ANGLICAN GENERAL SYNOD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15672, 27 January 1913, Page 3 (Supplement)

ANGLICAN GENERAL SYNOD.

THE PRIMATE'S ADDRESS. NELSON, January 15. The nineteenth general Synod of the Anglican Church was opened here to-day, when all the members of the hierarchy of New Zealand, Melanesia, and Fiji were present, and 43 representatives of the clergy and laity. The Synodsmen and delegates to the Church of England Men's Society's Conference were accorded a civic welcome. This afternoon the sitting was occupied by the address of the Primate, Bishop Nevill. Referring to changes in ,the episcopate, he said that four out of the seven members took their seat 6 as bishops for the first time, while three were scarcely known by face to the clerical and lay orders. Time forbade him to enlarge upon the kis the' Church had sustained by the resignation.of bishops Neligan, Wallis, Wilson, and Mules. The province had been enriched by the call given to two of the most 1 prominent of the clergy of the arch-diocese of Melbourne. In regard to the appointment of the new Bishop of Melanesia, he desired to place on record the fact that his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury gave the fullest recognition to his (the Primate's) position by inviting him to consultation whenever there was anything to be brought forward upon the matter. The Primate acknowledged the services of Bishop Mule 6 for many years as secretary of the Board of Theological Studies. Dealing with the constituti«nal position of the Church, the Primate said that • a clear understanding of the position was best obtained by connecting with their own constitutional church history the development of opinion and the judicial pronouncement as to the true ecclesiastical relation of the State at Home with the Church in a self-governed colony. The suggestion of the binding force of a voluntary compact was adopted by the leaders of the Church in 1857. The fundamental principles upon which this voluntary compact was proposed to be founded were the two of constitution and doctrine. They were regarded as the bond of union with the Crown and the Mother Church. The Crown here could only mean the Crown in its ecclesiastical relations, as nobody contemplated a possible separation from the Crown as the head of the civil authority. Similarly, the term "Mother Church" must have meant Mother Church in relation to the State, since nobody dreamed of a possible separation from her. In regard to spiritual unity it was' sufficiently clear, he thought, that the franiers of the constitution really did believe themselves to be an undivided portion of the United Church of England and Ireland, and that this description, given as the basis of the compact, was a. description of conditions which did not exist in fact, and that, consequently, the fundamental provisions founded upon this misconception of facts were, ipso facto, invalid. It was the judgment of the Privy Council, given in 1865, • which made the invalidity manifest to them. The question then arose: Would the repudiation of the fundamental provisions as being invalid involve a breach of the voluntary contract itself and therefore endanger their property? He held that it would not. The address dealt at some length with foreign missions and Bible in schools. In the latter connection, said the Primate, they had the unique happiness of having the co-operation of almost all the leading Christian denominations—in itself a great step towards the accomplishment of the great object for which they must never cease to labour.

The Marsdcn Centenary, to be celebrated at Auckland in 1914, was referred to as. being an event recognising the centenary of the introduction of Christianity into New Zealand and the blessed memory of a great hero of the Faith. Referring to the trials of the Church at Home, the Primate eaid that any expression of their fellowship with the suffering of their brethren in Wales was little likely indeed to affect the almost foregone conclusion of political tyranny, but witness of their spiritual brotherhood might afford some slight consolation to them in their anxiety and distress. As observers of the signs of the times they did well to bring within the sphere- of their contemplation the rapidly unfolding pages of historic circumstances and the trend present day philosophic and scientific thought. As to the former, the uprising of the long oppressed peoples of South-eastern Europe, their success in snatching from the hands of the churches inveterate foe so large a portion of that church's desolated, inheritance must gladden their hearts with the persuasion that the Mohammedan woe was passing away. In this connection the Primate referred to an important movement for prompting mutual sympathy, understanding, and in-' tercourse between tho Anglican and the Orthodox Eastern Churches on the side of philosophy and scientific thought. They might note with thankfulness that men prominent in these departments of enquiry were recognising, and acknowledging that they, recognised, that some force superior to the more or less mechanical intersections of physical nature was required to account for the potency, purpose, and rationality observable throughout, and without which the underlying mysteries which displayed themselves in nature were inexplicable.

The Synod was asked to endorse the following proposals of the bench of bishops That a series of in Maori and English be held during Christmas week, 1914, at Maisden, on the site where the first Christian service was held; (b) that the Church Congress for all New Zealand be held at Auckland in February, 1915; (c) that a great thanksgiving centenary fund be raised throughout Now Zealand, and that all the members of the church be asked to contribute to it a sum oomposed of a coin for every year of life that God had given them; (d) that an advisory committee bo set up for this purpose.—lt was decided that the proposed Church Congress be held at Auckland.— The Bishop of Auckland detailed proposals that, had been amended by the bench of bishops for the disposal of the thanksgiving centenary fund as follows:—(1) Enlargement of St. John's College, Auckland; (2) foundation of a Tarauaki bishopric; (3) formation of a, general bishopric fund; (4) a medical missionary travelling scholarship; (5) establishment of a senes of travelling scholarships, one for each diocese, to enable the most worthy divinity students to visit Europe and America_ for further theological study; (6) to raiso a fund for the advance of the Bible-in-schools movement.—The whole.of clause 6 was subsequently referred back to tho bench of bishops, and it was resolved that an Advisory Committee, consisting of the Bishop of Auckland and two" representatives to be selected by the representatives of the several dioceses, be set up to carry out the rest of the programme.

Archdeacon Grace, on behalf of the committee appointed to inquire into the doings of the Mormons, reported that in view of the grave increase of Mormon tenets and practices into the moral and social life of the community, both pakelm and Maori, the committee was of opinion that it behoved the church to take measures to combat arid expose the same. It. recommended that a commission take such steps as wore deemed necessary.