ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10263, 22 January 1895, Page 3

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.

RiaiHBMENT OF THH IKS. ARCUDKACON

Thnro was a crowded oougregatiou ab St. Paul's nn lac evening of tho 30th ult., when the IVn. Archikaouu Kdwards preached his farewell sermon. Ho took for his test N'.iaibors vi, 22-213: "And the Lord npnko uiii'o Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sous, Haying in this wise: \'« Khali blesi tho chiMrou of Israel, saying uuto them, 'The Lord bless theo and keep thea; the Lord uiako His face ahino upou fchee mid be gracious uuto time; the Lord lift up His couutenance upon thee and ijivo thoe peace." Tho archdeacon observed that that waa the last occasion upon which lis would address the congregation from that pulpit, and in bidding them good-bye he repeated the words of the text and applied it to each individual member present. When it was known that tho Y«n. Archdencou Edwards would close Ilia official connection with St. Paul's th&fc evening, several presentations were arranged by a number of the associations oE the church iv his honour. An armchair and a suitable address were given by Mr W. Davio on behalf of the Sunday school, iv which tue archdeacon has taken the warmest interest duriug the past 35 years.

An addresa in the following terms was presented from the choir :—

St. Paul's, Dunedin, Christmastide 1891. j Dear Archdeacon and Mrs Iviwardss—lt is wita I feelings of regret that the undersigned members of St. Paul's Choir ask your acceptance oi this address on the occasion of your retirement from tho scene of your labours, now extending over JSO Uur regret at your departure is softened by the ] knowledge that (rod has blessed your work here ; j that your sympathy has been ever with us ; and that you have let your light shine before men that they should elorify our Heavenly Father. Oi Urs'JSdwards, we particularly desire to say that her regular assistance among our altos will always be remembered with pleasure. fraying that Almighty Uod will spare you for many years, and continue to bless you and your family.— We remain, yours truly, [Here follow the signatures.] Archdeacon Edwards cordially thanked the choir for their address, which ho thought w»s of too fliitteriug a character. However, he and his wife had always taken a warm interest in the choir, but under tha painful circumstances of separation he could not be expected to say very much. He prayed that God's blessing would rest upon each member of the choir individually. While one was not abls to sing with the voice, he thanked God that one was able to sing with the heart. In connection with his now homo at St. Glair, Mrs Edwards would b8 glad to welcome any member of the choir. I INSTALLATION OF DBAS AHD CHAPTER. A well-attended service was held in St. Paul's Cathedral on the 2nd iuifc. for the installation of the dean aud chapter of the diocese. Tne clergy present were—The Right Rev. Bishop Nevill, the Very Rev. Dean Fifcchett, the Yen. Archdeacon Edwards, C*non Diggenn, Canon Gould, Canon Dodd, Canou Lucas, the i Revs. E. P. Hood, A. D. Mitchell, J. W. A. I I Melville, A. C. Praer, H. S. Leach, and J. 0. Small. The processional hymn was " The Church's one foundation." The Rev. J. W. A. Melville acted as prectntor of the service, and the lessons were read by Canons Diggena and Gould respectively. The anthem was "How lovely are the messengers" (from Mendelssohn's "St. Paul"), and at its conclusion the bishop formally took possession, of the building.

The Yen. Archdeacon Edwakds, approaching the bishop, said : Right Rev. Father in God,—l deliver to you the key of this church in tokcu that the whole diocese is now interested therein, and that this is the proper place for your seat of office and for toe enthronement of your successors as bishops of this diocese.

Bishop Nbvjix replied: Mr Archdeicon,—l receive this key as an emblem of the transfer of this church and the property connected therewith to the chapter, which has been daly appointed and qualified to hold the same on behalf of the diocese ; and I take possession of this church in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Short prayers for the f arthorance of the faith and invoking the divine blassipg on the bnilding iv its new capacity and on its officers were said by the bishop, who then proceeded to instal and induct the dean.

Bishop Neviix thus addressed Dean Fitchett: Very Rev. Brother in the Lord, —The high and responsible office to which yoa have been : !.lled invests yoa with much authority ia reference to the care of the fabric of this cathedral and the precincts thereof, together with the general direction of the services to be held heroin, subject to ths rights of ourselves and our successors as bishops of tbi3 diocese. You havo already made a declaration of your determination to execute your office of dean to the bast of your ability and ia accordance with these definitions. In token, therefore, of our confidence in. you, and as an evidence to this diocese and the church generally that you have been solemnly entrusted with this office, and installed into the came, I now deliver to yon the key of this church, and do proceed to induct you to your seat within the sanctuary.

The Bishop then gave tho key, and handed the dean into the chancel. Arrived at the teat, the Bishop said: May God give thee the spirit of wisdom, of knowledge, and of love, that you may rule faithfully in this household of God, to the glory of His holy name and the spiritual up-rearing of His children. Amen.

Canons Diggens, Gould, Dodd, and Lucas and Dr Hocken and Mr H. F. Hardy, two of the lay members of the chapter—Messrs P. C. Neill and C. H. Statbam, the other lay members, being absent, —then approached

Bishop Nevill, who addressed them as follows: —It apporbains to your offica, beloved brethren, to aid by yoor gifts of counsel in the consolidation and advance of tha work of the church in this diocese. Doubtless your efforts must be specially directed for some time to the special needs of this cathedral, but it must not be forgotten that the chapter of a diocese is more than the vestry of a parish. The clerical canons, indeed, are called upon to t&ke part in tha preaching and teaching from the cathedral pulpit, and must therefore give special care and study to the preparation of sermons, so that the cathedral pulpit may be recognised as s. true centre of enlightenment and truthful exposition of God's Word; and though the lay members are called upon more especially to contribute their gifts in the painstaking discharge of all secular obligations ; yet I would have them regard such duties in a most sasred light and as of the highest importance, eince Christianity itself fails of its purpose in application to conduct UDless it exhibit a high standard of business integrity and strict consideration of the rights of others. I have likewise received from you a declaration of your purpose to discharge your several functions to the be3t of your ability, and I hereby assign to the clerical canons a right to a seat within the sanctuary, and to the lay members a seat within the choir, in acknowledgement of your several positions as rulers within this cathedral church, and may the ble»sing of God Almighty rest abundantly upon your labours. Amen.

The canons and lay members of the chapter haviag taken the places assigned to them, the hymn "O Thou who makest souls to shine" was sung.

Bishop NEViLr, then ascended the pulpit and addressed to the congregation some observations upon that solemnbufc most interesting event as a historic circumstance and as suggesting to them thoughts which surely would be fruitful to the glory of God and the well-being of His church. Thia occasion was, ha said, fall of interest, and the suggestion he made was that not only should those present treasure in their memory the fact that they had been present on the first occasion of tha recognitiou of that building as a cathedral as a mere historic circumstance, but that they should faithfully, for their part, seek to build up spiritual temples and assist all those whose boundeu duty it was to put forth their several talents in this cause. The clergy could do nothing without their co-operation, and therefore it wao that he closed that short address by besee.chiag them to offer up prayers continually that that which had been taken in hsuid—the burden of which was fully recognised already—might be lightened by thorn, and that the clergy might feel themselves Bustained by the knowledge of the interest and heartfelt sympathy and determined efforts of the laity to be fellow-workers in that work which had been undertaken for their advantage and for the glory of God.

The firsfc services ia Sfc. Paul's since it was constituted the cathedral church for this diocesa were held on ths sth inst. There were two celebrations of ltoly communion— oae at 8 o'clock in the morning, and the other at; the conclutiion of the morning service—both of which were conducted by the Right Itev. T>r Neville, the Anglican Biehop of Dunedin, who also announced that them would be celebrations of holy Eucharist every Sunday at 8 a.m., and two celebrations on tbe first Sunday in each month; that the Key. J. W. Melville was the priest in charge of the cithednvl district, aud that there would be no services in the cathedral church on week days until further notice, in consequence of the necessity of making some alterations which had been agreed to by the chapter. At the morning service—a full chsral one — there was a large congregation. Tho prayers were intoned by the Key. J. W. Melville, and the lessons were read by the Bishop, who was also the preacher. There was again a large congregation in the evening, and a full choral service with processional and recessional hymns. The service was conducted throughout by the Very Key. Dean Fitchett, who preached from the eleventh verse of the second chapter of St. John's Gospel, the subject being the first miracle of our Lord. The dedication services of St. Paul's Cathedral were held on tho 18th. They commenced with a celebration of Holy Communion at 8 o'clock in the morning, when the Right Rev. Bishop of Salisbury was celebrant, assisted by tho Right Rev. Bishop of Donedin. Canon Lucas acted as epiatpUer.and Canon Dodd as.gospeller, A

considerablo number of clergy and laily were prcsont and pr.rt.ook. Iv tho evening tho cathedral was densely crowded in evory part, and there was full choral ovensong, the choir b^injj numerically ntrony aud musically efficient. The service was iut.mod by the Rev. Isaac Richards, the lirsl; lesson was read by Canon PiSguus, and the second by the Very Rev. Dual) Kitchett. Tho pr»yer of .Indication wai pronmuined by th« Hight Itav. Bishop of Dunodin, and the Right Rev. Bishop of Salisbury was tb<s preacher. Mid delivered a learned <md powerful discourse, takin;: as bin text P*»lm v, 7 : " But as for me, I will come into Thy house in tho multitude of Thy mercy; nnd in Toy fear will I worship toward Thy holy temple."