ANGLICAN GENERAL SYNOD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11962, 8 February 1901, Page 3

ANGLICAN GENERAL SYNOD.

(Pub United Press Association.) NAPIER, February 7. At the General Synod "to-day feeling reference was made to the death of Dean Jacobs, ' Archdeacon Dudley bearing high testimony to his work. The following resolution was passed This synod holds in grateful and loving remembrance the late Yery Rev. Henry Jacobs, Doctor of Divinity, classical professor, and first head master of Christ's College, Christchurch, successively incumbent, archdeacon, and deacon of Christchurch for many successive sessions, a valued member of the General Synod, and the historian of the Church of the Province of Jfew Zealand, and desires to express its sympathy n> their bereavement wifclx his widow and the members of his tamily; tha Primate to be respecctully requested to convey this resolution to Mrs Jacobs." The Sessional Committee on Trusts was requested to consider the allocation 01 ;j(t) for the reduction of the debt on Bishopscourt, -Wellington,'.conditional t on 5 beinj; subscribed by the diocese: £75 towards the endowment of the See of Waiapu with similar conditions; £300 towards the erection of u bishop's residence at Dunedin. : Bishop Nevill moved-" For the appointment of iv committee to the following synod on the work done in the various dioceses of New Zealand in furthering foreign missions, and on the opportunities for new- missions which the church of New Zealand may be recommended to utilise, and the progress of the work in the missions' with which the church of New Zealand is not specially connected; such committee to possess no executive powers whatever."After considerable discussion the motion was lost.

Archdeacon Cholmondeley moved—" That m the opinion of this synod it is desirable that permission by a competent authority should be given, where it is desired by clergy and people, for lessons being read from the revised version of the Bible in the public services of the ch'urcb." The mover maintained that it was time that the labours of- the devoted and eminent scholars of the day. labours which extended over nearly IB years, should be turned to some better account than they were at.the present time. He'.asked the'church to abstain for ever from making any public use of the revised version, or was .'t to be looked upon merely as an aid to private study? The resolution passed by the Upper House of the Convocation of Canterbury in favour of this cottr.se indicated the change with which the revised version was regarded at Home. This resolution was not repugnant to the fundamental clauses of the constitution. He loped that the present inactivity in this matter woidd not.be continued, for it was s. question which -equired to be settled. Mr Greenwood Fecondea the resolution Bishop Wallis pointed oiit that the Crown had not given its royal authority for the authorisation of the -revised version, nor had the Convocation of York sanctioned it. He held that the General Synod was debarred from discussing this motion, which was 'ultra vires. There could- be no doubt about it. Mr W. H. Quick said that as the General Synod had adopted the constitution it had the power to modify the fundamental principles of the constitution so long as they did not do anything interfering with their substantial identity with the Church of England or the Anplican churches 7i communion with them. There could'be iiO harm done in passing the resolution eveu jit was only passed provisionally. Tho Rev. W. Beattv opposed the motion. The k-evised version had not yet become a, classic, Mid, n the opinion of a good many people, it never would be. and for this reason: The revisers had set themselves to do an impossible ts.4, to put the ordinary English reader without a knowledge of Greek or Hebrew id exactly the same position >r> reading the revised version as the people familiar with those-languages. The "e----visors had failed to giv« a true meaning of the Greek by giving ifc a false meaning. Their Greek'was no more accurate than their English. Tim great question at" the •present time*was not what'version ot the Bible should be read, but- whether the people .alioiiM read and understand the Bible at all. - The >n answer to the 'Re-' Mr M'Murray, said he did not consider himself a "competent authority" <o give permission for the use of the revised yersion. The chancellor of ths Bishop's Court, Auckland, he was informed, was quite of the opinion of the bishop on this queston. The discussion was continued by Bishop Nevill, the Dean of Waiapu; Archdeacon Pancourt. Rev. Mr M'Murray, Messrs Tanner, Collins. Wood, and White. Archdeacon. Harper said in such i>, matter neither the Crown, the convocation, ■ nor any outside authority wmld hold them.. Jf they appealed to the Home authorities (hey would he told that they' could do nothing for them. The church here drew lip' its own constitution, and no Home authority could restrain or direct them. The sooner they got rid of the venerable myth th.it they could not change their fundamental principles the better, for sd long as they clung to that myth they wonM nevei; be able to expand jn any way. He Was not in favour of the motion, but desired-to point out. that the church of New Zealand was entirclv independent. No clergy-man in New Zealand had a legal standing ait Home, though they were in spiritual communion with them. Sup-, posing the church were disestablished at Home, what authoritv. lie askfd, would it have.over them in New Zealand? Nono whatever. The church in England was without power over them, for here in New Zealand, as he had said, they were entirely independent.—The motion was lost.

■ Mv Thomas Tanner moved—" (1) That the Right Rev. the Bishop be respectfully rcouested by this synod' to revise or rearrange the table of lessons so that the most appropriate lessons be'reed in all churches on Sundays; (2) that the Right Rev. the Bishop be respectfully ..renuested by this svnod so to rearrange the. Psalms that they may be more equally divided for the davs of the month." Mr'Grcenwood seconded'the. motion—The motion was lost.

At the evening sitting the onlv.matter taken was the bill for the trial of bishops if charged with nnr of the following offences:—(l) Crime or immorality; (2) wilful and persistent- violation of,"the provisions of the constitution or of the ecclesiastical laws ip force in the diocese; (3) neglect- of duty; (4) false doctrine. After some discussion, tie second reading was carried. The bill was then taken into committee and good progress made. FEDERATION COMMISSION. (Per Uki»:d Press As.socu.TroM.) INVERCARGILL, Fehniary 7. Before 'die Federation Commission today, G. W. Niclml, grain merchant, said the principal advantages of federation would be freetrade, and we would have a field tor our manufactures. He thought we Were- able to hold our own against any part of the Empire so iar as manufactures were concerned, Even now our woollen goods were used in Australia with a cus- ' toms barrier. He believed federation -would promote similar labour legislation to ours throughout the colonies, and it would be better for the employer and emploved. Miiitland Jones, manager for Walter fxuthrie, speaking from an ironfounder's - standpoint, .said federation would adversely affect the industry. Caiidlemakincr' and jam-making would also be affected. Labour was paid about 25 per cent..higher here than in Australia. He favoured reciprocity. At the evening sitting J. C. Mackfev arid'l. W. Raymond gave evidence, both stronglv against federating. The latter made lisrht of the cry that the oat trade was sufficient reason for federating. Of the witnesses called here, four advo:ated federation, four opposed, and six pronounced no definite opinions. The commission leave to-morrow, and Dpen in Dunedin on Saturday morning.