ANGLICAN SYNOD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1510, 7 February 1901, Page 57

ANGLICAN SYNOD.

THE PRIMATE’S ADDRESS. *

/ , NAPIER, January 29.? ?' Thri; fifteenth?' ; Syß^d v 'of •*'tAfigliefan Church of New Zealand opened today. ///? ...

The .Primate (Bishop W, G. ?.Oowie) delivered a very lengthy opening. address., After an eloquent reference to the reign of the late Qnen, he boro testimony to;-the excellent work of the' late Archdeacon Clarke among the Maoris, and referred to the death of Bishop Creighton. October 17th this year will be the sixtieth anniversary of the completion of the ecclesiastical organisation of tho church in New Zealand by tho consecration of Bishop Selwyn. For many years before his arrival, said the Primate, the evangelists of the Church? Missionary Society had: been preaching the Gospel to the Maoris of this island,? since Samuel Marsden, ; from Sydney, landed at Whangaroa in December* 1814. The reputed savage character of the natives had for two years prevented him from obtaining a vessel at Sydney to convey him to the Bay of Islands; just as St.. Augustine, in A.D. 697/ was for a time hindered by the. fears of His companions from crossing the Channel to the coast of Kent. . In 1842. Bishop Selwyn first visited the settlement of Ahuriri, where Napier jno\y stands. On November i6th of that year, he records in his journal, we procured one tent, in which the first Chief Justice (Sir Wil-. liam Martin), the- first Bishop, and the first Archdeacon • first Bishop , of Waiapu) of New Zealand, and Mr Dudley passed the'night, in their blankets. The growth of Napier since those days, in matters secular and educational,

is a sample of tire general advance that lias been made in the same time throughout these islands. Dealing with religious instruction in schools, the Primate thought the example of the Bourdon School Board might well be followed allowing the reading of the Lord’s .. Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, and the tea ? commandments. That it was not done, he ascrib3d to a want of union among ~ the various sections of the Christian, community. He expressed deep regret. that the spirit of jealousy and unfairness, which was from time to time ex : v liibited by sections of Christ’s one holy; I catholic church in New Zealand, pro-' : vented a closer union. Referring to '. Archbishop Redwood’s recent sermon in Sydney, he said: —“It is difficult to understand how a thoughtful man, desiring the re-union of Christ’s disciples, and acquainted with the institutions of New in which the great majority of the” population are classed as Protestants, can believe that true civilisation ha.s been obstructed by sucli . Christians, the school devastated, end;.? the progress of science stopped. When such railing accusation is brought against , fellow Christians, obviously contrary to fact, in the opinion. of the educated poo-;? pie of New Zealand, its effect must be to widen the breach that unhappily exists between those whom the speaker represents and the Protestants whom he disparages.” The Primate expressed r«- ? gvet at the necessity for war in South .; Africa, 'but held that the Empire couM-t not avoid it if it was to fulfil /its. mission of truth, justice and liberty;/ but he prayed for the time to come when war should be a thing of the past. ' Let.., us,” he said, “work for the federation?. not only of the constituent dominions?? of the British Empire, but of the Eng-,? lish-speaking nations and of all others, who will federate with us for the good?: of the world.” The speaker eloquently;! eulogised the gallantry shown bv the New,,? Zealanders in their engagements with the enemy, and spoke of tlie 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 geinerosity of the Maharaja of Gwalior, who fitted out a hospital ship for the sick and wounded, in China, and accompanied it himself. Referring to 'the murdelr of lady mis- ; sionaries in: China, ne expressed the opinion that unmarried ladies should not .' be sent to heathen people who are not?, under British rule. There was plenty of work? for them within the bounds cf. the Empire, and New Zealand was ; promising field of labour. He hoped that some young women with a mission- ,; ary spirit would feel called to help to? elevate the Moariwomefii living neai’-j them in their kaingas. “An excellent. work of this kind/’ said the Primate, f ‘has been carried on for about thirty , years at Napier under the superintend- . ence of seme members of a family whoare esteemed by the Maoris as among;., their chiefest friends. In the diocese j of. Auckland we are hoping to establish, a girls’ school like the school at Hukarere. If the young women of the native race are left to thel surroundings of their*, kitanga 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 most, hopeful tokens of improve- :' meht for the remnant that is left of thq,?. native race in this .new century ?is.' thd v : active interest now; being taken in the f matter by educated inen and women of .; their own flesh and blood. The whole.' ‘ community of this Island, European and Maori alike, are. indebted to the VeneT/ ? able. Archdeacon Williams; of Te Aute* J for the stimulus that he has g-iven to this, ; truly Christian movement. With regard/? to the prayer book; the speaker said the? time had come, for the compiling ,of •?a supplementary rolumd to the book ef . * Common Prayer/ containing services and ]i occasional thanksgivings and petitibn& that have received the ?approval of the. General Synbd,' and otititiir 'fdrins that"are plairdy neOded to mebt the 'requiremen ts/" of- tne : people. Liturgies.; howeyer vener_ > able and venerated; are * made for men,/ and not men fori liturgies. - ? ■ /.:■ //■

-?■■■ *?/ •'- _ ■ 30; '■ The business;, the General Synod •? to-day was yiniost r purely formal. tb ; consisted of setting up cbinmitteas anJ ■ referring - several • ■ matters Church properties to the Trust Commrfe-;? tee. On the motion of Dean Hovell; & ? committee was set up ; to inquire what was being dime in the different provinces;"; in connection with the religious edtwst- * tioh of the young. / ?