CHURCH OF ENGLAND SYNOD

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3119, 9 February 1871, Page 2

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SYNOD

'♦ — j [Dunedin Stae, February 21.] The General Synod of the Church of England met last evening in the City Council chambers. The Primate of New Zealand presided ; and besides the Bishops of Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, and Waiapu, there was a large attendance of the clerical and lay members of the Synod. After prayer, the President delirflred a lengthy and able address, of which the following is a brief sketch : — The introductory portion had reference to the events affecting the genoral welfare of the Church in this colony whioh had accrued since .the President had entered upon the office of Primate ; the cousecration of the Bishop of Wellington, and the circumstances oonnected therewith. STATUS OP THE OHUECH. The President received, in his official capacity of Primate a letter from the RegistrarGeneral with reference to the designation under which tho clergy of the communion should be placed on the list of officiating ministers for the purposes of the Marriage Act, that desig nation being the United Church of England aud Ireland. He had no authority to assent to any alteration in the designation, nor did it appear to be necessarj , at least for the purpose of tho Marriage Act, though there was a severing of the State connection, so far as the Irish branch of the Church is concerned ; yet the Churches of England and Ireland are still ecclesiastically united ; and in this case clergymen ordained in either of those churches would bo admitted without distinction to this Church. He replied to this effect to the Registrar-General, adding that he believed that there was a general wiah among the members of the communion to retain the old designation, as indicating their historical connection with tho Church of their forefathers, and as describing also with sufficient accuracy for all practical purposes their position in this Colony as a religious body. He had since received a second letter from the Registrar-Q-eneral, in which he stated he bad submitted the question to the Government, in order that, if necessary, the opinion of the AttorneyGeneral might bo obtained, and that "he was instructed that, so long as our communion asked for no change in the Marriage Act, it might be assumed that the name of it is what the ecclesistical authority represents it fco be, and that he should recognise it accordingly." He (the Primate) would only add that if it should be thought advisable to alter the designation, and an application for that purpose, with a special reference to the Marriage Act be made to the Legislature, care must be taken that the new designation may be interpreted as including the old in the case of all property for religious, charitable, and educationul purposes now held by the Church under that designation. THE WANTS OB 1 THE CHURCH. After stating the objects of the Synod, his Lordship went on to say: — "It may be a question whether the time has not arrived when our attention should be given to measures, not perhaps of greater importance than those which have hitherto occupied us, but which bear more directly on the great work for wLicb the Churoii eziats, -viz., the maintenance and increase of true religion. The Church evidently is not fulfilling its appointed office, unless its efforts are directed to this, unless it be the teacher of those who have need of teaching, and the builder up of its people in their most holy faith, and in order to this there is need of human agency. We can scarcely have before us a question of more " general interest, ov more deserving the consideration of our Church in her corporate capacity, than the adaptation of her ministry, to the wants of her people in this Colony, and I include in the term mimstry, not only that which is accepted, as the sacred ministry of the Church, but any other human agenoy for religious purposes, acting under her directions, and which may be legitimately employed in some ministerial offices. Among these we may reckon persons not in holy orders, who may aid in the reading of morning and evening prayers, and in reading and expounding tho Holy Scriptures. I need not remind you of the spiritual wants of many parts of our Diooeses, wants which cannot be met with any regularity or sufficiency, by our priests and deacons ; Jnor need I remind you that the office of layreader as auxiliary to the ministry of priests and deacons was in use in the Church in the earliest days, that its revival was contemplated and in part carried out immediately after the reformation, and has been approved of in late years by the Houses of Convocation and in some instances adopted in the Mother Church, though without any formal recognition of it on tbe part of tho Church. Our necessities here have brought it into very general use, al least such is the case in the diocese of Christohurch, where tho number of lay readers exceeds that of the licensed clergy, and I believe that that diocese does not stand alone, either as regards its wants or the means which, have been used to supply them, and we have a resolution from the Synod of Christchurch, requesting the attention of the General Synod to the consideration of the best way of extending the work of the Church by lay agency. What has been hitherto done in thia matter has been the independent action of the several dioceses, bat it is pluinly of sufficient importance to desorve the consideration of our church itself in its General Synod, and if the office of lay reader be thought likely to fulfil the purposes for which it has been introduced, that it should receive from tho Church some distinct recognition and sanction, and it may be expedient, moreover, that some general rules should be laid down, which would receive in our several dioceses some unity of action. Among the questions to be considered in connection with it are — Whether lay readers should be stipendiary agents in the service of the Church ? what should be their duties and powers? whether, for instance, they should be permitted in certain cases to preach and interpret the Holy Scriptures ? or whether their ministry should bo linaifcod to the reading of sermons provided for them and to private exhortation and teaohing? whether also they should be admitted to their office by some religious cere* mony. HOW TO MEET THOSE WANTS. After sketching the manner in which lay readers should be appointed, his lordship proceeded : — " What is so much wanted here is not merely the multiplication of church services on the Sunday, but such ministrations which must needs occupy much time in the week days. Among these I would include pastoral visitations of families and of tho siok, the preparation of candidates for confirmation, of teachers for their duties in Sunday schools, and a variety of similar occupations, which, I believe, aro as effective in bringing the ignorant to a sense of their religious obligations, and those who are nob ignorant of them to some likeness and some perfecting of ago in Christ, as any public services, however zealously and ably performed. Besides this, it is especially needful in the present day that a teacher of his brethren should have leisure for the systematic studying of Holy Soriptures, and of such books as help to the right knowledge of the same ; and this can bo expected of those only who have separated themselves from Becular occupations of an engrossing character. For these reasons it appears to me, while we thankfully avail ourselves of the assistance of our lay brethren in suoh services as they are willing and able to undertake, and while we recognise by some formal, aot the office of lay readers, we should encourage an increase of the diaoonate, as securing thereby the agency of persons set apart exclusively for the work of the ministry. The necessities of the Chnrch here may sometimes require that deacons should bo placed in what may seem to be Bole charges ; but practically they will be under supervision and direction, and through tho Bishop or some olergymau appointed by him may receive counsel and assistance. It would be well too that the diaconate should be extended over a longer period than custom bus assigned to if- in the Mother Church. Indeed, except in some very isolated districts, clergymen in deacon's orders might, I think,

suffice for our present wants, and -their advancement to the highest order of the priesthood might be determined by a distinct regard to their general fitness for it, and bj the opportunities of services which might occnr through vacanciea in settled cures; and I need hardly remind you that under our system of voluntary support, and especially where the nomination of clergymen to fully' organised parishes is vested in a body chosen in part; from such parishes, much must depend upon the estimation in which clergynfen are held for tlieir work's sake, and ia their possession of other qualifications for the office of a pastor; besides those of a scholastic or literary character, which may be ascertained by an examination for the priesthood." In order, that tho ministry may fulfil its functions, the Primate suggests a division of the morning service — to use, for instance, a separate service — tha morning prayer, the Litany, and the communion service, and so secure a variety of ,'seryice suited for worehipperß in every stage of religious development. It was further suggested . as being worthy of consideration, whether sanction should not be given to a service avowedly framed for instruction and exhortation, in which the sermon should occupy the chief part. Keference was then made at some length to the question of Christian unity, but that portion of the address we are compelled to hold over. The address concluded with the following reference to the claims of BISHOP JENNEB. " I have received by the last mail from Bishop Jenner the judgment or opinion of His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, respecting Bishop Jenner's claims to the see of Dunedin. There is a letter, also, from the Bishop, addressed to myself, which I consider it expedient to lay before you, because it questions my right, as Bishop of Christchurch, to administer the see of Dunedin. My right to do so, or I would rather say, my duty, may be regarded as resting on two grounds, either on the fact of my consecration under Eoyal letters patent to the see of Chriatchurch, which at that time included the Provinces of Canterbury, of Otago, and of Southland, and whioh as yet I have never formally resigned ; or on the authority of the General Synod, which in its statute No. 12 has deolared that 1 until a day to be fixed in that behalf by the Standing Commission the Bishop of Christchurch shall continue to have charge of the Dioceße of Dunedin, and lor the purpose of the statute for the organisation of Diocesan Synods shall be deemed and taken to be the Bishop of that Diocese.' Whichever of the6e grounds is taken, my spiritual oversight of tho Diocese of Dunedin is founded, I conceive, on very sufficient authority. But I am quite content to leave the whole matter in the hands of this Synod, in the full assurance that due deference will be paid to the opinions expressed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the claims of Bishop Jenner be impartially considered ; and with much sympathy with him for the position in which he has been placed. I will only add that lam persuaded that it is for the interests of the Church that this diocese of Dunedin should be speedily entrusted to the charge of a Bishop who may be able to reside in it, and I shall be very thankful if arrangements can be made for tha C purpose, though quite ready to continue in the charge of it if such arrangement at this time be thought impracticable." A vote of thanks to his Lordship for his ad« mirable address, and requesting him to allow it to be printed, was carried unanimously. THE WAR IN EUROPE. 1> — THE PRUSSIAN MILITARY SYSTEM. Although the Prussian military system has been often explained, tho " Pall Mall Gazette " thinks that at the present moment, when it is producing such tremendous results, it may not be inopportune to inquire once again in what it consists. Our contemporary says : — Those who wish to inform themselves fully on the subject can hardly do better than consult a blue book which was lately presented to Parliament, to accompany the report on the Royal Commission on Military Education. This blue book, which contains " Accounts of the Systems of Military Education in France, Prussia, Austria, Bavaria, and the Uuited States," gives the clearest description of the Prussian military system that we have met with. As this report, which was compiled by Captain Hozier, the secretary to the commission, is correct up to date, and is based upon official information carefully collected, it may be accepted as a perfectly trustworthy account of the system under which Prussia is now working. The military forces of the North German Confederation consist of three bodies — viz., 1, the standing army — a, active, h, reserve ; 2, the Landwehr, 3, the Landstmm. With certain exceptions, every male citizen becomes liable ou attaining the age of twenty years to military service. That service consists, in the first instance, of seven years in the standing army, of which the first three are with the active and the last four with the reserve portion of the army. During his active service the soldier is continually with the troops. During his reserve service he is on furlough, performing no regular military duty, but liable to be oalled • out during the four yeara for two periods of exercise with the active force, each limited to a maximum duration of eight weeks. In the event of war breaking out or becoming imminent the reserves are at once recalled to the ranks. The active force bears a fixed proportion of one per cent to the whole population of the country. The Landwehr consists of the men who have completed their seven years of regular service. The Landwehr service is five years. The Landwehr is liable in the event of war, to be sent on foreign service ; it forms a distinct body from the regular army. In peace time tho Landwehr is not liable to be called out for more than two periods not exceeding a fortnight each ; it is then attached to the divisions of the active array to which they belong. There is now no Landwehr cavalry, " an inoreased force of that arm in tho standing army having quite recently been substituted for the Landwehr cavalry of former days." The other arms, however — infantry, artillery, and train*— are represented in the Landwehr. This brings the soldier down to the end of his thirty-second year, after twelve years' soldiering spent as follows : — In the Regular Active Army, 8 years, between ages of 20 and 24; in the Regular Reserve Army, 4 years, between age 3of 23 and 27 ; in the Landwehr, 5 years, between ages of 27 and 32 ; total 12 years. For another ten years — that is to say, until he has attained the age of fortytwo — the citizen still retains a liability to military service. He belongs to the \ Landstunn, a force which can only be called out in the event of the actual in- ''

yasion of the country by an enemy. In addition to the exemptions on account of physical unfitness, "various exceptional circumstances in individual cases are sanctioned by the law as grounds forexemption from serving in the army ;" and young men who can give proof of good education, either by passing an examination or producing certificates from one of the recognised public schools of the country, are allowed to commute their three years' service in the active army to one, on condition of serving entirely at their own expense, even to supplying their clothing food, lodging, and, |H» t i ie caV alry, contributing towards the keep of iheir horses. The charges entailed upon the individual by this arrangement amount 4:o about £105 After the one year's active service, the young soldier serves six years in the reserve, and he very frequently becomes an officer of the Landwehr. Young men arc also permitted to volunteer to perform their ordinary three years' active service as early as seventeen — so as to leave them free at twenty to follow a civil profession ; and, by way of encouraging volunteering for early service, the volunteer has the privilege — which is not shared by the ordinary recruit—of selecting the branch of the service he will enter. While eariy enlistments are encouraged on the one hand, encouragement is also given to men in the cavalry to enlist for four years instead of three, by offering them an exemption from two years' Landwehr service ; and all good men who are likely to become useful non-commissioned officers are encouraged to re-engage at the end of the first three years for a further period of active service. The liability to military service is in all cases personal, no substitutes being allowed. The forces are divided into thirteen army corps. " Each army corps forms a force complete in every arm, and capable of rapid expansion on the approach of war." An army corps generally consists of about 20,000 men in time of peace, and GOO officers — infantry, two divisions, each of two brigades ; cavalry, two brigades ; artillery, one brigade of two regiments (one field and one garrison) ; engineers, one battalion (one company of pioneers, two of sappers, one of miners) ; train, one. A not less important feature of the Prussian system is the localization of corps. " Each army corps corresponds to a certain portion of the territory of the North German Confederation, within which it is kept constantly quartered, and from which it draws its recruits." In this way a close and, let us add, necessary connection between the standing army and the other forces is kept up. As a man completes his term of active service he passes into the reserve of the district in which his army corps is quartered, and similarly four years later into the Landwehr of the same district, whirh is always associated with the army corps in drill and on service. "We recognize in the system a unity and completeness to whicii our own system — if so unsystematic an arrangement is to be called by that name — is a stranger. We recognise also the absence of all untrained reserves. We recognise, in fact, an inversion of the English system, which has all its trained men in the active army and none in the reserves, and which, instead of binding by an harmonious organization the whole of the \arious branches of the army together, sets them up virtually one in opposition to the other, and defends the maintenance of the militia, because it constitutes, as is absurdly said, a " constitutional " check upon the standing army.