ANGLICAN GENERAL SYNOD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11564, 30 January 1901, Page 6

ANGLICAN GENERAL SYNOD.

PRIMATE'S OPENING ADDRESS.

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN

SCHOOLS.

REPLY TO ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD. i "'' : ~ y -:-^:^~^'[■■■/■. "■■'.■■■"-'• ■ :-\k I■ "SUGGESTED SUPPLEMENT TO THE j PRAYER BOOK. 9 J [BY. TELESEAPH. —rHESS ASSOCIATION.]- | Napiek, Tuesday, j > ■ ..[...'..': .;;.■ "-'' j The 15th General Synod of -the Angbcan 3 Church of New Zealand opened to-day. I The Primate delivered' REDWOOD. 1 SUGGESTED SUPPLEMENT TO THE | PRAYER BOOK. I [BT TELESKAPH.—PB£SS ASSOCIATION.] (i Napiek, Tuesday, I The 15th General Synod of the Anglican I Church of New Zealand opened to-day. : I The Primate delivered a very lengthy I opening address. After an eloquent referI ence to the reign of the late Queen, he bore 1 testimony to'the excellent work of the late j Archdeacon :i Clarke among the Maoris, and I referred to the death of Dr. Creighton (BisI hop of London). He said October 17 this | year would' be the ,60th anniversary of the • completion of the ecclesiastical organisation ! of the Church of New Zealand by the con- | secration of ■ Bishop Selwyn. :" For many 3 years s before ' his arrival," said the Primate, i,,"' evangelists of the Church Missionary Society had been preaching the Gospel to the Maoris of this island since Samuel Marsden, i from Sydney, in December, 1814, landed at I Whangaroa. The reputed savage character 1 of tho natives had for two years prevented I him from obtaining a vessel at Sydney to ij convey him to the Bay of Islands, as Aufii tine in A.D. 597 was for a.time hindered by S the fears of his companions from crossing I the Channel to the coast of Kent. In, 1842 I Bishop Selwyn first, visited the settlement of I Aburiri, where Napier now stands. On November 16 of that year he records in ' his journal: '":: 'We procured one tent in which * the first Chief Justice (Sir William Martin), I the first bishop, and the first archdeacon (afterwards first Bishop of , Waiapu) of New | Zealand and Mr. Dudley passed the night (in their : blankets.' The growth of Napier I since those days in. matters secular and edu--1 cational is a sample of the general advance J that has been made in the same time j throughout these islands." Dealing" with rej ligious instruction in schools, the Primate I thought, the example of the London School J Board might well be followed, allowing the J reading of the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' I creed, ■ and the commandments.. That it was not done he ascribed to want of unity | among the various sections of the Christian I community. He expressed deep regret that I the spirit of jealousy and unfairness from J time to time exhibited by soctions of I Christ's one holy Catholic Church in New | Zealand prevented closer Union, and reI ferring to Archbishop Redwood's recent ser- ! mon in Sydney, said: It is difficult to understand how a thoughtful man desiring I the reunion of Christ's disciples, and acquainted with the institutions of New Zealand in which the great majority of the population " are classed as Protestants, can be- | lieve that ' true civilisation has been obstructed by such Christians, the school dej vastated, and the progress of science j stopped.'- When such a railing accusation is brought against follow Christians, obviously contrary to fact in. the opinion of educated ! people of New Zealand, its effect must be a to widen the breach that unhappily exists be- | tween those whom the speaker represents and the Protestants, whom he disparages."' ! Tho Primate expressed regret at the necesI sity for the war in South Africa, but held a that the Empire could not avoid it if it was i to fulfil its mission of truth, justice, and jj liberty; but he prayed for a time to come 3 when war should be a thing of the past. I "Let us," he said, "-worH? for the federaj tion, not only of the constituent dominions i of the British Empire, but. of the EnglishI speaking nations, and of all others who will j federate with us for the establishment of ! justice, liberty, and peace throughout the world." The speaker eloquently eulogised the gallantry shown by the -New Zealanders in their engagements with the enemy, and spoke of the self-denial and sympathy of the women who acted as nurses. As a sample of \ the helpful spirit shown by the native princes | of India, he mentioned the generosity of the ] Maharajah of Gwalior, who fitted out a hospital ship for the sick and wounded in j China, and accompanied it himself. Referring to the murder- of lady missionaries in China, the Primate expressed the opinion that unmarried ladies should not be sent to heathen people not under British rule. There was plenty of work for them within the bounds of-'the Empire, and New Zealand was a promising field of labour. He hoped that some young women with a missionary spirit would feel called to help to elevate the Maori women living near them in their kaingas. "An excellent "work' of this kind, ' said the Primate, "has been carried on for I about 30. years at Napier, under the superinI tendence of some members of a family who i are esteemed by the Maoris as amongst their ', chiefest friends. In the diocese *of Auck- | land we are hoping to establish a '.'' girls' school, like the school at Hukarere to which I have referred. If the young women of the native race are loft to the surroundings of their kainga. or are allowed to return to that mode of living after a short residence at a school like that of Hukarere, it is not likely that the young Maori men will make much advance in civilisation. One of, the I most hopeful tokens of improvement for the i remnant that is left of the native race in ; this new century is' the active interest now being taken in the matter by educated men and women .; of their own': flesh and blood. The whole community of this island, European and Maori alike, are indebted to the Venerable Archdeacon Williams, of Te Ante, for the'stimulus that he has given to this truly Christian movement." With regard to the prayer book, the speaker said the time had come for the compiling of a supplementary volume to the Book of Common Prayer, containing services and occasional thanksgivings and petitions that have received the approval of the General Synod, and other forms that are plainly needed to meet the requirements of the people. "Liturgies, however venerable and venerated, are made for men, and not men for liturgies."