DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4163, 24 August 1881, Page 4

DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Ihe first session of the twelftb Bynod of tiie Diocese of Ohristchuroh was opened at Christ's College Library yesterday after, oon. Ibe Most Bey the Primate presided, ihe roll was called bj tbe Bey F. Knowles. The fallowing members were present :— Olergy— The Most Bey the Primate (President), the Very Bey Dean Jacobs, the Yen Arohdeacon Harper, the Yen Archdeacon Dudley, the Bey Canon Cotterill, the Beys P. 0. Ai:derson. Brady, Brittan, ChaffersWelsh, Chambers, Cholmondeley, Cocks, Collina, Cruden, Davidson, Elton, Gos.ett, Gilbert, Gould, Hampton, Hands, W. Harper, Harris, K . -wles, Lingard, Merton, Mi vtuier, Otway, Pascoe, Penny, Sheldon, Suck, Teakle, Townsend, Watßon, Wilkß, Wright and Wyatt. w laity— Messra O. B. Blakiston, A. if. JN. Blakiaton, Bamford, Curnow, Chapman, tenton. Grieg, Gresson, L. Harper, Hill, Hamilton, Hobden, Lee, Malefc, Moling, Mayo, Mlntyre, th-erton, Parker, Stedman, Tancred, OSpping, Wade, Wilson, and Woolcombe. rBBSIDKNT'S ADDBBaS. The Most Bey the President delivere 1 the following address :— My Bbtbbbnb Bbbthbbh akb Bbeiubbn op thb Lait* : — -: * i »_•• The reportß of the Trustees of t'turch Property, and of the several C-b-vnttees appointed by the Synod, will, aa \,.-..*1, be kid before you, and receive, as they ue.eirvo, jour careful consideration. They repreßen-. Hhe financial state of the Diocese ; and what bas been done by the Committees during the fast year, in accordance with the instructions oi the Synod. The finances of the Diocese, amd the measures that should be adopted to assist the Ohurch in her various duties, and to give order and unity to her work, j must necessarily constitute the chief basiness of our Synods, and though they re- I late, for the most part, to the external organisation of tbe Church rather than to her inward life, vot as it has pleased God to use I human agencies and materia means iyha communication and maintena; .m of that. Mo, the direction of these agenci-. - md the right application of these means, - fail upon our Synods a very serious reap .nbility. We meet here a* the represent..: _.„ and governing body of tbe Ohurch of this Dioces-.-, -_.nd in the discharge of our functions as such, I trust, ever bear in mind that we are engaged in a work which has a very direct bcar.ng un tbe highest interests of our fellow Christians, and on the fulfilment of the commands of God, both for ourselves and them. It may assist us in our duties if I lay before yt'. • a brief report of the general state ef the dio *ese, and direct your attention to its moat nrpent wants. The diocese is, at tbis time, divided into 42 Cures, of which 22 aro parishes, and 18 parochial districts, ani the spiritual charges of Chri_t'# College Grammar Sohool, t>.nd of the Ho. p. tab of Christchurch, the Lunatic Asylum, u-.id the Seamen's Mission, both of which must be regarded aa Cureß. The ohurohes, in these Cureß, a>e 83 in number, viz.:— Oae iv Christ's College, 48 in the twenty-two parishes, and 34 i r.ne Par.-.r.hial Districts. There are other -bi. ■ (dings in some Of the Par-jcbiol Districts iich are occasionally us*d for Sunday t- -'ices ; but the churches 'o vhich I have ref' ed are either consecrated buildings or «>.i • • lively appropriated to religious purpose.-. Of the forty-two Cores, one only, the Parochial District of Waikari, is, for the present, without a minister or church ; the rest, with their respeotive churches, are under the charge of resident clergymen, aßßi«f ed, in three ir,.i ances, by resident curates. The clergy thus engaged are forty-four in number. Some of the Parochial Districts are < -ure .. of considerable extent, and their church .. at a distanc from eacb other ; and aB the population in these increase, it will be necec.ary to divide them ir.to separate Cures or to provide assistant carat ob. • At present, however, tbe largest^ increase of population ia in Christcburch and its suburbs. The recent censuß has shown us that there is in the Borough of Christchurch, a population of 15,214, and in the Borough of Sydenham, of 5459 ; but as our parochial divisions do Aofc coincide with the division of thp Borough, and (two of the three parishes of Christchnroh extending beyond the town bell., and the parish of St Saviour's, Sydenham, including only a part of the Borough of Sydenham),- the population of tbo Ohristchurch Oures must be considerably larger, anri that of Sydenhamlo3., that what is estimated in tho census returns of the boroughs. I have endeavoured to arrive at some approximate estimate of the population of the Christcburcb Cures, and believe that I am not fu* wrong in Eajiug that Sfc Michael's ha 3 a population of 5965, St Luke's of 7270, Bt John's of 4634. and tbe parish of Sydenham of 5041. Of late years there mußt have been therefore a considerable addition to tho population of these Oures, and yet since 1876 there has been little or no add. tion to the means and agencies which are go needful for the effectual working of a Cure. In the case of St Michael's and St John's there h*a been no increasa cf church accommodation or of clergymen to minister to the many souls whioh have been added to tho charge of their respective Incumbents; ana in St Luke's, though since 1876 tbere has been an assistant curate and a • second church recently enlarged, yet who will •venture to say that two churches or two clergymen can accomplish all that ought to be done to moet the spiritual wants of more than 7000 souls. I may be reminded, perhaps, tbat so far as chnrch accommodation is concerned, the Cathedral, which is soon to be opened, will supply the wants of many in these three parishes. It may do so to a certain extent. Jtt will bo open to all, without distinction or xeßerve, who may choose to worship in it, snd by i's services und the ministry of God throughout the week, may offer more abundant opportunities for worship and instruction than tbe Parochial clergy, with their many pressing avocations incident to a cnre of aouls, can properly hope to do. But no churches can fulfil the work implied in a cure of souls. The use of tbem, for holy services and for evangelising purposes, . cannot well be overrated, but it is not too much to Bay that there is work to be done outside onr churches which is even more needed and will be found aa effectual in edifying and saving souls aB the most attractive services and the most instructive preaching. Iro :d not enlarge on th^ nature of tbis work, it is detailed at aomo -ength in our prayer books in the Oi'.le9 for the Ordering of Priests, and as been referred to a few months "go by mo in somo inquiries which I addressed to the Parochial Olergy (a copy of which will be laid upon tbe table). It ia work which dißticctly appertains to a cure of souls, and to tbe clergy in charge of such cures, and is auoh as caunot be adequately fulfilled except bypersoral intercourse on their part with the individual members of their flock, whether tbey aro attendants afc the services of the • Ohurch or absent from them.

And my object now in drawing attention to this work, is to impress upon the Synod how impossible it is for a clergyman single-handed to satisfy the requirements of the Church in such populous cures aa thoae of Christchurch, and cnnaeqaently the serious losb which she must incur, alike as regards the number of those who have been entrusted to her care, and tbeir growth in the knowledge of fche saving truth, and in holiness of living. And what I have said of the parishes of Christ--_3hnrch applies with equal force to the Pariah of Sydenham, in which, perhaps, the proportionate inorease of population dnrng the last -four years baa been greater thin in the city parishes, and is spread moreover over a larger wea.

Now, it is comparatively easy to suggest wbat taight be done in such cases as these, but to give effect to the * -ingestion great efforts would have to be meo by those who are already exerting themaei-.J for Ohurch purposea in their respective localities ; but whether -irhst I w>uld suggest be practicable or otberw>?. I would at least put on record, what, in my opinion, is absolutely required. What is wanted is not so much increaaed church accommodation as additional clergymen, and the least difficult mode of adding to the present number, either by or by clergymen in priest's or lers, who will be content with a deacon's stipend. 7 aay tbis in referenco to aU tho three pariahes of Chrißtchurch, for it is obvious that without going outaide the Town Belt, there is a population large enough within eaoh of tae parishes to tax fully the energies of two active olergymen. It ia my opinion, moreover, that the time lua oome for separating from Sfc Michael's Parish the part of it beyond the Southern Belt, and forming it into a . opar&te cure, witb the addition of the northern parfc of the jbrisb of Sydenham. Tbis might, for a time, '

be attached to the Parish of St Michael's, as a Parochial District, but should have a ohuroh of its own, and a clergyman ministering exclusively in it, -if a deacon, under the direction of the Incumbent of St Michael's.

There are other parishes in the Dioce3e, besides those of Christchurch, for which further provision should be made— that of Timaru, for instance. With a population within the Borough of nearly 4000, it iB fast outgrowing. fche labours of one clergyman, and its extensive and populous suburbs should very soon be organised as a separate cure. The same must be said of Ashburton, which at present includes within its pariah a large portion of the surrounding country. I am thankful, however, to add that a movement has been already made by the inhabitants of the town, and those outside it, to reduce to a smaller area tbe present parish, and to form the outlying parts into a separate cure, with a clergyman resident) in ifc. The need of some such re-arrangement of thiß part of the diocese, and of an addition to ite clergy, must be obvious, it" only we bear in mind that so far bick as tho beginning of 1877 the services of two clergymen were even then considered not more than were -sufficient for this extensive district; since then the population has, of course, been increasing in it as rapidly as elsewhere.

Whether we can accomplish, at this time, all that I have suggested, iv these and other parts of the diocese, may seem doubtful to some, but few will venture to deny the reality and urgency of tbeir wants ; and these wants must be kept in view in our distribution of our Diocesan resources, and stimulato us to new and persevering exertions. As individual members of the. Churcb, we are in danger of overlooking whafc may nofc immediately concern our own want., but as tho governing body ofthe Cdurch, responsible for all of the Bame household of faith, we cannot ignore the fact revealed to ua so clearly by the recent census, viz., that within a few Bhort years v vast addition has been made to the population of this Diocese, far beyond tho natural increase that may be looked for in a longBattled country ; and that consequently thero ia a call upon us, it may be for come unusual effort, to make adequate provision for their spiritual wants. JSTo one, lam sure, can traverse the streetß of Ohriatehurch and its thickly peopled suburbs, without recognising the immediate necessity of organising, at leaat in thie portion of the l'iioceae, some fresh fieldß of labour, and of multiplying our labourers for them.

And among the important dutiea to be undertaken in our cures there is one of the greatest importance in these days, when, in the majority of our educational institutions, the mere intellectual culture of the young is the all-absorbing object of their teaching. There can be no question that the Church is bound to supplement the religious instructions which children receive from their parents, especially if it is true in the case of parents in this Colony, as bas been stated by an English bishop and the inspector of her schools, in reference to his extensive Dioce.e, " thafc there is less home religious teaching afc fchia present time than there was some thirty or forty years ago." Whatever, therefore, may bo the schools established by us, religious teaching must needs be a* factor of their educational system; not that our dayschools should bo occupied in such teaching alone, bufc thafc religion ahould underlie the teaching given in them, and be combined also with all thoae secular subjects which are regarded as necessary aids in the cultivation of the intellect.

But such day schools are scarcely possible in the majority of our cures ; wherever, however, they are set on foot aB they may be wifch some exertion in our larger town cures, they .should receive some support from our Diocesan funds, a3 institutions essential to the effectual working of a cure. Until that can bo dene, every effort must be made to communicate tc the young such religious instruction as may be in our power. Something has beon proposed in this direction in union with the Christion Ministers' Association, a deputation of which I met in conference, together wifch fche Parochial clergy of the City and of Merivale. A resolution was then adoptod that application ahould be mado by me to the Board of Education and to the District School Committees in Cbristchureh and its suburbs, for permission to impart to tho children of our respec! ive Communions religious instruction during school houra on two or three daya in each week. In one of the_e District Committees this permission was conceded. The replies from the Board of Education, in reference to tho Normal School, and from the other District Committees, though nofc unfavourable to religious teaching, restricted the time for such teaching to the houra before or after fclie usual school hours. The difficulty of collecting the children at such time can be readily understood, but yefc tho Ohurch can ill afford to neglect any opportunity of giving to the younger membera of her Communion the instruction which is bo essential to their welfare ; and ifc may be, if this opportunity is faithfully usod, ofcher opportunitiea of a more favourablo character will be opened fco us.

As it is, th 9 Ohurch for fche purposea of religious instruction muat chiefly depend on her Sunday Schools, and endeavour by auch meana as may be in her power to assist thoso schoola, and those especially to whom she is so much indebted for the care and teaching of her children. And the experience of our Mother Churcb has very plainly shown us how much assistance may be giyon by periodical examinations and inapection — how the handa of Superintendents and teachers may be strengthened thereby, and the diligence of the young stimulated and maintained. Ifc is on thiß account that I attach bo much value to the services of Mr Harria, who haa undertaken, at my requeat, fche office of Inspector of the Diocesan schools. It is a laborious office, since, for the discharge of its duties, the schools, for the most part, must be inspected or examined on the Sunday. And there are at this time no less than 60 of theße schools, and of tbese upwards of 50 have already been inspeoted — some of tliem more than lonce— during the last eighteen monthß, and how thoroughly and methodically may be gathered from fche report which I will lay before tho public. In his oflice as School Inspector, Mr Harris is fulfilling, on my behalf, an important function of the Episcopate ; for the care of a Bishop is doubtless due to all within his Diocese, whether young or old. He is to feed the lambs of the flock of Christ aa. woll as the sheep ; and hia responsibility in the matter of schools ia accordingly distinctly referred to in the 77th Canon of the Church, and in our own Synod regulations. It is well worthy, thorofore, of our consideration, whether the teachers in these schoola, who are by their office the assistants of the Biahop no leas than of the Parochial Clergy in a very important du^y, and whoao aervicea, moreover, are entirely voluntary 'and given at the cost of no little Belf- denial, should not be formally appointed to fcheir office on some puhlic occasion, eifcher in the Pariah Ohuroh or school by the Bishop in person, or by the School Inspector, by delegation from the Bishop. A recommendation to this effect in the case of lay readers, has been made by the general Synod. At all events, our Sunday School managers and teachers have a olaim upon the Church, for whatever help and encouragement can bo given them by a duly qualified Church officer, wbo is able and always ready to direot and assist them in their work.

To theae Sunday schools we muat chiefly look for fche preparation of the young for the solemn ordinance of Confirmation, and the teaohing which fchey receive in them, must therefore be not only the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, but suoh as will aid them to be pressing on to a full knowledge of Him and of His will, and to a conscious communion with Him in all His appointed ordinances. And in this preparation, as the clergyman of the Churoh has an especial interest and responsibility, ao doubtless haa the Bishop, " who is to confirm them," if aB the Bubrio states," ho approves of them." We cannot, therefore, if we would do our part in furthering in the young " the underStanding of God's true religion," and their growth in Grs.ce, — and the welfare of tho Diocese thereby (for they when they come to yeara of maturity must needs exercise animportantinfluence in the Ohurch) — disregard or neglect any opportunities for their religious education, or for improving and perfecting the instruction they aro now receiving. What ia true of individual membera of the Church, is true of the Church itself ; tbat it must never be content with whafc ifc has already obtained, but wifch a deep sense of her responsibilities and failings, muat be ever on tho alort to correct what may bo amiss in her ministration, and to supply and set in order the things tbat are yet wanting. I may mention that during this year a petition to both Houses of tbe Legislature has been prepared, with a view to an amendment of the Education Act of 1877,

ia which no provision is made for religious instruction. Thia petition has been numerously signed and presented, but without accomplishing its object. It will be repeated, I trust, at future sessions of Parliament, and will, it is to be hoped, serve to impress upon the attention of the Legislature that tho purely secular system now pursued in the State schools is not satiofactory to a vast number of those who are deeply interested in tho national education of the young— nnd that, while we recognise the necessity and wisdom of making provision for fcho secular education of all children in this Colony, we should add, as an essential element of a sound education, somo knowledge of thoso truths wliich havo Buch an important bearing upon the moral life of the community. I take this opportunity of letting ifc bo generally known that urider the directions of the Church Work** Society, arrangements are being made for fcho establishment of a Diocesan Book Dep6t, tor the sale not only of distinctively Ohurch publications, but of such as are especially fitted to counteract the sceptical tendencies of the day, and of books and periodicals of a healthy moral tone. I must request the attontion of the Synod to a matter on which there haß been a difI ference of opinion between myself and some members of the Standing Committee. It has reference to the appropriation to the parochial clergy of long standing in the diocese of some addition to tho grants which havo hitherto been made from thß Church Property Trust Funds to all the Cures in the Provincial District of Canterbury. Tho question which I wish the Synod to decide is, whether ifc intends thafc such addition should bn made by a diminution of tho grants wbich those Cures have usually received if the Trust Funds are nofc Buffi'.ienfc for thepurpose. It is a matter of importance, because the regulation prescribing suoh an addition, o. now interpreted by some, may involve not only a reduction in the stipend of many of the Parochial Clergy, bufc a possible hindrance to the extension of the work of tho Church, however urgently ifc may bo required in some of the parishes. The EJjnocl is perhaps aware thafc ifc has been propoeed thafc the cooperation of the Cathedral Church, or rather of that portion of it whioh is now made available for Divine worship, shall take place on Thursday, the 27th of October next, and an occasion of so much interest to tho Diocese will he celebrated by a series of services on several successive days, -'n which we hope to obtain the assistance of our clerical brethren from other Dioceses.

I have spoken of the consecration of tbe Cathedral Church as an occasion of much interest to the Diocese. It will bo unquestionably ao wifch those who sympathise wifch fchenobleobjects contemplated by the founders of the Canterbury settlement. They, it is well known, desired to planfc in thia port of God's world which they had selected for the development of thoir schorne of colonisation, the Church of Christ in all its entirety, with its Faith and Ministry, and with those appliances, also, for worahip, which in the experience of all ages, the Ohurch haa ever found to bo the most effectual aids in the maintenance of her faith, and in the ordering of her worship. Hence, in accordance with their sehemo, endowments were made applicable in part to the support of tho ministry, the building of the ohurohes, and the reli.iouß education of the young, and it is to tbe assistance derived from these endowments, supplemented by the voluntary contributions of tho3o who prizo tho ministration of tho Church, thafc we are indebted under fcho Divine blessing, for tho provision which we have hitherto made for the spiritual welfare of our people. And ifc is by fche same means, and with the Bame object which fche founders of tho settlement had in view, that the Cathedral Church, of which the foundations wero laid in 1864, has been completed, at least in parfc. It formed of necessity an essential feature in the scheme which sought to reproduce in thia Colony tho characteristics of the Mother Ohurch in England. For the Cathedral Church with her, as it will be wifch us, is the church of the chief pastor of a Dioceße, deriving its name from the seat which he occupies within ifc ; and inasmuch as his functions are co-eztensive with fche Diocese, it is a visible symbol of hia pastorate, and oil the oneness of that part of tho Church, which is gathered within ifc. And aa the portion of tho Cathedral Church, which we hope to consecrato shortly, has been completed by the joint ansistanco of the endowment of tho Church and voluntary contributions, ifc nuy be interesting to hear the amounts supplied for the purpose from the3o resources respectively, including in tho amount derived from the formor a sum from a grant for building churches with which I was entrusted by the Provinoial Government in 1861, and in the amount of the latter sums for the purchasa of what is required for the Cathedral services, which havo not passed through the handß of tho Treasurer of the Cathedral Commission. The amount; in fche former case is £19,325 ; in the latter, £25,927. I think I may claim therefore that fche amount thus" Buppliod by local contributions and offerings is an evident token ofthe deep interest taken in tbe erection of the building, and in furnishing ifc in a manner suited to its sacred purposea ; tbe more especially as the chief contributors havo had frequent demands made upon fchem for liberal asaiatance in church work in other parts of the diocese. I need hardly remind you there is yet much to be done for the entire completion of the building, and that we must be still making our appeals for this purpo. o to those whom God has gifted with the moans of giving, and who are willing to concede them to His service. In the meanwhilo, let ua uae that portion of ifc which He has enabled ua to erect, with a single eve to Hiß glory, and, co far aa we may be able, for the edification of Hiß Church. For these purposes in many respects the services in the Cathedral Church will differ but slightly from those in a Parochial Ohuroh. There will be in it the reading and preaching of God'a Word, the administration of His Holy Sacrament, and the celebration of Hia worahip, but they who minister therein will owe no pastoral care to thoae who attend these service* beyond the oounsel and instruction which they give from the pulpit and their official work for the ordering of the Ohurch in the Diocese generally ; but yet in the faithful dischargeoffcheirappointed duties within the Cathedral walls, fchey will be, and are bound fco be, fellow-labourers with the Parochial Clergy in the salvation of soula. By rightly directing the voice of truth that may be doing the work of Evangelist*, and by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, and by building up those who are seeking after God in their most holy faith, and by their solemn services of prayer and praise they may spiritualize their worship. And in so doing they will unquestionably be strengthening the handß of those whose more eapecial charge is the cure of souls, and facilitate their pastoral labours ; and as persons set apart, though in different capacities, for the work of the minißtry, they will doubtlesa be prepared and ready to co-operate with their brethren in those works of piety and charity within their respective Cures, which may be aided by their counsel or their services.

In a Diocesan Church there must ever be divers fields of spiritual labour, and for the effectual tillage of these fields there ia needed a diversity of agencies, and ministration. Let those, therefore, who have been chosen to the ministry, whether that ministry pertain to the diocese or to one of the Curea, wait upon their ministry ; those thafc teach or exhort in public or in private, wait on teaching and exhortation ; those that rule, let them do it with diligence ; those whose duty ifc ia to serve in God's sanctuaries of worship, whether it be in a Cathedral or parochial church, take heed that they keep the charge of the Lord their God, and worship bofore Him with a holy worahip ; and so through the aid of the Holy Spirit, who worketh in all the ministrations of the Church, they may hope to do their part in supplying what God requires at their hands, forthe Betting forth of His glory, and setting forward the salvation of His people. The Very Bey the Dean moved— "That the thanks of the Synod be" "given to your Lordship for your addreas, and that you be requested to allow it to be printed among the Synodical documents." Mr Hargreaves seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.

offioial. Tho Bey T. Flavoll was ohosen Clerical I Secretary ; Mr A. F N. Blakiston, Lay Secretary ; Mr 0. B. Blakiston, Chairman of Committees; and Mr J. A. Cur vow, Clerk of Committees. HOUBS OF MEETING. ' It wa3 resolved, on the motion of the Bey Canon Cotterill— "That the Synod meet at 4 p.m. each day, except Saturdays and Sundays, and adjourn at 6.30 p.m, fco 7.30 p.m."

NOTICES OF MOTION. Several notices of motion were given. BBPOHTB, &0. The President laid on the tablo various papers, including fche reports of the Standing Committee, the Committee of the Ohurch Work Sooiety, and the Cathedral Commission, also a statement of receipts and expenditure of tho Cathedral Building Fund. APOLOGIES. The President announcod that ho had received letters of apol"gy for non-attendance from several members who were unable to bo present. CHUBCH "WOBK SOCIETY. The annual report of the Committee of the Church Work Society waa then rend. STANDING COMMITTEE, &C

The report of tho Standing Committee was read.

The Bey Canon Cotterill, the Rev T. Flavell, and Mr A. F. N. Blakiston were appointed aB the Sessional and Printing Committee.

The Synod tnen adjournod to 4 p.m. today.