GREATNESS OF CHURCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19509, 13 December 1926, Page 12

GREATNESS OF CHURCH.

A VIGOROUS CHAMPION.

ADDRESS BY NEW. BISHOP.

HIGH SPIRITUAL PURPOSE.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] HAMILTON.' Sunday.

By the address he delivered at his enthronement in the newly-constituted cathedral at Hamilton this evening the first Bishop of Waikato showed himself to be a whole-hearted and vigorous champion of the Anglican Church. He has a strong, even passionate, belief in her greatness and the high and noble mission that lies before her.

Preaching from Acts 20,' verse 28, "The Church of God which He hath purchased with His own blood," the bishop devoted himself first to the Church in general. Membership in it, he said, was the essence of Christian living. Christ Himself had founded it and Ho asked all men to come in. Baptism, which marked man's entrance, had an indelible effect. Whatever he might afterwards do he was still a member. Christ had trained at first a few men to be the leaders of His Church. The number had been increased at Pentocost and the same plan had been carried on down the ages. The Church was first the Kingdom of God, a spiritual kingdom with spiritual laws and a spiritual purpose. Belief in Supremacy.

At times men had > tried to make it like an earthly kingdom and had caused it. to fail. It would one day be supreme, as every Christian must believe when ho utilised the prayer, "Thy Kingdom Come,"

Secondly, the Church was the body o f Christ, its members were the limbs, drawing strength through the body from the head. As St. Paul said, Christ was not complete without the Church and Christians must make themselves one with him. It was a terrible misfortune to be cast off from the bddy of Christ, especially by the sin of schism. Thirdly, the Church •was the society of Jesus Christ, no less. Christ wished all to be members without distinction of class, race or colour.

In their common membership Christians should show each other that love and sympathy that would make the world a happy place. If Christians loved each other as of"old the heathen of alii lands would once more come flocking in.

" All assembled here are members of our great mother, the Anglican Communion," continued the bishop. "A communion of which we may weir be proud. Nobody has a higher vocation or a more blessed ministry than the Anglican Church," Strength of the Church. One of the three branches of the historic Church, she was able to reach back to primitive, Christianity, to insist that her sacraments Were the Same as of old and that the orders of her ministry, which had been, handed down that morning to the latest of the episcopate, were indeed those of apostolic times. She could uphold the truth «bf the gospel in its fitness. She was Catholic with all that the word meant, but at the same time she was evangelical as every truly Catholic Church must be. Confident' and certain of revealed truth* she was a living church. The most learned branch of the Church she had done an invaluable work during the past 80 years in delving into the treasures of Holy Writ and bringing forth things new and old. As a result, she could claim against all detractors the truth of the Gospels and the authenticity of ' the Epistles. She was not only a learned Church, but a comprehensive one, opening her arms wide. So long ,as the elements of Christian truth were held, she admitted-men of widely differing opinions and diverse practice. Lately, guided by two great archbishops of Canterbury, the late Dr. Benson and the present Archbishop, Dr. Davidson, she had been able to hold out the hand of fellowship to the great •orthodox Church of the East. In time there would be not three branches of the Catholic Church.- but two. and Greeks and Russians would be able to worshin at English altai's, just as Anglicans would be able to worship at theirs. Duties in Mission Field. In perfect equality the Anglican Church was straining every nerve to fulfil her duty as a missionary Church.

Then there were the sons and daughters of those great bodies which in the past 300 years had separated themselves from her, either through her sins or their own hate. These men and women, leading deeply spiritual and . pious lives,- did not kneel at her altars or join openly' in her worship of the common Father. The Church was trying, by sympathy and helpfulness and understanding, to bring them back to the fold.

That day. said the bishop,, the pious hopes of many people had been consummated. Every new diocese established meant an extension of' the Church of Christ. The Diocese of Waikato had its work to do. It was like the newest boy *in a great school and must prove itself. Since it had been constituted for the furthering of the kingdom of God, for the increasing of the body of Christ, its members must realise that the ties that had been knit could never be broken. They must'share one another's burdens and by prayer and all the other Christian works show the reality of their membefship in the Church. "We of the Diocese of Waikato,!' concluded Bishop Cherrington, " shall do our part, please God, in out day and genera- , tion to build up that part of Christ's "Catholic Church committed to our charge. We shall take our share in furthering the plans of Jesus Christ and prove, with His blessing and grace, to be no unworthy portion of that Church of God for which He saw fit to live and to shed His blood." ENTHRONEMENT SERVICE. CATHEDRAL CONSTITUTED. SYNOD MEETING TO-DAY. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER,] .. HAMILTON. Sunday, An even larger congregation attended the enthronement" of the new bishop in St. Peter's Church this evening. Extra seats had been provided and again numbers of people listened to the service from outside. As before, the choir, clergy and bishops went in procession from the Town Hall. On reaching the chancel step the archbishop presented the new bishop to the vicar, Archdeacon who requested the certificate of consecration. This having been read,. the vicar presented to the bishop the memorial of the parishioners requesting him to constitute St. Peter's his cathedral- church.

The bishop complied and handed over to the vicar the deed of constitution. Ho then requested that an episcopal seat be assigned to him. Archdeacon Cowie thereupon, took the bishop by the hand, led him to a canopied seat provided in the chancel and installed him therein.

Prayers for the bishop were said from -the altar. The Archdeacon of Taranaki and the chairman of the Board of Diocesan Trustees, Mr. Douglas Hay, read and presented to him declarations from the clergy and lay synodsfnen of the diocese respectively, expressing allegiance to their bishop. Evensong then proceeded, the Lessons being read by the bishops of Waiapu and Wellington. 'The service ended appropriately with the Te Deum, in which the congregation heartily joined. To-morrow morning the clerical and [ay members of the synod will receive the Holy Communion and afterwards will have breakfast together. . A short meeting of the synod will. then be held for the transaction of necessary formal business arising out of the consecration..