LATE LORD DAVIDSON

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 985, 30 May 1930, Page 1

LATE LORD DAVIDSON

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR GREAT PRIMATE

GOVERNOR-GENERAL PRESENT

"The late Archbishop Randall Davidson was, in the opinion of many competent judges, one of the greatest men who sat in the chair of St. Augustine, at Canterbury." These words were Archdeacon G. Mac Murray’s, spoken at a memorial service in St. Mary’s Cathedral, .Parnell, this morning, to the late Lord Davidson, former Archbishop of Canterbury. who died this week. Lord and Lady Hleditloc, personal friends of the Archbishop, were present. "I had the privilege and honour of meeting the Archbishop twice in Lambeth Palace, and was deeply impressed in these interviews by four things." said Archdeacon Mac Murray. '"Those tilings were, first, the gracious courtesy to an unimportant stranger fror.i the end of the earth given by the Primate of all England. Seconds. the keen interest lie showed in New Zealand and the encoi raging questions he asked at>out the constitution of the Church and its difficulties. Thirdly, the Archbishop impressed me by hia profound faith in God for the solution of difficult problems. Have faith Ixa Clod' was practically the advice he gave me. Lastly, his spiritual vision, which is only given to men and women of deep faith in God." Archbishop Davidson viewed the problems of the world today not as limited by the horizon of time and sense, but as seen in the l>ackground of eternity and spiritu xlity. the preacher continued. He always looked on the Archbishop at a knightly ; warrior for Christ in His Church. His faith and vision led him to • throw himself wholeheartedly into the movement for tho revision of the Prayer Book. The Church was a living organism, and where there _ was j life there must be action. Archbishop j Davidson believed that If the Church was to grow spiritually, it must adapt itself to the changed conditions of human life, and that the Prayer Book , should be revised and enriched so as j more effectually to meet the spiritual • needs of the day. - He knew' that any attempt to meet 1 altered conditions would invite bitter hostility. He might have evaded the task and enjoyed great freedom from i anxiety and trouble, but he refused the peace and comfort of inaction, and devoted his energy to the great task, jlt must have been a heartbreaking sorrow when he failed. "The Archbishop failed or seemed • to have failed, but the end is not yet." said the Archdeacon. "His life. I.:s faith and spiritual vision, his great ’ efforts to secure the Church and the • nation are not dead, and their fruits • are yet to be reaped by the Church i and the nation in God's good time and ‘‘Thank God for the life of his saint. ; Randall Davidson, who in his life kept seeking fo r * the continuing city of God, and who has now. we believe, found • it and has entered into it." Archdeacon Mac Murray concluded. i After the congregation had sung t; = e j hymn. ‘Fur all the Saints ho from I their Labours Rest," the organist. Mr. 1 Edgar Randal, played the "Dead March in Saul” and the clergy filed I silently out. —~