the Maori mission, the effects of which are felt to the present day. But the Church grew, on and increased. In 1841 the diocese of Now Zealand was constituted by authority in England. In 1856 a portion of it was constituted by the Church here, as the diocese of Christchurch. The other dicceees were constituted in the following order: —Nelson, 1867; Wellington, 1858; Waiapu, 1859; Melanesia, 1861; and Dunedin, 1868. , It was in October, IS6B, that Bishop Selwyn left Now Zealand for the last time, and what remained of the diocese of New Zealand after Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington, Waiapu, Melanesia and Dunedin had been cut off was, in 1869, constituted as the diocese of Auckland, and Bishop Cowi© was elected bishop. The work of God has grown and spread all over New Zealand. It has had its disappointments, its throwbacks, its almost failures. When gcod work has been going on steadily, and as fast as was consistent with healthy growth, it has been stopped to try some new method, with the result that the work has been hampered, progress delayed, and the toilers for the

Church's good have experienced heart* ache for the work they so much loved. When we think of the marvellous ■ growth and the wonderful prosperity of the colony, wo may be doubtful if tho work of the Church lias .been, in proportion. But the fact remains tnat to-day we have grand churches, excellent parish halls,' and commodious vicarages ; that we count ou? communicants by thousands, and that to-day we are members of a Church which has a splendid constitution and an organise-, tion which is unrivalled for excellence • in the Anglican Communion throughoutthe world, and our Church laws'and regulations are being copied by our brethren even in the Church of Eng- ■ land and' in many other parts of the world. the general Synod e- Brisbane, Bishop Frodsnam, one oi the ablest bishops and men in the Southern ..... Hemisphere, spoke of the Church , of New Zealand as “ tho best organised Church in the Anglican Communion throughout the world.” We have a right to be proud of it. Master-builders in the service of God laid its foundations, and men of the highest character and attainments have . laboured upon the structure. Its constitution declares and establishes tiiat we must hold and maintain tho doctrine and sacraments of Christ as received by the Church in England, and we have no power to make any -.. alteration in the authorised revision of the Bible until the earner has been accepted by the Church in England. If provides that the General Synod shall be a governing body, and every act of the General Synod must have the consent of a majority of the bishops, the clergy and tho laity before it can be- i oome law. It lays down what we call thirty-two provisions for the order and guidance ot the' Church, and they are wise and good provisions. They have; stood fifty years, and it looks as if they were going to stand, with such slight alterations as are of small ; ment, for many a fifty years to corn*. Our heritage is a noble one, our hit* tory is inspiring, our outlook is full ofhope. W© stop for a brief span in our w work and look back to the efforts-of the noble labourers on one memorable day fifty years ago. We have arrived at pur jubilee year. It is proposed to commemorate June 13, 1857, on June 13, 1897, by (1) special celebrations of the Holy Communion; (2) by-a public meeting at which speeches will be delivered on the early history of the Church and’ the early national life; (3) by gatherings of children in the parish halls of tho different parishes, when illustrated lectures shall be given; (4) by special services to be held on Sunday, June 16, at which special sermons on the jubilee will be preached; (o) by making offerings of money at the services and meetings, which offerings will be for women’s work in the mission field. These offerings are to form part of the thanksgiving offering from the whole of New Zealand, which it is proposed to present on the Holy Table in St Paul's Cathedral, London, at the Pan-Angli-can service, on June 24, 1908. Towards this_ thank-offering every . Church person in New Zealand will have an opportunity during the next twelve months of contributing. At the Pan-Anglican Congress every bishop who possibly, can will be present. It will come immediatelv before the Lambeth Conference, which is held every ten years. THE CHRISTCHURCH DIOCESE. : ITS POSITION IN REGARD TO THE CONSTITUTION. REMARKS BY BISHOP JULIUS. Bishop Julius has issued to the clergy m the' Christchurch/ diocese a circular letter dealing with the jubilee. He says:— “In respect of our.ecclesiastical constitution, the, diocese of Christchurch; occupies a position distinct from that of any other diocese in New Zealand. It was never warmly received, and we stand excepted from many of its provisions. But this is net the. day for narrow and parochial interests. We have gained, and so has the Church of New Zealand, by fellowship, and the isolation of this diocese in. the earning celebration would b© nothing short of a calamity. It is true that our people know and Cara very little about the constitution; all the more reason, therefore for putting it plainly before them. We ’admit, also, ; that the constitution is faulty, and that amendment of it* provisions can only be brought about by keen and intelligent interest on the part of our people. The opportunity now afforded to us is therefor© of great value. ,We may. use it to set forth the influence of the Church and of religion upon national life; we may dwell upon the good, providence of God in the gift of men of singular grace and .power to lay the foundations of the Church in these islands; we may show the limitations under which they laboured, and the cautions which seemed necessary to their time, the growth of a freer spirit, the development of provincial churches, and the present necessity for greater freedom and elasticity in our constitution. _ Most ofall.we * may tell of the mercies of Gcd which have followed us from the beginning until now. I therefore, as your bishop, bid you throw your whole • heart into this, that the celebration of our jubilee may pave the way for * stronger and wider fellowship. CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE CHURCHES. TO BE GIVEN TO WOMEN'S, ' MISSION WORK.' ’ The General Synod, this year, decided to apply the offertories and collections made at this jubilee to thankoffering .to be presented on tho altar of St Paul’s Cathedral, London, on the occasion of the Pan-Anglican Congress inr I/ondon next year. It i* I intended to allocate the contributions received from the province of New_ Zealand to “ Women’s work in tho mission field.” : \ LOCAL CELEBRATIONS. SERVICES TO-MORROW. To-morrow, in the separate local churches, there will be celebrations of Holy Communion, _witli special services in the early morning. " In the evening a mass meeting will be held in the Choral Hall, when Bishop Julius and other clergymen will I deliver speeches dealing with the Church’s early history. On Friday, at 5 p.m.. Bishop Juliu* will deliver a lecture for children,: illustrating with lantern slides on the early Church in New Zealand and its development in this diocese. . On Sunday there will be celebration* of Holy Communion, and. special sermons will be preached in the different churches. At 3 p.m. a children’s service will be held in the Cathedral, when Archdeacon Averill will preach.