JUBILEE OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 14 June 1907, Page 2

JUBILEE OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

CELEBEATED AT NELSON. In spite of the unfavourable weather a nditions pievailing last evening, there was a large attendance at tho School of Music, -when a public meeting was held in celebration of the jubilee of the beginning of the Constitution of the Church of England in New Zealand. Eishop Mules presided, and opened the proceedings with prayer. Later the frishop referred to the e\ent they wore met. to celebrate, and intimated that the offertories would be devoted towards women's work in the mission Sold. A paper bearing on the work of ths Church in this colony, had been prepared by Mv Wilson Heaps, and was read by the Bishop. The following information in connection with the Diocese of .Nelson is taken from Mr Heaps' paper: The same year which saw the conseci ation of Bishop Selwyn, saw the foundation of the Nelson settlement (1841). The first Church of England service in the Nelson settlement was held in Captain Wakefield's tent, on Saturday, November 7th, 1841, and Captain Wakefield read th« prayers. In 1842, the Rev. C. H. Saxton, who came out as a private settler, held services, and officiated at marriages. On March 12th, 1842, the "Nelson Examiner, 1 ' which was long a leading newspaper in New Zealand, first made its appearance, being printed and published by the late Mr Charles Elliott. On March 13th, 1842, the Bey. O. R. Hadfield (afterwards Bishop of Wellington and Primate of New Zealand), arrived from Kapiti, mid ok the following Sunday he held service in the Surveyors' mess room, which was situated on the Church Hill. On June 25th, 1842, the Wesleyans held their first service, which wa« conducted by the Eev. Samuel Ironside. Tha first Church of . England clergyman to give regular services at Nelson was the Rev. C. L. Reay, M.A., who was an agent of the Church Missionary Society, and who came to New Zealand with Bishop Selwyn. Mr Reay came to Nelson with the Bishop on August 21st, 1842. RiJshop Selwyn was evidently greatly impressed with the- na^ tural beauty of Nelson, and once wrote in his diary. "I defy any man, unless ho he superlatively cross, tto be long out of temper in the perpetual sunshine of Nelson." Bishop Selwyn preached in the Surveyors' mess room on August 21st, 1842, and on the following Sunday in a laVge tent which was the gift of M» Cotton, of the Bank of New Zealand. Bishop Selwyn next visited Nelson in December, 1843, and found that tho first church in the settlement had been erected in the Waimeas, followed in 1867 by the present Churoh of St. .Vieliael'sin Waimoa West, erected .is a memorial to the late Captain B!undell. Captain Blundell had regularly conducted service, as a lay-reader, in the old building from 1852 until i 855. the year of his death. Bishop Selwyn's plan was to locate a clergyman, and to give him the assistance of a deacon, who should also act as a schoolmaster. Mr H. F. Butt, M.R.C.S., was admitted as a deacon in September, 1843, and he worked for a short time with the Rev, C. L. Reay, discharging the duties of Inspector of Schools, also Master of the Bishop's School. The Rev. H. F. Butt (who had been admitted to full orders) in June, 1848, laid the foundation stone of Nelson's first church on the site of the present Cathedral Church. The Church, which cost £800, was opened on December 14th, 1851. As an evidence of the good feeling existing, it may be stated that on the day the Church was opened the Methodists and Presbyterians closed their places of worship. Fifteen years later the Church was enlarged by means of Nelson's first bazaar, which realised £650. The late Bishop Hobhouse gave the massive stone foun£, and the late Hon. William Robinson the stained glass window, the centre light of the chancel. -Miss Oloete (a sister-in-law of Bishop Hobhouse) gave the two side lights in the same window ; and Bishop Hobhouse gave the golden Communion vessels. The Church was consecrated by Bishop Selwyn on March 7th, 1858. Its Incumbents have been the Rev. H. F. Butt, Yen. Archdeacon Paul, Revs. H. M. Turton, R. H. Codrington, J. H. Johnstone, James Lelghtou, J. Taylor, D.D., and J. P. Kemptborne. Soon after Mr Kempthorne's induction Christ Church was created the Cathedral of the Nelson Diocese. Bishop Hobhouse was Nelson's first Bishop, and he arrived early in- 1859, and in August of the same year presided over the first Diocesan Synod in Nelson. Bishop Hobhouse resigned in 1864 owing to illhealth. The Rev. Andrew Burn Suter, D.D., was consecrated Bishop of Nelson in August, 1866, and he arrived here on September 26th, 1867, bringing with him the Yens. Archdeacons Thorpe and Mules, the Rev. B. W. Harvey, D.D.., and the Rev. W. H. Ewald, M.A. Bishop Suter gave ample proof that he was a most generous-hearted man. The Nelson Diocese in 1868 was extended to Greymouth on the West Coast and to the Cheviot on the East Coast. The Rev. H. F. Butt was appointed the firrt Archdeacon of the Wairau, and he died in harness in 1886, after over a quarter of a century of service to the Church in New Zealand. In 1890 Bishop Suter's health began ; to fail, and in 1891 he resigned, to 'the great regret of all classes of the community. During Bishop Suter's episcopacy over 30 students passed through the Bishopdale Theological College. The Yen. Archdeacon Mules succeeded Bishop Suter, and in this succession Bishop Suter's expressed wish was realised. The Bishop moved that Air Heaps be thanked for his deeply interesting paper, and that he be asked to allow it to be printed in full in the "Diocesan Gazette."— Carried by acclamation. Judge Kenny said that when they thought of the enterprising, brave, hardy, industrious, indomitable men and women who felled the bush, formed the first- |-oads, erected the first bridges— before, whom the wilderness receded as they pushed their way into the wilds — when they thought of these pioneers of civilisation, not the least prominent were the founders of the New Zealand branch of the Church of England)'. To the old settlers what memories were revived when the names were mentioned of Bishop Selwyn, Bishop Abraham, Bishop Harper, Bishop Hadfield, Bishop Patterson, and others ! All those mentioned were personally and intimately known to the speaker, but he would confine himself to referring in detail to only Bishop Selwyn. Judge Kenny went on to de- j pict the traits of Bishop Selwyn— his piety, eloquence, administrative power, and business capacity, courage (instances given), knowledge of the world,' and his faithful allegiance to the Chnroh of England. From 0.-st to last the Bishop's attachment to, not a (ihurch or the church, but )o the Church of England, was the keynote to md the dominating principle of his whole life, find substituting for the sacred city the Church of England he would have been ready to exclaim with the Psalmist, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her cunning." Judge Kenny's address was followed with great interest, and was frequently applauded * ' The Rev. Harold N. Baker (of All Sahits' Church) gave an illustrated lecture dealing with the early history of the Church in this colony. Pictures were shown of early mission stations, portraits of Bishops Selwyn, Patterson, Suter, and Mules, and the Revs. Henry and William Williams, and celebrated spots in colonial and Church history. The "Hallelujah Chorus" and "Gloria" from the 12th Mass were sung by strong chorus composed of members of church choirs and the Harmonic So;iety. Berr Lemmer conducted the I singers, and Miss Kempthorne presided it the piano. On the motion of the Bishop, a hearty vote of thanks was- accorded yo Judge Kenny, Mr Wilson Heaps, ;he Harmonic Society, and the other singers, to the Eev. H. N. Baker, and x> Mr Hobbs, who manipulated the antern. The proceedings were brought to a :lose by the the Bishop pronouncing he Benediction.