MDBfifiBHfW^ Vfry RkV. H, JA00B8, D.r>. >*W*^#^ftW ^ - THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Colonial Cfturtl) J^jiston'es. NEW ZEALAND. CONTAINING The Dioceses of Auckland, Christchurchy Dunedin, Nelson, Waiapu, Wellington^ and Melanesia. The Very Rev. HENRY JACOBS, D.D. DEAN OF CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND. PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE TRACT COMMITTEE. LONDON : SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, CHARING CROSS, W.C. ; 43, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, E.C. BRIGHTON : 135, North Street. NEW YORK : E. & J. B. YOUNG & CO. 'PRINTEB IN GREAT BRITAIN'' INTRODUCTION. THE origin of this work may be told in a few words. The Most Rev. the Primate of New Zealand having received, somewhat more than two years ago, an intimation that the Society for Pro- moting Christian Knowledge had in view the publica- tion of a series of Histories of Provincial Churches of the Anglican Communion, together with a request that he would recommend a person qualified to fulfil the duties of writer or editor of that of the Church of the Province of New Zealand, laid this communication before the Bishops of the Province, when they were assembled at the last triennial session of the General Synod, held at Auckland in January and February, 1886. The Primate subsequently informed the Synod that their Lordships, having considered the subject, were agreed in thinking that such a History would be " most desirable " ; and that they further recommended "that it should take the form of a Provincial History, together with a special chapter for each diocese, and that the Very Rev. the Dean of Christchurch be requested to act IV NEW ZEALAND. as editor." The recommendation was accepted and confirmed by the Synod, and the writer then and there accepted the office. For the first three Parts of the book he is solely responsible, his strictly editorial work having been confined to the Fourth Part, which consists mainly of statistics of the seven dioceses. To have written a separate history of these would have involved a large amount of repetition, not to mention that the superabundance of material, in spite of the strongest efforts to compress, had already caused the Provincial History to overflow considerably the limits assigned to the whole work. Ere long, perhaps, — we may, at least, be forgiven for expressing the hope, — the Society may see its way to put forth a series of Histories of the several dioceses of which the Provinces of the Colonial Church are composed. The plan of the work will be found exceedingly simple. The History of the Church of the Province of New Zealand divides itself naturally into three portions : — I. The Missionary Period, extending from the first evangelisation of the natives of the Bay of Islands by the agents of the Church Missionary Society, under the advice and direction of the Rev. Samuel Marsden, to the appointment of the Bishop of New Zealand. 11. The Period of Organisation, beginning with that event, and extending to the framing of the Church Constitution INTRODUCTION. V in 1857, showing how the Constitution was built up. III. The Period of Subsequent Growth AND Development, extending to the present date, and showing how the Constitution has hitherto worked. The Fourth Part contains information, more or less full and complete, as to the present state of each of the dioceses, including the missionary diocese of Melanesia, and will be useful, it is hoped, not only to many at the present time, but as a means of comparison in the future. The present condition of the Maori portion of the Church in the several dioceses is briefly treated of in the concluding chapter. The pleasant duty remains of acknowledging, as the writer desires to do very heartily, the obligations he is under to those from whom he has received assistance, amongst whom he is bound to mention, first and foremost, the name of his friend, the Ven. Archdeacon Williams, of Gisborne. The Most Rev. the Primate, the Right Rev. the Bishops of Nelson, Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, Waiapu, and Melanesia have all rendered kind and valuable assistance and encouragement. The writer's thanks are due, in particular, to the Lord Bishop of Nelson. To the above he gratefully adds the names of the Hon. Colonel Haultain, the first to supply him, spontaneously, with sundry useful documents ; the Ven. Archdeacons Maunsell and B. T. Dudley, of Auckland ; the Ven. Archdeacon Stock and the Rev. VI NEW ZEALAND. T. Fancourt, of Wellington ; the Revs. F. Knowles and J. W. Stack, of the diocese of Christchurch ; the Rev. Algernon Gifford, of Oamaru ; and T. M. Hocken, Esq., M.D., of Dunedin. His indebtedness to the writings of those who have preceded him in the track of New Zealand history will be found acknowledged in the course of the work. H. J. The Deanery, Christchurch, N.Z., October \^th, 1887. CONTENTS. PART I. THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. CHAPTER I. Samuel Marsden — Plis first Efforts for the New Zealanders — His Visit to England — Foundation of the Mission by Church Missionary Society — The Society's first Agents — Their Instructions — Ruatara — Massacre of the Boyd — The Missionary brig Active — Hongi — Marsden' First Visit to New Zealand — His first Step — His Confidence — The first Service — Christmas Day, 1814 — Settling of the Missionaries — Death of Ruatara — His last Thoughts page CHAPTER II. Marsden's Second Visit — State of Mission — Seminary at Paramatta — Rev. J. Butler — First Celebration of Holy Communion — Trading for Muskets — Marsden's Third Visit — Hongi and Kendall go to England — Character of Hongi — Change in his Conduct — Ordination of Kendall — His Behaviour — Professor Lee, and the -VUl NEW ZEALAND. Maori Language — Paralysis of Mission — The Rev. H. Williams — Marsden's Fourth Visit — Settlement of the Rev. H. Williams at Paihia — Wreck of the Bramp- ton page CHAPTER III. A New Era — Trials — Slow Progress — Schools and Classes — Building of The Herald — The Rev. W. Williams — His Preparation and Ordination — His arrival at Paihia — Progress in the Language — Troubles in 1827 — Marsden's Fifth Visit — Hongi dies — Signs of Improve- ment — Peace-making — First Baptism — First Public Baptism of Infants — Battle of Kororareka — Marsden's Sixth Visit — Reconciliation — Progress of Translation — Fresh Labourers — A New Mission Vessel — Perilous Voyage — Eagerness of the Natives to learn — New Station at W^aimate — A Successful Effort — Darkness before the Dawn — Admission to Holy Communion — Beginning of Native Agency — New Station at Kaitaia — Further Advance in Translation — Improvement in 1833 -page CHAPTER IV. Efforts to Extend Mission — British Resident — New Station in the Thames District — Expedition of Rev. W. Williams to East Cape — Hicks's Bay and Waiapu — The Waikato Explored — New Stations at Mangapouri and Tauranga — Removal of Rev. W. Williams to Waimate — A Distinguished Visitor — His Testimony — Translation of New Testament and Prayer Book — Arrival of Rev. R. Maunsell — Marsden's Last Visit — His Reception by the People — His Death at Paramatta — Visit of Bishop Broughton — Rev. Octavius Hadfield — First Confirmation — Ordination of Mr. Hadfield to Priesthood — Bishop Broughton's Repoi-t to Church Missionary Society — Roman Catholic Mission — Waharoa — Mission Stations Pillaged — The Waikato Stations -page 59 CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER V. Native Agency — Taumatakura — His Success — Removal of Rev. W. Williams to Turanga — Great Advance in that District — Ripaha — Rauparaha of Otaki — His Son and Nephew — Learning to Read under Difficulties — Strange Reading Party at Kapiti — Visit of the Cousins to the Bay of Islands in search of a Missionary — Mr. Hadfield volunteers — Is settled at Otaki — Waikanae to share his services — Station formed at Wanganui — Retrospect of Missionary Period — Beginning of a New Era — The Year 1840 — Treaty of Waitangi — British Sovereignty Proclaimed — Systematic Colonisation — Church Society for New Zealand — Proposal to appoint a Bishop — Maori Superstitions — Origin of the New Zealander — Character of their Religion — Atua — Karakia — Tohunga — Te Reinga — The Tapu — Concluding Remarks — Value set on the Holy Scriptures >. p<^gs 76 PART II. THE PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. CHAPTER I. Appointment and Consecration of Bishop — His Family and previous Life — Character — Letters Patent — Endow- ments — Fellow-workers — Departure — Voyage — Arrival page 9 1 CHAPTER II. Arrival at Paihia — Mutual First Impressions — Residence at Waimate — First Appointment of Archdeacon — First Visitation Tour — Death of Mr. Evans — Return to Auckland — Death of Rev. T. C. Whytehead— First Confirmation — Financial Arrangements — Peace- making — Ordinations — The Rev. Oct. Hadfield... /a^^ 106 NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER III. First Missionary Tour in Middle Island — Return to Bay of Islands — Bishop Selwyn as a Missionary — Ordinations — Installation of Archdeacons — Rev. G. A. Kissling — Removal of St. John's College to Tamaki — Illness of Rev. O. Hadfield — Translations of the Old and New Testaments — Translation of Prayer-book pdg^ 119 CHAPTER IV. Native Disaffection and its Cause — Heke's Insurrection — The Missionaries charged with Treason — Governor Grey — Prejudice against Missionaries — Missionary Land Grants — Grey's Confidential Despatch — Demand for Inquiry — How responded to — The Bishop's Views — The Governor's open Opposition — Goes to \,z.vi page 133 CHAPTER V. Governor Grey's Despatch to Earl Grey — The Conciliatory Resolutions — The Governor and the Bishop — Refusal to Surrender Grants — Breach with Bishop — Dismissal — Retires to Pakaraka — Vmdication — Archdeacon W. Williams meets Committee — Complete Exoneration — Henry Williams Re-instated — Reconciliation with Bishop and Governor -pt^ge 1 5 1 CHAPTER VI. Synods of Clergy at Waimate, 1844 and 1847— Status of Colonial Church — Commencement of Melanesian Mission — Plan pursued — Conference of Bishops at Sydney — Australasian Board of Missions — The Border iV/a/i/— Voyage of 1851 tage 165 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. Annus Mirabilis — Fellow-workers from Home — Canterbury Pilgrims — First Visit to the New Settlement — Bishop- Designate of Lyttelton — Bishop's Second Visit — Third Visit — Appointment of Commissaries — Epoch ...page 1*76 CHAPTER VIII. The Era of Church Organisation — In what sense Bishop Selwyn was Author of Church Constitution — -Address of 1850 — Pastoral of 1852 — Proposed Principles ot Church Constitution — Remarks on these page 186 CHAPTER IX. The Canterbury Church Committee — Letter written by Mr. J. R. Godley at request of the Committee — Analysis of the same page 197 CHAPTER X. The Bishop's Second Pastoral — Meetings to consider Basis of Constitution — Auckland Meeting — Wellington Meeting — Nelson Meeting — New Plymouth Meeting — Wanganui, Lyttelton, and Otago Meetings — Christ- church Meeting — General Remarks page 206 CHAPTER XL The Bishop's Visit to England — Its Result — His Return with Rev. J. C. Patteson — Meeting at Christchurch — Resolutions — Mr. Labouchere's Words — Religious, XU NEW ZEALAND. Charitable, and Educational Trasts Act, 1856 — Con- secration of first Bishop of Christchurch — Arrival and Enthronisation page 214 CHAPTER XII. Conference summoned — How composed — Analysis of Report witli Comments — Arrangements for Meeting of First General Synod — Preamble and Fundamental Provisions page 224 PART III. THE PERIOD OF SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. CHAPTER I. First General Synod convened — New Sees of Wellington, Nelson, and W^aiapu — Appointments to them — Members of Synod, Clerical and Lay — Opening of Synod — Address — Business — Tribunals Bill — Nomi- nators' Statute — First Standing Commission — jNIaori Liberality — Theoretical Question — Remarks page 238 CHAPTER II. Bishop Selwyn in time of War — Consecration of Bishop Patteson — Second General Synod— Opening Address — Character and Results of Session — Christchurch Board of Trusts Statute — Rise and Growth of Dis- satisfaction — Objections to Constitution — ^Judgment iiT CONTENTS. Xlll case of Long v. Bishop of Capetown — Duke of New- castle's Despatch — Action of Bishop and Synod of Christchurch — Report of Commission page 258 CHAPTER III. Meeting of Third General Synod— Its Members —General Character of Session — President's Address— Hauhau Oatbreak — Openings for Reconciliation — Diocesan Basis — Lengthy Debate— Revision of Constitution — Amendments actually made — Dioceses to have Inde- pendent Management of Property — Discipline Sta- tutes tage 283 CHAPTER IV. The Bishops resign their Patents — The Effect — The Dunedin Bishopric Question— The Bishop of New Zealand writes to the Archbishop— Appointment of Rev. H. L. Jenner — Resolutions of Rural Deanery Boards vetoed— The Primate's Visit to the South— Dr. Jenner Consecrated— Resolutions of R. D. Board, February, 1867 — Memorial — Wx. W. Carr Young's Letters — His Interview with the Archbishop — Bishop Jenner's Undertaking — The Archbishop's Letter — Resolutions of R. D. Board— Bishop Jenner's departure delayed — Sir W. Martin's opinion— General desire to refer the matter to the General Synod page 300 CHAPTER V. Fourth General Synod— Select Committee on Jenner Case —The Debate and its Result— Other Measures of the Session — Farewell Addresses to Bishop Selwyn — Fare- well Services — Departure — Letter written on board the ^^^^—Bishop Jenner arrives in Dunedin — Diocesan Synod convened— Final struggle and its Result. . . page 323 XIV NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER VI. Fifth General Synod — Bishop Cowie — Bishop Hadfield — Dunedin Bishopric Case — The Bishoprics Statute — The Discipline Statutes — Diocesan Boards Statute — Modification of Services — Close of Session — Consecra- tion of Bishop Nevill — Action of English Prelates — The Primate's Letter — Bishop Jenner's Reply — Death of Bishop Patteson — Sixth General Synod — Constitu- tional Questions — Statute No. 19— Bishop of Dunedin again — Board of Theological Studies — St. John's College, Auckland — The Melanesian Bishopric... /^'^^^ 340 CHAPTER VH. Seventh General Synod — Character of Session— Formu- laries Bill — Other Proceedings — Letter of Bishop Reinkens — Consecration of Bishop of Melanesia — Bishopric of Waiapu — Consecration of Bishop Stuart — Death of Bishop Williams — Eighth General Synod — Theological College — Suffragan Bishop — Diocesan Boards — Diaconate and Lay Ministrations — Church of Sweden — Close of Session page 370 CHAPTER VHL Consecration of Christchurch Cathedral — Ninth General Synod — Legislation recast in shape of Canons — The Ven. Archdeacon Harris — The Discipline Bills — Church of Sweden- — St. John's Colkge, Auckland — The Maori Apostasy — Tenth General Synod — Remi- niscences — Bishop Barry— Samoan Chiefs— Episcopal Superintendence of the Fiji Group — Sir Alexander Stuart — Education System of New Zealand — Petition to Legislature — Diaconate and Lay Ministrations — St. John's College — History of Church of New Zealand — Conclusion fage 397 CONTENTS. XV PART IV, THE SEVEN DIOCESES. CHAPTER I. The Diocese of Auckland. Statistics — Clergy Pension Fund — Diocesan Endowments — General Endowments — Institutions page 423 CHAPTER n. Diocese of Christchurch. Staff of the Diocese — Statistics — Endowments — Home Mission Fund — Institutions of the Diocese : — I. Christ's College, Canterbury — 2. Christchurch Cathedral page 427 CHAPTER III. Diocese of Dunedin. Staff of the Diocese — Licensed Clergy and Lay Readers — Confirmations — Diocesan Trust Board :— A. Bishopric Fund ; B. Theological College Fund ; C. General Church Fund page 438 CHAPTER IV. Diocese of Nelson, compiled by the Right Rev, THE Lord T^ishop of Nelson. Foundation of Settlement — The First Clergyman — The Maories — Rev. C. L. Reay — Bishop Selwyn's Visits^ The Rev. H.F.Butt — Foundation of Bishopric — Bishop XVI NEW ZEALAND. Hobhouse — The present Bishop — Alteration of Boundaries — Archdeaconries — Statistics — Bishopdale College — Bishop's School — Cathedral — Orphan- age page 443 CHAPTER V. Diocese of Waiapu. Early History — Bishopric Endowment — Contrast between Northern and Southern Districts — The Bishop and his Staff— Statistics page 453 CHAPTER VI. Diocese of Wellington. Boundaries of Diocese — Bishops — Endowments : — I. For Bishoprics; 2. Educational — Statistics — Finance — Pension Fund page 460 CHAPTER VH. Diocese of Melanesia. The Mission Field— The Mission Staff— Head Quarters of the Mission — Statistics — Churches — Expenditure — Means of Support page 465 CHAPTER VIII. The Maori Mission. M ission Board— Native Church Boards— Maori Church Sta- tistics :— I. North Island— n. South Island — Educa- tional Institutions :— A. Training College at Gisbome — B. Native College at Te Aute— C. Native Girls' School at Napier t<^g^ 469 r^ PROVINCE OF NEW ZEALAND. PART I . THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. CHAPTER I. Samuel Marsden — His first efforts for the New Zealanders — His Visit to England — Foundation of the Mission by Church Missionary Society — The Society's first Agents — Their Instructions — Ruatara — Massacre of the Boyd — The Mis- ■ sionary brig Active — Hongi — Marsden's First Visit to New Zealand — His first step — His confidence — The first Service — Christmas Day, 1814 — Settling of the Missionaries — Death of Ruatara — His last Thoughts. Samuel jMarsden is as justly entitled to be called the Apostle of the Maori race, as Ulfilas of the Goths, Boniface of Germany, or Augustine of our own England. Marsden, indeed, played Gregory's part as well as Augustine's ; like Gregory, he happened as it were by chance upon some remark- able-looking heathen in a city remote from their native land, was struck by their apparent superiority to other barbarous races, and never rested until he had succeeded in inciting others to preach the Gospel to the people of the land whence they came ; like Augustine, braving both " perils in the sea," and 2 NEW ZEALAND. " perils by the heathen," he went and evangelised them himself. To St. John's College, Cambridge, belongs the honour of having enrolled on its books the two greatest names in the story of the New Zealand Church, Marsden and Selwyn. Alarsden, born on the 28th July, 1764, the son of a tradesman at Horsforth, near Leeds, had been a pupil of the ecclesiastical historian, Dr. Joseph Milner, at the Free Grammar School at Hull, and was supported as an undergraduate at St. John's by the Elland Society, a body of zealous Churchmen associated for the pur- pose of providing for the education of carefully- selected candidates for the sacred ministry. Well did Marsden justify their choice; for, before his ordination, and before he had even taken his degree, some influential persons, v.ho had watched his course at Cambridge, judged him fit to occupy the difficult and responsible post of chaplain to the newly-formed penal establishment at Port Jackson, or Botany Bay. His appointment, for which he is said to have been recommended by William V\'ilberforce, was at first that of assistant chaplain, and was made by Royal Commission, bearing date, January ist, 1793. He had not long reached the scene of his future labours before the senior chaplain resigned, and Marsden was left to carry on single-handed for many years a most determined struggle against the vilest imagin- able iniquities, the grossest abuses of authority, and the most shameless licentiousness shielded by official influence. As a sure consequence, he provoked the virulent opposition of powerful and unscrupulous THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 3 adversaries — men interested in maintaining the abuses he exposed — who strove for years, though happily without success, to blacken his character and drive him from the colony. The story is one of painful interest, but it is beside our purpose.^ Suffice it to say that Samuel Marsden, though not distinguished by brilliant abilities or literary power, was a man of singular strength and energy of character, of intrepid resolution and indomitable perseverance, joined with an admirable singleness of purpose and largeness of heart. With ardent philanthropy, moreover, he com- bined an ample measure of those qualities for which Yorkshiremen are famous all the world over — practical sagacity and shrewdness, and strong common sense. Very early in the present century he appears to have conceived a lively interest in the natives of New Zealand, several of whom, led by curiosity and love of enterprise, found their way to Sydney as working hands in whalers and small merchantmen, trading between Sydney and the Bay of Islands. Some of these were chiefs and men of influence in their own country ; but all alike soon discovered that they had a friend in this foreign land. There was much that was repellent, no doubt, yet much to attract, in those heathen savages. Marsden formed a high opinion of their capabilities. " They are a noble race," he wrote a few years later to a friend in ' The reader who would wisli lo know more of this remark- able man, would do well to consult " Memoirs of the Life and Labours of the Rev. Samuel Marsden." Edited by the Rev, J. B. Marsden, M.A. London : Religious Tract Society. The biographer, though bearing the same name, was not a relr.tion. B 2 4 NEW ZEALAND. England, " vastly superior in understanding to any- thing you can imagine a savage nation could attain." The doors of his hospitable home at Paramatta were opened wide to them, and he built a hut within the parsonage grounds specially for their reception. Few of our readers can conceive how much of unpleasant- ness, and even of danger, was involved in entertain- ing strangers of this description. " My father," writes one of his daughters, " had sometimes as many as thirty New Zealanders staying at the parson- age ; " and she goes on to relate an incident which serves to illustrate both the cruel nature of their superstitions, and the remarkable influence he had already gained over them : — " On one occasion a young lad, the nephew of a chief, died, and his uncle immediately made preparation to sacrifice a slave to attend his spirit into the other world. Mr. Marsden was from home, and his family were only able to pre- serve the life of the young New Zealander by hiding him in one of the rooms. Mr. Marsden no sooner returned and reasoned with the chief, than he con- sented to spare his life. No further attempt was made upon it, though the uncle frequently deplored that his nephew had no attendant to the next world, and seemed afraid to return to New Zealand, lest the father of the young man should reproach him for having given up this important custom." God had opened the heart of this good man towards this interesting people, and it became the passion of his life to bring them into the fold of Christ. In 1807, he returned to England on a visit, and was absent from Australia about two years. In THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 5 the course of this visit, though overwhehned by many other engagements, he laid the foundation of tlie Church of England Mission to the natives of New Zealand, which, despite of all drawbacks, may surely be reckoned among the most successful, as well as among the most important and far-reaching in their influences, of all Christian enterprises of the nine- teenth century. To the Church Missionary Society, under God, belongs the honour of carrying on this great work from the commencement, but it was at the instance of Marsden that they undertook it. To the leaders of that Society, which had then been in ex- istence only about seven years, he betook himself, and with all the energy he could command he pressed the mission upon them, and rested not until they had taken it up with all his own heartiness and enthu- siasm. The Society consulted him in the choice of their first agents, and, as he was strongly — not to say, too strongly — impressed with the notion that the way to the Christianisation of a rude heathen people, such as that of New Zealand, must be paved by the introduction of the arts of civilised life, they selected for the first pioneers of the mission two mechanics of a rather superior order, William Hall, a carpenter and ship-builder, and John King, a shoemaker, with some knowledge also of flax-dressing and rope- making, and some acquaintance with agriculture. Men of courage and devotion they must needs have been, who thus ventured forth with their lives in their hands on a wholly untried enterprise ; and notable is the day, August 25th, 1809, on which they embarked on board the An??, in company with 6 NEW ZEALAND. Mr. Marsden for Sydney, bearing with them instruc- tions from the Society, the pith of which was con- tained in the following words : — " Ever bear in mind that the only object of the Society, in sending you to New Zealand, is to introduce the knowledge of Christ among the natives, and, in order to this, the arts of civilised life." ^ It was so ordered by the Providence of God that, on the outward voyage, Mr. Marsden most unexpect- edly discovered among his fellow-passengers one who was in a high degree both able and willing to advance the great cause he had at heart. This was a young New Zealander, named Ruatara,- ^ chief of high rank ' These instructions bear very distinctly on the face of them the impress of Mr. Marsden's views as to the necessity of evangelistic efforts being preceded by some practical knowledge of the arts of life — views which were exceedingly pronounced, as were all the opinions he entertained. We must venture further and say, face tanti -Jiri, that they were exaggerated, as most of our readers will think, when they have read the fol- lowing extract from his memorandum addressed to the C.M.S. : — "Since nothing in my opinion can pave the way for the introduction of the Gospel but civilisation ; and that can only be accomplished among the heathen by the arts ; I would recommend that three mechanics be appointed to make -the first attempt. .. . The arts and religion should go together. The attention of the heathen can be gained, and their vagrant habits corrected, only by the arts. Tdl their attention is gained, and moral and industrious habits are induced, little or no pro- gress can be made in teaching them the Gospel. . . . To preach the Gospel without the aid of the arts will never succeed amongst the heathen for any time." ^ This name is spelt in the C.M.S. Reports, and in old books on New Zealand, Diiatena. The meaning of the word is Lizard. THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 7 among his countrymen, whose story, if we had space to tell it at length, would read like a romance. A restless spirit of adventure had led him, when he could not have been more than eighteen, to embark on board a South Sea whaler, which had put in at his native place in the Bay of Islands. Shamefully imposed upon by the master of this vessel, defrauded of his wages after twelve months' service, put on shore at Sydney without money and without friends, he must have starved, had not the captain of another whaler, a just and humane man, given him employ- ment, and landed him at the end of six months, well- paid in European articles, among his own people at the Bay of Islands. But the roving spirit and the ardent desire to see more of the world, were not yet quenched in the young adventurer ; and, after a few months on shore, he trusted himself to the tender mercies of yet another master-mariner, the captain of the Santa Anna, who promised, after he had com- pleted his cargo of sealskins, to take him to England and show him King George. In the interval he was put on shore, as one of a small party of seamen, on the desert coast of Bounty Island to collect sealskins, the captain meanwhile sailing to Norfolk Island for provisions. He was prevented, however, by stress of weather from returning for ten months, in the course of which time three of the party died, and the rest endured untold hardships from famine and exposure. They had not been idle, however, for they had col- lected an immense number of sealskins, and the vessel presently set sail for England. Poor Ruatara's hopes now revived, and all his troubles were forgotten. He 8 XEVV ZEALAND. was mercilessly beaten on the vo3-age, but the prospect of seeing England and King George supported him under all his miseries. At length London was reached, but the inhuman wretch, in whose word he trusted, put him off with excuses, as long as he needed his services, then laughed him to scorn for his credulity, and discharged him without either money or clothing. But God had high honour in store for one whom man thus despitefully used and persecuted ; he was to be made an important instrument in bringing his countr}'men to the knowledge of the True Light. The vile master of the Sauta AiDia contrived to ship him on board the Arin^ which had been chartered by the Government for the conveyance of convicts to Port Jackson, telling him that his wages would be paid in the shape of two muskets on his reaching Sydney. Even these he never received ; but some- thing better awaited him on the voyage, the diversion of his thoughts and interests into a wholly different channel. T\it Ann had not been long at sea, "before Mr. Marsden observed on the forecastle " — we quote from the " Memoirs of his Life and Labours " — " amongst the common sailors a man whose darker skin and wretched appearance awakened his sym- pathy. He was wrapped in an old great coat, very sick and weak, and had a violent cough, accompanied with profuse bleeding. He was much dejected, and appeared as though a few days would close his life." Mr. Marsden, who had some difficulty at first in recognising in this poor emaciated creature the bright young chief who had previously been among his guests at Paramatta, listened with indignation to the THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 9 distressing tale of the wrongs he had endured at the hands of British seamen. After a while, when the assiduous attentions of Mr. Marsden, and the two catechists, his companions, had restored him, by the blessing of God, to health and vigour, they had much conversation with him as to the best methods to be pursued for the introduction of religion and civilisa- tion into New Zealand. He conceived a special regard for John King, and the two became fast friends. He cannot be described as a convert to Christianity^ but he was feeling his way towards the light, and was gradually shaking off his national superstitions. After their arrival at Sydney, in February, iSio, he was Mr. Marsden's guest for some months, during which he applied himself eagerly to agriculture, and the acquire- ment of other useful knowledge, his one absorbing desire being to benefit his countrymen. Then, im- pelled by a love of home, he took advantage of an op- portunity of returning to the Bay of Islands, and the two catechists were tohaveaccompaniedhim; butjustat that time tidings reached Sydney of what is known as "the Massacre of the Boyd''' at the harbour ofWhangaroa, which lies some distance to the north of the Bay of Islands, a fearful act of revenge taken by the natives for indignities suffered by one of their chiefs at the hands of the captain of that vessel, similar to those Ruatara had endured, and which involved, not only the burning of the ship, but the massacre of the crew and passengers, amounting to nearly seventy persons^ eight only having escaped. The general horror caused by this event was greatly increased by the ' o'er true tale " of cannibalism connected with iL lO NEW ZEALAND. It led to reprisals at the hands of whalers, who con- founded the innocent with the guilty ; and so well- grounded the apprehension appeared to be, that the lives of the missionaries would not be safe if they ventured to land in the neighbourhood of these scenes at such a time of excitement, that no direct step was taken towards the commencement of the mission until 1 8 14. Early in that year a third catechist, Mr. Thomas Kendall, of much the same class as King and Hall, though of somewhat higher intellectual qualifications, arrived from England, sent out by the C.M.S. to take part in their work. Marsden would delay no longer. His first step was a bold and decisive one. He had previously taken a very active interest in the work of the Tahitian, or Society Island Mission, and was an accredited agent of the London Missionary Society, which had founded it. But he had experienced great difficulty, and much tedious delay, in communicating with the Tahitian missionaries, and finding now that he could not charter a vessel for New Zealand except at an enormous cost, he resolved to obtain at his own risk, feeling confident of the support of the Societies he repre- sented, a vessel to be used mainly for missionary pur- poses, though for trading with the natives at the same time. He accordingly purchased the brig Active of no tons burden, perhaps the first missionary ship that ever floated on the waters. On board this vessel he sent Hall and Kendall to the Bay of Islands, to re-open communication with Ruatara, and to ascertain whether the time was ripe for the commencement of the mission. It was his earnest desire to accompany THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. II them, but the Governor of New South Wales, General Macquarie, who had authority over him as a Govern- ment chaplain, would not suffer him to make the venture at that time, but promised that, if the recon- noitring party should return safely and bring a good report, he would then give him leave to accompany the settlers and their families, and see them fairly es- tablished at the Bay of Islands. The party was well received, as Marsden felt confident they would be, and on their return to Sydney several chiefs came with them. Amongst these were Ruatara and his uncle, Hongi, a chief who had already gained a name among his countrymen for valour, and was destined ere long to become the most powerful man in New Zealand, and to acquire an evil fame for deeds of rapine and bloodshed. Writing in September, 1814, to the Sec- retary of the C.M.S., Marsden says : — " I am happy to inform you that the brig Active returned safe from New Zealand on the 21st August, after fully accom- plishing the object of her voyage. My wish was to open a friendly intercourse between the natives of that island and the missionaries, previous to their final settlement among them." We must not omit to mention that that true patriot and most remarkable man, Ruatara, in the interval between his return from England and the first trip of the Active to New Zealand, although during a portion of the time he had suffered a repetition of his former hardships, and had endured much from the perfidy of another whaling captain, had succeeded in introducing the cultivation of wheat at the Bay of Islands. He was, in fi^ct, the Tripto- lemus of Maori-land. But, when he had grown his 12 NEW ZEALAND. wheat, he was sore distressed for the means of grind- ing it, when, to his great joy, the Active brought him from Mr. Marsden the welcome present of a steel hand-miU. But to resume the thread of our narrative. That prince of missionaries, greatly encouraged by the suc- cess of the pioneer-trip of the Active, and having now obtained the Governor's full consent to his going, on the igth November (that is, within two months of the vessel's return to Sydney) embarked on board her to pay his first, the first of seven visits, to the land he so ardently longed to evangelise. The inexorable limits of space forbid us to indulge the strong temptation to enlarge on the subject of this visit; but it must suffice to say, that he took with him the three lay-mission- aries, Kendall, Hall, and King, with their wives and children, an adventurous friend, named Nicholas, who had volunteered to accompany him,' and eight Maories," including Ruatara, Hongi, and another chief, named Korokoro; that they sighted land on the 15th December ; and that, a few days later, he landed at a spot near the harbour of Whangaroa, the very scene of the massacre of the Boyd, some five years before, and where some shattered remains of that ill-fated ship still lay ; and that they were received by the natives, amongst whom was one of the principal actors in the tragedy, in such a manner as to dispel all apprehension. For the fame of Samuel Marsden, the friend of New Zealanders, ' This gentleman, on his return to England, published a "Narrative of a Voyage to New Zealand" in two volumes. (Black, 1817.) ^ The word Maori means simply "native." THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 1 3 had gone before him, and was his best introduction; he had also prudently availed himself of the advantage of coming in company with men of distinction among their countrymen. His first effort, and its complete success, were happy omens for the future. He was aware that for a long time past, a terrible blood-feud, which had had its origin in the massacre of the Boyd^ had been raging between the Whangaroans and the inhabitants of the Bay of Islands, and he was resolved at all risks, if it were possible, to restore peace. This was his reason for landing first at Whangaroa, before proceeding to the Bay. It was neces- sary also for securing the safety of the missionaries he was to leave behind him, that he should conciliate the good- will of these people ; for at present they were the deadly enemies of the chiefs to whom he looked as the protectors of the mission. He first won their confidence by showing confidence in them, boldly going unarmed from the landing-place, accompanied by four Englishmen and three natives, and climbing the hill where the Whangaroans were assembled, fully armed. He even ventured to pass the night among them, sleeping on the bare ground. But, before they lay down to rest, he briefly explained to them through an interpreter the object for which he had brought missionaries to live among them.i The next morning ' The following is an extract from Mr. Marsden's own nar- rative : — "The night was clear, the stars shone bright, the sea before us was smooth ; around were the warriors' spears stuck upright in the ground, and groups of natives lying in all direc- tions, like a flock of sheep, upon the grass ; for there were neither tents nor huts to cover them. I viewed our present 14 NEW ZEALAND. he invited the Whangaroan chiefs to breakfast with him on board the Active, and they showed in their turn that they reciprocated his confidence by accepting his invitation. After breakfast, with the assistance of Ruatara, he distributed presents among them ; then he formally introduced the missionaries ; and finally, he besought them to give up their feud, and live in peace with their neighbours. To his intense satis- faction and joy, they promised to protect the mission, and to abstain in future from injuring European traders ; lastly, they shook hands with Hongi and Ruatara and others of their party, and sealed their reconciliation in the national fashion by rubbing Jioses with them. But memorable above all things was the event which followed very shortly after — the first service of worship offered in this fair land among this heathen people to the God of Love through His Incarnate Son. And the time was specially propitious : their first Sunday in New Zealand fell on Christmas Day. Leaving AVhangaroa, they had reached the Bay of Islands on the 22nd December, and anchored off Rangihoua, Ruatara's village. This was the spot which had been chosen for the residence of the mis- sionaries, and here the whole party was received with the utmost cordiality ; voices of welcome, and pro- situation with feelings I cannot describe ; su.rounded by canni- bals who had massacred and devoured our countrymen. I wondered much at the mysteries of Providence, and how these things could be. I did not sleep much ; my mind was occupied by the strange circumstances in which we were, and the new and strange ideas the scene naturally awakened." THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 1$ mises of protection and help abounded on every side. Although even at this time Ruatara cannot be said to have been a Christian, one point had strongly impressed itself on his mind — the importance of in- troducing among his countrymen that which he him- self had been most impressed with, when he was in England — the observance of the Lord's Day, the Ra Tapii, or Holy Day. His mind had long been bent on what he himself termed " making a Sabbath ": on that Christmas Eve, accordingly, he was exceed- ingly busy. Enclosing about half an acre of land with a rough fence, he erected a reading-desk and pulpit in the centre, and covered the erection with some black cloth he had brought from Sydney for the purpose. He also arranged some old canoes on each side of the pulpit, as seats for the English ; the native portion of the congregation was to sit, accord- ing to custom, on the ground. All these preparations he made of his own accord and out of his own head, and in the evening joyfully informed Mr. Marsden that all things were ready for the service of the morrow. On that Christmas morning, what was the delight of that good man to see from the deck of the Active the English colours flying from a flagstaff erected by Ruatara ! It might well seem to him the emblem of the dawn of religion and civilisation on that people who had so long sat in darkness. About ten o'clock he prepared to go ashore to preach for the first time in this land the glad tidings of the Gospel j and such was his confidence in the people, that he ordered all on board to go ashore with him to attend the service, with the exception of the master l6 NEW ZEALAND. and one man. This memorable event cannot be better described than in his own words, taken from his journal written at the time : — " When we landed," he says, "we found Korokoro, Ruatara, and Hongi dressed in regimentals which Governor Macquarie had given them, with their men drawn up, ready to be marched into the enclosure to attend divine service ; they had their swords by their sides, and switches in their hands. We entered the enclosure, and were placed on the seats on each side of the pulpit. Korokoro marched his men, and placed them on my right hand in the rear of the Europeans, and Ruatara placed his men on the left. The in- habitants of the town, with the women and children, and a number of other chiefs, formed a circle round the whole. A very solemn silence prevailed — the sight was truly impressive. I rose up and began the service with singing the Old Hundredth Psalm, and felt my very soul melt within me when I viewed my congregation, and considered the state they were in. After reading the service — during which the natives stood up and sat down at the signals given by Korokoro's switch, which was regulated by the move- ments of the Europeans — it being Christmas Day, I preached upon the second chapter of S. Luke's Gospel, and tenth verse, * Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy.' The natives told Ruatara that they could not understand what I meant. He re- plied that they were not to mind that now, for they would understand by-and-by ; and that he would explain my meaning as far as he could. When I had done preaching, he informed them what I had THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 17 been talking about. ... In this manner the Gospel has been introduced into New Zealand ; and I fer- vently pray that the glory of it may never depart from its inhabitants till time shall be no more." His next care was to provide dwellings and store- houses for the missionaries. He had acquired, for the consideration of twelve axes, a block of land, 200 acres in extent, from one of the chiefs of the district, and this was transferred to the C.M.S., by a deed of conveyance of a simple and straightforward character, " signed " (in the words of the Society's Report for 1816) " in a manner quite original — the chief having copied, as his sign-manual, the lines tattooed upon his own face." A few primitive erections, each consisting of a framework of wood, interwoven with flags of raupo, or native bulrush, formed the mission station of Rangihoua. Mr. Kendall, it should be mentioned, before leaving Sydney, had been gazetted as Resident Magistrate at the Bay of Islands. Mr. Marsdens stay in New Zealand was strictly limited by the orders of Governor Macquarie, but it need scarcely be said that he made the very most of the brief time at his disposal. He had been formally requested by the Government of New South Wales to explore, so far as time would permit, the state of New Zealand, and report the same to the Governor, " with a view to ascertain the expediency of forming there a pet' manent establishment." 1 In pursuance of these ' No doubt a convict establishment was intended — a curse from which the land was, by God's mercy, happily defended. C l8 NEW ZEALAND. instructions he explored in the Active the east-coast of the North Island from the Cavalles Islands to the River Thames, again showing his confidence in the natives by taking on board no less than twenty-eight of their number, all well armed, to defend him against possible attacks from natives to whom he was not known. But he found there was no need of any such precaution ; for they were everywhere hospi- table, and appeared pleased at the prospect of having Europeans to settle amongst them. From the Thames he returned to the Bay of Islands, where he continued for more than six weeks, exploring the adjacent country in every direction. One melancholy event cast a gloom over the close of this otherwise most prosperous visit. Ruatara — the intelligent and patriotic, the brave and long- suffering, the unwearied benefactor of his countrymen — was taken suddenly and seriously ill ; and when Mr. Marsden heard of it, and hastened to visit him, he was not allowed for some days to come near him, owing to the absurd superstition which, on the plea of sanctity, condemned the person of a chief to cruel isolation and neglect.^ When, at length, by dint partly of entreaties and partly of threats, he succeeded in gaining access to him, the poor fellow appeared sadly distracted, and at a loss what to do, or which way to turn. Faint gleams of light had reached his heart, and he was eager for instruction ; 'he asked Mr. Marsden to pray for him; but the ' For some of the effects of the fapti, see the last chapter of Part I. THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. I9 native tohunga, or priest, beset him day and night, and in his mortal weakness he was unable to throw off the influences which surrounded him. Mr. Marsden had no choice but to leave him in this state, and to set sail, and four days after his depar- ture, on the 3rd March, 1815, poor Ruatara died, being, in Mr. Marsden's judgment, not more than twenty-eight years of age. On the following day, to complete the tragedy, his wife, Rahu, inconsolable for her loss, put an end to her life by hanging herself. Strange as this dispensation may appear, there seem to be some grounds for applying to this truly remark- able man the saying, Felix opportiinitate tnortis. To the very last his mind was full of schemes for the ad- vancement of his people. "On my arrival with him at New Zealand with the settlers," writes Mr. Marsden, in a letter to the Secretary of the C.M.S., dated Oct. 28th, 1815, "he appeared to have accomplished the grand object of all his toils He told me, with much triumph and joy, I have now introduced the cultivation of wheat into New Zealand. New Zealand will become a great country. In two years more I shall be able to export wheat to Port Jackson, to exchange for hoes, axes, spades, tea, sugar, &c., Under this impression he made arrangements with his people for building a new town with regular streets, after the European mode, on a beautiful situa- tion, which commanded a view of the mouth of the harbour and the adjacent country. I accompanied him to the spot. We examined the ground fixed on for the town, and the situation where the church was to c 2 20 NEW ZEALAND. Stand. The streets were to have been all marked out before the Active sailed for Port Jackson. At the very time when these arrangements were to have been executed, he was stretched on his dying bed." ^ Yet, after all, in spite of this apparent enlightenment, Ruatara clung with a strange tenacity to his old heathen superstitions ; and not only so, but, difficult as it may be to believe, after reading the foregoing narrative, he had actually conceived a deep-seated pre- judice against the missionary establishment. Mr. IMarsden, from whom he had striven hard to conceal this feeling, struck by the unwonted gloominess of his manner on the voyage from Sydney, pressed him to reveal the cause, and at length discovered that some person, whose name nothing would induce him to men- tion, had poisonedhismindagainstthemission. "These prejudices," says Mr. IMarsden, writing to the Secre- tary of the C.M.S., "originated at Port Jackson, just before I sailed with him to New Zealand, from some person or persons, with the most dark and diabolical design, telling Ruatara not to trust us, as our only object was to deprive the New Zealanders of their country ; and that as soon as we had got a footing there, we should pour into New Zealand an armed force, and take the country to ourselves. To make the impression the deeper, they called his attention to the ' Strange to say, he died on a hill at Te Puna (the Spring), the very site of the proposed town, having been conveyed thither on a bier, the day before his death, in accordance with a superstitious notion that, if a man were suffered to die in one of their villages, the Atua would be angry, and some heavy calamity would befall them. THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 21 miserable state of the natives of New South Wales — wandering naked about our streets — deprived by the English of their country — and reduced by us to their present wretchedness ! This suggestion darted into his mind like a poisoned arrow, destroyed his confi - dence in Europeans, and alarmed his fears and jealousy for the safety of his country, for which he had the most unbounded love." With such thoughts as these working in his mind, it is impossible to say what Ruatara's after- course might have been, had his life been prolonged. There seems no doubt that his personal advancement also in Christian faith and knowledge was hindered by the same cause. On his deathbed, however, he enjoined his wife to admonish the chiefs and people of Te Puna to be kind to the settlers when he was gone, and directed that his infant son should be sent to Mr. Marsden to be brought up in the Orphan School at Sydney. On the whole the predominant feeling of those who read this pathetic tale will be in agreement, we doubt not, with that of Mr. Marsden, who takes much pains to clear the reputation of his friend, and expresses a sad regret that any sort of '* cloud " should be " cast over the character of a very great and extraordinary man, whose memory," he says, " will long be precious to those who knew him." THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. CHAPTER II. Marsden's Second Visit — State of Mission— Seminary at Para- matta — Rev. J. Butler — First Celebration of Holy Com- munion — Trading for Muskets— Marsden's Third Visit — Hongi and Kendall go to England — Character of Hongi — Change in his Conduct — Ordination of Kendall — His Behaviour — Professor Lee, and the Maori Language — Paralysis of Mission — The Rev, IL Williams — Marsden's Fourth Visit — Settlement of the Rev. H. Williams at Paihia — Wreck of the Brampton. Mr. Marsden reached Sydney, accompanied by ten chiefs, on the 23rd March, 181 5. Four years and a half passed away before the constant pressure of his duties in New South Wales permitted him to visit New Zealand again. It cannot be said that Christi- anity had made any marked advance in the interval; those good and earnest men, King and Hall, had doubtless done their very best, according to their light, to spread the knowledge of the truth ; but their want of power to acquire the native language was an effectual bar to any great success. Kendall, who was their superior in knowledge and attainments, though not to be compared with them in point of character, had written a prayer and a short elementary catechism in Maori. A schoolroom also had been built, and from fifty to a hundred children were taught in it; but the scholars could only be retained by feeding and clothing them ; and, when food failed, the school THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 23 was broken up, and the master had to follow his scholars into the bush. Altogether, these lay mission- aries cannot be said to have gained much hold upon the people. It is not a little wonderful, indeed, con- sidering the extreme difficulty of the work, and the dangers by which they were surrounded, that they had even been able to hold their own. They were no longer shielded by Ruatara's friendly protection, nor encouraged by his enthusiasm : Hongi, his uncle, was their friend, but he dwelt many miles off at Waimate, and was not at hand to defend them from the threats and insults, the petty annoyances, and the occasional menacing alarms, to which they were subject from their immediate neighbours. So far, moreover, from being a patriot, like his nephew, this man's whole soul was bent on personal aggrandisement. The ter- rible isolation of that small band of pioneers ought never to be forgotten ; neither was it a contemptible work which they achieved, if they only paved the way for the abler men who succeeded them. Judging from the tenor of their own reports to the Society at home, they do not appear to have held their own work in any high esteem. In the meantime the true work of the mission was being carried on by its founder at his seminary at Paramatta. His aim was to prevail on the leading chiefs to sendtheir sons to this institution, or to come themselves ; and, when they returned to their homes, after being for some time under his influence, they appeared unlike the same persons. In February, 1820, he says, in a letter to the Home Society, that " nothing has tended more to the civilisation of the natives, than the chiefs and their sons visiting New 24 NEW ZEALAND. South Wales " ; and adds, that " it is very pleasing to see the sons of the rival chiefs living with me, and forming mutual attachments .... They will form attachments which will destroy that jealousy, which has kept their tribes in continual war." It is evident, however, that more life and activity, and more aggressive measures were called for on the field of the work itself; there was a crying need, above all, for the appointment of an able and zealous priest to head the mission. The Committee of the C.M.S. fully recog- nised this necessity ; but, in those days a competent man could not readily be found. Their first choice was, unfortunately, not a very happy one. The Rev. John Butler, with his wife and two children, left England for Port Jackson in December, 1818, and the special occasion of Mr. Marsden's second visit to the Bay of Islands, where he arrived on the 12th August, 181 9, was to establish this clergyman at his post. He stayed there about three months^ and succeeded in settling Mr. Butler, with a schoolmaster and a master me- chanic, who had come with him from England, at a place called Keri-Keri, on land to the extent of 13,000 acres bought of Hongi for four dozen axes. The new settlement was called "Gloucester," a name which has vanished, not only from the map, but from the memory of man. The selection caused keen delight to Hongi, and equal disgust to his neighbour and rival, Koro- koro; for the chiefs were not slow to learn that the protectorship of a mission station conferred upon them secular advantages and distinction of an enviable kind. Mr. Marsden's second visit, which lasted about three months, was rendered memorable by the first cele- THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 2$ bration of the Holy Communion in New Zealand, which took place on the 5th September, 18 19, Mr. Marsden celebrating, assisted by Mr. Butler. There were as yet no native communicants ; but the opportunity must have been welcomed indeed by those few English church people so long isolated from the Means of Grace, to whose number, few at the most, some additions had been made from time to time in the course of the preceding five years. About this time a great trouble arose, which well-nigh wrecked the mission. The cause was the passionate desire of the natives to obtain muskets and powder, the possession of which put their enemies at their mercy, and enabled them to wreak a cruel ven- geance upon them. Now the difficulty became a very serious one, when they demanded these imple- ments of war in exchange for their pork and potatoes — the principal articles of food — which the missionaries were not always able to raise in sufficient quantity to supply the wants of their families. At the same time the increasing visits of whaling ships to the Bay, both tended to make provisions scarce, and afforded a market to the producers, which made them indepen- dent of the custom of the missionaries. It was a sore temptation to hungry people to have food brought to them, and taken away again, with the insolent taunt that " the captains would give them a good musket and a quantity of powder for such articles." It was the same with the supply of timber. William Hall reports that " they would not look at him, unless he had a new musket in his hand. They would neither work nor saw timber to any extent but for 26 NEW ZEALAND. muskets and powder. Almost every one who comes to Keri-Keri demands these articles." At the same time the missionaries could not shut their eyes to the certainty, that to put these into the hands of the natives was to arm them straightway for bloodshed and cannibalism. Writing in 1819, Kendall says, " War is all their glory. They travel to the south, and kill great numbers. Almost the whole of the men belonging to this Bay are now gone to battle." The Committee of the C.M.S. felt bound accordingly to take a decided stand in this matter, and, acting under Mr. Marsden's advice, drew up Regulations of Barter, of which this was the principal one : — "No muskets, powder, ball, or other implements of war, must be on any account employed as articles of barter, in carrying on traffic with the natives, or fur- nished to them in any other way." Mr. Marsden, who arrived at the Bay of Islands on his third visit in H. M.S. Dromedary on the 20th February, 1S20, and remained in the country on this occasion for nine months, urged, with his accustomed decision, the necessity of persevering in this self-denying course at all risks. He held a meeting of the settlers at Rangihoua, when they bound themselves in the most solemn manner to adhere to the Society's regulations. Writing to the Society, about a month later, he said, " I have explained to all the neighbouring chiefs, that the settlers must not barter with them on any account with muskets and powder ; and that, if they will not supply them with what they want, they must return to Port Jackson." This threat proved effectual for a time. " None of them," he says, " will hear of the THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 2^ settlers leaving them." So deeply, however, was he impressed with the importance of the subject, that he went on to say, " I think it much more to the honour of religion, and the good of New Zealand, even to give up the mission for the present, than to trade with the natives in these articles." The evil reached its climax in the visit to England of Hongi, and his brother-in-law, Waikato, brother of the lamented Ruatara, in company with Mr. Kendall ; of the results of which visit we shall presently speak. They were on the eve of leaving New Zealand when Mr. Marsden arrived on his third visit, and were away about eighteen months. This good man, with all his shrewdness and penetration, was terribly deceived in Hongi. In his journal of his second visit, he writes, " Hongi is a man of the mildest manners and disposition, and appears to possess a very superior mind." Under this fair exterior he concealed the most unbounded and unscrupulous ambition ; and the one supreme object of his visit to England was, to obtain arms and ammunition sufficient to supply his whole tribe, and thus to carry all before him, and slay and make captive at his pleasure. The chiefs met with much attention and kindness from many of the first people in England, including the sovereign, George IV., who gave them many valuable presents. Hongi's share of these, when he reached Sydney, was converted into muskets and powder ; and almost directly on his return to his native country, he commenced a war of extermination, directed chiefly against the natives of the Thames district — a war which was accompanied by all the 28 NEW ZEALAND. horrors of cannibalism, and continued for many- years, not ceasing even with the death of this enter- prising, but cunning and savage chief. His return to New Zealand, moreover, caused sad trouble and disquiet to the settlers, especially those at Keri-Keri. From motives of policy he did not withdraw his protection openly and altogether ; but they soon discovered proofs that his influence was working secretly against them, and was the real cause of much insolence, and even violence they experi- enced at this time at the hands of some of his tribes- men. For many months before his return, the natives had abstained from demanding arms and ammuni- tion, deterred by Mr. Marsden's threat of removing the missionaries ; but no sooner had he come back, than the old trouble returned, and the desire to ob- tain the means of destruction became more intense than ever. The spirit of the man, indeed, seemed wholly changed. In their Report for 1822, grief and surprise are expressed by the Committee of the C.M.S., that " he should have carried back with him to New Zealand a mind exasperated against the Society." " That he did return in this temper," they go on to say, " after all the kindness shown to him, has been painfully felt by the settlers who remained in the Bay during his absence." Writing to the Society, on the 23rd August, 1821, Mr. Butler says, " Hongi is very inveterate against all religious topics." When we endeavour to trace this change to its origin, we are driven to certain painful inferences concerning the character and con- duct of his fellow-voyager to England and back, THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 29 Thomas Kendall. The evidence is very scanty — for this reason, that the Committee are evidently bent on drawing a veil over the discreditable proceed- ings of a once-trusted agent ; it is impossible, not- withstanding, to resist the conclusion that Kendall, under a more than common profession of humility and sanctity — he describes himself in one of his letters home as " a sinful worm " — concealed a self- seeking and unprincipled character ; that for his own ulterior purposes, whatever they may have been, he had set himself successfully to acquire a dominating influence over the mind of Hongi ; and that he secretly used this influence to the detriment of the Society and his fellow-settlers. While in England, he so behaved himself as to blind the Society com- pletely to his true character ; and so thoroughly did he succeed in winning their confidence and favour, that, on their recommendation, he was ordained suc- cessively deacon and priest in the course of his four months' sojourn in England. But their eyes were soon opened. There can be little doubt that the words, which immediately follow those above quoted from their Report of 1822, respecting the change that had come over Hongi, refer to Kendall : — " Into the circumstances which led to this " — that is, this change of temper on the part of Hongi — " the Com- mittee will not now enter ; they have obtained a clue to them, which will lead, they fear, to some painful conclusions." After his return with Hongi to the Bay of Islands, which he reached in July, 182 1, we can discover but very few traces of his proceedings ; we find him, however, closely leagued with that 30 NEW ZEALAND. chief, and not ashamed to defend the conduct of those Europeans who were wiUing to supply the natives with arms and ammunition, and saying that he would not scruple to do so himself, without re- gard to the use they might make of them. We find also Mr. Butler complaining to the Society, that his influence was being undermined by Kendall ; ^ and then, without further explanation, we find in the Society's Report for 1823, the name of the Rev. Thomas Kendall quietly dropped from the list of the Society's agents. But, whatever his demerits, it would be unjust to pass over in silence the services he rendered to the missionary cause, by advancing the knowledge of the Maori language, and thus paving the way for the great work of translation. We have previously mentioned his having written a prayer and an elementary cate- chism in Maori ; he had also collected materials for a grammar and vocabulary. In the meantime, the attention of the Regius Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge, Dr. Samuel Lee, had been attracted to the language, and at this time he was eagerly looking out for fresh light on the subject, and additional material for study and arrangement. When, there- fore, Kendall visited England with the two chiefs in 1820, the Society gladly seized the opportunity of combining the scientific attainments of the professor ' In one of his letters home, Mr. Butler, after recounting at length an interview he had had with Hongi and Kendall, says, *' From these facts you may learn something of the dreadful prejudice of Hongi's mind. It is a sad thing ; but who has instilled it into him?" — Report of C. M.S., 1822, Appendix xvi. p. 357. THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 31 with the practical knowledge of the missionary and his native companions, in the work of laying the foundation of the Maori as a written language, by settling its orthography, and reducing it to gram- matical rules. They made provision accordingly for the residence of all three at Cambridge for two months ; and the result was the publication by the Society, in November, 1820, of a small book of sixty pages, entitled, " A Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lan- guage' of New Zealand," with a preface by Professor Lee. Meagre and incomplete as this tract now appears to Maori scholars, it was important as a beginning. The years 1821 and 1822 were critical ones for the mission. The natives seemed to have fallen back, instead of advancing, in civilisation. Taking their tone from Hongi, they treated the missionaries with contempt, and often shamefully insulted and mal- treated them, breaking down their fences, pilfering their goods, coming into their houses uninvited, taking food out of the pot and eating it before their faces, seeming to take delight in making them feel that they were completely at their mercy. When Hongi returned from one of his successful raids, bringing back troops of prisoners, they were com- pelled to witness the most horrible atrocities enacted before their eyes. Some of the lesser chiefs, amongst whom one named Rewa is deserving of honourable mention, actively befriended them, otherwise they could not have held their ground at all ; but they cannot be said to have made any advance. The Rev. John Butler, the clerical head of the mission, 32 NEW ZEALAND. seems to have been unable to cope with the difficul- ties of his position, and to have lost heart ; in one of his journals he expressed the opinion, that " it would be most advisable to give up the mission altogether;" at any rate, it is evident that he gained no hold upon the people. Moreover, after the return of Kendall in Holy Orders, the most unedifying spectacle was presented of the two clergymen of the mission, of whose efforts as peacemakers among their heathen neighbours there could never be more crying need, at variance with one another. These painful matters, as before, are wrapped in obscurity in the leaves of the Society's reports ; faint glimmerings of them are all that are perceptible to the most careful inquirer ; but, as regards Mr. Butler, if we may anticipate at this point the close of his missionary career in New Zealand, it must suffice to say that the Report of 1825, after mentioning the names of Butler and some others of the Society's agents, adds these few words, the curtness of which is most expressive: — "The connection of all these parties with the Society has been dissolved." ^ To add to the darkness of the ' It is evident, from a perusal of the records of the Society at this period, that they had begun to seriously distrust the prin- ciple of first introducing the arts of civilised life as preparatory to the evangelisation of the people. The tendency had certainly been to secularise the minds of some of their agents. In their Report for 1823, they say, that " the conviction is gathering strength among the labourers, that a direct and unwearied com- munication of the Gospel to the natives must henceforth, more than it has yet done, accompany and promote the efforts for their civilisation." In the Address to the Rev. H. Williams, on his appointment, the Committee are very urgent in impressing THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 33 picture, it was judged necessary in the year 1821, to abandon the seminary at Paramatta, because it was found that the change of habits and climate often proved injurious to the health of the native inmates, and because also the results were not always satis- factory. And even one more backward step, as it seemed, was taken about the same time ; the mis- sionary brig. Active, was sold on the score of expense, and recourse was again had to trading vessels for maintaining communication between Sydney and the Bay of Islands. These were sad blows to a sanguine spirit like that of the noble founder of the New Zealand Mission. But he never lost heart, and received at this time much-needed encouragement from the newly-arrived Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane, who entered warmly into his plans, and assured him of his countenance and support. But above all, under the gracious providence of God, the dawn of a new day was at hand for the mission ; the choice of the Society lighted upon a missionary priest after Marsden's own heart, a man of like Christian enter- prise, like undaunted resolution, like indomitable on him the necessity of subordinating everytliing to " the great and ultimate purpose of the mission," which is, " to bring the noble but benighted race of New Zealanders into the enjoyment oi the light and freedom of the Gospel. They are the more earnest with you," they say, "on this point, because, in the constant attention which this mission will require, for years to come, to secular business, the temptation of the labourers has been, and will be, not to give a due proportion \a their plans to religious education and instruction." D 34 NEW ZEALAND. perseverance with himself. On the 6th August, 1822, the Rev. Henry Williams, who had been admitted two months before under the Colonial Service Act to deacon's orders, and, with the interval of only a fortnight, to the priesthood, received the Society's instructions on his appointment to the New Zealand Mission. After his ordination very disheartening in- telligence was received by the Society, of which the following note was made at the time^: — "Very un- pleasant news from New Zealand. The visit of the chiefs to England has been productive of great evil. All the presents Hougi received were changed in New South Wales for muskets ; he is supposed to have a thousand stand of arms. Mr. Kendall is implicated : those missionaries who steadily obey the instructions of the Society, and refuse to sell muskets, are despised by the natives, and two are thinking of returning." Upon the receipt of this intelligence the Society gave Mr. Williams the offer of another sphere of labour ; but he declined to draw back, and on the 7th Sep- tember, embarked at Woolwich with his wife and three children on board the female convict ship Lord Sid/fiout/i. It was no poor qualification for the work he was undertaking, that he had been a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and had seen much active service in the wars with France and the United States. In that school he had learnt not only intrepidity, readi- ness of resource, and good seamanship, which were of the utmost service in his missionary work, but in ' See " Life of Henry Williams," by Hugh Carleton, vol i. p. 18. (Upton & Co., Auckland, New Zealand, 1874.) THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 35 valuable habits also of order, discipline, and inflexible devotion to duty, of which, while he expected them from others, he displayed an unvarying example him- self. It must be added that any record of the New Zealand Mission would be very incomplete, w^hich should omit to make mention of the admirable character of Mrs. Williams, not only as wife and mother, but also as a most important fellow-helper in the work of the mission. Devout, truthful, patient, brave, full of ready sympathy, of a remarkable elasticity of spirit, and, withal, cultured and intellectual, she came very near to realising the ideal of a missionary priest's wife. Mr. Williams reached Sydney on the 27 th February, 1823. There he remained for some months, assisting Mr. Marsden in his duties as Government chaplain, studying the Maori language the while with the help of two young New Zealanders, who were residing at Paramatta. On the 21st July, Mr. Marsden, with the readily granted permission of Governor Brisbane, em- barked with Mr. and Mrs. Williams on board a fine ship named the Brampton, and arrived at the Bay of Islands on the 3rd August. Two Wesleyan ministers, Messrs. Turner and Hobbs, sailed with them, the Wesleyan mission having been recently set on foot. It had been Mr. Marsden's intention indeed to have settled Mr. Williams at Whangaroa, but, on their arrival, they found that the ground had been pre- occupied by the Rev. Samuel Leigh, the head of that mission. It was accordingly determined to form the new station at Paihia, on the south side of the Bay of Islands, and a few miles further up the harbour than Keri-Keri. The resident chief and matua (father D 2 36 NEW ZEALAND. or patron) of the new station was one Te Koki, Having seen the party fairly settled, Mr. Marsden prepared to return to Sydney from this his fourth visit, in the ship in which he came. The Brampton weighed anchor on the yth September, but, in trying to work out of harbour in the teeth of a strong head- wind, she was wrecked on a reef in Kororareka Bay, which has since borne her name. Mr. Marsden, with Mr. and Mrs. Leigh, who were returning with him to Sydney, landed on an island called Moturoa (Long Island). And now the story of the Boyd massacre of thirteen years before was happily reversed. The natives, who had the ship and passengers completely at their mercy, not only showed sympathy and brought food, but allowed the captain to land all his stores and leave them in safety on the island. The reputation of the people among Europeans was thus in a measure redeemed, and it was shown that, notwithstanding much to the contrary, good influences had been at work among them. This opinion is expressed in strong terms by Sir Thomas Brisbane, in a letter to the Secretary of the C.M.S., and he goes on to congratulate the Society on the success of their efforts. Mr. Marsden was detained in New Zealand for more than two months, and did not reach Sydney until the beginnina; of December. THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 37 CHAPTER III. A New Era — Trials — Slow Progress — Schools and Classes — Building of The Herald— The Rev. W. Williams— His Preparation and Ordination — His arrival at Paihia — Pro- gress in the Language — Troubles in 1827 — Marsden's Fifth Visit — Hongi dies — Signs of Improvement — Peace-making — First Baptism — First Public Baptism of Infants — Battle of Kororareka — Marsden's Sixth Visit — Reconciliation — Progress of Translation — Fresh Labourers — A New Mission Vessel — Perilous Voyage^Eagerness of the Natives to learn — New Station at Waimate — A Successful Effort — Darkness before the Dawn — Admission to Holy Com- munion — Beginning of Native Agency — New Station at Kaitaia — Further Advance in Translation — Improvement in 1833. And now a new era commenced for the Bay of Islands Mission. The labourers were few in number, but the roll had been purged, and all were now of one heart and one soul, animated by the same spirit of single-minded devotedness.^ Troubles, ' The missionary party distributed among the three stations at this time consisted of the following : — The Rev. H. Williams and Mrs. Williams : Mr. and Mrs. Kemp ; Mr. and Mrs. Fair- burn ; Mr. Davis ; Mr. and Mrs. Puckey ; Mr. and Mrs. Clarke ; Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd ; in addition to the original settlers, W. Hall, J. King, and their families. The Rev. J. Butler left the station at Keri-Keri shortly before Mr. Williams was settled at Paihia. Kendall started for Sydney with Mr. Marsden in the Brarnpton^ but after the wreck refused to leave 38 NEW ZEALAND. dangers, discouragements abounded as before, and were often well-nigh past bearing, insomuch that they more than once threatened to abandon their stations ; but, when matters came to this pass, they were invari- ably entreated by the natives to remain. Open rob- bery, threatening insults, and actual violence, were events of frequent occurrence; not less trying were the thousand petty inconveniences and roughnesses of daily life, passed under such conditions as theirs was, which are so apt to deaden spiritual-mindedness, and disenchant missionary work of its high romance. But trials, great and small alike, were encountered with unwavering faith, inflexible resolution, and a marvel- lous elasticity of temper. Mr. Williams especially,— Te Wiremu, as the Maories soon learned to call him, — who was leader of the party by nature as well as position, by his cool intrepidity, self-possession, and fertility of resource, and, when it became absolutely necessary, by the exertion of his great physical strength, soon acquired a commanding influence over the native mind. The moral effects of the example and teaching of the missionaries were gradually, yet surely, leavening the people, though no direct spiritual results were for a long time visible. " Our visits among the people," writes Mr. Williams at this early period, " are frequent. But they are sadly dark. They are by no means averse to our conversation, but they are as dead as stones; they want the power from above." New Zealand ; and this is the last we hear of him, except that there was some threatening of trouble in consequence of an attempt made by Hongi to put him in possession of the house vacated by Butler. THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 39 After the departure of Mr. Marsden no time was lost in setting to work. Schools were opened at Rangihoua and Keri-Keri, as well as at Paihia, and at the last-named place a separate building was erected and set apart for worship ; above all, a daily service, with prayers and hymns in the native language, was instituted, and into this the native boys and girls em- ployed at the station, wild and undisciplined as they were at first, entered with lively interest and enjoy- ment. At the same time the language was being studied diligently and systematically. In this work Mr. Shepherd showed special proficiency ; he began about this time a translation of the Gospels, besides composing several hymns, and a simple tract on the Creation, Fall, and Redemption of Man in the native tongue. Mr. Williams himself, before he had been resident a full year at Paihia, set himself to carry out a long- cherished plan, which had been agreed upon between Mr. Marsden and himself, the building of a small vessel, a work for which his former profession in a measure qualified him. The purpose was two-fold. It was of the utmost importance, as we have seen, to make the mission stations independent of the natives in respect of provisions ; but, besides this, a mission vessel was needed to carry out an object which Henry Williams had very deeply at heart from the first, the spread of the Gospel to other parts of the island. Accordingly the keel of a vessel of about fifty-five tons was laid before the close of July, 1824 ; William Hall, one of the first settlers, whose original trade had been that of ship-building, rendered most 40 NEW ZEALAND. valuable assistance; Mr. Williams superintended the sawyers and carpenters, partly native, partly European, but often, for the sake of urging them on, was obliged to take adze and saw in hand himself. After many delays the work, which was expected to have occupied four months, was finished in eighteen, and to his great joy the schooner, which he named The Herald, was launched on the 24th January, 1826, amidst a throng of excited and admiring natives assembled from all quarters. The harbour was alive with canoes and boats, of which not less than fifty gathered round to celebrate the event. In three weeks from this time she set sail on her first voyage to Sydney, Mr. Williams himself taking the command, in the hope of meeting his brother there, and returning with him. It was with this hope, not to say with this understand- ing, that his younger brother, William, would follow him, that he had left England. There was some fear now, lest they should pass one another on the ocean; but what was his joy, on reaching Sydney, to meet his brother coming in from Paramatta with Mr. Mars- den! Without loss of time the two — par nobile f rat mm — embarked for New Zealand in the Sir George Osborne, with Mrs. William Williams, and reached Paihia on the 26th March, 1826. The arrival of this admirable man, afterwards first Bishop of Waiapu, forms another epoch in the history of the Church of New Zealand. Born at Nottingham on July 1 8th, 1800, and having received his early education at the Grammar School at Southwell, he was destined for the medical profession, and articled to a surgeon of that town ; but, when he heard that THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 4I his brother Henry had been accepted by the C.M.S., and was preparing for ordination with the view of being engaged in the New Zealand Mission, his plan of life was altered; he resolved to fit himself for Holy Orders, and follow his brother. He was not able, however, for some time to carry out his intention, and the interval was well spent in acquiring a further knowledge of medicine and surgery, which he found extremely valuable in his subsequent career. He matriculated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, early in 1822, graduated in 1824, and was admitted to both deacon's and priest's orders in the September and December respectively of the same year. After his ordination he spent some time in London, walking the hospitals; was married in July, 1825 ; and subsequently took pas- sage with his wife for New Zealand, via Sydney, in the ship Sir George Osborne. In his company came also Mr. Hamlin, a catechist. Arriving at Port Jackson a week before Christmas, they were hospitably enter- tained by Mr. Marsden, until the ship proceeded on her voyage in the following March, and the brothers arrived together at Paihia, as before related. Mr. William Williams inimediately began that suc- cessful study of the Maori tongue, for which he soon became distinguished. His brother, writing on July 1 2th, 1826, that is, a little more than three months after his arrival, says : " He makes rapid progress in the language; appears not to learn it, but it seems to flow naturally from him, and he can even now hold a tolerable conversation with the natives." He re- mained with his brother, Henry, at Paihia for about nine years, and his constant residence at the station 42 NEW ZEALAND. enabled his brother to visit distant parts, and so carry out the desire he cherished -warmly from the first, to extend the work of the mission far and wide. Those who enjoyed the privilege of the friendship of Bishop Williams in the days of his episcopate, know well what a lovable man he was, and at the same time how admirable; what zeal, yet what soberness of judg- ment he ever manifested ; what fervour, yet what calmness; what firmness, yet what kindness of heart, and tolerance of those who differed from him. His wife, who still survives in an honoured old age, was in all respects "an helpmeet for him." The Society, though unfortunate in some instances in the early objects of their choice, had at this time, and after- wards, as Mr. Marsden once remarked, some of " the excellent of the earth," among their labourers in New Zealand. The lives of the brothers Williams, and their families, so worthily illustrating their teaching, and adorning their profession, must ever be regarded as among the most effectual of those agencies which, under the sovereign influence of the Holy Spirit, suc- ceeded in gradually softening the hearts of a fine race of men, and redeeming them from their gloomy superstitions and savage cruelties. ^ ^ This may be the fitting place to mention, that Bishop Williams, in the year 1S67, published a book entitled "Chris- tianity among the New Zealanders " (Seeleys, 54, Fleet-street, London), containing the history of the New Zealand mission from the commencement to the Hauhau outbreak, and the murder of the Rev. Mr. Volkner in 1865. It need hardly be said that this book, to which the writer of the present work desires here to acknowledge his indebtedness, is an extremely interesting one. THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 43 The new mission schooner, The Herald^ proved a great acquisition, and fully answered both the pur- poses for which she was built. She made three trips to Sydney for provisions, and two to Hokianga, a small port on the north-east coast of New Zealand, for the same purpose, but was wrecked at the latter place in May, 1828. Before this, however, Mr. Williams had made good use of her for missionary purposes, having made four voyages to Tauranga, and other parts of the Bay of Plenty, visiting the tribes in that neighbourhood, and bringing back with him several sons of chiefs for instruction in the mission schools. But we are slightly anticipating the course of our narrative. We must go back to the beginning of the year 1827, a time of very serious trouble to the mission. The whole of this and the following year indeed was a period of almost unceasing agitation and alarm, due directly or indirectly to the turbulent Hongi, whose latter end was in keeping with all his previous career. As a rule, he had befriended the missionaries, and now, at the beginning of the year 1827, when he was bent on making war on some pretext upon the natives of Whangaroa, he gave strict orders that the Wesleyan station should not be injured. But a straggling party of his followers started off without his knowledge, fell upon the quiet settlement, drove out the inmates, pillaged it of all they cared to take away, and burnt the buildings to the ground. The Rev. H. Williams and Mr. Davis, on the first intimation of trouble, set out from Paihia and met the fugitives, amongst whom were Mrs. Turner and three children, half way on the 44 NEW ZEALAND. road between Whangaroa and Keri-Keri. The natives of the latter place, through fear of the probable con- sequences to themselves and to the missionaries under their protection, declined to give them shelter, and they were glad to accept an invitation to take refuge at Paihia. The Rev. Mr. Turner, with his wdfe and children, left shortly after for Sydney in a vessel named, The Sisters, and the Wesleyan mission was for the time completely broken up. The consequent alarm and suspense at the Church stations, as may well be imagined, were intense. Would their capri- cious neighbours, having broken loose from the only restraint they had previously acknowledged, and having once, so to speak, "tasted blood," be satisfied with what they had done ? But this was not the only cause for alarm. Hongi, hotly engaged in pursuit of his enemies, received a gun-shot wound through his lungs, which ultimately cost him his life. Had he died at once, there can be no doubt that the station at Keri-Keri, which was under his protection, would have been plundered. For of all the extraordinary customs, formerly prevalent among this strange people, this was perhaps the most extraordinary, that a chief, or his representatives, were liable to be phmdercd by way of coinplwient. If a chief, for example, were hurt by any accident, as Hongi himself was on one occa- sion, by the fall of a tree, he was visited by a taua, that is, a plundering party, who seized and carried off all they could lay their hands upon ; and, if all were done according to rule, the victim, though he might be perfectly able to protect his own, would quietly submit to be stripped of his possessions, and regard THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 45 it as a mark of respect. If a chief were killed, his whole hapu} or the whole tribe, according to his rank, would be visited, and similarly dealt with, by a com- plimentary taua on a large scale.- The state of affairs at this crisis cannot be better or more briefly described than in the following account given by Archdeacon Leonard Williams:'^ "It seemed as though the whole mission might at any moment be utterly broken up, and the missionaries be com- pelled to seek safety in flight. They determined, nevertheless, to hold their ground until they should be compelled to move ; but, as a precautionary measure, they packed up their most valuable posses- sions, and placed them on board the ship Sisters, which was then lying in harbour, and about to sail for New South Wales. Keri-Keri would have been the first place attacked ; and there a boat was kept in readiness night and day, and in a room in Mr. Kemp's house, which was close to the river, were placed a ' Subdivision of a tribe under the rule of a minor chief. ■^ In that extremely clever and entertaining book, before referred to, Mr. Hugh Carleton's " Life of Henry Williams," the writer, in a learned and ingenious note (vol. i. p. 58), attempts to trace this strange custom to its origin. In the text he makes this apposite remark: — "A Maori, when thus despoiled, con- soles himself with the prospect of indemnifying himself, so soon as occasion may arise, by stripping some one else ; but this, though quite permissible, was a fashion of recouping which the missionaries could not permit themselves to adopt." 3 In a brief memoir of his father, .the Bishop of Waiapu, pub- lished in the New Zealand Chttrch Nexvs, in the year 1878. The archdeacon himself, as we shall presently see, was not quite an eye-%vit}2ess of the scenes he describes. 46 NEW ZEALAND. number of small bundles of clothing, w'^h as many- paddles as could be used in the boat, so that on the first alarm their faithful natives might snatch up all that could be carried in addition to the young chil- dren, and carry them in the boat to a place of safety." But they had no intention of leaving until the last extremity. " When the natives are in our houses, carrying away our property," wrote Mr. W. Williams, when the crisis was at its worst, "it will then be time for us to take refuge in our boats." To encourage them in their hour of need, their constant friend, Mr. Marsden, came over for the fifth time from Sydney, arriving in the Bay in H.M.S. Rainbow on the 5th April, 1827. But by this time the worst was over; and, having given spiritual counsel to the missionaries, and reasoned with the natives on the folly of the late war, he left again on his return voyage in five days. A succession of false alarms of Hongi's death kept the settlements in a state of ferment for the remainder of the year; still those labourers kept steadily to their work, and, when the dreaded event actually took place, which was not till the loth March, 1828, his long residence at Whangaroa had so broken his connection with Keri-Keri, and expectations of impending war so engrossed the minds of the natives, that the fears of the missionary party were after all not realised. Hongi's state of mind at the time of his death was typical of that of his countrymen in general. He was certainly not a Christian, he had not repented of his crimes ; his conduct, however, gave proof that he had become ashamed of some of the worst cruelties, and most de- based superstitions of his race, and justified the THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 47 hope that the long undisturbed reign of the kingdom of darkness was passing away. He urged his fol- lowers, among his last directions, to protect the missionaries, and strictly enjoined that no slaves, according to the usual custom, should be put to death on his account. Nor was this the only visible fruit of their labour at this time. A serious blood feud had arisen, and threatened to lead to a disastrous war between the Hokianga natives and those of the Bay, who were nearly related to one another ; but, to the surprise and joy of the missionaries, the way was un- expectedly opened to them to do the work of peace- makers. Some leading chiefs of the Bay having sought their mediation, Henry Williams and three others set off without hesitation for the scene of con- flict at Hokianga. The attempt was by no means without peril to themselves ; for it was uncertain how they would be received. On their arrival, they had to take up their position midway between the op- posing armies, and raise the white flag on the neutral ground : it was certain that all were not desirous of peace, and a stray shot, fired whether by accident or design, might at any moment have brought on a general engagement. But by the blessing of God their efforts were crowned with success, and a complete reconciliation was effected, which not only prevented an incalculable amount of bloodshed, but established an invaluable precedent, and tended greatly to in- crease the influence of the mission for good. This settlement was brought about on the 24th March, 1828, just a fortnight after the death of Hongi ; and it might well seem like the opening of a new era. 48 NEW ZEALAND. when the same month which saw the departure of that man of blood, witnessed the conclusion of what deserves to be termed in the history of New Zealand, " The Peace of Hokianga." If we were to estimate the progress of the mission by the number of baptized converts at this time, it would appear limited indeed. But the smallness of the number may have been owing in part to the ex- cessive caution of the missionaries in admitting can- didates to holy baptism. Without, however, entering into the question, whether they may not have required the previous attainment of a higher standard of faith and repentance than was deemed necessary in apos- tolic times, and confining ourselves strictly within the province of the historian, it is our business to relate that the first christening of a native convert was that of an old man, a chief of some note, named Rangi, baptized on his deathbed by the name of Christian, after searching enquiry into the state of his mind and heart, by the Rev. Henry Williams in the month of September, 1825. Christian Rangi was thus the first of the Maori race who was admitted to the member- ship of Christ's Holy Catholic Church. This was a private baptism; the first public celebration of the sacrament did not take place till nearly four years later, when the four children of a far-famed warrior, named Taiwhanga, a follower of Hongi, who had come to live at Paihia, and had for a long time dili- gently attended to the instructions of the missionaries, were at his earnest request publicly baptized, and, together with them, the infant son of the Rev. W. Williams. That son is now the Venerable Archdeacon THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 49 William Leonard Williams, whose praise is in the Church of both races, native and European. The service was in Maori, and was most solemn and im- pressive, all the missionaries at the station acting as sponsors. This event took place in the month of August, 1829, and, six months afterwards, Taiwhanga himself, having given proof of his sincerity under many trials, was baptized by the name of Rawiri (David). The hopes of the missionaries now rose high, but were as quickly cast down. A feud, which had its origin in the licentious conduct of a whaling cap- tain, and the jealousy of two native women, suddenly broke out between the inhabitants of the northern and those of the southern pas ^ of the Bay, and all the efforts of the missionaries, who again put their lives in their hands to bring about peace, were ineffec- tual for the purpose until much blood had been shed. A pitched battle took place at Kororareka,^ two miles from Paihia, when the two parties, numbering 600 and 800 respectively, fired at one another at a dis- tance of about twenty yards, and there was a great slaughter. After this, both sides began at heart to wish for peace, but neither knew how to make the first approach, when, two days after the battle, a sail came in sight ; God had sent them a mediator in the person of that devoted friend of their race, Mr. Mars- den, whose sixth visit to New Zealand was thus mo t opportunely timed. The combatants had by this ' A pa is a native village enclosed by a stockade. ' Now called " Russell." 5° NEW ZEALAND. time removed to a distance of several miles from one another, and Mr. Marsden and Mr. H. Williams went from camp to camp on their errand of peace. At length, on the i8th March, 1830, a reconciliation was effected, greatly to the relief of both parties. Again the influence of the missionaries rose high, and Mars- den returned once more to New South Wales, full ot consolation and hope. In the midst of troubles and distractions such as these the mission schools were carried on with all possible steadiness and regularity, and the business of translation was being gradually proceeded with under the able superintendence of the Rev. W. Williams. At the very time when the petty war we have just referred to was raging in the Bay of Islands, a second small volume was passing through the press at Sydney, containing the first three chapters of Genesis, portions of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. John, a part of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, and parts of the Prayer Book and Catechism. Copies of this little book were eagerly caught up by the religiously disposed among the natives, and were instrumental in the conversion of many. We must not omit to mention that at about this period new labourers were sent out by the Society to join the mission. The Rev. Alfred Nesbitt Brown, afterwards archdeacon, had arrived before the battle of Kororareka, having been sent out specially to superintend the school at Paihia. Mr. Thomas Chapman, afterwards ordained by Bishop Selwyn, arrived in July, 1830.1 It should also be explained ^ The Rev. W. Yale was also a member of the mission staflf THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 5 1 that the general direction of the mission, subject, of course, to the home authorities, was vested in a local committee ; but, before the arrival of the bishop, their virtual head was the Rev. Henry Williams. Now the spirit of this large-hearted and adventurous man had long chafed at the concentration of the mission within the narrow limits of the Bay of Islands. As soon therefore as an opportunity oc- curred of dispersing the labourers more widely, he eagerly seized it. Pango, a chief of Rotorua (the well-known " Hot Lakes " district), who had been rescued from the hands of his enemies by Mr. Williams, when he was on a visit to the north some time before, sent a pressing message to him in 1831, entreating him to send a missionary to Rotorua. Some months before the message reached him, he had built another small mission vessel to take the place of h; lost Herald — a tiny schooner this of only thirty feet keel, which he named Te Karere (the Messenger). In this frail bark he set sail for Maketu, from 1827 to 1834, but very little s recorded of him. He was for some time in charge of the inland station at Waimate, of which mention will be made further on and he was absent on two occasions in Sydney, being sent thither to superintend the printing of the books of translations referred to in the text— a work which does not appear to have been very carefully managed. His connexion with the Society was dissolved in 1834 upon a charge brought against him of a very serious nature, which, though denied by him, appears never to have been disproved. Amongst old and rare books on New Zealand is the following:— "An Account of New Zealand and of the Formation of the Church Missionary Society Mission," by the Rev. W. Yate. (Seeley, London.) E 2 52 NEW ZEALAND. the nearest point on the coast to Rotorua, on a re- connoitring expedition. Mr. Chapman volunteered to accompany him, and David Taiwhanga was also of the party. Their voyage, and journey overland to Ohinemutu, were successful beyond their expecta- tions, and their reception by the natives, who flocked together from all quarters to see and hear them, was most encouraging. The wondering throngs listened with eagerness to the simple message of the Gospel, and manifested the keenest desire for instruction. A site was selected for a school at Ohinemutu, and the way prepared for the permanent settlement of a branch of the mission at that place. Returning thence to Maketu, they set sail on their homeward voyage, which proved long and perilous in the ex- treme. They had run down the coast in two days, but the return voyage occupied sixteen, and most painful was the anxiety of those who watched for their arrival. They were almost given up for lost, and the Active, which happened to be lying in harbour at Paihia, had been got ready to go in quest of them the day following, when on the i8th November they arrived, to the intense relief of all, having been absent a full month. This expedition, the particulars of which, as given in very full detail in Mr. Williams' own journal, are related in his Life by his son-in-law, Mr, Carleton, must be taken as a specimen of many others of a like description, which the necessary limits of our space forbid us to notice even in the barest outline. For the same reason we can do no more than give a single extract from Mr. Williams' journal of this tour, as one example THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 53 out of many of the extreme eagerness for instruc- tion, manifested by this interesting people generally, and in all parts alike, at the period at which Ave have now arrived : — " October 29. — . . . We returned to our quarters at Ohinemutu about noon. After a little rest the natives came round to talk. One young man began to ask the meaning of letters ; I wrote them down for him, and in half an hour he knew them all, and was teaching several outside. Numbers of others came, until I had no paper left of any description, on which to write a copy. At length they brought small pieces to have the letters written for them, and about two hundred, old and young, were soon em- ployed teaching and learning the letters with the greatest possible interest. At three o'clock, about one hundred and fifty, male and female, were as- sembled to learn the Catechism ; amongst them w^ere several old women. They afterwards returned to their letters, and continued till the time of evening prayer, when I took the opportunity of speaking on the service of the morrow (Sunday), and on the necessity of keeping the Lord's Day holy. This has been, I trust, a day of great importance, truly grati- fying, and of great encouragement to us. Every- thing far exceeds our utmost expectations. I have neither seen nor heard anything to equal it in the land. Both young and old appear to possess an interest altogether new, and I do trust the Lord will appear in their behalf to give deliverance." On the I St November, the day on which they set off to cross Lake Rotorua on their return, he says : — " The 54 NEW ZEALAND. children came for fresh lessons to the last, even after we had taken our seats in the canoe." We must not omit to mention that, early in this year, 1831, a new station was formed at Waimate, on a spot selected by Mr. Marsden in the course of his last brief visit. This place was situated twelve miles inland from Kerikeri, and, before it could be occupied, it was necessary that a cart road should be cut through the rough country intervening, and bridges built over the Waitangi and another river. But, these works having been zealously accomplished, and sufficient shelter erected, Mr. Clarke, Mr. R. Davis, and Mr. Hamlin proceeded to take up their abode there with their families. One reason why this inland spot was chosen for a station was, that it was removed from the demoralising influence of the seafaring men who frequented the bay. The beginning of the succeeding year, 1832, was distinguished by another noble effort to avert a threatened war. The Bay of Islands chiefs, most of them friends of the mission, had long been brooding over injuries inflicted on some of their tribesmen by natives of Tauranga to the south. The clouds gathered blackness every day, and at length they resolved to seek utu — as their familiar expression was, that is, satisfaction — from their enemies. The missionaries, finding all their eff'orts unavailing to turn them from their purpose, offered to accompany the expedition. This was agreed to, and on the 3rd January, 1832, the Rev. H. Williams, with Mr. Kemp and Mr. Fairburn, set sail in a small vessel for Tauranga, in company with the war canoes. They THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 55 came back once quite hopeless of success, but re- turned again, dissatisfied with themselves for their lack of perseverance, and impelled by a renewed desire to avert bloodshed and misery. In this second attempt, although they failed to effect a reconcilia- tion, they were able to soften the fierceness of the combatants, and to break, if they could not quell, the storm. The final result was that, after some months' desultory fighting, the expedition returned, the leaders acknowledging that it had been a failure. " The God of the missionaries," they said, " had been too strong for them. Their hearts, instead of swelling with bravery, turned round, jumped up, and sank down with fear." ^ The foregoing narrative again must be regarded as typical: other expeditions of a similar kind and with the same purpose were undertaken about this period, the circumstances of which varied, but the general result was the same. That is to say, whether im- mediate success was obtained or not, the steadily- directed efforts of the missionaries were gradually, but surely, changing the character of the people. It was the period of that thickest darkness which precedes the dawn ; wholesale massacre and horrible cannibalism seemed more than ever rife ; yet, in the midst of all this, many souls were longing for peace and order. They were entangled in the net of their own vile cus- toms and superstitions, but the better sort were ' Mr. Carleton tells us that " Ngapuhi "— the collective name for the Bay of Islands tribe — " complained that the words of Te Wiremu lay heavy on them, and that their guns would not shoot." 56 NEW ZEALAND, panting for deliverance; the land was sick with the misery of its own pollution. In the journal of Henry Williams at this period we find many such entries as this : " March 19th, 1832 : — Felt very weary in body, and much distress of mind at the present state of things in this land. All is dark, dreary, and dire confusion." Such was the outlook to those toilers then, though they were often cheered by gleams of light; looking back upon that time by the light of subsequent history, we can see that the fields were even then whitening to the harvest. At this time the number of baptized converts did not exceed fifty, and all these were resident at or near the stations in the Bay of Islands. Many others, however, were being prepared for baptism, and about this time a few of the baptized, after very careful pre- paration, were admitted for the first time to the Holy Communion. At this period also the eyes of the missionaries began to be more opened to the extreme value of native agency in spreading the knowledge of the Gospel, and in persuading their countrymen to abandon their heathenish practices. It is remarked by Bishop Williams, in his " Christianity among the New Zealanders," that, "as in primitive times, the slaves were active agents in the propagation of the Gospel." Many of those especially, who were brought back by Hongi after his desolating raids in the Thames and other districts to the south, were allowed to work at the mission stations for pay received by their con- querors; and of these some returned, sooner or later, to their native parts, and were actively instrumental THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 57 in the wide diffusion of Christian knowledge and Christian observances. Such efforts as had hitherto been made in the way of Church extension had been directed towards the south; in the month of November, 1832, the Rev. WilUam Williams, accompanied by Messrs. Baker, Hamlin, Puckey, and Matthews, set out on an over- land tour in the opposite direction, and visited all the country to the northernmost extremity of the island. They were well received, and fixed on Kaitaia as the site of a new station ; and two of the part}', Messrs. Puckey and Matthews, were afterwards placed there. In the early part of the year following another great advance was made in the work of translation : an edition of 1800 copies of a book containing about one-half of the New Testam^ent and a large portion of the Prayer Book, the work mainly of the Rev. William Williams, was printed at Sydney.'' Though marred by numberless typographical blunders, this book proved of the greatest possible service, being caught up and read with a surprising avidity by the natives, whose quickness in learning to read, and thirst for knowledge were most extraordinary. A marked change in the character and conduct of many, clearly traceable to this fresh supply of the means of grace, was perceptible at this time. " There was a striking difference," writes Mr. W. WiUiams, " in their general bearing from \\hat it had been a short time before;" so 1 A portion of this issue was made over to the Wesleyan Mission, which was now revived, and carrj-ing on a good work on the banks of the river Hokianga. 58 NEW ZEALAND. much so that, although the warlike spirit still actuated many, "there was a great number of those, who had gone to Tauranga the preceding year, who would on no account have undertaken a similar expedition" the year after. NEW ZEALAND. 59 CHAPTER IV. Efforts to Extend Mission — British Resident — New Station in the Thames District — Expedition of Rev. W. WUliaits to East Cape — Hicks's Bay and W'^aiapu — The Waikato Ex- plored — New Stations at Mangapouri and Tauranga — Removal of Rev. W. Williams to Waimate — A Dis- tinguished Visitor — His Testimony — Translation of New Testament and Prayer Book — Arrival of Rev. R. Maunsell — Marsden's Last Visit — His Reception by the People — His Death at Paramatta — Visit of Bishop Broughton — Rev. Octavius Hadfield — First Confirmation — Ordination of Mr. Hadfield to Priesthood — Bishop Broughton's Report to Church Missionary Society — Roman Catholic Mission — Waharoa — Mission Stations Pillaged — The Waikato Stations. In the month of April in this year, 1833, Mr. Henry Williams sent to the Societ)' at home an important memorandum, setting forth with great fulness and urgency his views with regard to the extension of the mission. " By looking over the chart of the island," he says, " you will perceive that the part which we now possess is but a mere spot, and that at the ex- treme end." He draws attention to the fact of the rapid upgrowth of a European population, though scattered only as yet at various points along the coast, and without any regard to regular settlement, much less to systematic colonisation.i Expression is given ' In connexion with the progress of this irregular settlement of Europeans in the country, it may be mentioned that it was 6o NEW ZEALAND. in this paper for the first time to the idea of extend- ing the mission even to the southern island. Six months later the writer proceeded to give practical effect to his views. In company with the Rev. A. N. Brown, Mr. Fairburn, and jNIr. Morgan (the last- named of whom had only arrived from England in the preceding May), he set out from Paihia, the party being in two boats, for the purpose of selecting a site for a station in the Thames district. In the course of this expedition they were cheered by a striking incident, which showed how the conversion of the people was spreading, as it were, spontaneously. From 150 to 200 natives were assembled to evening prayers by torchlight. " The missionaries," writes Mr. Williams, " commenced as usual by singing a hymn, but what was their surprise when they heard the whole assemblage join and sing correctly with them ; and in the prayers the responses were made by all as by the voice of one man."^ What was the found necessary about this time, for the sake of preserving the semblance at least of law and order, to establish a British Residency in New Zealand, and that Mr. Busby, appointed British Resident, landed in state in the Bay of Islands on the 5th May, 1833, in the midst of peaceful, though noisy, demon- strations from the assembled natives, and received a hearty welcome from the mission, the members of which looked for much help from him in the promotion of peace. ' No one who has once joined in worship with a Maori con- gregation can ever forget the effect of the response, especially in the alternate "saying" of the Psalms — so many manly voices, all at full pitch, but reverent in tone and in perfect unison, no one dreaming of being silent, all pausing together at the stops, all taking breath together. It is truly bracing and invigorating. THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 6 1 secret? "These people had received instruction from three youths who had lived in the mission fami- lies at Paihia." A site was fixed upon for the station at a place called Puriri on the river Waihou, and before the end of the year, Mr. Morgan and Mr. Preece were settled there. Mr. Carleton truly re- marks, with reference to the journal of Mr. H. Wil- liams at this period, that " there is much sameness in a narrative of continual travelling, always for one or other of the two main objects — peace-making and the dispersion of the mission." The remark truly speaks volumes; let the readers of this brief history ponder all its significance, and realise how glorious is this sameness. Our restricted limits will permit us to speak only in the barest oudine of some of the most important of these movements. We cannot, how- ever, refrain from saying that the original records of the^e journeys are rich to a degree in variety of inci- dent, and overflowing with matter of the deepest interest to every one who is warmed by Christian, not to say by human, sympathies. A visit of much importance in relation to subse- quent events was made by the Rev. W. Williams to Hicks's Bay and Waiapu — the district from which the title of the bishopric was afterwards taken — at the close of 1833, and the beginning of 1834. Mr. Williams had charge of about sixty natives, who had been residing for some months in the Bay of Islands, having been landed there against their will by a whaling captain. Ngapuhi wished to make slaves of them, but the missionaries interfered to prevent it, and they were now returning to the East Cape, and 62 NEW ZEALAND. other districts to the south, to which they originally belonged. So he chartered a large schooner, named the Fortitude, partly for the purpose of conveying timber and stores for the new station at Puriri, Messrs. Morgan and Preece being also passengers in her, and partly for the purpose of taking these natives to their homes. Late in the evening of Christmas Day they reached Puriri, the schooner having cast anchor in the Waihou. As soon as the tents were pitched, the natives who had flocked around on their arrival were invited to join in evening prayer by moonlight, which, as is often the case in New Zealand, was so bright as to enable them to read without the aid of other light. About one hundred were present, and " every voice among the motley group writes Mr. Williams, " seemed to join in conceit as though they had been accustomed to this service for a long season." The sixty returned exiles, it need not be said, were the leaders. A happy con- trast to that Christmas Day nineteen years before, although that in its measure was happy too, when the " good tidings of great joy to all people," were proclaimed for the first time on the shore of New Zealand ! Leaving Mr. Morgan and Mr. Preece behind, Mr. W. Williams went on in the Fortitude to Hicks's Bay, which he reached on the 8th January and proceeded by land on the next day to Waiapu At both places he was well received, the natives ex- pressing an earnest desire to have missionaries resident among them. He was greatly struck with the density of the population in these parts, and surveyed the neighbourhood with special attention, THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 63 being satisfied that a settlement must soon be formed there. " Waiapu," he writes, " as a place for a mis- sionary station, surpassed any I had yet seen." We shall see in the sequel what important consequences followed from this expedition. At present we must be content to say that, having restored his charge to their homes at Hicks's Bay and Waiapu, and having paid a hurried visit to the people at Table Cape, the southernmost point of his voyage, Mr. Williams returned to Paihia from this his first tour in that part of the island with which he was afterwards so intimately associated for no less than eight-and-thirty years. It was next determined to explore with a view to missionary operations the extensive and important district adjacent to the great River Waikato, com- monly known since as the Waikato Country, and famous, long after the time of which we are now speaking, as the centre of the Maori King movement, and as the principal seat of the native war of 1863, and the two following years. One main reason for following up the formation of the Puriri station as closely as possible by the establishment of one or more settlements in the Waikato, was the importance of combining the forces of the missionaries in the two localities for the purpose of putting a stop, as far as possible, to the cruel and truly internecine tribal wars, which had been carried on for generations between the inhabitants of the Thames, and those of the Waikato districts. With this view the Rev. A. N. Brown and Mr. Hamlin set out on an extremely toilsome and perilous tour overland at the end of 64 NEW ZEALAND. February, 1834, and, proceeding through the middle of the island, arrived at the Waikato after a journey of between seventy and eighty miles, which occupied seven or eight days. These explorers having brought back a favourable report of the country, it was deter- mined by the resident committee that a station should be formed at some point in the district. The Rev. W. "Williams was appointed to the charge of it, and Messrs. Morgan and Stack were to be asso- ciated with him as catechists. He took passage accordingly in a barque bound for the Thames, in company with the Rev. A. N. Brown, intending to penetrate the Waikato Country from the east, and take the preliminary steps for forming a station at a place to be selected by them ; and, this done, to work back to Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty, and carry out the same design in that quarter. They en- countered extreme difficulty and peril in consequence of the prevailing feuds, but succeeded in accomplish- ing their purpose in both instances. They fixed the site of the Waikato station at Mangapouri, on the River Waipa, and that for the Tauranga district at Tc Papa, where they gave directions for the erection of two raupo houses for the missionaries who might be appointed to reside there. It was Mr. Williams' full intention, on his return to Paihia, to take im- mediate steps for the removal of his family to Manga- pouri ; but, on his arrival, he found that, through unforeseen circumstances, the arrangements had been ' Raupo is Maori for "bulrush." A raupo house consisted of a slight framework of timber, intertwined with rushes. THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 65 altered by the committee, and that he had been appointed to the charge of a school for the sons of missionaries, which had been formed at Waimate, and that Mr. Hamlin was to take his place at Manga- pouri. Early in the year 1835 he removed to Waimate, where he remained till the year 1839. He had not been settled there many months, when he received a visit from a gentleman, who was destined to rise to a renown, second to that of none in the domain of science — the celebrated Charles Darwin, who has given an exceedingly interesting and pleasant description, in his "Journal of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle,'' of his visit to Waimate.' The impressions of so impartial and dispassionate, and at the same time so competent, an observer are worth recording. He describes a walk with native guides from Paihia to the mission farm at Waimate. "Here," he says, "there are three large houses, where the missionary gentlemen, Messrs. Williams, Davis, and Clarke, reside ; and near them are the huts of the native labourers." After expressing a lively admiration of the English character and appearance of the gardens and farm-yard, he adds, •'All this is very surprising when it is considered that, five years ago, nothing but the fern flourished here. Moreover, native workmanship, taught by the missionaries, has effected this change ; the lesson of the missionary is the enchanter's wand. . . . When ' "Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries visited during the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle round the World." By Charles Darwin, M.A., F.R.S, (Home and Colonial Library.) F 66 NEW ZEALAND. I looked at this whole scene, I thought it admirable. It was not merely that England was brought vividly before my mind ; yet, as the evening drew to a close, the domestic sounds, the fields of corn, the distant undulating country, with its trees, might well have been mistaken for our fatherland ; nor was it the triumphant feeling at seeing what Englishmen could effect ; but rather the high hopes thus inspired for the future progress of this fine island." Under the same date (December 23rd, 1835), ^^ writes, " Several young men, redeemed by the missionaries from slavery, were employed on the farm. They were dressed in a shirt, jacket, and trousers, and had a respectable appearance. . . . And to think that this was in the centre of the land of cannibalism, murder, and all atrocious crimes. . . . These young men and boys appeared very merry and good humoured. In the evening I saw a party of them at cricket : when I thought of the austerity of which the missionaries have been accused, I was amused by observing one of their own sons taking an active part in the game." Lastly, he says, " I took leave of the missionaries with thankfulness for their kind welcome, and with feelings of high respect for their gentlemanlike, useful, and upright characters. I think it would be difficult to find a body of men better adapted for the high office which they fulfil." ^ ' Speaking of the change effected by the work of the missionaries in the habits of the natives, Mr. Darwin says : — " At the present day, from the progress of civilisation, there is much less warfare, except among some of the southern tribes. I heard a characteristic anecdote of what took place some time THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 67 The work now assigned to Mr. William Williams at Waimate, relieving him as it did from the duty of travelling, left him fuller opportunity for prosecuting the task for which he was peculiarly adapted — that of translation. Accordingly, in 1836, he had ready for publication complete translations of the New Testa- ment and the Book of Common Prayer. The portions previously published, having been sent to Sydney to be printed were, as has been already said, sadly disfigured by errors of the press; but of these new and complete translations Mr. Williams was for- tunately able to superintend the printing himself at Paihia, the C.M.S. having opportunely sent out, in 1834, a printing press in charge of Mr. William Colenso. To such an astonishing extent had the de- mand for books grown among the natives in various parts, that the 5,000 copies of the New Testament thus printed at Paihia were soon exhausted, and the British and Foreign Bible Society was asked to print an edition of 10,000 copies more. As regards the Prayer Book, the printing of an edition of 3,000 copies was begun, but no sooner was the Order for Morning ago in the south. A missionary found a chief and his tribe in preparation for war — their muskets clean and bright, and their ammunition ready. He reasoned long on the inutility of the war, and the little provocation which had been given for it. The chief was much shaken in his resolution, and seemed in doubt, but at length it occurred to him that a barrel of his gun- powder was in a bad state, and that it would not keep much longer. This was brought forward as an unanswerable argu- ment for the necessity of immediately declaring war : the idea of allowing so much good gunpowder to spoil was not to be thought of, and this settled the point. " F 2 68 NEW ZEALAND. and Evening Prayer completed, than it was found necessary to bring that portion into use at once, and no less than 33,000 copies of this were struck off before the complete work could be brought out. This reference to the progress of the work of translation naturally suggests the mention of an important ad- dition to the mission staff which was made at this time; for the name of the Rev. Robert Maunsell, of I'rinity College, Dublin, (afterwards Archdeacon and LL.D.) who arrived to join the mission on the 26th Novem- ber, 1835, will ever be inseparably connected with the translation of the Holy Scriptures into the Maori language. The Church of New Zealand will ever owe a special debt of gratitude to the Giver of all good gifts for the successful labours of His servants William Williams and Robert Maunsell in this holy cause. Williams was first in the field by nearly ten years; iVlaunsell, though later in time, is equal in dis- tinction. jNIaunsell is specially famed for the trans- lation of the Old Testament, Williams for that of the New. While Mr. W. Williams was living at Waimate, Mr, Marsden paid his seventh and last visit to New Zea- land, accompanied by his youngest daughter. He Avas now seventy -two, and bowed down by physical ail- ments, but the spirit of the aged hero was unsubdued. He left Sydney in the Pyramus on the 9th February, 1837, and, landing at Hokianga, stayed at the Wesley- an station for about a fortnight. Thence he travelled to Waimate, a distance of forty miles, being carried by the grateful natives all the way in a litter. Going on thence, he visited in succession all the stations in THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 6g the Bay. Afterwards he proceeded to the distant settlement at Kaitaia, where he employed himself in reconciling two parties of natives, by whose mutual hostility the safety of the station was endangered. On the arrival in the Bay of H.M.S. Rattlesjiake, commanded by Captain Hobson, afterwards the first Governor of New Zealand, he accompanied him on a voyage southward, to the Thames, the East Cape, and even as far as Cook's Straits. Wherever he went, his journey wore the appearance of a meek triumphal march : on his way from Hokianga more than seventy natives accompanied him; as he approached Waimate numbers came out to meet him. "While at Kaitaia," writes his biographer, "he held a constant levee, sitting in an arm-chair, in an open field before the mission- house ; it was attended by upwards of a thousand Maories, who poured in from every quarter; many coming a distance of twenty or thirty miles, contented to sit down and gaze on his venerable features ; and so they continued to come and go till his departure." Before leaving New Zealand he wrote a report of his visit to the C.M.S., "an account," says the writer just quoted, " which glows with pious exultation." Seldom indeed is it permitted to any man in his life- time to see and rejoice in the fruit of his labours to such an extent as he did. Nearly thirty years had elapsed since he first conceived the idea of evan- gelising New Zealand ; trials and difficulties innumer- able had impeded the work; but his courage, perse- verance, and fertility of resource never failed; and now how blessed was the present result, how full of hope the prospect for the future ! In one point only 70 NEW ZEALAND. had his anticipations been disappointed ; he had looked forward to New Zealand becoming an inde- pendent and highly civilised nation ; he was now compelled mournfully to admit that her only hope lay in annexation to the British Crown. He also saw reason before his death to modify to a considerable extent his views respecting the necessity of the teaching of religion being preceded by a smattering of civilisa- tion. He returned to Sydney in the Rattlesnake in August, and, about nine months after, on the 12th May, 1838, he breathed his last at Paramatta, bearing on his heart to the last, as some of his dying words testified, the mission to his beloved New Zealand. Before this year, 1838, had run its course, another eminent servant of God, the first Bishop of Australia, Dr. Broughton, came from Sydney in H.M.S. Felorus, to visit the mission, having first obtained the hesi- tating, not to say hardly-given, consent of the C.M.S. With him came one, who was in future to take a leading part in the evangelisation of the native race, in the framing of the Church Constitution, in the legislation of the General Synod, and in the govern- ment of the Church of New Zealand. This was the Rev. Octavius Hadfield, then in deacon's orders, who had left Oxford in ill health before taking his degree, having been advised to try a milder climate. By a remarkable coincidence Bishop Broughton preached at Paihia on Christmas Day, 1838, and re- minded his hearers of the scene on the beach at Rangihoua, where the first sermon preached in New Zealand had been delivered by his "venerable friend," Samuel Marsden, twenty-four years before. This THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 7 1 was the first visit of a bishop of the AngHcan Church to this land, and episcopal offices according to the use of the Church of England were now for the first time celebrated. The children of the missionaries to the number of about twenty, and about double the number of Maories were confirmed ; two burial grounds, those of Paihia and Kororareka, were con- secrated ; and Mr. Hadfield was admitted to priest's orders. The number of natives confirmed would have been considerably larger but for the wide preval- ence at the time of an exceedingly virulent epidemic of influenza. On his return to Sydney, the bishop wrote to the C.M.S. a calm and discriminating ac- count of the state of the mission. We can give only a brief extract from it; it is dated March 28th, 1839. After speaking in high terms of the character of the missionaries, and of the happy unanimity which reigned among them, he proceeds as follows : — " At every station which I personally visited, the converts were so numerous as to bear a very visible and con- siderable proportion to the entire population ; and I had sufficient testimony to convince me that the same state of things prevailed at other places which it was not in my power to reach. As the result of my in- spection I should state that in most of the native vil- lages, called pas, in which the missionaries have a footing, there is a building containing one room, superior in fabric and dimensions to the native resi- dences, which appears to be set apart as a place for assembling for religious worship, or to read the Scriptures, or to receive the exhortations of the missionaries. In these buildings generally, and some- 72 NEW ZEALAND. times in the open air, the Christian classes were assembled before me. The grey-haired man and the aged woman took their places, to read and to undergo examination among their descendants of the second and third generations. The chief and the slave stood side by side, with the same holy volume in their hands, and exerted their endeavours each to surpass the other in returning proper answers to the questions put to them concerning what they had been reading." Earlier in the year 1838, a bishop of another com- munion had visited the neighbourhood, and caused much disquiet to the missionaries and their flocks. This was the Roman Catholic Bishop Pompallier, who landed at Hokianga with two priests, intimating that nine others were about to follow. New Zealand was a wide iield ; in its two main islands were multi- tudes of unconverted heathens ; had the missionaries of the Roman Catholic body chosen ground unoc- cupied by those of another communion, the rising native Church would have been spared, at least in its infancy, the unedifying spectacle of open disunion among Christians, which was literally paraded before their eyes in several public disputations, held at this time and afterwards, between the priests of the rival communions, in the presence of assembled multi- tudes of natives. The Roman Cathohc Mission in the north appeared to make rapid progress at first, but its work was not enduring ; it has never taken root in the soil of New Zealand. The circumstances connected with the interesting visits recorded in the preceding pages have diverted our attention for a while from the history of the extension of THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 73 the mission, and the chequered fortunes of the stations already formed to the southward. The year 1836 was one of great trouble to the missionaries in these quarters in consequence of a war of revenge waged by the famous warrior Waharoa,^ of Matamata, against the people of Rotorua. The story of the origin of this war is characteristic, and is thus briefly related by Mr. Carleton : — "In December, 1835, Huka, of Rotorua, murdered and ate Hunga, cousin to Waharoa. No one palliated the conduct of Huka ; but his own people, as a matter of course, were bound to fight for him. For the individual man^ in the eye of the Maori law, does not exist ; the act of the individual is the act of the tribe. At the instigation of Nuka, a chief of Tauranga, Waharoa's attack was directed, not against Rotorua itself, but against Maketu, a pa which belonged to Rotorua. The pa was stormed ; about sixty-five of the defenders were killed and eaten, and about one hundred and fifty slaves .were carried away prisoners. ' Oh ! how sweet to me will taste the flesh of Rotorua along with their new kiimaras (sweet potatoes),' said Waharoa to the Rev. A. N. Brown." Mr. Brown, Mr. Maunsell, and Mr. H. Williams had all exerted their influence to dissuade him from indulging his revenge, but in vain. The storm, having once burst forth, raged long and wildly ; the Lakes and the Tauranga districts were filled with terror and commotion, insomuch that the missionaries ' This chief was the father of perhaps the most distinguishctl man of the Maori race of whom we have any record, William Thompson — the native form of the name is ^Yiremu Tamihana — so famous in the Waikato war of five-and-twcnty years later. 74 NEW ZEALAND. sent their children to the Bay of Islands for safety ; for even their houses were no longer secure from attack. They themselves were helpless witnesses of horrible scenes of slaughter and cannibalism ; and at length, on the 6th August, 1836, in the confusion which followed a battle between Waharoa and the Rotoruans, the mission houses at the Lake were pillaged and burned to the ground. Mr. Chapman was fortunately absent at the time, but Mr. Knight and Mr. Pilley, his assistants, were compelled to fly, the latter having been much maltreated. In the following month the Matamata station also, in spite of the protection of Waharoa, was plundered by a party of marauders, fighting for their own hand, Mr. Brown and Mr. Morgan being the sufferers. Mr. Brown then established himself at Tauranga, which he never left until his death, after the completion of fifty-seven years of consecutive missionary labour, on the 1 2th September, 1884. The stations in the Waikato were comparatively undisturbed during this period of strife and confusion ; but the wide extent of the district and the paucity of labourers made it necessary for them to spread themselves out more. The natives, moreover, of this district, who had congregated for some years past in dense numbers in the Upper Waikato for the sake of mutual pro- tection against the Bay of Islands people, led by Hongi and others, now that that cause of alarm had passed away by reason of the pacific influence of the northern missionaries, had begun to re-occupy the fertile tracts of the Lower Waikato. Accordingly the Revs. R. Maunsell and B. Y. Ashwell — a man of THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 75 fervent zeal and whole-hearted devotedness, who had previously served as a missionary at Sierra Leone, and arrived in New Zealand with his wife on the 23rd December, 1835 — moved down the river to its mouth. The catechist, Mr. Hamlin, who, though without the qualifications of a scholar, was considered by the natives to excel all his brother missionaries as a speaker of Maori, was placed at an outer station at Manukau Heads ; and after a while, Mr. Ashwell, taking the opposite direction, settled far up the river at Taupiri. 76 NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER V. Native Agency — Taumatakura — His Success — Removal of Rev. W. Williams to Turanga — Great Advance in that District — Ripahau — Rauparaha of Otaki — His Son and Nephew — Learning to Read under Difficulties — Strange Reading Party at Kapiti — Visit of the Cousins to the Bay of Islands in search of a Missionary — Mr. Hadfield volunteers — Is settled at Otaki — Waikanae to share his services — Station formed at Wanganui — Retrospect of Missionary Period — Beginning of a New Era — The Year 1840 — Treaty of Waitangi — British Sovereignty Proclaimed — Systematic Colonisation — Church Society for New Zealand — Proposal to appoint a Bishop — Maori Superstitions — Origin of the New Zealander — Character of their Religion — Atua — Karakia — lohunga — Te Reinga — The Tapu — Concluding Remarks — Value set on the Holy Scriptures. It is truly refreshing to turn from the scenes of carnage we have just noticed to the many instances recorded at this period of the eager and growing thirst for knowledge among the natives in almost all parts alike, and of the spread of the Gospel among fresh tribes by the spontaneous and almost unaided exertions of some of their own countrymen. To relate one or tw'o typical instances, as before. Among the party of East Cape natives taken to their homes by the Rev. W. Williams in January, 1834, after having been under instruction at the Bay of Islands, there was a liberated slave named Taumatakura. He was not thought to have taken much interest in Christian teaching, and was not even a candidate for THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 77 baptism, but he had learned to read and write at the school at Waimate. He was fired, however, with a desire of imparting to his countrymen such know- ledge as he possessed. " His educational apparatus," writes Archdeacon L. Williams, in his memoir of his father,! " consisted of some scraps of paper, upon which he had written some short prayers, hymns, and texts of Scripture. Taumatakura was held in high estimation, and his bits of paper w^ere regarded by many with superstitious veneration, being credited with some of that power which the charms of the old toh?mj^as (priests) were supposed to possess ; but he was not too mean an instrument for God to use for the purpose of quickening the yearnings of the people after clearer light." Another circumstance tended greatly to increase the growing reverence for Taumatakura. Being urged to join a war-party in an expedition against a pa at Cape Runaway, he consented, but on certain conditions : " I will go," he said, "if you will attend to what I say to you. When we come to the enemy's pa, if we kill any people, you are not to eat them ; neither must you wantonly break up canoes which you do not care to carry away, nor destroy food which you do not wish to eat." Arrived at the pa, Taumatakura led the assault, with musket in one hand and Testament in the other ; and, though the bullets fell thick as hail around him, he was not hit. When tidings of the successful efforts of this humble Maori to improve his people had reached the ears of the Church at the ' New Zealand Church News, July, 1878. 78 NEW ZEALAND. Bay of Islands, they chose six vohinteers from among their Christian natives, five of them being connected with that part of the island, to be stationed in that neighbourhood, and towards the end of October, 1838, these six were taken by sea to the East Coast by the Rev. H. Williams,^ and three of them placed at Waiapu, and three at Turanga, or Poverty Bay.- These men were visited in the following April by the Rev. W. Williams, in company with the Rev. R. Taylor,^ and both were much struck with the result of their six months' labours. After this visit the work, by the grace of God, prospered yet more, and it was soon seen to be necessary that a missionary in holy orders should be stationed in this neighbour- hood. William Williams was selected for the post, and Mr. Taylor was appointed to take up his work at Waimate. It was in December, 1839, that Mr. Williams removed with his family to Poverty Bay. 1 Describing this voyage in a report to the C.M.S. Henry Williams says, that at all the pas, both at East Cape and at Turanga, " the demand for books was great and general ; and it was truly distressing to be obliged to turn away without the means of giving relief. I distributed in the course of my journey 500 slates, and a few early lessons and catechisms. Books I had none." - The thriving town and port of Gisbome, where the Yen. Archdeacon L. Williams resides, in charge of a training college for native candidates for the ministry, is now the chief centre of this district. ^ The estimable author of a well-known book entitled " Te Ika a Maui " — " The Fish of Maui " — as the North Island was called by the Maories, as supposed to have been fished up from the depths of the sea by the god IMaui. (Wertheim & Macintosh, 1855.) THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 79 At that time there were about 1,500 natives in the habit of meeting regularly for Christian worship in that district, the fruits of the unassum.ing efforts of the faithful Taumatakura. The removal of the Rev. W. Williams thither forms another notable epoch in the history of the New Zealand Mission. No other European could at that time be spared to assist him in what he himself described as "his parish of two degrees and a half in length, and containing 36,000 souls;" but he had the help of zealous native teachers, now amounting to twenty in number ; and in a little more than a year and a half the number of regular worshippers in the districts of Waiapu and Turanga, to which the six teachers had been sent in 1838, had risen to about 8,600; upwards of 800 adults and about 340 children had been baptized; and there were upwards of 1,300 catechumens. Moreover, at Turanga, the natives at their own expense built a spacious church, 90 feet long by 44 in width. " So mightily grew the Word of the Lord and prevailed." These circumstances are only rivalled in interest by those which led to the formation of a famous 'Station much further south, at Otaki, which bears a somewhat similar relation to the present diocese of WeUington, that the station at Turanga does to the diocese of Waiapu. In this instance a yet humbler instrument, a liberated slave, under the providence of God, was the originator of the great work. This was Ripahau, otherwise called Matahau, a southern native, who, after living for some years in the Bay of Islands, set off overland for the south in quest of his relations. So NEW ZEALAND. He stopped at Rotorua on his way, because he had relations there also, but at length reached Otaki, where lived the savage warrior, Te Rauparaha, a man worthy to be ranked in fame for conquests and deeds of blood with Hongi and Waharoa. The curiosity of young Rauparaha, his son, a youth of great intel- ligence, who seems even before this to have lost faith to a great extent in the superstitions in which he was reared, was intensely excited by the advent of this stranger from the north, and by the tidings he brought of the teachings of the missionaries, their efforts for peace, and the customs of the Christian natives of the Bay of Islands. He was possessed, above all, by the wish to acquire the wonderful art of reading. His cousin and bosom friend, Te Whiwhi, shared all his eagerness, and their zeal re- acted upon Ripahau, who at first was less in earnest than they were, but now gladly imparted to them all the knowledge he possessed. Presently the two friends were joined by ten other young men, and these twelve besought Ripahau to teach them to read. But, as he had only one book — a copy of the Prayer Book — and no slates, the difficulty was great. They obtained, however, a small supply of paper from some neighbouring whaling stations, and upon scraps of this Ripahau wrote texts of Scripture, and selections from the prayers, and every syllable of what he wrote was very soon spelt over, and committed to memory. By-and-bye a party arrived from Rotorua, bringing with them another Prayer Book, an elementary cate- chism, and a fragment of the Gospel of St. Luke, the remainder of which had been used for cartridges. This was truly a Godsend, and the zeal of young THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 8 1 Rauparaha and his friends was kindled afresh. But, meeting with much opposition from some of their people, they took Ripahau across to Kapiti, or Entry ■Island, that they might study with him in quiet. They fed and clothed and read with him there for nearly six months. To quote the words of the young chief himself:— "We learnt every day, every night. We did not lie down to sleep. We sat at night in the hut all round the fire in the middle. Whiwhi had part of the book, and I part. Sometimes we went to sleep upon the book, then woke up and read again. After we had been there six months, we could read a little very slowly." The cousins next resolved to set out for the Bay of Islands to obtain, if possible, a missionary priest to come and live at Otaki. Old Rauparaha did his utmost by remonstrances and by scheming to defeat their purpose, but in vain. Arrived at the bay, they first saw ISIr. Henry Williams, who was so struck with their simple earnestness that he volunteered to go himself; but it was decided that he could not be spared from his old sphere of labour. They went on to Waimate, where Mr. William Wil- liams was still living, with whom was then residing the Rev. O. Hadfield, assisting in the work of the school. He heard the earnest conversation of the two young natives with Mr. Williams, but could only partially understand it. When it was explained to him after they had left, he at once started up, saying, " I will go ; I know I shall not live long, and I may as well die there as here." At first it was not thought prudent that he should go ; but the desire grew upon him, consent was given, and it was finally arranged that Henry Williams should accon:- G 82 NEW ZEALAND. pany him, and establish him at Otaki. Accordingly, on the 2 1 St October, 1839, they set off together by sea from Paihia, and in the following month arrived at Port Nicholson (the former name of the present capital of the colony, Wellington), whence they started overland for their destination. On their arrivarthey found the old chief Rauparaha engaged in a deadly feud with Te Rangitaake,i the chief of the neighbouring pa of Waikanae, the quarrel having arisen over the distribution of the price given by the New Zealand Company for the purchase of the site of Wellington. Rauparaha had been the aggressor, and had recently been defeated with a loss of seventy of his men, in an attack upon Waikanae. As had happened often before in similar cases, the arrival of the missionaries at a critical moment opened the way to reconciliation, which was welcomed by both parties. But they were very nearly falling out again upon the question which was to have the new missionary under his protection, Rauparaha laid claim to the whole honour and benefit attached to this coveted position, on the ground that the missionary had been secured through the agency of his son ; on the other hand, the Waikanae natives had given a much warmer welcome to the teaching of Ripahau than Rauparaha's people in general had done. This difficulty was finally settled by an agreement that Mr. Hadfield should have one house at Otaki, and another at Waikanae, and divide ^ The full name of this chief in after years, when he had been baptized, was Wiremu Kingi (William King) Te Rangi- taake, and he is the William King, whose name is inseparably associated with the Taranaki war of i860. He was a man deservedly held in high esteem by colonists and natives alike. THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 83 his time equally between the two places. On the 4th December Ripahau, to whom Te Rangitaake had given his daughter in marriage, was baptized by Mr. Williams by the name of Hohepa (Joseph). After further instruction the young chief and his cousin received the same sacrament at the hands of Mr. Hadfield, Rauparaha taking the name of Tamihana (Thompson), and Te Whiwhi that of Henare Matene (Henry Marty n). On the 5th December, Henry Williams bade adieu to Mr. Hadfield, leaving him quite alone among his new flock, and himself set off alone on his homeward journey overland, " more than 3C0 miles," he says in his journal, " through the heart of the island — an entirely new road, not yet explored by Europeans." He finally reached his home on the i8th January, 1840, "having accom- plished," says Mr. Carleton, " a travelling feat which, in New Zealand, was as yet unmatched." On leaving Otaki, before striking inland, he had visited several pas on the Wanganui river, and had been so much impressed by the need of a resident missionary priest in that quarter, that he was resolved to remove thither himself, if the object could not be otherwise accomplished. A station, however, was formed there in April, 1840, the first who took charge of it being Mr. Mason, who was drowned, unfortunately, in the river Turakina in February, 1843.1 At a later period the post was occupied by the Rev. R. Taylor, who was settled there until his visit to England in 1855, when his place was 1 Mr. Hadfield also nearly lost his life in the attempt to save him. G 2 84 NEW ZEALAND. supplied for a time by the Rev. Arthur (now Arch- deacon) Stock. We must now draw towards the close of the first division of this history. We have seen how the light of God's truth, kindled by one faithful man, shone at the first in the midst of thick darkness, and " the darkness," it may be truly said, " comprehended it not." We have anxiously watched the light, as it flickered, and often well-nigh went out. Then we saw it spring up afresh, and burn more and more brightly and steadily. Then it spread abroad north and east and south and west, till it illumined the whole land ; and the wicked spirits of cruelty, re- venge, cannibalism, witchcraft, enslaving and de- basing superstition, were abashed and shrank into corners, unable to endure the growing light. Where before, from that land of darkness and cruel habita- tions, there went up only the shriek of terror, and the wail of stark despair and helpless misery, now in many a quarter was heard the ring of the church- gong signal — for bells they had none as yet — and the voice of worship and joyful songs of praise. We have seen the foundation of the New Zealand Church firmly laid on the only true Rock, faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God : the work of building up is now about to begin ; a wise master- builder must be sought for, who, under God, and by the guidance of His Holy Spirit, shall build up an enduring structure on that sure Foundation. It is not that the missionary period has closed ; far from it ; but the period of organisation is about to begin. In many ways New Zealand was entering on a new THE -MISSIONARY PERIOD. 85 era at the point of time at which we have paused in our history. The year 1840, which saw William Williams fairly settled at Poverty Bay, and Octavius Hadfield at Otaki, will be for ever memorable as the year in which the famous treaty of Waitangi was signed, and thereby the sovereignty of New Zealand ceded by its principal chiefs to the British Crown. In May of that year British sovereignty over the islands of New Zealand was formally proclaimed by the first governor, Captain Hobson.i From that year also dates the commencement of the systematic colonisation of the country, the first body of colonists under the auspices of the New Zealand Company, who sailed from Gravesend in three ships, having arrived at Port Nicholson early in 1840. Side by side with this colonising movement, and in part arising out of it, there had sprung up in England a Church Society for New Zealand, composed of a body of zealous churchmen outside the C.M.S., who, while deeply interested in the spread of Christianity among the native race, foresaw the certain upgrowth of an English population in the land, and were in- tensely anxious to see a branch of the Church, modelled on the catholic principles of the Mother- Church of England, and whose work it should be to mould both races into one, set on foot in the country 1 At first New Zealand was a dependency of New South Wales, and Captain Hobson was Lieutenant-Governor under the governor of that country, Sir George Gipps ; it was not till May, 1 841, that New Zealand was proclaimed an independent colony, and Captain Hobson became its first governor. He died at Auckland, September 10, 1843. 86 NEW ZEALAND. at the earliest possible date. Their leading idea was to bring about the appointment of a bishop ; for given a carefully chosen bishop, with a sufficient equipment to start with, they believed that everything else, essential to the development of a living branch of Christ's Holy Catholic Church, would follow in due time. The happy prevalence at that juncture in the highest places of the Church of England of the same sound views on Church Extension resulted in the establishment of the Colonial Bishoprics Council, formally instituted in April, 1841, and amongst the thirteen countries specified by the Council, as those in which the need of the episcopate was most urgent, the first in order of urgency was stated to be New Zealand.! We reserve for the next part the record of the actual appointment and consecration of the bishop? proposing to conclude this with a brief account of the religion, if such it may be called, or, rather, the super- stitions of the pre-Christian Maori, which have been so often alluded to in the preceding history. The native New Zealanders, whose primal origin was probably Malayan, and who, according to the unvarying traditions handed down from their ancestors, which there is no reason to dispute, came from Hawaiki, or Hawaii, not more than five or six hundred years ago, driven forth by fierce internal dissensions, are closely connected in language and superstitions with the Sandwich Islanders, and other Polynesian tribes. They believed in no Supreme ' See " Memoir of Life and Episcopate of George Augustus Selwyn, D.D." By the Rev. H. W. Tucker, M.A., vol. i., p. 62. (Wells Gardner, 1879.) THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 87 Being, neither did they worship any god or idol. They had neither temple, nor altar, nor, in the ordinary sense of the term, any priesthood. They had, it is true, numberless atua, or divinities, to whom they assigned the creation of the various objects of nature, and the operation of natural causes. Every disease, for example, had its own atua. The spirits of their departed friends, or enemies, seem also to have been included under this general term, which was used by them, in short, to signify any hidden cause, or mysterious power ; but they did not venerate or worship these unseen agencies. Their religion, on the contrary, if such it can be termed, was wholly of a defensive character, ^ consisting in efforts to protect themselves against the enmity of the atua. The Karakia, or prayer, which they addressed to the atua^ was of the nature of a charm or incantation, by means of which they en- deavoured to ward off his baneful influence. But in their dealings with the atua they sought the aid of the tohunga, or priest — yet not so much priest as sorcerer and necromancer. These tohungas, whose whole lives were spent in making themselves adepts in all the arts of solemn and cunning imposture, had enormous influence with all classes of the people. They pretended to perform miracles, to foretell future events, and to call up the spirits of the departed ; they were consulted as oracles, when the tribe was about to go to war, or to engage in any other im- > The writer is indebted for this expression to his friend, tlie Ven. Archdeacon W. L. Williams. 88 NEW ZEALAND. portant undertaking ; and their answers, like those of the Delphic Oracle, were sometimes cunningly am- biguous, sometimes had a tendency to work out their own fulfilment, and sometimes were so strangely fulfilled as to suggest the idea that they were actual inspirations of the evil one. The belief that they had power to kill any one they pleased by witch- craft was universal, and was confirmed by the un- doubted fact that those who thought themselves bewitched, oftentimes actually died of terror. The tohunga would occasionally work himself up into a state of frenzy, that by his cries and horrible contor- tions he might strike awe into the beholders. Something like a spirit of true reverence was not wholly wanting to the New Zealander. He venerated the head chief of his tribe, whom he called ariki, or lord ; and he venerated the spirits of the tribe's great ancestors. He believed without questioning in a future state. There is a Cape at the extreme north of the North Island, called Te Reinga, or The Leap ; to this it was believed that the spirits of the departed made their way on their exit from the body, and that thence they plunged into the sea, to enjoy thence- forth in another state the pleasures they most coveted on earth. Their nearest approach to worship was made in their occasional addresses to the spirits of their ancestors, whose aid they invoked as that of powerful living friends, and to whom they made offerings. But the superstitions which had the strongest and most pervading influence on their daily lives were those connected with the fapu. The word means " holy," and the influence of the tapu doubtless THE MISSIONARY PERIOD. 89 sprang from, and was a corruption of, the spirit of reverence. But in its extraordinary and grotesque developments it had become an intolerable bondage. The ariki^ or head chief, of a tribe was the main centre in which the force of the tapu resided ; in- ferior chiefs were lesser centres. The dwelling, the clothes, but, above all, the head of a chief, was tapu; if a man partook by accident of food which had been cooked for a chief, he did so at the peril of his life ; sometimes the ground around him was made sacred, and he might not be approached ; a certain road was tapued, and it must beavoided ; at another time it was a river, and no canoe might leave its banks. One never knew how, or when, he might infringe some tapu, and men lived in constant dread of the vengeance they might bring upon themselves from the atua in consequence of such infringement. It may be easily understood how a crafty tohunga would play upon these fears, and turn these super- stitions to his own advantage ; for he, and he alone, could remove the tapu, or neutralise its effects, by the power of his Karakia, for which he knew how to exact sufficient payment. ^ I The reader who desires more information respecting Maori legends and superstitions, would do well to consult "Christ and Other Masters," by Archdeacon Hard wick. Fourth edi- tion, pp. 399-414 (Macmillan & Co.); and the authorities referred to by him, especially "Polynesian Mythology," by Sir George Grey; and "Te Ika a te Maui," by the Rev. K. Taylor. He will also find much reliable informaUon given in a ver)' amusing style in a singular book entitled "Old New Zealand," by a Pakeha Maori. (Auckland : Creighton & Scales, Queen Street, 2nd ed., 1863.) 90 NEW ZEALAND. So gross was the darkness which shrouded the people of this fair land, so heavy the burden of misery under which they groaned, so fast riveted the chains by which they were tied and bound, before the Gospel of the God of love was preached among them ; and such were some of the difficulties which the heralds of that Gospel had to encounter. We have seen in the foregoing pages how large a measure of success was vouchsafed to their labours ; we have seen the fruits of five and twenty years of zeal and patience, and self-denying devotion ; we may aptly conclude this chapter with an anecdote borrowed from Bishop Williams' interesting book,^ which illustrates the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, when brought home to men's hearts by the working of His Holy Spirit, to emancipate the heathen from their strongest superstitions : — " The desire to possess the Scriptures was the same in every part of the country. A case occurred at Taupo, the most in- accessible and secluded part of the island. Captain S^monds, R.N., was travelling through the country with a party, and wished to ascend the snowy moun- tain of Tongariro ; but the natives opposed it, on the ground of its having been made sacred by their fore- fathers ; and because, if the tapu were violated, some evil would befall them. 'They offered us gold,' remarked the old chief; ' had they brought us some Testaments, we would have consented to their going up the mountain. Tell the strangers that, if they return in the summer, and bring Testaments with them, the tapu shall be removed.' " ^ " Christianity Among the New Zealanders," p. 286. NEW ZEALAND. 91 PART II. THE PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. CHAPTER I. Appointment and Consecration of Bishop — His Family and previous Life — Character — Letters Patent — Endowments — Fellow- workers — Departure — Voyage — Arrival. For some time previous to the date at which the first part of this history dosed, the need of a bishop to superintend the growing mission, and to guide and foster the religious life of the rising colony, had been increasingly manifest on both sides of the globe. Bishop Broughton's Report to the Committee of the C.M.S. at the beginning of 1839, closed with these words : — " The Church of England requires to be planted in the full integrity of its system ; its ordi- nances administered by a clergy duly ordained, and the clergy themselves subject to regular ecclesiastical authority." Those whom we have seen to be the leading men among the missionaries themselves re- cognised the necessity. In particular, Henry Williams, speaking, it will be observed, for others as well as himself, thus writes in a letter dated, October ist, 1 841 : — " Many questions of moment frequently 92 NEW ZEALAND. present themselves, on which we possess no authority to enter. We much hope that a bishop for this colony will soon make his appearance." Writing to his brother-in-law, the Rev. E. G. Marsh, on the 23rd December in the same year, he says : — " I wish there were some one to take general charge of our affairs. A head over our mission, and out numerous churches and schools, is required." His brother, William Williams, in his " Christianity Among the New Zealanders " (p. 296), speaking of the arrival of the bishop, says : — " The appointment of a bishop had long been desired by the members of the mission. The Christian Church had now grown to an extent which made it inexpedient that it should be left under the management of local committees. It needed a presiding authority, to which all could look with confidence, together with the exercise within it of those ecclesiastical functions which are essential to a complete efficiency." These expres- sions of opinion from New Zealand met with a ready response in England, The Committee of the C.M.S., after commenting on Bishop Broughton's letter in their Report for 1839, proceed to say : — "Should it please Divine Providence to favour their views, and to raise up an individual eminently devoted, and thoroughly right-minded, to exercise his paternal authority in the midst of this infant flock, the blessings to be anticipated to New Zealand would be truly great." The Church Society for New Zealand, as we have already seen, was earnestly bent on securing the appointment of a bishop at as early a date as possible, and the Colonial Bishoprics PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 93 Council placed New Zealand first on the list of thirteen countries which they deemed to stand in most pressing need of the episcopate. The Arch- bishop of Canterbury (Dr. Howley), and the Bishop of London (Bishop Blomfield),were especially earnest in furthering the establishment of the bishopric. Lastly, the New Zealand Company brought their powerful political influence to bear in the same direction. The result was that, after some delay, an income of ^1,200 per annum was obtained for the bishopric, one-half of which was provided by the C.M.S., and the remainder by parliamentary grant from the public revenue of the country. And now arose the question, who should be selected to occupy this important post ? The nomi- nation was vested in the Crown, and the Crown — that is, the Colonial Office — sought the advice of the archbishop. The history of the appointment is well known, and has been often told ; how the offer was first made to the almost equally eminent elder brother of the eminent man actually appointed — namely, to William Selwyn, afterwards Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Cambridge ; and how, when he felt compelled to decline it, it struck some one as a happy thought, that George Selwyn would accept it, if the call came to him from authority. It was one who knew him well that said this ; the condition was an indispensable one ; for it was a rule of George Selwyn's life, that a clergyman, like a subaltern in the army, should be prepared to go wherever his com- manding ofiicer sent him. Happily, the suggestion was adopted, and Bishop Blomfield, writing on behalf 94 • NEW ZEALAND. of the Crown and the archbishop, made him the formal offer. His letter, accepting the appoint- ment, dated, "Eton College, May 27th, 1841," is admirable ; the following are extracts from it : — " My lord, whatever part in the work of the ministry the Church of England, as represented by her arch- bishops and bishops may call upon me to undertake, I trust I shall be willing to accept with all obedience and humility. The same reasons which would pre- vent me from seeking the office of a bishop, forbid me to decline an authoritative invitation to a post so full of responsibility, but at the same time of spiritual promise. . . . Allow me to offer my best thanks to your lordship for your kind letter, and to place my- self unreservedly in the hands of the Episcopal Council to dispose of my services as they may think best for the Church." Some suspense followed and sundry delays, caused partly by a dissolution of Parliament and a change of Ministry;! ^^t at length, on Sunday, October 17th, 1 84 1, being at the time under 33 years of age, he was consecrated in the chapel of Lambeth Palace, ' It came out afterwards that one cause of hesitation had been an absurd misapprehension on the part of a Cabinet Minister respecting Mr. Selwyn's opinions, causing the Minister even to speak of him as a "Fire-eater." It turned out to be a case of "mistaken identity." (See "Life and Episcopate of G. A. Selwyn, D.D.," by the Rev. H. W. Tucker, M.A., vol. i., p. 70.) Bishop Selwyn, if he must needs be labelled at all, was, throughout his career, a sound and moderate High Churchman, but a thoroughly independent one, — " NuUius addictus jurare in verba magistri," being in fact a magister himself. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 95 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Bishops of London, Lincoln, and Barbados, the last- named prelate. Dr. Coleridge, preaching the sermon. George Augustus Selwyn was born at Hampstead in 1809, and was descended from an ancient family, several members of which had distinguished them- selves at various times in their respective callings, mostly either as soldiers or as lawyers. His father, William Selwyn, was an eminent barrister, well known as the author of " Selwyn's Nisi Prius" and had the honour of being selected, shortly after the marriage of Queen Victoria, to be the instructor of H.R.H. Prince Albert in the Constitution and Laws of England. George Augustus was the second of four brothers, of whom the third died at an early age, but not without having achieved high distinction as a scholar both at Eton and Cambridge; the eldest, William, known for many years as Canon Selwyn, and afterwards as Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, was one of the most eminent clergymen of his time in England ; and the youngest, Charles Jasper, rose to equal eminence in the legal profession, became one of the representatives of his university in Parliament, and died Lord Justice Selwyn. Eton and St. John's College, Cambridge, claimed the future bishop for their own ; and no man ever bore in his heart throughout life a more devoted and enthu- siastic love of his old school and college than he did. He took his B.A. degree in 1831, coming out low in mathematics, for which he had a positive distaste, but second in the classical tripos. He afterwards gained a Fellowship at his college. He deliberately 96 NEW ZEALAND. set himself, both at Eton and Cambridge, to acquire excellence in athletic pursuits, especially in walking, rowing, and swimming ; and it is needless to say that his feats of prowess by river and road in England, stood him in good stead in subsequent years on many a bush and hill track in New Zealand, and in crossing its many unbridged rivers, as well as among the coral-reefs of Melanesia. On Trinity Sunday, 1833, at St. George's, Hanover Square, London, he was ordained deacon on his Fellowship by the Bishop of Carlisle (Dr. Percy), on letters dimissory from the Bishop of Ely, and took the curacy of Boveney, in Oxfordshire, as a labour of love, carrying on at the same time the work of a private tutor. On the Trinity Sunday of the following year he was admitted to the priesthood, in the same church, by the same bishop, and shortly after became curate to the Rev. Isaac Cosset, vicar of Datchet and New Windsor. Mr. Selwyn resided at New Windsor, and there he remained until his consecration. The vicar fully appreciated the zeal and activity of his young curate, and his special talent for organisation; and, while retaining the reins of government in his own hand, wisely gave him full play for the exercise of his energies. The district was at the time labouring under the burden of a heavy debt, contracted some years before for the rebuilding of the church. The failure to meet this liability had become a serious scandal, and was almost paralysing the work of the parish. Mr. Selwyn at once threw himself into the breach with characteristic vigour ; he offered to give his whole stipend as curate for two years towards the PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 97 liquidation of the debt, an offer which the vicar enabled him to turn into an immediate donation by paying the two years' stipend in advance. This generous act had its due effect ; and the organised scheme for paying off the debt, then set on foot by Mr. Selwyn, resulted in its final extinction, though not till some time after he became Bishop of New Zealand. At the same time he was acquiring an increasing influence in the discussion of the most prominent Church questions of the day. In par- ticular, he wrote and published an important letter to Mr. Gladstone on the " Duties of Cathedral Bodies." His views and suggestions on this subject were in advance of the time, but have since been to a great extent carried out. " Nothing," he said, " was so near to his heart as the restoration of cathedrals to their statutable usefulness." In the course of the last year or two before his appointment to New Zealand, preferment seemed to be pressing upon him from every side, and begging his acceptance. In 1840, the Bishop of London offered him an honorary canonry at St. Paul's, but he declined it, because the bishop distinctly stated that he regarded it as ati honorary distinction only, and because no diocesan office or cathedral work was connected with it. The Principalship of a new Training Institution for Masters, established by the National Society, was urged on his acceptance about the same time ; but this also he declined, because (says his biographer, the Rev. H. W. Tucker) " he had for many years determined to take no office that was not strictly ecclesiastical and under the immediate control of the H 98 NEW ZEALAND, bishops." Lastly, Earl Powis, to whose son he had acted as private tutor at Eton, had offered him a hving, which he had accepted, and on the duties of which he would have entered in the course of the year 1 84 1, but that God had higher work in store for him. It will be partly gathered from what has been already said, and will partly be shown by the sequel of this history, that the first and only Bishop of New Zealand combined the truest humility with a zeal that even consumed him, the sturdiest independence of character with the most unquestioning submission to authority ; and that the high qualities of manliness and resoluteness, of singleness of purpose, self- renunciation, largeness of heart, generosity, and de- votedness to God's service, no less than his deeds of magnificent enterprise, declare him unquestionably to have been one of the foremost and greatest men of the nineteenth century. History, above all Church history, may not shrink from pointing out errors of judgment, and recording infirmities of temper, if such there have been, even in her noblest characters, provided her work be done with reverence as well as candour. It may sometimes happen that men of fiery zeal, themselves possessed of uncommon en- dowments of mind and body, may expect too much of those of average ability, and may spur on even mercilessly those who seem to lag behind. Some- times, also, men of unusually strong fibre and reso- lute will may be on the verge of losing temper and patience under opposition, and may even seem over- bearing ; but those who watched the behaviour of Bishop Selwyn at such times of trial, never failed to PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 99 recognise the strong control which he habitually placed on a naturally strong and domineering will. Few also of those to whom he gave offence by any hastiness 'or apparent severity were not ready to do more than forgiVe — were not completely conquered by his genuine humility and unaffected kindness — his conciliatory advances which would take no denial. The parts of the Wind and the Sun in the fable were combined in him. Men admired him for his very faults, and loved him intensely for his virtues. But it is time to hasten on with our history. In the interval between his nomination and consecration lengthy discussions took place, to which he often referred in after-years, between himself and the law officers of the Crown, on the form and provisions of his Letters Patent, which, as originally proposed, modelled as they were on those of the Bishop of Australia, appeared to him to be decidedly Erastian and even profane. On some points his views pre- vailed ; in particular, he secured to the bishop the right of appointing his own archdeacons, which in previous patents of colonial bishops, had been vested in the Crown, on the ground that the Crown was "the fountain of honour"; in others, he had no choice but to yield under protest. But, if the Crown lawyers were studiously jealous of enlarging the privileges of the bishop, the officials of the Colonial Office were unintentionally liberal in extending the limits of his diocese ; for, through either ignorance or inadvertence, they gave him, by a stroke of the pen 68 degrees more of latitude than were intended to be assigned to him, describing his diocese, as e xtending H 2 lOO NEW ZEALAND. from the 50th parallel of south latitude to the 34th of north, whereas it should have been south. To this gro- tesque blunder he would often referwith amusement, as justifying in terms what really needed no justification at all — his adventurous missionary tours to the Melanesian Islands ; the humorous allusion, how- ever, being generally coupled with a grave reminis- cence of the solemn parting injunction of Archbishop Howley, conveyed to him by his Grace in the follow- ing passage of a letter, addressed to him on the eve of his departure from England, in the name of several other members of the episcopal bench, as well as in his own : — " Your mission acquires an importance exceeding all calculation, when your see is regarded as the central point of a system extending its in- fluence in all directions, as a fountain diffusing the streams of salvation over the islands and coasts of the Pacific : as a luminary to which nations enslaved and debased by barbarous and bloody superstitions will look for light." (" Life and Episcopate," &c., p.85.) In a second interval, that, namely, which inter- vened between the bishop's consecration and his departure for New Zealand, his time was busily occupied in negotiations with the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, with the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and with the New Zealand Company, with the view of obtaining endowments for his diocese, and partly in looking out for clergy and lay assistants to work with him. The authorities of the New Zealand Company manifested a very cordial desire to work with him in making provision for the spiritual needs of the colonists in the Company's newly-founded settlements. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. lOI The writer has before him an unpublished private letter from the celebrated Edward Gibbon Wakefield, the leading spirit of the Company, written at this period to his sister, Mrs. Torlesse (wife of the late Rev. C. Torlesse, Vicar of Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk), from which, by permission, he makes the following extracts : — " We had a long and very satisfactory interview with the bishop yesterday. . . . The object of the bishop's meeting with our Committee was to come to some j^ractical determination as to what was to be done for the Church of England and benefit of the natives in the Company's settlements ; and it was resolved accordingly, subject to approval of our Court to-day ; — ' First, that the Company would advance, on the security of the Native Reserves at Wellington, ;^5,ooo for the purpose of immediately establishing schools for natives, where the children may live away from their parents ; the masters to be clergymen of the Church of England ; the children of chiefs to board with the masters as private pupils. Secondly, that the bishop and the Company agree to subscribe as much respectively as the other shall subscribe for endowment of the Church of England at Welling- ton, Wanganui, New Plymouth, and Nelson.' The bishop undertook for the great Societies, and we for the Company. So there is a race between the Church and the Company as to which shall first collect the larger sum ; and the more either shall collect, the more precisely must the other furnish. We, having the money in hand, began with ^5,000 for Nelson, which secures ;^ 10,000, the Church being bound to double our subscription. I shall do my utmost to get a large contribution from the Company for 102 NEW ZEALAND. Wellington and New Plymouth .... The Company has already contributed, in land and money, ;i^2,ooo towards the endowment of the N.Z. Bishopric." The object of the writer is to urge his sister to use her influence with a certain wealthy person, to induce him to give a large subscription for these purposes ; he adds accordingly, " You will see that what I want, as a provision for churches and clergy, is a large sub- scription from others as 2. provocative to the Company to be liberal. So pray see Mr. , and explain the whole matter to him. I think if matters proceed as they promise, New Zealand will be the most Church of England country in the world." In entire agreement with the foregoing letter is the following extract from the Report of the Committee of the S.P.G. for '1842: — "For New Zealand the Society have appointed a Special Committee, consisting of the Standing Committee of the Society, together with several noblemen and gentlemen who take an especial interest in the concerns of that colony ; and this Committee have been instructed to make an appeal to the public on behalf of the Church in the diocese of New Zealand. The New Zealand Com- pany, besides offering an eligible purchase of land, have granted the sums of ;^2,ooo, ;!^5oo, and ;;^5,ooo for the use of the Church in their settlements at Wellington, New Plymouth, and Nelson, re- spectively, on condition that the bishop of the diocese shall raise an equal sum for the same purpose ; or, until he is able to do so, shall make annual payments, at the rate of five per cent, on these contributions : and they have expressed a hope that they shall be PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 103 able to make still further grants to the same object, and on the same conditions. The Society have gladly undertaken to assist in thus providing for the religious wants of the colonists, and for the in- struction and conversion of the native inhabitants. Out of a large annual grant, which they have made for the support of clergymen in the colony, they have allotted ;^25o to the Company's settlements, and have also paid ;^2,ooo towards the General Fund." The S.P.C.K. also promised substantial assistance towards the furtherance of the bishop's plans. The obligations which the Church of New Zealand owes to these two great and venerable Societies can never be reckoned up in detail ; suffice it to say, they are innumerable. The small company of fellow-workers, which the bishop succeeded in gathering, consisted of the following : — The Rev. W. C. Cotton, student of Christ Church, Oxford, and the Rev. T. Whytehead, Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, his two chaplains ; the Rev. Robert Cole, sent out by the S.P.G. ; the Revs. C L. Reay, and W. C Dudley, sent by the C.^SI-S. ; and four students for Holy Orders, namely, Mr. H. F. Butt, Mr. Evans, Mr. Fisher, and Mr. Nihill. There was one other, who would willingly have accompanied him, an old and dear friend and fellow-Etonian, the Rev. C J. Abraham ; but it was agreed between them that, for the sake of their loved Eton, the noble work of reform, on which Mr, Abraham had entered there, demanded his personal superintendence for some time longer ; and it was not in fact until nine years 104 NEW ZEALAND. had elapsed that he was in a position to perform his promise of joining his friend in New Zealand. The bishop took passages for himself, Mrs. Selwyn, and his party in the barque Tojna/in, which was long delayed by contrary winds, but finally sailed from Plymouth on St. Stephen's Day, December 26th, 1841.^ By a happy coincidence, a Maori lad, named Rupai, who had been residing for two years in a school at Battersea, under the care of Dr. Kay Shuttleworth, was returning to New Zealand by the same ship. Him the bishop engaged as a servant, and made such persevering and skilful use of his services, "as a living grammar and lexicon,'- that, in a letter written to his mother when off Sydney harbour, dated April loth, 1842, he says, "I can ^ We must not omit to mention that Mrs. (afterwards Lady) Martin, wife of the Chief Justice of New Zealand, afterwards so well known as Sir William Martin, was also a passenger on board the Toinatin, going out under the care of the bishop and Mrs. Selwyn to join her husband. Mr. Martin, like his friend. Bishop Selwyn, had been a Fellow of St. John's, Cambridge. ^ See "Life and Episcopate," &c., p. 105. The following extract from an earlier letter to his mother, written on the voyage, is deeply interesting, as showing how the great work of the future was even then in his mind, and how he was ever busy in some useful employment :— "I am compiling from the Rarotonga, Tahitian, and New Zealand translations of the New Testament, a comparative grammar of those three dialects, which are all from the same root, and illustrate one another. I hope to be quite familiar with the three dialects by the end of the voyage, which will much facilitate the plan which I have conceived — and which may God give me grace to carry into effect — of extending the branches of he C'uirch of New Zealand throughout the Southern Pacific." PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 105 now converse with Rupai fluently in New Zealand, and catechise him always in his own language. His company has been of the greatest service to me, as it has guided my pronunciation, and given me a continual reason for talking. All the New Zealand party have made some progress." After what the bishop described in the same letter as "a most delightful voyage," the Tomatin came to anchor on the 14th April. The vessel was bound ultimately for New Zealand, but took the ground in going up Sydney harbour, and the delay caused by the neces- sity for repairs threatened to be of such duration, that the bishop, eager to begin his work, set sail for Auckland, with Mr. Cotton for his companion, in a small brig, the Bristoliafi by name, leaving Mrs. Selwyn and the rest of the party to follow in the Tomatin. Before leaving Sydney, however, he en- joyed much happy intercourse with Bishop Broughton, who was able to give him much valuable information and advice. Arriving at Auckland at midnight on Sunday, May 29th, his first act was to kneel down on the sand, and give thanks to God. On the 31st, he went to stay with the Governor and Mrs. Hobson, and on the following Sunday, June 5th, preached his first sermon in New Zealand at the Court House, being assisted in the service by the Rev. J. F. Churton (afterwards Archdeacon, and first incumbent of St. Paul's, Auckland), who was then chaplain to the Governor. We may well imagine the surprise and delight of the Maories and missionaries alike, when they heard the newly-arrived bishop preach in the native tongue. Io6 NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER II. Arrival at Paihia — Mutual First Impressions —Residence at Waimate— First Appointment of Archdeacon — First Visi- tation Tour — Death of Mr. Evans — Return to Auckland — Death of Rev. T. C. Whytehead — First Confirmation — Financial Arrangements — Peace-making — Ordinations — The Rev. Oct. Hadfield. On the i6th June, the bishop left Auckland for the Bay of Islands, and reached Paihia after dark on the 20th. His first meeting with Henry Williams was characteristic. Mr. Williams was engaged with his Bible class, when a card was brought in to him, bearing on it the words, " The Bishop of New Zealand on the beach." On going down he found the bishop, Mr. Cotton, and another dragging up a boat in which they had come from Cape Brett, steering for the house by a pocket compass. Mrs. Williams in her journal says: — "The bishop's manner was most prepossessing. . . . When sum- moned to tea, both the bishop and his chaplain seemed surprised at the long tea-table of the two families of Williams, set for twenty-four." In short, he took all hearts by storm. All were alike struck with admiration of his abilities, and especially his proficiency in the native language, and all ahke captivated by the singular charm of his manners and conversation. Henry Williams gave him his un- PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 107 reserved confidence. Writing to his brother-in-law on the 24th June, after the bishop had been staying in his house for some days, he says : — " I have seen very much of this good man during the few days of his sojourn amongst us. We have spoken freely upon various subjects in connexion with the mission, and it is very remarkable that in no one instance have we had a contrary idea. He so fully enters into our views upon all missionary points, that I am at times under some apprehension of forgetting that he is our bishop. ... I must say that I am quite afraid to say how delighted I am." The bishop's own first impressions were equally favourable. In a letter to the Secretary of the C.M.S., he says : — "I hope this letter will have put you in some degree in possession of my feelings towards the natives, and towards the mission. If you have gathered from it that I have imbibed the strongest regard for the native people, and a very high regard and esteem for the members of the mission in general, you will have drawn a right conclusion from this very imperfect statement of my real feelings." In a sermon preached at Paihia, in 1842, he says : — "Christ has blessed the work of His ministers in a wonderful manner. We see here a whole nation of pagans converted to the faith. God has given a new heart and a new spirit to thousands after thousands of our fellow-creatures in this distant quarter of the earth. A few faithful men, by the power of the Spirit of God, have been the instruments of adding another Christian people to the family of God. Another Christian Church has arisen here, in the midst of Io8 NEW ZEALAND. one of the fiercest and most bloody nations that ever lived, to bear witness to the power of sin over the heart of unregenerated man." (Carleton's " Life of Henry WilHams," vol. ii., p. 53.) On St. John Baptist's Day, the Tomatin arrived at the Bay of Islands, bringing Mrs. Selwyn, her little boy,i Mrs. Martin, and the rest of the party, with the exception of the Rev. T. Whytehead, who had re- mained behind at Sydney under medical advice. The bishop then fixed his head-quarters for the time being at the mission station at Waimate, and took his wife and child thither together with the students ; but he himself resolved to set off at once on his first visitation tour. Accordingly, leaving Mr. Cotton and Mr. Dudley at Waimate with the students, and having settled a plan of work and study for them in his absence, he left on the 5th July for Auckland. Here the church, afterwards known as St. Paul's, a brick building in the Early English style, built to ac- commodate about 600 persons, was in course of erection. " Auckland now contains," writes the bishop to the S.P.G. in a letter dated July 29th, "a population of 1,900 persons, of whom more than 1,100 are registered as members of the Church of England." Here, as elsewhere for the most part, he displayed remarkable sagacity and far-sightedness in the acquisition of sites and endowments for Church purposes. " I am now," he says in this letter, " off the harbour of Auckland in the Government brig ' Now the Rev. William Selwyn, of St. John's College, Cambridge (B. A., 1862), Vicar of Bromfield, Salop. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. IC9 Victoria, bound to Wellington and Nelson. On board with me are the Rev. R. Cole, for "Wellington ; Rev. C. L. Reay, missionary for the South-Western district, and Mr. Evans as my travelling companion." In the same letter he writes as follows : — " One of my first public acts has been the appointment of the Rev. W. Williams to be Archdeacon of the Eastern district. In taking this step I have acted upon the strongest recommendation of the Bishop of Australia, confirmed by personal intercourse with him at the Bay of Islands. Archdeacon Williams is a man universally beloved, and one who, during twenty years of residence in a savage country, has lost nothing of that high tone of feeling which dis- tinguishes the best class of English clergymen." Further on he adds, " My plans are now so laid that, God willing, I hope to have seen every settle- ment, and every clergyman and catechist in the country before the end of the year. The practical wisdom and administrative power of the bishop are conspicuous in every line of this letter ; a quotation from its opening sentences will show the largeness of his views and the magnanimity of his spirit : — " I have now been two months in New Zealand, and from the first day of my landing until now have seen, day after day, more and more reason to be thankful, on the part of the Church, for the establishment of the bishopric of this colony, and for myself, that I am allowed to share in so great and hopeful a work. I find myself placed in a position such as was never granted to any English bishop before, with a power to mould the institutions of the Church from the no NEW ZEALAND. beginning according to true principles ; and I earnestly desire the prayers of the Church at home, that I may be enabled clearly to discern that truth, and consistently to follow it." On the 2 1 St August he arrived at Nelson, where he settled the Rev. C. L. Reay. Crossing the Straits to Wellington, he was distressed to find that both Mr. Cole and Mr. Evans, whom he had left there, had been attacked by typhus fever, and had been at death's door. They were thought to be now slowly recovering. This hope was realised in the case of the former, but not so as regards Mr. Evans. And now another feature of Bishop Selwyn's many-sided character was brought into prominence. He took upon himself the nursing of his young friend and travelling companion, and this is the pathetic tale which Chief Justice Martin, who joined him at Wellington early in October, writes to his wife, under date October loth, 1842^: — "The bishop was watching and tending as a mother or wife might watch and tend. It was a most affecting sight. He practised every little art that nourishment might be supplied to his patient ; he pounded chicken into fine powder, that it might pass in a liquid form into his ulcerated mouth. He made jellies, he listened to every sound, he sat up the whole night through by the bedside. In short, he did everything worthy of his noble nature. It went to my heart." On the day on which these words were written, the ' "Life and Episcopate of G, A. Selwyn," by H. W. Tucker, vok i. p. 125. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. m bishop left Wellington to travel overland to New Plymouth, having Mr. H. St. Hill for his travelling companion. Visiting on his way Waikanae and Otaki, the stations of the Rev. O. Hadfield, whom he describes as "a most valuable and zealous mis- sionary," and preaching to larger or smaller assemb- lages of natives almost every day,^ he arrived on the 1 8th October at Wanganui, where he was received by the Rev. Mr. Mason, whom he had ordained to the priesthood shortly before at Wellington. He spent the 17th, the anniversary of his consecration, in a tent on the sand hills, south of Wanganui, having been detained, while a horse was being fetched for him, in consequence of an inflammation in the heel from continuous walking over flat sands. He thus describes this tenement in a letter to his mother, who, however, did not live to receive it, having died, by a remarkable coincidence, on the anniversary just mentioned : — " You would be surprised with the comparative comfort which I enjoy in my encamp- ments. My tent is strewn with dry fern or grass ; my air-bed is laid upon it ; my books, clothes, and other goods lie beside it ; and though the whole dimensions of my dwelling do not exceed eight feet by five, I have more room than I require." On the 28th he reached New Plymouth, the third of the New Zealand Company's settlements, and being joined by Judge Martin on the 31st, they • He had been supplied, before leaving Engl.ind, with a large number of copies of the Gospel of St. Matthew in Maori, and of these he gave one to every Maori whom he met, as long as the stock lasted. 112 NEW ZEALAND. selected together sites for churches. " I am much gratified," the Bishop wrote, " by the disposition of the people of this settlement, and will endeavour to meet it by zealous endeavours to promote their spiritual well-being." Returning by sea in the Government brig Victoria to Waikanae, he ascended the beautiful river Manawatu by a canoe, as far as it is navigable, and then struck across the country on foot towards the east coast. On the way he was met by appointment by Archdeacon W. Williams and the Rev. W. Dudley,'^ and on the i6th November, they arrived together at Ahuriri, the port of the present town of Napier, in Hawke's Bay. They reached Turanga (Poverty Bay), the archdeacon's station, on the 25th, to hear the unwelcome news that the chapel, a fine building of native workmanship, capable of holding 1,000 persons, had been blown down. On the 27th, a congregation of quite that number assembled amidst the ruins and the Vener- able W. Williams was duly installed as Archdeacon of Waiapu, in the face of the congregation in the course of the service. The Bishop (to use his own words) "preached to them from Acts xv. (vs. 16, 17), on Christ repairing the breaches of David's fallen tabernacle, that the Gentiles might seek the Lord." - ' It may be as well to mention, to prevent confusion, that the Rev. William Dudley, here and previously mentioned, was but very remotely related, if at all, to the two archdeacons of the same name, father and son, so v.'ell known in the dioceses of Christchurch and Auckland. - See "Annals of the Colonial Church, New Zealand," p. 46. S.P.C.K. 1847. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. II3 He then visited in succession the stations of Mr. Stack and Mr. Wilson, catechists, at Rangitukia and Opotiki ; that of the Rev. A. N. Brown at Tauranga ; of 'Mr. Chapman and Mr. Morgan, catechists at Rotorua and Otawao on the river Waipa; of the Rev. B. Y. Ashwell at Kaitotohe ; of the Rev. R. Maunsell at Mareatai at the mouth of the Waikato ; and, lastly, of Mr. Hamlin, catechist, on Manukau harbour, and reached Auckland at length on the 3rd January, 1843, '^^'^'^^ ^''^s one faithful attendant Rota (Lot),' carrying his bag, his raiment being in such a dilapidated state, that he was fain to make his way to the judge's house " by a path avoiding the town," passing over land which he had bought for the site of the cathedral — " a spot," writes the bishop, "which I hope may hereafter be traversed by the feet of many bishops better shod, and far less ragged than myself" A few days later, the sad intelligence reached him of the approaching decease of his dear friend, the Rev. T. C. Whytehead, who had arrived from Sydney during his absence. Hastening home to Waimate, he not only found him still living, but was permitted to enjoy nearly ten weeks of his society ; for he did not die till Sunday, the 19th March. His death was a sad blow to the bishop ; it was as though he had lost his right hand; for he was to have been the * Afterwards ordained deacon by Bishop Selwyn, being the first Maori admitted to holy orders. He was trained at Otaki, the mission station of the Rev. O. Hadfield, and baptized by hina. 114 NEW ZEALAND. principal of his Theological College, and his Examin- ing Chaplain.^ On the 25th February, a few weeks before this sad event, the bishop had held his first Confirmation, at which no less than 325 natives were confirmed; " and a more orderly, and, I hope, more impressive ceremony," he writes, " could not have been con- ducted in any church in England.' On the following Sunday, 300 native communicants assembled at the Lord's Table, some having come two days' journey for the purpose. In a letter dated November 3rd, 1842, the second written to the S.P.G. in the course of his first missionary tour, the bishop developed his plans for the financial organisation of his diocese. It is need- less to say, that they were eminently sagacious and far-seeing. His first object was to obtain, by the assistance of the Society, landed endowments — " to go on from year to year " (to use his own words), "endowing the Church in perpetuity in the new settlements, as fast as they arise." While these endowments were gradually acquiring value, he de- pended, for the stipends of the clergy, in part upon the Society's grants ; but not wholly so, for it was a 1 This noble-minded man, and worthy coadjutor of Bishop Selwyn, not only declined from the first to receive any re- muneration for his services, but in his will directed the repay- ment of the sum of ^^loo granted by the S.P.G. for his outfit, and left also the sum of £6?>i, " to he applied to the purposes of the Anglican Church in New Zealand at the discretion of the bishop." This bequest was added by the bishop to the fund for the endowment of St. John's College, which had been opened at Waimate before Mr. Whytehead's death with seven students. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. II5 leading principle with him that the support of the clergy should be derived partly from endowments, and partly from voluntary contributions. In the several settlements where there was a bank, he had already opened one general account, called the Archdeaconry Fund, to receive private contributions, and collections made at the offertory. The fund was vested uniformly in five trustees — the bishop, the archdeacon of the district, the senior minister, and two laymen, one selected by the bishop, the other by the archdeacon; and the proceeds " to be applicable to the building and endowment of churches, schools, and parsonage houses ; and to the payment, in part, of salaries of clergymen." The sentence which follows is in- teresting as showing the origin of a system which, as regards surpUce fees at least, has held its ground ever since in New Zealand. " I hope to bring all dues, such as surplice fees, Easter offerings, &c., into this fund, that they may be looked upon as dues of the Church, and not as gratuities to particular clergymen for services performed." A brief extract from a letter to the same correspondent (the Rev. Ernest Hawkins, Secretary of the S.P.G.), dated, "St. John's College, Waimate, July 6th, 1843," exhibits two other prin- ciples of a more profound character, by which his whole inner life, and the administration of his diocese, were unvaryingly directed — dependence on Divine Grace, and reverence for Christian antiquity. After gratefully acknowledging the confidence reposed in him by the Society, in not fettering him by stringent regulations, but allowing him latitude in the disposal 1 2 Il6 NEW ZEALAND. of the funds they entrusted him with, he says, " I trust that I shall be enabled to follow, not any fancies of my own, but the best models of antiquity, and that I shall be guided by a spirit of dependence upon Divine Grace ; to which end I desire the prayers of my friends and the Church at home." Returning to the chronological order of our narrative, we find, in a letter of the bishop, dated March 22nd, 1843, the record of an incident, which shows how thoroughly he took up the old line of conduct of the missionaries as peace-makers, and illustrates at the same time the habits of the Christian natives with regard to the observance of the Lord's Day: — "Immediately after the funeral of Mr. Whytehead, I was obliged to set out to our northern- most station, Kaitaia, to endeavour to pacify two parties of natives, whose quarrels threatened to involve the northern portion of the island in war. I was not very successful ; but, happily, no outbreak occurred during the week that I spent among them. In this journey I saw the natives entirely in a new character, and in a less favourable point of view than in my former journey. Still there was something, even in their warfare, which showed the influence of religion. I arrived on the Saturday, and im- mediately took up my position midway between the hostile camps, in a field of Indian corn, which had been partially destroyed. From this neutral ground I opened my communications with the rival chiefs. On the next morning, Sunday, the whole valley was as quiet as in the time of perfect peace, the natives walking about unarmed among the cultivations, it PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. II7 being perfectly understood that neither party would fight on the Lord's Day. Going early in the morning to one of the pas, I found the chief reading prayers to his people. As he had just come to the end of the Litany, I waited till he concluded, and then read the Communion Service, and preached to them on part of the Lesson of the day : — " A new com- mandment I give unto you, that ye love one another." I spoke my opinion openly, but without giving any offence ; and the chief, after the service, received me in a most friendly manner. This, you will say, was an unusual combination : a New Zealand war- chief reading prayers, and an English bishop preaching; but you must not at present judge us by the ordinary rules of Church discipline." (" Annals of the Colonial Church, N.Z.," p. 63.) — We may take occasion to mention here, that the last known case of cannibalism occurred at Tauranga, in the year 1842, the perpetrator being a savage chief named Taraia.^ On Trinity Sunday, 1843, Mr. Richard Davis, catechist, was ordained deacon, the service being conducted in the native language, in the presence of 400 Maories, of whom no less than 310 remained to receive the Holy Communion with the bishop and clergy. Mr. Davis was appointed to the station at Kaikohe, ten miles from Waimate. On the 24th September, three more students of St. John's College, Waimate, were ordained, namely, William Bolland, ' See Dr. Thompson's "New Zealand," vol. ii., p. 55- The atrocities perpetrated by Kereopa and others at the first Hauhau outbreak in 1865 were, however, of the nature of a return to cannibalism. Il8 NEW ZEALAND. of University College, Oxford (a friend of Mr. Whytehead), Seymour W. Spencer, and H. F. Butt. In the following November Mr. Spencer was settled by the bishop himself at Rotongaio, a station on Lake Taupo, Mr. Bolland at New Plymouth, and Mr. H. F. Butt at Nelson^ as assistant curate to the Rev. C. L. Reay.^ The closing days of the year 1843 were spent by the bishop at Otaki and Waikanae with Mr. Hadfield, from whom he parted on the second day of the following year, "regretting," to use his own words, " that our duties permit us to see so little of one another ; for he is a man whom I value much, and have endeavoured to mark my esteem by appointing him rural dean of the district of Wellington and Taranaki." Earlier in the year 1843, he had appointed the Rev. A. N. Brown to be Archdeacon of Tauranga. We may fitly close the record of this year with a characteristic anecdote of the bishop, which shall be given in his own words, recorded in the *' Annals of the Colonial Church, New Zealand," p. 82. "When I form my plan for the summer, I write down all the days in my journal, with D. V. against the name of the place which I hope to reach on each day. If I succeed, I add a D.G. to the name. Almost all my marks of D.V. have this year been so changed into D.G." ' This well-known and most estimable clergyman (the Rev. H. F. Butt) was afterwards master of the Bishop's School at Nelson. In 1857 he was put in charge of the Wairau district, the centre of which is Blenheim. He was made Archdeacon of Marlborough in 1870. He retired from clerical duty in 1885, still residing with his family at Blenheim, where he died, respected and beloved by all who knew him, not longer ago than December, 1886. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. II9 CHAPTER III. First Missionary Tour in Middle Island — Return to Bay of Islands — Bishop Selwyn as a Missionary — Ordinations — Installation of Archdeacons — Rev. G. A. Kissling — Re- moval of St. John's College to Tamaki— Illness of Rev. O. Hadfield — Translation of the Old and New Testaments — Translation of Prayer Book. At the beginning of the following year, 1844, Bishop Selwyn paid his first visit to the Middle Island in a miserable schooner of twenty tons, named the Richmond. In his journal he gives a lively descrip- tion of the portion of Banks's Peninsula, which lies south of Akaroa, of "a magnificent view over the vast plains of the south " — known a few years later as the Canterbury Plains— of the "apparently inter- minable line of the Ninety Mile Beach," of the great lake Waihora (Lake Ellesmere), and of " the distant hills in the neighbourhood of Timaru," which "closed in the view." At night he encamped with his party of ten natives at "a very small native village named Wairewa (Little River), where," he says, "a little party of nine or ten entertained us hospitably with eels, which form almost their only means of subsistence." Next day, January loth, he describes a walk of eighteen miles, between the sea and Lake Waihora, over an alluvial bed of dry gravel, to Te Taumutu. Here he found another small settlement, containing a popula- tion of about forty natives, with whom he conversed, I20 NEW ZEALAND. and distributed books among them. This was the first time they had been visited by a missionary, but it is a remarkable proof of the extent to which Christian knowledge had spread, that in this out-of- the-way place some were able to read, and many were acquainted with the Lord's Prayer, the Belief, and portions of the Catechism. The next day, January nth, 1844, is memorable for the first- recorded service held by any minister of the Church of England in that which is now the diocese of Christchurch. It was held by the Bishop of New Zealand with that handful of natives at Taumutu. The following Sunday, the 14th, was spent at Te Wai-te-Rauti,^ a native village containing a population of upwards of a hundred, near the southern extremity of the Ninety Mile Beach. Here we are met with a melancholy instance — extremely ludicrous, if it v/ere not so painful — of the wide-spread evil of organic disunion among Christians. The following is the entry in the Bishop's journal : — " The village popula- tion divided between the members of the Church of England and Wesleyans. No English minister had visited the place before my arrival ; but native teachers from other places had duly informed them of the difference between (Hahi) Church and (Weteri) Wesley. The discussions resulting from this division of opinion took away much of the satisfaction of my visit to the Southern Island, as much of my time was spent in answering unprofitable ^ Almost identical with the Maori settlement, better known by the name of Arowhenua. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 121 questions." There is a similar entry under January 31st :—" Here"— that is, in a native village at Ruapuke, an island in Foveaux Straits — "as in other places, there was too much discussion about Weteri and Hahi (Wesley and the Church). We need not wonder at the controversies which are raging at home, when even in the most distant part of this most remote of all countries, in places hitherto unvisited by English missionaries, the spirit of con- troversy, so congenial as it seems to the fallen nature of man, is everywhere found to prevail, in many cases to the entire exclusion of all simplicity of faith." Before reaching Ruapuke, the bishop had visited scattered native hamlets, at Timaru (described as "a deserted whaling station "), at the river Waitangi (Waitaki), at Moerangi (Moeraki), at Waikouaiti, a Wesleyan mission station, v.-here he stayed at the house of Mr. Watkins, Wesleyan missionary, and catechised his natives ; and at Otakou (Otago), where he placed a native teacher, a man whom he had baptized at Moeraki, to minister to the Church of England natives. Thus far he had travelled mostly on foot, but partly in a large sealing boat belonging to some of the natives. But at Otakou he engaged a passage in a schooner called the Persevera?tce, the property of a chief named Tuhawaiki of Ruapuke, and found that, in point of comfort, it contrasted favourably with the Richmond, which was owned by an Englishman. No English missionary' had visited Ruapuke before the bishop's arrival^ but the natives had received some instructions from the zealous Tamahana Te Rauparaha, of whom so much was 122 NEW ZEALAND. related in the preceding part of this history. He had been sent by Mr. Hadfield on a missionary expedition to these distant parts. The bishop then traversed Stewart's Island to its furthest extremity, visiting every native hamlet and every whaling station, teaching, exhorting, baptizing the children, and marrying many of the seafearing Englishmen to native wives. On Sunday, February 4th, he held service at Port William, where he "found a party of forty natives under a most intelligent chief." The entry in the bishop's journal under this date bears valuable evidence to the effectiveness of the mission work of thirty years in spreading the knowledge of the Gospel throughout the length and breadth of New Zealand : — " This place had not been visited by any teacher, either native or English ; but some of the men knew the Belief, and the children could repeat portions of the Catechism. To this, then, the most distant settlement in my diocese, the Word of God had come, and prepared the hearts of the people to receive gladly the instruction which I gave them, confirming fully an opinion which I expressed last year, that there is no part of New Zealand where the Gospel is unknown." Having completed his circuit of all the inhabited places in Foveaux Straits, both on Stewart's Island and on the mainland, he set sail in the Perseverance on his return voyage, entered Akaroa Harbour on the 14th February, walked over to Pigeon Bay^ on the 15th, thence to Port Levy, ' For the sake of the pleasure it will give to the small and rapidly-diminishing band of early Canterbury settlers, to whom the interesting family of the Sinclairs was so well known, the PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 1 23 where the three following days were spent, and with respect to which the following interesting entry occurs in the journal : — " A few miles further to the westward of Port Levy, with only one headland^ between the two harbours, is Port Cooper, ^ now much talked of for a new colony. A large party of natives had assembled at Port Levy, in hopes of selling land ; so that I made acquaintance with most of the principal chiefs of the Middle Island, whom I had not before seen. Port Cooper is surrounded by precipitous hills, with very little level ground, but an opening can be made, without difficulty, to the extensive plains which range along the eastern shore of this island from Kaikoura (Lookers On) to Moerangi." He set sail from Port Cooper for Port Nicholson (Wellington) on the 19th February, in another small schooner, the Eliza, but did not reach his destination following extract from the bishop's journal is here appended : — "In this bay I found some Scotch settlers of the right sort ; living in great comfort by their own exertions, making everything for themselves, and, above all, keeping up their religious principles and usages, though far away from any ministerial assistance. The name of the family was Sinclair ; I spent the evening with them, and conducted their family prayers." — "Annals of the Colonial Church, New Zealand," p. 145. ' Adderley Head, named after Sir Charles Adderley, now Lord Norton. It faces the better-known Godley Head, named after Sir Charles's great friend, John Robert Godley. 2 Now Lyttelton Harbour. Levy and Cooper were the names of two whalers, said to have been old convicts. Port Levy still retains its ancient name. The words which follow — "An opening can be made without difficulty" — read like a prophecy of the Moorhouse Tunnel. 124 ^'EW ZEALAND. till the 26th, Here he was met on the jetty, and most cordially welcomed, by the new governor, Captain R, Fitzroy, recently arrived from England to succeed Captain Hobson, deceased, and, on the following day, left in His Excellency's company in the Government brig' Victoria for Auckland. The bishop characteristically says nothing in his journal of the extreme roughness and discomfort he must needs have experienced in the course of this tour of two months' duration, but the initiated will not be slow to read a good deal " between the lines '' of the following brief remark : — " Went on board Victoria, which seemed a floating palace after the Richmond, Perseverance, and Eliza." He arrived at Auckland on the 6th March, and, having consecrated St. Paul's Church on Sunday, March 17th, embarked on board the Victoria on the following day, and finally anchored at the mouth of the Kerikeri river in the Bay of Islands on the 20th, having accomplished, by the blessing of God, a wonderfully successful mis- sionary tour. We may, indeed, appropriately close this portion of our narrative with the following pithy extract from a letter written by Henry Williams to the Rev. E. G. Marsh on the 25th July in the same year, 1844:— "We are looking out with some ex- pectancy for the bishop's charge, when we may learn more clearly his lordship's views. As yet all has been very smooth and quiet ; and the good man has gone to work with the strength of a giant in the dis- charge of true and faithful missionary work. He has laboured hard, and set us all a noble example. I may certainly say that he does the work of the best PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 1 25 two missionaries I have ever known. He richly earns the ^600 per annum allowed by the C.M.S. I told him he must take better care of himself, if he expects to last, which is strictly the duty of a soldier, though to be always ready for any work to which he may be called to engage." (Carleton's '•' Life of Henry Williams," vol. ii., p. 72.) On the 20th September, in this year, the bishop announced his intention, in consequence of com- munications of an untoward nature from the C.M.S., to remove his own residence from Waimate to Auck- land ;i and, as this change in his head-quarters would withdraw him from the personal superintendence of the northern district, he requested the Rev. H. Williams to accept the office of Archdeacon of the Waimate. On Sunday, the 22nd, Messrs. T. Hamlin, T. Chapman, W. Colenso, J. Matthews, and C P. Davies," were admitted to Deacon's Orders. The occasion was made more memorable by the public installation of the Ven. H. Williams and the Ven. A. N. Brown, in the office of archdeacon, in the presence of about 500 natives, besides several Europeans. It should be mentioned also, as part of the history of ^ Differences of a serious character had arisen between the Society and the Bishop. They showed themselves jealous of his residence at, and immediate control over, their station at Wai- mate, and refused to give him a lease of the land and buildings. They declined, moreover, to present their catechists to him for ordination, because he stipulated for the right of placing them where he judged best. - The clergyman last named married the eldest daughter of Archdeacon Henry Williams 126 NEW ZEALAND. this year, that, in the early part of it, the Rev. G. A. Kissling, a German by birth, who had served as a missionary for many years in Africa, but had been compelled by ill health to retire from that field of labour, arrived to join the mission in New Zealand, and, on account of his high character and ripe ex- perience, was an important addition to its strength. In November of this year, the bishop carried out his intention of removing to Auckland ; and St. John's College, with its students, was transplanted from Waimate to Tamaki, about six miles from that town, the students encamping on the land, until wooden buildings could be erected for their reception ; and a large church tent, which the bishop had brought out from England, furnished with every requisite for Divine service — the gift of W. Cotton, Esq., governor of the Bank of England — serving for a temporary college chapel. About the same time the Rev. O. Hadfield, who had now laboured for five years with devoted zeal and marked success at Otaki and Waikanae, the centres of the south-western district, was brought to death's door by what seemed a mortal disease. The bishop mourned for him in his letters to his English friends, as though he were already taken away, spoke of him as " Mr. Hadfield, now, perhaps, of blessed memory " — the date of this par- ticular letter was March 9, 1845 — and further on, in the same letter, wrote as follows : — " You will easily understand why I value anything which serves to bring the memory of Mr. Hadfield to my mind, when I tell you that I left him at Wellington smitten with an incurable disease, and scarcely dare to hope that PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. l2^ I may see him again in this life/ So true a Christian, SO influential a missionary, and so valuable a friend, like Others whom I have lost before, can never be replaced. Their deaths must be in themselves the benefits which they were designed by God to bestow upon this country." The present will be a fitting opportunity for speaking of the progress made in the work of translation since we last referred to it ; and it will be convenient to bring together under one view all the steps that were taken in this most important matter in the course of the whole period comprehended in this second division of our history. Before the close of 1843 the bishop appointed a Translation Com- mittee or Syndicate, composed of Archdeacon W. Williams, the Rev. R. Maunsell, and Messrs. Hamlin andPuckey, catechists, " to revise all old translations, and to look over all new matter." " I hope, in due time," he said, aiming in this, as in all things, at the utmost attainable perfection, " to get a standard copy of the Bible and Prayer Book, to be published under authority." Mr. Maunsell, who was the chief leader in the work during this period, as Mr. W. Williams was in the preceding, has favoured the writer with a brief sketch of a portion of his labours, which must be supplemented from other sources. ^ " I have often ^ Tucker's " Life and Episcopate," &c., vol. i., pp. 186, 187. How strangely at variance our forecasts often are with the actual course of events ! Bishop Selwyn has been numbered among the departed for more than nine years, and Bishop Hadfield, though often ailing, is still vigorously administering the affairs of his diocese (August, 1888). * The other principal source to which he is indebted is Mr. 128 NEW ZEALAND. thought," writes this justly venerated man, who has survived nearly all his contemporaries, " that God had designed me for the translation of His Word. I felt an intense desire to engage in it ; and as soon as I embarked from the Isle of Wight, began zealously to study Hebrew. Before I had been twelve months in New Zealand, I began with the catechist Hamlin to translate Exodus, and steadily continuing my labours, prepared a grammar and dictionary of the language. I found, on my arrival in New Zealand, that Mr. W. Williams was engaged in translating the New Testament ; so I tackled the Old. I came in 1835, Bishop Selwyn in 1842. The New Testament Hugh Carleton, who has thrown together in Appendix D of the first vol. of his " Life of Heniy Williams " a mass of infor- mation on this subject. The writer has heard from yet another source amusing and characteristic anecdotes of Dr. Maunsell's efiforts to perfect himself in the IMaori idiom. He proclaimed prizes of so many sticks of tobacco to be given to any native who should puzzle him with six Maori words previously un- known to him. Occasionally also he would lie at full length in the Maori pa at his station at the Waikato Heads, with no apparent object but that of amusing himself with the conversa- tion of his lively neighbours, but in reality intent all the while on watching the forms of their speech. At another time, when he came across a difficulty in rendering any particular thought of psalmist or prophet into idiomatic Maori, he would throw down his pen, rush from his study to the pa, and engaging in discussion with one of the most intelligent of its occupants — and the Maori is always ready for a korero or talk — would designedly give such a turn to the conversation as to bring out, by means of an ingenuity and perseverance in which he had few equals, the very form of phrase he was anxious to arrive at. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 1 29 having been translated before the principles of the language and its distinctions had been laid dovvn, I was called upon to assist in a revision of it and of the Prayer Book. I set to work at once, and had proceeded as far as John xiv. i, on the Saturday night, when on Sunday morning my house was in flames. All my translations and my dictionary perished. A fortnight afterwards, the shed in which my wife had taken refuge, took fire, and she had to fly to a native hut, while I lay beside her with my hands all blis- tered in my vain attempts to put out the fire. As soon as I recovered, I set to work again." His grammar, fortunately, had been printed previously, and had passed through three editions. Friends in the old country, hearing of his loss, contributed ;^20o, which enabled him, in part at least, to repair the loss of his library. The Pentateuch, and the succeeding Books of the Old Testament, as far as the Psalms, were printed as soon as completed by him, at the expense of the C.M.S. ; but their press having been then given up, Mr. Maunsell appealed to the Auckland public for the wherewithal to publish the remaining portions of the Old Testament. In June, 1856, an urgent appeal was addressed by the Auckland Committee to the colonists of Canterbury, soliciting their aid in the publication of the whole ot the Old Testament in the native tongue ; and ser- mons were preached, and offertories made in Christ- church and Lyttelton, in furtherance of this object. Subscriptions to the amount of ^500 were the result of these appeals to the public of Nev/ Zealand gene- K 130 NEW ZEALAND. rally, and by means of this assistance the remainder of the Old Testament, from the Book of Proverbs to that of Malachi inclusive, was put in print. When the work was completed, the University of Dublin conferred on Mr. Maunsell the honorary degree ot LL.D. The utmost zeal and pains were manifested by the missionary body, headed by the bishop, in successive endeavours to perfect the translation of both Testaments ; more than one committee of re- vision was appointed, and the aid of the best Maori scholars of the Wesleyan Mission was sought. The last revision committee for the Old Testament con- sisted of Dr. Maunsell, Archdeacon William Williams, and his son the Rev. (now the Ven.) W. Leonard Williams, of Magdalen Hall, Oxford, declared by Dr. Maunsell to be " the best Maori critic he ever had to deal with." Messrs. Hobbs and Reid, Wes- leyans, sat and worked with them : Mr. Whiteley, another minister of the same body, also sent some notes. The translation of the Old Testament, as revised by this committee, was carried through the press in England by the Rev. G. Maunsell, son of the translator, and Mrs. Colenso, now of the Mela- nesian Mission, daughter of Mr. Fairbun, catechist, and described as "a very able and intelligent Maori scholar." In 1867, the three above-named clergymen, Dr. Maunsell, William Williams (now become Bishop of Waiapu), and his son Leonard, were appointed to revise the translation of the New Testament. " This third and last revision," Mr. Carleton tells us, " was prepared for the press by Mrs. Colenso, writing in PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 1 31 the corrections on a printed copy, herself suggesting several, which were adopted. It was carried through the press in England in 1867 by Bishop Selwyn," who had gone home to attend the first Lambeth Conference. The Maori Translation of the Bible is probably not susceptible of further improvement ; for when a people is, if not in a decaying, at least in a transitional stage, its language must reflect its con- dition ; so that, in all likelihood, we have just reason for saying, " Thus concludes the not uneventful history of this translation." The names of the translators will be for ever held in honour in the New Zealand Church. With regard to the Prayer Book, the Translation Syndicate, appointed by the bishop in 1843, met at Waimate in May, 1844, to revise the translation previously made by Mr. W. Williams, and continued in session there, the bishop presiding, until October of the same year, the Rev. H. Williams taking his brother's duty at Turanga in the meanwhile. This important work was brought to a satisfactory con- clusion at this time. After the foregoing paragraphs were written, the substance of them was submitted to the Yen. Archdeacon WiUiams. The following are his remarks thereupon : — "With regard to the translations of the Bible and Prayer-book, neither is perfect, but at present there seems little prospect of a further revision of either. I should say, however, that a revised edition of the Bible is now being carried through the press by the British and Foreign Bible Society. The revision was carried out by Arch- deacon Maunsell with my assistance, but was not so thorough as I should have preferred, had there been time. The edition K 2 132 NEW ZEALAND. of 186S was nearly exhausted, and the new impression could not be defened for an indefinite time for a more thorough revision. I should hardly say that the language is 'decaying,' though undoubtedly it is in a state of change from the effect of contact with English. Not only is there a large supply of new words coming into it, transliterations for the most part, but some of the old words are acquiring modified meanings, and no doubt many solecisms in grammar will come ultimately to be accepted as correct. The great majority of the new words are, however, still in a state of flux, and therefore they are not easy to deal with." PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 133 CHAPTER IV. Native Disaffection and its Cause — Heke's Insurrection — The Missionaries charged with Treason — Governor Grey — Prejudice against Missionaries — Missionary Land Grants — Grey's Confidential Despatch — Demand for Inquiry — How responded to — The Bishop's Views — The Governor's operi Opposition — Goes to Law, We now come to a period of trouble, disaster, and rebuke, over which the chronicler would willingly draw a veil, if he might. Still, there is no period so dark, at least within the Christian ages, which is not illuminated by some bright rays, if the life and work of the Church be taken into account. In treating of the events of these troubled times, we shall be treading on delicate ground, and we must necessarily be very brief; but we beg our readers to believe that we have carefully examined the proofs of every statement we shall make, and that each is supported by ample and unimpeachable evidence. Disaffection to the British Government had for a long time been growing in the native mind, the causes being precisely the same as those which had influenced Ruatara in years gone by. Since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi^ by 512 chiefs in 1 This famous treaty, the Magna Charta of ^laoxi chiefdom, was prepared in English by Captain Ilobson, or under his instructions, and done into Maori by Henry Williams, who wa.s 134 NEW ZEALAND. 1840, whereby the sovereignty over the territory of New Zealand had been ceded to the Queen of England, designing men — old colonials, as they were termed, from Sydney and elsewhere — to whom law and order were obnoxious, and who could not endure to see their chance of obtaining land from the natives on their own terms — commonly termed " land- sharking " — slipping out of their hands, had per- sistently striven to infuse into the minds of the chiefs and others the idea that their lands would now be taken from them, and that they would be made iaiirekareka, that is, slaves. Nor were they men of English birth only who strove to instil these notions into the Maori ; but Frenchmen also, and Americans, who, besides being actuated by self-interest, had ulterior purposes to serve of a national character. Men passionately jealous, as the New Zealand chiefs also mainly instrumental in obtaining, first, the assent of the chiefs assem.bled at a conference at Waitangi, and afterwards the signatures of the much larger number dispersed throughout the whole country. It contained three articles : ihejirst, ceding to the Queen all the rights and powers of sovereignty over the whole territory of New Zealand ; the second, guaranteeing to the tribes, as represented by their chiefs, all territorial rights, subject to the exclusive right of pre-emption, on behalf of the Crown, of such lands as the chiefs chose to alienate ; the third, binding Her Majesty to extend to the natives of New Zealand her royal protection, and to give them all the rights and privi- leges of British subjects. (See "Forty Years in New Zealand," by J. Buller. Hodder & Stoughton. 1878.) The partisans of the New Zealand Company, who were deeply dissatisfied with the exclusive right of pre-emption secured to the Crown by the second clause of the treaty, were fond of calling it " a device to amuse savages." PERIOD OF ORGANISATION, I35 were, of their personal liberty, proud of their ancestral dignity, and sensitively suspicious of any invasion of their territorial rights, were often well- nigh goaded to madness by these taunts, and would undoubtedly have expelled or exterminated the British colonists, had they not been restrained by the powerful influence of the missionaries, and the respect they entertained for them and for their families. The mediation of the mission clergy, especially of Mr, Henry Williams, was repeatedly sought and employed by the Government, and no pains were spared by him to explain the provisions of the treaty to the chiefs, and to undo the mischief caused by the unprincipled instigators of disaffection. Despite, however, of all his endeavours, the rankling sore festered, and at length broke out in open insurrection. Hoani (that is, John) Heke, a man who had been taught and baptized by Te Wiremu himself — a chief of high descent, a nephew of the famous Hongi, and high-spirited and turbulent like his uncle, but giving unmistakable proofs, in the midst of warfare, of being under the influence of Christian principle — could no longer endure the taunting scoff, that the niana ^ of the Maori chief was gone; so, on the 8th July, 1844, while Henry Williams was absent at Turanga, having previously worked himself up to a high pitch of determination, according to Maori fashion, by much blustering word, the meaning of which it is easier to understand than define. It can hardly be said to have any Enghsli equi- valent ; the Latin auctonias, perhaps, nearly corresponds to it. 136 NEW ZEALAND. oratory on the subject, he proceeded to Kororareka with a party of armed men, mounted the hill, and cut down the flagstaff. For this, he had been justly led to consider, was the symbol of British power- He then crossed over to Paihia, where the bishop was engaged in teaching the native school, and with his party danced the war dance before his lordship's face, and many violent speeches were made before they left. This was the commencement of a desultory war, which lasted from this time till January, 1846, in the course of which the flagstaff was cut down four times in all, the town of Kororareka (or Russell) was burnt by the natives, March 12th, 1845, and the families of the missionaries were removed to Auckland for safety, the missionaries themselves with their wives remaining at their posts. The hearts of all well-wishers of the native race, as well as of those who were anxiously watching the progress of colonisation, were filled with sorrow and concern ; but there were not wanting redeeming features to console and cheer them. Such were the manifest proofs exhibited ot the effects of Christian influence on Maori warfare ; Heke in particular, and the better sort of his followers, displayed even a chivalrous forbearance and generosity. The animosity of this chief seemed to extend no further than the flagstaff; when that was laid low, his object was accomplished.' Their • The following true and lively portraiture of Maori character, as exhibited on the occasion of the fall of Kororareka is from Mr. Carleton's book (vol. ii., p. 93) :—" Captain Robertson being disabled, Lieutenant Philpotls took command of the Hazard. He ordered the settlers to take refuge on board the PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. I37 behaviour also towards the missionaries and their famihes was, almost without exception, satisfactory and encouraging. But from some of their own countrymen the missionaries met with very different treatment, especially from some who were in authority. It is no matter of surprise that they should have made enemies among the loose European population of the Bay by sternly rebuking their licentiousness ; and these had not scrupled to malign them shamefully, and to spread evil reports to their prejudice. Their very influence with the natives^ and intimacy with them, were turned to their dis- advantage; and the greater this influence, and the closer this intimacy, the greater was the amount of misrepresentation and calumny to which they were subjected. Archdeacon Henry Williams in particular was singled out as a special object of aspersion and insult. Lieutenant Philpotts,^ of the Hazard, called shipping, as he was about to fire on the town. The settlers had no choice but to obey, and embarked accordingly ; some of them trying to save a few goods from the undefended stores. Then might be seen, to the surprise of those unacquainted with the Maori way of thought, the ci-devant assailants helping the settlers to carry their valuables down to the boats, in high glee and good humour. For the Maori, save in cases of deadly feud, bears little malice. He fights more for the fun of the thing than out of animosity. He will shoot at you one moment, and fraternise in the next, or discourse with his enemy in true Homeric style." ' A son of the famous Bishop of Exeter of that name, a brave man, but rash and intemperate of speech, to whose hasty and ill-judged order to fire upon the town, the disasters at Korora- reka appear to have been in a great measure due. He was 138 NEW ZEALAND. him " traitor" to his face, and the language addressed to him from the deck of that vessel, as he lay alongside in his boat, after bringing off the bishop to visit the wounded commander, Captain Robertson, was extremely gross and violent. The fact that his house and property at Paihia were untouched in the midst of the havoc at Kororareka, was assumed to be proof positive that he "must have given en- couragement to the natives to chop down the flagstaff." The men, however, who were highest in command at that time, in both the civil and military service, were outspoken and unhesitating in their praise and support of him. Governor Fitzroy, writing to him from Auckland on the 2nd April, 1845, expressed the utmost indignation at the charge made against him by Lieutenant Philpotts, and described him as " the tried, the proved, the loyal, the inde- fatigable " ; and Sir Everard Home, commander of H.M.S. North Star, and chief naval officer on the station, treated him with marked confidence, and wrote to him on the 24th May in the same year, requesting his "opinion of the present state and immediate prospects of New Zealand." But, in November, 1845, Captain Fitzroy was superseded by Captain (afterwards Sir George) Grey, transferred to the governorship of New Zealand from that of South Australia ; and the missionaries, Henry Williams in killed in an attack on a native pa, called Ohaeawai, on the 1st of July, 1845. Henry Williams entered the pa on the 3rd at some personal risk, but was not allowed to remove the body. He took away his eye-glass, however, and cut oft' a lock of his hair, both of which were sent to his friends. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION". 139 particular, were soon made aware by a bitter experience that a totally different tone of feeling now ruled at Government House. Influenced, probably, by the agents and partisans of the New Zealand Company, who were bitterly opposed to the missionaries on the questions of the title to the waste lands of the country, and the interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi, Governor Grey from the first evinced a spirit of hostility towards them, and in a special manner towards their most active and prominent representative. Mr. Williams says briefly, in a letter to his brother-in-law in England, dated May 28th, 1S46, "Governor Grey has reversed all the acts of Captain Fitzroy, and has set at nought the missionaries for the satisfaction of the rabble and the New Zealand Company." He even gave countenance to the charge popularly made against them of traitorous conduct, and that in a manner which made it extremely difficult, not to say im- possible, for them ■ to rebut the accusation. For example, it was stated in the Government Gazette, that the governor had ordered certain letters found in a Maori pa taken by the British troops — letters which had passed between the archdeacon and a so- called native rebel, named Kavviti — to be consigned to the flames, without either reading them or causing a copy to be taken of them, although he knew them to be treasonable. The editor of an Auckland newspaper, commenting on this proclamation, naturally assumed the guilt of the archdeacon, and in the most un- measured terms demanded that he, and others like him, should be visited with the punishment the 140 NEW ZEALAND, deserved. It turned out upon enquiry, that the letters had been read by many, and a certified copy ^ kept of the only one upon which a charge of treason could by any possibility be founded. In this letter the archdeacon addressed Kawiti as his " friend," but it was with an epithet prefixed — "My foolish friend." The letter consisted of seven or eight lines of good advice, urging his " foolish friend " to seek safety for himself by suing for peace ; and, to crown all, it came out that this treasonable letter had been written at the request of Governor Fitzroy. Such is a sample of the extraordinary exaggerations and misrepre- sentations the archdeacon, and some others of the missionaries, had to endure, and of the enmity entertained against them in high quarters. It was even reported on one occasion that he was about to be carried off handcuffed as a prisoner to Auckland ; and the natives, who had heard the rumour, were prepared to resist his capture. There can be no doubt, also, that his reputation suffered greatly for a time with many who had no means of knowing the truth, because no public justification of his conduct and character was allowed to see the light. He had prepared for publication a full refutation of the many and virulent calumnies by which his 1 Being aware of the rancour and unscrupulousness of the many enemies by whom he was surrounded, the archdeacon had grown cautious, and was in the habit of preserving copies of all letters of importance. At n soinewhat later period he adopted the practice of preaching only written sermons, that, if he were charged with preaching sedition, he might be able to produce the actual words of his discourse. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. I4I character was aspersed at this period, but it was suppressed in deference to the judgment of the bishop, to whom it had been referred, and who gave his decision to the effect that " we ought not to submit ourselves to the judgment of a newspaper editor." But this trouble, after all, was only the prelude to others yet more serious. At first, when the question was one of treasonaljle conduct, he had the bishop on his side ; but in the sequel both the bishop and the Committee of the Home Society turned against him. It needed all his stoutness of heart to stand undismayed as he did, though not untroubled, when the governor and the bishop, the Home Society and the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the New- Zealand Company's colonists and newspaper editors, not to speak of those whom he terms the " rabble," though by no means agreed among themselves, were all arrayed as adversaries against him. On the other hand, he had not a few warm admirers and supporters, and nearly all his opponents did him justice and made him reparation, or, at the least, were reconciled to him in the end, although he himself never receded from the ground he had taken up. The battle-ground of these later conflicts was the well-known question of the missionary land grants — a thorny question indeed. It is easy enough for those who know nothing of the practical stress of any difficulty to settle the matter for those who do, on crude theo- retical grounds ; to say, for example, that missionaries ought to practise the strictest self-renunciation, and not entangle themselves with the affairs of this life ; 142 NEW ZEALAND. much less, give occasion for any scandal, or to appear to set an example of what is popularly termed " land- greed." But the question is not to be so easily set- tled. While these general principles must doubtless be our guides in deciding on the merits of a case coming under this category, when the facts have been ascertained, justice demands that the most careful scrutiny should be used in ascertaining the facts. With the utmost anxiety to avoid sinking the cha- racter of the historian in that of the advocate, we will endeavour briefly and dispassionately to state the circumstances of the case before us.^ When the missionaries were sent out, they were told that the interests of their children would be cared for by the Society ; and, doubtless, the promise would have been fulfilled, if the parents had consented that their children, as they grew up, should be separated from them and sent home, or even if they had preferred to resign their appointments after some years' service, and return to England with them. But who shall say that they were blameworthy if, rather than adopt either of these courses, and, in preference to seeking situations under the Government for their sons, or any other chance employment that might be found in ' For the facts stated in the text the writer is mainly indebted to a paper of a very circumstantial character, and supported at every point by full documentary evidence, compiled by the late Bishop of Waiapu, the Right Rev. "William Williams, The paper is entitled " Plain Facts Relative to the Late War in the Northern District of New Zealand," and forms Appendix C. of vol. ii. of Carleton's " Life of Henry Williams," from the body of which work also much assistance has been derived. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 143 the vitiated atmosphere of the irregular settlements that fringed the coasts of the country, they desired to settle their sons upon the land, and train them up as useful colonists, practical teachers, and patterns of civilisation to the surrounding natives ? ^ Had they taken advantage of their position and influence to possess themselves of an exorbitant quantity of land, they might well be deemed deserving of censure ; but if the amount acquired by them seemed large in the aggregate, it was simply because the families of the missionaries had so increased as to form no in- considerable portion of the community. In the year 1844, the families numbered twelve, and the children one hundred and twenty. It should be borne in mind also, that the missionary purchases were made at a time when the colonisation of New Zealand was not dreamt of But what was the case in New South Wales? There, in an already thriving colony, we find that no lands indeed were purchased by the ' As regards Henry Williams's individual case, his first pur- chase of land was made under these circumstances : — In the year 1836, when he was returning in a small and unseaworthy craft from one of his peace-making tours to the south, he was in most imminent danger of shipwreck. The vessel was drifting helplessly before a gale on a pitch-dark night on a rock-bound coast. During that long and terrible night he was harassed by the anxious thought, what would become of his children if he should be taken away from them. His mind was made up ere morning : in the following year he purchased land from the natives at Pakaraka ; and, after first setting aside one-tenth of the land, and of the increase of the cattle, with which he stocked it, as an endowment for a church, he made over the remainder unreservedly to his children. 144 NEW ZEALAND. clergy ; but that was for a very sufficient reason ; the Government made a free grant to its chaplains ot land at the average rate of i,6oo acres for each child — a very much larger amount than was ever claimed by any missionary in New Zealand, and very nearly double the quantity unanimously awarded by the council under Governor Fitzroy to the Rev. Henry Williams.^ If, again, they had abused their ' The following; extract from the Parliamentary Papers of New Zealand, for which the writer is indebted to Mr. Carleton's "Life" (vol. ii., p. 213), though lengthy, has such an important bearing on the case of Henry Williams, that it ought not to be omitted: — " The Council met June 12, 1844; present, all the members. His Excellency submitted to the Council the land claims of the Rev. H. Williams. His Excellency stated that, from the Report of the Commissioners, Messrs. Godfrey and Richmond, the claimant bad actually paid enough to entitle him to 22,131 acres, but that the whole land claims amounted only to 11,000 acres. In accordance with the provisions of the Land Claims Ordinance, the Commissioners had recommended awards amounting to 7,010 acres. His Excellency remarked, among other things, that there could be no doubt that Mr. Williams had done more for the advancement and improvement of the aboriginal race, and, in fact, for the general interests ot the Colony at large, than any other individual member of the mission body ; he, Mr. W., was therefore entitled to favourable consideration, and his Excellency would request the opinion of the Council whether Mr. W.'s claims should be referred to the Commissioner, authorising him to recommend an extension of the award. Upon consideration, the Council were unanimously of opinion that, taking into consideration all the circumstances in connexion with Mr. W.'s claim, the Commissioner should be authorised to recommend a grant in his favour." The result was that the Commissioner recommended a grant of 9,000 acres. Mr. Williams, writing to Mr. Marsh under date Jan. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 1 45 opportunities to acquire land at an unfair price, they would have been entitled to no mercy. But so far from this being the case, it was proved upon enquiry that they gave for their land more than thirteen times as much as the agents of the Government gave at a later period when, owing to colonisation, land had grown in value, and no less than eighty times as much as was given by the New Zealand Company. Neither was the land they purchased specially good ; it was mostly bush land, which had been cultivated^ and abandoned by the original possessors, as sup- posed to have been " worked out." Besides all this^ it must be added that in no solitary instance did the natives complain of being unfairly dealt with by the missionaries in respect of these purchases. Now we come to the climax of our story. On June 25th, 1846, Governor Greyindited to Mr. Glad- stone, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, a con- fidential despatch, which was afterwards published by his successor, Lord Grey, in which the Governor de- clared his conviction, First (i), that the old land claims of the missionaries and others were, " not based on substantial justice to the Aborigines, or to the large majority of British settlers in the country " ; secondly 30, 1850, says : " The extent of these grants may sound great in English ears, but by their extent have these young men been preserved from annoying their neighbours by trespass. It should also be remembered that they are but barren wastes, and in extent a mere mite — a speck upon the surface of the map. I should, however, have been fully satisfied with half the grant, and did not expect even that. The grant, as I have it, was given in consideration of past services rendered to the colony. " L 146 NEW ZEALAND. (2), that "these individuals cannot be put in posses- sion of these tracts of land without a large expendi- ture of British blood and money." He expressly includes among these land-claimants " several mem- bers of the Church Missionary Society, and the numerous families of those gentlemen." He asks the Government to consider, "whether, under all the circumstances of the case, they think it consistent with the national honour that the British naval and military forces should be employed in putting these individuals into possession of the land they claim," and adds, "it is my duty to warn Her Majesty's Government that, if British troops are long exposed to the almost unexampled fatigues and privations ot a service which has already entailed so large a loss of life on our small force, disastrous consequences must be anticipated." Considering that the missionaries and their families did not require to be put in posses- sion of the lands they claimed, but were already in quiet enjoyment of them, and knew full well that the only step in connexion with these lands which could possibly lead to bloodshed, would be an attempt by the Government to eject them from them, the mis- sionaries were justly indignant when this despatch came to light. ^ Henry Williams, acting on their ' So far from any protection by the Government from molestation by the natives having been asked for, or needed, by the missionaries' sons, it is notorious that they were in perfectly quiet and undisturbed possession of their land previous to the establishment of the Government, and that, after that date, it was not the natives that disputed their tenure, but the Government. During the whole time of Heke's rebellion in PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. I47 behalf, insisted that these charges should be either substantiated or retracted, and to this position he adhered stedfastly to the end of his life. He persis- tently demanded enquiry, but enquiry was as persis- tently denied to him. He demanded it first of Gov- ernor Grey, but in vain; then he made a long and earnest appeal to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Grey, dated November ist, 1848, still demanding enquiry and concluding thus, *' Should I fail to scatter them " — that is, the charges made by Sir G. Grey — " to the winds, I will resign my duties in New Zealand." The demand was again refused, and that almost contemptuously, on the sin- gular plea that the enquiry would be an affront to the person who brought the charges. A copy of the appeal to Lord Grey was sent by Mr. Williams to the Earl of Chichester, as President of the C.M.S., and the committee of the Society was urgently en- treated to press for an investigation into the charges ; but, whether through dread of offending Lord Grey, who made no secret of his support of the Governor, or through powerful influence brought to bear on them, the committee declared that it was " impossi- ble to institute enquiries on the subject." The bishop was asked to join with the missionaries in demanding an enquiry, but declined to do so. On the contrary, on the missionary land question Bishoi) the north, when they were completely at the mercy of the natives, not a hand was raised against them, not a hoof of their cattle was raided. The young men, in fact, were very popular with their half-civilised neighbours, among whom they exer- cised a most wholesome influence. L 2 148 NEW ZEALAND. Selwyn, who entertained strong objections to the pos- session of land under any circumstances by mission- aries, and felt himself unable to make any distinction between their acquirement of land for their own per- sonal use and benefit, and their purchase of it as a provision for their children, sided entirely with the Governor. In short, there v/as manifested on all sides a fixed determination to refuse or evade that thorough investigation which Archdeacon Williams, and those for whom, in common with himself, he acted, never ceased to demand. In the meantime the Governor, exasperated by the urgency of a demand with which he was determined not to comply, became more and more bitter in his attacks upon the missionaries. His hostility was no longer covert, nor his despatches secret. In a letter to the C.M.S., dated April 7th, 1847,. he assured the Society that, " unless the old missionaries were re- moved, there would be no peace in the Northern District." In a letter to Lord Grey, which is printed in a Parliamentary Bluebook for 1848, he distinctly charges the missionaries with having acquired their lands "by abuse of religious influence, and accuses them of assailing himself, when he stood forward as a protector of the rights of the natives, " with violence and obloquy." ^ ' It will enable the reader to comprehend more clearly the reasons which weighed with Archdeacon Williams in demand- ing substantiation or retractation, if we quote in full the passage of the Governor's letter referred to above : — " I have neither read in history, nor met in real life, with a case such as the present, in which a few individuals, who were sent out to a PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. I49 Not satisfied with letter-writing, he did his best to dispossess them by force of law ; but in this attempt he was completely defeated. He singled out Mr. Clarke, who had been one of the mission staff, and was afterwards Protector of Aborigines, as the first object of attack,^ and proceeded against him by writ of Scire Facias in the Supreme Court of the Colony. Mr. Clarke declined litigation with the Government, and instructed his counsel to enter an appearance only, out of respect to the Court, but not to defend the case. The Court, however, consisting of Chief Justice INIartin and Judge Chapman, decided in his favour by a judgment given on June 24th, 1848, thus by implication pronouncing all Governor Fitzroy's land grants valid. It will be remembered that Governor Grey, in his confidential despatch to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, of June 25th, 1846, had declared his conviction that the missionary land claims were " not based on substantial justice to the Aborigines, or to the large majority of British country at the expense of pious people, in order that they might spread the truths of the Gospel, have acquired such large tracts of land from ignorant natives, over whom they had ac- quired a religious influence, and who, being themselves mis- sionaries, have then assailed with such violence and obloquy a person who has endeavoured to protect the rights of the suffer- ing and uncomplaining natives." It is obvious that no man possessed of a particle of sell-respect could remain quiet under such imputations as these. ' In one of his despatches to the Colonial Office the Governor wrote as follows: — " I believe that Mr. Clarke is in no small degree responsible for the dreadful occurrences which took place " — that is, in connexion with lieke's revolt. 150 NEW ZEALAND. settlers in the colony." Chief Justice Martin, on the contrary, in delivering judgment, said emphati- cally with regard to jSIr. Clarke's claim, " I find that it interferes not with any right of any subject of the Crown." The Governor was not satisfied, but appealed to the Privy Council, and, Mr. Clarke still refusing to defend the case, the judgment of the Supreme Court of the colony was reversed on an ex parte statement ; but this reversal was some years afterwards overruled by a decision in a defended case of the same nature.^ ' See Carleton's " Life of H. Williams," vol. ii., p. 214, note. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 151 CHAPTER V. Governor Grey's Despatch to Earl Grey — The Concihatory Resolutions — The Governor and the Bishop — Refusal to Surrender Grants — Breach with Bishop — Dismissal — Re- tires to Pakaraka — Vindication — Archdeacon W. Williams meets Committee — Complete Exoneration — Henry Wil- liams Re-instated — Reconciliation with Bishop and Go- vernor. So the Governor was worsted. But the bitterest trial of all was yet to come : the authority of the parent Society was invoked against its own missionaries. Governor Grey's secret despatch of June 25th, 1846, was communicated by Lord Grey to the Society's committee. Naturally supposing from the position of the writer that the terms of such a document were trustworthy, they were proportionately alarmed by the gravity of the accusations implied in them. The committee met on the 22nd February, 1847, to con- sider the question. They had previously defended the land purchases, regarding it (to use JNIr. Carleton's words) as "not only their interest, but their duty to relieve their funds from the expense of maintaining the mission families." But now, under the influence of the alarm occasioned by the despatch, they adopted what were termed the "Conciliatory Resolutions," the purport of which was, that their missionaries should accept the joint decision of the Governor and the 152 NEW ZEALAND. bishop as to the amount of land they should retain for their own use and benefit, and should dispose of the remainder either by sale, or by making it over to their children, or by putting it in trust for the benefit of the Aborigines. The missionaries responded by cordial acceptance of the resolutions. They went further indeed, for they determined to retain no land ■at all for their own use and benefit, thus leaving no question for the bishop and the Governor to arbitrate upon. " I see no difficulty," wrote the archdeacon in reply, " in complying with the resolutions of the committee, by conveying to the various members of my family that which I did purchase for their ■support 1 . . . . My own views upon this subject appear to me similar to those of the committee." When news of the resolutions arrived in the colony, both the Governor and the bishop were dissatisfied with them. The Governor declined to take part in the proposed arbitration ; the bishop put upon the resolutions a construction of his own, which appeared to the missionaries to be at variance with their plain Cleaning, and ultimately demanded that the grantees should make an absolute and unconditional surrender ■of their land-grants to the Governor, leaving it to him to decide how much land they should be allowed to hold. This his lordship considered to be the true purport of the Society's minute, and wrote accordingly ' This transfer was a reality, about which there could be no question. It was an absolute alienation. Several of his children were grown up, and had families of their own, and the archdeacon was punctilious in paying them the full market value for all produce purchased from them. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 153 to the Rev. H. Venn, the Society's secretary, as follows : — " If you receive letters from any of the claimants, expressing their intention to make over their whole claim to their children, you will under- stand that by so doing they will embroil the whole question with the Governor, outrage public opinion, break your resolutions, and set aside my award." Some of the missionary body gave way under this pressure, and did their best to persuade the arch- deacon to follow their example. But he was fighting, not for land, but for character, the character, not of himself alone, but of the mission ; for the Governor kept reiterating the same old charges,^ and it came to the archdeacon's ears, that he was endeavouring to persuade some of the leading native converts that the missionaries had taha-ed (that is, stolen) their lands from them. So he refused to yield an inch until the Governor either substantiated or retracted his charges. If either were done, he definitely pledged himself to give up every acre. Though, in reality, the land was no longer his, but his sons' — although not yet legally conveyed to them — he knew ' In a letter written to the archdeacon by the Colonial Secretary (Dr. Sinclair) under the Governor's direction, bearing date Jan. 7, 1848, these words occur :— " I am further directed to add . . . that the Governor attributes a great deal of the ill-feeling of the natives in the North to the large land-claims of some of the missionaries, who, his Excellency had hoped, would have assisted him in the adjustment of them." Also, in one of the Governor's despatches to the Secretary of State, printed in a Blue-book of 1849, he accuses the archdeacon of "mis-statements and misrepresentations extremely untrue." 154 NEW ZEALAND. well that what he promised they would perform; for his- lightest word was law to them. The bishop's authori- tative demand, therefore, fpr an unconditional sur- render of the title-deeds was met with a point-blank refusal, together with a request that the subject might never be mentioned to him again. We pass over a great deal of painful correspondence, and many circumstances illustrative of character, both for reasons of space, and also because they are not absolutely necessary to the continuity and clearness of our narrative. But we are anxious to suppress no important fact, and are therefore bound to state that the bishop on his part thought fit to exclude the archdeacon from participation in the business of the Local Committee of the Society. The breach between them, in short, was declared and open. Before we proceed to narrate the further action ot the parent Society in the matter, it should be stated that the Secretary of State for the Colonies, on hear- ing that the Supreme Court of New Zealand had pronounced the missionary land grants to be valid, gave up the contest, and directed the Governor to bring in a Bill in the Legislative Council of the Colony confirmatory of the title of the missionaries to the lands. The result was the enactment of " The Crown Titles Act." It was "on the passing of this Act that the archdeacon made formal conveyance of the whole estate to which he was declared to be entitled to the several members of his family, without eserving for himself a single acre. Before, however, the news of the decision of the Supreme Court, on which :his Act was founded, had reached England, PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 155 the parent Society, instigated by the joint action of the bishop and the Governor, and by influence brought to bear upon them at home, without instituting that investigation into the merits of the case, so earnestly prayed for by their old and faithful servant, passed a second series of resolutions, contradictory to those ot February, 1847, and requiring compliance with the Governor's demand of unconditional surrender, under pain of dismissal from their service. The painful story culminates, with a tragic completeness, in a resolution inflicting on the Venerable Archdeacon Henry Williams, after more than twenty-seven years' service of such a kind as few men ever rendered, the penalty of actual dismissal. The mandate, dated Dec. 2ist, 1849, reached him at Paihia on the 25th May, 1850, and was accompanied by a need- lessly mortifying expression of a hope, "that he would not make any difficulty about giving up possession of the Society's premises." 1 Winter had set in in New Zealand, and the committee, in its comfortable quarters in Salisbury Square, could litde appreciate the hardship of "moving house and home " at that season, and at that early stage of ' One of the Society's resolutions was, "That the Northern Committee take immediate measures for receiving from the Venerable Archdeacon Williams all the property and docu- ments of the Society he may possess," this is a singular fact." He did not return to Paihia, not being required to do so, either by the bishop, or the local committee or the parent Society ; for the old buildings were in a serious state of dilapidation, and he was able to carry on the work of his district, which remained the same as it formerly was, with equal advantage from the Retreat at Pakaraka. Thus ends this eventful story, which ought neverto be omitted or slurred over by the historian of the Church of New Zealand. There now only remains under this head the pleasant duty of recording the welcome proofs of reconciliation between the archdeacon and those with whom he had been so seriously at PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 163 variance. He had gone with Mrs. Williams and all his family from Pakaraka to Paihia in May, 1856, on the occasion of the opening of a new church at the latter place. The bishop, Mrs. Selwyn, and the Rev. J. C. Patteson — the martyr-bishop of later years —were present; and Mrs. WiUiams thus writes of the occasion in a letter to a relation in England : "Nothing could exceed the kind and friendly manner of both the bishop and Mrs. Selwyn : he, with Mr. Patteson, dined twice, and she once, with us in the old house. . . . They several times ex- claimed how glad they were to see this house full of Williajnses again:'' The genuine kindness, the evident desire of reconciliation, and the inexpressible sweetness of manner of Bishop Selwyn towards those who, whether with or without cause, had a grievance against him, seldom failed to take their hearts by storm. As regards Sir George Grey, we must pass over several years, during which his duties lay in another part of the globe, and anticipate the time of his removal from the governorship of the Cape Colony to that of New Zealand, at the close of the Taranaki War in 1861. On his arrival in the colony, but before he came to the Bay of Islands, the archdeacon sent him his card by Mr. Carleton : afterwards they met, and he thus speaks of the meeting in a letter to Mr. Marsh : — " I met his Excellency, and believe the pleasure was mutual. At the great meeting at the Waimate we had a long conversation, when he un- folded his native policy, of which I fully approved." In the same letter he says : — " I have it on the best M 2 164 NEW ZEALAND. authority, that he has said that he committed one error in interfering with the missionary land grants, but that he had been urged to it." Mr. Carleton adds •} — " The governor, with his suite, went from Waimate to Hokianga" — that is, after the meeting just referred to — "and on his way back paid a visit to Pakaraka, where, presumably by way of intimating that he no longer considered the missionary land grants excessive, he volunteered the information that a farmer at the Cape of Good Hope would think nothing of 40,000 acres." Archdeacon Henry Williams never ceased from his labours for the native race of New Zealand until his death, which took place at "The Retreat " on the i6th July, 1867. His widow survived him many years, and breathed her last at the same peaceful home towards the end of 1879. ' Vol. ii., p. 341. It ought, perhaps, to be stated that Mr. Carleton married a daughter of Archdeacon Henry Williams, and that he was an old political opponent of Sir G. Grey. On the other hand, he is well known to be a man of scrupulous honour and integrity ; he writes with an evident desire to be fair and moderate ; his statements are supported throughout by documentary evidence ; and he closes his Memoir with these words: — "This Memoir is open to challenge; I expect and hope it." So far as we are aware, the glove has not hitherto been taken up. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 1 65 CHAPTER VI. Synods of Clergy at Waimate, 1844 and 1847 — Status of Colonial Church — Commencement of Melanesian Mission — Plan pursued— Conference of Bishops at Sydney — Austral- asian Board of Missions— The Border Maid— Yoy^gt of 1851. We must now retrace our steps, and briefly relate some other events of importance in the history of the Church from the year 1844, onwards. Amongst these must be mentioned, first, the bishop's earliest efiforts in the direction of synodal organisation. In September, 1844, before removing St. John's College from the Waimate to Tamaki, he convened a synod of the clergy of his diocese. The assembly consisted of three archdeacons, four other priests, and two deacons, and the expressed purpose was "to frame rules for the better management of the mission, and the general government of the Church." What could be simpler and more reasonable ? What could be more desirable than that the isolated and autocratic status of a colonial bishop at that date, with no regulations or precedents for his guidance in the novel circumstances in which he was placed, should be broken up, and re-cast after the model of the Primitive Episcopate ? That this was the general idea which was working in Bishop Selwyn's mind at that early period, is clear from the following passage of a 1 66 NEW ZEALAND. letter to a friend in England, written early in 1844: — " My first charge, if I ever find time to write it, will be an attempt to deduce a plan of operations, suitable to the peculiar case of New Zealand, from the records of the first three centuries of the Church." What he longed for was counsel. At the present time, when men's minds are so familiar with the idea of synods and convocations and conferences, it seems almost incredible that the first attempts at synodal action should have encountered so much unreasonable opposition as they did. The suspicions they excited, and the alarm they oc- casioned, were in most cases, no doubt, the result of ignorance and confusion of mind. But even the most thoughtful and intelligent Churchmen were perplexed beyond measure when brought face to face with the problems which confronted them. The laws and customs of an ancient Church, many of which had become obsolete in the mother country itself, had to be applied to an entirely new state of society. Church legislation was demanded at every step ; but Church legislation had become stagnant at its source. Freedom of movement was an absolute necessity, but was clogged by a conservatism of sentiment, which men respected while they felt hampered by it. The majority seemed to feel in- superable difficulty in shaking themselves free of the ideas and associations connected with the Church as a State establishment, and in realising the similarity of their position to that of provincial or national branches of the one catholic and apostolic Church in their initial stages in primitive times. Vague PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 1 67 terrors — and terrors are not the less terrible for being vague — flitted before men's imaginations. Tlie royal supremacy was none the less a bugbear because men were ignorant of its bearing and effect ; threatenings of praemunire were none the less for- midable because men understood not either what they said, or whereof they affirmed. " As at a dream when one awaketh," we may laugh at these absurdities now, and wonder that people could ever have been troubled by them as they were ; but, while a dream lasts, we cannot disentangle ourselves from its strangely haunting perplexities and mysterious terrors. All at once, but upon some sooner than upon others, the light of their actual freedom dawned, and they saw that their bondage had been mainly self-inflicted; like some bed-ridden hypochondriacs, they suddenly believed that they could rise and walk, and they did so. It is unnecessary to enter into the particulars ot the Waimate Synod of 1844, or into those of a more important one which was held in September, 1847, and was opened by the delivery of the bishop's primary charge. The regulations laid down on these occasions proved to be of a temporary and transient nature. The meetings themselves, indeed, arc mainly of consequence, as paving the way to the establishment of a settled form of Church govern- ment, at which Bishop Selwyn steadily aimed from the commencement of his episcopate, and towards which his efforts were more and more earnestly directed as time went on. The remainder of our history, indeed, will be chiefly occupied with the 1 68 NEW ZEALAND. development of his plans for a Church Constitution, and with that orderly growth and extension of the Church which, as far as regards external organisation, has been consequent on its adoption. But, before we plunge into this subject, we must notice some other matters of importance. In the last month of the year 1847, the first step was taken towards the commencement of the Melanesian Mission. Bishop Selwyn had never forgotten the valedictory letter of Archbishop Howley, in which his Grace bade him regard his see "as a fountain to diffuse the streams of salvation over the islands and coasts of the Pacific " ; and he had always had it in mind, so soon as the circumstances of his diocese should permit, to carry his efforts for Church extension into those outlying regions. A favourable opportunity was now opened to him by the Providence of God. A serious affray between the crews of two English ships and some natives of the Friendly Islands having occurred, H.M.S. Dido (Captain Max- well) was ordered to proceed to that group to enquire into the affair, and, at the request of Governor Grey, the bishop accompanied him as chaplain. He went on board the Dido on the 23rd December, 1847. This first voyage was of great importance as a recon- noitring tour ; in the course of it he explored, so far as opportunity permitted, the Friendly, Navigator, and New Hebrides groups, and acquired much valuable knowledge and experience with a view to future operations. He reached Auckland again on the 4th March, 1848. His next trip was made in his own little mission schooner, the Undine (21 tons), PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 169 which he had purchased out of funds contributed by friends in England, the first amount (;^5o) having been given by Archbishop Howley at the time when he commended to him in his ever-memorable letter the evangelisation of the coasts and islands of the Pacific. He set sail on the ist August, 1849, for Anaiteum, the southernmost island of the New Hebrides group, being his own sailing-master, with a crew of four men. The run of 1,000 miles was made in ten days, " in spite," we are told, " of heavy weather and cross winds." The episcopal log contains this entry under August nth: — " 1,000 miles in ten days. To Him whom the winds and the seas obey, be praise and glory for ever and ever. Amen." * At Anaiteum he met by appointment H.M.S. Havannah (Captain Erskine).- He visited, also, in company wth the Havannah, the large island of New Caledonia, and three smaller ones of the same group (the Loyalty Islands), namely the Isle of Pines, Lifu, and Mare (or Nengone). He reached Auckland, on his return, on the I St October, bringing with him five lads, from New Caledonia, Lifu, and Mare. His plan of operations was one which demanded extraordinary faith and patience ; it was probably the only feasible one under all the circumstances of the case, con- ' " Life and Episcopate of G. A. Selwyn, D.D." by the Rev. H. W. Tucker, M.A., vol. i., p. 285. 2 Captain Erskine afterwards published an account of his cruise, in which he makes frequent and admiring mention of the bishop. The book is entitled, "A Cruise among the Islands of the Western Pacific in H.M.S. Havannah," by John Elphinstone Erskine, Capt. R.N. (London: Murray, 1853.) 170 NEW ZEALAND. sidering the wide extent of the field, and the im- possibility, by reason of the climate, of European teachers residing the whole year round in many parts of it. It is thus briefly described by himself in a letter written to his father in May, 1850: — "The plan which I purpose, in the hope of the Divine blessing, to follow for the conversion of the Melanesian tribes, is, in few words, to select a few promising youths from all the islands ; to prove and test them, first, by observation of their habits on board a floating school ; then take them for further training to New Zealand ; and, lastly, when they are sufliciently advanced, to send them back as teachers of their own people, if possible with some English missionary, to give effect and regularity to their work." It was the plan which, as we have seen, had been to some extent followed by Marsden in reference both to the Society Islands and New Zealand itself. Ultimately, it was further developed by the admission of the most tried and approved scholars, after several years' probation, to holy orders. The letter, from which the above extract is taken, was written at New Caledonia, in the course of a return trip to the islands visited in the preceding year, made for the purpose of restoring the five lads to their homes for the winter months, during which it would have been a serious risk to their lives to keep them in New Zealand. The bishop was prevented, as we shall presently see, by the pressure of other engage- ments from making another voyage to Melanesia in the summer of 1850-51; but Captain Erskine, who entered thoroughly into his plans, sailed in the PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 171 Havatinah as far north as the Solomon Islands, and brought back to St. John's College four boys, one from this group, and three from the New Hebrides. The next event deservmg special notice is one which is connected in an equal degree with the two great works of Bishop Selwyn's life — of that portion of it, at least, which was spent in the Southern Hemi- sphere. It is needless to say that we refer to the Church Constitution and the Melanesian Mission. The bishop had long been in communication with the eminent Bishop of Australia, Dr. Broughton, on the subject of Church organisation, and it had been arranged that a meeting of the Australasian bishops should be held in the spring of this year (1850) at Sydney. This conference met accordingly in that city on October ist. Bishop Selwyn having sailed thither in the Undine. It was composed of six bishops, Bishop Broughton of Sydney, who presided. Bishop Nixon of Tasmania, Bishop Perry of Melbourne, Bishop Short of Adelaide, Bishop Tyrrell of Newcastle, and the Bishop of New Zealand ; and it sat for a month. The doubts to which we have previously alluded, respect- ing the extent and effect of the Royal Supremacy, caused the Conference to refrain from assuming the name and functions of a Synod. Nevertheless, the practical necessity of common counsel and action had been forced upon them, and they had been advised in the preceding year by no less a person than Mr. Gladstone, to " organise themselves on that basis of voluntary consensual compact, which was the basis on which the Church of Christ rested from 172 NEW ZEALAND. the first.i" It should be mentioned here, as one of the many proofs of the extent to which at that time the necessity of some form of synodal action was occupying the minds of all thoughtful Churchmen, especially in the colonies, that, before Bishop Sel- wyn left Auckland on his voyage to Sydney, he re- ceived an address signed by the Governor (Sir G. Grey), the Chief Justice (W. Martin, Esq.), the Attor- ney General (W. Swainson, Esq.), and several other men of position and influence among the laity, " praying that the Church might be constituted in some way that would secure to her the power to manage her own affairs, and that in any such consti- tution the laity might have their full weight." The pro- ceedings of the Sydney Conference are thus briefly narrated by the Rev. H. W. Tucker in his " Life and Episcopate of Bishop Selvvyn" (vol. i. p. 350): " They affirmed the necessity of provincial and dio- cesan Synods, of the subdivision of dioceses and the election of bishops without interference on the part of the secular power; of the laity being repre- sented in each Synod, and consulting and deciding with the clergy on all questions affecting the tem- poralities of , the Church." With regard to spiritual discipline, they " affirmed that, in all cases of ecclesi- astical offences, bishops should be tried by the bishops of the province, and priests or deacons by the Synod of the diocese." Neither did they con- sider that "only the clergy are liable to spiritual disci- pline," but, in the case of the laity, " they provided ' "Life and Episcopate," &c., vol. i., p. 350. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 173 for spiritual admonition, and, this failing, for the exclusion from Holy Communion, and, in the last resort, for the excommunication of persons living in notorious sin." Another most important act of the Conference was to " constitute an Australasian Board of Missions, charged (i) with the conversion and civilisation of the Australian blacks, and (2) with the conversion and civilisation of the heathen races in all the islands of the Western Pacific." The intention was that the last-mentioned branch of the work of this board should be undertaken jointly by the Aus- tralian and New Zealand Churches ; and, accordingly, the next Melanesian voyage, in 185 1, was taken by the Bishop of New Zealand, in company with Dr. Tyrrell, Bishop of Newcastle,^ in the Border Maid, a vessel of nearly 100 tons, the little Undine being too small for the number of scholars expected to be brought back. The funds for the purchase of this new vessel were contributed by the bishops, clergy, and laity of the dioceses of Sydney and Newcastle ; St. John's College, Auckland, was provisionally re- cognised as the head-quarters of the mission ; and the Bishops of Newcastle and New Zealand un- dertook to visit, either alternately or together, some of the islands, and bring back scholars for the central school. On the return of Bishop Selwyn to Auck- land, a Diocesan Board was constituted in connexion with the Australasian Board ; but, since the voyage of ' It is an interesting fact, well worthy of record, that the two bishops had pulled together, as undergraduates, in the Lady Margaret racing-boat at Cambridge. 174 NEW ZEALAND. 185 1, no Australian bishop or clergyman has taken any active part in the mission. The Australian dio- ceses, however, have ever since been among its warmest and most liberal supporters. About Whit- suntide Bishop Tyrrell arrived in the Border Maid, and on July 8th the two bishops sailed from Auck- land, taking with them the four Melanesians whom Captain Erskine had brought with him the year before. The first island they reached was Anaiteum, the next Futuna. Thence they steered for Tanna, guided all night by the ever active volcano described by Captain Cook. Thence they visited in succession Niua, Erromango and Mare, all belonging, as well as those before mentioned, to the New Hebrides group. Thence they sailed to the Isle of Pines, which they found preoccupied by a Roman Catholic misson, and thence to Lifu, another of the Loyalty Islands; thence back to the New Hebrides, visiting Fate, or Sandwich Island, and Apia. Some of the Solomon Islands were included in this tour — in particular, San Christoval (or Lidia), Ambrym and Mallicolo. At the last-mentioned island the whole party were in extreme peril of their lives, while engaged in fetching water from a hill a quarter of a mile from the shore, and were probably saved by the rare courage and pre- sence of mind of Bishop Selwyn, escaping to their boat in the midst of a volley of stones. This was on Aug. 26th. The state of the ship's gear forcing them, soon after this, to return homewards, they reached New- castle, where Bishop Tyrrell landed, on September 20th, and Sydney on the same day. The Border Maid finally arrived at Auckland on October 7th, PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 1 75 bringing back thirteen scholars in all, of whom five were from the New Hebrides, seven from the Loyalty group, and one from San Christoval. We must here take leave for a time of the fascinating tale of the Melanesian mission, reserving a brief account of its present condition for a subsequent chapter on the " Diocese of Melanesia." 176 NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER VII. Annus Mirabilis — Fellow-workers from Home — Canterbury Pilgrims — First Visit to the New Settlement — Bishop- Designate of Lyttelton — Bishop's Second Visit — Third Visit — Appointment of Commissaries — Epoch. Bishop Selwyn was wont to call the year 1850 "Annus Mirabilis," because, in the course of this year, two of the most beloved and trusted of his fellow- workers of after years, the Rev. J. F. Lloyd, of Trinity College, Dublin, and the Rev. C. J. Abraham, so loved and venerated by all Etonians, came out from home to strengthen his hands. The former was afterwards archdeacon of Waitemata ; the latter, after holding the same archdeaconry for some years, be- came the first Bishop of Wellington. Both subse- quently followed their revered master in his return to England. The arrival of Charles Abraham, in particular, who had been his bosom friend at home, and one of his chief correspondents after he came to New Zealand, and who had promised to join him so soon as he should have accomplished his own special work at Eton, had been looked forward to for eight years with eager hope, and the fulfilment of the hope brought with it corresponding thankfulness and joy. He could now leave that which lay nearest his heart — his splendid but complicated work at St. John's PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 177 College — for a time with comfort, knowing that his own plans would be adhered to rigidly, and his own views affectionately carried out to the minutest point. Mr. Lloyd and Mr. Abraham lived together at the college for some time, both being the Bishop's chap- lains, and having charge of distinct departments. But in 1853, Archdeacon Churton, the incumbent of St. Paul's, Auckland, having died, Mr. Lloyd suc- ceeded him, and held the cure until his departure from New Zealand. It may be mentioned here that the Rev. W. C. Cotton had returned to England at the end of the year 1847, in fulfilment of a promise given to his father. The Rev. Mr. Bolland, ordained by the bishop, and stationed at New Plymouth, had died of fever, and the Rev. Henry Govett, afterwards archdeacon, who had been supplying the place of Mr. Hadfield at Otaki and Waikanae, was transferred to New Plymouth, of which he has continued in charge to the present day. The Rev. Samuel Wil- liams, second son of Archdeacon Henry Williams, was sent from St. John's College, v/here he had had charge of the Maori school, to carry on the work at Otaki, which he did until it was taken up again by Mr. Hadfield. Mr. Hadfield's recovery, which occurred about this period, gave the bishop inexpres- sible comfort. He was restored to health by the use of the hydropathic cure under the direction of Dr. Fitzgerald. On January 27th, 1849, l^ishop Sel- wyn wrote to him in these words : " I desire to thank God most fervently for the report which Dr. Fitz- gerald makes of the prospect of your restoration to health. In the midst of sorrows which have crowded 178 NEW ZEALAND. upon my mind from the illness of Mr. Cotton, Mr. Dudley, and Mr. Stock, and the deaths of Mr. Bol- land and Mr. Reay, this mercy has given me the greatest consolation." In the same letter the bishop offered him the archdeaconry of Kapiti, and enclosed the letter of appointment. The archdeacon returned to Otaki in November of the same year. On May 19th, 1852, he married one of the daughters of Arch- deacon Henry Williams. The term " Annus Mirabilis," applied by Bishop Selwyn to the year 1850, was further justified by the arrival of the first body of the Canterbury colonists at Lyttelton in the celebrated Four Ships in the month of December in that year. The agent of the Canter- bury Association, John Robert Godley, a true son of the Church, an old Harrovian and a graduate of Christ Church, Oxford, a personal friend of Lord Lyttelton and Mr. Gladstone, and a man of high and unbending principle, had been residing at Lyttelton for some months, preparing for the reception of the pilgrims.! There was also a handful of individual ' For general information it must be mentioned that the first body of Canterbury colonists are, and doubtless ever will be, called the " Canterbury Pilgrims." The names of the historic four ships are (i) the Charlotte Jane (Captain Lawrence), which arrived in harbour at 10 a.m. on the 16th December; (2) the Randolph (Captain Dale), which cast anchor at 3.30 p.m. on the same day ; (3) the Sir George Seymour (Captain Goodson), which reached port on the 17th December, at about 10 a.m. ; and (4) the Cressy (Captain Bell), which, having sprung her fore-topmast off the Cape, did not arrive till about noon on the 27th of the same month. All four left Plymouth within a few hours of one another on the 7th and 8ih September, 1850, the Sir Georsre Seymour being the last to get away. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 1 79 colonists, who had preceded the general body, among whom there was one, at least, who was afterwards a man of much note and deserved influence in New Zealand at large, Henry John Tancred, the first Chancellor of the University of New Zealand. In these, and in the clergy and laity generally of the Canterbury settlement in those early days, the Bishop of New Zealand found warm and active supporters in his general views respecting Church organisation. Their arrival lent a new impetus to the movement, and that of a thoroughly independent character. They yielded to none in their admiration of the great missionary bishop, but never consented to be blindly led by him. To a great degree indeed this remark is true, not of Canterbury men only, but of New Zealand colonists generally. They respected and admired, and were proud of, their first Primate, the founder of the Melanesian Mission, and the framer of the Church Constitution, but they had the courage of their own convictions. The bishop^ on his part, conceived a favourable impression of the pilgrims. He had hoped to have been at Lyttelton to greet them on their arrival, and, in order to do so, had come on from Auckland in the little Undine directly on his return from attending the Conference at Sy J ney ; but the New Year (1851) had begun before the tiny craft was seen dropping her anchor close to the jetty. The following brief entry occurs in the bishop's log under January 3rd : " Anchored in Port Cooper, 6.30 p.m. x"i°'e ''? 0£w." Well does the writer re- member going on board the little vessel that summer evening with his friend, the Rev. B. VV. Dudley, now N 2 l8o NEW ZEALAND. Archdeacon of Rangiora, and for nearly thirty years past incumbent of that parish. Both wore cap and gown, at which the bishop seemed pleased. Well does he remember the awe and interest with which they gazed around them, until the awe at least was dispelled by the cordial reception they met with, and the unecjualled charm of the bishop's presence and conversation. The marvellous neatness of that diminutive cabin, and the ingenuity of its arrangements, are never to be forgotten. On the following day the entry is : " Went on shore at 8 ; breakfast with Mr. Godley. Synod with four clergy- men. Pleasant and useful conference. Much spirit of unanimity and concord in the body. . . . Visited settlers from house to house. Contented and pleased with the country." ^ On the following Sunday the bishop celebrated the Holy Communion in a loft over a goods store, reached by a ladder, the seats being extemporised by resting planks on sugar-barrels. The text and subject of the bishop's sermon — Mel- chizedek, God's priest meeting Abraham, the first colonist, with bread and wine (Gen. xiv. i8, 19)— were felt to be most appropriate. About the middle ' The four clergymen were the two previously mentioned, and, in addition, the Rev. G. T. B. Kingdon, and the Rev. Edw. Puckle. It was the privilege of the writer to accompany the bishop as his nomendator in the visits he speaks of. As they were climbing the steep hill-side at Lyttelton to reach the residence of Mr. James Edward Fitzgerald, now Comptroller- General of the Colony, the bishop suddenly broke into a run, evidently to try the metal of the new chu?ii, which, he is proud to remember, was not found wanting. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. l8l of February, 1S51, the Castle Eden cast anchor in Lyttelton Harbour, having on board, besides several schoohnasters and a large number of emigrants of all classes, the Bishop-designate of Lyttelton (as the dio- cese was intended to be named at that time), the Rev. Thomas Jackson, formerly Principal of the Bat- tersea Training College, and for many years after his return from the colony, rector of the parish of Stoke Newington, near London. Fortunately, as it turned out, though the proceeding was severely criticised at the time, on the score of unne- cessary delay and expense, Mr. Jackson came out with his wife and children, to take a survey of the ground and the position, before being consecrated. After staying a few weeks, and after conference with Bishop SSelwyn, who wished him to go to Sydney for consecration, instead of going home, he returned to England via Sydney, and then resigned the appoint- ment. A talented and amiable man, unquestionably, but one whom his best friends would probably not consider by nature qualified for the work of a colonial bishop. The failure, for failure it was, should not be attributed so much to himself as to those who placed him in a false position. The result at the time was deep disappointment to very many, whose chief attraction to Canterbury was the promise that they were coming to a diocese having a bishop and a com- plete ecclesiastical organisation from the outset; whereas the reality which presented itself was incom- pleteness and feebleness in the main, accentuated by an appearance of boastfulness and pretentiousness in many of the accessories, for which the people them- l82 NEW ZEALAND. selves were not responsible. Bishop Selwyn, who, since leaving Lyttelton in January, had gone as far south as the Auckland Islands, where there was at that time a small British settlement, returned, as he had proposed to do, to meet the bishop-designate and the clergy. He held a conference with them of several hours' duration at Lyttelton, at which he un- dertook to resign all that portion of his enormous diocese which was included within the two settlements of Canterbury and Otago, and at which also various matters appertaining to order and discipline, and the conduct of Divine worship, were settled. The close of this meeting, which v/as held on February 21st, 185 1, in an unfurnished room in the immigration barracks at Lyttelton, is thus recorded in an old minute-book in the writer's custody and handwriting: " It having been at this moment announced to his lordship that the wind was favourable for his depar- ture, the meeting was brought to a close. The bishop-designate desired his lordship to give his bless- ing to those who were present, before his departure. The bishop said that, before doing so, he could not for- bear expressing his great thankfulness at finding such a spirit of unity existing among the clergy of this new branch of the Church of God. He hoped that that spirit might spread and prevail throughout the whole diocese, and extend its influence throughout the whole Church of God, that some at least of her many wounds might be closed up. The bishop-designate and the rest of the clergy then knelt down, and the bishop in the most solemn manner pronounced the Blessina; from the Communion Service over them. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 1 83 Shortly after his lordship proceeded to the jetty, ac- companied by the clergy and many of the people, and took his departure immediately in his schooner, the Undine, for Wellington, and from thence to Auck- land." On the I St March, 1851,- the sixth ship of the Canterbury fleet, the Isabella Hercus, arrived, bringing as her chaplain the Rev. James Wilson, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge, afterwards canon and archdeacon of Christchurch, who will be found, in subsequent pages of our history, to have taken an active and highly influential part in the organisation of the Church, not only in the diocese of Christ- church, but of the Church of the Province of New Zealand. Towards the close of the same year, 1851, the bishop paid a third visit to the Canterbury Settlement, and on the 28th November held a conference with the clergy, at which it was agreed, by his lordship's desire, to invite the attendance of two laymen also, namely, John Robert Godley, Esq., agent of the Canterbury Association, and Christopher Alderson Calvert, Esq., barrister-at-law, and late secretary to the bishop-designate. This meeting was carried on, with two adjournments, throughout the whole day, not having broken up till fJast 11 p.m., and was of great importance to the ecclesiastical welfare of the settlement at that time, when it was without any resident head in Church matters. The clergy present were the Rev. Robert Bateman Paul, M.A., formerly Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, and afterwards Archdeacon of ^Vaimea, who died in England a few 184 NEW ZEALAND. years ago; the Rev. Octavius Mathias, B.A., Cam- bridge, afterwards Incumbent of Christchurch, and Archdeacon of Akaroa, who died at Riccarton in June, 1 864 ; the Rev. B. W. Dudley ; the Rev. G. T. B. Kingdon ; the Rev. James Wilson (died in Jan. 1886); the Rev. W. W. Willock, M.A., formerly Fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge, after- wards Incumbent of Kaiapoi, and Archdeacon of Akaroa, who died in May, 1882 ; the Rev. George Cotterill, B.A., of St. John's College, Cambridge, now Canon of Christchurch and Bursar of Christ's College, Canterbury ; the Rev. Edward Puckle, who migrated to Melbourne, where he is still living at a very advanced age ; and the Rev. Henry Jacobs, M.A., formerly Michel Fellow of Queen's College, Oxford, now Dean of Christchurch, N.Z., and D.D., who, on the motion of the bishop, was appointed secretary to the meeting. The bishop stated that the instrument of resignation of the southern portion of his diocese had received the assent of the Bishop of Sydney, as metropolitan, and had been taken home by the bishop-designate. His lordship stated also that he could not, in the interests of the proposed Bishop of Fyttelton, recognise the constitution of a cathedral chapter, and the appoint- ment of a dean and canons by the Canterbury Association, as the right of appointment would certainly appertain to the bishop. He proceeded to say that what he most desired was, to set forward synodical action among the clergy in Canterbury, and he requested the clergy present to elect two of their number, whom he might appoint as his com- missaries, to represent him, until they should have a PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 185 bishop resident among them. The result was the appointment of the Rev. O. Mathias and the Rev. R. B. Paul, who were two out of the four clergymen, to whom canonries had been offered by the Canterbury Association. Several matters were then discussed and settled in connexion with the distri- bution of the clerical force of the settlement, the funds for their support, the application of fees, and of the proceeds of the weekly offertory, Church trusts, and endowments, and the orderly conduct of divine service. On the basis of this settlement — with the exception that the Rev. R. B. Paul, before the close of the year 1853, resigned his duties in Canterbury, being appointed to the pastoral charge of Wellington, and that the Rev. O. Mathias became in consequence sole commissary — the regulation of Church matters in Canterbury was carried on until the installation of the first Bishop of Christchurch on Christmas Day, 1856. Before proceeding with the further history of Church organisation in New Zealand, we must pause here to take note of a remarkable epoch. " In 1853," writes Mr. Carleton (in his "Life of Henry Williams," vol. ii. p. 292), "the protracted struggle with Paganism may be said to have come to an end. The last blow was dealt when the old heathen chief, Kawiti " — he had been Heke's ally in the Flagstaff revolt — " came in to ask admission to the Christian fold. He had been the main upholder of ancient superstitions in the North ; and his influence was so large that the accession of his followers, sooner or later, became a certainty. On February 20, 1853, Kawiti was baptized by Henry Williams into the Church of Christ." 1 86 NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER VIII. The Era of Church Organisation — In what sense Bishop Selwyn was Author of Church Constitution — Address of 1850 — Pastoral of 1852 — Proposed Principles of Church Constitu- tion — Remarks on these. The decade from 1850 to i860 may be termed the era of Colonial Church Organisation,- though the process cannot be said to have reached any approxi- mate completeness until the cessation of the issue of Royal Letters Patent for the consecration of colonial bishops some five or six years later. As the several colonial communities became more settled, such of their people as had been nurtured in the bosom of the Church of England began to feel their anomalous position, retaining, as they did, none of the privileges, but only the clogs and hindrances of a State con- nexion. They felt as if they had been cast off by their mother, and thrown upon their own resources. The necessity of some system of self-government, in which the three orders— bishop, clergy, and laity — should each have their due place, and exercise their rightful functions, was apparent at every turn. Then the annually increasing number of colonial sees, and the similarity of position and interests among those which were contiguous to each other, suggested the necessity of grouping them into provinces, and thus widened the area of the problem. So that in several PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 1 87 widely-separated parts of the globe at the same time, in Canada, in South Africa, in Australia, and in New Zealand, it became the prominent question among Churchmen, How to organise themselves into effective self-governing committees, on sound Church prin- ciples ; how to secure the advantages of cordial co- operation, of free deliberation, and a readily applied discipline, without impairing unity with the mother Church, without violating any law of the mother country, without jeopardising endowments, and with- out infringing the liberty of such of their own mem- bers as did not perceive the necessity of any new organisation, or suspected some lurking motive actuating it, or some hidden mischief under- lying it. In their discussion of these questions men drew their precedents mainly from two sources — the one nearer at hand, the other further off. The first was the organisation of the branch of the church in com- munion with the Church of England in the United States of America ; the second was the position and history of the Catholic Church in the primitive ages. We do not, of course, speak of these as independent sources, since the American Church, in constituting herself, as she was compelled to do, independently of the mother Church, on the declaration of the inde- pendence of the United States, deliberately followed to the best of her judgment, and as far as circum- stances permitted, the precedents of the ancient Church. In ascribing to Bishop Selwyn the authorship of the Church Constitution of New Zealand, we must 1 88 NEW ZEALAND, not suppose for a moment that it sprang, Minerva- like, from his individual brain. On the contrary, among the main excellences of the great bishop were his love of united counsel, and his power of eliciting and harmonising the views and efforts of various minds for the attainment of a great result. Though so thoroughly original, he valued exceedingly the advice of the wise and experienced, the acknowledged experts in their several departments ; neither was he above learning a lesson from an opponent, or listen- ing to the suggestions of a comparative novice. His self-abnegation and single-minded determination to subordinate everything, even his own strong will, to the glory of God and the advancement of the interests of His Church, combined with his genius for organisa- tion to erect that worthy monument to his name, the constitution of the Church of New Zealand. It is in keeping with these remarks that, in appear- ance, the movement originated with others, not with himself As early as 1850, a letter, which has been alluded to before, was addressed to him signed by ge'inhabitants, both lay and clerical, of the Auckland district, 17 of Taranaki, 47 of Wanganui, and no of Nelson,! declaring their *' earnest conviction that a peculiar necessity exists for the speedy establish- ment of some system of Church government which, by assigning to each order in the Church its appro- ' It is noticeable that there are no signatures from the Wellington district. This letter, as well as many other docu- ments of that period, was printed, as the title-page testifies, " at the College Press, Bisho/s Auckland,"— a name which did not attain longevity. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION, 1 89 priate duties, might call forth the energies of all, and thus enable the whole body of the Church most efficiently to perform its functions" ; and setting forth in clear and tolerably full outline a scheme for the summoning of a general convention, " resembling in many points," they say, " that which we are in- formed has proved so beneficial to our brethren in America, and which we should all be satisfied to see adopted here." " We have felt the less hesitation," they add, " in submitting these our views to your lordship, because we are aware that you have long been most anxious to see an efficient system of Church government established amongst us, and that this subject is one which has not only always occupied your own earnest attention, but which you have on various occasions commended to the serious con- sideration of the members of our Church." The fundamental principles of this scheme, it should be mentioned, are those which underlie the Church Constitution, as finally adopted and now existing. The signature of Sir George Grey stands at the head of this historic document, and amongst the other signatures from the Auckland district are those of " Wra. Martin," the Chief Justice, and "William Swainson," the Attorney - General ; and, although there is nothing in the letter itself to guide us as to the authorship, we should not, probably, be far wrong in ascribing it to these three. Armed with this expression of the views of the leading clergymen and laymen of New Zealand, the bishop went, as we have already related, to the con- ference of bishops at Sydney. We have seen already igo NEW ZEALAND. how largely his time and thoughts were occupied during a great portion of the ensuing year, 1851, by his three visits to Canterbury, and his mission tour in company with the Bishop of Newcastle in the Border Maid. The first lines of the next document we have to lay before our readers prove sufificiently, notwithstanding, that the question of Church Organi- sation had not been suffered to sleep during that year. That document is a " Pastoral Letter of the Bishop of New Zealand to the Members of the Church of England in the Diocese of New Zealand," dated, "St. John's College, April 19th, 1852," to which is appended a schedule of "General Principles proposed as the Basis of a Constitution for the Church of New Zealand." This pastoral explains so briefly and clearly the difficulties of the Church's position at that time, and is so illustrative at the same time of the cautious yet resolute manner in which the bishop proceeded in this great enterprise ; and the appended principles, which are themselves an expansion of those sketched out in the address of 1850, are so essential to a right understanding of the history of the Constitution, that no apology can be deemed necessary for giving both in full : — " PASTORAL LETTER, &c. "St. John's College, April 19, 1852. " My dear Friends and Brethren, "The reports which I have received from England, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Tasmania have convinced me that the time has come when it is my PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. IQI duty to press upon you the necessity of applying to the heads of the State and of the Church in England for authority to frame, under their sanction, such a form of constitution for our branch of the English Church as may define the privileges and duties of all the members, whether clerical or lay, and secure to them a due participation in the management of its affairs. " The necessity of this measure arises mainly from two causes : First, that the Church in this colony is not established by law, and consequently that a large portion of the ecclesiastical law of England is inapplicable to us ; Secondly, that the church in this colony is dependent mainly upon the voluntary contributions of its members. It would be impossible, within any reasonable compass, to trace out the necessary differences of system resulting from these causes, which must exist between our colonial branch and the mother Church, as it is in England, established by law, and supported by permanent endowments. " We can scarcely expect that such a revision of the ecclesiastical law as would meet our wants will be undertaken in England, because the convocation of the clergy is no longer allowed to meet for deliberation, and the British Parliament is no longer composed only of members of the Church. Our own colonial legislature for the same reason cannot be considered competent to enact laws for the government of the Church. " It follows, therefore, that we must either be con- tent to have no laws to guide us, or that we must 192 NEW ZEALAND. apply for the usual power granted to all incorporated bodies — to frame bye-laws for ourselves in all such matters as relate to our own peculiar position, re- serving to Her iSlajesty and to the heads of the Church in England such rights and powers as may be necessary to maintain the Queen's supremacy, and the unity and integrity of our Church. I, therefore, submit the following statement of a few fundamental principles which, with your approbation, might be made the basis of an application for a charter of incorporation, to be granted to our branch of the English Church. It would be reserved for the con- vention itself to decide upon all the minor details of our Church Constitution, so far as we may be left free to legislate for ourselves. " Commending you to the guidance of Him who is able to give you a right judgment in all things, " I remain, " Your affectionate friend and pastor, "G. A., New Zealand." " General Principle.^, &c. " I. That the bishops, clergy, and laity shall be three distinct orders, the consent of all of which shall be necessary to all acts binding upon the Church at large. " 2. Subject to the foregoing principle, that each order be at liberty to conduct its deliberations sepa- rately, or to unite with the others, at its own discretion. PERIOD OF ORGAMSATION. 1 93 " 3. That, provisionally, till a definition of Church membership shall have been agreed upon by a General Convention, every person shall be deemed a member of the Church of England who shall make a written declaration to that effect to the clergyman of his parish or district. " 4. That every adult Church member, who shall have been duly registered, be entitled to vote at the election of lay representatives to the first General Convention. "5. That it shall rest with the General Convention to decide how and by whom all patronage shall be exercised ; and in what manner all persons holding Church offices shall be removable from the same ; and also to fix the amount of all salaries, fees, and other allowances. " 6. That it is necessary that the Church body, con- stituted as above, should be legally incorporated, and that all sites of churches, burial grounds, schools, and lands for endowment of the Church, &:c., should be vested in the General Incorporation. " 7. That, in order to maintain the Queen's supremacy, and union with the mother Church, a draft of the Constitution proposed for the Church in New Zealand be submitted to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonier, and to the Archbishop of Canterbury, through the Metro- politan Bishop of Sydney, with a petition that Her JNIajesty would be graciously pleased to direct the necessary steps to be taken whether o 194 NEW ZEALAND. by Act of Parliament or by Royal Charter, to secure to our branch of the English Church the liberty, within certain limits, of framing laws for its own government. " 8. That neither the Doctrines nor the Ritual of the Church of England, nor the Authorised Version of the Bible, shall in any way be subject to the decision of the General Convention. ** 9. That the Bishop of New Zealand be requested to embody the above resolutions in the form of a petition, and to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying into effect the wishes of the memorialists." We may venture to make one or two brief remarks on some peculiarities in the foregoing documents, chiefly because these contain in them the germs of subsequent controversies. In the first place, the reference is exclusively to a General Convention ; there is an apparent ignoring of diocesan synods or conventions. Secondly, it is laid down as " neces- sary " that all sites and endowments should be vested " in the General Incorporation." This was, from first to last, a very strong point with the bishop ; but it has not commanded universal assent. Thirdly, the broad statement of the necessity of an Act of Parliament or a Royal Charter " to secure to the Church the liberty of framing laws for its own government," calls for some explanation at the present day. The most eminent English lawyers of that period were divided in opinion as to whether the famous Act of Parliament, generally known as PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 195 the Act of Submission of the Clergy, 25 Henry VIII., cap. 19, was or was not appHcable to the colonies, and did, or did not, prevent colonial bishops from assembling synods or conventions of their clergy and laity for the purpose of legislating on Church matters. In a debate in the House of Commons in 1852, on Mr. Gladstone's Colonial Bishops' Bill, which was one of three notable attempts made in as many successive sessions of the British Parliament to remove these supposed disabilities, the Attorney- General (Sir F. Thesiger) said, and Sir R. Bethell concurred with him, that there was no need for legislation whatever, and that no embarrassment was caused by the Act of Henry VIII. On the other hand. Sir W. Page Wood, afterwards Vice-Chancellor, and better known as Lord Hatherley, though he did not directly contravene this statement, declared his conviction that the case was not clear one way or the other. In this position of uncertainty, the bishops of colonial dioceses, bound as they were personally by the terms of the Royal Letters Patent, as the conditions on which they had accepted their appoint- ments, felt that they were powerless to move, without at least a Declaratory Act to the effect that " no legal impediment existed to prevent them" from convening their clergy and laity in synods. There was, more- over, on the part of a large number — probably a majority — of the laity who took an interest in these questions, a nervous dread of any action being taken, which might separate them from the united Church of England and Ireland as established by law. We have mentioned one attempt to remedy the o 2 196 NEW ZEALAND. grievance complained of, namely Mr. Gladstone's Colonial Bishops' Bill, which originated in the House of Commons in 1852. In the following year the Archbishop of Canterbury (Sumner) introduced a Bill into the House of Lords, entitled The Colonial Church Regulation Bill, which was carried through the Upper House, but was lost in the House of Commons, partly because it was brought in too late in the session, and partly because it entered too much into detail, and was thought to interfere too much with the principle of self-legislation, A result which was a grievous disappointment to many at the time, but for which we, at this date, can hardly be sufficiently thankful. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 197 CHAPTER IX. The Canterbury Church Committee — Letter written by Mr. J. R. Godley at request of the Committee — Analysis of the same. In accordance with the bishop's desire, expressed in his pastoral, meetings of clergy and laity were held in the chief centres of population throughout the colony, to consider the appended Principles. As these meet- ings were held in succession at considerable intervals, abundance of time and opportunity was allowed for the discussion and thorough ventilation of the im- portant questions involved in the Principles. The newspapers opened their columns to correspondence on the subject; lectures and addresses were given upon it; it was a matter of frequent reference in sermons. In short, the clergy, equally with the laity, were being gradually educated up to self-legislation, and self-government, before they were privileged to possess them. As regards Canterbury, it should be said that this process had been going on before the bishop's pastoral made its appearance in that quarter. The synodical organisation, which the bishop set on foot at his last visit in November, 185 1, had not been idle ; the minds of several able and thoughtful men, such as the Rev. R. B. Paul, Mr. Godley, Mr. J. E. 198 NEW ZEALAND. Fitzgerald, Mr. H. J. Tancred,^ and others, both of the clergy and laity, were continually and earnestly engaged in the discussion of these Church questions in all their bearings. The result was that (i) general meetings of Church people were held both in Lyttelton and Christchurch, chiefly to consider the best means of obtaining a form of government for the Church of New Zealand ; (2) that at these meetings a committee was appointed, called the Church Committee, to represent the Canterbury Settlement ; and (3) lastly, that a letter of some length, drawn up by a sub-committee of the Church Committee, consisting of the Rev. O. Mathias and Mr. J. R. Godley, but undoubtedly the composition of the latter, was sent to the Bishop of New Zealand, embodying the views of the committee on Church Government for the colony. By a singular coin- cidence, the date, April 19th, 1852, is identical with that of the bishop's pastoral, which appears, from a subsequent minute of the Church Committee, to have been under their consideration on the 12th June of that year.- ^ His elder brother, Sir Thomas Tancred, joined the body of Canterbury colonists in the following year, just after Mr. Godley left for England. He was a Christ Churcli man, and afterwards Fellow of Merton. He took a Double Second in Michaelmas Term, 1830, when Bishop Hamilton, Cardinal Manning, Wil- liam Palmer of Magdalen, and Henry Wilberforce took Firsts in Classics. ^ The original minutes of the Church Committee are in the custody of the writer, together with a copy of the draft of the letter, with corrections in Mr. Godley 's own handwriting, and with the date prefixed, also in his handwriting. The earlier portions PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 199 The letter contains: I. An expression of "the sincere gratitude felt by the committee for the encouragement and support which his lordship had uniformly given to the cause of ecclesiastical self- government in this colony." II. A cordial recog- nition of "the importance of the declaration made by his lordship on a late public occasion to the effect that if the Church in these islands be invested with corporate privileges, he would transfer to the body so constituted all the property now held by himself, as trustee, for general ecclesiastical purposes." " Such a declaration " (it is added) "cannot fail to contribute powerfully both towards the attainment of our common object, and towards its value when attained." III. "A respectful and earnest request that the bishop would give the committee the benefit of his advice and direction as to the best mode of common action ; and, in the event of his recommending to petition Parliament, whether any common form of petition had been sanctioned by his lordship." IV. An enquiry whether in the bishop's opinion, "any objection exists to bringing the question under the notice of a colonial legislature, a course which, independently of its greater facility, appears to have the important advantage of affirming the principle that subjects of a purely local character should be dealt with exclusively by local legislation." V. The expression of the committee's decided opinion that, of the minutes are written by the same hand, Mr. Godley having acted as secretary until his departure from the colony in February, 1853. The writer was himself present at all the meetings of this committee. 2 00 NEW ZEALAND. whether the Imperial or Colonial Parliament were asked to legislate, "a specific plan of Church government, involving at least an outline of the proposed constitution, should first be agreed upon by the Church herself, so far as this is possible in her present unorganised state ; and that the civil power should merely be asked to incorporate her by law." The language of the letter is very decided on this point : — " Application may be made on her behalf to the State, as it might be in the case of any other associated body, secular or ecclesiastical, for the civil privileges which attach to a chartered cor- poration ; but it seems impossible to admit that the State is competent to decide such questions as those which affect the membership and government of the Church ; upon such points it can only accept and ratify her own decision." VI. The letter proceeds to say that "the great difficulty, however, remains, of ascertaining what that decision is ; and it is with reference to this point, especially, that the com- mittee venture to crave his lordship's authoritative intervention. It appears to them that a plan of Church government for ISew Zealand ought to originate with the bishop, or bishops, of New Zealand, and that the consent of the other Orders would more properly be given in the shape of acquiescence in a proposal from his lordship, than in that of original suggestion on their own part." Allusion is here made to the address of 1850, and the letter proceeds to say of this : — " Acting on this view, the committee have abstained from following the example of those clerical and lay members of the New Zealand Church, PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 20I who addressed your lordship on this subject about two years ago, and who, in so doing, entered largely into the details of a proposed constitution. The committee have no means of knowing what answer you gave to the address, or how far the plan which it contained met your approbation ; nor do they think it necessary to express any opinion upon that plan on the present occasion, except with i-eference to one point of great importatice." Then VII. this " one point of great importance " is dealt with at some length ; it was one which was very much discussed at that period, and on which the views of the Canter- bury Committee were certainly at variance with those of the majority of New Zealand Churchmen. They were looked upon, in fact, as far too advanced ; it was, indeed, a fear of development in the direction supposed to be indicated by the following extract, that caused many to set their faces against the movement altogether, or, at least, to be lukewarm and undecided in their support of it. In point of fact, however, the committee were not by any means revolutionary, but harmless theorists at the worst. The letter proceeds as follows: — "They have ob- served that, both in the scheme above mentioned, and in another which has been lately published, as emanating from the Australian Church Society, and which was referred to by your lordship at Wellington, there is contained a proviso to the effect, that the Colonial Church shall be prohibited by the terms of her constitution from altering for her own use the existing ritual of the Church of England, and the Authorised Version of the Holy Scriptures. The 202 NEW ZEALAND. committee venture respectfully to submit that there appears to them no valid ground for such a proviso, and they would deeply regret to see it incorporated in an Ecclesiastical Constitution for this colony." The next sentence savours somewhat of the magniloquent, and may excite a smile. " They have never heard it proposed either that this Church should participate in directing the concerns of the Church of England, or that she should be represented in any common ecclesiastical legislature for the empire at large ; to make her dependent therefore on the mother Church in matters which concern herself exclusively would be, in the opinion of the committee, not only to sacrifice rights inherent in, and exercised by national and provincial churches in every age, but to prepare the way for very serious, practical inconveniences. It is possible, nay almost certain, that on the one hand the lapse of time, and on the other the wide difference of circumstances, which exists between the Churches of England and New Zealand, may im. peratively call for a corresponding divergence of their rituals and formularies, both from the present standard and from each other ; and the committee submit that each of them ought to decide for herself as to the expediency and extent of such divergence in her own case." They go on to say that " they would maintain this view, even if the Church of England were in full possession of similar powers to those which the Colonial Church is now seeking, and were thereby enabled to make, or assent to, such modifi- cations as might from time to time appear desirable PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 203 for the dependent branches ; but the argument for it becomes infinitely stronger now that the effect of the proviso which they are considering would be simply to require the perpetual adhesion of the Church of New Zealand to forms which, open to alteration and improvement as they ought from their nature to be, accident alone has, to all appearance, stereotyped in England." The letter proceeds to anticipate an objection, which might be raised here, to such "complete powers of self regulation, involving a con- trol over formularies, being possessed by so small a portion of the Church as that which exists in these islands," and suggests that it " might be obviated by a general representation of the Australasian churches in a common legislature, to which the decision of such questions as that now under consideration might be referred. But," they add, "the committee feel that it would be unsuitable and presumptuous in them to discuss the provisions of a scheme so exten- sive as this ; and, while matters remain as they are, that is, while the alternative is betiveen complete inde- petidence, and subordinatioji to a church, in whose proceedings the New Zealand Church can take no share, the committee wish most earnestly to express their opinions in favour of the former." They show an anxiety, however, in what follows, to assure the bishop that their zeal is inspired by no actual desire for change, but by anxiety to assert what they consider " a fundamental principle which appears to be endangered." They hope that in this anxiety they " have not unduly deviated from the general 2 04 NEW ZEALAND. rule which they wish to observe, of avoiding, until required, to enter upon the details for a Church Constitution; and still more anxiously would they disclaim the inference, if such be possible, that the rituals of their Church, and the Authorised Version of the Scriptures do not command their complete and cordial assent. His lordship at least, they are confident, will not construe the assertion of a right on the part of each separate church, when properly constituted, to manage her own affairs, into an expression of dissatisfaction with any part of the formularies of the Church of England." VIII. One point only remains, " the relation which the Canter- bury Association," which was still in existence, " bore to the Church in New Zealand." On this point the committee say, "they are sure the Association must feel, as strongly as they do, the great inconvenience which results from Colonial Church property being invested in, and administered by, a distant and irresponsible body ; and they are fully convinced therefore that, if the New Zealand Church were properly constituted, the Association would transfer to her at once all the quasi- ecclesiastical functions now exercised by herself." And the letter concludes as follows : — " This conviction forms with the people of this settlement an additional ground for desiring the establishment of a form of government for the Church of England in New Zealand." The writer has come across no reply to, or acknowledgment of, the foregoing letter. It is reasonable to suppose, however, that the bishop's PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 205 pastoral, which, as we have seen, bears the same date, and was before the committee two months later, was regarded by them, as well as by the bishop, as an amply sufficient reply, especially when taken together with the pastoral of 1853, to which reference will be made at the beginning of our next chapter. 2o6 KEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER X. The Bishop's Second Pastoral— Meetings to Consider Basis of Constitution — Auckland Meeting — Wellington Meeting- Nelson Meeting — New Plymouth Meeting — Wanganui, Lyltelton, and Otago Meetings— Christchurch Meeting — General Remarks. In the following year the bishop addressed another " Pastoral Letter to the Members of the Church of England in the Diocese of New Zealand," dated " St. John's College, October 5th, 1853." This he begins by saying, " You will probably have heard already of my intention of sailing for England in January next. You are entided to expect to receive from me a statement of the reasons which have led me with great reluctance to come to this determination." Five reasons are given, of which it will be sufficient for our purpose to men- tion the fi:st and second. They are as follows : — (i) " The necessity 0/ obtainmg the consent of the heads of the State and of the Church in England to some form of Church Constitution adapted to our circ2i??ista?tces and 7vants.^' On this follows the interesting remark : " The lamented death of the Metropolitan Bishop of Sydney, who went to England chiefly for this object, appears to have led to the postponement of the ques- tion, till further information shall have been furnished by the Colonial Churches." Then his lordship men- tions the steps he has taken for the purpose of ob- taining the information required, so far as the views and wishes of his people were concerned, showing PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 207 herein his dissent from the suggestion of the Christ- church Committee, that he should put forth a scheme of his own and expect the acquiescence of the people in it. " In order,'' he says, " that I may go prepared to represent fairly and fully the mind of the Church in this country, I have convened public meetings at all the principal settlements, and have caused the resolutions passed at each meeting to be printed in a tabular form, with my own original draft. You will oblige me by signing your names, each according to his own judgment, under that column which most nearly expresses his own views." The second reason is thus given: (2) "The necessity of removing, if possible, the difficulties which still prevent the sub- division of the diocese of New Zealand." We will now proceed to report the result of the meetings at the several centres :— I. The Auckland meeting appears to have strangely confused a Dio- cesan with a General Convention, but, apart from this mistake, and substituting " General " for " Dio- cesan," they arrived at a clear statement of the general composition and working of the General Synod, as it now exists, except that a proviso is now added to the effect that either of the three Orders may, at any time, if it think fit, call for a separate sitting. The wording, as it stands, is this : " That a Diocesan Convention be one assembly, consisting of the bishops, clergy, and at least an equal number of the laity, and that, subject to the foregoing principles, such Orders do conduct their deliberations in one convention or assembly, deliberating together, but voting by Orders, a majority of each Order being 2o8 NEW ZEALAND. necessary to afford validity to any laws or decisions." For Principle No, 4^ they substitute the following, which is also, substantially, the arrangement finally arrived at and now in force. "4. That every adult Church member, who shall make a written declara- tion that he is a member of the Church of England, shall be entitled to vote at the election of lay repre- sentatives to the first General Convention. No per- son, not a communicant of the Church, shall be eligible for the office of lay delegate." With regard to Principles 5 to 9 inclusive, they assented to the bishop's original draft. A very large number of sig- natures was attached to that column in the tabular return which represented the Auckland meeting, including the names of Bishop Abraham, the Rev. F. Thatcher, Sir F. Whitaker, Colonel Haul- tain, and Sir George Grey's successor. Sir T. Gore Browne. II. The Wellington Church meeting adopted in the main the Original Draft, suggesting no alteration in the substance, but only in the wording. The column representing the results shows the names, amongst others, of Sir G. Grey, E. J. Eyre (Lieu- tenant - Governor), Octavius Hadfield, clerk. Dr. Featherston, A. De B. Brandon, Henry St. Hill, Dr. Prendergast, and Samuel Williams, clerk. III. The Nelson Churchmen appear to have ac- cepted the Original Draft entire, since the chairman of their meeting, the Rev. H. F. Butt, appended his name — apparently as chairman and in the ' For " General Principles " sec page 192. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 209 name of the meeting — to the column containing that Draft.^ IV. The New Plymouth Church meeting adopted the Original Draft, except as regards No. 4, with respect to which they arrived at substantially the same result as the Auckland Churchmen. Their wording is as follows : " That every adult Church member, who shall have been duly registered, be en- titled to vote at the election of lay representatives to the first General Convention. But such members of the Convention to be communicants. At the foot of their column are many names, including those of Henry Govett, clerk, G. T. B. Kingdon, clerk, Arthur G. Purchas, clerk. v., VI., VII. The Otago and Wanganui Church meetings adopted the Original Draft without altera- tion, as did the Lyttelton meeting, but with the fol- lowing important addition : " That there should be in each diocese a separately constituted corporate body, in whom should be vested, and by whom should be administered, the Church revenues of such diocese." Only a few names are appended to this column, but amongst them is that of William Donald, better known as Dr. Donald, a well-known Churchman, acute and clear-minded, staunch and loyal, a member of the General Synods of 1865 and 187 1. VIII. Lastly, the Christchurch meeting, in spite of the decided declaration in the committee's letter, in favour of a scheme being put forth by the bishop, to be acquiesced in by Churchmen generally, adopted ' See'' New Zealand Church Almanac for 1856," page 44. P 2IO NEW ZEALAND. many more deviations from the bishop's Original Draft than any other meeting in the country. The inconsistency is undeniable, but admits of this pallia- tion : the recommendation was made by them before the bishop's Draft reached Canterbury; afterwards, the bishop himself invited suggestions with a view to alteration. They availed themselves, at any rate, of the opportunity, emphasising especially, in common with their neighbours in Lyttelton, the diocesan ele- ment, which, as we have already pointed out, appears to be ignored in the Original Draft. Thus they pro- pose (i) that the first Principle should stand as fol- lows : " That the bishop, clergy, and laity in each diocese shall be three distinct Orders, the consent of all of which shall be necessary to all acts binding upon the diocese at large." It will be seen in the sequel of our narrative that this accentuation of the diocesan element on the part of the representatives of the diocese of Christchurch was a prominent fea- ture at the General Synod of 1865, and won for itself acceptance in the Revision of the Constitution which was then adopted. Secondly (2), they were by no means satisfied with the basis of mejnbership pro- posed in the third clause of the Draft, but recom- mended that not only the representatives to be elected by the laity should be required to be commu- nicants, but the constituents also ; and, more than this, that both electors and elected should make a declaration, not only that they were " members of the Church of England," but should add the words, " and of no other religious denoriiination." Thirdly (3), in their proposed amendment of clause 5 of the Princi- PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 211 pies, they make mention for the first time of a Pro- vincial, or General, Church Legislature ; and they drew a noticeable distinction between appointment to offices and removal therefrom, with reference to the bodies which should regulate the one and the other. It will be best to give their resolution on this subject in full ; it is as follows : " That it shall rest with each Diocesan Convention to decide how and by whom all patronage shall be exercised within the diocese ; and also to fix the amount of all salaries, fees, and other allowances within the diocese ; but that the duty of determining the manner in which all persons holding Church offices shall be removable from the same, shall be reserved for a Provincial Synod." (4) On the sixth clause, with reference to incorporation, the Christchurch meeting, following the line of Mr. God- ley's letter, recommends that the Church body should be incorporated, " if possible, by the local legislaturei" In what follows in the same clause, they return to their main contention, in favour of diocesan proper- ties, in common with other diocesan matters, being regulated by a Diocesan Convention. The words are : " But that sites of churches, burial grounds, schools, and lands for the endowment of the Church, should be vested either in the Diocesan Corporation, or in parochial or other corporations, according as the Diocesan Convention shall determine in the case of each particular property or site." (5) In place of the long clause, No. 7, bearing on the relations be- tween the colonial branch and the mother Church, this meeting adopted the following : " That measures be taken to maintain and preserve to the utmost p ?. 212 NEW ZEALAND. union with the mother Church, due regard being had to the independent action of the Colonial Church." But (6), although setting much by a due independence of action, as rightfully to be claimed on behalf of the Colonial Church, the meeting de- clined to follow the lead of the committee, as indi- cated in Mr. Godley's letter, with regard to the Autho- rised Version and the Formularies, and declared its assent, with respect to No. 8, to the Original Draft. Lastly (7), with reference to the steps to be taken to carry out the views of the New Zealand Church in these matters, it significantly struck out in No. 9 the reference to the petition to the Imperial Parhament, leaving it to the Bishop of New Zealand to take such steps as he in his sole judgment should deem desir- able. The column representing the views of this meeting bore thirty-five signatures, including nearly all the clergy previously mentioned, together with the names of the following laymen, viz., James Edward Fitzgerald, the brothers Tancred, John (now Sir John) Hall, Charles C. Simeon, Alfred C. Barker, Conway L. Rose, the brothers John and Samuel Bealey, Charles C. Bowen, W. G. Brittan, R. Westeura, senr., and Spencer A. Perceval. It is not out of place to remark that the special origin of the Canterbury Settlement, according to which it was designed to be a complete section of the English Church, headed by its own bishop, is suf- ficient to account for the prominence given in this quarter to the diocesan feature of the proposed or- ganisation, — and that, although the actual appoint- PERIOD OK ORGANISATION. 213 raent to the bishopric was still in abeyance ; for Can- terbury Churchmen kept ever jealously in view under all disappointments the fulfilment of the original design. We must not omit to state that the Original Draft itself received 64 signatures, being mostly those of clergymen and laymen resident in or near Auckland, including Robert Maunsell, B. Y. Ashwell, John Fred- erick Lloyd, F. Gould, G. A. Kissling, and V. Lush from among the clergy, and those of Sir W. Martin, W. Swainson, Col. Wynyard, Col. Hulme, Reader Wood, and Col. Kenny, from among the laity. It will be seen from the foregoing narrative that the history of the Church Constitution of New Zea- land is the history of a gradual and cautious building up, directed by "a wise master-builder." The work was carried on in perfect harmony ; and, so far as there was difference of opinion, it was such as to con- tribute to that healthy "progress by antagonism," which appears to be the economy of God alike in nature and in human histo^'y. 214 KE\V ZEALAND. CHAPTER XL The Bishop's Visit to England— Its Result— His Return with Rev. J. C. Patteson— Meeting at Christchurch — Resolu- tions — Mr. Labouchere's Words— Religious, Charitable, and Educational Trusts Act, 1856 — Consecration of first Bishop of Christchurch — Arrival and Enthronisation. Furnished with this definite statement of the views and wishes of the clergy and laity of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, arrived at after long and earnest deliberation under his own guidance, and found to agree in the main, Bishop Selwyn proceeded to England early in the year 1854. He soon found, however, that the alternative courses proposed for obtaining the desired powers of self-government — an Act of Parliament, or a Royal Charter — were both impracticable. But at the same time he found that the most eminent legal authorities of the day were more and more agreed, that no legal impediment existed, barring colonial bishops from holding synods of clergy and laity of their own accord within their own dioceses for the regulation of diocesan affairs. This point was thus stated by the bishop himself in his address to the first General Synod at Wellington in 1859: "In the meantime a change of opinion took place among the legal authorities in England, and the question settled down upon its present basis, that, as the colonial churches must have laws for PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 2 1^ their own government, and as neither the Church nor the State at home can make laws for them,' they must be free to legislate for themselves." While in Eng- land, he drew up the outline of the Church Consti- tution under the advice of two eminent English Judges, Sir John Coleridge and Sir John Palteson, adopting provisionally for its framework a Church Property Trust Deed, similar in outline to the Wes- leyan Trust Deed, and incorporating the Principles, in the shape in which they had met with the greatest amount of acceptance in the several settlements. Having also made satisfactory arrangements for the division of his enormous diocese, and having settled with the law officers of the Crown the terms of the new Letters Patent he was to receive as Metropolitan of New Zealand — for the legal connection of his dio- cese and that of Sydney was thenceforth to cease — and having fulfilled, more or less, the odier purposes for which he had gone to England — above all, having secured, as the chief fruit of his visit, the gift of Sir John Patteson's son to carry on the other great work he had initiated — the bishop embarked on board the Duke of Portland, and left Gravesend on his return on March 29th, 1855. He reached Auckland on July 5th, and on that day fortnight, the Southern Cross, ' The State could not, having debarred itself from so doing by giving the colonies (Crown colonies exceptetl) independent legislatures, upon whose rights any such legislation would encroach by giving a legal status to— that is estal>lishing—onc particular form of religion. The Church could not ; for, being powerless to legislate for herself, how could she legislate for her colonial daughters ? 2l6 NEW ZEALAND. built for him in England for the Melanesian Mission, also arrived. For nearly three months after his return he was chiefly engaged, at the request of Governor Gore Browne, in endeavouring to make peace between two hostile factions of natives at New Plymouth, and to allay the disturbed state of feeling in that part of the country, which ultimately issued in the Waitara war of i860. On the 23rd September he ordained to the diaconate Levi Te A^hu, achief of a Taranaki tribe, being the second of the Maori race whom he had admitted to the sacred ministry. Rota Waitoa, or- dained deacon on Trinity Sunday, 1853, having been the first. On the 27th of the same month, that is, as soon as circumstances permitted, he set sail, ac- companied by his chaplain, the Rev. J. C. Patteson, in his newly-acquired vessel, the Southern Cross, on a visitation tour to the Chatham Islands, and the southern settlements. Arriving in Lyttelton early in November, he held meetings of Church-people on successive days in Lyttelton and Christchurch ; also a synodical meeting of the clergy at the residence of the Rev. R. B. Paul at Casterton, on Saturday, November loth ; and preached and held confirmations at Lyttel- ton and Christchurch on the following day. He also held a conference with the governing body of Christ's College, Canterbury, recently founded and endowed by the Church Property Trustees (as representing the Canterbury Association), and incorporated by or- dinance of the Provincial Council of the Province of Canterbury. The general meetings referred to above were of PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 21 7 the Utmost importance, primarily to the diocese of Christchurch, but also to the whole of New Zealand, because they issued in the appointment of the present Primate of New Zealand to the Bishopric of Christ- church. The Christchurch meeting, which was held in the old mother Church, at that time unconsecrated, and used for both church and school, was presided over by the first superintendent of the province, Mr. James Edward Fitzgerald, and, besides other matters mostly of temporary interest, the following resolutions were agread to: — I. On the motion of the Rev. Octavius Mathias, seconded by Mr. Conway L. Rose, "That, in the opinion of this meeting, a sufficient and safe endowment has been provided for the Bishopric of Christchurch,^ and that a memorial be therefore forwarded to the Crown, praying her Majesty to nominate a bishop at the earliest period consistent with her Majesty's royal pleasure." II. On the motion of Mr. William Thomson, seconded by Mr. Richard Packer, it was resolved, "That the opinion of this meeting is, that it is expedient to adopt the Land Investment, proposed ' The Rev. Thomas Jackson had been designated in England in 1850 Bishop of Lyttelton, the intention being at that time that the capital of the settlement should be termed Lyttelton, after Lord Lyttelton, the chairman of the Canterbury Associa- tion, and that the port should be named " Port-Lyttelton" ; but, very shortly after the arrival of the first body of colonists in December, 1850, it was decided at a meeting of land pur- chasers, that the capital should be called Christchurch, and the port town Lyttelton. Consequently, upon the resignation of his appointment by the bishop-designate. Dr. Jackson, the see was christened anew by the name of Christchurch. 2l8 NEW ZEALAND. for the endowment of the bishopric in preference to Government debentures." The proceeds of the Land Investment here referred to amounted at that time to ;^6oo per annum. The bishop drew attention to the fact, that there was an additional land endow- ment for the bishopric of 200 acres or more, forming part of the Jackson Trust Estate. This endowment had been acquired by Dr. Jackson in England, mainly from the proceeds of subscriptions, to be applied partly to the bishopric, partly to the college, and in part also to general Church purposes. The bishop added that he would write personally to the authorities in England, that he was satisfied with the endowment, and that they need have no hesitation in proceeding immediately to the appointment. III. The foregoing resolution having been agreed to, the bishop proceeded to relate the communications he had held with more than one clergyman in England respecting the appointment, ending with a strong recommendation of his friend, the Rev. Henry John Chitty Harper, M.A., of Queen's College, Oxford, formerly conduct (or chaplain) of Eton College, but, at the time then present. Vicar of Stratfiield Mortimer in Berkshire, to which living he had been presented by the Provost and Fellows of Eton. The Rev. J. C. Patteson, having been appealed to by the bishop, expressed his hearty concurrence with the high opinion given of Mr. Harper by the bishop. Whereupon the following resolution was unanimously adopted : — " That this meeting, upon the information now laid before it, has been led to the conclusion, that it would greatly PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 219 promote the interests of the Church in this province " — i.e., the civil., not the ecclesiastical, province, which did not then exist — "if the Rev, Henry Harper should be appointed to the Bishopric of Christchurch ; but that, if any difficulty should occur to prevent his appointment, they would thankfully accept any person who might be approved by the authorities in England, acting in communication with the con- fidential friends of the Bishop of New Zealand."^ ' The writer feels sure that the following characteristic inci- dent in the life of Bishop Selwyn, which occurred in the course of this visit to Christchurch, and which, to the best of his belief, has never been before made public, will be read with interest : — The bishop, with Mrs. Selwyn, was staying at the writer's house — the old grammar school in Oxford Terrace, eastward of St. Michael's Church. After breakfast, on the morning of Saturday, November loth, a small party gathered round the bishop on the lawn outside the house, after very brief consulta- tion among themselves, and, as though they would take him by storm, earnestly besought him to take the bishopric of Christchurch himself. The party consisted, as far as the writer's memory serves him, of the Rev. Oct. Mathias, the Rev. }. Wilson, Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald, Mr. H. J. Tancred, and himself. His lordship, with much warmth and affectionateness, acknowledged the goodwill and kindly feeling of those who made the request, and said that there was much in the tone and character of the people to make such an offer acceptable. He instanced, in particular, the remarkable fact, of which he had been informed, that, at the recent celebration of the Holy Communion at the church close by, on the occasion of the opening of the session of the Provincial Council, all the coun- cillors, without exception, to the number of twenty-four, had communicated. But he added that, as he had always held that it was a clergyman's duty to go where his commanding officer sent him, so it was his duty to remain at his post until a clear 220 NEW ZEALAND. IV. The meeting then listened with interest to the account which the bishop gave of his efforts, while in England, to obtain powers of self-government for the colonial branches of the Church. After explaining the grounds on which he had determined to abandon the idea of seeking a basis for the proposed Church Constitution in direct legislation either of the Imperial or of the Colonial Parliament, he declared his inten- tion of proceeding upon the property basis entirely, and of endeavouring, with the view of securing a sound and workable property basis, to procure the passing of a general Act through the Assembly, which might be used by all denominations, similar to an English Act not long since passed, for the simplifying of titles to property held by any public body for religious, charitable, or educational purposes. The Act he referred to gave continuance to any body of trustees, without the necessity of a fresh deed being executed on the occasion of every new appointment of a trustee, and so, in point of fact, gave every such body of trustees, for all necessary purposes, the status and powers of a corporate body. Ultimately, under the bishop's direction, the meeting adopted the following resolution : — " Resolved, that, in the opinion of this meeting, an assessor should be elected at a general meeting for the purpose of con- ferring with the representatives of the Church from call of duty came to withdraw him elsewhere. There did not appear to be any such call in the present instance, therefore he felt it to be his duty to remain where he was. The group of petiiioners thereupon dispersed, rather admiring than disap- pointed ; for they had hardly dared to hope for success. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 221 the Other provinces of New Zealand and the bishop of the diocese ; with full powers to consent to the establishment of such general principles for the con- stitution of the Church in New Zealand, as may harmonise the various suggestions embodied in the tabular statement of the opinions of the members of the Church in the various settlements." Here then was another link of the chain forged ; the completion of the machinery was now in full view; for the harmonising of the tabular statement meant the putting together of the framework of the Constitution. In the following year, 1856, further advance was made. In the first place a wonderful light was suddenly thrown on the whole subject by a few simple words in a letter from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. Labouchere, to Sir Edmund Head, Governor-General of Canada. The words were, " I am aware of the advantages which might belong to a scheme, under which the binding force of such regulations should be simply voluntary." The words, though the reverse of oracular in the simplicity of their form, had all the effect of an oracle. They were straightway reported in all the council chambers of the Colonial Church, and commented on in all its organs. The effect in New Zealand was, as when some great discovery has been made, and every one feels as if he had always known it ; or as when some new invention is made public, and every- body exclaims, " How simple 1 " Men had been for years laboriously discussing the comparative advan- tages and drawbacks of legislative enactments and royal charters, of colonial Acts and imperial Acts, 222 NEW ZEALAND. when the ponderous rubbish was suddenly swept away by this single sentence, as easily and effectually as cobwebs by a housemaid's broom. With many, the oft-repeated cry had been, " Let us go back to first principles ; let us do as our Christian forefathers did in the earliest ages " ; but, practically, they did not seem to get further than this ; now, however, they found, all at once, what they had been seeking for : voluntary and mutual compact — was the one and only bond which held the Christian Church together, as a society, from the first. The letter referred to was written on the 15th February, 1856. Later in the same year, the bishop succeeded, as he had hoped to, in obtaining the enactment, by the General Assembly of New Zealand, of " An Act to render more simple and effectual the titles by which property is held for religious, charitable, or educational purposes in New Zealand " ; the short title of which is, "The Religious, Charitable, and Educational Trusts Act, 1856." The Church, under the wise and cautious guidance of her great bishop, was thus, by the blessing of God, gradually working her way tov.ards the light. Though she no longer thought of invoking the State Legislature to bestow or sanction powers of self-government, she availed her- self of its help, as any other body of citizens might, to obtain protection and facilities in her tenure of, or dealings with, her property, as she has done since of the judicial system of the State for the purpose of giving effect to the exercise of her discipline over her offending members. In the course of the same year, another long-hoped- PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 223 for advance of a different kind was made towards the completion of the organisation of the New Zealand Church. A petition to her Majesty the Queen, and a memorial to his Grace the Archbishop of Canter- bury, signed by the leading clergymen and laymen of the proposed diocese of Christchurch, in favour of the speedy appointment of a bishop, and recom- mending the Rev. H. J. C. Harper as a fit person to be appointed to the post, backed by the support and aid of the Bishop of New Zealand and his English friends, acting in conjunction with the former members of the Canterbury Association, niet with complete success, and Dr. Harper was consecrated first bishop of the new see, at Lambeth Palace Chapel on the loth August, 1856. Arriving in Lyttelton Harbour with his family by the ship Egmont on Christmas Eve, he was met there by the Bishop of New Zealand, who with Mrs. Selwyn had come down purposely to receive them, came over the hill to Christchurch the same day, and was enthroned on the day following, Christmas Day, at the old mother Church of Christchurch, which thenceforth became the Pro-Cathedral. 224 NEW ZEALAND, CHAPTER XIL Conference summoned — How composed — Analysis of Report with Comments — Arrangements for Meeting of First General Synod — Preamble and Fundamental Provisions. There was now no further reason for delay ; every- thing was now ripe for the actual framing and enactment of the Constitution. Accordingly, as soon as the Bishop of Christchurch had had time to make his first arrangements in his new diocese, the Bishop of New Zealand summoned a conference of bishops, clergy, and laity to meet at Auckland for the purpose of framing a Church Constitution, by harmonising the results shown in the tabular statement with its appended signatures. On the 14th May^ 1857, the conference met at St. Stephen's Chapel, Taurarua, near Bishopscourt, and close to the residence of Sir William Martin. The body consisted of the two bishops, eight clergy, and seven laity, the clerical and lay members having been selected, as far as prac- ticable, on a representative basis. It would have been almost impossible at that time, considering the difficulty and cost of travelling, and the absorbing nature of the occupations of the great majority of the early colonists, to havegot together, in fact, a more fairly representative body of men. The missionary clergy, as was fitting, were thoroughly well represented ; no PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 225 less than five out of the eight clergymen present had come to the country as agents of the C.M.S., namely, the brothers Williams, Henry and William, Archdeacons Brown and Hadfield, and the Rev. G. A. Kissling. Mr. Kissling, afterwards archdeacon, was at that time incumbent of St. Mary's Parnell, Auckland ; the other four just mentioned were the archdeacons of the four missionary districts, into which the north island was divided. Of the re- maining three clergymen, Archdeacon Abraham represented Auckland, the Rev. James Wilson, Canterbury, and the Ven. R. B. Paul, Nelson and Wellington as well as Canterbury. Of the laymen who took part in this memorable Conference, Mr. Swainston was eminent as a lawyer; Mr. H. J. Tancred and Dr. Prendergast as well-read, thought- ful, and cultured gentlemen ; Sir Edward Stafford as a statesman of no mean repute ; Sir Frederic Whitaker as both lawyer and statesman ; Colonel Haultain as a legislator and man of business ; Mr. Thomas Hirst, of New Plymouth, as an honest, straightforward, earnest, and sensible layman, who had specially strong views on the necessity of applying discipline to the lay members of the Church. Having first settled the basis and the outline of the Constitution, the Conference appointed a Select Committee of three, namely, the Bishop of New Zealand, the Ven. Archdeacon Hadfield, and the Rev. James Wilson, '' to prepare a draft report showing the grounds on which the Conference has been led to the conclusion, that it is expedient to organise tlie members of the Church of England for Q 2 26 NEW ZEALAND. the purpose of self-government, as a branch of such Church, and the reasons which have influenced the Conference in agreeing to the resolutions which have been passed with a view to the object." The Select Committee presented their report on June 5th, when it was adopted and ordered to be printed. This is an important document, but of too great length to be printed in full in this work. We can only notice briefly the subjects it treats of under the following headings : — I. Under the head oi Retrospect of Fortner Proceedings^ a brief summary is given of the steps which had led up to the meeting of the Conference, beginning from the "first consideration of the subject of Church Organisation in New Zealand at a meeting of the bishop and clergy of the diocese held at St. John's College, in September, 1847." The history of the tabular statement is summed up in these words : — "The result of this enquiry was the almost unanimous agreement of the members of the Church who sub- scribed their names to this document in two funda- mental principles — the one relating to the constitution of the Synod, and the other to its standard of doctrine. Then, after enlarging somewhat upon these, the report says, " These two principles of Doctrine and Constitution are therefore embodied in the Deed of Constitution as fundamental and unalterable." II. Under the second heading, viz.. Proposed Mode of Opei-ation, the report enlarges on the reasons for departing from the original intention, expressed in the tabular statement, of seeking powers of self-govern- ment from the Crown or the Imperial Parliament, and for adopting in preference the basis of mutual PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 227 compact. It then proceeds to explain the reasons for introducing among the fundamental provisions of the Constitution " some qualifying clauses, to provide for cases which " (the report says) " may occur in the course of future ages, but which all the members of the Church in New Zealand will concur in deprecat- ing." The contingencies referred to were the " sepa- ration of the colony of New Zealand from the mother country," and " a separation of the Church from the State in England and Ireland." The report then states and explains the course proposed with refer- ence to discipline and the exercise of judicial func- tions. And then follow two paragraphs of so much interest and importance, that it seems desirable to quote them in full. A simple perusal of them will elucidate their significance better than any attempt at explanation could do. They are specially worthy to be borne in mind by the student of the history of the New Zealand Church, as foreshadowing contro- versies which, as will be seen in the next division of this work, well-nigh led to serious results. " 14. The peculiar circumstances of New Zealand have pointed out the expediency of thus uniting several dioceses in one system of administration, by voluntary com- pact, and not as an ecclesiastical province established by authority. Among other advantages of this plan may be mentioned the uniformity of principle in the administration of patronage and discipline, especially as the property of the Church in most of the English settlements is held in trust by the Bishop of New Zealand, and is entirely free from the encumbrance of previous legislation and private trusts. A large Q 2 228 NEW ZEALAND. portion of this property has been acquired for the general benefit of the whole of New Zealand. 15. If, however, the bishop, clergy, and laity of any dio- cese in New Zealand should prefer to remain sepa- rate, nothing in this Constitution will interfere to prevent them from so doing. Neither is it intended in any case that the independent rights of such mem- bers of the Church as may withhold their assent shall be interfered with or controlled by those who are thus voluntarily associated. But this conference desires to state most distinctly that it is not intended that any trustee holding Church property, which, for any reason, cannot be surrendered to the General Synod, should therefore be debarred from giving his assent to this Constitution, or from taking part in the ad- ministration of its affairs. Though property is made, of necessity, the legal basis of operation, the aims and purposes of the General Synod are of a far higher kind." Nothing could well be wiser or more Chris- tian-like than the tolerant and conciliatory spirit in which these sentences are conceived. It scarcely needs to be said that the reference is, partly, to the diocese of Christchurch, and the strictly diocesan character of its trusts, as obviously presenting an element of difficulty and possibly of mutual jealousy ; and, pardy also, to a considerable body of persons throughout the country, who were fearful lest the largeness of their rights as Churchmen should be cramped, or interfered with, by a system which seemed to rest their privileges upon a narrow and wholly inadequate property basis. Even with that softening and abatement which were conveyed by PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 229 these clauses of the report, printed as they were originally in parallel columns with the clauses of the Constitution itself, we may venture perhaps to say, that the property basis was made more prominent than it need have been ; and it is an exeeedingly happy circumstance that, as time has gone on, and the essential character of the Constitution has been more and more developed in the working of it, the property feature has shrunk into less and less dimensions, so as to become of altogether secondary importance. III. The title of the third head of the report is Powers of General and Diocesan Synods. It will be seen, in a subsequent chapter, that in the revision of the Constitution in 1865, an important change was made in the Constitution, with respect to the relative position of Diocesan Synods and the General Synod. In the Constitution of 1 857, instead of the diocese being regarded as the unit of the ecclesiastical system, and the Diocesan Synod as having an original and inherently independent existence, prior in theory, at least, to that of the General Synod, its functions and its very exist- ence were regarded as being derived from the General Synod. At the same time it was intended to give the derived and inferior body large powers by way of delegation. The views and purposes contemplated by the Conference of 1857 are thus clearly explained under this head of the report: — "17. These ample powers are reserved to the General Synod for the prevention and correction of abuses ; but are in- tended to be delegated., as the case may require, to dio- cesan, archdeaconry, and parochial boards ; to trus- tees of Church property of every kind ; to standing 230 NEW ZEALAND. tribunals and special commissions ; in short, to any kind of subordinate agency which may be found necessary to give efficiency to every department of the work of the Church. It may be presumed that, as a general rule, the Synod will delegate the manage- ment of every part of the trust estate to persons resi- dent on the spot. The power of revocation reserved to itself will be a sufficient check upon any tendency to neglect or malversation of trust. In such cases, instead of applying to the law courts for redress, the Synod will simply appoint new trustees." Of no little interest and importance also is the last paragraph under this heading, having reference to the appoint- ment to vacant sees : " One of the most important duties of the Diocesan Synod will be to recommend from time to time to the authorities of Church and State in England, through the General Synod, any clergyman whom they may desire to designate as their bishop. The letter of Mr. Labouchere to the Governor - General of Canada, Sir E. Head, has opened the way to a most satisfactory arrangement ; and has already been acted upon in the appointment of the present Bishop of Christchurch, upon the re- commendation of the clergy and laity of the Province of Canterbury.^ ' The members of the Canadian Church had petitioned the Home Government for legislative povk^ers to appoint their own bishops. Hence the occasion of Mr. Labouchere's letter. The Government judged it inexpedient to accede to this request, but the Secretary of State proceeds to say:—" Her Majesty's advisers do not the less recognise, in the case of a community like that of Canada, the propriety of consulting the wishes of PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 23 1 IV. The next heading is, Course of Future Proce- dure. Under this head it is noticeable that no attempt is made to impose the Constitution upon the Church by authority ; it is simply offered for its acceptance. At the same time a confident hope is expressed that it will be accepted, and that, " after the great care which has been bestowed in the prepa- ration of that instrument, it will be found generally satisfactory to the members of the Church, and that it will not be necessary to submit it again to public discussion." As a further ground for entertaining this hope, it is added, " It will be seen that full power is given to the Synod to alter everything, except the two fundamental points of Doctrine and Constitu- tion." Then it is stated that a Standing Committee had been appointed, consisting of the Rev. G. A. Kissling, the Hon. Edward Stafford, the Hon. F. Whitaker, and the Hon. W. Swainson, whose business it should be " to apply to the colonial legislature for an Act for the following purposes : — a. To enable the Bishop of New Zealand to resign into the hands of trustees to be appointed by the General Synod, certain Trust properties now vested in him. b. To declare that trustees may hold and the members of the Church of England on this head ; and they believe that the practical purpose which it is sought to attain may be secured without the obvious inconveniences attendant on direct legislation for it, if they adopt the course of recom- mending Her Majesty to be guided, as a general rule, in filling up any vacancy which may occur, by such representation as she may receive from the clergy and laity of the diocese duly assembled." 232 NEW ZEALAND. administer property in behalf of the branch of the United Church of England and Ireland in New Zealand, c. Comprising a copy of the Deed of Con- stitution in the form of a schedule annexed to the Act." They were further authorised " to exercise a discretion whether any alterations proposed to be made in the Bill by the Colonial Legislature shall be accepted or not." It is further intimated that the Bishop of New Zealand " has been authorised by the Conference to take all the necessary steps for assem- bling the first General Synod, as soon as it con- veniently may be done after the passing of the pro- posed Act by the General Assembly." Very careful and minute arrangements, even to the mode of ap- pointment of returning officers, and the form of voting paper, were made by the Conference for the election of clerical and lay representatives to this first Synod. The qualifications for constituents and repre- sentatives respectivel)', were evidently very thought- fully considered. The General Synod, once assem- bled, would have power, under the Constitution, to fix such standards ; but it could not possibly assem- ble without some qualification, at least of a provisional nature, being fixed. The results arrived at in the tabular statement had shown the Churchmen of all the settlements to be agreed in requiring that repre- sentatives should be communicants. This qualifica- tion was accordingly adopted by the Conference for the constitution of tlie first Synod, and on this point the report makes the following statement : " The qualification required for lay representatives is the same as that which has been sanctioned by law in the PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 233 diocese of Victoria, and, by voluntary compact, in the diocese of Adelaide, viz., that the lay representatives shall be communicants of the Church of England." But, as regards the electors, at this initiation of the system, it was thought good to open the door of ad- mission as widely as possible ; this was accordingly the resolution adopted: "Subject to such limita- tions as may from time to time be prescribed by the General Synod, every man of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, who shall sign a declaration that he is desirous of uniting himself with \hQ members of this branch of the Church of England, under the provisions of this Constitution, shall, if duly registered for that purpose, be entitled to vote at the election of a lay representative for the General Synod." V. Place of Meeting and Business. The report, under this last heading, announced that the Confer- ence had decided that the first General Synod should be held at Wellington, and that its duties would be, amongst others, i, to receive, and appoint trustees for all trust properties surrendered to the Synod. 2, Toprovideforthe due delegation of the General Synod's powers to Diocesan Synods, to Archdeaconry Boards, and to various commissions and tribunals. 3. To lay down rules for the appointment and removal of office- bearers, clerical and lay. 4. To define the powers and duties of churchwardens and other church offi- cers. 5. To provide for the formation and subdivi- sion of parishes. 6. To make regulations for the financial system of the Church. Finally, on June 13th, 1857— a day much to be re- membered in the annals of the Church of New Zealand 234 NEW ZEALAND. — the Conference put forth the Constitution itself. The limits of this work preclude the insertion of it in full ; but the general outline of its contents will have been sufficiently indicated in the foregoing pages.' This work, however, would be sadly imperfect were we to omit the preamble and fundamental provisions. They are as follows : The Constitution. The Constitution for associating together, as a branch of the united Church of England and Ireland, the members of the said Church in the colony of New Zealand, agreed to at a general conference of bishops, clergy, and laity, assembled at Auckland, on the thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord, 1857: In the Name of God — Amen. W/iereas it is desirable that the members of the United Church of England and Ireland, in the colony of New Zealand, should be associated together as a branch of the said United Church, and that a representative body should be constituted for the government of the same : And whereas, until due provision shall be made in that behalf by competent authority, it is desirable that the members of the United Church of England and Ireland, should, so far as they lawfully may, associate themselves together by voluntary com- pact, as a branch of the said United Church, for the ' The Constitution, with schedule appended, will be found at full length in the Rev. H. W. Tucker's " Life and Episco- pate of G. A. Selwyn, D.D.," vol. ii. p. 98. PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 235 ordering the affairs, the management of the property, the promotion of the discipline of the members thereof, and for the inculcation and maintenance of sound doctrine and true religion throughout the colony, to the glory of Almighty God, and the edifi- cation and increase of the Church of Christ : And, whereas the bishops, and certain of the clergy and laity representing a numerous body of the members of the said United Church, in the colony of New Zealand, have met in Conference to determine the fundamental principles on which the members of such branch of the said Church shall be thus associated to- gether, and for the purpose of deciding on the Con- stitution, and defining the powers and jurisdiction of the governing body of such branch of the said Church, and of prescribing the terms and conditions on which the property of such branch of the said Church shall be held and administered : Now, therefore, the said bishops, clergy, and laity, in conference assembled, do solem?ily declare and estab- lish, as follows: — I. — Fundamental Provisions. I. This branch of the United Church of England and Ireland in New Zealand doth hold and maintain the doctrine and sacraments of Christ as the Lord hath commanded in His Holy Word, and as the United Church of England and Ireland hath received and explained the same in the Book of Common Prayer, in the form and manner of making, ordain- ing, and consecrating of bishops, priests, and deacons, and in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion. And the 236 NEW ZEALAND. General Synod hereinafter constituted for the govern- ment of this branch of the said Church shall also hold and maintain the said doctrine and sacraments of Christ, and shall have no power to make any altera- tion in the Authorised Version of the Holy Scriptures or in the above-named formularies of the Church. 2. Provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent the General Synod from accepting any altera- tion in the above-named formularies, and version of the Bible, as may from time to time be adopted by the United Church of England and Ireland with the consent of the Crown and of Convocation. 3. Provided also that in case a Licence be granted by the Crown to this branch of the Church of Eng- land to frame new and modify existing rules (not affecting doctrine) with the view of meeting the pecu- liar circumstances of this colony and native people, it shall be lawful for this branch of the said Church to avail itself of that liberty. 4. And whereas opinions have been expressed by eminent legal authorities in England that the property of the Church in New Zealand might be placed in jeopardy, unless provision were made for the contin- gency of a separation of New Zealand from the mother country, and for that of an alteration in the existing relations between Church and State : it is hereby further declared that, in the event of a sepa- ration of the colony of New Zealand from the mother country, or of a separation of the Church from the State in England and Ireland, the General Synod shall have full power to make such alterations in the articles, services, and ceremonies of this branch of PERIOD OF ORGANISATION. 237 the united Church of England and Ireland in New Zealand as its altered circumstances may require, or to make such alterations as it may think fit in the Authorised Version of the Bible. And the said bishops, clergy, and laity do further declare and establish as follows : — 5. There shall be a representative governing body for the management of the affairs of the Church, to be called the General Synod of the Branch of the United Church of England and Ireland in the Colony of New Zealand, which shall consist of three distinct orders, viz., the bishops, the clergy, and the laity, the consent of all of which orders shall be necessary to all acts binding upon the Synod, and upon all persons recognising its authority. 6. The above provisions shall be deemed funda- mental, and it shall not be within the power of the General Synod, or of any Diocesan Synod, to alter, revoke, add io, or diminish any of the same. 238 KEW ZEALAND. PART III. THE PERIOD OF SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. CHAPTER I. First General Synod convened — New Sees of Wellington, Nelson, and Waiapu — Appointments to them — Members of Synod, Clerical and Lay — Opening of Synod — Address — Business — Tribunals Bill — Nominators' Statute — First Standing Commission — Maori Liberality — Theoretical Question — Remarks. In accordance with the resolution of the Conference the Bishop of New Zealand convened the first General Synod to meet at Wellington on March 8th, 1859. In July, 1858, he had procured the enactment by the General Assembly of the " Bishop of New Zealand's Trusts Act, 1858," authorising him to con- vey lands held in trust by him to trustees to be ap- pointed by the General Synod. He had also, in the interval between the Conference and the first Synod, been actively and zealously engaged in negotiations which had been commenced somewhat earlier for the formation of no less than three new bishoprics; and these negotiations, under the good Providence of SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 239 God, had been crowned with such complete success that, at the opening of the session, three bishops, in- stead of two, were present, the third being Bishop Hobhouse of Nelson; a fourth. Bishop Abraham, who had gone to England for consecration to the see of Wellington, arrived and took his seat before the end of the month of March ; and, lastly, these four consecrated a fifth, the first Bishop of Waiapu, who had up to this day sat among the clerical members, but, for the last two days of the session, took his seat on the episcopal bench, A brief account of the for- mation of these new sees, and the appointments to them, must be given before we proceed to relate the history of this first General Synod. As early as February 27th, 1857, Bishop Sehvyn had written thus, to the Rev. Ernest Hawkins, the well-known secretary of the S.P.G. : — "The natural effect of the creation of the Bishopric of Christchurch has been to make our other provinces desirous of the same benefit. I proposed at first that Wellington and Nelson should be united in one diocese, but Nelson strongly objected to this, and I think with good reason, as the lion's share of the benefit would certainly remain with Wellington, and it is very prob- able that Nelson would not have seen more of the new bishop than they do of me ; for I seldom fail of going there every year. Church meetings have been held in both places, and resolutions have been cor- dially adopted, and forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and to the Archbishop of Can- terbury, with the sanction of the Governor of New Zealand. I therefore beg for the support and con- 240 NEW ZEALAND. sent of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts to the proposed arrangements, which, I am sure, under the Divine Blessing, will have the effect of building up the Church of England in this country on a sure foundation of ecclesiastical polity." With reference to the endowment of the two sees, the following information has been kindly furnished to the writer by the Right Rev. Edmund Hobhouse, the first bishop of one of them, who is now living at Wells in Somersetshire : — " Nelson was a twin-birth with Wellington : there is nothing to be said of the one, that does not apply to the other. Civilly, the origin of the two settlements was the same — creations of the New Zealand Company. Out of that com- pany's policy, setting apart from land sales funds to be met, pound for pound, by religious bodies for their ecclesiastical endowment, grew the endowment fund of the two future dioceses, the S.P.G. giving in each case ;^5,ooo to meet the company's ;^5,ooo. In each case half the endowment fund, viz., ;^5,ooo, was set apart in 1858, for the sustenance of a bishop — then equal to ^500 a year." A safe, though moder- ate, endowment having been thus provided for the twin sees, the Churchmen of Wellington and Nelson willingly accepted also, as those of Canterbury had done, the recommendation of Bishop Selwyn with regard to the persons whose appointment to be occu- pants of those sees respectively they should petition the Crown to sanction. Two Etonians, his personal friends of many years, were selected by him, the Yen. Charles Abraham, Archdeacon of Waitemata, for Wellington; and for Nelson the Rev. Edmund Hob- SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 24! house, Fellow of Merton, and for many years Vicar of St. Peter's in the East, Oxford, widely known and highly esteemed by Oxford men of that day for his piety and devoted self-sacrifice of all that he was, and all that he had, to God and His Church. With regard to the third new see, that of Waiapu, which was, in the first instance, almost exclusively a missionary bishopric, it was necessary to secure the consent, not only of the Crown and the Archbishop of Canterbury, but also, in place of clerical and lay members of the Church in the colony, of the autho- rities of the C.M.S. There could be no hesitation on the part of the Bishop of New Zealand as to the person whom he should recommend for this office, nor could he feel any doubt as to the readiness of the Society to concur in the recommendation. In his address at the opening of the Synod, he says, *' I hope soon to receive a commission to consecrate to the office of a bishop one whose age and experi- ence has often made me feel ashamed that I should have been preferred before him, and to whom I have long wished to be allowed to make this reparation by dividing with him the duties and responsibilities of my office." The missionary clergyman thus highly spoken of was, as our readers are prepared to hear, Archdeacon William Williams ; and, the expected commission having arrived from England very shortly after these words were spoken, he was consecrated in St. Paul's Church, Wellington, on Sunday, April 3rd, by the Metropolitan, assisted by the Bishops of Christchurch, Nelson, and Wellington. Bishop Sel- R 242 NEW ZEALAND. Ms^n, writing to one of his sons in England, says, " The Synod was dosed most appropriately by the consecration of Bishop Williams. ... It was a most delightful day, and one that I little expected to see when I first came to New Zealand. All seemed to be so thoroughly happy and satisfied with the appointment of the new bishops, as much as if each settlement had chosen its own bishop from personal knowledge ; and the act of the younger bishops in consecrating one so long and so much respected in New Zealand as Bishop Williams, was felt to be most appropriate, lest we should seem to have come in to reap the harvest which another had sown." And in another letter to a friend in England, written on the 13th April, the bishop says, "We are most grateful to the Giver of all good. I shall go back to Auckland light in heart, being now enabled to leave these rising provinces to the care of their own bishops." The income of the see during the earlier years of the episcopate of Bishop Williams, consisted only of the sum of ^450 per annum, paid by the C.M.S. The amount has since been considerably increased by an endowment fund raised by subscription. As to the name of the see, Waiapu is a river which gives its name to a district near the East Cape. From the year 1840 to the time of the Hauhau out- break in 1864, Bishop Williams resided at Turanga, or Poverty Bay ; since that time the head-quarters of the bishop have been at Napier, where St. John's, the Cathedral Church of the diocese, is situated. But to proceed now with the history of the first SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 243 General Synod. It met on the 8th March, 1859, in the Legislative Council Chambers, Wellington. There were present, in the course of the session, five bishops, ten clergymen, and thirteen laymen. Of the clergy, four — namely, Archdeacons Brown and Kissling, the Rev. R. Burrows, and the Rev. R. Taylor (author of " Te Ika a Maui "), belonged to the old missionary body ; a fifth, the Rev. Samuel Williams, second son of Archdeacon Henry Williams, for many years Principal of the Native School at Te Aute, near Napier, was engaged in the native work, but was ordained by Bishop Selwyn ; the remaining five ministered to English parishes ; so that the two divisions of Church work, native and English, were equally represented. Of the five, the Rev. J. F. Lloyd, whom we have mentioned before, represented the Auckland clergy ; the Rev. J. C. Bagshaw, of Brasenose College, Oxford (who came from the diocese of Adelaide to New Zealand, and was after- wards incumbent of Avonside in the diocese of Christchurch), at that time was one of the Nelson clergy, whom he represented; the Rev. Samuel Poole, of Pembroke College, Oxford, came from the same diocese, being then, as he is still, incum- bent of Motueka ; the Rev. John Raven, incumbent of Woodend, and the Rev. Charles Alabaster, as- sistant curate of Christchurch, represented the Can- terbury clergy. The last-mentioned, who was a graduate of Lincoln College, Oxford, was a young man of strikingly interesting character and appear- ance. With an acute and logical mind he combined deep piety, intense earnestness, and fervent eloquence. R 2 244 NEW ZEALAND. He had come out from England but a few months before, stricken with consumption, believing himself to be, and having all the appearance of being, one marked for premature death. Owing to the suitable- ness of the climate for invalids of consumptive ten- dency, and to his indomitable energy, he was able to labour indefatigably, as assistant curate of Christ- church, for three or four years, after which he lingered for two more, still doing, with such might as he had, what his hand found to do, until God released him early in the year 1865. He took an active and prominent part in the Synod of 1859, and, being a man of extremely original and inde- pendent mind, was often found in opposition to the President, by whom notwithstanding, he was held in high respect and esteem. Among the thirteen lay- men there was a considerable proportion of very able men, among whom were Captain (now Colonel) Haultain, who was Chairman of Committees, Mr. (now Sir John) Hall, some time Premier of New Zealand, Mr. St. Hill, and Mr. Swainson. Four of the bishops, two of the clergy, and three of the lay- men had been members of the Conference of 1857 — enough to carry on unbroken the continuity of the synodal tradition. It might naturally have been expected that the Bishop of New Zealand would have taken the chair ab initio, as being, by virtue of his office as Metro- politan, President by right. He did not do so, and his adoption of a different course was afterwards much criticised. Presumabl}', it was with the deliberate purpose of avoiding any appearance of SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 245 exertion of authority, and because it seemed more in accordance with the principle of voluntary compact, that the following course was adopted. Immediately on the assembling of the body— we quote from the minutes — " The Bishop of New Zealand read resolu- tions of Conference, empowering him to convene the first General Synod at Wellington, and declared the Synod duly constituted. Whereupon it was moved by the Bishop of Christchurch, and seconded by Mr. Swainson, 'That the Bishop of New Zealand be requested to take the chair as President of the first General Synod.' The members of the Synod then proceeded to St. Paul's Church for the celebration of the Holy Communion." Then, being re-assembled in their chamber, "The President opened proceedings by reading the 15 th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, and prayer," and then proceeded to deliver his opening address. Nothing could be more appropriate than this address, nothing more instructive or more impressive, or, at the same time, more practical. It is of far too great length to be reproduced in these pages ; we must restrict ourselves to a iew passages of lasting interest and importance. ^ It opens with the following brief historical retrospect, every line of which is alive with interest : — " The present meeting, my dear brethren, is the fulfilment of hopes which have been cherished by many of us during a period of fifteen years. In the year 1844, the first Synod of the ' It is printed at length in Tucker's " Life and Episcopate," &c., vol. ii. p. 108. 246 NEW ZEALAND. diocese of New Zealand was held at the Waimate ; but, in the uncertainty which prevailed on the subject of Church government in the colonies, many high authorities in England censured our proceedings as illegal. Being well aware that this opinion was un- founded, I was not deterred from convening a second Synod at St John's College, Auckland, in the year 1847, at which I read a correspondence between the Archbishop of Canterbury and Mr. Gladstone, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, containing a pro- posal for a Church Constitution, in which the three orders of bishops, clergy, and laity, should be associ- ated on the basis of voluntary compact. The diocesan synods of 1844 and 1847 were exclusively clerical; but, from the time of the meeting of the Synod of 1847, efforts began to be made, and have never since been intermitted, with a view to the ad- mission of lay representatives. The Conference of the six bishops of the province of Australasia, held at Sydney in the year 1850, unanimously recommended a constitution, in which the laity should be associated with the bishops and clergy." Then after a reference to the efforts made to pro- cure from the British Parliament " a recognition of the right of the colonial bishops to convene synods for the management of their own diocesan affairs," the President proceeded to deal with the question often mooted in the preceding pages, as to " whether the Colonial Legislature ought not to be applied to, to give a constitution to our branch of the Church of England." "This opinion," he remarks, "was strengthened by the fact that the synods in Canada SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 247 and Melbourne seemed to have adopted this course. Comparisons began to be drawn between a voluntary association, such as we have formed, and a Church established by law," Then he proceeds to urge the following cogent arguments against the expediency of this course, especially as regarded New Zealand : — " If we had accepted an Act, investing us with all power over all persons, so far as they are ministers or members of the Church of England, we must at once have come into collision with the Church Missionary Society, which still retains in its own hands full powers of government over one half of the clergy of the Northern Island : we must have said at once to all those lay members who have not yet joined us, ' You can be no longer members of our Church, unless you accept our constitution and obey our laws.' To recognise the power of the Colonial Legislature to enact a new definition of Church mem- bership, would have been to assume the part to be equal to the whole ; for how can one colony of the British Empire settle the question — ' What is a member of the Church of England?' The con- stitution given to us in one session of the General Assembly might be altered or repealed by another; questions of the deepest interest to ourselves, and which ought to be discussed only in the solemn synods of the Church, such as the test of Communion, and the veto of one order on the other two, might become the subjects of political agitation. In short, we should incur all the liabilities of a Church estab- lished by law, while at the same time, in the eye of the Colonial Legislature, we should be only as one of 248 NEW ZEALAND. many denominations, all equal one to another. These," it is added, " and many more reasons of a like kind, induced the Conference which assembled at Auckland in 1857, to concur in founding our Church Constitution on the basis of mutual and voluntary compact." And then how the kindling enthusiasm of the speaker must have communicated itself to his hearers, as he uttered the following glow- ing sentences : — "And it is with the deepest thankfulness that I acknowledge the wonderful Providence of God, which has already given to our first meeting so many of the essential characteristics of a synod of the Church. Who would ever have thought that four bishops would have met together here, and that one of our most solemn acts would be the consecration of a fifth ; or, that the present body of clergy would represent sixty of their order? It is but five-and- forty years since the first missionary landed in New Zealand, and but twenty since the colony was formed. All this wonderful change has been accomplished within the lifetime of many who are here present. vSurely 'this is the finger of God,' and this is the ground of our assurance, that He is with us in our present work ; and that He will effectually accomplish what He has so wonderfully begun." Then follows a passage of extreme value, which is calculated to meet feelings, and set at rest misgivings, in con- nexion with synodical work, which have doubtless often occurred to many, and not least of all to those who aim most at spiritual-mindedness. "There is but one doubt of any importance, which I have SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 249 heard expressed on the subject of Church Con- stitutions, and that is, that we may be tempted to rely on mere external and material organisation, instead of resting on the one foundation stone of Jesus Christ, and seeking for the quickening influences of His Holy Spirit. But is not this a danger insepar- able from our mixed nature in its fallen state ? As the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and these are con- trary the one to the other, so must everything that is outward and visible endanger the purity and vitality of that which is spiritual. . . . The Word of God may be the letter that killeth, instead of the spirit that giveth life ; the savour of death unto death, in- stead of the savour of life unto life. We may have the form of Godliness while we deny the power thereof. The tables of stone may draw away our thoughts from the holy law of God written on the tables of the heart. Prayer, baptism, confirmation, communion, every ordinance that has a form of words, or an outward sign, is liable to the same danger ; and even where no form of words is used, the lips may still draw near to God, while the heart is far from Him. If every sacramental sign were removed, formality would still grow up from the dead heart within. The danger, then, which is feared, of trusting to external organisation, rather than to the inward Hfe of the spirit, is not peculiar to our present work, but is the besetting danger attendant upon every religious ordinance, and common to the Church at large, and to all its members. It would be vain, then, to seek for spiritual life by rejecting outward organisation." 250 NEW ZEALAND. The bishop then goes on to point out in forcible language the advantage the Colonial Church enjoys in having, so to say, a fair start, and a course free from abuses, such as those which had grown up in the old country. We are not under the necessity here of " undoing the faulty work of former ages " ; it is our business, rather, to watch against the up- growth of "evils which the State in England is now labouring after its own fashion to remedy, but which it is our duty to prevent." His lordship then proceeded, with much fulness of detail and great clearness, to lay out before the Synod in order the various duties which must engage its attention, concluding with the expression of an earnest prayer, that the whole assembly might be " so blessed with' the spirit of counsel as to have a right judgment in all things." The Synod, having appointed the Rev. R. Burrows and J. C. Bagshaw — a missionary and a parochial clergyman — to be joint secretaries, at once applied itself to the work of legislation on those matters which most urgently needed speedy determination. Select Committees were appointed on successive days, to draft measures to be considered by the whole body on the following subjects : — i. Standing Orders for the Conduct of Business. 2. The Permanent Organisation of the General Synod. 3. The Per- manent Organisation of Diocesan Synods. 4. The appointment of Pastors to Parishes. 5. The Transfer of Trusts. 6. The formation of Parishes, and the powers and duties of Church officers. 7. A Clergy Pension Fund. 8. The principles on which Church SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 25 I Tribunals ought to be constituted. 9. A Fund for Home and Foreign Missions. 10. The Organisa- tion of Archdeaconry and Rural Deanery Boards. Besides the Bills drafted by these Select Committees, the Synod had also before it in the course of the session two measures introduced by Mr. Swainson, namely, 1. First. A Bill for organising a Standing Commission, and delegating to it certain of the powers vested in the General Synod. 2. Secondly. A Bill to provide for the decision of any doubts which might arise in the interpretation of any statute of the general, or any diocesan synod. The Synod held twenty sittings on as many separate days, and was dismissed by the President with the Benediction on the 5th April. The results of its labours were embodied in seven statutes, which were so judiciously conceived and so carefully elaborated, that the first five of the number remain, in the form of canons, substantially unaltered in principle to the present day. These are : i . Statute for Organising the General Synod. 2. Statute for Organising the Diocesan Synods. 3. Statute for the Organisation of Archdeaconry and Rural Deanery Boards. 4. Statute for Regulating the Formation of Parishes and Defining the Duties of Parish Officers. 5. Statute for the Appointment of Pastors to Parishes. If the two remaining ones — namely, No. 6. Statute for Delegating certain of the Powers vested in the General Synod ; and No. 7. Statute for Deciding Doubts in the Interpretation of Statutes — have been broken up and re-constructed in subsequent sessions, the reason is not that they were less happily con- ceived, or less carefully drafted — the name of their 252 NEW ZEALAND. author, Mr. Svvainson, is a sufficient warrant for the opposite conclusion — but simply that altered circum- stances and further experience necessitated changes. Another Bill was drafted — namely, a Bill for Estab- lishing Diocesan Courts, and Courts of Appeal — and was the subject of much and earnest discussion ; but the exceptional difficulty of the problems involved in it forced upon the Synod the necessity of delay, and of longer and more thorough consideration ; and the result was the adoption, on the motion of Mr. Swainson, of a series of resolutions, of which the following is the substance : — " i. That, in the opinion of the Synod, they will be unable, during the present session, to devise and pass into a law a complete and satisfactory measure on the subject of Church Dis- cipline. 2. That the Bill on that subject, now under the consideration of the Synod, be submitted to the Standing Commission for their revision during the recess ; that the Standing Commission should suggest such amendments and additions as they may think necessary for rendering it effectual and complete ; and that, when so revised and amended, the Standing Commission should take steps for giving publicity to it in the several dioceses. 3. That the Metropolitan of New Zealand be requested to lay the amended bill before the Synod at the next general meeting, for their early consideration. 4. That it shall be competent for any Diocesan Synod to adopt for use within the diocese, until the next General Synod, the amended Bill, as sent to them by the Standing Com- mission ; and, until such measure be adopted, the Synod would suggest to the bishops to take for their SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPAIENT. 253 guidance in the exercise of their authority, as far as practicable, the provisions of the Bill to be submitted by this House to the Standing Commission. 5. That, until some measure of Church discipline shall have been passed by the General Synod, the Synod are of opinion that the Bishop of New Zealand shall not be called upon to convey the trust properties, or any of them, to the trustees appointed by the present Synod." We propose to trace the history of this important measure through the records of the successive sessions, as the course of our history brings us to them. The Statute (No. 5), for the Appointment of Pastors to Parishes, is the only one of those above recited which seems to require special notice. The origination ot this measure is due, in the first instance, to the Bishop of Nelson (the Right Rev. E. Hobhouse) and Mr. John Hall. Its leading principle is em- bodied in its first and second clauses, as follows : — " 1. The trust of selecting a clergyman, and nomi- nating him to the bishop for institution to a vacant cure of souls, shall be vested in nominators chosen annually by the Diocesan Synod, and by the vestry of the parish respectively. 2. A majority of not less than two-thirds of the combined body of nominators shall nominate one, tivo, or three clergymen to the bishop." The words in italics in the second clause were altered by the third Synod in 1865 into "« dergy- man." There were many subordinate provisions, with regard, amongst others, to a delegation of the right of nomination, to exchange of cures, to a limited right of private patronage in exceptional cases, and to a 254 NEW ZEALAND, right of appeal vested in two-thirds of the combined board of nominators, in the event of the bishop declining to institute the nominee : but the main principle is obviously this, that not only the individual parish, but the diocese at large, as represented by its Synod, should have a voice in the appointment of pastors to parishes. It has ever since been a much-debated question among New Zealand Church- men whether, under this system, the rights of the bishop are not too much abridged ; they are, in point of fact, reduced to a minimum. Many attempts have been made to bring about an alteration in the direction of giving a more effective voice to the bishop ; but hitherto without success. It may be mentioned as an interesting circumstance that, when the Irish Church was called upon in 1868, in con- sequence of its disestablishment, to organise itself as a voluntary Church, its Synod was largely indebted to the Church of New Zealand for many valuable principles and precedents ; and in particular, it adopted the main principle of the nominators' statute, providing, however, that the bishop of the diocese should be chairman of the combined board. We must not omit to record the names of the members of the first Standing Commission, elected by this first General Synod. They were the Right Rev. The Bishop of New Zealand, the Ven. George Adam Kissling, Archdeacon of Waitemata, the Rev. J. F. Lloyd, William Martin, Esq., D.C.L., the Hon. F. Whitaker, Esq., the Hon. Henry John Tancred, Esq., and Captain Haultain. An incident — or rather two of like character — SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 255 worth noting as illustrating the character of the native, took place in connexion with the session of the Synod. We find it reported in the minutes by- special order of the synod, that on the 29th March, "the Rev. S. Williams reported to the Synod that the native congregations of Wainui and Waikanae had collected and sent through him the sum of ;^6. os. 7d. as a mark of their good feeling towards the members of the Synod, and in hope that it might be of use towards defraying the expenses of the present meet- ing ; one of the chiefs at the same time remarking ' that, although the tatooed faces could not take part in the deliberations of the Synod, they felt a pleasure in expressing their hearty good wishes for its success.' " Again in the minutes of the following day it is re- corded that, " the Rev. S. Williams informed the Synod that the natives of Porirua had forwarded through him £,^. i6s. 6d. towards the expenses ot the General Synod." Thus, then, under the prudent guidance of its President, the first General Synod of New Zealand proved, under the blessing of God, a great practical success. No time was lost, nor was danger of discord incurred, by the discussion of theoretical questions, as to the nature of the authority by virtue ot which the Synod sat, and ordained statutes for the govern- ment of the Church. The question was not even put at the commencement of the session — and the omission, we may be sure, was intentional, as, in the retrospect, it will be generally acknowledged to be wise — "Does the Synod accept the Constitution, as drawn up by the Conference of 1857?" A debate 256 NEW ZEALAND. on such a question at the outset could hardly have failed to prove unsatisfactory ; it might possibly have issued in the utter wreck of what at first was an ex- periment, though a grand one ; the mere discussion would certainly have thrown doubt on the authority of the Constitution, and have given an unpractical character to the proceedings from the beginning. The Synod simply assumed itself, and was assumed by others, to be the natural outcome of the efforts of years to obtain self-government for the Church ; and to proceed at once to legislate de facto for the urgent needs of the body it represented, without entertaining any question dejtire, was by far the most dignified, as well as the most practical course. That the temper of the members generally was averse to theoretical discussions, is proved by the fact of their having, as a rule, abstained from raising them by making motions of that character ; and the sole exception emphatically proved the rule; for, when one such motion was made, the Synod absolutely declined to entertain it. The minute, to which reference is here made, is as follows: — "Pursuant to notice, the Rev. C. Alabaster put the following question to the Synod through the president, ' Whether the Preamble of the Constitution Deed is to be so construed as to imply that the voluntary compact is not only the means by which this Synod has been enabled to meet, and through which it carries out its purposes, but also the source of its authority; by authority being meant its right to the deference of Churchmen /';/ foro conscieniice ? Moved by Archdeacon Brown, seconded SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 257 by Mr. Hall : — ' That the discussion be postponed sine die: Agreed to." March 2()th, i2>c^(). There can be no doubt that it has been this prac- tical character, combined with the wise moderation of the bishops, and with a spirit of conservatism, which has uniformly discountenanced rash and un- necessary innovations, that has won for the Synods of New Zealand, both general and diocesan, the con- fidence of Churchmen at large. Mr. Carleton, in many respects a representative layman, himself a member of the General Synod of 1877, expressed the opinion of Churchmen generally, when, in his " Life of Henry Williams," published in that year,i he wrote, " Hitherto the Church Constitution has been a prac- tical success. It is to be hoped that it may remain so." The vague doubts and indefinable suspicions, the offspring of ignorance, that hovered round the cradle of the Synod, are not only never heard of now, but are looked back upon with a smile of almost incredulous wonder. ' Vol. ii. p. 324. 258 NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER 11. Bishop Selwyn in Time of War — Consecration of Bishop Patteson — Second General Synod — Opening Address — ■ Character and Results of Session — Christchurch Board of Trusts Statute — Rise and Growth of Dissatisfaction — Objections to Constitution — Judgment in case of Long v. Bishop of Capetown — Duke of Newcastle's Despatch — Action of Bishop and Synod of Christchurch — Report of Commission. The period which intenened between the session of the First and that of the Second General Synod was one of trouble and disaster to New Zealand, being the time of theTaranakiWar. Deeply interesting as the narrative is of the labours of the bishop and his fellow-missionaries to restore peace ; his devoted exertions to "do the work of an evangelist" to the combatants on both sides ; his many hair-breadth escapes in his efforts to warn settlers of the danger impending over them from hostile natives ; his unflagging determination and undaunted courage, in spite of bitter un- popularity, in upholding the rights of the natives as guaranteed to them by the Treaty of Waitangi ; we must not allow these things to detain us, but, re- ferring our readers to the pages of his biographer for these matters, must press on to the time of the meet- ing of the Second General Synod, which was held at Nelson in February, 1862. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 259 One event of surpassing importance to the Churches of New Zealand and Melanesia, and of deep and thrilling interest to the Church at large, occurred early in 1861 — the consecration of the Rev. John Coleridge Patteson to the missionary see of Mela- nesia. Much consultation and protracted negotia- tions with the Home Government were necessary before this event could be brought about ; for hitherto there had been no precedent for the consecration by prelates, who had themselves been consecrated under Royal Letters Patent, or under mandate from the Crown, of bishops whose office was to be exercised beyond the limits of the British dominions. Bishop Selwyn proceeded in this matter with that mingled caution, and determination to effect his purpose, which were so characteristic of him. The Duke of Newcastle was at that time Secretary of State for the Colonies, and to him the bishop wrote, proposing four different courses, in the adoption of either of which he was willing to concur : — i . To give up a small piece of the north end of New Zealand, from the Bay of Islands northward, as a see for the island bishop. 2. By the alteration of an Act of Parliament, to procure the severance of Norfolk Island from the diocese of Tasmania, and make it the see of the Melanesian bishop. 3. To procure the issue of Letters Patent of a special character, clothing the missionary bishop with authority in spiritual matters, analogous to that given to a consul in civil matters, over members of the Church of England, residing beyond the boundaries of the British dominions within certain limits. 4. To allow the New Zealand s 2 26o NEW ZEALAND. bishops to exercise the inherent powers of their office, as bishops of a distinct province of the Church, without either Letters Patent, or a mandate from the Crown. "This last," wrote the bishop to his brother, Canon Selwyn,^ " the Duke of Newcastle accepted, with many cordial expressions of approbation, and only raised the doubt, whether the consecration could take place within British territory. On this point," continues the bishop, "I took the opinion of four Crown lawyers — the past and present Chief Justice, Sir William Martin and Sir George Arney, and the past and present Attorney-General of New Zealand, the Hon. W. Swainson, and the Hon. F. Whitaker — who all gave their opinion that they knew of no statute, English or Colonial, which would make it illegal to hold the consecration in New Zealand. Having further appealed to the laity by a Si quis, published in all the churches in and near Auckland, and having obtained the consent of all the New Zea- land suffragans, I no longer felt any scruple, but went on with the work ' with a conscience void of offence.' " The consecration took place at St. Paul's Church, Auckland, on the festival of St. Matthias, 1861, the Primate being assisted by the Bishops of Wellington and Nelson. Thus slowl}', but at length completely, did the obstinate traditions of the Colonial Office, the unreasonable obstacles they put in the way of Church progress, and the imaginary difficulties they were in the habit of raising, give way before common sense and determination. In the same year, and under ' See Tucker's " Life and Episcopate," vol. ii. p. 213. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 26 1 very similar circumstances, Bishop Mackenzie, con- secrated at Capetown, was sent forth by the Church of South Africa to exercise the office of a missionary bishop in Central Africa. The Second General Synod met at Nelson on the 20th February, 1862. There were present six bishops, including " the missionary bishop of the Melanesian Islands ; nine clergymen, namely, the Ven. H. Govett, Archdeacon of Taranaki, the Ven. R. Maunsell, Archdeacon of Waikato, the Rev. R. Burrows, and the Rev. J. F. Lloyd, representing the Auckland clergy; the Ven. O. Hadfield, Archdeacon of Kapiti, and the Rev. A. Stock, representing those of the diocese of Wellington ; and the Revs. J. C. Bag- shaw, H. F. Butt, and R. H. Codrington, the clergy of the diocese of Nelson. Three, who were returned for Christchurch, the Revs. J. A. Fenton, J. Raven, and J. Wilson, and two others elected for Wellington, the Revs. R. Taylor and Levi Te Ahu, did not take their seats. Of the laity, out of twenty elected, eleven only took their seats, the absentees consisting of six representatives of the diocese of Christchurch, and three out of the seven representing the diocese of New Zealand, the Hon. W. Swainson being one. The diocese of Christchurch was thus represented by its bishop only. The Primate, in his opening address, summed up thus, with thankful acknowledgment, the ecclesiastical events of the three years past : — " In this interval of nearly three years, there has not been a death among the clergy in all our New Zealand dioceses. The num- ber of our clergymen has risen to nearly one hundred. 262 NEW ZEALAND. including one priest and nine deacons of the native race. The consecration of Bishop Patteson has given a visible consistency, as well as an inward life, to the Melanesian Mission. His episcopate has al- ready borne fruit in the ordination of the Rev. B. T. Dudley, to be his missionary deacon. The system organised by the General Synod at its first meeting in 1859 has come into active operation. Diocesan Synods have been assembled twice in the diocese of New Zealand, twice in the diocese of Christchurch, three times in the diocese of Wellington, and four times in the diocese of Nelson. With feelings of peculiar thankfulness I report that a Synod has been held in the diocese of Waiapu, which was attended by two English, and three native clergymen, and nineteen lay Synodsmen, all natives, in which all the proceedings were conducted in the New Zea- land language. To complete the system, a Rural Deanery Board has been organised at Otago, which, under the present circumstances of that province, we hope will soon expand itself into the Synod of a new diocese." The bishop then dwelt eloquently and at large on " the power of association " in Church work, as in all other departments of man's life, and on the clear teaching of God's Word, that, though He sent His blessed Son to be " all and in all," yet that " He condescends to associate fallen men to be fellow- workers with Him " ; that to every member of the One Body his proper place and work are appointed ', and that His gracious purposes towards mankind can only be wrought out through the perfecting of the bonds of love and unity by which the members of SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 263 His Church are bound together. "This," proceeds the bishop, "is the principle of our synodical action. It is not, as some suppose, a vain attempt to supply by material organisation the defects of inward life ; but it is the result of a conviction, founded upon the records of the Apostolic Church, that the inward life must not be separated in practice from the external unity of the body of Christ." The following passage has a special interest, regarded in the light of his own life's work: — "This work cannot be done without union of many hearts and hands, under the guidance of the wisdom which is from on High. Men of the greatest gifts and the most exalted piety have tried to reform mankind by their own spiritual energy and individual zeal ; but their work too often died with themselves, because it built up no system to endure to future generations." The remainder of the address was mainly occupied with matters of passing interest; with practical suggestions as to amendments which seemed to be required in the statutes passed by the Synod of 1859; and with information and remarks on the subject of the trusts constituted under the authority of the General Synod for holding and managing the various properties he had surrendered. The Report of the Standing Commission, appointed in 1 85 9, was presented and read at the first sitting. It was highly interesting and important, in two respects especially, namely : — i. First, as regards the transfer of the property formerly held by the Bishop of New Zealand for the benefit of the Church in the colony — it was announced that in pursuance of resolutions agreed to by the General Synod on the 264 NEW ZEALAND. 23rd March, 1859, forms of trust deeds had been settled and approved by the Commission, and that, "with the exception of the Native School Estates in the diocese of Wellington, and a few small out- lying pieces of land in the diocese of New Zealand, the whole of the Church property, formerly held by the bishop, had been transferred by him, and was now vested in several Boards of Trustees,^ which had been appointed by the Commission." 2. Secondly^ with regard to the Tribunals Bill, in accordance with the instructions they had received from the Synod of 1859, they had carefully revised the Bill which had been considered by the Synod, but not passed, with the result that they bad divided it into two Bills — one for defining ecclesiastical offences and the punish- ments thereof, the other for establishing tribunals for the trial of offenders. These two Bills, " prepared " (says the President in his address to the Synod) "with great care by the legal members of the Standing Commission," they had circulated, as directed, amongst the several dioceses. This Synod held only four sittings, having broken up on the 24tli of February. At the outset the meeting was informal, owing to the insufficient attendance of lay members; the session was in danger even of being wrecked altogether on this account ; it could only proceed by the undesirablemeans of lowering ' " The Boards of Trustees so constituted, the names of the several trustees, the detailed description of the projierty, and the terms of the several trusts, appear in the Appendix to the New Zealand Church Almanac of 1862." — Report of Standing Commission. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 265 the quorum by special enactment ; and the anxiety- felt on the subject is shown by the fact that a com- mittee was appointed on the first day of the session " to investigate, as far as practicable, the causes of the non-attendance of such a large number of lay repre- sentatives, to devise some means for securing a fuller attendance in future, and to suggest such alterations in clause 18 of Statute i" — the clause referring to the quorum of the General Synod — "as will obviate the difficulty likely to arise here- after from the operation of the said clause." This committee reported, but no record has been preserved of its report, or of any action taken upon it' This damaging fact, of the meagre attendance of laymen generally, involving the necessity of a special statute for lowering the quorum, and the circumstance that one diocese, whatever the cause, was wholly unrepre- sented, except by its bishop, threw a cast of com- parative failure over the retrospect of this Synod, ' The action, however, appears substantially to have been the enactment of a statute for lowering the quorum /w hac vice. This statute is not included among the sessional documents printed with the Report, having been repealed before the close of the session ; and it was made a matter of complaint by the diocesan synod of Christchurch in 1864, that the statute had been "suppressed." It is a noticeable fact that, in the text of the statute for organising the General Synod, as printed with the reports of successive triennial sessions till 1874 inclusive, the clause which fixed the quorum commenced with the words, ^^ From and after the first day of March, 1862, the presence of two bishops," &c., — so that an occult reminiscence of this temporary disturbance of the system was preserved in the Statute Book for many years. 266 NEW ZEALAND. which was not diminished by a report getting abroad, that the proceedings were not altogether harmonious. Rumour in this case appears to be borne out by the printed record, from a close examination of which it is discerned, clearly enough, that a disproportionate amount of the brief period of a four days' session was taken up with discussions on certain documents bearing on the constitution of the See of Nelson — discussions which, despite the mystery in which the subject is involved in the ininutes, are perceived unmistakably to have been of an uncomfortable character ; and the conclusion arrived at, after all, was that the discussion of the documents in question was not within the province of the Synod. The results of the session, moreover, were comparatively insignificant ; they may be briefly summarised as follows: — i. First, a body of in- structions to trustees, which had been drafted by the Standing Commission, was adopted with some amendments. These, though altered from time to time, especially in the latest Synod — that of 1886 — are substantially those which are in force at the present time. 2. &(r^«^/)', some interesting reports were presented by the bishops of the provision made, or intended to be made, in their several dioceses for the spiritual instruction and benefit of the natives, 3. Thirdly, a series of resolutions on the Melanesian bishopric was adopted, of which the following was the most important : — " That the Melanesian bishopric be immediately associated with the General Synod ; and that the Standing Commission be requested to prepare a draft of a special statute on missionary SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 267 dioceses, which might contain provisions for the nomi- nation to the bishoprics when vacant, and even for the future contingency of their severance from this General Synod, when numerous and large enough to be formed into a separate ecclesiastical province." The statute here contemplated was enacted by the Fourth Synod, which met at Auckland in 1868, 4. Fourthly, Church discipline was left in much the same position as before. The draft bills, prepared, as we have seen above, by the Standing Commission, were referred back to the Commission for further revision ; and it was resolved that, until the next meeting of the General Synod, it should be "com- petent for every Diocesan Synod to adopt for use within the diocese the Ecclesiastical Tribunals and Offences Bills now laid before this Synod by the Standing Commission." 5. Fifthly, some draft amendments of some of the alterable provisions of the Constitution, prepared by a Select Committee, appointed in pursuance of a recommendation made by the President in his address, were ordered to be circulated among the Synods of the several dioceses. None of these were of any moment. 6. Lastly, a statute was passed— Statute No. 8, " For the appoint- ment of a Board of Trusts in the diocese of Christ- church " — for the purpose of meeting the supposed wishes of the Diocesan Synod of Christchurch. In the course of the session a petition from that diocese had been presented by its bishop, asking for such an alteration of the 27th clause of the Constitution as should fully recognise the power of the Diocesan Synod to appoint trustees, in whom property within 2 68 NEW ZEALAND. the diocese should be vested. The General Synod declined to grant the prayer of the petitioners, to the extent of making the Diocesan Synod independent in this respect of the General Synod, but passed the above-mentioned statute instead, the main purport of which was to constitute a Board of Trusts — that is, a board for appointing trustees — within the diocese of Christchurch, and to delegate thereto its own power of appointing trustees under the "Religious, Chari- table, and Educational Trusts Act, 1856." The members of the Board of Trusts were to be partly appointed by, and wholly responsible to, the General Synod. We have mentioned this Act of the Synod of 1862 last in order, because it will serve conveniently as a link of connexion between the history of this Synod, and that of the next triennial one, held in Christ- church in 1865. From the fact that no clerical or lay representative from the diocese of Christchurch attended the Synod of 1862, it might be divined that there was a want of cordial acceptance of the Con- stitution on the part of the Churchmen of that diocese. Such, at any rate, was the truth. It is true also that the latent dissatisfaction which caused this coolness increased, and became more pronounced as time went on. Distrust and apathy were succeeded by open opposition, and in the difficulty of com- munication in those days, and the lack of opportunity for mutual explanation, opposition hardened and became embittered, until it issued in threats of separation, and in little short of an open breach. So far as the practical working of the Diocesan Synod SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 269 of Christchurch was concerned, nothing could be more satislactory ; it was with respect to its relations to the General Synod, and with reference to the theory of the Constitution, that discontent prevailed. The dissatisfaction was very general among the leaders of opinion in the diocese, but the grounds of it were not in all cases the same. In more than one of the malcontents, moreover, something of a per- sonal animus, conceived against the Primate, arising from umbrage taken at some fancied slight, mingled itself with dislike of some of the main features of the Constitution. It should be borne in mind, also, that the dissatisfaction referred to was confined to the northern, or Canterbury, portion of the diocese ; the Churchmen in Otago and Southland, nominally within the diocese, but practically separate, having their own Rural Deanery Board, and never, or almost never, sending representatives to the Diocesan Synod, for the most part cordially accepted the Constitution, and were in sympathy with the President. The chief objections to the Constitution, as enter- tained at that time by Canterbury Churchmen, briefly stated, were these : — i. First, the basis was found fault with as unchurchlike. The Constitution Deed, instead of purporting by its title and preamble to be an instrument for associating together— as it were anew, and as a thing desirable — the members of the Church in the colony, as a branch of the United Church of England and Ireland, should, it was thought, have assumed the existence of the branch, and have simply declared its unity with the mother Church in doctrine and ritual. The principle of 270 NEW ZEALAND. "voluntary compact," it was thought, should be relied on only in reference to the relation of the Church to the civil government and the law of the realm — that being the only sense in which the prin- ciple of "mutual voluntary compact" could be understood with reference to the Church in primitive times — but as within the Church itself the basis, il was thought, should be Church authority. The Bishop of New Zealand should be conceived as having " convened a council of clergy and laity by virtue of his inherent spiritual authority as Metropolitan. The writer will be forgiven, he trusts, for inserting here an extract from a letter written by himself under date November 29th, 1864, in reply to one of some length with which he was honoured by the Primate, dated October 24th, 1864, and which began as follows: — • " I sit down to write freely to you on the subject of the questions now at issue, or supposed to be at issue, between the General Synod and the members of the Church in the province of Caitterbury. I do this with the more freedom, because you were associated with me, as secretary, in all the preliminary meetings which were held on the subject of the Church Con- stitution, and of the appointment of the Bishop of Christchurch. My main difficulty is this — how to account for the state of feeling which now seems to prevail among the clergy and laity of Canterbury on the subject of the General Synod." In reply, the writer, after stating what he considered the "radical defect " of the Constitution, says :— " In short, my lord, the Churchmen of Canterbury would rally round your lordship with thankfulness and joy, as they have SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 27 I done in former years, if you could see the way to throw over the present Constitution, which they cordially dislike, and to convene a Provincial Synod by your own authority as Metropolitan. I trust your lordship will forgive me. I should not have ventured to use such language, had you not invited me to speak freely. Our idea is (it may be a crude and rash one, and, no doubt, is surrounded by many difficulties) that your lordship might declare the General Synod, when assembled, a Provincial Synod, and invite it to re-model the whole Constitution on a simpler basis. There would be difficulties, no doubt, with the property already dealt with, but not, we imagine, insuperable ones. I am persuaded that your lordship really wishes to know what our views are, and, if possible, to meet them, and therefore I speak frankly." 2. Another objection, which weighed much in the minds of Canterbury Churchmen, was levelled against what was commonly termed the " property basis." The letter just quoted proceeds as follows: — ''I despair of our relations being amicably maintained with the General Synod on any other basis than that I have indicated. The aversion to the present system, as a machinery for a central management of property, and for effecting discipline through property, is so strong and deeply rooted that, unless your lordship should see the way to re- constitute the New Zealand Church afresh, I am persuaded that it would be best for its welfare and peace, that this diocese should be released from its implied compact, and placed in the position it might have occupied at the outset, under clause 15 of the 272 NEW ZEALAND. Report of Conference — ' If, however, the bishop, clergy, and laity of any diocese in New Zealand should prefer to remain separate, nothing in this Con- stitution will interfere to prevent them from so doing.' " With reference to the proposed new de- parture the writer goes on to say, " We have some hope that the words in the preamble, ' Until due pro- vision shall be made in that behalf by competent authority,' taken in connexion with the altered cir- cumstances of the Colonial Church since the Con- stitution was drawn up, may afford an opening for a revision of our whole position. The Church is now comparatively free, and may exercise its own ' com- petent authority,' and there seems to be no longer any necessity for this property machinery, which may be swept away, we hope, as a thing of the past." The " altered circumstances of the Colonial Church," referred to in the preceding extract, were those which arose out of the delivery on the 24th June, 1863, of "the Judgment of the Lords of the Judicial Com- mittee of the Privy Council on the Appeal of the Rev. William Long, v. the Right Rev. Robert Gray, D.D., Bishop of Capetown." The following words, which form part of this famous judgment, may be termed the charter of Colonial Church Govern- ment : — " The Church of England, in places where there is no church established by law, is in the same situation with any other religious body, in no better but in no worse position, and the members may adopt, as the members of any other Communion may adopt, rules for enforcing discipline within their body, which will be binding on those who, expressly or by im- SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 273 plication, have assented to them." The passage which follows immediately after this in the judgment, having reference to Church .tribunals, is of equal im- portance, but need not be quoted here. As ex- planatory and confirmatory of the above judicial deliverance, should be read a portion of a circular despatch of the then Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Duke of Newcastle, to the Governors of all except Crown colonies, dated February 4th, 1864, and forwarded with a request that it might be communicated to the prelates of the Colonial Churches. His Grace, after stating that he had obtained the opinion of the law advisers of the Crown on the matters referred to, writes as follows : — - "In the first place I am advised that (assuming that there is no local law to the contrary) the members of the Church of England, in a colony where that Church is not established, have the same liberty of assembling for any lawful purpose which is possessed by members of any other religious denomination ; and that it would be lawful for a colonial bishop or metropolitan, without the consent of the Crown, and without any express legislative authority, to summon meetings of the clergy and laity of the Church, under the designation of Provincial or Diocesan Synods, or any other designation, for the purpose of delil^erating on matters concerning the welfare of the Church." Thus was this ancient bugbear finally demolished. 3. Another strong objection entertained by Can- terbury churchmen to the Constitution, as it then stood, had reference to the relative position of the diocesan element in the system. The writer asks T 2 74 NEW ZEALAND. permission to explain their views on this point by another extract from the letter quoted above. The primate had asked in his letter of October 24th, 1864, "What is meant by a diocesan basis?" — the reference being to the following resolution, adopted by the Diocesan Synod of Christchurch on the motion of the Rev. J. Wilson, seconded by the writer, " That it is expedient to revise the Church Constitution with a view of placing its organisation on a diocesan basis." The reply was as follows : — " I cannot better explain ' what is meant by a dio- cesan basis,' than by referring to the Constitution of the American Church, in which the Diocesan Con- ventions regulate the internal affairs of their several dioceses independently, and send representatives elected by themselves, and from themselves, to a General Convention, to frame canons of discipline for the whole national Church. The diocese, as a complete and perfect Church in itself, is the unit and the basis of the system, the ecclesiastical pro- vince being composed of the aggregation of dioceses. As a matter of fact it may be said that the New Zealand Church has sprung from one diocese sub- divided ; but we take our stand on the general prin- ciple that the diocese contains wnthin itself all that is necessary for life and godliness, but that, for the sake of convenience and good government, and the main- tenance of the episcopate, several dioceses are asso- ciated together in one ecclesiastical province. Under the present Constitution the Diocesan Synods are emanations from the General Synod, whereas we hold, as I ^have said, that the reverse order is right SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 275 in principle, and that the General Synod should be regarded as the sum of many units, and not the unit of which the Diocesan Synods are fractions : and this we hold not as a matter of theoretical correctness only, but as a practical necessity for maintaining the healthy action of the several parts. Powers which should be held independently and by inherent right, are now delegated, and may be resumed or curtailed. At the same time the central authority, keeping to its rightful functions, would be looked up to with the deepest respect and the most loyal allegiance. This at least is our feeling, and these principles being understood to lie at the base of the system, we should thankfully hail, as I have said, the convening of a Provincial Synod by your lordship's authority." In a postscript it is added, " Does not the Colonial Church stand altogether in a different position to that which it held in 1857, owing to the virtual removal of many legal disabilities ? And is it not, therefore, open to our branch of it to make a fresh start on a basis, which was then allowed to be the most satisfactory, if it could have been adopted?" 4. It was objected, in the next place, that no part of the Constitution, not even the fundamental pro- visions, ought to have been laid down as absolutely " unalterable." 5. Lastly, the reservation to the General Synod alone of the liberty to avail itself of the power of appointing trustees under the Religious, Charitable, and Educational Trusts Act, 1856, was the ground of, if not the strongest, at least the most operative, objection. The action taken by the Christchurch Diocesan T 2 276 NEW ZEALAND. Synod on the subject last referred to, must now be briefly related. At its first meeting after the session of the General Synod of 1862, on the 24th September in the same year, Bishop Harper showed his loyalty to the General Synod by earnestly recommending his clergy and laity to accept the Christchurch Board of Trusts Statute, passed in response to their petition, and to complete the board by nominating one clergy- man and one layman. His lordship even went so far as to say, " In making this request to the Synod, I feel myself bound to reiterate an opinion which I have elsewhere expressed, that it would be much for the advantage of the Church of this province, if all her property for ecclesiastical purposes should be vested in the General Synod." The Synod, however, by a decided majority both of clergy and laity, de- clined to accept the Board of Trusts Statute, and repeated, in a second memorial to the General Synod, the prayer of their former petition for complete inde- pendence as to temporalities. In the meantime the conviction was gaining ground that, in order to obtain such independence, it would be necessary to break off from the General Synod altogether. This con- viction was much strengthened by a legal opinion on the whole position, given, at the request of the Standing Committee of the diocese, by Mr. Joshua Strange Williams, now one of the judges of the Supreme Court, of which the following is the con- cluding clause : — " For my own part, if the Diocesan Synod wish to obtain a really independent control over the Church property in the diocese, I cannot see how they are to do so, unless the authority of the SUBSEQUENT GROU'TH AND DEVELOPMENT. 277 General Synod were altogether ousted, and in such a case it would, I presume, be necessary to re-constitute the Church in Canterbury on a diocesan basis." The date of this opinion is October ist, 1863. On the 6th of the same month the Diocesan Synod met for its annual session, and a Select Committee was ap- pointed on Church Trusts. On the 15th, the bishop, before calling on the Rev. J. Wilson to move the resolutions recommended by this committee, made a statement to the Synod as to the course he intended to adopt. He said that, "'taking into consideration the relations in which he stood to the General Synod under the Deed of Constitution, he was unable to take any action in the Synod in reference to the resolutions. He was prepared, however, so far to carry out the wishes of the clergy and laity in the matter as to forward to the Standing Commission, and to the Synods of all other dioceses of New Zea- land, any resolutions on Church Trusts they might think fit to adopt." And then his lordship added this important declaration : — "And further, if at the next meeting of the General Synod no alteration in the Deed of Constitution be adopted, under which the relations now subsisting between the General Synod and the Synod of Christchurch can be satis- factorily maintained, the bishop will join with the clergy and laity of the diocese, and with their repre- sentatives in the General Synod, in an application to that body to be released from the compact under which this diocese is now associated with it." The resolutions were then put scriafim, and earnestly dis- cussed. "When tinally put to the vote, the following 278 NEW ZEALAND. were affirmed unanimously by the clergy, by the laity with at most one dissentient, but negatived by the bishop : — " i. That the peace and welfare of the diocese require the speedy settlement of its Church Property Trusts on a diocesan basis. 2. That, in the opinion of this Synod, the Church Constitution is so faulty in theory and doubtful in legality, that, unless the General Synod can concur in seeking for a better, the Churchmen of this diocese must take measures to secure their diocesan rights, and put their own affairs on a better footing. 3. That, though fully convinced, in reference to the pending dispute between the Synod of Christchurch and the General Synod, of what is necessary to be done, and prepared to do it, the Synod defers, until after the next session of the General Synod, any application to the Provincial Council or the General Assembly, or any endeavour to re-organise the diocese on a new foot- ing. 4. That the Synod looks upon separation of the diocese of Christchurch from the General Synod as inevitable, unless its requirements are conceded ; and that it delays the step, not for the purpose of negotia- tion, but in the hope that the reasonableness of its demands may be seen, and measures initiated in con- sequence beneficial to the whole Church." It was further agreed, the bishop concurring, that a petition be forwarded to the primate, asking him to convene a meeting of the General Synod at the earliest con- venient period. In reply, the primate declined to anticipate the time of the ordinary triennial session, giving the reasons for his decision, and fixed the day of meeting for the 26th April, 1865. At the next SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 279 annual meeting of the Diocesan Synod of Christ- church, on the 2nd August, 1864, a Select Committee was appointed to consider this reply. The resolutions recommended by this committee were moved in Synod on the 12th by the Rev. James Wilson, and seconded by the Rev. H. Jacobs ; they were as follows: — " I. That the Synod of Christchurch, having had under its consideration the answer of the metropolitan to the memorial of the Standing Com- mittee, and having reviewed the position taken by this Synod in former sessions, sees no reason for withdrawing or modifying the demands then made. 2. That it is expedient to revise the Church Con- stitution, with the view of placing its organisation on a diocesan basis." An animated debate terminated with this result, the resolutions being put as one : — The bishops no ; clergy, ayes 9, noes o ; laity, ayes 6, noes 2. The bishop then read a statement to the effect that, though he could not vote for the resolu- tions, and though they were in consequence formally negatived, he would forward them to the Standing Commission and the Synods of other dioceses. The statement ended with an emphatic reiteration of the declaration made by him the year before^ as to the course he was prepared to follow when the General Synod should meet. On the 17th August, the Synod appointed a commission of three clergymen and three laymen to take into consideration the report of the Select Committee of the General Synod of 1862,. directed to be communicated to the several dioceses, on the revision of the Constitution. The report of this commission, having been laid before the bishop. 28o NEW ZEALAND. was to be sent to the members of all the Diocesan Synods, and to the members of the General Synod before the next meeting of that body ; and, moreover, it was made "an instruction of the Synod to the representatives of the diocese in the General Synod to take the report of this commission, and suggested amendments of the Constitution, as a basis of action in the General Synod." The members appointed were the Ven. Archdeacon Jacobs,^ the Revs. J. Wilson and J. C. Bagshaw, and Messrs. C. Davie, G. A. E. Ross, and the Hon. H. J. Tancred. The report of this commission, dated " Christchurch, January, 1865," and signed by all the members, is an extremely plainspoken document. It asserts the ^'■essential unsoundftess in a Church view" of the Constitution, and declares that " it would not be practicable to revise it in a way to meet the claims of the Synod of Christchurch without reviovitig altogether the element of property as a basis of action." It pro- ceeds to point out that the very preamble of the Constitution itself,. when viewed in the light of the recent deliverance of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, and the Duke of Newcastle's despatch, appeared to open the way to a re-casting of the Con- stitution on a thoroughly satisfactory basis. For, according to the preamble, the Constitution purported to be an instrument for associating together the mem- bers of the Church by voluntary compact for pur- ' Appointed by the bishop "Archdeacon of Christchurch" in the course of this session of the synod, the Ven. Archdeacon Mathias having died in the preceding June. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 28 1 poses of discipline and good government, " until due provision shall he made in that behalf by competent authority^ Now that " competent authority," the Commission asserts, is to be found in "the inherent power of the Church to regulate its own internal affairs, as that power is exercised more peculiarly through the office and authority of the bishop " ; and now at length the authorised interpreters of the law and advisers of the Crown have declared every dis- ability to be removed, or non-existent, which had hitherto been supposed to stand in the way of the free exercise of that inherent power. They ac- cordingly " suggest that a Provincial Synod be sum- moned by the metropolitan. The present elected members of the General Synod might be summoned, as representing the dioceses of Netv Zealand, to attend such Provincial Synod. The present General Synod, being, as it were, a constituefit body, would merge, as soon as the occasion served, and the arrangements were perfected, in a legally convened Provincial Synod. The Provincial Synod, thus duly organised, would at once proceed to regulate its own Con- stitution, and legislate on the internal affairs of the Church. We may assume that most of the existing legislation of the General Synod, with necessary alterations, would be adopted, and with general acceptance. We should prefer that all legislation should take the form of Canons." They further urge that, in any such Constitution, " no one point can properly be laid down as unalterable. The Church must, at all times, speak and answer for herself, and for her acts." But one condition of a satisfactory re- 282 NEW ZEALAND. organisation they strongly insist upon as indispensable and that is "the recognition of the independent exist- ence of dioceses and of Diocesan Synods. Dioceses have an existence independently. Diocesan Synods, con- vened by the bishop, are not, on correct ecclesiastical principles, boards or committees of a General Synod. But the Church Constitution constantly and uniformly assumes that they are so. According to that Con- stitution, every Diocesan Synod derives its existence, and exercises its authority, from and under the General Synod." The report concludes in a very positive and determined manner : — "It will be seen that we do not propose any specific amendments of the Constitution as it now stands. It is impossible to accept it with the property element. The Synod of Christchurch has expressly refused to do this. Until, therefore, the principles on which our Church system is, for the future, to be based, are definitely laid down and accepted, we feel ourselves unable to sug- gest mere verbal amendments. To do so would be simply a waste of time." Thus, as the time drew on for the meeting of the General Synod of 1865, the sky was sadly overcast, the storm seemed gathering amain. The result will be seen in the next chapter. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 283 CHAPTER III. Meeting of Third General Synod — Its Members — General Character of Session — President's Address — Hauhau Out- break — Openings for Reconciliation— Diocesan Basis — Lengthy Debate^Revision of Constitution — Amendments actually made — Dioceses to have Independent Manage- ment of Property — Discipline Statutes. The Third General Synod met at Christchurch on the 27th April, 1865. The place of meeting was a large loft above a store on the east side of Cathe- dral Square, known as Symington's Rooms. There were present throughout the session the Bishop of New Zealand, president, and four other bishops, being those of Christchurch, Wellington, and Waiapu, and Bishop Patteson. Bishop Hobhouse, of Nelson, wrote to express his regret at his inability to attend on account of ill health ; he had, in fact, already re- signed his see. Eleven clergymen attended regularly throughout, being, with scarcely an exception, men whose names are well known in the land. From Auckland and the north came the Rev. Dr. Maunsell, and the Revs. J. F. Lloyd, R. Burrows, and E. B. Clarke, now Archdeacon of Waimate : from Welling- ton the Rev. A. (now the Ven. Archdeacon) Stock, and the Rev. R. Taylor ; the Ven. Archdeacon Hadfield was unable to attend through illness. Nelson was represented by the Rev. J. C Bagshaw, though now 284 NEW ZEALAND. belonging to ihe Christchuich diocese, and the Rev. F. Tripp ; Christchurch by the Rev. J. Wilson, the Ven. Archdeacon Jacobs, and the Rev. E. G. Edwards, afterwards Archdeacon, who specially represented the interests of the Rural Deanery of Otago and Southland. There were fifteen lay mem- bers, most of whom attended regularly ; the following call for special mention, as having taken an active and influential part in this, which was, without doubt, one of the most important Church assemblies that has ever met in New Zealand — Sir W. Martin, the Hon. H. J. Tancred, Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald, the Hon. J. (now Sir John) Hall, Dr. Donald, and Mr. J. Grigg. The Synod held fifteen sittings on as many days, and devoted itself most earnestly to the subjects it was called upon to consider. The session had been looked forward to with anxious expectation, and the members showed themselves, one and all, deeply impressed with the extreme importance of its issues, and with a consequent sense of grave responsibility. The Constitution was on its trial ; the peace and unity of the Church of New Zealand were felt to be hanging in the balance. That there was much animation and warmth in the debates, it is needless to say ; but we may thankfully add that there was very little, if anything, of acrimony and bitterness. The first clash of arms seemed formidable ; but very soon, by the blessing of God, a spirit of concession and mutual conciliation began to manifest itself; and, before the close of the session, the clouds had entirely cleared away, and there was left behind a sense of relief, and of general contentment and satisfaction. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 285 The causes, so far as we can trace them, of this happy frustration of so many warning signs and threatening auguries deserve some study. The real and deep-seated dread of disruption and discord was, no doubt, the leading cause. The tnana of Bishop Selwyn, to borrow the significant Maori expression, counted for much ; the combined power and sweet- ness of his character, for more. The calm, dignified presence and moderate counsels of the Bishops of Christchurch and Waiapu and Bishop Patteson, and, certainly not least of all, the mediating and peace- making spirit, joined with the 7nitis sapientia of Sir William Martin ; the good sense, we may add, and the practical and conservative temper of the laymen generally, all tended to soften asperities, and to con- duce to unity. There was another circumstance also of a less obvious character, which was not without its influence in bringing about, as a matter of policy, certain timely and judicious concessions on the part of the president and his chief supporters. It was this ; the Canterbury clergy had found unexpected sympathy and support on the part of some of their brethren from the north ; and the consequence was, that there was a strong clerical phalanx, powerless to carry any measure by its own strength against bishops and laity, but sufficiently strong in its power of veto to enforce respectful attention to its views and wishes, and to suggest the necessity of conciliation and mutual accommodation. If any one will take the trouble to examine the division lists of this session, he will find that they bear out the correctness of this remark. We pass now to the detailed records of this session; 2 86 NEW ZEALAND. but in doing so we must mention, that we have passed over some painfully thrilling events in the history of the native Church, which occurred almost immediately before the opening of the Synod. We refer to the Hauhau outbreak, and the martyrdom of the Rev. C. S. Volkner. The first fury of that sudden outburst had barely spent itself when the Synod assembled ; the Bishop of Waiapu had come, so to speak, out of the midst of the flame, which had well- nigh caught the skirts of his robes. We have passed over these events till now for the express purpose of introducing them to our readers in the impressive language of Bishop Selwyn, who thus commenced his address to the Synod of 1865 : — " The three years which have passed since we last met in Synod have taught us the salutary lesson of dissappointed hope. We had then been cheered by signal mercies — the consecration of Bishop Patteson, the ordination of native pastors, the harmonious working of our Diocesan Synods, the cessation of war — all these visible blessings encouraged us to lift up our hearts in thankfulness to the Giver of all good, and to indulge in bright and cheerful hopes for the future. ' Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?' It is of His wisdom that we meet now in sorrow rather than in joy. It is good for us that we have been afflicted. The war, which seemed to have come to an end, was renewed by the perversity of a few misguided men. Mixed with the new element of the confiscation of land, it acquired a bitterness unknown before. The missionary clergy were believed to be the agents of SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 287 the Government in a deep-laid plot for the subjuga- tion of the native people. Our congregations melted away ; our advice was disregarded. Exasperated by continued defeat, and loss of friends and relations, many became reckless. The feeling grew among them that they would abandon the religion of their enemies and set up one of their own. An impostor from Taranaki ^ placed himself at the head of the movement. Pretended miracles, unknown tongues, inspirations from heaven, messages of angels, were alleged as usual in support of the imposture. The delusion spread and reached the east coast. New tribes were to be startled and overawed. A leader of inferior rank - demanded of the people of Opotiki the sacrifice of their own missionary. No other life was touched of the many white men who fell into their hands. It was a murder of fanaticism. You have all read the details of the outward workings of this mystery of iniquity."^ Join with me in recog- nising the finger of God, working with hidden wis- dom, yet evidently in love. ' The fierceness of man shall turn to His praise.' God has granted to our native Church an evidence like those in the days of old. Our first martyr died at peace with his enemies, and with prayer for his murderers. My elder brother, ' Horopapera Te Ua - Kereopa. ' For further and more detailed information respecting the Pai-Marire, or Hauhau superstition, see Bishop Williams' " Christianity Among the New Zealanders," p. 366; Tucker's " Life and Episcopate of Bishop Selwyn," vol, ii. p. 197 ; and " Forty Years in New Zealand," by the Rev. J. BuUer (Hodder & Stoughton), chap. xii. p. 343. 288 NEW ZEALAND. in his poem of * Boniface,' has supplied me with words so applicable to Mr. Volkner's death that I make no excuse for quoting them : — ' This is the will of God, and let us meet it, As men who know the body may be killed, But the soul lives for ever. Sure am I, That this shall be no hindrance to the faith. The blood of martyrs makes the good seed grow. Have we not read how, after Stephen's death, The Gospel spread more widely ? Let us wait.' " The true origin and significance of this strange and sudden revulsion are thus briefly depicted in a letter written by the bishop towards the close of this year to the Rev. E. Coleridge : — " The JTauhau super- stition is simply an expression of an utter loss of faith in everything that is English, clergy and all alike." In the midst of the extreme anxiety and sorrow caused by these events, and by the Maori war in general, there was one circumstance to which he often referred as affording him the liveliest satis- faction and the deepest comfort : not one of the native clergy whom he had ordained proved unfaith- ful to his ordination vows, or abandoned his allegiance to the British Crown. But to return from this brief digression to the his- tory of the General Synod. The remainder of the primate's unusually long address was chiefly occupied with an earnest defence of the Constitution. The limits assigned to this work forbid us to attempt even an analysis of this document, which was, in fact, a reply to the Report of the Christchurch Commission. The language of that report was needlessly sharp and SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 289 irritating ; no wonder if the reply was severe and even sarcastic. But it was conciliatory towards the close. On one point it cannot be denied that his lordship convicted the Canterbury men of serious incon- sistency. They vigorously repudiated, as we have seen, the property element of the Constitution. The report says of the Constitution : — " It is impossible to accept it with the property element. The Synod of Christchurch has expressly refused to do this." And yet that Synod had by its president presented a petition to the General Synod of 1862, praying for such an alteration of one of the property clauses of the Constitution (No. 27) as would declare the Synod of the diocese of Christchurch " to be a body duly constituted to represent the branch of the United Church of England and Ireland, for the purpose of appointing trustees to hold Church property within the diocese." ' ' With reference to this subject, and especially to the enact- ment of the Christchurch Board of Trusts Statute in response to the Christchurch petition, the bishop could not refrain from the following choice piece of satire : — " I may be allowed to illus- trate and relieve this dry subject by a little fable which I have lately met with. A hedge-sparrow had built its nest so com- pact and comfortable that the cuckoo wished to lay her eggs in it. The hedge-sparrow in charity, and not in guile, offered to build her another nest quite as good and nearer to her haunts. Three months afterwards, in the month of June, when the cuckoo changes her tune, she came again to the hedge-sparrow and said, ' Let me pull down your nest, for it is built on too low ground, and I will soon build you a better.' 'No,' said the hedge-sparrow, ' we cannot trust your skill in building of nests, for ever since you came to the country, you have laid your eggs in a nest built for you by another bird. You do not U 290 NEW ZEALAND. Despite, however, the severity, whether well or ill deserved, of the greater portion of the address, there were not wanting passages in it, which, in addition to the conciliatory tone of the peroration, held out hopes of concession, or of a ?>iodus vivendi, which might satisfy both sides. For example, an ample prospect seemed to be offered of a thorough revision of the Constitution in the following words: — "One very important part of our business will be the careful consideration of the Constitution Deed with a view to its amendment." Then, as to the requirements, that the Constitution should be re-cast on the basis of Church authority, and that the president should convene a Pro- vincial Synod as Metropolitan, he made this declara- tion emphatically and ^A-mM(?^/-rt.- — "If, as the Metro- politan of New Zealand, I have authority to summon a Provincial Synod, this is the synod which I have so convened." Was it one of the demands, that the inherent and independent rights of dioceses should be more clearly recognised in the Constitution ? The Primate showed himself far from unwilling to con- sent to such recognition ; for he says, " It may be worthy of consideration whether the independent existence of diocesan synods may not be more clearly expressed in the Constitution Deed." And, lastly, the sharp, edge of the dissatisfaction felt on know our wants, for we are not fly-catchers, but humble groundlings and eaters of grain. You fly too high for us, for we live in the haunts of men, but you dwell in a cloud- cuckoo region of your own. No, we will not let you pull down our nest, till we are sure that you can build a better one for our callow young.' " SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 29 1 the score of the objectionable property element was blunted by such passages as these : — " We meet here in council for higher purposes than to discuss questions of property." " Let all the holders of these various properties meet together in synod for far higher purposes than to jangle about the ad- ministration of the things of this world." We will proceed now to give a brief summary of the proceedings and acts of this Synod. The very first notice of motion given on the first day of the session was the following by Archdeacon Jacobs : — "i. That, in the opinion of this Synod, it is necessary to recognise the inherent and independent rights of dioceses. 2. That a revision of the Constitution, based on the foregoing principle, is imperatively required." In bringing forward the first of these resolutions on the following day, the mover argued, first, that the principle he advocated was in strict accordance with the history and constitution of the Church in the primitive ages ; secondly, that it had been acted upon in other provinces of the Anglican communion at the present day, notably in the United States and in Canada; and, lastly, that the question was a thoroughly practical one, giving instances of serious departures from it in the actual legislation of the General Synod, which might be most mischievous as precedents. For example, in Statute 3, for Organising Archdeaconry and Rural Deanery Boards, it was laid down, not merely that it was desirable that such boards should be consti- tuted under certain general circumstances and con- ditions, but enacting that such boards shall be con- u 2 292 NKW ZEALAND. stituted in certain named districts — Otago, for ex- ample. This, it was argued, was a distinct infringe- ment of the rights of the dioceses, within the limits of which such boards were to act. Again, in Statute No. 4, for the Formation of Parishes, it was provided, that no alteration of the boundaries of a parish should take effect without the consent in writing of the Standing Commission of the General Synod. Other similar interferences with what seemed clearly to be diocesan rights and functions were instanced from the " Instructions to Trustees," enacted by the General Synod. The motion was seconded by INIr. G. A. E. Ross. It is recorded in the minutes that, after considerable discussion, the Bishop of Wel- lington " moved the previous question," which was seconded by Sir William Martin. The debate was adjourned to the following day, and, having been then resumed, was again adjourned. On the third day the amendment was put and negatived, a majority of the clergy being against it. The Rev. R. Burrows then moved, as an amendment on the original motion, "That, whereas the status of the colonial branches of the Church appears to have been placed in a clearer light by the recent legal decisions in Eng- land, it is expedient that a committee be appointed to consider how far the provisions of the Church Con- stitution, and of the legislation arising out of them, can be modified so as to bring them into nearer conformity with the declared legal position of the Church." Archdeacon Jacobs asked and obtained leave to withdraw his motion in favour of this amend- ment, and, after some discussion, the debate was SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 293 again adjourned. Finally, on the fourth day of the debate, May 3, the amendment, though it received a large majority of the clerical votes, was negatived by the lay as well as the episcopal order — the voting being as follows: — bishops, ayes i, noes 4; clergy, ayes 9, noes 2 ; laity, ayes 5, noes 8. On the same day a marked proof was given of the unwillingness of the Christchurch members generally to proceed to extreme measures. The following motion was brought forward by the Rev. J. Wilson : — " That this Synod, having had satisfactory proof adduced that the diocese of Christchurch associated itself with the system of the General Synod under a misapprehen- sion as to the real nature of that system, declares that it is competent to the bishop, clergy, and laity of that diocese to negotiate de novo as to the con- ditions on which they will remain in union with the General Synod ; and, should no conditions be agreed upon satisfactory to both parties, to retire from their present connexion with the General Synod." But the motion lapsed for want of a seconder. The air having been thus cleared, it was agreed on all hands to proceed to the important work of revising the Constitution Deed " with special reference to the preamble, and to the clauses which concern the re- lations between the General and Diocesan Synods, the management of property, and the declarations to be made by clergymen and office-bearers." The Synod addressed itself to this business earnestly and amicably in committee of the whole house, and several sittings were mainly occupied by it, so that it was not until the twelfth day of the session that the 294 NEW ZEALAND. Constitution Deed was reported with amendments. The alterations made in the Constitution at this time were very numerous, and not a few of them of ex- treme importance, far more so indeed than is com- monly supposed. In the brief space at our command, it would be altogether out of the question to set them forth in extenso ; any person desirous to obtain accurate knowledge of the changes introduced at this epoch must carefully compare together the two documents, the Constitution Deed of 1857 with the amended Deed of 1865. We must confine ourselves to a few of the principal alterations, and we must add that the significance of some of these can only be fully comprehended by means of continual reference to the documents just referred to. I. The Freamble. The new preamble is not only shorter and more dignified, but there are substantial differences between it and its predecessor. There are clear indications, for example, in the first docu- ment, that the Constitution was regarded at that time as tentative and possibly temporary. It was stated to be " desirable that the members of the Church in the colony should, so far as they lawfully may, and until due provision shall be made in that behalf by competent authority, associate themselves together by voluntary compact as a branch of the United Church of England and Ireland." In the amended document the words in italics are omitted, it being assumed that the General Synod is the " competent authority," and the only one, for determining its own Constitution. Again, according to the old preamble, the Constitution purported to be the result of an SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENI . 295 agreement arrived at by " the bishops " — at that time two in number — "and certain of the clergy and laity, representing a numerous body of the members of the said United Church in the colony of New Zealand," whereas, by the terms of the amended document, the Constitution is distinctly based on the authority of the General Synod, the last clause being thus worded : — "And whereas the said Constitution has now been re- vised at a session of the General Synod, held at Christ- church, in the year of our Lord, 1865 ; now, there- fore, the bishops, clergy, and laity, in General Synod assembled, do solemnly declare and establish as follows ": — The existing Constitution therefore claims to be established by competent authority ; the original, by its own account of itself, professed to be only tentative and provisional. II. Qualification of Representatives. It is a striking evidence of that tentative character, of which we have just spoken as marking the Constitution Deed of 1857, that it shrank from laying down as a qualification of lay representatives in Synods, that they must be communicants. It was indeed a resolution of the Conference, in laying down the proposed " course of future procedure," that "no person be eligible as a representative at the First General Synod, except he be a communicant of the Church of England " ; and in the explanatory report it is stated, in an almost apologetic way, that "the qualification required for lay representatives is the same as that which has been sanctioned by law in the diocese of Victoria "— that is, Melbourne— "and by voluntary compact in the diocese of Adelaide, viz., that the lay representatives 296 NEW ZEALAND. shall be communicants of the Church of England." But in the Constitution Deed itself {clause 2), it was merely laid down that " it shall be lawful for the General Synod to fix any standard of qualification '' for the office. In the amended Constitution of 1865, this serious defect is supplied by the addition of the following proviso to clause 11 : — "Provided that no person shall be qualified to be elected as a lay repre- sentative for any district in any diocese, or as a Synodsman, or as a member of any archdeaconry or Rural Deanery Board, unless he be a communicant, and of the age of 21 years or upwards." III. Diocesan Synods. In clause 20 of the old Deed it was laid down that "for the purpose of carrying into effect the objects of these presents, a governing body, or Diocesan Synod, shall be formed in each diocese." In the revised Constitution (clause 19), the existence is assumed of the "Diocesan Synod in each diocese," and it is simply enacted that it " shall be similar, as far as possible, to the General Synod in constitution and mode of procedure." On the other hand, although the independent existence of Diocesan Synods is thus recognised, a clause is added (clause 20), giving a right of appeal to the General Synod, "or to any Board, or Court of Appeal established by the General Synod in that behalf," to any person who may deem himself " aggrieved by any act or decision of the Diocesan Synod, either in the case of property held under, or administered by, the Diocesan Synod, or in any other matter ; and the General Synod, or such Court of Appeal shall finally decide such appeals." SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPxMENT. 297 IV. Appointment of Bishops. The clause which had reference to this matter in the Constitution Deed of 1857 (No. 25), ran as follows: — "Saving any rights of the Church and of the Crown, the nomination of a bishop shall proceed from the Diocesan Synod, and, if sanctioned by the General Synod, shall be submitted by the General Synod to the autho- rities in Church and State in England for their favourable consideration." To this extent, but not further than this, the Conference felt warranted to go by Mr, Labouchere's letter to the Governor- General of Canada, quoted in an earlier chapter of this book. But, as time went on, the policy of the Home Government inclined more and more in the direction of conceding complete freedom of action to the Colonial Churches as to the appointment of their bishops. So that now at length, in 1865, the Synod felt itself at liberty, though not without some trepida- tion, and some astonishment at its own temerity,^ to substitute the following (clause 23) for the old clause (25) of the Constitution: — "The nomination of a bishop shall proceed from the Diocesan Synod, and, if such nomination be sanctioned by the General Synod, or, if the General Synod be not in session, by ' Before the close of the session, the Synod passed a resolu- tion, on the motion of the Bishop of Christchurch, seconded by the Rev, Dr. Maunsell, instructing the bishops to " memorialise the authorities of the State in England for the purpose of ob- taining their consent " to this "regulation"; but the problem was developing itself rapidly at that time, and the action of the home authorities rendered it unnecessary to forward any such memorial. 298 NEW ZEALAND. the majority of the Standing Committees of the several dioceses, the senior bishop shall take the necessary steps for giving effect to the nomination : Provided that every such nomination shall be made upon condition that the person so nominated shall, before accepting the nomination, declare in writing his assent to this Constitution." To the Deed of Constitution, thus amended, divested of all that was provisional and temporary, and definitely based on the authority of the Church by representation, were appended the signatures of the " members of the Third General Synod of the branch of the United Church of England and Ireland in New Zealand," including two who were unable to attend in person, viz.. Bishop Hobhouse of Nelson, and Archdeacon Brown. With regard to the claim of the Diocesan Synod of Christchurch to be recognised as a body representing the Church for the purposes of " The Religious, Charitable, and Educational Trusts Act, 1856," the alteration in clause 27 (in the amended Deed, clause 25), petitioned for by that Synod, was not made, but it was resolved, in preference, to invoke the aid of the Legislature for the purpose of effecting the object in view. Sir William Martin and the Hon. John Hall were accordingly instructed to pre- pare a draft bill for the purpose, and Mr. Hall was requested to take charge of the same for the purpose of carrying it through the Legislature. The result was that, in the next session of the General Assembly, held that same year, " The Religious, Charitable, and Educational Trusts Act Amendment Act, 1865," was SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 299 passed, the 2nd clause of which is as follows : "Every Diocesan Synod, which hath been already constituted, and every Diocesan Synod which shall be hereafter constituted, in the branch of the United Church of England and Ireland in New Zealand, shall be deemed and taken to be a body of persons associated for religious, charitable, and educational purposes within the meaning of 'The Religious, Charitable, and Educational Trusts Act, 1856.'" We must not omit to mention, that the Ecclesi- astical Courts Statute, No. 9, and the Ecclesiastical Offences Statute, No. 10, were enacted in the course of this session, but in a provisional form : that is to say, it was provided, (i) that the former of the two statutes, in which the latter was involved, was not to come into operation in any diocese, until it should have been adopted by a resolution of the Synod of that diocese; and (2) that it should continue in force until the end of the next session but one of the General Synod and no longer. By the latter pro- vision the Synod ensured that the highly important and delicate questions involved in these statutes should receive further consideration after the lapse of six years, with the advantage, possibly, of some acquired experience, and of light thrown upon them from other quarters. Such is the memorable history of the Synod of 1865, which had been looked forward to with so much anxious expectation, but which, by God's blessing, saw a threatened schism averted, peace restored, the Constitution completed, and placed on its rightful basis. ^OO NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER IV. The Bishops resign their Patents— The Effect— The Dunedin Bishopric Question— The Bishop of New Zealand writes to the Archbishop— Appointment of Rev. H. L. Jenner — Resolutions of Rural Deanery Boards Vetoed — The Primate"s Visit to the South— Dr. Jenner consecrated — Resolutions of R. D. Board, February, 1867 — Memorial — Mr. W. Carr Young's Letters- His Interview with the Archbishop — Bishop Jenner's Undertaking — The Arch- bishop's Letter — Resolutions of R. D. Board — Bishop Jenner's Departure delayed — Sir W. Martin's Opinion — (leneral Desire to refer the Matter to the General Synod. The third General Synod had hardly separated, when tidings reached New Zealand of the delivery, on the 20th March, 1865, of the Judgment of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on the petition of the Bishop of Natal, commonly known as the " West- bury Judgment," by which it was laid down that the Crown had no power to create dioceses with terri- torial limits, or to grant ecclesiastical jurisdiction to bishops in colonies possessed of an independent legislature. It followed, in effect, that the Patents, under which the New Zealand bishops were admitted to their offices — including the Bishop of New Zealand, since, although his original Letters Patent were granted before the colony received an independent Legis- lature, a fresh Patent was granted when he was made Metropolitan — were declared to be null and void. It had been already felt by the Primate and his brethren on the bench, before this news arrived, that SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 301 their position was an anomalous one, as adminis- trators of a system based on mutual compact with their clergy and laity, and yet, by virtue of their Patents, when supposed to be valid, standing out- side and above that system. He had accordingly, as he stated in his address to the Fourth Synod, held in Auckland in 1868, caused to be prepared by his legal advisers, before the news of the Westbury Judgment arrived, " a draft form of Letters Patent," which he laid at the same time on the table of the Synod, " framed upon the principle of authorising the bishop to administer the affairs of the Church in his diocese in New Zealand in conformity with the regulations of the General Synod." New Letters Patent, framed on this model, he, and no doubt the other bishops of the New Zealand dioceses with him, would have endeavoured to prevail on the Home Government to substitute for those they had hitherto held. But the knot they would thus have done their best to untie, was now abruptly cut asunder for them by this famous judgment. A very different course now commended itself to them; they took the decisive step of petitioning Her Majesty the Queen to be permitted to surrender their Letters Patent. This petition, which was drawn up and signed by the Bishops of New Zealand, Wellington, and Nelson (Bishop Hobhouse) before the end of May, and by the Bishops of Christchurch and Waiapu a few weeks later, is a very remarkable document,^ calculated to 1 It is printed at length in the Appendix to the Report of the General Synod of 1865, and in Tucker's " Life and Episco- pate of Bishop Selwyn," vol. ii. p. I35- 302 NEW ZEALAND. no small extent to open the eyes of the advisers of the Crown with regard to the position and claims of the Colonial Church. The petitioners, in the first place, " humbly express their conviction that all the powers necessary for the due administration of the office of a bishop in this colony were conveyed to them by the Ordinance of Consecration. They go on to say that they " accepted Letters Patent from the Crown, the validity of which has now been denied by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council." They therefore "humbly crave permission to surrender their Letters Patent, and to be allowed to rely in future upon the powers inherent in their office for perpetuating the succession of their order within the colony of New Zealand, and securing the due exercise of their episcopal functions in con- formity with the Church Constitution hereinafter described." They proceed to point out that the Constitution adopted by the Church of New Zealand, and the legislation enacted under it, with reference especially to discipline, was in strict accordance with the principles laid down in recent decisions of Eng- lish courts of law. They "humbly express their conviction," moreover, that the right of appointment of bishops in New Zealand is not part of the prerog- ative of the Crown, inasmuch as all the bishoprics were founded by private efforts, and endowed from private resources." Finally, they " humbly pray that all doubts may be removed as to their status both ecclesiastical and temporal, (i) by the acceptance of the surrender of their Letters Patent, now declared to be null and void ; (2) by declaring the Royal Man- SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 303 date, under which they were consecrated, to be merely an authority given by the Crown for the Act of Consecration, and to have no further effect or legal consequence; (3) by recognising the inherent right of the bishops in New Zealand to fill up vacan- cies in their own order by the consecration of persons elected in conformity with the regulations of the General Synod, without Letters Patent, and without Royal Mandate, in the same manner as they have already consecrated a missionary bishop for the islands in the Western Pacific." With reference to the effect of this petition, the Primate spoke as follows in his address to the Auck- land Synod in 1868 : — " Mr. Card well, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, is reported to have said in the House of Commons, that the Government thought that this petition might reasonably be complied with ; but no official answer to it has been received by us. There is no reason to suppose that Letters Patent will in future be granted to colonial bishops." We pass on by a natural transition to the tangled and painful story of the Dunedin bishopric, con- nected as it is with the foregoing incident in point both of time and subject. The division of the vast diocese of Christchurch, and the constitution of a separate bishopric for the provinces of Otago and Southland, had long been recognised by Churchmen generally, but, more especially, by the Bishops of New Zealand and Christchurch, as objects of the last importance; and the urgency of the need was felt to be more and more pressing, as fresh dis- coveries of goldfields in the southern provinces were 304 NEW ZEALAND. continually opening up the country in every direction, leading to the formation of new centres, and hastening the increase of population to an enormous extent. In 1862, as we have seen, the Primate said, in his address to the General Synod at Nelson, " To com- plete the system, a Rural Deanery Board has been organised at Otago, which, under the present circum- stances of that province, we hope will soon expand itself into the synod of a new diocese." In that and the following year the Bishop of Christchurch, with the concurrence of the Rural Deanery Board, took active steps towards raising an endowment for the proposed new see, and succeeded in obtaining from the Colonial Bishoprics Council the promise of a grant of ;^ 1,000 for this purpose conditional on ;^5,ooo being raised from other sources. Towards the sum thus required, the bishop also obtained the promise of another sum of ^^i, 000 from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. An appeal which his lordship made at this period to the Churchmen of the two southern provinces was responded to by subscriptions amounting to ;^95o. The prosperity of these provinces was then at its height ; a period of comparative depression fol- lowed, and additional subscriptions came in very slowly. Still, at the Christchurch session of the General Synod in 1865, the completion of the arrangement was thought to be within measurable distance, so that, when the question arose, at what place the next triennial session should be held, it was unanimously agreed that the next session of the General Synod be held at Dunedin if by the SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 305 time of meeting there be a bishopric of Dunedin constituted, and the bishop shall have entered on the duties of his office. If there be no bishop at Dunedin, the next session shall be held at Auck- land." Anxious to push the matter forward without delay, the Primate and the Bishop of Christchurch, immediately on the breaking up of the Synod, hastened to Dunedin, and on the 26th May a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Rural Deanery Board was held, at which both prelates were present, the Bishop of Christchurch presiding. At this meeting the Primate suggested that at the next meeting of the Board, a resolution should be passed requesting him to write to the Archbishop of Canterbury,^ to ask his Grace to recommend a clergyman whom he might deem fit to be appointed to the new see. In consequence of this suggestion, a special meeting of the Rural Deanery Board was held on the 14th June, at which again both bishops were present, and a resolution was proposed, that the Primate should be asked to write to the Arch- bishop, informing him of the steps which had been taken towards raising a sufficient endowment, and that it was expected that the whole sum of ;^6,ooo would be obtained in the course of another year, " and to request that his Grace will be pleased to recommend a clergyman, whom he may deem fit to be consecrated for the proposed see." To this motion the "previous question" was moved as an amendment, and was carried. 1 Archbishop Longley. X 306 NEW ZEALAND. It must have been in the interval between the meeting of the Standing Committee and that of the Board, that the Primate wrote to the Archbishop the letter which he had suggested that he should be asked to write, and which was the origin of all the subsequent trouble, since it cannot be supposed that it was written subsequently to, and in the teeth of, this adverse vote of the Board. With reference to this unfortunate communication the Bishop of Christ- church says, in a " Letter to the Archbishops and Bishops in communion with the Church of England,^' written in 1873, " I^ ^^ t)e seen from what I have stated above, that there had been no concurrence on the part of the Rural Deanery Board in this ap- plication j and, I must add, no authority had been given for it at the late session of the General Synod (in 1865), neither at any previous Synod." His lordship adds, " I was not myself aware of the application of the Metropolitan, neither do I know the terms in which it was made." Bishop Selwyn's own account of the matter, in a letter which he wrote to the Bishop of Christchurch on the 5th January, 1866, to announce that the Archbishop had selected a clergymen for the see, is as follows : — " On the subject of the bishopric, resolutions of the Otago and Southland Rural Deanery Board have already been passed, but our Constitution provides no mode of election or nomination of a bishop for a newly- constituted diocese. In all former instances I have suggested the person, and the Church members in the district proposed for the new diocese have given their formal consent, without which I should not SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 307 have proceeded further. In this instance, having exhausted my stock of personal friends, I applied to the Archbishop, and, through his kindness, I am now enabled to mention the name of Rev. H. L. Jenner, and to certify that he has formally accepted the Church Constitution, by an instrument in writing, and will be ready to come out as Bishop of Dunedin, if he is assured of the willingness of the members of the Church to welcome him as their chief pastor."^ ' In the same letter the Primate says : ' ' The promptitude with which the Archbishop has acted upon my request makes it necessary to take immediate steps for raising the Endowment Fund, and also /or ascertaining that the diocese of Christchurch is satisfied with the Archbishop's choice.''^ The spirit of the 23rd clause of the Constitution, which provides that "the nomina- tion of a bishop shall proceed from the Diocesan Synod," would have been far better — would indeed have been fully — satisfied, had the bishop obtained, as he evidently intended and expected to obtain, when he went to Dunedin with Bishop Harper in May, 1865, the previous sanctiott of the Rural Deanery Board of Dunedin and Southland, before writing to the Archbishop. Unfortunately, he allowed his zeal to prevail over his discretion, and wrote without waiting to ascertain whether this saaction would be given. The following extract from an article signed by the well-known initials, R.M., which appeared in the Auck- land Church Gazette of December, 1874, puts this proceeding in the light in which it has been almost universally regarded by leading Churchmen in New Zealand : — -" Bishop Selwyn has laid this Church under deep obligations for the skill with which he piloted our craft amid difficulties of considerable magnitude. Still, like other human beings, he sometimes erred ; and one of his failings (a failing which left a legacy of trouble in more quarters than one) was the readiness with which he seized the helm himself after he had passed it over to other hands. There is little doubt but that his fervid temperament carried him for- ward too rapidly in the case of the Bishop of Dunedin. He X 2 3o8 NEW ZEALAND. The bishop appears to have overlooked an ex- ceedingly important difference between this case and the former ones to which he refers. In those he was dealing with portions of his own diocese ; in this he was interfering in the diocese of another bishop. But we have somewhat anticipated the course of our narrative. After the meeting of the Rural Deanery Board on the 14th June, 1865, the two bishops stayed for a few da3's in Dunedin, "during which," says Bishop Harper, " efforts were in- effectually made to add to the promised amount of subscriptions." Then they parted, Bishop Selwyn to return to Auckland, Bishop Harper to visit the south- ernmost portion of his diocese. At the very be- ginning of the year 1866, Bishop Selwyn received a letter from Archbishop Longley, informing him that he had selected for the see of Dunedin the Rev. Henry Lascelles Jenner, M.A., Vicar of Preston, near Sand- wich, Kent, of whom his Grace gave a very high char- acter.^ On the receipt of this letter, the Bishop of erred in writing to the Archbishop ; he erred also in his letter to Dr. Jenner. Afterwards, when he came to examine the pro- ceedings of the Synod, he found that he had not received the authority under which he thought he was acting ; and he then frankly confessed to Archbishop Tait that ' he was not author- ised by any written document to request the late Archbishop of Canterbury to select a bishop for Dunedin.'" ' Mr. Jenner, who was a son of the well-known judge of the Court of Arches, Sir Herbert Jenner Fust, was formerly a scholar of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, took the degree of LL.B., and was placed in the Second Class of the Law Tripos in 1841. Was ordained deacon in 1S43, priest in 1844. After his appoint- ment to the bishopric the degree of D.D. was granted to him by the university of Cambridge. Dr. Jenner still retains the vicarage of Preston. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 309 New Zealand wrote to the Bishop of Christchurch, urging him to convene a meeting of the Rural Deanery Board forthwith. The Board met ac- cordingly on the 22nd February, the Rev. E. G. Edwards, rural dean (afterwards archdeacon), pre- siding, and the following resolutions were passed : — I. "Moved by Mr. James Smith, seconded by Mr. R. B. Martin — 'That, as a sufficient provision has not yet been made for the support of a bishop, it is not expedient to take any action at present with a view to confirm the conditional appointment of the Rev. H. L. Jenner, more especially as that appoint- ment has been made without the authority or concur- rence of this Board.' 2. Moved by the Rev. E. H. Granger, seconded by the Rev. R. L. Stanford— * That this Board is desirous to record its extreme regret that through misconception the Rev. H. L. Jenner should have been led to suppose that the time has arrived for the appointment of a bishop for Otago and Southland, there being at present no sufficient endowment raised, and that this Board continues to be decidedly opposed to the appointment of a bishop without a sufficient endowment having been provided, and that the honorary secretary be requested to for- ward this resolution, together with the minutes of the last meeting of the Rural Deanery Board, to the Rev. H. L. Jenner, through the President of the Board.'" The foregoing resolutions, having been forwarded to the Bishop of Christchurch, were vetoed by hirn. Unfortunately, Mr. Jenner was not made acquainted with what took place at this meeting, and of this he bitterly complained afterwards, saying, in a printed letter to the Bishop of Christchurch, dated July 2nd, 3IO NEW ZEALAND. 1873, "Had I been allowed to receive these resolu- tions, you may be very sure I should not have pre- sented myself for consecration, and thus I should have escaped the tremendous injury, which, to the eternal disgrace of the New Zealand Church, has been inflicted upon me." * In the following month (March, 1866), the Bishop of New Zealand, much disturbed by the passing of these resolutions, hastened to visit the southern provinces for the purpose of raising funds by his own personal exertions towards the completion of the endowment. Calling at Christ- church on his way down, he expressed to the writer his extreme surprise at the unwonted promptitude with which his suggestion had been acted upon by the Archbishop, as contrasted with the proverbial " slowness " of Church work. In the course of this visit to the south, the Primate succeeded in raising nearly ;^i,3oo, and towards the end of it he wrote a letter to the bishop-designate, commencing thus : " Tokomairiro, Province of Otago, April i6th, 1866. My dear Bishop of Dunedin, — I thus address you in the hope that my letter to the Archbishop will have removed all doubts, and that you and Dr. Suter are already consecrated." Hence it appears that the ' The Bishop of Christchurch says, in his "Letter to the Archbishops and Bishops," &c., before referred to — to which Bishop Jenner's letter of July 2nd, 1873, is a reply— that "on hearing from the Metropolitan in April, 1866, that several members of the board, who had voted for the resolutions of February 22nd, and that Churchmen generally, in all parts of the Rural Deanery, had contributed to the Endowment Fund, he regarded these resolutions as virtually withdrawn." SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 31I Primate wrote a second letter to the Archbishop about this date, urging his Grace to proceed with the con- secration of Dr. J enner. In this same letter he was led, probably through some confusion of memory, not having the records of the Synod before him at the time of writing, to make the following strangely inaccurate and otherwise unaccountable statement : — " You seem to have been told that your subscription to the New Zealand Church Constitution was pre- mature, if not unnecessary; on the contrary, the General Synod expressly requested the Archbishop of Canter- buryto place our Constitution in the hands of any clergy- man whom he might select, and obtain his written assent to it, before he recognised him as bishop-designate." The result showed how calculated these words were to mislead the person to whom they were written, since from them Dr. Jenner not unreasonably drew the inferences which are thus emphatically stated by him in his pamphlet entitled, " The See of Dunedin, N.Z." : — "If language has any meaning at all, the above extract proves that the Archbishop was author- ised by the General Synod to do three things :— i. To select a clergyman ; 2. To obtain his written assent to the Constitution ; 3. To recognise him as bishop-designate. And all these several steps did Archbishop Longley take in regard to myself" The consequence of the Primate's letters to the Archbishop and Dr. Jenner was, that the latter was consecrated, together with Dr. Suter, bishop-designate of Nelson, by royal mandate, to be " a bishop in New Zealand," on St. Bartholomew's Da)', 1866. On the receipt of the intelligence that the consecration was 312 NEW ZEALAND. on the eve of taking place, the Bishop of Christ- church wrote thus to the bishop-designate : — " The last mail brought us the intelligence of your proposed consecration on August 24th, an event which I trust has been realised, though it is not yet clear to us how it has been brought about inasmuch as no formal resignation of that part of my diocese, which lies in the provinces of Otago and Southland, has been sent in by me." His lordship proceeds to hazard the conjecture, which turned out to be correct, that the authorities in England intended to leave it to the General Synod to settle the question of territorial jurisdiction ; hence the wording of the mandate — to be "a bishop in New Zealand." On the 2 1 St February, 1867, the annual meeting of the Rural Deanery Board was held in Dunedin under the presidency of the Bishop of Christchurch, who, in his address, expressed a hope that fresh efforts would be made to increase the endowment fund, and that steps would be taken without delay to provide an episcopal residence, as the new bishop might be expected to arrive very shortly. The fol- lowing resolution was accordingly moved by Mr. W. Carr Young, and seconded by the Rev. E. G. Edwards: "That the Rev. H. L. Jenner, having been nominated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and consecrated under royal mandate Bishop of the See of Dunedin,^ this Board recognises the duty of ' Erroneously wordecL Full particulars of the consecration had not then reached New Zealand, or had not been communi- cated to the Board. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 313 making preparations for his reception, by providing a suitable residence, and completing the requisite endowment." An amendment was moved, declaring it to be "inexpedient on the score of insufficiency of income to undertake the responsibility of encouraging Dr. Jenner to leave England for the purpose of entering on the duties of the bishopric, to which he has been appointed without the concurrence of the Rural Deanery Board." After much discussion the amendment was lost on division (ayes 6, noes 11), and the resolution was carried. This vote was often appealed to afterwards, as implying, at the least, the acquiescence of the Board in the nomination : on the other hand, it was urged by many, that it was " ac- quiesced in only when it appeared too late to raise objections." Up to this time the insufficiency of the endowment had been the only objection publicly al- leged against the appointment; but a report had been gaining ground, meanwhile, that Dr. Jenner was a prominent member of the ultra-ritualistic party in the Church. Serious alarm and anxiety began to manifest themselves on this score. Had the bishop been in a position to come out at once to the colony, he might by the force of hard work, combined with tact and discretion, have lived down all opposition ; but he was prevented by difficulties of a financial nature from taking this course, and being too honest to disguise his principles, and his new position having made his name more conspicuous than of old, he became more and more an object of dread and sus- picion, as each mail brought newfe of his having taken part in services and celebrations of a startling de- 314 NEW ZEALAND. scription. To such an extent, and so rapidly, did the alarm and opposition spread that, in June of this year (1867), a strongly-worded memorial, drawn up by the Rev. W. F. Oldham, of Riverton, and largely signed by office-bearers of the Church and other prominent laymen, was sent home to the Archbishop, " entreating his Grace to urge upon Dr. Jenner the desirability of not entering upon the duties of a bishop over an unwilling, and, to a great extent, hostile diocese, but to beg him to renounce officially all intention of coming to this colony." The Bishop of Christchurch, in an earnest remonstrance ad- dressed to Mr. Oldham, deprecated the opposition, but in vain ; and, very shortly after letters arrived from England, which raised the excitement to fever heat. Mr. W. Carr Young, the mover of the resolu- tion recognising the duty of making preparations for the reception of Bishop Jenner, having had occasion shortly after to visit England on business for the Provincial Government of Otago, being resolved to judge for himself regarding the rumours of the bishop's extreme opinions and practices, attended on the 13th June the Dedication Festival of St. Matthias, Stoke Newington, in which it was known that he was to take part. Being astonished beyond measure at what he saw and heard, he felt it to be his duty to write a letter to Archbishop Longley, in which he stated that, on the occasion referred to, he " had witnessed the most extravagant scenes, and heard the grossest doctrines that ever disgraced a so-called Protestant Church," and that Bishop Jenner " not only assisted in this popish ceremony, but SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 315 afterwards at a luncheon publicly expressed his admiration of the whole service as conducted at St. Matthias'." If those were the views of the bishop, " he would assuredly practise them," and the result, he was persuaded, would be " the certain disruption of our Colonial Church." He therefore "earnestly hoped that it might not yet be too late to rescind Bishop Jenner's appointment." He also wrote to the bishop himself, telling him plainly how much he was shocked at what he had witnessed, and urging him to weigh well the position of affairs in the Rural Deanery, before he decided on sailing for New Zea- land. He assured him that *' the appointment of a bishop was condemned by all as premature, and was totally rejected by some as unauthorised " ; but that " the chief, if not the only, serious objection was purely on personal grounds, namely, on account of his High Church views and ritualistic practices." He further informed him that " the prospect of ob- taining the bishop's fund, and providing an appropriate residence, was by no means encouraging when he left Dunedin," and that he was satisfied that, when the news of the proceedings at St. Matthias' reached the colony, it would be "impossible to obtain the necessary contributions." On the I St July, Bishop Jenner wrote to the Rev. E. G. Edwards, saying, " I have determined to re- main in England for the Pan-Anglican Synod. I hope to arrive at Dunedin before Christmas. If a house of some kind can be be got ready for us by that time, we shall be grateful." He then goes on to speak of Mr. Young's threatened opposition, and 3i6 NEW ZEALAND. of the service at St. Matthias'. His " share in that service," he says, " was confined to giving the Ab- solution and Benediction," adding, that he did not " consider himself in any way bound to avoid taking part in any services that are allowed by the law of the English Church." At the same time he declared that ** nothing could be further from his intentions and principles than to endeavour to force a ritual such as that of St. Matthias on the clergy and laity of his diocese." "I should most undoubtedly dis- courage," he says, " the most obvious improvements in Divine worship, unless they were introduced with the most tender and considerate regard to the feelings, and even prejudices, of the devout laity. Nothing, in my opinion, would be more ridiculous than to attempt to carry out * high ritual ' in New Zealand, par- ticularly in such a settlement as that of Otago." Lastly, he declared that he was " prepared to carry out the undertaking he entered into before his consecration, when he signed the Constitution of the New Zealand Church — viz., to resign his ofiice, when called upon to do so by the General Synod." " But I owe it to my own position," he says, " to decline to submit to any other authority whatever." No doubt he would have to encounter many difficulties, as Mr. Young had warned him; "but," he concludes, "only let me have fair play, and I have no fear but that, by God's blessing, I shall be able to surmount the obstacles which may be placed in my path." Further, on the 26th June, Mr. Young wrote at length to Mr. Edwards, describing in much detail the proceedings he had witnessed at the service at Stoke SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 317 Newington, and Stating that he had had an interview with the Archbishop on the 22nd, at which his Grace said that " Dr. Jenner's appointment caused him more grief and anxiety than he could express, and that he was not unprepared for the objections he (Mr. Y.) had urged; that he had not the remotest idea of Dr. Jenner's ritualistic tendencies, nor had he exhibited any before his appointment ; that he thoroughly dis- approved of the bishop's proceedings, and concurred in the course Mr. Young proposed to adopt for frustrating the appointment, only suggesting that the requisition should be addressed to Dr. Jenner rather than to himself, which would have the effect of forcing his resignation." Mr. Young added that he " had the Archbishop's authority for mentioning what his Grace expressed at the interview." A special meeting of the Rural Deanery Board was held on the nth September, to consider the foregoing letters. The rural dean (the Rev. E. G. Edwards) presided, the Bishop of Christchurch having left for England to attend the first Lambeth Conference. After much warm debate, and the re- jection of two amendments, the following resolution, moved by Mr. James Smith, and seconded by the Rev. Algernon Gififord, was carried on division (ayes 12, noes 9): "That the secretary be in- structed to write to Mr. William Carr Young, con- veying the thanks of this Board for his letter to the rural dean, dated 26th June last; but informing him that, while fully concurring in his opinion that any attempt on the part of the Bishop of Dunedin to introduce against the will of the members of the 3l8 NEW ZEALAND. Church in this diocese, such practices as those de scribed in Mr. Young's letter, or any change of ritual or obsolete observance distasteful to the laity, would meet with general opposition, and, if persisted in, would lead to most unhappy results, yet having read the Bishop of Dunedin's letter to the rural dean, dated ist July last, which, in effect, emphatically disavows any such intention, this Board does not feel justified, in the face of that assurance, in endeavouring to dissuade the bishop from under- taking the charge of his see." The annual meeting of the Board took place on the 29th January, 1868, the Bishop of Christchurch being still in England. The rural dean read several letters addressed to himself. In the first, which was from Bishop Jenner, dated September 30, 1867, the bishop again "strenuously disclaims all intention of intro- ducing what people call Ritualism into New Zealand," and authorises the rural dean to make this offer on his behalf — "to place my resignation in the hands of the Primate, at the expiration of three years from the date of my arrival, on being requested to do so by (say) two-thirds of the communicants of the diocese." In the course of the letter he says : — " My consecration may have been premature — the whole course of my selection and nomination to Dunedin may have been a blunder — but surely this is not my fault. I am consecrated and set apart for the work, and, come what may, I must give myself to it." The other letters were of less moment, with the exception of one from the Archbishop, in which his Grace condescended to plead for the acceptance SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 319 of his nominee, under the circumstances of his solemn promise, to abstain from " obtruding his ritualistic tendencies upon his flock," and his under- taking to resign the see on the conditions stated by him. At this session no affirmative resolution was adopted, but the following motion by the Rev. R. L. Stanford, seconded by Mr. R. B. Martin, was nega- tived on division— (ayes 5, noes 8): "That this Board earnestly desires to express its opinion, that the entrance of Bishop Jenner upon active duties in this diocese would be most disastrous to the Church, and that this resolution be laid before the General Synod for its consideration.'' As the year in which the next triennial session of this body was due had now begun, and Bishop Jenner had not arrived, the desire began to be entertained on all sides that the whole question should be referred for final decision to it, as the supreme legislature of the Church of the Province. Dr. Jenner himself acquiesced, though reluctantly, in this course. Believing that a reaction had begun to set in in his favour in New Zealand, he had determined, subject to the approval of the Bishop of Christchurch, to leave England on the 3rd February, 1868. But on January 9th, Bishop Harper, being in England, wrote to him to say that " recent advices from his diocese had convinced him that, the opposition being on the increase. Bishop Jenner's departure from England must be postponed until the General Synod should have met, and formally sanc- tioned his appointment." The Bishop of New Zealand, who was also in England, concurred in this judgment. The Rural Deanery Board also strongly 320 NEW ZEALAND. urged that the whole matter should be referred to the General Synod, and finally decided by that body. Writing to the rural dean from England on the 3olh May, 1868, Bishop Harper informed him that the General Synod would meet in October of that year, and that he proposed to summon his own Diocesan Synod to meet towards the end of Sep- tember, and to call upon that body to make a formal nomination of a bishop for the southern portion of the diocese, about to be formed into a separate bishopric. " This is evidently required by our Constitution," the bishop writes, referring to the famous 23rd clause. "Of course," he adds, "all deference would be paid by the Diocesan Synod to the expressed wishes of the Rural Deanery Board of Otago and Southland." " It was expedient, there- fore," his lordship urged, "that the Board should meet, and express its wishes in a formal resolution, and forward the same to the Diocesan Synod ; also, that the representatives of the Deanery in the Synod should attend at Christchurch when the Synod meets." This course being extremely distasteful to the rural dean and many others, and at the same time contrary to their judgment, they sought the opinion of Sir William Martin as to the true meaning of the 23rd clause of the Constitution. His reply, which was received on all sides with the deference due to an oracle, was as follows : — " As to the meaning of the clause 23 of the Church Constitu- tion, I do not think there was any doubt in any man's mind at the time of the revision. It was intended to be an adoption of the ancient rule of SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 32 I the Church, that a bishop is to be chosen by the concurrent voice of the clergy and laity of the diocese — that is to say, the clergy and laity over whom he is to preside. As the most regular and satisfactory mode of carrying out this principle, the nomination is required to proceed from the Synod. No doubt the ordinary case of an election to fill a vacancy in a diocese already possessing a Synod, was the case contemplated. In the rare and excep- tional case of an election of a first bishop, all that can be done is to conform to the spirit of the clause. An election by the Synod of Christchurch, though it might seem nearer to the letter, would certainly not have been according to the true meaning or spirit ; for it would really have been an election by persons outside of the diocese. In point of fact, I suppose there was a fair and reasonable approximation to the rule in this case of Dunedin." In the last clause Sir William refers presumably to the acquiescence in the nomination of Bishop Jenner, implied in more than one resolution of the Rural Deanery Board. The correctness of this judgment was tacitly ad- mitted by all concerned, and now the meeting of the General Synod at Auckland was looked forward to with the liveliest expectation. The Rural Deanery Board met, in response to the request of the Bishop of Christchurch, on the i8th August, and passed the following resolutions : — " i. That this Board refers the question of the formation of the see of Dunedin, and the appointment of its first bishop to the General Synod for its final decision. 2. That, in the opinion of the Board, it would be injurious to the best Y 322 NEW ZEALAND. interests of the Church in this Rural Deanery if this question should not be settled by the General Synod.' The foregoing resolutions were laid before the Dio- cesan Synod of Christchurch at its annual meeting on the 9th of September. This body gave its formal assent to the division of the diocese of Christchurch, and the formation of Otago and Southland into a separate diocese, and, while not raising any objection to the settlement of the pending controversy by the General Synod, indicated the following course as that which approved itself most to its judgment, namely, " that the General Synod should consent to constitute the diocese of Dunedin, and, calling into existence its Diocesan Synod, devolve upon that body the responsibility of nominating the first bishop of the new diocese." It will be seen in the sequel that this was the course which was ultimately adopted. In our next chapter the scene will be transferred to Auckland. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 323 CHAPTER V. l'"ouilh General Synod — Select Committee on Jenner Case — The Debate and its Result — Other Measures of the Session — Farewell Addresses to Bishop Selwyn — Farewell Ser- vices—Departure — Letter written on board the Hero — Bishop Jenner arrives in Dunedin — Diocesan Synod con- vened — Final Struggle and its Result, The Fourth General Synod was opened by the presi- dent (the Bishop of New Zealand, and now also the Bishop of Lichfield), in the Cathedral Library, Auck- land, on the 5th October. It sat for eleven days, breaking up on the 17 th. There were present six bishops, including Bishop Patteson of Melanesia. The Right Rev. Andrew Burn Suter, D.D., took his seat for the first time as second Bishop of Nelson. There were also present fifteen clerical, and eighteen lay, representatives : among the latter was the president's second son, Mr. J. R. Selwyn, no\v Bishop of Melanesia, who then assisted his father as his private secretary. The only reference in the president's address to the burning question, which was in every one's mind, was of the quietest and most business-like nature. It was as follows : — " The first question which will require your attention, is an act to validate the election of members chosen to represent the two portions of the present Diocese of Christchurch. This necessity has arisen from the Y 2 324 NEW ZEALAND. unforeseen delay in the constitution of the Diocese of Dunedin. It seemed to me to be expedient that a full representation of the clergy and laity in the Rural Deanery of Otago and Southland should assist in deciding the important questions affecting the new diocese, which will be brought before us. On this subject I have only further to recommend that any matters involving personal considerations be referred, as in former instances, to a Select Committee to be chosen by ballot." Accordingly, on the fifth day of the session, the following resolution, moved by the Bishop of Christchurch, and seconded by the Rev. A. Gifford, was carried : — " That a committee be appointed to consider and report upon the expediency of bringing to completion the ecclesiastical arrange- ment proposed for that part of the Diocese of Christ- church which is included within the Rural Deanery of Otago and Southland." The result of the ballot was that the following were elected, viz., the Bishops of Christchurch, Wellington, and Waiapu, the Dean of Christchurch,^ the Yen. Archdeacons Govett, Hadfield, and Williams, the Rev. Dr. Maunsell, the Hon. J. B. Acland, C. Hunter Brown, Esq., F. D. Fenton, Esq., Sir William Martin, William Swainson, Esq. On the following day the Bishop of Wellington (the Right Rev. C. J. Abraham) asked to be relieved from serving on the committee, and that another bishop should be balloted for in his place ; the result was that Bishop Patteson was elected. The Bishop ' Formerly Archdeacon Jacobs. Appointed dean by the Bishop of Christchurch on the 31st March, 1S66. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 325 of Christchurch was appointed chairman of the com- mittee, and the Dean of Christchurch secretary.' The Bishop of New Zealand and Lichfield attended to give evidence at one of its meetings. On the ninth day of the session the Bishop of Christchurch brought up the report of the committee. It had been adopted unanimously after long and earnest consideration, and was as follows :—" Your com- mittee, having carefully considered the subject sub- mitted to them, and having taken such evidence, and examined such documents, bearing thereupon, as Avere within their reach, including a statement by Dr. Jenner, beg to report as follows :— They have ascertained that the endowment fund for the pro- posed diocese is, in its present state, insufiicient for the support of a bishop. They have further ascer- tained that the objections entertained in the con- templated diocese to the alleged opinions and prac- tices of Bishop Jenner preclude the probability of the speedy completion of this fund. At the same time they are led to believe that the pecuniary cir- cumstances of Bishop Jenner, so far as they are able to form an opinion upon them, are such as would cause him to be wholly dependent upon that fund. In coming to a decision they have not thought them- selves called upon to take into consideration the alleged ritualistic practices of Bishop Jenner, but they consider that the state and prospect of the ' The writer has still in his possession two of the original drafts of resolutions adopted by this Committee, in the hand- writing respectively of Bishop Patteson and Sir WiUiara Martin. 326 NE\V ZEALAND. Endowment Fund, and the circumstances above re- ferred to, constitute sufficient reasons for the follow- ing decision, namely : — That they are not prepared to recommend the Synod to confirm the appointment of Bishop Jenner." On the following day, October 1 6th, the Bishop of Christchurch moved, on behalf of the committee, " That the appointment of Bishop Jenner to the See of Dunedin be not confirmed by the Synod." The debate which ensued was pro- longed and exceedingly animated, the Synod being almost equally divided. There was no little heat, and much barely suppressed excitement on both sides. Bishop Abraham warmly espoused the cause of Bishop Jenner, as did also the president, who manifested unmistakeable signs of annoyance and even vehement indignation, saying, amongst other things, that he " looked upon the action of the com- mittee as amounting to an attempt to depose Bishop Jenner." Justice to the bishop was strongly urged on the one side; on the other, it was replied, that justice was due to the diocese also, and to the Church generally. The irregularity of the nomination might perhaps be condoned ; but the Synod could not abdicate its undoubted right of giving or withholding confirmation. The fact of Dr. Jenner having been prematurely consecrated without the Synod's con- sent, though by no fault of his own, could not bar the Synod of its right; and if, for any reason, it should seem likely to be to the injury of the diocese that he should enter on the office of bishop therein, then — sahfs j-eipuhlicce suprema lex — the supreme legislature of the Church of the province was bound SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 327 to refuse its sanction to the appointment. In the " statement " presented to the Synod by Bishop Jenner, and read with much emphasis by the Presi- dent, it was urged, that an "engagement of more than ordinary solemnity had been entered into, the two contracting parties being the Church in New Zealand, speaking and acting by her Metropolitan, and Bishop Jenner, and that the simple question to be decided was, ' Do the interests of the New Zealand Church demand, and will justice and honesty admit of, the repudiation of that engagement by either of the parties, without the concurrence of the other ? ' " But, on the other hand, it was replied, that no such binding engagement had been entered into, inasmuch as no individual had any right to pledge the faith of the General Synod. At the same time much sym- pathy with Bishop Jenner personally was expressed by many who felt under the necessity of opposing his claim. Two amendments on the original motion were successively put and negatived, and the position was becoming a painfully strained one, when it was agreed to adjourn the sitting for half an hour to give an opportunity for free discussion. On resuming, Bishop Patteson made an earnest appeal for a peace- ful solution, whereupon Archdeacon Harper^ moved, seconded by the Dean of Christchurch, " That, whereas the General Synod is of opinion that it is better for the peace of the Church that Bishop ' Eldest -son of the Bishop of Christchurch, ALA. of Merton College, Oxford ; Archdeacon of Westland, 1S66; Incumbent ofTimani, 1875. 328 NEW ZEALAND. Jenner should not take charge of the Bishopric of Dunedin, this Synod hereby requests him to with- draw his claim to that position." It was explained that the request to withdraw a claim by no means implied the acknowledgment of a right. Further debate ensued, and some opposition, but, ultimately, this amendment was adopted without a division. If it appears a somewhat " lame and impotent con- clusion," the cause must be attributed to the extreme unwillingness of the members of the Synod to come to an open breach with their President, whom they unfeignedly admired and revered, whose splendid hospitality they had enjoyed, and from whom they were on the eve of parting. On the following day, the last of the session, the Standing Orders were suspended for the purpose of passing through all its stages at one sitting a " Bill to provide for the Division of the Diocese of Christ- church into two separate dioceses." The enacting clauses of this measure were as follows : — " i. From and after the First Day of January, 1869, the Provinces of Otago and Southland shall cease to form a part of the Diocese of Christchurch, and shall thenceforward form a separate and independent diocese to be called the ' Diocese of Dunedin.' 2. Until a day to be fixed in that behalf by the Standing Com- mission, the Bishop of Christchurch shall continue to have charge of the said Diocese of Dunedin, and, for the purpose of the ' Statute for the Organisation of Diocesan Synods,' shall be deemed and taken to be the bishop of such diocese." The exciting nature of this controversy, which SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 329 occupied such a prominent place in the proceedings of this Synod, must not cause us to forget that some other important measures were framed and adopted at this session, tending to the completion of the organisation of the Church's system, i. The first of these was, a " Statute for the Appointment of a Primate, and for vesting in him certain powers." The chief provisions of this enactment are, (i) That the General Synod shall, as occasion shall require, elect one of the bishops to be Primate ; (2) That he shall be styled The Primate ; (3) That the election shall be by ballot ; {4) That no member of the Synod shall propose a candidate for the office, nor shall there be any speaking on the merits of candidates ; (5) The bishop for whom more than one-half of the votes of each of the three orders shall be given, shall be the Primate; (6) If there shall be no such majority on a first ballot, a second, and, if necessary, a third shall be taken ; and, if there shall be no such majority on the third ballot, then the Senior of the Bench of Bishops shall be Primate, seniority to be counted from the time of consecration. II. Secondly, a statute was passed "to provide for the Appoint- ment of Successors to the Missionary Bishop among the Islands of Melanesia." The principal provisions are that (i) The members of the mission may recom- mend to the General Synod some fit person to fill the office of Missionary Bishop ; (2) The General Synod shall appoint the person so recommended, if it think fit ; (3) Such recommendation and appoint- ment may be made before the occurrence of a vacancy; (4) If no such recommendation be made, 330 NEW ZEALAND. the General Synod shall appoint; (5) The term " Missionary Diocese " shall be understood to mean the Mission Field of any missionary bishop, whether such mission field be formally defined by fixed terri- torial limits or not. III. Thirdly, an important addition was made to the " Statute for the Organisa- tion of Archdeaconry and Rural Deanery Boards," providing for the constitution of Native Church Boards in certain districts, in which "the native population is intermixed with the English, and it is found impracticable, by reason of the difference of language and of circumstances, to combine both \n the same Boards." This portion of the statute was translated into the Maori language by the Yen. Arch- deacon Leonard Williams. The first of the above-mentioned statutes — that for the appointment of a Primate — having been duly enacted, the Synod proceeded on the eighth day of the session, October 14th, to the election of "a bishop who should be Primate upon the resignation or death of the Bishop of New Zealand," the Presi- dent having first invited the Synod to unite in prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the work in which they were engaged. The result of the ballot was that the Bishop of Christchurch was declared elected. The new Primate did not enter on his office until July, 1869, when he received notice from the late Bishop of New Zealand that his resignation of the office of Metropolitan had been registered in the office of Faculties of the Archbishop of Canter- bury. And now the formal connexion of the Synod with SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 33! its great bishop, the founder of the system of which it is the crown, was fast drawing to its close. On the last day of the session the Bishop of Christchurch, on behalf of a numerous committee appointed on an earlier day, presented and read to his lordship a fare- well address composed by Bishop Patteson. It is a touchingly beautiful and pathetic document, specially- noteworthy for its warmth, afifectionateness, and un- conventional character. We regret that we can afford space only for this short extract: — "How can we ever forget you? Every spot in New Zealand is identified with you. Each hill and valley, each river and bay and headland is full of memories of you ; the busy town, the lonely settler's hut, the countless islands of the sea, all speak to us of you. Whether your days be few or many, we, as long as we live^ will ever hold you deep in our inmost hearts." ^ The reply was worthy of the address, and was thoroughly- characteristic of the man, so full of self-abnegation, of devout thankfulness for the past, of prayerful hope for the future. We must not forget to add that two very affecting native addresses to the President were presented and read at an earlier period of the session, being rendered into English by the Rev. E. B. Clarke, now Archdeacon of Waimate — one from the natives of the Waimate and Bay of Islands, presented by their clergyman, the Rev. Matiu (Matthew) Taupaki, the other from the Maori people in general. The 1 The Address is given in full, together with the Reply, in the Rev. H. W. Tucker's "Life and Episcopate of G. A. Selwyn," vol. ii. pp. 261-265. 332 NEW ZEALAND. bishop gave another brief address to the Synod at the close of the proceedings, declared his connexion with them as their president to have come to an end, and pronounced the benediction. The last closing scenes of the great missionary prince's abode in the land with which he had so thoroughly identified himself — New Zealand's fare- well to her hero-bishop, a true man and king of men, so large-minded and unselfish even in his faults — had now arrived. Tuesday, October 20th, was the day of parting. St. Paul's Church was thronged at the farewell service ; the communicants were reckoned by hundreds, old Wesleyan missionaries being con- spicuous among them. Shops were shut, and busi- ness suspended, bishops, clergy, members of Synod, ladies, townsfolk, artisans with their wives and chil- dren, crowded the streets, all trooping down towards the wharf. Hundreds pressed around to shake hands for the last time with the bishop and Mrs. Selwyn, whose departure was regretted only next to that of her husband, and with his faithful friend, Bishop Abraham, who for his sake came to New Zealand, and now for his sake was accompanying him to Lichfield. INIany made their way into the saloon of the steamer to take their last farewell, and many remained long on the wharf, straining their eyes to -catch the last glimpse of the Hero, as it bore their friends away to Sydney. May the influence of his teaching never depart from the land — the brightness of his noble example never fade away from its people's eyes ! We must now return to Bishop Jenner. As Bishop SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOTMENT. ^^^ Sehvyn had openly espoused his cause in the Synod, and made no secret of his wish to persuade that body to confirm the appointment, so now, when the responsibihty of making the nomination was placed where it properly should have rested from the first, on the shoulders of the Rural Deanery Board, now about to be promoted to the rank of a diocesan synod, he saw no impropriety in making a last effort to secure the appointment of Dr. Jenner, by endea- vouring to persuade the members of the Board, who would probably be mostly members of the Synod, to adopt him as their nominee. He accordingly wrote a long letter to the Rev. E. G. Edwards, dated " S.S. Hero—-3X sea, 22nd October, 1868," and headed " For the Rural Deanery Board of Otago and Southland," the burden of which was to urge, that no other reason besides insufficiency of income had been alleged by the Select Committee of the General Synod, why confirmation of the appointment should be withheld, and that " nothing had been proved by any opponent of Bishop Jenner, which ought to debar him from entering upon the duties of his ofifice, whenever a sufficient income, clear of all incumbrances, could be supplied." " In the absence," so the bishop wrote, " of any definite charge or in- superable difficulty, such as ought to exclude Dr. Jenner from the bishopric of Dunedin, we all con- curred in the request that, for the sake of the peace of the Church, he would resign his claim. But this argu- ment of peace has a double aspect. Bishop Jenner may claim of his opponents with greater justice that, for the sake of the peace of the Church, they should 334 NEW ZEALAND. withdraw their opposition. . . . For his sake then, and for the sake of the Synod, and for the sake of the peace of the Church, I do most earnestly entreat my dear friends and brethren in the Rural Deanery of Otago and Southland to withdraw their opposition, and to accept Dr. Jenner as their bishop." Had the Synod of the new diocese been elected and ready to act, when this letter reached its destina- tion, it is very probable that it would have succeeded in bringing about the desired effect. But an unex- pected event occurred, which completely altered the position, and produced fresh complications. Bishop Jenner, who had said in his " Statement " submitted to the Synod, " This then is the position of affairs at the end of June, 1868. Bishop Jenner remains at home until after the meeting of the General Synod, in deference to the opinion, so strongly expressed as to admit of no resistance, of Bishops Sehvyn and Harper" — changed his mind, and left England be- fore it was possible to hear what had transpired in the Synod. Travelling via Panama, he arrived in Lyttelton at the end of January, 1869, did not come over to Christchurch — a distance of seven or eight miles by railway — to confer with Bishop Harper, but hastened on by the same steamer to Dunedin. There his sudden arrival electrified, not church-people only, but the whole community, and provoked intensely painful dissension and bitter controversy. The news- papers teemed with remonstrances, rejoinders, attacks, and recriminations. Many took up the bishop's cause warmly, and loudly complained of the harshness and injustice of the treatment to which, in their view, he SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 335 had been subjected. An attractive presence and the bearing of a gentleman — not to speak of his renown iis a church musician and composer — won for him many supporters. On the other hand, newspaper reports of services and ceremonies of an advanced Rituahstic type, in which he had recently taken part in England, accompanied by a letter of disapproval written by Archbishop Longley, were scattered broad- cast throughout the two provinces, and, while they excited much ignorant prejudice, perplexed and irritated even the moderate and soberminded, and awakened doubts and misgivings in the minds ot some even of the warmest advocates of the bishop's cause. In a word, the new diocese was split in two from end to end. As had been the case in the Synod, so it was now; some clamoured for justice to Dr. Jenner ; others pitied the diocese more, and, according to their temperament, either mildly depre- cated, or vehemently protested against, the appoint- ment as a menace of perpetual discord. Some believed in, and appealed to, his promises of modera- tion and caution for the future ; others scouted them, as utterly untrustworthy. *' Can the leopard," said they, " change his spots ? " At a meeting held at the Athen^um, Dunedin, on the 30th January, for the purpose of devising means of opposing the appoint- ment, the chairman, Mr. W. Carr Young, read a telegram from the Bishop of Christchurch in these terms, "Bishop Jenner has come out without authority from me ; nor do I propose giving him authority to officiate in Otago or Southland." Dr. Jenner, on his part, writing on the 6th February to the Otago Daily 336 NEW ZEALAND. Times, from St. Paul's Parsonage, where he was staying as a guest, declared that " he had no idea of forcing himself on the diocese as its bishop." " If," he wrote, " it appears that the feeling of the Church in these provinces against me is really what it is represented to be by my opponents, all I can say is, that nothing will be easier than to get rid of me. But it is due to myself, as well as to my numerous friends here — whose most kind and cordial welcome will never fade from my remembrance, wherever the rest of my life may be passed — not too hastily to yield to the demands of those who are urging my immediate resignation of all pretensions to the new see. ... I am not here as bishop of Dunedin. I have not assumed that title since I landed in New- Zealand. It has, I may also observe, been my fixed intention, ever since my arrival, not to officiate in any church in the colony until my position should be more clearly defined than it has been since the decision of the General Synod." A formal inhibition was actually issued by the Bishop of Christchurch, and Bishop Jenner did not officiate in any church during his stay in New Zealand. But Bishop Harper did not disapprove of his going round the diocese, and ascertaining for himself the feelings and wishes of church-people in the chief centres of population with regard to his claims. Accordingly, he first held a meeting at St. George's Hall, Dunedin, on the 12th February, at which the chair was taken by the Hon. Dr. Buchanan, a man of high character and standing in the country, and at which the bishop defended SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 337 himself vigorously against the errors imputed to him in doctrine and practice, and manfully urged his claims to the see for which he was consecrated. Then, after about a fortnight's stay in Dunedin, he visited Waikouaiti, Oamaru, Clyde, Queenstown, and other places, and addressed meetings wherever he found convenient opportunity. Meanwhile the Bishop of Christchurch took the necessary steps for convening the first meeting of the Diocesan Synod, giving ample time, and making the fullest and most careful arrangements for securing as thoroughly satisfactory a representation of the laymen of the two provinces as it was possible to obtain. The licensed clergy were nine in number. The day appointed by the bishop for the opening of the session was Wednesday, the 7th April, when his lordship presided. Rarely has the first meeting of a newly-constituted legislative body, whether ecclesi- astical or secular, commenced under circumstances so exciting. The final struggle took place on the second and third days of the session, April 8th and 9th, the sitting, which began at 4 p.m. on the 8th, having been prolonged through the night, and the division having taken place at break of day on the 9th. The bishop did not move from the chair from 11.30 p.m. on the 8th, until 6 a.m. on the 9th. The motion, hotly debated through these long hours, was to the effect, that "the Synod declared its willingness to accept Bishop Jenner as bishop of the diocese of Dunedin, and requested the confirmation of his appointment as such, in the manner prescribed z 338 NEW ZEALAND. ill the Church Constitution, provided that within three months no charge of unfaithfulness to his ordination vows should be made and established." The result of the division was, that four of the clergy voted in favour of the motion, and three against it, one of the nine not having come up to the meeting of the Synod. Of the laity, ten were in favour of the motion, and fifteen against it, so that it was declared to be lost. Bishop Jenner sailed for England shortly after. No proposal was made for the nomination of any other clerg>'man to occupy the nev/ see ; the recent strife had left behind it too much soreness of feeling and mutual distrust to allow of any common counsel being taken for this purpose ; the soothing effect of time was imperatively needed to allay the mischief. The most hopeful prospect that opened itself under the circumstances was, that the next meeting of the General Synod, which was to be held in Dunedin itself in 1871, might pave the way to the settlement of the diocese under a duly appointed bishop. Mean- time, the old proverb which says, " It is an ill wind which blows no good," was exemplified in the case of the Dunedin gale, which blew so fiercely on the night of the 8th April, 1869. The following extract from a letter received by the writer of this history from Sir William Martin, dated Auckland, 30th July, 1869, bears witness to one good result: — "I suppose the next mail will bring tidings of the acceptance and registra- tion of our late bishop's resignation : which done, the reign of our new primate will commence ; and that, I think, under happy auspices. For whatever SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 339 evils may have attended the case of Bishop Jenner, certainly one good effect of the Dunedin synod has reached us here. The conduct of the President, under circumstances of a trying kind, has earned for him much confidence among churchmen here." z 2 340 NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER VI. Fifth General Synod — Bishop Covvie — Bishop Hadtield— Dunedin Bishopric Case — The Bishoprics Statute— The Discipline Statutes — Diocesan Boards Statute — Modifica- tion of Services — Close of Session — Consecration of Bishop j;gyjii_^(,tiQn of English Prelates— The Primate's Letter — Bishop Jenner's Reply— Death of Bishop Patteson— Sixth General Synod — Constitutional Questions — Statute Iv[o. 19— Bishopric of Dunedin again — Board of Theological Studies— St. John's College, Auckland— The Melanesian Bishopric. We must now pass on to the meeting of the Fifth General Synod, which took place at Dunedin in the City Council Chambers, on the ist February, 187 1. On this occasion the Most Rev. H. J. C. Harper, D.D., Bishop of Christchurch, took the President's chair for the first time as Primate of New Zealand. Besides the Primate, four other bishops were present, namely, the Right Rev. William Williams, D.D., Bishop of Waiapu; the Right Rev. Andrew Burn Suter, D.D., Bishop of Nelson ; the Right Rev. William Garden Cowie, D.D., Bishop of Auckland— the title, "Bishop of New Zealand," having fitly expired on the resigna- tion of the first holder of it; and the Right Rev. Octavius Hadfield, D.D., Bishop of Wellington. Bishop Patteson was unable to attend by reason of serious illness. Dr. Cowie had been selected by Bishop Selwyn in England, the Diocesan Synod of SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 341 Auckland having delegated to him its right of nomi- nation, on the understanding that he should appoint a clergyman in England, and the General Synod having, at its session in 1868, confirmed by anticipa- tion any nomination he might think fit to make. It had also requested him to take the necessary steps for the consecration of his nominee, and Bishop Cowie was accordingly consecrated, under royal mandate, by the Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Tait), on St. Peter's Day, 1869, in Westminster Abbey.^ With reference to the consecration of Bishop Had- field, the following extract from the new Primate's address to the Synod will be found interesting and important :—" On the ist June, 1S70, Bishop ' The Rev. W. G. Cowie had been ordained by Bishop Turton, of Ely, deacon in 1854, priest in 1855. After holding curacies at St. Clement's, Cambridge, and Moulton, Suffolk, he was appointed to an Army Chaplaincy in India, and went to Lucknow with Sir CoHn CampbsU's army in 1858, being one of the chaplains of the division commanded by Sir Robert Walpole, and was present throughout the operations which ended in the capture of that city. Was present also at all the battles of the subsequent Rohilcund campaign with Sir R. Walpole. After five years of army chaplain's work in India, he was chaplain to the Viceroy's camp (Lord Elgin) in 1863. After Lord Elgin's death was appointed chaplain to Sir Neville Chamberlain's column in the expedition against the Afghan tribes in the end of 1863, and was present at the capture of Laloo and at other engagements, receiving the medals for the two campaigns. In 1864, became chaplain to the Bishop of Calcutta (Dr. Cotton), and accompanied him on his travels in the North of India. In 1865 was chaplain on duty in Cash- mere. In 1867 was appointed by the Lord Chancellor to the Rectory of St. Mary's, Stafford. 342 NEW ZEALAND. Abraham's resignation of the See of Welhngton took effect, and at the meeting of the Synod of that dio- cese the Ven. Octavius Hadfield, Archdeacon of Kapiti, was nominated to the vacant see, and was duly consecrated to the office of a bishop in the cathedral church of Wellington, on Sunday, the 9th of October last, by myself, assisted by the Bishops ot Waiapu, of Nelson, and of Auckland I have laid upon the table copies of the mandate issued by myself for the consecration of the bishop, and read during the service ; of the declaration made by the bishop-elect, and of the document certifying to his consecration. As these were used for the first time on this occasion, and, in the case of the two former, are deviations from the form of ordaining and con- secrating bishops as given in the Ordinal, it is due to the representative body of the Church that they should be brought to its notice. A very important step has been taken thereby in the New Zealand Church, and what has been done in this matter con- cerns, not only the Church of this day, but the Church of the future also." Sixteen clerical and twenty lay representatives were present. Of the latter Sir William Martin was one, this being the last session of the General Synod he ever attended. Two important documents on the Jenner case were laid on the table of the Synod by the Primate. The first was a printed copy of a "judgment" of the Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Tait) on Bishop Jenner's claim to the See of Dunedin; and the second, a letter from Bishop Jenner himself to the Primate, protesting against " the invasion of his dio- SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 343 cesan rights" in the "performance of episcopal func- tions in the Diocese of Dunedin " by the Primate, as Bishop of Christchurch. The Archbishop's *' judgment " was, by his own avowal, based ex- clusively on the statements of the Bishop of Lichfield and Bishop Jenner, and commenced with this most important qualification : — " I must premise that the following judgment is founded only on a partial statement of the case ; and I am necessarily in igno- rance how far it might be my duty to modify it, if I were in possession of such statements as the Church- men resident in New Zealand might wish to forward, if they had the opportunity." The conclusion of the opinion is that his Grace thought that Dr. Jenner had "an equitable claim to be considered Bishop of Dunedin.'' "But," he added, "as I can scarcely suppose that he is prepared to force himself upon a body which is now unwilling to receive him, my ad- vice is the same as that of the General Synod of New Zealand, viz., that he should forego his claim." It can hardly fail to be regarded as a matter of regret that the Archbishop should have ventured to give any judgment at all in a matter seriously affecting the internal government and order of a province of the Anglican Communion, without being requested by the duly constituted authority of the Provincial Church to intervene in the matter, and avowedly on ex parte statements only. The effect was that Bishop Jenner considered himself, as he stated in his letter above referred to, "amply justified, as the Primate of All England had pronounced in his favour, in re- newing the contest for his rightful position." He 344 NEW ZEALAND. was, accordingly, emboldened to address a pastoral letter to the clergy and laity of the diocese, in which he declared that " he was, and had been since the day of his consecration, Bishop of Dunedin, and that he claimed, and should continue to claim, all the rights and privileges belonging to that position, in- cluding spiritual jurisdiction over the Diocese of Dunedin." The Primate, in his address, referred to these documents in terms of exemplary calmness and dignity, as follows: — "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, as I would rather say, my duty, may be regarded as resting on two grounds : either on the fact of my consecration under Royal Letters Patent to the See of Christchurch, which at that time included the provinces of Canterbury and Otago and Southland, and which, as yet, I have never formally resigned ; or on the authority of the General Synod, which, in its Statute No. 12, has declared that "until a day to be fixed in that behalf by the Standing Commission, the Bishop of Christchurch shall continue to have charge of the Diocese of Dunedin, and for the purpose of the statute for the organization of Diocesan Synods, shall be deemed and taken to be the bishop of that diocese. Whichever of these grounds is taken, my spiritual SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 345 oversight of the 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 Arch- bishop 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 I am 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 that purpose, though quite ready to con- tinue in the charge of it, if such arrangements at this time be thought impracticable." On the sixth day of the session, the following resolution was moved, and carried without a divi- sion : — " That, whereas the last General Synod of the branch of the United Church of England and Ireland in New Zealand took into consideration all the cir- cumstances of the nomination and consecration of Bishop Jenner, and did thereupon formally request that he should withdraw his claim to the position of Bishop of Dunedin for the sake of the peace of the Church, to which request Bishop Jenner has declined to accede ; and whereas the law of the Church re- quires the sanction of the General Synod to the nomination of a Bishop to any see in New Zealand — Resolved, that this Synod does hereby refuse to sanction the nomination of Bishop Jenner to the See of Dunedin, whether that nomination were in due 346 NEW ZEALAND. form or otherwise. But at the same time this Synod begs to express its sympathy with Bishop Jenner in the painful position in which he has been placed." Here at length, then, was a conclusion and a judg- ment sufficiently distinct and absolutely unmistake- able, and upon the ground of this resolution the Church of New Zealand has thenceforth taken its stand. And, it may be added, if the General Synod had not had sufficient reason before for arriving at this conclusion, such sufficient reason must have ob- truded itself on its notice in the defiant language and tone of the letter to the Bishop of Christchurch laid by him on the table of the Synod, in which Dr. Jenner thus wrote : — " It is manifestly no fault of mine if this re-assertion of my rights conflicts with the authority of the General Synod of 1868. For my occupation of the see being (as I contend) antecedent to the action, nay, even to the existence, of that body, it was unconstitutional to proceed (as the S}'nod did) as if the see were vacant. That part of the proceedings of the General Synod, therefore, which has reference to the Diocese of Dunedin, I treat as null and void." At this session of the Synod the following im- portant measures, amongst others, were discussed and settled : — viz. I. The Bishoprics Statute. A new Statute (No. 14) was enacted " For Regulating the Division of Dioceses, the Alteration of the Boundaries of Dioceses, the Constitution of new Bishoprics, and the Mode of Appointing Bishops." The main pro- visions of this enactment are: (i) In the case of a new Diocese, the nomination of the first bishop shall SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 347 proceed from a Convention of the licensed clergy resident within its boundaries and representatives of the laity, the election of such representatives to be made in such manner as shall be determined by the Primate, or a commissary specially appointed by him for the purpose ; (2) The Primate, or his commissary, to convene and preside over the Convention ; (3) The nomination of a bishop to be made by one ot the clergy, and seconded by one of the lay repre- sentatives ; (4) The votes to be taken by ballot, and an absolute majority of the votes of each Order re- quired for an election; (5) If the required majority be not given for any clergyman on the first ballot, a second, and, if necessary, a third ballot to be taken, and, in case the third should be ineffectual, additional nominations may be made ; (6) In the election of all succeeding bishops, the same method to be observed by the Diocesan Synod; (7) The Convention or the Diocesan Synod, as the case may be, may dele- gate its right of nomination to any person or persons it may appoint, either absolutely or subject to con- ditions ; (8) Whereas it is required, by the 23rd clause of the Constitution, that every such nomina- tion should be sanctioned by the General Synod, or, if the General Synod be not in session, by the majority of the Standing Committees of the several dioceses, it was further provided by this statute that, in the event of that confirmation being given by the Standing Committees, these committees should vote by orders. II. T/ie Discipline Statutes. The Statute "To de- fine Ecclesiastical Offences and the punishments 34^ NEW ZEALAND. thereof," was carefully considered and amended, and, together with the Tribunals Statute, which the Synod finally determined to leave unamended for the time then present, was continued in force until the end ot the next triennial session. III. Diocesaji Boards Statute. A Statute (N0.16) was passed, not without considerable opposition, for " Establishing Diocesan Boards for the purpose of considering the General Fitness for the Ministry of Candidates for Deacons' Orders." Its chief pro- visions were these: — (i) A Board to be elected annually by each Diocesan Synod, to be called " The Diocesan Board." (2) Every application to be allowed to become a candidate for deacon's orders to be made by the candidate in writing to the bishop, and to be accompanied by certain specified informa- tion respecting himself. (3) The bishop, if he think fit, to lay such application before the Board. (4) " If, having regard to the age, character, education, circumstances, and general personal qualifications of the applicant, the Board shall be satisfied that he is fitted in those respects for the work of the ministry, and likely to be generally acceptable as a minister of the Church, they shall certify such their opinion in manner hereinafter mentioned." (5) No person to be placed on the list of candidates for deacon's orders, unless his general fitness on the grounds before men- tioned be certified by not less than two-thirds of the members of the Board. This statute was introduced by one bishop and strongly supported by another ; it was originally drafted by Sir William Martin; but several of the clergy and laity objected to it as SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 349 an interference with the prerogative of the bishop, and as likely to prevent some desirable candidates from coming forward ; and their objections prevailed so far as to cause the statute to be made a provisional one — to " continue in force until the end of the next session but one of the General Synod, and no longer." IV. Modification of Services. The Synod affirmed an important resolution to the effect that it "recog- nises the expediency of a certain discretion being exercised by the bishops in sanctioning from time to time such divisions in the services, and modifications in the manner of celebrating those services, as may be urgently required by the circumstances of the clergy or of the people." Whereupon the question was formally asked of the Right Rev. Bench by the Rev. R. Burrows, whether they were " prepared to state what divisions and modifications they were willing to sanction, and under what circumstances." On a subsequent day the Primate read a carefully- considered reply of their lordships, specifying in de- tail the modifications they were prepared to sanction. We may confidently state that the arrangements thus made, which have been very generally acted upon throughout the country, have given universal satis- faction to the clergy and people of the Anglican Communion in New Zealand. V. Supply and Training of Candidates for tlie Ministry. A Select Committee was appointed to consider this subject, and made a valuable report, which was ordered to be published in the appendix of the Synod Report for the session, and bore fruit, 350 XEW ZEALAND. as we shall see, at the next triennial session in the establishment of the Board of Theological Studies. The Fifth General Synod, having sat for fourteen days, broke up on the i8th February, 1S71, the President having first called on all present to join him in repeating the Gloria i?i Excelst's, after which he pronounced the Benediction. We must now return once more to the history of the Bishopric of Dunedin. In the 4th clause of the Bishoprics Statute, 187 1, the main provisions of which we have just described, it was laid down as a proviso to the clause directing that the first bishop of a new diocese should be elected by a Co7ivcntion of the licensed clergy and representatives of the laity, as follows : — " Provided that the nomination of the first Bishop of Dunedin shall be made by the Diocesan Synod."' Accordingly, in March, 1871, after the breaking up of the Fifth General Synod, the first session of the Second Synod of the Diocese of Dunedin was held under the presidency of the Bishop of Christchurch, when the Synod, having re- solved to proceed to the election of a bishop and .the President having requested all present to join in silent prayer, the Rev. E. G. Edwards nominated the Rev. Samuel Tarratt Nevill, jM.A., of ]\Iagdalen College, Cambridge, Rector of Shelton, Staffordshire, ' The expression, '■'■First Bishop of Dunedin," should be noted. Whatever inconsistencies or errors individuals, or other bodies, may have fallen into with regard to this perplexed question, the course of the General Synod has been clear and consistent throughout ; it has never recognised Bishop Jenner as having been at any time Bishop of Dunedin. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AXD DEVELOPME.M . 351 to the Bishopric of Dunedin.i The nomination was seconded by Mr. W. Carr Young, and no other nomination having been made, a ballot was taken, and the Rev. Samuel Tarratt Nevill was declared by the President to be duly elected. Having signed the declaration of adhesion to the Constitution, and his nomination having been confirmed by the stand- ing committees of the several dioceses, the bishop- elect was consecrated at St. Paul's, Dunedin, on Trinity Sunday, June 4th, 1 871, by the Most Rev. the Primate, assisted by the Bishops of Waiapu, Nelson, and "\^'ellington. On the same day the Bishop of Christchurch formally resigned the charge ot the bishopric of Dunedin, and, as Primate of New Zealand, inducted the Right Rev. S. T. Nevill into the bishopric of the See. The Primate forthwith notified the appointment and consecration of Bishop Nevill to the Archbishop of Canter bur)', and in May, 1872, received in reply the following resolution of the archbishops and bishops of the Church of England assembled at Lambeth Palace on the 5th Februar)', 1872 : — "The Archbishop of Canterbur}', having announced to the bishops assembled, tha*: he had received from the ' Mr. Nevill had been travelling with Mrs. Xeviil in New Zealand, having brought letters of introduction from the Bishop of Lichfield, his diocesan ; was present at St. Paul's, Wellington, at the consecration of Bishop Hadfield, and had been staying for some time previous to the session of the S)Tiod in Dunedin and the neighbourhood. Bishop Nevill was ordained by the Bishop of Chester, deacon i860, priest 1861. The degree of D.D. was conferred on him by the University of Cambridge in 1S72. 352 NEW ZEALAND. Bishop of Christchurch a notification of the Rev. Samuel Tarratt Nevill having been elected and con- secrated to the see of Dunedin, in the province of New Zealand; and Bishop Jenner having signified to the Archbishop of Canterbury his resignation of the see ; it was resolved that the Archbishop of Canterbury be requested to inform the Bishop of Christchurch that the archbishops and bishops as- sembled are ready to recognise the Rev. Samuel Tarratt Nevill as second Bishop of Dunedin, taking, however, for granted that his grace will receive some more formal announcement of the consecration." On the receipt of the foregoing resolution, the Primate of New Zealand wrote, and caused to be printed (for private circulation), a letter addressed to the archbishops and bishops in communion with the Church of England, giving in full detail the whole history of the Jenner case from the beginning, stating the ground on which the General Synod had acted, and protesting most respectfully and temperately, but at the same time with much vigour and dignity, against the conclusion arrived at by the prelates of the Church of England. His lordship pointed out that their recognition of the consecration of Bishop Nevill was based on the as- sumption that Dr. Jenner was the first Bishop of Dunedin, and that, as there had been no interval between his own resignation of the bishopric of that diocese and the consecration of Bishop Nevill, the recognition of Bishop Jenner as having been " the first Bishop of Dunedin," was " not only irreconcile- able with the facts of the case, but with all Church SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 353 order," It was tantamount to the intrusion of a bishop into another's see, and to the setting at nought of the right of a provincial . Church to order its own affairs, and guard its own internal regulations from violation. The question whether Bishop Jenner's appointment ought to have been confirmed by the General Synod might be a matter of opinion, but to withhold its confirmation, if it thought good, was its unquestionable right. Moreover, to recognise Dr. Jenner as Bishop of Dunedin up to the time of his so-styled resignation was to impugn the consecration of Bishop Nevill as a schismatical act.' In a word, by so doing, the English bishops had, as far as in them lay, "exercised an authority over the New Zealand Church, in the appointment of a bishop to one of its sees, which was certainly not given to them by that Church, nor ever sanctioned by the Catholic Church in her undivided state." His lord- ship, moreover, expressed his regret that they should ' The date of this "resignation " was June i6th, 1871. The necessity of such an emphatic protest on the part of the primate is shown, not only by the strong language used by Bishop Jenner himself, who, in his pamphlet entitled "The Ste of Dunedin, N.Z.," styles Bishop Nevill " the schismatical intruder into my as yet unvacated see," and spoke of his "most unhappy posi- tion," but also by statements which appeared in the Guardian and the Colonial Church Chi-onicle of the following description : — "The consecration of Mr. Nevill being performed without the Bishop of Dunedin's consent, in defiance of hii authority and in disregard of his rights, was a distinctly schismatical proceeding ; and Mr. Nevill was not placed in a see of his own, but intruded into that of another bishop." — Col. Ch. Chronicle, November, 187 1. 2 A ^54 NEW ZEALAND. have arrived at such a serious decision without having previously communicated with the Church in New Zealand, and without having any independent person present at their deliberations to represent that Church, and explain the action it had taken. i Before finally concluding his protest, the Primate was in a position to state, that he had obtained the concurrence in it of all the other bishops of New Zealand. On the 2nd July, 1873, Bishop Jenner wrote to the Primate of New Zealand a reply to the foregoing letter, and sent a copy to every prelate of the Anglican Communion, This reply is partly founded on mis- conceptions, but is mainly an argumentum ad honii- nem, dwelling on certain apparent mistakes and in- consistencies, into which the Bishop of Christchurch had been beguiled by his love of peace and harmony, but not touching on the real point at issue, namely, the authority of the Church of the province of New Zealand to order its own affairs and appoint its own bishops. But in this reply, it should be mentioned, Bishop Jenner reiterated a demand, which he made over and over again, both before and afterwards, namely, that the whole dispute between himself and the New Zealand Church should be submitted to arbitration, promising to abide by the result. He had no intention at that time of reviving his claim to the actual possession of the see, but wished only to establish his right to be recognised as having been ' It is scarcely necessary to point out that the Bishop ot Lichfield, who was present, was an interested party, having been throughout, as we have seen, an eager advocate of the claims of Dr. Jenner. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 355 " first Bishop of Dunedin." It scarcely needs to be pointed out, after what has been said, that the Church of New Zealand, according to her plain and straight- forw^ard view of the matter, could not allow this claim without compromising the truth. The proposal to refer the question to arbitration never came before the General Synod itself, but it has always been held, on its behalf, that it is preposterous to expect that the Supreme Legislature of a Provincial Church should ever consent to cast doubt on its own autho- rity, and to submit the decision of a question apper- taining to its own internal patronage and jurisdiction to the judgment of any external tribunal. In the same reply the bishop declares that "it will be neces- sary to re-open the whole question at the next Lam- beth Conference." In what manner he proposed to re-open the question is stated by himself at a later date : — " At the Pan- Anglican Synod I intend (if I am spared) to claim to sit and vote and sign the ' Acta ' as late Bishop of Dunedin. I shall announce this formally very early in the session. If my claim is unchallenged, I shall consider that my position is secure. Any challenge will of necessity lead to an investigation of the claim, which will suit me all the better, as conducing to a more definite settlement of the question." 1 To turn to another subject. In September, 187 1, ' Letter to Henry Sewell, Esq., dated June 17th, 1875. When Archbishop Tait convened the second Lambeth Con- ference in 1878, the difficuhy was happily evaded by the invita- tions to attend the Conference being confined exclusively to bishops charged with the actual superintendence of dioceses. 2 A 2 356 NEW ZEALAND. New Zealand was startled and, for a moment, dis- tressed beyond measure, at receiving the sudden tidings of the martyrdom of Bishop Patteson and his companions. The first distress was soon exchanged for thoughts of thankfulness and triumph. Many, who could look back in memory on that pale, thought- ful, suffering, patient face, — a face that seemed to speak the words, " I die daily," — a face, notwithstand- ing, not seldom lit up with an inexpressibly sweet and winning smile, — when talking, for example, of his Melanesian scholars, and showing to a sympathising friend their Scripture note-books,— such could not but " rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory," when they thought of that fitting close of a devoted life, that saintly brow crowned with the aureole of martyrdom. It were needless for us to repeat the details of a story, so touchingly told by the bene- factress of the Melanesian Mission, the authoress of the " Daisy Chain " (the proceeds of which she long since devoted to the Mission), as well as by other writers. It must be our business now to hasten on to the next triennial meeting of the General Synod, which now completed its first cycle by coming round again to Wellington, its first starting-place in 1859. The sixth General Synod was opened by the Most Rev. the Primate in the chamber of the Provincial Council, Wellington, on Ascension Day, the 14th May, 1874, after Divine Service, and celebration of the Holy Communion, in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, when the sermon was preached by the Right Rev. the Bishop of Dunedin, who now took his seat in the Synod for the first time. Bishop SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 357 Williams, of Waiapu, was present for the last time ; the bishops of Nelson, Auckland, and Wellington were also present. Twelve clergymen attended the session and fourteen laymen. Sir William Martin had recently left for England, where he spent the remainder of his days ; but he left the Synod, as it were, a legacy, in the shape of a pamphlet entitled " Notes on Church Questions," to which reference was often made in the debates of the session. His place was in some measure supplied by the Hon. Henry Sewell, a learned and acute lawyer, who came from England, in 1853, to wind up the affairs of the Canterbury Association, and was afterwards a mem- ber of the Legislature, and Attorney- General for New Zealand. His influence on the counsels of this Synod was very marked, more especially in the dis- cussions which took place, and the measures which were adopted, with reference to the alterations of the Formularies of the Church. And it is for the debates which occurred, and the action which was taken, on this subject that this session of the Synod is chiefly memorable. It will be remembered that, nine years earlier, in the Christchurch Synod of 1S65, the wis- dom of laying down anything whatever in the Church Constitution as absolutely unalterable, was strongly impugned. Important alterations, it was urged, in the relations of the Colonial Church to the Church and State in England had already taken place since the Constitution was agreed upon, and it was probable that other equally important changes would follow. And so it turned out; even while that Synod was sitting, such a change had actually taken place. 358 NEW ZEALAND. though tidings of it had not yet reached the colony : a change so important as to cause the bishops, imme- diately after the Synod separated, to resign their Letters Patent. The Westbury Judgment was, in- deed, more than a change ; it was a revolution. And the rising tide of change mocked yet more derisively at the puny attempt to set up immovable barriers, when the Church of Ireland was disestablished, and the " Branch of the United Church of England and Ireland," of the unalterable clauses, became a glaring misnomer and anachronism. Now, the problem which had long been assuming formidable dimen- sions, thrust itself at length before the minds of Churchmen at the Synod of 1874, and refused to be any longer ignored. It was intolerable that things should remain as they were — that a body, so young and vigorous, and free in spirit, should be shackled by traditions of such recent date, and that men, whom Church and State, and even Crown lawyers, were vying with one another to set at liberty, should con- sent to be hampered by a yoke of bondage of their own creation. Two courses were put before the Synod. To evade the stringency of the fundamental provisions of the Constitution by what seemed to many to be forced and non-natural interpretations — that was one course. The other was, that the General Synod, as the Supreme Legislature of the Church, having attained, as it were, to man's estate, should assert its authority, and cast off the leading- strings of its infancy. In the subsequent Synod of 1877, when these discussions were renewed, this argument was especially relied upon by those who SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 359 advocated the latter course — namely that, in the pre- amble to the revised Constitution of 1865, it is no longer said, as it was before, " the bishops, clergy, and laity in Conference assembled," — but "the bishops, clergy, and laity in General ^jvw^ assembled," — "do solemnly declare and establish as follows : " and in what " follows " is included the fundamental and (so- called) unalterable portion of the Constitution. But one General Synod has no power to bind another ; what, therefore, the Synod of 1865 bounds the Synod of 1877, or any subsequent Synod, might loose ; it may alter that which a body, of no greater power than itself, has declared to be " unalterable." That these alternative courses were proposed and urged, is simple matter of history, and, in order to place the actual position clearly before the minds of our readers, we append in full Statute No. 19, " For Making certain Necessary Alterations in the Formal Organisation of the Church," as it was passed in that session, and as it stood on the Statute Book of the Church, until the re-casting of the statutes into the form of canons in 1883 happily involved the preambles of all statutes alike in a common ex- tinction : — Statute for making certain necessary Altera- tions IN the formal Organisation of the Church. Whereas the Church Constitution was framed upon the assumption that certain fundamental relations existed between the Church in the colony and the parent Church and State, and, in particular, upon the 360 NEW ZEALAND. assumption that the Queen's prerogative, as Supreme Governor of the Church, extended to the colony ; and that the Church in the colony had a legal exist- ence in the eye of the law, as an integral part of the United Church of England and Ireland ; but it has since been established as well by decisions of courts of law in England, particularly by the judgment of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the case of the Bishop of Capetown and Bishop Colenso,as by Acts of State, particularly by the fact of the Crown refusing to nominate a bishop to a colonial see in any colony possessing a Representative Legislature, that such relations did not and do not now, in fact, exist: Afid li'hereas, when the Church Constitution was framed, the Churches of England and Ireland were united by law under the Act of Union ; and the Church in the colony was deemed to be an integral part or branch of such United Church ; and is so designated in the Constitution ; but such union has since been dissolved by Act of the Imperial Legis- lature, so that the United Church of England and Ireland no longer exists : And whereas, by reason of such changes of circum- stances, it is necessary that corresponding changes should be made in certain formal parts of the organi- sation of the Church in the colony, and in such parts of its formularies as relate thereto : And whereas, having regard to the plain intention of the framers of the Constitution, as evidenced by its terms, to provide, in possible emergencies, for such necessary alterations as are hereby made ; and having regard to the inherent right of the Church in SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 36 1 the colony, as declared by the 34th Article; and to the authority of the General Synod, as the Legislature thereof; it is competent to the Synod to make the proposed alterations, in accordance with the true spirit, meaning, and intention of the Constitution, and without infringing the fundamental terms and con- ditions thereof : Be it therefore resolved by the bishops, clergy, and laity of the Church, which is in the Constitution designated as a branch of the United Church of Eng- land and Ireland, as follows : — 1. Those parts of the service for the consecration of bishops which relate to the Queen's Mandate shall be omitted and discontinued. 2. Those parts of the services for the consecration of bishops and for the ordering of priests and deacons which refer specially to the parent Church and State may be omitted and changed so as to adapt them to the circumstances of the colony. 3. The following explanatory words shall be ap- pended to the 2ist of the 39 Articles, viz. : — "It is not to be inferred from this article that the Church in the colony is hindered from meeting in council without the authority of the civil power." 4. The following explanatory words shall be ap- pended to the 37th of the 39 Articles : — " It is not to be inferred from this Article that the civil power has authority in this colony to determine purely spiritual questions, or to hinder the Church in the colony from finally determining such questions by its own authority, or by tribunals constituted under its authority." 362 NEW ZEALAND. 5. In future, in all cases in which it may be neces- sary to refer to the Church in the colony (which is in the Constitution designated as a branch of the United Church of England and Ireland), it shall be sufficient if it be referred to or designated as the Church of the Province of New Zealand, commonly called the Church of England. The most practically-important clause of the fore- going statute is the last, which has reference to the designation of the Church in the colony. The changes in the Ordinal had been previously made in practice ; the explanatory words attached to certain of the 39 Articles have hitherto attracted no atten- tion ; but the new designation, setting the Church free from the anomalous absurdity of being termed a " Branch of the United Church of England and Ire- land in New Zealand," was welcomed at once and universally, has been since recognised in several Acts of the Colonial Parliament — has, in short, taken root and flourished. A similar result of the endeavour to impose un- alterable provisions upon the Supreme Legislature of the Church is exhibited in the preamble of the Statute (No. 21) "For Adopting a New Table of Lessons." The question whether the new Lectionary of the Church of England should be brought into use in New Zealand might naturally be supposed to be a very simple one, since the change had approved itself to the vast majority of people ; but the adoption was prefaced by an elaborate and perplexed labyrinth of argument, intended to prove that the Church was at liberty to do that which it was determined to do. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 363 The new Lectionary was adopted provisionally — until the end of the next session but one of the General Synod. Besides these two measures, a third, prefaced by a very similar preamble, was introduced by the Hon. H. Sewell on the last day of the session, and read a first time. It was entitled, " A Statute to limit and define the powers of the General Synod in reference to alterations of the services, formularies, and Articles of the Church, and the Authorised Version of the Holy Scriptures, and to settle the mode of procedure in reference thereto." The mover urged that the provisions of the Bill were of a decidedly conservative character, and calculated to restrain hasty legislation ; but its very title, and the suggestion it contained of the possibility of changes of a formidable character, were sufficient to alarm many ; and on the plea of the late period of the session — some of the members, including two of the bishops, having already left Wellington — an amendment was carried, on the motion being made for the second reading, to the effect that the Bill be printed and cir- culated, transmitted to the several bishops, and made known to the several Diocesan Synods, and that the Primate be requested to bring the matter before the General Synod at its next triennial session as early as possible, as its first business. We must now pass on to other matters transacted by this Synod. I. Bishopric of Ditnedin. With re- gard to this question, the Bishop of Waiapu, on the fourth day of the session, moved that "a statement be put on record of the grounds upon which the General Synod has acted in this matter, and that a 364 NEW ZEALAND. Select Committee be appointed to draw up such a statement. The preamble of the motion cited the resolution of the English prelates, assembled at Lam- beth on February 5th, 1872, to the effect that they were prepared to recognise Bishop Nevill as the second Bishop of Dunedin, and urged the desirableness of any misapprehension on so grave a matter being re- moved. The motion was carried, and the committee elected by ballot. The report of this committee was very complete and exhaustive, and was ordered to be printed in the appendix to the Synod Report of the session ; and the following resolution, based upon it, was moved by the Hon. H. Sewell, seconded by the Rev. R. Burrows, and carried without a division on the ist June, 1874 : — "That, it having been brought to the notice of this Synod, that the Archbishop of Canterbury, and certain bishops of England, have formally recognised Dr. Jenner as the first bishop of the see of Dunedin, apparently in disregard of the judgment of this Synod formally pronounced on Dr. Jenner's clamis — this Synod, in exercise of its un- doubted authority, having carefully examined the cir- cumstances under which Dr. Jenner claims to be regarded as having been the first bishop of the see of Dunedin, declares that Dr. Jenner, not having been appointed to the see of Dunedin in accordance with the laws of the Church in New Zealand, ought not to be recognised as having been such first bishop; and this Synod doth recognise the Right Rev. Samuel Tarratt Nevill, D.D., as the present and first bishop of the see of Dunedin." SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 365 As this is the final deliverance of the Church of New Zealand on this subject, we may here take leave of it, not without a feeling of relief, but, at the same time, with a sense of unfeigned and respectful sym- pathy, not diminished by the lapse of time, for one who, whatever mistakes may have been made after- wards, or by others, was originally placed in a false position through no fault of his own. II. The Discipline Statutes. — These were once more carefully sifted and amended, and an important step was taken in eliminating the optional and provisional elements, which had hitherto formed part of them ; it was no longer open to any diocese to decline to accept them, neither was any time fixed for their expiry. in. Board of Theological Studies. — An extremely important measure — Statute (No. 17) — now Title E, Canon I. — " For the establishment of a Board of Theological Studies," was adopted in the course of this session, being based upon the Report of the Select Committee of the preceding session, " On the Supply and Training of Candidates for Holy Orders." Its main provisions were these : — i. The Board to consist of the Bishops of New Zealand, and three clergymen and three laymen, to be elected by the General Synod at its triennial meetings. The Primate to be chairman. 2. The Board may appoint a com mittee of not less than three of its members, to whom it may assign such duties as it may think fit. 3. In the case of a majority of members being unable to meet, any proposition approved by the Committee may be forwarded to each member, and, if not less 366 NEW ZEALAND, than two-thirds of the number forward to the Chair- man their adhesion to such proposition, it shall have the validity of a regulation made by a meeting of the Board. 4. The Board shall have power to appoint duly-qualified persons as Examiners, in examinations arranged by the Board in the following subjects : — (i) Holy Scripture in the English and original languages. (2) Bibhcal Exegesis. (3) Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion. (4) Dogmatic Theology. (5) Ecclesiastical History. (6) Moral Philosophy. (7) History and Meaning of the Formu- laries, and of the Law of the Church in New Zealand." 5. The examinations to be open to all persons, whether candidates for Holy Orders or not, under such regulations as the Board may appoint. 6. The Board, through its Chairman, may grant certificates of proficiency. 7. The Board may receive contribu- tions for Prizes, Scholarships, or Lectureships, and may charge fees for the expenses of examinations. We must be pardoned for adding, that the Church of New Zealand owes a deep debt of gratitude to his Lordship the Bishop of Nelson, for having originated this statute in the Synod, and, still more, for having, with indefatigable zeal and perseverance, and, at an immense sacrifice of time and trouble, superintended the carrying out of its provisions for nearly fourteen years past. He has been both the founder of this admirable institution, and the life and soul of its working. IV. S^. John's College, Auckland. — A Statute (No. 18) — now Title E, Canon II. — was passed by the Synod, " To make provision for the government of SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 367 St. John's College, Auckland," the benefits of the College having been thrown open by its generous founder, Bishop Selwyn, to the whole Ecclesiastical Province, and the General Synod being responsible for its government. By this statute the government of the College, and of all schools and institu- tions connected therewith, was vested in a body of Governors, with a Visitor. The Governors were to be the Bishop of the diocese ex officio, and six others to be named respectively by the six other bishops, including the Bishop of Melanesia, The Bishop of the diocese to be the President, and the Primate the Visitor. V. The Melanesian Bishopric. — The President, in his opening Address, reminded the Synod that it was their duty at that session to appoint a successor to the lamented Bishop of Melanesia, and announced that the members of the Mission, in accordance with the provisions of Statute ii — now Title A, Canon I. Sec. 3— had recommended for the office the Rev. John Richardson Selwyn, the second son of the late Bishop of New Zealand. On the 9th day of the session the Bishop of Auckland moved that " The Synod do proceed to confirm the recommendation." There was but one opinion in the Synod as to Mr. Selwyn being the right man for the post ; but, having regard to the state of his health at that time, and his comparative youth and inexperience, — it being uncer- tain even whether he had attained the canonical age of thirty, — it was thought better to postpone the appointment. Mr. Selwyn himself was reported on good authority to have said, when the subject was 368 NEW ZEALAND. mentioned to him, " It will be quite time enough five years hence to talk about that." The following resolution was accordingly adopted : — " That, whilst the Synod recognises the spirit of devotion to the service of the Church with which the Rev. John Richardson Selwyn has devoted himself to the work of the Melanesian Mission, yet, under all the circum- stances of the case, and especially regarding the information which has been laid before the Synod by the Primate, that the recommendation has been made by the members of the Melanesian Mission at the present time, under the impression that they would lose their right of recommendation if it were not exercised at once, this Synod is of opinion that it will be expedient to defer for a time the appoint- ment of a successor to Bishop Patteson." The Rev. R. H. Codrington, it was understood, would, in the mean time, continue to superintend generally the conduct of the Mission, the Bishop of Auckland having been requested by the Synod, and having undertaken to perform any episcopal functions which might be necessary in connexion with the Mission. Before the close of the session, the Primate read to the Synod a letter he had written to the Mission Staff, which, it is needless to say, was warmly approved by all present. VI. It will not be out of place to mention that a report of much interest and value on " The Supply of Clergy " was made by a Select Committee in the course of the session. It was ordered to be printed in the Appendix, and became the basis of action taken at subsequent Synods. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 369 The sixth General Synod, having sat for seven- teen days, broke up on the 5th of June, the members having joined in repeating the Gloria in Excelsis, and the President having pronounced the Benediction. 2 B 37° NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER VII. Seventh General Synod — Character of Session — Formularies Bill — Other Proceedings — Letter of Bishop Reinkens — Consecration of Bishop of Melanesia — Bishopric of Waiapu — Consecration of Bishop Stuart — Death of Bishop Williams — Eighth General Synod — Theological College — Suffragan Bishop — Diocesan Boards — Diaconate and Lay Ministrations — Church of Sweden — Close of Session. A FAMILIAR form was greatly missed from the next General Synod, that of the Right Rev. William Williams, Bishop of Waiapu. He was living, and his last days on earth were being passed in profound peace, and freedom from any acute suffering, at his beautiful home at Napier, overlooking the broad Pacific. But on the 25th day of March, 1876, just fifty years to the day from the date of his first landing at Paihia, it pleased the Heavenly Father to withdraw him from active labour by a stroke of paralysis. Feeling that his work was done, he was anxious to resign the bishopric at once ; but, in deference to the opinion of his friends, he delayed taking this step for two months. He continued still to take a lively interest in the affairs of the diocese and of the Church at large, and was much concerned at the delay which occurred in filling up the vacancy in the see. The Primate made a touching reference in his opening address at the Nelson Synod to the SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 37 I illness of Bishop Williams, and a resolution was adopted, on the motion of the Bishop of Nelson, in which it was said that " the Synod regrets the loss from its counsels of one who has eminently con- tributed to the harmony of its proceedings, and trusts that his remaining years, though spent in retirement, may be cheered by the support of those truths which it has been the work of his life to promote." We must now proceed to give a brief account, in due order, of this seventh General Synod, which was opened in the Provincial Hall at Nelson, on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, January 25th, 1877. The members met previously for Divine Service and celebration of the Holy Communion at the Pro- Cathedral Church of Christ Church. The Most Rev. the Primate presided, and there were present also the Bishops of Nelson, Auckland, Wellington^ and Dunedin. Twenty clerical and twenty-four lay representatives attended, a larger number of each order than had attended any former Synod. Among the lay members was a veteran colonist of the North Island, to whom reference was often made in the first part of this History, Hugh Carleton, Esq., Vice-Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, son-in-law and biographer of the Ven. Henry Williams, an interesting man, of highly-cultured mind, wide and general information, and large legislative experience, who, by his independence of thought, combined with his earnestness as a Church- man, imported in spite, or perhaps by reason of, his small acquaintance with Synodical work, much fresh- 2 B 2 372 NEW ZEALAND. ness into the debates of the session. At the conclusion of the President's Address, the Bishop of Nelson, in accordance with the ancient custom of the Councils of the Church, laid on the table a copy of the Authorised Version of the Holy Scriptures, and Archdeacon Maunsell also deposited a copy of the Maori Version. This Synod will be remembered as one that was prolific in talk, but productive of few practical measures. Its legislative force was exercised more in a negative than in a positive direction, no less than eleven Bills having been introduced but not carried, while six only passed safely through all their stages, including in both categories amendments of existing statutes. This criticism, however, must not be under- stood as by any means of necessity implying censure ; the wisdom of a legislative body is probably as often manifested by what it declines to do, as by what it does. It must be borne in mind also that, in the Synods of the Colonial Church, in which no measure can be carried except by the concurrence of all three Orders, every motion has a threefold ordeal to pass. Neither is abundance of talk, of necessity, a waste of time. Certainly it was not wholly so at the seventh .session of the General Synod, in proof of which state- ment we quote from a contemporary record^ : — " The Formularies Bill. — The great debate of the session, extending over three evening sittings, took place on this subject, on the following motion made by the Ven. Archdeacon Harper on the 31st January : ' The New Zealand Church News, for March, 1877. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 373 — ' That leave be given to bring in a Bill intituled, A Statute to Limit and Define the Powers of the General Synod in reference to alterations of the Services, Formularies, and Articles of the Church, and the Authorised Version of the Holy Scriptures, and to settle the Mode of procedure in reference thereto.' This was, in fact, the Bill known as 'The Alteration of Formularies Bill,' which was brought in by the Hon. H. Sewell, at the close of the session of 1874, but by amendment referred to the several Diocesan Synods for their consideration. In the course of this debate nearly every member spoke, and the liveliest interest was excited, both within and without the Synod, as it proceeded. There were great divergences of opinion as to the probable operation of the measure, if adopted, the mover and others asserting that it was a thoroughly conserva- tive measure, while the speakers on the opposite side expressed much fear and suspicion of it, as tending in their opinion to invite, and pave the way for, change. The incidental results of this debate, judg- ing from many remarks and acknowledgments, which fell from various members, both in the course of it and on subsequent occasions, were exceedingly valuable. Willingly or unwillingly, the eyes of many were opened to the true position of the colonial Church, while an absolute and remarkable unanimity prevailed as to the most important point of all, the desire to remain in the fullest union and communion with the Mother Church of England. It became more and more apparent, as it ought to have been for many years past, that the Church in a colony having 374 NEW ZEALAND. an independent legislature, cannot possibly remain an integral part of that Church, but is thrown, whether she will or no, absolutely on her own re- sources, and forced to legislate for herself. It was clearly seen, also, that this fact necessarily entails the responsibihty of adopting from time to time such variations in our formularies as circumstances may require, and that, though it may be our wisdom to alter as seldom and as litde as possible, it would be wrong and foolish to abnegate or shrink from the power and responsibility which have devolved on us by the Providence of God, and by no seeking of our own. If, however, the members of the Church's legislature had got no further than this, but little progress would have been made towards a solution of the difficulties and perplexities in which the Church of New Zealand is involved as regards con- stitutional questions, and her relations to the Mother Church. The real advance which was made in this memorable debate consisted in the better under- standingarrived at as to our position inreference to our own Church Constitution. It was seen to be a funda- mental vice of that Constitution that it attempted to impose certain unalterable provisions on all succeed- ing generations. These provisions laid down certain restrictions, but at the same time purported to give certain liberties and privileges. The unlooked-for changes of the last twenty years have left the re- strictions where they were, but have made the privileges and liberties unavailable. Thus the Church finds herself hampered by obsolete and inapphcable pro- visions, styled unalterable by those who were chosen SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 375 to legislate for her twenty years ago. It was pointed out at an early stage of the debate that our real difficulty arises from these self-imposed shackles, and that, by reason of the terms in which these provisions are stated, we are deprived of that measure of relief and liberty which it was intended by means of them to secure. It was urged that, in matters relating to tra- ditions and ceremonies, each branch of the Church must be responsible at all times for its own actions, and must be free to act, trusting in the promised guidance of the Holy Spirit, and that the attempt of the Church of to-day to bind the Church of twenty years hence by unalterable legislation is contrary to true Christian principle, and is nothing less than an attempt to bind the Spirit of God." It was argued, on the grounds stated in the pre- ceding chapter, that it was really competent for the General Synod to excise the word " Unalterable" from the Constitution and so to make such altera- tions in the Fundamental Provisions as might seem necessary. But while they remain as they are, there ought to be no attempt to evade them. Alter them, if you will, deliberately and solemnly, but do not attempt to evade their force, as long as they remain the law of the Church. But it was pointed out that the Preamble to the Formularies Bill was such an attempt. We give the result in the words of the record from which the foregoing extract was taken: — "And this, and other objections, especially the vague apprehen- sion that the effect of the Bill, if passed, would be to pave the way for change, prevailed to such an extent that the eloquence of the mover's reply, and his offer 376 NEW ZEALAND. to throw over the preamble, were unavailing to secure a majority in favour of his motion, except in the House of Bishops. When, at a late hour, on the third night of the debate, Friday, February 2nd, a division Avas called for, the result was as follows : — Bishops, Ayes 5, Noes o ; Clergy, Ayes 7, Noes 12 ; Laity, Ayes 5, Noes 14." Apart from the foregoing, the most important business taken in hand by this Synod may be classed under the following heads : — I. The Nominators Statute, No. 5. — A thorough revision of this Statute, now Title A, Canon II., was made. The Diocesan Synods had been asked by the last General Synod to consider the subject, and to submit recommendations with a view to amend- ments. A Select Committee was appointed to con- sider such recommendations as had been submitted, and, if they thought fit, to draft a new Statute. The result was a revised measure, based on the original principles, but containing many substantial amend- ments and additions, especially with reference to the resignation of Incumbents. II. Statute JVo. 19, for making certain Necessary Alteratiotts in the Formal Organisation of the Chtirch. An attempt was made to alter this Statute (now Title G, Canon I.) very materially. In the interval which had elapsed since the session of 1874, Sir William Martin had published in England a second pamphlet entitled " Church Legislation in 1874," in Avhich he had passed severe strictures on this Statute. Arch- deacon Maunsell obtained leave to introduce a Bill, in which it was proposed to substitute a few simple SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 377 introductory words in lieu of the elaborate Preamble, which was so objectionable to many, and to rescind the two enacting clauses which have reference to Explanatory Notes, to be added to two of the 39 Articles. A protracted debate took place, which resulted in the rejection of the Bill on the second reading by a majority of one in the episcopal Order, although the numerical majority was nearly three to one in favour of it, the voting being as follows : — Bishops, Ayes 2, Noes 3 ; Clergy, Ayes 16, Noes 3 ; Laity, Ayes 11, Noes 5. III. Ecclesiastical Tribunals Statutes. — There is nothing like experience for finding out flaws. Though this Statute had been carefully revised by the preceding Synod, yet when it came to be tested by actual trial in the prosecution of the Rev. Hubert E. Carlyon, for certain alleged errors in teaching and practice, com- monly known as the " Kaiapoi Case," which had arisen in the Diocese of Christchurch in 1876, the Chan- cellor of the Diocese, Mr. Philip Hanmer, was met by difficulties in the practical working of the measure, which convinced him of the necessity of making im- portant changes in it. Being himself a member of the Synod, he, with the able assistance of three other mem- bers of the legal profession, practising at Nelson, and members of the Synod, Messrs. Acton Adams, Fell, and Pitt, drafted an entirely new measure, mainly on the lines of the English Church Discipline Act. As the Bill was carried rather hastily through all its stages at the close of the session, the Synod trusting almost implictly to the guidance of its legal members, it was thought wise to secure an opportunity of revision at 378 NEW ZEALAND, the next triennial session but one of the Synod. So the provisional element, which the old Statute had got rid of at the last session, was revived in the new by the enactment that " this Statute shall continue in force until the end of the next session but one of the General Synod, but no longer." IV. Old Catholic Movement. — Here again we pro- pose to quote from the contemporary record of the New Zealand Church News : — " The motion of the Bishop of Dunedin on this subject, introduced as it was by a lucid explanatory speech, giving briefly the history of this important movement, drew the Synod aside for a while from the beaten track, and widened the horizon of its interest and sympathy. The motion, which was cordially adopted by the Synod, was as follows : — ' That this Synod of Bishops, clergy, and lay communicants of the Church of the Province of New Zealand, having heard with deep interest the progress of the Old Catholic movement, records its appreciation of the devoted efforts of the leaders of that movement to bring about a return to primitive doctrine, discipline, and unity ; and respectfully re- quests the Primate of this Church to forward this resolution to the Bishops of the Old Catholic com- munion, and to Dr. Von DoIIinger, as an expression of Christian regard.'" The resolution was forwarded accordingly, and in the September number of the same periodical the following acknowledgment, received by the Primate from Bishop Reinkens, is published : — " Reverendissimo Episcopo Henrico Joanni C. Harper, fratri venerabili, venerabundus Josephus Hubertus Reinkens, Salutem in Domino ! SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 379 "■ Literas tuas accipienti gratissimas mihi venerunt in mentem verba ilia Firmiliani proeclara (St. Cypr., ep. 75); 'Potens est enim gratia Dei copulare et conjungere caritatis atque unitatis vinculo etiam ea, qu£e videntur longiore terrarum spatio esse divisa. secundum regulam veritatis et sapientiam Christi?' Gratulor igitur ecclesise, cujus episcopus sum, de benevolentia et fraterna dilectione provinciae ecclesi- asticce tam remotae. Convenit sane inter nos, ab eis, qui principalis ecclesige doctrinam, ritum, disciplinam restituere sincere nitantur, pacem simul Christianorum veramque unitatem recuperari posse, imo tales esse jam unitatis quodammodoparticipes. Praeterea autem unum quodque caritatis signum unitatis est vinculum. Quapropter concilio vestro provincial! cui prseeras d IX. m Februarii h. a., quum nobis eundem sensum et spiritum testificari vellet, nomine eorum catholi- corum per Germaniam, qui principalis ecclesiae formam appetunt, gratias ago quam maximas. Si diligamus invicem, Deus in nobis manet(i John iv. 12), principium unitatis. Qui dilectione, etiam oratione conjuncti sunt. Vale ! Bonnse, a.d. XXIIL, m. Junii, a. MDCCCLXXVII." The following is a translation : — "To the Most Reverend Bishop Henry John C. Harper, our venerable brother, Joseph Hubert Reinkens, with all veneration, wishes health in the Lord ! "The receipt of your letter brought to my mind those admirable words of Firmilian (St. Cyprian, ep. 380 NEW ZEALAND. 75), ' For the grace of God hath power to couple and join together by the bond of charity and unity places even which seem cut off from each other by an ex- ceeding earthly distance, in accordance with the rule of the truth and with the wisdom of Christ.' I con- gratulate, therefore, the Church, of which I am bishop, on the goodwill and brotherly love of an ecclesiastical province so remote. There is a manifest agreement between us and you on this point, that there is a pos- sibiUty of the peace of Christians, together with their true unity, being recovered by such as sincerely en- deavour to restore the doctrine, ritual, and discipline of the Primitive Church ; nay, that such are already in some degree partakers of unity. Further than this, every single token of charity is a bond of unity. Wherefore to the Provincial Synod of your Church, over which you presided on the 9th of February in this present year, when it desired to testify to us the same sentiment and spirit as that which I now express, in the name of those Catholics throughout Germany who crave after the model of the Primitive Church, I return most cordial thanks. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us (i John, iv. 12) the principle of unity. Those who are united in love are united also in prayer. Farewell ! "Bonn, 23rd June, 1877." V. Bishopric of IVaiapu. — On the last day of the session, the Synod passed a resolution, expressing its regret that no nomination of a Bishop to the vacant See of Waiapu had yet been made, and urging that SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 381 steps should be taken to secure an election at as early a date as possible. VI. Bishopric of Melanesia. — On the second day of the session, January 26th, the Bishop of Auckland moved, and the Rev. R. S. Jackson, a former member of the mission staff, seconded, " That the Synod do appoint to fill the vacant Bishopric of the Islands of Melanesia the Rev. John Richardson Selwyn, who has been recommended to the General Synod by the members of the mission now engaged in carrying on the mission work." Thereupon, on the invitation of the President, all present knelt and united in silent prayer to Almighty God for His guidance and blessing. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. The Bishop-Elect was at that time spending a few weeks in the South of New Zealand to recruit his health after his last island voyage, but his arrival at Nelson was looked for daily, as it was hoped that his consecration would take place before the Synod broke up. His coming was delayed longer than had been expected ; but, at a late hour of the last evening of the session, it was announced by the Bishop of Nelson that he had arrived in the harbour, and would pre- sently appear in the Synod room. The announce- ment was received with much pleasure, and it was agreed that, on his entrance, the Primate should invite him to take his seat among the clerical members. On his arrival, at about 11 o'clock, the Synod rose to receive him, and then reverted to the business in hand. Presently, when a convenient break occurred in the proceedings, the Bishop-Elect rose, and briefly 382 NEW ZEALAND. thanked the Synod for the honour they had conferred upon him in appointing him to so high an office, and expressed the sense of unvvorthiness he felt in being called upon to occupy the post which had been held by Bishop Patteson : at the same time, he hoped that, by the blessing of God, and with the assistance of such an able staff of fellow-labourers, he might be able to carry on, without discredit, the Mission so firmly established by his predecessor. At an early hour of the morning of Saturday, February 17th, the business of the seventh General Synod was brought to a close after a session of seven- teen days, being the same length of time as that occu- pied by the Synod held at Wellington in 1874. The session ended with the same acts of devotion as on previous occasions. On the following day, before the majority of mem- bers from other dioceses had left Nelson, the deeply- interesting ceremony of the consecration of the new Bishop of Melanesia took place in the Pro-Cathedral Church, which was filled with an earnestly expectant and sympathetic congregation. The sermon was preached by the Rev. B. T. Dudley, now Archdeacon of the Waitemata, and formerly a member of the Mission staff, having been himself ordained by Bishop Patteson. Taking for his text i John iii. 16, he dwelt principally on the great truth that the secret of spiritual success is self-sacrificing love, and showed how this principle had been exemplified in the history of the Melanesian Mission. The Mandate of the Primate to the Comprovincial Bishops to proceed to the consecration was read by Mr. W. Acton-Adams, SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, 383 and all the requirements of the Ordinal having been duly complied with, all the Bishops present joined with the Primate in the solemn Laying-on of Hands. In the evening, in the same church, the new Bishop preached a memorable sermon, delivered with striking vigour and earnestness, on the words, " And they went both of them together " (Gen. xxii. 6). The picture of the willing sacrifice of a father and son of old, going "both of them together," at God's bidding, to the same heart-searching work, though applied with much modesty and reserve, could not fail to be understood, and was, indeed, most significant and touching. Before the eighth General Synod met — before the close, indeed, of the year 1877, another consecration had taken place — that of the second Bishop of Waiapu. The resignation of Bishop Williams took place, as we have seen, in May, 1876. In the following September, his son, the Ven. Archdeacon William Leonard Williams, was asked, at a meeting of the Diocesan Synod, over which he presided as Commissary for his father, to allow himself to be nominated for the vacant office, but declined on the ground that work among the native population had the first claim upon him, and that there appeared to be no one else who could take up this special work. On October 2nd of the same year, the Ven. Arch- deacon Harper, eldest son of the Most Rev. the Primate of New Zealand, was electedj by a large majority of the Diocesan Synod. He also declined, chiefly on the ground of his ignorance of the Maori language, the majority of the population of the diocese being of the native race. The Rev. Edward 384 NEW ZEALAND. Craig Stuart, the present bishop, who had been pre- viously proposed by the President, not being at that time known in the diocese, had not received a suffi- cient number of votes in either order to constitute a nomination ; but at the next annual session of the Synod, held on the 24th September, 1877, at which Archdeacon Williams again presided, Mr. Stuart was unanimously nominated to the see, and signified by telegram his acceptance of the offer. The nomina- tion having been duly confirmed by the Standing Committees of the several dioceses, the Bishop- Elect was consecrated by the Most Rev. the Primate, assisted by the Bishops of Auckland and Wellington, in the Pro-Cathedral Church, St. John's, Napier, on the 9th December, 1877. Archdeacon Williams, in proposing Mr. Stuart for election in October, 1876, had spoken of him as " a gentleman aged forty-nine, a graduate in honours at Dublin in 1848, and subse- quently a Missionary in India, but now in New South Wales. He had twice visited Napier. His services in India were highly valued by the two bishops under whom he served, Bishops Cotton and Milman." His revered predecessor survived the consecration just two months. The memoir of Bishop Williams by his son, the Archdeacon, to which frequent reference was made in earlier chapters of this history, thus closes in the number of the New Zealand Church News for November, 1878 : — "After this was done," — i.e., the consecration of Bishop Stuart — " on the 9th December, 1877, he seemed to be relieved of a great burden, and it was with evident gratification that he was enabled to place his hand on the head of the SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 385 newly-consecrated bishop, and to give him his bless- ing, presenting him at the same time with a copy of the Maori version of the Bible. At this time he was quite confined to his bed, having had an alarming increase of unfavourable symptoms about a month previously. It was not, however, till February 9th, 1878, that he was called ijito that rest to which he had been so long looking forward. In connection with the part which he took in the translation of the Scriptures and the Prayer Book, it is interesting to note that one of the last works on which he was engaged was the revision of the Prayer Book. This was finished a very short time before he was laid aside." On the 26th April, 1878, the Most Rev. the Primate sailed by way of San Francisco to England to attend the second Lambeth Conference, presided over by Archbishop Tait, and on his arrival in the old country found, to his great sorrow, that the Bishop of Lich- field, whom he had hoped to have greeted once more, had expired on the nth April. His Lordship reached Christchurch on his return from England, by way of Melbourne, on the 12th December, in the same year. We now pass on to the history of the eighth General Synod, held in Christchurch in 1880. The session was opened on the 14th April, in the library of Christ's College, Canterbury, by the Most Rev. the Primate, after Divine Service and the celebration of Holy Communion in the Pro-Cathedral Church of St. Michael and All Angels. The Bishop of Dunedin was the only other prelate present at the opening, 2 c 386 NEW ZEALAND. no less than four bishops, with several archdeacons, and other clerical and lay members of the Synod, having been storm-stayed, and not having arrived in Lyttelton Harbour until the afternoon. All were present, however, at a special evening service in the same church, when the sermon was preached by the Right Rev. the Bishop of Nelson, on Acts xv. 28 — ^' It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things." Bishop Selwyn of Melanesia, and Bishop Stuart of Waiapu, took their seats for the first time on the Episcopal Bench, which now for the first time contained the complete number of seven. Twenty clerical and twenty-three lay representatives attended. Among the latter are specially to be noted the Hon. Henry Barnes Gresson, formerly a judge of the Supreme Court, and Chancellor of ^the Diocese of Christchurch, and Henry John Tancred, Esq., Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, who, with the Primate and Bishop of Wellington, was a member of the Conference which drafted the original Constitution of 1857. Mr. Tancred died, deeply regretted, in April, 1884. From the business transacted at this session we may single out the following matters as worthy of special notice : — I. Theological College. — The most interesting and valuable debate of the session was on this subject. In pursuance of a recommendation from the Diocesan Synod of Dunedin, Archdeacon Edwards moved : — " That, in the opinion of this Synod, steps should be taken towards the amalgamation of all Church of SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 387 England theological colleges in New Zealand, and the formation of one central college, which might be called the Selwyn College." To this the Bishop of Wellington moved the following amendment : — "That, in the opinion of this Synod, steps should be taken towards the formation of a theological college for this Ecclesiastical province of New Zealand." In his speech he advocated the adoption of St. John's College, Auckland, as the one college for the pro- vince. The Bishop of Melanesia spoke strongly in support of this amendment, but said he would like to see the college, to be established or chosen, not exclusively a theological institution, but a Church- man's college, where men studying for Holy Orders might mix freely with those preparing for other occu- pations. Both motion and amendment were opposed by the Bishop of Nelson and the Dean of Christ- church, who argued, on the one hand, that the motion was utterly unpractical, and, on the other, that the proposal of a Churchman's college was premature ; that, for the present, it would be best for the Church to devote all her efforts to the improvement of such means as were at present available for theo- logical teaching, and to make use of the secular colleges in the chief centres for classical and general instruction. " The Bishop of Melanesia had well said that the desiderata for a good theological college were (i) numbers, (2) free intercourse with men preparing for other professions, and (3) opportunities for secular instruction. But these would all be wanting in the case of St. John's College on account of its distance from Auckland." Mr. R. J. S. Harman of Christ- 2 c 2 38S NEW ZEALAND. church, made a valuable speech, in the course of which he expressed his belief that the laity of the country were very generally agreed in thinking that the time was not far distant when the bishops should be asked, as a rule, not to admit any one as a candi- date for Holy Orders who had not graduated in some university. The final result was the adoption of the following amendment, moved by the Bishop of Nelson, and seconded by the Rev. Canon CotterilU : — "That, in the opinion of the Synod, the interests of theological education would best be promoted under present circumstances by Exhibitions, which would enable intending candidates for Holy Orders to take a degree at the University of New Zealand, and afterwards to continue their theological studies, together with the acquisition of practical knowledge of parochial and missionary work, either at theological colleges, or with experienced clergy, such theological exhibitions to be tenable on such conditions as may be prescribed by the Board of Theological Studies. 2. That the authorities of all provincial and diocesan institutions for the encouragement of theological studies be requested to make the standard of their examinations as much as possible equal to that of the Mother Church." II. Suffragan Bishop. — A memorial from the native Church Boards of the Diocese of Auckland was laid before the Synod by the Bishop of Auckland, praying for the appointment of a Suffragan Bishop for the ]Maori portion of the Church in the Diocese, ' Younger brother ot the late Bishop of Edinburgh. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 389 and a Select Committee was appointed to consider the answer which should be given to it. The answer re- commended to be given was that the Synod " received the memorial with great pleasure, regarding it as a proof of the vitality of that portion of the Church, but regretted that for want of funds it was unable to comply with the request." But an amendment to the following effect, moved by the Bishop of Nelson, was ultimately adopted : — " That the Synod receives with much pleasure the memorial of the native Church Boards of the Diocese of Auckland for the appoint- ment of a Suffragan Bishop for the Maori portion of the Church in the Diocese, regarding it as a proof ot the vitality of that portion of the Church ; but the Synod, looking at the oneness which exists between the English and Maori portions of the Church through- out New Zealand, and hoping that they will be brought yet closer together in worship and Church organisa- tion, considers that the present proposal for the appointment of a Suffragan Bishop would not be desirable, and is unable to comply with the request." It was generally understood that, had the request been complied with, the Ven. E. Clarke, Archdeacon of the Waimate, would have been appointed to the office at the request of the natives. The Archdeacon, in the course of the discussion on this subject, bore interesting testimony to the increased vitality of the ]\Taori Church, and expressed his belief that those words, which were among the last utterances of Bishop Selwyn, would be verified, "They will all come back." The Bishop of Auckland, in moving the appointment of the Conmittee, stated that the 390 NEW ZEALAND. natives were not desirous of having a Bishop of their own race, as that might tend to separate the Maori Church from the EngUsh, which was very far from their wish. As a proof of the Uberahty of the Maories in Church matters^ his Lordship mentioned that thirteen Maori clergymen were working in his Diocese, who were maintained chiefly by endowments raised among the natives themselves by their own exertions. III. Diocesan Boards. — Our readers will remember that a statute was enacted by the fifth Synod in 187 1, establishing diocesan boards for certifying to the general fitness of candidates for deacon's orders, with a clause providing that it should expire, if not re- enacted, at the close of the next session but one. At Nelson, in 1877, the Bishop of Wellington brought vci a Bill for re-enacting it, but, meeting with oppo- position, withdrew it, and it consequently expired. An attempt was now made at Christchurch, in 1880, to revive this statute with some variations. The motion was made by the Ven. Archdeacon Harper, and seconded by the Rev. Canon Cotterill. The sequel shall be told in the words of the contemporary report, which appeared in the columns of the Neiv Zealand Church A^etus for July, 1880 : — " It was known that some, at least, of the Bishops regarded the Bill with much disfavour, and those who had had any experience of the operation of the former statute, while it was in existence, expected little benefit from its re-enactment ; still there was a general feeling among both clergy and laity that there was need of something being done in the direction iadicated. This was made very apparent by the SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 391 result. When the second reading was moved on Wednesday, April 28th, an unusual course was pur- sued. It is laid down in the first standing order that ' the members of the Synod shall meet for the discussion of business in the same chamber ; but it shall be competent for any of the three orders at any time to withdraw to a separate chamber for the purpose of deliberation, at the requisition of any member of any such order.' The provision in the latter clause (so far as we are aware) had never before been acted upon ; but on this occasion the right was claimed for the clergy by the Rev. Canon Cotterill, and for the laity by Mr. T. W. Maude. Both orders accordingly retired and remained in consultation in separate chambers for about an hour. On their return the Dean of Christchurch moved as an amend- ment, on the motion for the second reading of Archdeacon Harper's Bill, the following resolution : — 'That a respectful recommendation be made to the Bench of Bishops that, before they receive any person as a candidate for deacon's orders, they should summon a Council of Advice to consider with them, as a preliminary question, the general fitness of the person for the office which he seeks.' This was seconded by the Hon. H. B. Gresson, and agreed to." IV. Diaconate and Lay Mhiistratlons. — A Select Committee, appointed at the beginning of the session, on the motion of the Dean of Christchurch, to con- sider several questions coming under these general heads, especially in connection with the Report on the Supply of Clergy, which we have before mentioned as having been presented to the Wellington Synod 392 NEW ZEALAND. in 1874, reported as follows: — A. With reference to the Diaconate, your Committee have had under their consideration two main questions : — (i) First, whether it is desirable at the present time to lay down any regulations as to the admission to the Diaconate of persons engaged in secular callings, on the understanding that they are to be allowed to con- tinue in the same. (2) Secondly, whether it is desirable that effect should be given to the provision in the Ordinal which admits of the ordination of persons to the diaconate at an earlier age than twenty- three. I. With reference to the former of these two questions, your Committee are unanimous in think- ing that it is not desirable at the present time to lay down any such regulations. 2. With regard to the latter question, the words in the preface to the Ordinal, above referred to, are as follows: — 'And none shall be admitted a deacon, except he be twenty- three years of age, unless he have a faculty.' In the Church of England the power to grant such a faculty is understood to reside only in the Archbishop of Canterbury. By analogy your Committee are of opinion that the General Synod would have no hesi- tation in recognising that, for the Church of this province, a similar power resides in the Primate. But they are not prepared to recommend the exercise of such power until information has been obtained {a) as to the effect that ordination to the diaconate, at an earlier age than twenty-three, would have on the status of clergymen so ordained under the Colonial Clergy Act, and other similar enactments of the Imperial Parliament ; {l>) as to the working of SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 393 the system of earlier ordination in the American Church ; (c) as to the- number of faculties that have been granted by Archbishops of Canterbury, under the provision of the Ordinal above referred to, since the revision of the Prayer Book in the year of our Lord, 1662 ; and (d) as to the experience on the same point of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the rule of which is, that 'no bishop shall, /// ordinary cases, admit any persons to the office of deacon, until such person shall have attained the age of twenty-three years.' For the purpose of making these enquiries^ the Committee recommended that a commission should be appointed to sit during the recess, and report the result to the Primate, not less than six months before the next triennial session of the Synod. We may say here that the Synod adopted this recom- mendation, and appointed the Most Rev. the Primate the Right Rev. the Bishop of Nelson, the Rev. Canon Cotterill, and the Hon. J. B. Acland to be the members of the Commission. On the kindred sub- ject of Lay Ministrations, the Committee reported as follows:— (i) They agreed in thinking that it is not expedient at the present time to take any steps to- wards the revival of the order of sub-deacons. (2) They are of opinion that it would be inexpedient at the present time to lay down general rules with refer- ence to the appointment or removal of lay readers, or with regard to their functions, or to any distinctive dress to be worn by them in their ministrations. They are, however, agreed in thinking that it is desir- able that lay readers should be admitted to their office in the face of the congregation." 394 NEW ZEALAND. V. Church of Stueden. — At an early period of the session, the Bishop of Dunedin moved "that a com- mittee be appointed to consider and report upon the desirabihty of taking steps to enable lay members of the Church of Sweden, who may reside in this country to be received into the communion of this branch of the Anglican Church, and as to the conditions under which clergymen of that Church may be affiliated to this." The motion was seconded by the Rev. J. C. Andrew, and the committee appointed. In speaking to the motion, the Right Rev. mover gave an inte- resting account of his visit to the Churches of the North of Europe, as commissary for the Bishop of London, in the course of the preceding year, and of his personal communications with certain of the authorities and representative members of the Swedish Church. Several recommendations were made by the committee in their report, in the direction of an approximation towards union with that Church ; but the Synod, being anxious to proceed cautiously in the matter, confined itself to ordering the report to be published in the appendix to the proceedings of the session, and to the adoption of the following resolution : — " That it is expedient that a corre- spondent be appointed by the General Synod to esta- blish communication with the heads of the Church of Sweden, with a view to the issue of Letters Com- mendatory on behalf of emigrants from that country to our own." The Bishop of Dunedin was unani- mously requested to fulfil the office of corre- spondent. The last hours of the session, which lasted for fif- SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 395 teen days, were marked by circumstances of special interest. The last day, being the Tuesday in Roga- tion Week, May 4th, was kept in many of the parishes of the diocese as the Day of Intercession for missions, in accordance with the recommendation of the last Lambeth Conference, and it was felt to be a happy opportunity for the Synod, before separating, to join in united worship and supplication for an object so closely associated with the work for which they had met together. It was accordingly agreed at the after- noon meeting, to adjourn the Synod to 8-30 p.m., " for the purpose of attending a service of Intercession for missions at St. Luke's Church." The preacher on the occasion was one who had been himself for many years actively engaged in missionary work, the Right Rev. the Bishop of ^\'aiapu. What followed on the return of the members to the Synod room, after the transaction of some other business, shall be given in the words of the Netv Zealand Church News: — '■^Deceased Members. — The followingresolution, moved by the Bishop of Nelson, and seconded by Archdeacon Clarke, evoked sad but not painful memories: — 'In reference to that portion of the President's address respecting those members of the late General Synod who have been called to their rest since the last meeting, this Synod desires to place on record its estimate of their worth and service, and of the precious legacy of holy example and devotion which they have left to the Church. Those whose memories they desire to commemorate are the Right Rev. George Augustus Selwyn, D.D., Lord Bishop of Lichfield, and first Bishop of New Zealand ; the Right Rev. William 396 KEW ZEALAND. Williams, D.C.L., first Bishop of Waiapu ; the Rev. George Thomas Nowell Watkins, A.K.C., incumbent of Greymouth, Diocese of Nelson ; the Rev. Robert Simeon Jackson, of the Diocese of Christchurch,ofthe Melanesian Mission, and formerly secretary to the Primate ; Philip Hanmer, Esq., Chancellor of the Diocese of Christchurch. Nothing of importance transpired after the silent adoption of the foregoing resolution. Instructions and votes of thanks con- cluded the business. At 11 "15 p.m. the Most Rev. President requested the members present to join with him in repeating the Gloria in Excelsis^ after which he brought the session to a close by pronouncing the Benediction." SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 397 CHAPTER VIII. Consecration of Christchurch Cathedral — Ninth General Synod — Legislation recast in shape of Canons — The Ven. Arch- deacon Harris —The Discipline Bills — Church of Sweden — St. John's College, Auckland — The Maori Apostasy — Tenth General Synod — Reminiscences — Bishop Barry — Samoan Chiefs — Episcopal Superintendence of the Fiji Group — Sir Alexander Stuart — Education System of New Zealand — Petition to Legislature — Diaconate and Lay Ministrations — St. John's College — History of Church of New Zealand — Conclusion, The usual interval of three years between one session of the General Synod and the next was happily broken in the case of the eighth and ninth Synods by an auspicious event, which brought together the majority of the bishops, and united them in solemn acts of worship and hearty thanksgiving. The occasion was the consecration of the nave of the Christchurch Cathedral, which, after many disappointments and innumerable delays, had at length been brought to completion with its lofty tower and spire, and peal of ten bells. i The Bishops of Auckland and Melanesia, being pre- vented by distance from being present in persor, could only write their congratulations ; the four other comprovincial bishops testified their sympathy with ' See Part IV.— "Diocese of Christchurch "—for a further account of this Cathedral. 398 XEW ZEALAND. the Primate by being present, and taking their part in the octave of services and sermons, by which the joyous occasion was solemnised. The day of Dedi- cation was the Festival of All Saints, November ist, 1881. The last days of March, 1S83, saw the members of the ninth General Synod gathering from north, south, and west towards a new place of meeting on the east coast of New Zealand. Napier, the seat of the Bishopric of Waiapu,' had on no former occasion been sufficiently advanced to receive the Synod, but from this time it took its full rank among New Zea- land cities. The session was opened by the Most Rev. the Primate on Tuesday, April 3rd, in St. John's Schoolroom. This building has since been taken down to make room for the handsome new brick Church, which is soon to be consecrated as the cathedral of the diocese. There had been the usual preparatory service in the morning at the old St. John's Church ; and at the special choral evensong in the same venerable v/ooden edifice, a vigorous discourse was preached by the Bishop of Wellington on Ezek. iii. 11, in which two main points were in- sisted upon by the preacher with all his well-known fire and energy ; first, the fitness of the Constitution of the Church of New Zealand as an organisation for the proclamation of God's Word to men ; secondly, ' At the session of the Diocesan Synod, at which Bishop Stuart was nominated, a member moved, " That the name of the see should be changed to Napier " ; which was immediately met by another with the counter-proposition, "That the name of the town of Napier be changed to ' Waiapu.' " SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 399 the duty of the Church, the clergy especially, in this day, to be unflinchingly faithful in bearing witness to the Bible as the Word of God, without abatement, and in no apologetic tone, " whether men will bear or whether they will forbear." The history of the legislation of this Synod will not detain us long. By far the most important act of the session was the re-casting of the legislation of the past into the shape of canons. The Synod had pro- ceeded very cautiously and deliberately in this matter, the first step having been taken at Nelson in 1877, when a commission was appointed " to sit during the recess, and to report at the next triennial session on the expediency of forming a digest of the existing statutes in the shape of canons, and the best method to be adopted in future legislation." They were also authorised actually to re-arrange the Constitution and Statutes under appropriate headings, and submit such re-arrangement to the Synod for its consideration. This Commission reported, at the Christchurch Session of 1880, (i) First, as regards the process of legislation, that, in their opinion, no better course could be adopted than that which had been pre- viously pursued, namely, the carrying of Bills through their several stages in the manner provided by the Standing Orders, with preambles, when necessary, setting forth the reason why, or the circumstances under which, the new enactment or amendment was proposed to be made. The history of the legislation would thus be preserved, the enactments passed in the course of any session being printed as part of the proceedings thereof. But, secondly, (2) With regard 400 NEW ZEALAND. to existing legislation, that it was highly expedient, for the sake of clearness, connectedness, and con- venience of reference, that a digest of the Consti- tution and statutes, in the shape of canons, should be made. They were persuaded that the advantage — not to say absolute necessity— of such a digest would become increasingly manifest, as time proceeded, and the enactments of the Synod of necessity increased in number and complexity. The Commission sub- mitted at the same time a digest they had prepared, together with an analysis of the same, in which the provisions of the Constitution and the statutes were arranged, after the pattern of the American Church, under general headings called titles, divisions called canons, and sub-divisions termed sections. The Synod did not forthwith adopt the digest, but ordered the analysis of it to be printed with the proceedings of the session, together with the report of the Com- mission, and recommended the next General Synod to consider the expediency of adopting the procedure recommended by the Commission, and giving the force of a formal enactment to the digest they had pre- pared. The whole subject was accordingly gone into very fully at the Napier Synod of 1883,- and, after very careful consideration, not without some op- position, the digest was finally adopted. For this very important and valuable work, the result of a vast expenditure of thought and labour, the thanks of the Church are due, almost exclusively, to the Ven. Archdeacon Williams. Another archdeacon, venerable not for his years so much as for his services to the Church— in the Dio- SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 40I cese of Christchurch more especially — and for his high character, was conspicuous for his zealous and unremitting labours, as well as for his calm judgment, in the proceedings of this session. This was the Ven. W. Chambers Harris, Archdeacon of Akaroa, and formerly Head Master of Christ's College Gram- mar School, acknowledged to be — in a large measure through his wise and able government — the first public school in New Zealand. The early and lamented death of the ven. archdeacon, scarcely more than two years after the close of this session, removed an earnest labourer from the earthly service of his Master, one who is still, and long will be, sorely missed in the diocese in which his lot was cast, and who, had it pleased God to spare him, would probably have risen to yet higher offices in the Church than that which he so worthily filled.' His chief work in the Napier ' The Ven. William Chambers Harris, M.A., was educated at Bradfield, Berks, and Brasenose College, Oxford, of which he was a Scholar ; Second Class Mod., 1862 ; ordained Deacon by the Bishop of Oxford (Wilberforce), 1864 ; Priest, by the Bishop of Christchurch, N.Z., 1866; Assistant Master of St. Peter's College, Radley, 1865 ; Head Master, Chaplain, and Fellow, Christ's College, Canterbury, 1866; went home in- valided in 1873, and resigned his Mastership. Recovering, was appointed Head Master of Wimborne Minster Grammar School, 1874. Resigned, and became Vicar of Marchwood, Southampton, 1S77. Returned to New Zealand in 1879, having been appointed Organising Chaplain to the Bishop of Christchurch, and again made Fellow of Christ's College. Appointed Archdeacon of Akaroa in 1882. Again returned to England, seriously ill, in March, 1885. Died at his father's house at Llanrwst, North Wales, on the 2nd June, 1885, in the forty-fifth year of his age. His conscientious endeavours to 2 D 402 NEW ZEALAND. Synod — the only one of which he was ever a member — was the perfecting of the DiscipUne Statutes, now arranged as Canon I., " Of Ecclesiastical Courts," and Canon IL, "Of Ecclesiastical Offences," both under the general heading, Title D, of " Of Dis- cipline." These enactments, as we have seen, were carried very hastily through the Synod at the very close of the session of 1877, and were in a somewhat chaotic condition. The archdeacon bestowed upon them a prodigious amount of labour — for they are very lengthy — and carried them through the Synod in the thoroughly digested and complete form in which they now stand, and in which they are likely to remain, it may be, for generations to come. The Commission on the Diaconate, appointed at the preceding Session, presented a very full and valuable Report, upon which, however, no action was taken until three years later. The Bishop of Dunedin laid upon the table the correspondence which had passed between himself and Bishop Grafstrom, of the Church of Sweden. The letter of the Swedish Bishop, which is printed in the Appendix to the Proceedings, is a highly interesting document, speaking hopefully of the prospects of intercommunion between the Church of Sweden and the Churches of the Anglican Com- munion, though not without reference to the existence of lingering prejudices in the opposite direction "improve his talents " to the very end of his days were most exemplary. By determination and earnest practice he had succeeded in making himself, in the last year or two his life, an exceedingly able extempore preacher. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 403 among his countrymen. With regard to the proposal made at the last Session, that the Church of Sweden should send to New Zealand, and bear the cost of the maintenance of, a Missionary to the Scandinavian settlers in the Colony, who should be ordained by one of the New Zealand Bishops, Bishop Grafstrom expressed his regret that the Foreign Missionary Society, or Board, of the Church of Sweden was unable at present to incur the necessary expense, inasmuch as the Mission to South Africa, which had been almost ruined by the Zulu war, absorbed the whole of the available funds of the Society. The following important Resolutions were passed with regard to St. John's College, Auckland: — i. "That the Synod do approve of the temporary removal of St. John's College to some situation nearer the Auckland University College, and do authorise the Trustees to make an application, if necessary, to the Legislature to pass an Act empowering them to do so." 2. "That it be an instruction to the Trus- tees and Governors of St. John's College to report particularly and fully to the Synod as to the results of the temporary change, and whether it is desirable to make the removal permanent ; and, if so, whether it would be practicable to build the new College in some portion of the Cathedral ground." " On the last evening of the Session " — we quote once more from the Neiv Zealand Church News of May, 1883 — "the Synod went into committee, at the instance of the Bishop of Melanesia, on the Report of the Sessional Committee on Home and Foreign Missions, especially with regard to a recommendation 2 D 2 404 NEW ZEALAND. that the Synod should consider the best means oi bringing back to the Church those Natives who had lapsed from the Christian Faith during the Maori wars. On this subject several exceedingly interesting speeches were made, in particular by the Bishops of Auckland, Dunedin, and Melanesia, Archdeacon Williams, the Rev. Samuel Williams, and Colonel Haultain. But the most marked feature of the dis- cussion was a proposal made on the spur of the moment by the Bishop of Melanesia, to the effect that a Pastoral Letter should be addressed by the Primate in the name of the Synod to the Native race, especially to those who had abandoned the Faith they had once professed. The proposal was received with acclamation, and at a later period of the evening his Lordship read the following brief Address which he had prepared, and requested the Rev. S. Williams to translate it into the native tongue, and take steps to circulate it : — ' To our Brethren of the Native race in this Island. — It has pleased Almighty God, that we, the representatives of the Church of the Province ■ of New Zealand, should meet in Council in the Diocese ofWaiapu; and we are reminded by our presence here of those who were once our fellow- members in this Church, but are not so now. We are about to conclude the business for which we have met, and to return to our homes, but cannot do so without expressing our heart's desire that they who are separated from us may be again united with us in one body, under the one Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We would ask, therefore, our Maori brethren to consider among themselves, whether their reunion SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 405 may not be effected, and earnestly trust that our appeal to them in this behalf may not be in vain. Signed on behalf of the General Synod of the Church of the Province of New Zealand, by H. J. C. Christ- church, President.' " ' On Friday, April 20th, after sitting for thirteen days, the Synod separated, the session having been closed with the usual solemn acts of devotion. We pass over nearly three years, and the scene is shifted from Napier to Auckland ; but the majority of those who are again met together in council at the tenth General Synod are the same. The Bishops are the same without exception ; all the seven were present at Auckland, as at Napier in 1883, and at Christchurch in 1880. The clergy were nearly the same ; only the frosts of time had left more visible traces on the heads of some. There was one, how- ever, who had taken a conspicuous part in every Synod from that of Nelson in 1862 to that of Napier ' In answer to an enquiry made by the writer, the Ven. W. L. Williams wrote as follows in February of the present year: "The original Hauhauism of 1864 and following years is, I imagine, extinct altogether. The fact is, there was not much religion in it. The movement was more political than religious. In the Taranaki district Te Whiti has absorbed it, so to speak. In this district (Poverty Bay), and in the Bay of Plenty, Te Kooti's system has taken its place, while in Waikato, Taupo, and parts of the Bay of Plenty, several other kinds of ' Karakia ' are in vogue, but in all of them there is a very strong political element. There is, however, a great reaction taking place in the eastern portion of the Bay of Plenty and at Taupo, which there is reason, I think, to hope will extend itself." 406 NEW ZEALAND. in 1883, both included, whose familiar countenance and voice were greatly missed : the truly venerable Archdeacon Maunsell was living close at hand in Parnell, and his slightly bent form might be seen almost daily on horseback ; but he was released from duty and in feeble health. Among the lay members was one who had taken part in the Conference of 1857, nearly thirty years before, and had signed the original Constitution, the Hon. Colonel Haultain. There were three others, who should have been men- tioned before, as earnest and influential members of many Synods in succession, the Hon. J. B. A. Acland of Canterbury, Mr. C. Hunter Brown of Nelson, and Mr. E. E. C. Quick of Dunedin ; to whom should be added a much-valued new member, Mr. Hugh Garden Seth-Smith, M. A., Resident Magistrate of Auckland. In all seventeen clerical and twenty lay Repre- sentatives attended with great regularity ; and in no former session have the lay members generally taken a more active part in the proceedings. The session opened in the midst of the steamy heat of an Auckland summer, on the 28th January, 1886, the aged and beloved Primate, now 82, once more pre- siding. The place of meeting was the Cathedral Library, unaltered since the Fourth Synod met there in 1868 under the presidency of the Bishop of New Zealand and Lichfield. The coincidence led the Primate to indulge in many sadly interesting remi- niscences in his opening Address : with the name of Bishop Selwyn he joined those of his two trusted friends and advisers, Sir William Martin and Mr. William Swainson, both residents in that city. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 407 and members of the Synod over which Bishop Sehvyn presided for the last time — " now sharing his place of rest with him " — the name also of John Coleridge Patteson, who was also a member of that Synod, " whose memory will be ever dear to the New Zealand Church, alike for his singularly attractive graces, and for self-sacrificing faithfulness in carrying on the work begun by Bishop Selwyn in the South Sea Islands, and for the consecration of that work by his death." But if this meeting of the General Synod was rendered peculiarly interesting by these reminiscences of the past, it was also marked by memorable inci- dents of the present, hereafter to rank among the treasured memories of those who took part in or witnessed them. In the first place, the Most Rev. Dr. Barr}', Bishop of Sydney, and Primate of Australia, who was travelling for health's sake, was present by invitation, and sat on the episcopal bench, next to the President, on the opening day. A reso- lution of welcome having been passed, Dr. Barry replied in a brief but most appropriate and admirable address, in which he spoke of having watched with deepest interest, long before he had had any expecta- tion of coming to this part of the world, the growth and development of the Church in New Zealand, especially the working of its synodical system. Speaking of the need of unity and common action among the distant branches of the Church, his lord- ship shadowed out the possibility, in the future, of a Synod which should unite the Church of New Zealand with the Churches of Australia and Tas- mania. " How that may be brought about," said 4o8 NEW ZEALAND. his lordship, " I cannot tell ; but I am profoundly convinced that the one main need of our colonial life is the need of unity. There is not the slightest danger of over-centralisation ; there is rather the danger of too independent action of the various dioceses." The Primate of Australia preached the same day before the Synod and a crowded congre- gation at the special evening service at St. Sepulchre's Church, taking St. Matthew xviii. 20 for his text. On the third day of the session, the Bishop of Dunedin introduced to the Synod two Samoan chiefs, who were visiting Auckland for political objects, and whose acquaintance he had made in the course of the preceding year, while engaged in a missionary tour to some of the Islands of the South Pacific. Their names were Mr. Joine Upolo and Mr. Siamanu. Though not members of the Church of England, but Presbyterians, they had received the Bishop very kindly at their homes, and had been very helpful to him in furthering the objects he had in view in visit- ing their island. The President welcomed them heartily, and explained to them the objects and work of the Synod. JNIr. Upolo replied in excellent English, thanking the Primate and the Synod for the cordial reception they had given him and his companion, and explaining the object of their visit. He believed that, if the Church of England sent ministers to Samoa, they would be well received. In connection with this incident, it should be stated that the bishops had under their consideration a communication addressed to the Primate with reference to the episcopal super- intendence of the Fiji group and other adjacent SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 409 islands ; and on the next day they laid before the Synod the following resolution at which they had arrived : — " That a communication having been received by the Primate from His Grace the Arch- bishop of Canterbury suggesting that, during the session of the General Synod, the bishops of New Zealand should consult with the Primate of Australia as to the best regular provision which might be made by them for the episcopal oversight of the English Church congregations in Fiji and adjacent islands, and a request for such oversight having been received from the members of the Church of England in Fiji, the bishops of this province, after a conference with the Primate of Australia, are of opinion that efforts should be made for the supervision and visiting of the congregations and members of the Church in Fiji, Samoa, and other adjacent islands, and that their proximity and the commercial connection of these islands with New Zealand indicate that this duty can be best undertaken by the Church in New Zealand ; the bishops, therefore, will, if practicable, arrange for one of their number to visit these localities, prior to any arrangement being made for episcopal supervision, and in the meanwhile have requested the Bishop of Dunedin to act as correspondent, referring in any case of special importance to the Primate." The Synod thanked their lordships for their com- munication. We may add that by request of the Bishops the Bishop of Nelson paid a visit in the course of the year 1886 to Fiji, Samoa, and other of the islands included within the scope of the Archbishop's letter. 4IO NEW ZEALAND. Later in the evening of the day on which the Samoan chiefs were introduced, another distinguished visitor, who had just arrived from Sydney, and was present in the room, was invited to address the Synod, the subject under discussion being one on which he was specially qualified to speak with experi- ence and authority. The gentleman referred to was Sir Alexander Stuart, brother of the Bishop ot Waiapu, and lately Premier of New South Wales,^ and the subject under discussion was religious instruction in public schools. Sir Alexander said that, " in New South Wales the Education Act did not ignore religious teaching, as that of New Zealand did ; on the contrary, it provided for it. But Churchmen there had passed through a time of great trial. He himself had been thrown into the position of being the champion of the Denominational system in Parlia- ment. The enormous power given to the public schools by a lavish expenditure, and by the will of the majority of the people, had overwhelmed the Denomi- nationalist party, so that they had been obliged to capitulate, and make the best terms they could. As it is, permission is given to the various churches to give religious instruction within school hours. At first this proved a dead failure ; the clergy had not taken advantage of the opportunity afforded them. But that was not the case now. From year to year they ' Sir Alexander was on his way to London, where he was commissioned to represent his Government in connection with the Indian and Colonial Exhibition. While in England he was taken ill and died, deeply regretted. SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 41 I were availing themselves of it more and more, and a great impetus had been given to the work by the arrival and exertions of the Primate of Australia. In more than four-fifths of all the public schools in the Diocese of Sydney — and they were very numerous — religious instruction was systematically given, in some instances by the clergy, in others by bands of trained teachers who assisted in the work. In the country schools, of course, it could not be given so methodi- cally as in towns ; but, with few exceptions, some degree of religious^, instruction was imparted in all, at least once a week. In a majority of cases the schoolmaster holds out the right hand of fellowship to the clergyman and his assistants, and acknowledges the benefit derived from the religious instruction; they find the children more amenable to discipline and better behaved. The parents also highly approved of what was being done. In 1884 the subscriptions given in aid of the movement amounted to ^500 ; in 1885 it rose to about ^^2,000 ; and at the last annual meeting held in connection with the movement no fewer than 1,200 people were present." In con- clusion, Sir Alexander said that if the few words he had spoken had given those present encouragement to engage vigorously in the same great movement, he would, indeed, be happy at having been able to be present and give the result of his experience in New South Wales. In connection with this subject it should be stated that the whole Provincial Church of New Zealand has been for years past profoundly dissatisfied with the existing system of Government education, established 412 NEW ZEALAND. by the Legislature in 1877, which is exclusively secular. By permission of the local committees, the school buildings may be made use of for religious instruction before or after school hours ; but no encouragement or ev£n recognition of such instruc- tion can be looked for from the school authorities. The Bible may not be read, nor may a prayer be said, in a Government school ; so far as the force of law can go, the Name of God is ignored. At the same time, the high pressure at which the secular instruction is maintained is such as to absorb the time and energies of the pupils to such an extent as to render almost nugatory the most zealous efforts that can be made to supplement the secular teaching by any organised system of religious instruction. In a few parishes, here and there, where the conditions are exceptionally favourable, the efforts to utilise the time before or after school for imparting such instruction have not been wholly without success ; and in a few other cases Church day schools have been set on foot, and carried on with a considerable degree of efficiency under cir- cumstances of great difficulty. But the general result has been the almost complete paralysis of the religious instruction of the young throughout the land, so far as the Anglican Church and the Protestant sects are concerned : the Roman Catholics, being at unity among themselves, and concentrating their undivided strength upon this object, succeed in maintaining day schools in every considerable centre of population. The Diocesan Synods and the General Synod rarely meet without deploring the evil, and protesting in some form against it. The parents are, for the most SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 413 part, individually dissatisfied ; but for the present there seems to be but little hope of change; the secular system dominates the public mind ; and the politicians and the journalists "love to have it so." The only hope is that a reaction may come in time, and of this it may be that some faint presages are perceptible. Here and there, there is agitation in favour of bare Bible-reading in the public schools ; but the General Synod has never been satisfied with this pretence of religious instruction. In four succes- sive Synods, beginning from 1877, it has put forward in the form of petitions to the Legislature these two principles as necessary conditions of any system of public instruction with which Churchmen ought to be satisfied : — " I. That the Education Act should be so amended that provision may be made for imparting religious instruction in school hours, in the public schools of the colony, by ministers of religion, or persons duly authorised by them, to the children belonging to their respective communions. 2. That any fully satisfactory measure for educa- tion by the State should contain a provision for grants in aid being made to schools set on foot by any religious denomination, provided the attend- ance and secular instruction in such schools shall come up to the required standards, and satisfy the Government Inspector." It has been stated, a few pages back, that the Report of the Commission on the Diaconate, ap- pointed at the Christchurch Synod of 1880, was pre- sented, but not dealt with, at Napier in 1S83, except 414 NEW ZEALAND. that it was ordered to be printed in the Appendix to the Report of the latter Session. At the Session now under review, a Select Committee was appointed " to consider the Report of the Commission appointed at the Synod of 1880, to enquire into the age for admission to the Diaconate ; and to consider both other plans for the extension of the Diaconate, and the proposal made by the Primate in his Address for the institution of an order of Lay EvangeHsts ; and to make such recommendations to this Synod as they may think fit." The Report of this Committee, which is contained in the Appendix to the Proceedings of the Session of 1886, is deserving of thoughtful study. It draws special attention to the replies of some of the American Bishops, and that of the Rev. Dr. Hopkins, of Pennsylvania, on the age of admis- sion to the Diaconate. The final result, when the Report of the Select Committee came before the Synod, was the adoption of the following resolu- tions : — "(i.) The General Synod recognises the right of the Bishops of New Zealand to grant the faculty referred to in the preface to the Ordinal. Such faculty to be issued by the Primate on the application of one of the Bishops with the assent in writing of the majority of the Bishops of the Province. (2.) With regard to the proposal to extend the Diaconate by admitting to the office persons intending to con- tinue in the exercise of secular occupations, the Synod is of opinion that the admission of such persons to the Diaconate must be left to the discretion of indi- vidual Bishops. (3.) The Synod is of opinion that in parishes and parochial districts, where adequate SUBSEQUENT GROV/TH AND DEVELOPMENT. 415 provision is not made for the spiritual wants of the people, Lay Evangelists should be employed under the sanction of the Bishop, and with the consent of the clergyman, to undertake short services, and to preach in mission rooms, or in the open air, or in such other places as may be approved of by the Bishop." The passage in the Ordinal, referred to above, is as follows : — " And none shall be admitted a Deacon, except he be twenty-three years of age, unless he have a faculty. And every man, which is to be admitted a priest, shall be full four-and-twenty years old ; and every man which is to be ordained or consecrated Bishop, shall be fully thirty years of age." But the principal debates of this session had reference to the removal of St. John's College. Extraordinary interest in this subject was manifested both within and without the Synod, and the discus- sions were of a very animated character. Early in the Session a Select Committee was appointed, on the motion of the Bishop of Melanesia, " to consider all questions connected with St. John's College and report thereon to the Synod." It will be remem- bered that, at the last Session, held at Napier in 1883, the Synod sanctioned the temporary removal of the College from Tamaki to some situation nearer the Auckland University College, and authorised the Trustees to make application to the Legislature for power to effect such removal. An Act had accord- ingly been passed without opposition, in the course of the same year, entitled, " The St. John*s College \uckland Removal Act, 1883," authorising the 4l6 NEW ZEALAND. removal of the " said Collegiate Institution from its present site to a site in Parnell, or elsewhere in the neighbourhood of Auckland," and providing that " it may be from time to time removed as the Trustees for the time being with the authority of the General Synod may determine " ; and that, " all the endowments of the said Collegiate institution shall avail for the benefit thereof, and shall be held on the same trusts respectively as if the site of the said in- stitution for the time being had been the site thereof when the said endowments were made." In the Report of the Governors of the College laid before the Synod in 1886, they stated that, in accordance with this Act, they had purchased a convenient property at Parnell, close to the Bishop's residence and the Cathedral site, consisting of three quarters of an acre of land, with buildings suitable for their purpose already erected upon it. The students had moved into these premises at the beginning of the year 1884, and temporary arrangements had been made for their supervision and instruction. Such of the students as were sufficiently advanced were attending the lectures of the University College professors. An important statement, which follows in the report, we will give in the words of the Governors : " Irre- spective of the reasons for the change of location, which were submitted at the last session of the Synod, there is now a more serious obstacle to the continu- ance of the college at Tamaki, in the subsidence of the foundation of a part of the main buildings, which renders its occupation dangerous ; and the Trustees have been assured by a competent architect, whom SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 417 they employed to inspect and report on the buildings, with a view to take remedial measures if practicable, that ' their thoroughly unsound condition admits of but one safe course, viz., rebuilding.' Such a course, under present circumstances, is absolutely impossible. A new and suitable building could not be erected for less than ;^8,ooo or ;^io,ooo, and it will be many years before the funds derivable from the endow- ments will admit of such an expenditure being incurred." ''Inasmuch, therefore, as a return to the old buildings in their present condition was impracticable, and as the results of the removal to Parnell, in so far as the training and instruction of the students were concerned, were so satisfactory " (as they had shown in detail in their report), the Governors had decided to recommend, " that the Synod should approve of the retention of the institution in its present locality until the Synod of 1892, when the subject might be again brought under its consideration." They pro- posed this extended period, because they found it impossible to make anything like permanent arrange- ments with a warden and tutors, when the prospects were in such an extreme state of uncertainty as at present. The last paragraph of this report we give, as before, in the words of the Governors : — " The Governors deem it unnecessary here to enlarge on the disadvantages attendant on the isolation of young men from society generally by placing them in a building far removed from Auckland, in a district sparsely inhabited, and where their only acquaint- ances would, as a rule, be limited to the small number 2 E 4l8 NEW ZEALAND. of their fellow-students, and where also they could not have that constant intercourse with the Bishop and the town clergy, and that opportunity of being initiated into parochial work, which are of primary importance to candidates for holy orders." The report was signed by the Bishop of Auckland as chairman. On the other hand, a shot, if we may be allowed tlie expression, had been fired into the camp from the other side of the world, which disturbed all the calculations of the Governors. Those who know only so much of the origin and early history of St. John's College as they have been able to gather from the preceding pages of this history — those who are aware how much the heart of Bishop Selwyn was wrapped up in this institution, and how it was associated with all the plans and aspirations of the earlier period of his episcopate — will not be surprised to hear that the news of the resolution arrived at by the Synod in 1883, sanctioning the removal of the college, and the application to the Legislature for permission to remove it, occasioned painful surprise and sad reflections to the surviving friends of the great bishop in Eng- land, and caused them to forward to the Primate, to be laid before the Standing Commission, a strong pro- test against the whole proceeding. This document, dated 26th December, 1883, was signed by the revered widow of the bishop, by his elder son, the Rev. WiUiam Selwyn, and by Bishop Abraham. Can it be wondered at that it should exercise a potent in- fluence with a Select Committee, moved for, nomi- nated, and presided over by one so trusted and be- SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 419 loved as his younger son, the Bishop of Melanesia — and with the Synod at large ? It was simply a con- test between warm sentiment and dry, hard fact. Who, without feeling self-accused of coldness of heart, and downright sacrilege, could venture to hint that the selection of the site of St. John's College was a mistake from the beginning ? But we must refrain from trespassing on the domain of contested opinion, and confine ourselves to the statement of the historical conclusion. The whole question was fully discussed in committee of the whole Synod on Friday, February 12th, and, after a debate of much warmth, but happily tinged by no bitterness — rendered memorable by the tact and courtesy, as well as by the firmness, of the chairman. Colonel Haultain, and by the fine spirit displayed by the Bishop of Melanesia— the resolutions recommended by the Select Committee were adopted, with amend- ments, in the following shape : — "(i) That, in the opinion of this Synod, a resi- dent warden should be appointed for St. John's College as soon as can be. (2) That occupation of the buildings at Tamaki be resumed, as soon as they can be put into proper order. (3) That a definite standard of attainment be required, before candidates are admitted to scholarships. (4) That the per- mission given by the General Synod of 1883 to sell a part of the Tamaki estate be, and hereby is, re- scinded." The Governors would have been left in a state of painful perplexity and uncertainty, especially by the second of the foregoing resolutions, but for the following addition moved, after their adoption had 2 E 2 420 NEW ZEALAND. been made sure, by Colonel Haultain, seconded by the Bishop of Melanesia, and carried almost unani- mously :— "That, until funds can be provided for the maintenance of a warden, and for restoring the Col- lege buildings at Tamaki, this Synod does not direct the Governors to change the location of the college." The effect of this resolution, in the opinion of many, would be to neutralise all the preceding ones. After sitting for thirteen days, this Synod was closed by the venerable Primate in the accustomed manner, it having been agreed that the next triennial session should be held in Dunedin in 1889. We have reserved one resolution of this Synod to the last. On the fifth day of the session, the Presi- dent, having previously informed the Synod that he had received a communication from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, to the effect that they proposed to publish a series of histories of provincial Churches, and requesting him to appoint an editor for that of the province of New Zealand— that he had laid the matter before the bench of bishops, and that their lordships had received the proposal with satisfaction, and concurred in a certain recommendation respecting it — it was moved by the Bishop of Melanesia, seconded by Mr. Quick, and resolved : — " That this Synod accepts the recom- mendation of the bishops respecting the proposed provincial history, and requests the Very Rev. the Dean of Christchurch to accept the duty of editor." The result is in the hands of our readers. The writer lays down his pen at the conclusion of this SUBSEQUENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. 42 I main portion of the work, for which he is personally responsible, with feelings of humble and devout thankfulness to Almighty God for the abundant blessings He has vouchsafed to this Church — for the soundness of her faith, for the good success granted to the missionary labours of His servants, the revered founders of His Church in this land, the labours also of the translators of His Word, for the wealth of high and noble example He has given to this Church to treasure, for the wisely-ordered Constitution which binds her members together in unity, while it allows all an ample measure of liberty — and, he would add, for the profound peace and absence of party strife, which, with very few and partial exceptions, the Synods especially of this Church have to a remarkable degree, and for so many years, enjoyed. May her progress in knowledge and zeal and holiness in the future be in keeping with these blessings of the past ! The closing months of the year 1887 still see the New Zealand Church under the wise, moderate, and constitutional rule of the octogenarian Bishop of Christchurch. May the heroic zeal and devotedness of her first great Primate ever inspire her bishops and priests to lead lives of self-sacrificing, self-forgetting labour ! May the kindly, fatherly, conciliatory spirit of his successor ever prevail in her counsels, for the promotion of unity and concord ! May her laymen ever emulate the example of those honoured men, whom time would fail us to enumerate, who have helped to build up the walls of our Sion ! May all her children alike be animated by that fervent 422 NEW ZEALAND. patriotism, which breathes in the devout words of the Psalmist : — O pray for the peace of Jerusalem : they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes I will wish thee prosperity. Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek to do thee good. Postscript. — Some days after the completion ot the foregoing history, and two days before the closing of the mail, by which the writer had undertaken to transmit the MS. of the whole work to England for publication, an important event occurred, which he ought not, he thinks, to lose the opportunity of men- tioning in a postscript. The Most Rev. the Bishop of Christchurch, at the close of his address at the opening of the annual session of the Synod of the diocese, on St. Luke's Day, October i8th, 1887, announced his intention of resigning his see at the end of the year next ensuing. His lordship went on to say that he would convene the next annual session at as early a date as possible after Easter, 1888, that steps might be taken for the appointment of a suc- cessor. 423 PART IV. THE SEVEN DIOCESES. CHAPTER I. THE DIOCESE OF AUCKLAND. Statistics — Clergy Pension Fund — Diocesan Endowments — General Endowments — Institutions. The following statistics of this diocese have been kindly supplied by the Right Rev. the Bishop, whose communication bears the date of September 14th, 1887:— Church Population of the Diocese. — This, including Maories, is approximately 76,232, according to the last census, taken in March, 1886. This does not include those designated "Protestants," and not otherwise defined. The Maories are estimated at 18,850. Offerings for Church Purposes. — The weekly offerings of this population amounted last year to about ^6,500. A considerable sum in addition was collected for church building. Stipends of Clergy. — Our town clergy generally receive a stipend of ;^4oo per annum, with a house. 424 NEW ZEALAND. In this sum is included, in some cases, part of the interest of a parochial endowment fund, which at present yields ;^3oo a year. The stipends (in no case exceeding ;^3oo per annum) of the country clergy are, in many districts, supplemented by small grants from our Home Mission Fund, of which the receipts last year amounted to ;^9oo, contributed mainly by our town congregations in two half-yearly Sunday collections. Our Maori clergy, in priest's orders, receive ;^6o a year, with a house. The stipend is made up of a grant from our Native Pastorate Fund, supplemented in several cases by a grant of ^25 from the Church Missionary Society's New Zealand estate. The Native Pastorate Fund, consisting, to a great extent, of contributions from the Maori congregations, yields at present ^600 per annum. The majority of these contributions have been made since 1870, the year in which, at my sug- gestion, the Maories of the north began to give weekly at the Sunday offertory. In addition to the annual grants made from the Home Mission Fund towards the maintenance of the more poorly-paid country clergy, the stipend and travelling expenses of an organising clergyman (working under the bishop's direction) are paid from the fund. This clergyman spends the whole of his time in visiting parts of the diocese in which there are no resident clergy ; and the result is that none of our people can now say that they are entirely without the ministrations of clergy- men. Diocesan Clergy Pension Fund. — We have a diocesan pension fund, to which the clergy pay ^Qz a THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 425 year each and the surpUce fees of their parish or district. The Synod has directed that there shall be a collection for this fund on one Sunday of every year in all our churches. The income of the fund last year was ;^7oo. Part of the interest of the tund may be given in pensions to the widows of clergymen. We have not at present any clergyman receiving a pension from the fund. The benefits of the fund belong to the clergy of the dioceses of Melanesia and Waiapu, as well as to those of Auckland. Bishopric Endoivment. — This consists of ^i 1,500, and land estimated at ;^3,35o, the bishop's stipend being about ^900 per annum. For the first ten years of my episcopate it was much less. Out of the ;^9oo the bishop has to pay travelling expenses, amounting to not less than ^100 a year, to keep up an expensive establishment (servants costing ^^5 a week), and to pay a secretary and clerk, whenever he employs such assistance. Number of Clergy. — In 1870 there were twenty- four European clergy in the diocese ; now there are sixty. In 1870 there were five Maori clergy in the diocese. I have since ordained twelve more. Three of this number have died this year, two having been accidentally poisoned by eating unwholesome food, and the third having died (on September 9th) of consumption. Ne7v Churches. — Since 1870, sixty-nine new Churches have been built in the diocese, varying in size from St. Sepulchre's, which will hold 1,000 people, to small Maori buildings, that will hold 100. Church Property. — Our Maori School, St. Stephen's, 426 NEW ZEALAND. Parnell, has an endowment, which yielded last year ^500. The Parnell Grammar School estate pro- duced last year an income of ^^200. The benefits of the following estates, which are situated within the diocese, are, in some cases, not confined exclusively to it, in others not partaken of by it at all, namely : — 1. The St. John's College Estate, which last year yielded a revenue of ;i^i,25o. 2. The Afelanesian Alission Estate, which pro- duced last year an income of ^2,000. 3. The General Church Trust Estate, the revenue of which is at the disposal of the General Synod, yielded last year the sum of ;^5oo. Native Church Boards. — Every year since 1872, we have had a meeting of our native Church Board (or Boards), in accordance with the provisions of Title B, Canon III. The board consists of the bishop, the licensed clergy of the district, and lay re- presentatives from the same. Chu7-ch Tnstitutiofis. — We have a Women's Home, which was established by Mrs. Cowie in 1884, and in which nearly 100 women have now been helped. It is under the management of a committee, consisting of three clergymen and three ladies, of whom Mrs. Cowie is one, and she is also the superintendent of the Institution. THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 427 CHAPTER II. DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH. Staff of the Diocese — Statistics — Endowments — Home Mission Fund — Institutions of the Diocese: — i. Christ's College, Canterbury — 2. Christchurch Cathedral. Bishop. — The Most Rev. Henry John Chitty Harper, D.D., Oxford, Primate, consecrated a.d. 1856, Bishopric founded 1850. Dean. — The Very Rev. Henry Jacobs, D.D., Oxford. Appointed 1866. Aj'chdeacofis. — The Ven. Henry William Harper, M.A., Oxford. Archdeacon of Timaru and Westland. Appointed, 1866. The Ven. Benjamin WooUey Dud- ley, M. A., Cambridge, Archdeacon of Rangiora, 1876. The Ven. Edward Atherton Lingard, Archdeacon of Akaroa, 1885. N.B. — The dean is also Archdeacon of Christchurch Appointed 1876. Canons. — The Ven. Archdeacons B. W. Dudley and H. W. Harper. The Rev. George Cotterill, B.A., Cambridge ; the Rev. George James Cholmondeley, the Rev. William Bedell Stanford, M.A., Oxford. Lay Members of Chapter. — The Hon. Henry Barnes Gresson, Chancellor of the Diocese, ex officio, Messrs. R. J. S. Harraan, C. R. Blakiston, F. De C. Malet, T. W. Maude, and C C. H. Cook, Professor of Mathematics, Canterbury College. Secretary to the Chapter.— ^voitssox Cook. 428 NEW ZEALAND. Treasurer. — The Rev. Canon Cotterill. N.B. — The lay members, the chancellor excepted, are elected once in four years by the Synod. Diocesan Secretary. — The Rev. Canon Cotterill. Diocesan Treasurer. — The Rev. Francis Knowles. Number of Licetised Clergy, — Sixty-one. Church Members. — European, as shown by last census, March, 1886, 62,434. Maori, about 500 in Canterbury, and 100 in Westland. Commtinicants. — 5,000 approximately. Baptis7ns. — About 1,900 for the last year. Returns incomplete. Confirmations. — For year ending at Easter, 1887 — males, 323 ; females, 482 ; total, 805. Lay Readers. — Unpaid, upwards of 100. N.B. — In some cases travelling expenses are paid. Churches. — Ninety ; besides schoolrooms and other buildings, in which divine service is regularly held. Sunday Schools. — About eighty-six. Sunday Scholars. — i. On the books, about 7,000. 2. Average attendance, about 4,500. Endoiuments. — 1. Bishopric estate. Acreage, town lands in Christchurch, 5 acres. Rural lands, about 2,800 acres. This estate is valued by the Government for the property tax assessment at ;^43,796. From the income of this estate the Bishop re- ceives ;^i,ooo a year. The remainder of the revenue is applied at present to the payment of (i) Bishop's Secretary, ;^ioo per annum. (2) Chaplains, ^400 per annum. (3) Official expenditure, a 'Varying amount. THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 429 There is a separate property, called the Jackson Trust Estate, a portion of the proceeds of which, varying from ^200 to ;^2 5o, is payable annually to the Bishop. The total income of the Bishop at the present time is from ^1,200 to ^^1,250 per annum. There is a suitable house with extensive grounds, free of rates. II. Dea7i atbd Chapter Estate. — Acreage, rural lands, 1,000 acres. Property tax value, ^52,416. The income of this estate is thus applied : — The Dean's income, ;^6oo per annum. Five canons, each ^100 per annum. The remainder of the income, after paying expenses of management, and interest on loan contracted for the building of the Cathedral, is applied towards the stipend of the precentor (^"400) and the maintenance of the Cathedral services. III. Getieral Trust Estate. — Acreage, town lands in Christchurch, 35 acres ; town lands in Lyttelton, 8 acres; rural lands, 1,738 acres; total acreage, 1,781 acres. Property tax valuation, ^144,398. The income of this estate, after paying expenses of management, and interest on loan, contracted in 1879, chiefly for the building of churches, parsonages, and schoolrooms, is applied towards the payment of the stipends of the clergy. A grant of ^50 per nnnum each is made at present to forty-seven cures, including hospital chaplaincies. The acreage given above does not include glebes, reserves, and special local endowments. The above endowments, together with the Christ's College estate, of which we shall speak presently, 430 NEW ZEALAND. were required by the Canterburj' Association for founding a settlement in New Zealand, incorporated by Royal Charter on the 13th November, 1850. An important — we might almost say the distinctive — feature in the design of the association was to set apart a proportion of one-third — j£,\ out of every £,2)-> the price per acre of land sold by them — "for the establishment and endowment of ecclesiastical and educational institutions," in connection with the Church of England. These estates are managed by a body called the Chzirch Property Trustees, in- corporated by Ordinance of the Provincial Council of Canterbury in the year 1854, to which body the agent of the Canterbury Association, Mr. H. Sewell, conveyed the property, together with the reserves made by the Association for churches, parsonages, schools, cemeteries, &c., by deed bearing date March 14th, 1856. The bishop is ex officio chairman of the trustees ; the remaining members, eight in number, are elected by the Synod of the diocese, two retiring by rotation every year, but being eligible for re-appointment. They may be either clergymen or laymen, but must be all communicants. Their management is subject to all directions and regu- lations of the Diocesan Synod. The benefits of the property are hmited to the provincial district of Canterbury, excluding Westland, which is a part of the diocese, but forms a provincial district oi itself. IV. Jacksofi Trust Estate. — This estate, which originally consisted of 3I acres of townland in Christchurch, and 650 acres of rural land in one THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 431 block, lying westward of the Lincoln-road and beyond the Sunnyside Asylum for the Insane, was acquired in the year 1850 mainly out of moneys collected by subscription by the Rev. Thomas Jackson, then Bishop-Designate of Lyttelton. This estate was formerly vested in the bishop as a corpora- tion sole, but, under the Bishops in New Zealand Trusts Act, 187 1, was by him conveyed, together with other properties similarly situated, to a body called the Diocesan Board of Trustees, appointed by the Diocesan Synod. This, though a totally distinct body from the Church Property Trustees, consists, by arrangement made for the sake of convenience, of the same persons. The books and accounts are separate, but otherwise they are practically one body, with the same officers and the same arrangements as to times of meeting. Of the Jackson Trust Estate, some portions are held in trust for the Clergy Maintenance Fund of the diocese, some for the Bishopric Endowment Fund, some for the endow- ment of the bishopric or bishoprics of those portions of the original diocese of Christchurch, which lie outside of the original Canterbury Block, so that a certain proportion is payable annually towards the endowment of the bishopric of Dunedin ; some portions also are held in trust for the endowment of professorships and scholarships in connection with Christ's College. Fifty acres of the rural land, forming the chief part of the endowment of one of these scholarships — the Buller and Reay scholarship — has been sold to the Government for the extension of the grounds of the Sunnyside Asylum, and the 432 NEW ZEALAND. proceeds, amounting to ;2^7,ooo, invested in other securities. The total value of this estate, according to the Property Tax Assessment, is ^34,475? of which the portion held in trust for Christ's College is valued at ;^8,96o. Clergy Stipend Aid Fund. — This is a Home Mission Fund. It consists partly of an endowment of ;^4,ooo, set apart out of the general estate, for the purpose of increasing the stipends of the clergy in the less populous and more sparsely inhabited dis- tricts, and partly of the proceeds of quarterly offertories, required by the Synod to be made, both morning and evening, in every place of worship belonging to the Church in the diocese. It is managed by the Standing Committee, and distributed according to regulations made by them, subject to general directions laid down by the Synod. One of these general directions is that the cures in Westland, which are excluded from a direct share in the benefits of the Church Property Trust Estate, should receive from this fund annual grants equivalent to those made from the proceeds of that estate to the clergy on the eastern side of the dividing range of mountains (the Southern Alps). The total amount of the sums contributed through the offertory to this fund for the last year was nearly ;^6oo. CHURCH INSTITUTIONS OF THE DIOCESE. Christ" s College, Canterbury . — The Canterbury Association, when it was about to expire, made it an indispensable condition of the transfer to the Church Property Trustees of the diocese of the lands held THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 433 in trust by the Association for Ecclesiastical and Educational Purposes, that the trustees should found and endow the college, which had been from the commencement contemplated by them, and put forward as one of the leading features of their plan of colonisation. The trustees, accordingly, set apart one-fifth of the town and rural lands vested in them as an endowment for the college, and founded it by a solemn Deed of Foundation, bearing date May 21st, 1855, under the name of Christ's College, Canterbury. On the 28th June, in the same year, the college was incorporated by an Ordinance of the Provincial Council of Canterbury. The following are extracts from the Deed of Foundation : — "We do hereby found the said college to the honour and glory of the eternal and ever-blessed Trinity, for the propagation of the most holy Christian religion, as it is now professed and taught by the United Church of England and Ireland, and for the promotion of sound piety and useful learning, more especially within the said Province of Canterbury. . . . And we do hereby declare that the said college shall be constituted as follows, that is to say : — There shall be a Warden, Sub- Warden, and Fellows, not fewer than six, nor exceeding twenty-five in number. . . . The Bishop of the diocese shall be ex officio the Warden, subject to his consent. . . . The Metropolitan Bishop for the time being of the Ecclesiastical Province, within which the said college shall be situate, shall be the Visitor thereof." The first Sub-Warden and the first body of Fellows, to the number of ten, were named in the Deed of Foundation. All future Sub-Wardens and Fellows to be elected by the Fellows for the 2 F 434 NEW ZEALAND. time being, subject in the case of the Sub- Warden to a veto to be exercised by the Warden. The first and present Sub- Warden is the Very Rev. H. Jacobs, D.D., Dean of Christchurch. The college consists of two departments, that is to say : — i. The Upper Z>epar^men/,~Y>r'mc\pa.\\y for the instruction and training of students for Holy Orders, but also intended to provide a home, with religious instruction and discip- line, for young men matriculated in the University of New Zealand and attending lectures at Canterbury College, a secular institution founded and endowed by the Provincial Council of Canterbury, and affiliated to the New Zealand University. The Principal of the Upper, or collegiate, department is the Rev. W. Bedell Stanford, M.A., of Balliol College, Oxford. The number of students at present residing under his charge and tuition at the College House is eight. There are two professorships attached to the Upper department, both of which are at present held by the Principal, namely, the Watts-Russell Professorship of Divinity and the Hulsean Chichele Professorship of History. There are also several scholarships, some of the value of ^loo, others of ^80 per annum. 2. T/ie Grammar School Department , of which the Head Master is Mr. C. C. Corfe, B.A., Cambridge; Chaplain and Assistant Master, the Rev. F. A. Hare, M.A., Cambridge. There are also fifteen other assistant masters, including all departments, of whom we may specially mention Mr. E. A. Worthy, B.A., New College, Oxford; Mr. J. B. Harrison, M.A., Queen's College, Oxford ; Mr. W. C. F. Walters, M.A., of Pembroke College, Oxford; and Mr. W B. THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 435 Worsfold, M.A., of University College, Oxford. There are several scholarships attached to the school, of which the most valuable are the Somes Scholarships, founded by Mrs. Maria Somes, widow of Mr. Joseplj Somes, sometime Chairman of the New Zealand Company. The number of boys attending the school as boarders or day scholars is 225. Boarders are taken by the Head Master and three of the Assistant Masters, also by the Rev. Canon Cotterill^ formerly Second Master. Christchurch Cathedral. The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid with great ceremony by the Bishop of Christchurch on the 1 6th December, 1864, being the fourteenth anniversary of the arrival of the first Canterbury colonists. Extraordinary interest was manifested, and subscriptions of a surprising number and amount flowed in at first, so that the Cathedral Commission, a body appointed by the Synod, and charged with the erection of the building, were enabled to com- plete the foundations of the whole structure, and to carry up the walls to the height of 19 feet, within a comparatively short space of time. Then a time of severe commercial depression set in, which lasted for several years, and the building was almost entirely suspended, in consequence, not only of the failure of new subscriptions, but of the inability of many to fulfil the promises they had made. In the year 1873, however, there came a great revival of interest in the undertaking, and the Synod, with much enthusiasm, passed a resolution instructing the Church Property Trustees to raise, by sale or mortgage of a portion of 2 F 2 436 NEW ZEALAND. the Trust Estate, the sum of ;^5,ooo, to be applied towards the erection of the cathedral. A second grant of ;^5,ooo was made in the following year. ^A.t the same period the subscription list was largely increased, partly by the exertions of a body of Church people, associated together under the name of the Cathedral Guild. In 1879, a further sum of ;^8,ooo was raised, in accordance with a vote of the Synod, by a loan contracted in England for this and other purposes, the total amount of the loan being ;j^5o,ooo, secured by mortgage, partly on the General Trust Estate, partly on that of the Dean and Chapter. The building now advanced rapidly. The lofty tower and spire were erected in 1880 and 1881, being the munificent gift of one family, the tower having been built at the cost of the late Mr. Robert Heaton Rhodes, and the spire being the gift of the children of the late Mr. George Rhodes, his brother. Mr. R. H. Rhodes gave also a magnificent peal of ten bells, cast by Messrs. Taylor & Co., of Lough- borough. An exceedingly handsome and spacious north porch was built about the same time at the cost of ;^6oo, being the gift of the late venerable Archdeacon Wilson. The building is of stone, and of the Early English style. The design is by the late Sir Gilbert G. Scott, and the work has been carried out mainly under the direction of Mr. B. W. Mount- fort, Resident Architect, from whose designs the north porch was erected. The chancel and transepts are as yet in the future, with the exception of the nineteen feet of wall already mentioned. The nave, with a temporary apsidal sarrctuary of wood, was THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 437 consecrated by the Most Rev. the Primate, on All Saints' Day, 1881, since which date full choral matins and evensong have been regularly kept up. There are six lay clerks, paid at the rate of ^60 per annum, besides an adult voluntary choir of about twelve. There are sixteen choristers, and about half as many probationers, who are all boarders in the precentor's house. The precentor and minor canon, the Rev. W. H. Elton, superintends the Cathedral School, of which the head master is Mr. G. H. Merton. This school is not exclusively for the choristers, but is preparatory to Christ's College Grammar School, the governing body of which have set apart six exhibitions for the benefit of boys who have served their full time in the choir. • The number of boys at the Cathedral School is generally upwards of fifty. The organist and choir-master is Mr. G. F. Tendall, Mus. Bac. Oxon., by whose exertions an excellent library of cathedral music has been largely increased. 438 NliW ZEALAND. CHAPTER III. DIOCESE OF DUNEDIN. Staff of the Diocese — Licensed Clergy and Lay Readers — Con- firmations — Diocesan Trust Board : — A. Bishopric Fund ; B. Theological College Fund ; C. General Church Fund. From the latest published Report of the Proceedings of the Diocesan Synod (1886), kindly forwarded to him by the Diocesan Treasurer; the Editor has been enabled to glean the following information : — Staff of ihe Diocese.— The Ven. Edward George Edwards, M.A., Archdeacon of Dunedin, Incumbent of St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral ; The Ven. George Philip Beaumont, M.A., Archdeacon of Invercargill and Queenstown, Incumbent of Holy Trinity, Lawrence ; The Ven. John Albert Fenton, M.A., Archdeacon of Oamaru ; The Rev. Algernon Gifford, Rural Dean of Oamaru, Incumbent of St. Luke's, Oamaru. [Since the publication of the Report, the Rev. Harry Stocker, B.A., of Trinity College, Dublin, Incumbent of Invercargill, has also been appointed an Archdeacon.] The Rev. Bryan Meyrick King is theological tutor of the diocese. The chancellor of the diocese is Bryan Cecil Haggitt,Esq.; Matthew William Hodgkins, Esq., Church Advocate; Spencer Brent, Esq., Diocesan Registrar ; the Rev. William Ronaldson, Diocesan THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 439 Secretary ; and Henry James Ainger, Esq., Diocesan Treasurer. Licensed Clergy and Lay Readers. — The number of licensed clergy at the end of the year 1885 was twenty-five ; of lay-readers thirty-three. Confirmations. — From November, 1884, to November, 1885 — the latest date to which our infor- mation comes down — confirmations were held in thirteen churches, at which 90 male and 163 female candidates were presented. Diocesan Trust Board. — An Act promoted by the General Synod, and drafted under its direction, was passed through the New Zealand Parliament, and received the Governor's assent on the 6th November, 1884, entitled "The Religious, Charitable, and Edu- cational Trust Boards Incorporation Act, 1884," under the provisions of which the several boards of trustees of Church property in the diocese registered them- selves in the Supreme Court of New Zealand, Dunedin. on the 3rd of March, 1885, as an incorporate board, having perpetual succession and a common seal, under the title of "The Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board." The first Board consisted of seven laymen, of whom J. M. Ritchie, Esq., was Chairman. The various Trust Funds of the Diocese, including the Bishopric Fund, the Theological College Fund, the General Clergy Maintenance Fund, the Russell Trust (a valuable endowment given to the Diocese by George Gray Russell, Esq.), amongst others, were brought without delay under the management of this ' Corporation. Our acknowledgments are due to the Secretary of the Board, H. J. Ainger, Esq., for 440 NEW ZEALAND. sending us the recently-published annual Report of the Board, with accounts made up to Sept. 30th, 1887, whence the following information may be gathered : — A. Bishopric Fund. — The capital of the Fund appears to be somewhat over £,1,000. The income received by the Bishop for the year ending Sept. 30th, 1887, was ;j£'445. IS. [There is no house attached to the See.] B. Theological College Fund. — The capital of this Fund, derived mainly from subscriptions raised by the Bishop in England, amounts to _;^2,oso, and is under the management of the Board, while the disposal of the income is at the discretion of the Bishop of the Diocese for the time being. For the past year it was paid, under the Bishop's warrant, to the Rev. B. M. King. C. General Church Fund. — By a Statute passed by the Diocesan Synod in 1886, four previously existing Diocesan Funds were amalgamated into one under this general title. The offerings in every church in the Diocese on the first Sunday in the months of February, May, August, and November in each year are given to this Fund. The capital is vested in the Diocesan Trust Board, and the income is distributed by the Standing Committee of the Diocese, It is the duty of this Committee to take the necessary steps for the formation of local committees in parishes and districts, to assist in raising funds for the objects in view, which are the payment, either in whole or in part, of the stipends of the clergy, especially those in charge of THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 44 1 the poorer districts, to make grants to clergymen doing Diocesan work, and towards the travelling expenses of clergymen, when deemed expedient. The distribution is to be made according to the following general rules : — One-half the income of the Fund (necessary ex- penses having been first defrayed) shall be distributed amongst the parishes and parochial districts of the Diocese under a fixed scale — that is to say, as follows : — (a) For the purposes of distribution the Stand- ing Committee shall classify the parishes and parochial districts in three divisions, A, B, C, according to their greater or less ability to maintain a clergyman. (^) The amount to be distributed shall be divided in such proportion that the incumbent of a Cure in class B shall receive twice the sum paid to the incumbent of a Cure in class A, and an incumbent of a Cure in class C three times the sum paid to the incumbent of a Cure in class A. (c) Classes A, B, C shall be defined as follows : — Class A, clergymen in receipt of ;^4oo, and over ; B, ;^3oo, and under ;!{^4oo ; C, under ^^300. The second moiety of the income of the said fund shall be at the disposal of the Standing Committee for the objects stated above. Any parish or parochial district receiving a grant shall arrange with the Stand- ing Committee the amount of stipend which it can reasonably be expected to provide for its clergyman, 442 NEW ZEALAND, and shall pay that stipend by equal quarterly pay- ments on or before the last days of March, June, September, and December to the Diocesan Treasurer ; and the Treasurer shall pay that stipend to the clergyman of that Cure, with his grant according to the scale, and such additional sum as the Standing Committee may determine. From the following remarks in the Board's Report, it appears that the plan has not been taken up with enthusiasm in the parishes and districts generally : - " The income is not so good as it was hoped it would be, as the Sundays set apart by the statute for ofiferings to this Fund have all been wet ; this has seriously diminished the income, and the rate of interest on some of the capital has also had to be reduced. It cannot be expected that success will attend this Fund unless the Committees in the various parishes and parochial districts take an active interest in it, and collect and send money to the Diocesan Treasurer as directed by Statute No. VIII. This as yet has not been done, with the exception of St. Paul's, Dunedin, which has contributed ;^2 5, besides offerings, which are also the largest in the Diocese. The Diocesan Treasurer wishes here to acknowledge the receipt from Archdeacon Edwards of his dividend returned as a subscription to the Fund." THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 443 CHAPTER IV. DIOCESE OF NELSON, COMPILED BY THE RIGHT REV. THE LORD BISHOP OF NELSON. Foundation of Settlement— The First Clergyman— The Maories — Rev. C. L. Reay — Bishop Selwyn's Visits — The Rev. H. F. Butt — Foundation of Bishopric — Bishop Hobhouse — The present Bishop — Alteration of Boundaries — Arch- deaconries — Statistics — Bishopdale College — Bishop's School — Cathedral — Orphanage. Foundation of Settlement. — The settlements on either side of Cook's Straits were founded and formed by the New Zealand Company, and appropriately named Nelson and Wellington. Nelson, of which the Maori name is Wakatu, was actually founded in 184 1. The pioneer party, headed by Captain Arthur Wakefield, R.N., was succeeded by detachments of immigrants, in sailing vessels, for the first four or five years after the foundation. A considerable number were from Devonshire and Corn- wall, some Deal boatmen from Kent, some from Nottingham, and not a few from Scotland. The First Clergyman. — The first clergyman of the Church of England who is recorded as having officiated in Nelson was the Rev. Charles Waring Saxton, M.A., brother-in-law of Joseph Somes, Esq., Chairman of the New Zealand Company, afterwards 444 NEW ZEALAND. head master of Newport Grammar School from 1846 to 1870, and still living (1887) at Shrewsbury. He eauie out as a private settler, remained about eighteen months, and returned home. He held services and performed marriages during 1842 and 1843. The Maories. — The natives, who at that time were numerous in many settlements round Tasman or Blind Bay, were even then brought under some Christian influences from the North Island. The Rev. Octavius Hadfield, now Bishop of Wellington, one of the Church Missionary Society's agents, fre- quently visited them from Waikanae, Otaki, and Porirua in the North Island. The South Island bears the name of Te Wai Pounamu, or the place of greenstone, the locality, where this beautiful stone is chiefly found, being the township known by that name on the banks of the Teremakau in this Diocese. Rev. C. L. Reay. — But the first ministrations which were given with regularity were those of the Rev. Charles L. Reay, M.A., who was an agent of the Church Missionary Society, and came out with Bishop Selwyn to Auckland, May 30, 1842, and was sent on to Nelson in the Victoria later in the same year, where he remained for a few years, then subsequently re- moved to the North, and worked exclusively amongst the natives. Bishop Selwyn! s Visits. — The first Episcopal visit paid to Nelson was by Bishop G. A. Selwyn, the Bishop of New Zealand, from Waimate in 1842 ; he arrived on Sunday, August 21st, and the account given by him in his diary indicates the deep impres- sion made on him by its beauty, the brightness of the THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 445 scene being never removed from his mind, but for- cibly described thus on a subsequent visit, " I defy any man, unless he be superlatively cross, to be long out of temper in the perpetual sunshine of our sky." Bishop Selwyn visited Nelson again in December, 1843, and on this occasion found the first church erected in the province, in the Waimea Plain, which was succeeded afterwards, in 1867, by the present church of St. Michael's, Waimea West, erected as a memorial to the late Captain Blundell. The Bishop of New Zealand's ideal of appropriate ministerial commencements in a new settlement was the location of a clergyman in full orders, assisted by a deacon, who should also be in charge of the educa- tion of the young as schoolmaster, during the proba- tion of a somewhat lengthened diaconate, such duty to be exchanged for parochial work on ordination to the higher office. The Rev. H. F. Butt. — This was realised in Nelson, though only for a short time, where Henry Francis Butt, M.R.C.S., after receiving a medical education, had been selected as a missionary by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel to act as medical adviser to the staff accompanying Bishop Selwyn on his first coming to New Zealand. He was admitted to the order of deacon on Sept. 24th, 1843, and stationed under the Rev. C. L. Reay, at Nelson, where he also discharged the duties of inspector of schools, and taught in the Bishop's school at Nelson, in a building on the site where the present school now stands. Service was held, in 1843, in a large tent given to 446 NEW ZEALAND. the Bishop of New Zealand by Mr. William Cotton, Governor of the Bank of England, whose name is found connected with almost every movement for the good of the Church at home and abroad at that period. The tent, relics of which still remain in the chapel at Bishopdale, was removed to Auckland in 1844, and served as a chapel for St. John's College, Tamaki, till the present stone building was erected. Divine service was held in a room, used by the sur- veyors of the New Zealand Company, within certain earthworks or fortifications formed on the summit of the present Church Hill, erected at a time of fear, unfounded as it proved, of attack from the Maories, in close proximity to a powder magazine, and approached by a drawbridge. These buildings were removed in 1848, the site having been secured from the Crown by the Bishop of New Zealand by a grant for "« church of the United Church of England and Ireland, and to be used for no other purpose whatever." The first stone of the building was laid by the Rev. H. F. Butt, the incumbent, on June 26th, 1848, and the building, erected from designs furnished by the Rev. F. Thatcher, from Auckland, was opened on Christmas Day, 1851, by Bishop Selwyn, and consecrated March 7th, 1858, also by him. Foundation of Bishopric. — The New Zealand Com- pany had fulfilled its undertaking to provide for the religious requirements of the colonists by grants from its Land Fund, and set apart a grant of ;!^5,ooo for the extension of the Church ; this, together with liberal grants from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and the Society for the Propagation of THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 447 the Gospel, formed the only endowment possessed by the diocese ; and, when the bishopric was founded, the interest of this fund, somewhat augmented, was set apart for the maintenance of the bishopric as a first charge, and after that for the purposes of aug- menting stipends, and building churches, schools, and parsonages ; but since the reduction of the rate of interest, the capital is too small to attain all the ends proposed. It was first proposed to found a bishopric at Wel- lington, of a See consisting of those parts of the North and South Islands bordering on Cook's Straits. The idea of being associated with Wellington was not acceptable to Church people in Nelson, who would have preferred union with Christchurch, but still more strongly desired the formation of a bishopric to include Nelson and Marlborough. After long correspondence, the authorities at home consented to the formation of the See of Nelson, and Letters Patent were issued founding the bishopric and defining its boundaries, which were afterwards modified by resolution of the General Synod, so as to embrace in the limits of the See all that portion of the South Island, north of the rivers Hurunui on the east coast, and Teremakau on the west. Bishop Hobhouse. — On Michaelmas Day, 1858, the Right Rev. Edmund Hobhouse, D.D., Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, and vicar of St. Peter's, was consecrated Bishop of Nelson, and arrived in Nelson early in 1859, and held the first Synod of the diocese on Tuesday, August 9th, of that year. The Bishop 44^ NEW ZEALAND. threw himself heartily into his new sphere, with all the deep sense of responsibility which ever characterised him. Synodical arrangements were then new to Church people, and there was a little tendency to look with suspicion on anything like individual control. Church people themselves had to learn the advantages of a Synod, with its peculiar representation of the epis- copal, clerical, and lay orders ; and meantime the pressure of work that devolved upon the Bishop told upon his health, which had never been strong, owing to over study at school and college ; hence, to the great regret of those to whom he was thoroughly known, he found himself constrained to resign his work in 1864. It was a short episcopate, but left its mark on the diocese, especially in connexion with his liberal donations of a site for the episcopal resi- dence, and provision made for replenishing the ranks of the clergy by providing for their education, &c. What in his time was tentative has now become regular and ordinary, and by the great and wise liberality referred to he laid the foundations of sub- sequent work, and made it possible for his successor to realise much of what he himself hoped to accom- plish. The diocese was then but sparsely inhabited, and its resources little known ; travelling, though still rough, is very different from what it was then, and his long journeyings on duty, on foot, from place to place, and the devotion of his cultivated mind to the tasks of his high office, his liberal kindness to those who had the good fortune to share his friendship, or whose trials gave them a claim on his sympathy, will THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 449 long be gratefully remembered, as they should here be certainly recorded. His ideal was perhaps in advance of, or at all events higher than, that of the times, and he saw no way conscientiously of departing from it, or sur- rendering any of what he considered the duties and rights of his position. If these were sometimes asserted, it was with no personal aim, but only from a desire to carry out a high ideal of ministerial duty, and the sacred function with which he had been entrusted. The Present Bishop.— T\\q. steps taken to fill the See thus vacated were as follows. The Diocesan Synod first requested the Venerable Henry Jacobs^ then Archdeacon, now Dean of Christchurch, to allow himself to be nominated to it, but he declined to accept the offered position. It was then agreed by the Synod to delegate their nomination to the Church at home, and it requested the Right Rev. the Bishop of London, Dr. Tait, to recommend a clergyman. The Bishop accepted the delegation, and nominated the Rev. Andrew Burn Suter, then incumbent of All Saints, Mile End New Town, who accepted the appointment. In accordance with the Constitution, the delegated nomination was transmitted to the General Synod sitting at Christchurch in 1865, which confirmed the nomination, and requested the Arch- bishop of Canterbury, Dr. Longley, to proceed to the consecration. His Grace, after receiving a Royal mandate for that purpose, proceeded to give effect to the appointment, and on St. Bartholomew's Day, August 24th, 1866, Dr. Sutcr was consecrated Bishop 2 c; 45© NEW ZEALAND. of Nelson, being presented by Bisliops Tait and Ellicott, Dean Alford preaching the sermon. After remaining a few months in England, collecting funds for an archdeaconry endowment, and bringing out additional clergy, the Bishop sailed with a large party of selected emigrants, and landed from the Cissy, at Nelson, on September 26th, 1867, bringing out with him the following clergy : — Venerable Arch- deacons Thorpe and Mules, the late Rev. B. W. Harvey, D.D., and W. H. Ewald, M.A., the first two of whom still remain and hold important positions in the colony. Alteration of Boundaries. — About the year 1863, discoveries of gold in alluvial strata were made at Wakamarina, near Havelock, and also at Collingwood, Golden Bay, and shortly afterwards at Hokitika, and then generally on the west coast. A very large influx of population soon took place on the west coast, and roads were immediately taken in hand to connect the coast with Canterbury and Christchurch. The communication with Nelson being difficult, at first the wants of the new settlers in spiritual matters were supplied from Christchurch, and in the General Synod of 1 868 it was resolved that the boundaries of the dioceses should be adjusted, a larger portion of the west coast being thereby incorporated with Christchurch. Large coal mines have also been opened up, and these mineral discoveries have materially altered the face of the country round Greymouth and Westport, the ports at the mouths of the Grey and BuUer Rivers respec- tively. Archdeaconries.— The diocese thus presents fea- tures of very different aspect in the agricultural, THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 45 1 pastoral, and mining districts which compose it, and employ its population in their special industries. Ecclesiastically, it is divided into three arch- deaconries, — Waimea, Wairau, and Mawhera. The first of these three was filled by the Venerable R. B. Paul, M.A., who returned to England in 1859. This archdeaconry was in abeyance for fifteen years, when the present Bishop revived it in 1874, and appointed the Venerable Archdeacon Thorpe to the dignity ; on his resignation and departure from the diocese, the archdeaconry was filled by the Venerable C. O. Mules, M.A., in 1880. A second archdeaconry was formed by the Bishop in 1868 for the province of Marlborough, and he appointed the Venerable H. F. Butt, formerly incum- bent of Nelson^ who held it till his death in 1886. A third archdeaconry was formed in 1886, that ot Mawhera, and included the north of Westland and the Buller and Inangahua counties ; the first archdeacon appointed was the Venerable Thomas Billing Maclean, incumbent of Holy Trinity Church, Greymouth. Statistics. — The number of the clergy in 1866 was 8 ; in 1876, 14; in 1886, 24; in 1888, 26; increasing somewhat faster than the population. The churches of the diocese, of wood, with one exception of stone, were, in 1866, 12; in 1876, 21 ; in 1886, 34, besides school-rooms used for divine service. In 1871 there were 10,349 members of the Church of England; in 1874 there were 19,950; in 1881 26,996; and in 1886, 29,036. Bishopdak Coi/eg-e.— The present Bishop, Dr. 2 G 2 452 NEW ZEALAND. Suter, has, since 1868, carried on, in addition to the regular work of a Bishop, the training of candidates for Holy Orders, and upwards of twenty have passed through Bishopdale College, all of whom have passed the examinations of the Board of Theological Studies, and some of them have graduated at the University of New Zealand, Bishofs School. — The Bishop's School was founded by Bishop Selwyn, and its masters have been the Ven. Archdeacon Butt, the Ven. Archdeacon Lingard, the late Rev. R. H. Gaskin, the Reverends (Arch- deacon) Govett, A. Bowden, S. Poole, Mr. Robt. Lee, and Mr. James H. Harkness. Religious instruc- tion forms part of the daily course, and scholarships are open to the choristers of the cathedral. Cathedral. — The cathedral was at first erected as a parish church ; when that was found inconvenient, it gave place to a new building designed by Mr. Mountfort, of Christchurch, in 1886, and was conse- crated by the Bishop of the Diocese in the presence of the Primate and a representative of H. E. the Governor, on February 16, 1887. Orphanage. — St. Andrew's Orphanage for destitute children, incorporated in 1887, is the latest addition to the diocesan institutions. THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 453 CHAPTER V. DIOCESE OF WAIAPU. Early History — Bishopric Endowment — Contrast between Northern and Southern Districts— The Bish(>p and his Staff— Statistics. For the following information respecting this diocese the editor is indebted partly to the Ven. Archdeacon W. L. Williams, and partly to the Right Rev. the Bishop of Waiapu : — Early History of DioLesc.—ThQ diocese of Waiapu was constituted in 1859, the southern boundary being the 39th parallel of latitude. The population was almost exclusively Maori. The first meeting of the Diocesan Synod was on 30th December, 1861, at Waerengahika, the proceedings being all conducted, of course, in Maori. It met afterwards, on Jan. 5th, 1863, March 2nd, 1864, Jan. 3rd, 1865, and then the troubles came, Mr. Volkner being murdered in the following March. In 1868 the boundary of the diocese was altered, and the provincial district of Hawke's Bay was taken from Wellington and added to Waiapu ; but the Synod did not meet again till August, 1872. The reason why the Synod was not called together during those seven yeais was that a considerable English population now formed par 454 ' ^EW ZEALAND. the diocese, and a Maori Synod would not, therefore, have been representative. At the same time, there was a difficulty in getting together a quorum of clergy without bringing in the Maori clergy, and this was thought to be inexpedient, as the principal work of the Synod would consist in legislation for the English part of the Church. Four clergy were required to form a quorum, and we could not muster more than three (without Archdeacon Brown, who could not come), until more English clergy came into the diocese. The Maories meanwhile were provided for by the Native Church Boards Statute (now Title B, Canon III.), of which more will be said in the con- cluding chapter of this book. Bishopric Endoivment. — The first effort to^Yards providing an endowment for the Bishopric of Waiapu was made by the Maories in 1863 on the occasion of a large gathering to celebrate the opening of a church at Poverty Bay, when a sum of between ;!^5oo and ;^6oo was raised for the purpose. This was invested in property at Onehunga, but has not proved a profit- able investment. In the meantime the Bishop's stipend consisted of ;^45o, provided by the C. M. S. Nothing further was done until 1877. The Ven. Archdeacon Williams, as President of the Synod, called the attention of that body to the importance of doing something, in his address in 1876, his father, the Bishop, having done so from time to time in previous years, but without effect. The Synod took the matter up in 1877, when a committee was formed to canvass the diocese, with the view of raising ultimately a sum of ;^i 0,000. In 1879 a sum of THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 455 j£i,oS6 was reported to the Synod as being in hand. This has been steadily increased, until last year the amount had reached ;^5,o98. 17s. 8d., and applica- tion has since been made to the S. P. C. K., who, with their usual generosity, have added ;!£^5oo more. The account laid before the Synod last year shows a quarterly sum of ^67. los. paid to the Bishop. During the first years of his episcopate he was dependent on the ^450 paid by the C. M. S. There is no episcopal residence, the Bishop occupy- ing a hired house in Napier, and spending some months of the year at Tauranga, where he has the use of the old mission house. This is with a special view towards missionary work amongst the Maories of the Bay of Plenty and Lake Districts. Contrast between Northern and Southern Districts. — The rapid progress of Hawke's Bay, owing to the formaticm of the line of railway connecting Napier with Wellington, and to the great extension of sheep- farming and agriculture in the central part of the district, has given a preponderating importance to the southern portion of the diocese. Here, therefore, has been the principal increase in the number of clergy, and of churches for the English portion of the community. On the other hand, the g'owth and consolidation of the Maori Church have been most marked in the middle division of the east coast, the Archdeaconry of Waiapu, having Gisborne for its centre. In the northern Archdeaconry of Tauranga, the work of regaining lost ground, and recovering the lapsed adherents of the Church from Hauhauism, and other abnormal cults (the latest delusion being: 456 NEW ZEALAND. Mormonism, introduced by active propagandists from Salt Lake City), is still strictly of a missionary character. There are only two clergymen of English congregations in this Archdeaconry, one at Tauranga, the other at Opotiki ; the three English missionaries (one of them superannuated from regular employment) have their time and strength fully occupied with native work. The Bishop and his Staff. — The Right Rev. Edward Craig Stuart, D.D., was born at Edinburgh in 1827, and received his early education at the Edinburgh Academy, under the well-known head of that school, Archdeacon Williams ; was afterwards a student of Trinity College, Dublin. After his ordination, went to India as a C. M. S. Missionary in 1850, commis- sioned with the Rev. Valpy French, now Bishop of Lahore, to establish a mission college at Agra (now St. John's College). In i860 he was appointed Secretary to the C. M. S. Calcutta Committee, and became chaplain to Bishop Cotton. In 1874 he visited Australia and New Zealand, and ultimately joined the Mission in the latter country. His election and consecration as second Bishop of Waiapu have been related in the preceding pages. The Ven. William Leonard Williams, B.A., so often mentioned in the foregoing history, is Archdeacon of Waiapu, having been appointed in 1862. The Archdeaconry of Tauranga was formerly held by Ven. Alfred Nesbitt Brown, who died in 1 884. The Rev. Samuel Williams, son of Archdeacon Henry Williams, is now Arch- deacon. The Rev. De Berdt Hovell is Incumbent of St. John's Pro-Cathedral Church, Napier. THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 457 Statistics of the Diocese. — We are fortunate in being able to give these down to the latest date, and on the very best authority, in the following extracts from the address delivered by the Bishop at the opening of the annual session of the Synod of the Diocese on September 27, 1887. It being the tenth annual session at which his lordship had presided, he was led to take a review of the progress of the Church in his diocese in the course of the preceding decade, with the following result, as regards the European portion of his flock. From the statistical returns for the year ending June 30th, 1877, the following figures are taken, and are compared with the statistics of 1886, as the parochial returns up to June 30th of the current year are not yet tabulated : — 1877. 1886. Baptisms 33' 653 Communicants ... ... ... 2S9 913 Sunday Schools 10 26 Sunday School teachers ... 66 145 Sunday School scholars ... 793 1884 Confirmed 65 n8 Such are the statistics that indicate the increase of the flock. Speaking roughly, the several items have doubled themselves in these ten years. But, seeing that the population has largely increased, the advance of Church work is not so considerable as at first sight appears. The census of 1878 gives the Church of England population of the diocese exclusive of the Maoris as 10,303. In 188 1 we find 12,375. By the last census returns of religious denominations (1886) the Church of England adherents in the eight counties 458 NEW ZEALAND. and the three boroughs included in the diocese aggregate 26,220, exclusive of Maories. From this a small deduction has to be made for a part of the Tauranga county, which falls within the diocese of Auckland. But this may be considered as made up again by the increase of the year and a half which has elapsed since the census was taken. So we shall not be far wrong in affirming the present Church popula- tion of the diocese (exclusive of some 12,000 Maories) as aggregating 26,000, as against the 10,000 of ten years ago. On this estimate it must be admitted that the growth of Church work, as represented by the above statistics, has not kept full pace with the "leaps and bounds" with which the Church population has advanced. When we turn to other items in our parochial returns, the comparison yields results which are more encouraging. First, there has been a marked increase in the number of clergy. In 1877 the Synod roll included the names of fifteen English clergymen, six of whom were missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, engaged in the Maori Mission, and nine held English cures. The English clergy of the diocese now number twenty-six, of whom seven are absorbed in the missionary work amongst the natives, and seventeen are licensed to parochial cures. Two are unattached. In 1877 there were ten churches used by English congregations. There are now twenty-two. The two parochial or Sunday school rooms of 1877 have grown to eight, which is still very short of our requirements; and the same remark will apply still more strongly to the parsonages, which have increased from six to THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 459 eight, including four which have been entirely rebuilt or materially enlarged. The gross receipts shown in the parochial accounts of 1877 amount to ;^2,66o. In 1886 the total is ;^7,672. 460 NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER VI. DIOCESE OF WELLINGTON. Boundaries of Diocese — Bishops — Endowments : — i. For Bishoprics ; 2. Educational — Statistics — Finance — Pension Fund. For the following information respecting this diocese the editors best acknowledgments are due to the Rev. Thomas Fancourt, diocesan secretary. With regard to the constitution of the diocese, enough has been said in the foregoing history ; we proceed to describe the Boundaries of Diocese. — Originally the diocese contained the provinces of Wellington and Hawke's Bay. From 1867 to 1871 the Bishop of Waiapu acted as commissary and coadjutor for that portion of the diocese which was contained within the pro- vince of Hawke's Bay. In 1871 this part of the diocese was included by the General Synod in that of Waiapu. In 1874 the southern portion of the province of Taranaki, lying between the Patea and Tipoka Rivers, a distance of about 40 miles, over which the Bishop of Wellington had for three years previous acted as commissary for the Bishop of Auckland, was included in the diocese of Wellington. Bishops. — The first Bishop was the Right Reverend J. C. Abraham, D.D., formerly Archdeacon of Waitemata, consecrated in Lambeth Church by Archbishop Sumner on the 29th September, 1858. He resigned the see on ist June, 1870, and the Ven. Octavius Hadfield, Archdeacon of Kapiti, having THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 461 been elected by the Diocesan Synod, and the election having been confirmed by the Standing Committees of the other dioceses, was consecrated by the present Primate, assisted by the late Bishop of Waiapu and the present Bishops of Nelson and Auckland, in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, at Wellington, on 9th October, 1870. This consecration is specially interesting, as being the first in which a Bishop for a colonial see was consecrated without the Royal mandate or licence. E?idowments (Ecclesiastical). — The Bishopric En- dowment, which consists partly of properties and partly of moneys invested, was formed by a grant of ;^2,ooo from the N.Z. Co., originally given for the benefit of the Church in the settlement of Welling- ton, met by an equal grant from the S.P.G., and later on augmented to ^5,000 by another grant of ;^i,ooo from the S.P.G. for the purpose of the bishopric. In 1870 the sum was further increased by a grant of ^1,000 from the S.P.C.K. It has also been increased by a private benefaction of landed property in Wellington. The total income for last year, 1885-86, was £^Zo. The diocese possesses scarcely any endowments beyond that of the bishopric, if church and parsonage sites be excepted. There are a few acres of land in and around Wellington and elsewhere, given or purcliased from time to time, but the income from them at present is very small. Endowments ( Educational).— ^\\txQ are several of these situated within the boundaries of the diocese. The most important of them is situated in Wanganui, and consists of a grant of land, now in great part let 462 NEW ZEALAND. in building or other leases, of 250 acres within the boundaries of the borough ofWanganui. According to the latest return, the income derived from it is jQdf)'] per annum. A block of handsome and com- modious buildings, which has been added to in several ways, was erected on a part of the estate some six years ago. Previously to this a day-school had been carried on for many years, with a few boarders in the master's house. The school, which now bears the name of the Wanganui Collegiate School, and is under the management of the Rev. Dr. Harvey, numbered last term 155, of whom 84 were boarders and 71 day-boys. There were 19 scholarships and exhibitions, of the aggregate annual value of ;^543. There are three other educational endowments. One for a college at Porirua, consisting of 600 acres of land ; two in the Wairarapa, for the use and towards the maintenance and support of a college in the Wairarapa Valley ; one at Papawai, near Grey- town, consisting of 400 acres, the other at Kaiko-kiri- kiri, near Masterton, consisting of 190 acres. The funds hitherto available have not been sufificient to enable the trustees to carry out for the present the purposes of any of these trusts. All three estates are leased, and the funds are allowed to accumulate until such time as they shall be sufficient to justify the trustees in starting such educational institutions as are contemplated by the terms of the various trusts. The C. M. S. possesses a valuable estate at Otaki, upon which is erected a large church, one of the finest specimens of Maori structure to be found any- where, large school buildings, residence for clergy- THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 463 man and also for English schoolmaster. The rent of the estate is devoted to the support of the mission, which was founded some forty-eight years ago by the present Bishop of Wellington, and remained under his charge until the date ot his consecration. There is another endowment belonging to the diocese called, after the donor, the Harington trust, being a sum of money which has been allowed to accumulate until now it has reached nearly ^1,400. This fund is at the disposal of the Bishop, in con- nexion with any educational institution of the Church within the original settlement of Wellington. An annual grant is at present being made out of the income derived from it to the head master of the Wanganui Collegiate School. Statistics. — The number of licensed clergy in the diocese is, English, 21; Maori, 4; total, 25. Arch- deacon — the Venerable Arthur Stock, B.A. (1870). Diocesan secretary — the Rev. Thomas Fancourt (18S4). The number of Churches is, English, 33 ; Maori, 14; total, 47 ; besides many other buildings in which divine service is held. The total population of the diocese is 83,365 ; the number of those belonging to the Anglican Church is 36,937 {in both cases exclusive of Maories) ; communicants, 1700 ; Sunday schools, 42 ; Sunday scholars, 3,400 ; Church day schools, 2; Church day scholars, about 100; par- sonages, 14 ; Sunday school buildings and church rooms, 18; parishes, 6; parochial districts, 16, 4 being missionary parochial districts. Finance. — The fund from which all general diocesan expenditure is met, including the payment of clergy- 464 NEW ZEALAND. men's stipends, is the General Church Fund. The chief sources from which this fund is made up are assess- ments levied by the Synod each year upon the various parishes and parochial districts, and volun- tary subscriptions and donations. All seat-rents in churches are regarded as the property of the diocese, and where seat-rents and subscriptions do not suffice to make up the sum for which a parish or district is assessed, the deficiency is made a first charge upon the offertory. The total receipts of the General Church Fund last year (1885-86) were ^5,079. 7s. 8d., of which ;^4,i98. 12s. 6d. were expended on stipends of the parochial clergy. Contributions to the Maori Mission Fund amounted to ^86. 19s. lod. ; Mela- nesian Mission Fund, ^197. us. 6d. Pension Fund. — There is a good substantial Pension Fund belonging to the diocese. The capital amounts to over p^5,ooo. The annual income, which is derived from surplice fees (payable according to a diocesan scale to the fund), subscriptions, a special offertory annually in each church, and interest on capital fund^ amounted last year to ^5 7 8. Each clergyman having cure of souls within the diocese has to pay to the fund an annual subscription of £2, and in case of being incapacitated for work is entitled to an annual pension, varying, according to length of service, from ^25 to ;^ioo. In case of his dying, his widow becomes entitled to a pension, varying, according to his length of service, from ;^2o to ^60 per annum. Two clergymen now receive pensions of ^100 and £to per annum respectively. One clergyman's widow is in receipt of a pension of ;^6o per annum. THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 465 CHAPTER VII. DIOCESE OF MELANESIA. The Mission Field — The Mission Staff — Head Quarters of the Mission — Statistics — Churches — Expenditure — Means of Support. For the information contained in this chapter the editor cordially acknowledges his indebtedness chiefly to the Ven. Benjamin Thornton Dudley, Archdeacon of \Vaitemata, and Treasurer of the Mission. He has made use also of a brief " letter from the Bishop of Melanesia to a former member of his staff," dated Nov. 19th, 1886 :— The Mission Field. — This includes, at the present time, I. The three north-easternmost islands of the New Hebrides Group. 2. The Banks's Islands. 3. The Torres Islands. 4. The Santa Cruz group. 5. The Southern and Eastern Islands of the Solomon group. The mission has surrendered some of the central New Hebrides Islands to the Presbyterian Mission, as, in its first days, it surrendered the Loyalty Islands to the London Missionary Society. The Mission Staff. — The appointment and con- secration of the present Bishop, the Right Rev. John Richardson Selwyn, D.D. (Cambridge), have been fully dealt with in the foregoing history. He is assisted by the following clergy : — I. English. — The Revs. Charles Bice and Arthur Brittain, of St. Augustine's College, Canterbury, the Rev. Richard Blundell Comins, of Hatfield Hall, 2 H 466 NEW ZEALAND. Durham, the Rev. John Pahiier, the Rev. J. H. Plant, M.A., St. John's College, Cambridge, and the Rev. T. C. CuUwick. It is uncertain whether the Rev. A. Penny, who has recently published a work entitled, " Ten Years in Melanesia " (Wells Gardner), will resume his position as a member of the staff. The Rev. Dr. Codrington, late Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, who so ably administered the diocese in the vacancy before the consecration of the present Bishop, has recently resigned and returned to England, in fulfilment of a promise given to his college, that under certain circumstances he would do so. 2. Native. — The Rev. George Sarawia and Henry Tagalad, priests ; and the Revs. Alfred Lobu, Robert Pantutun, Maros Tamata, and Walter Woser, Deacons. Two others, the Revs. Edwin Sakelrao and Charles Sapibuana, have died in the course of the last three years. Another deacon, the Rev. Edward Wogale, is also dead. One more, the Rev. Mano Wadrokal, deacon, a former worker at Alota, Santa Cruz, and elsewhere, has gone back to his old home, Nengone, one of the Loyalty Islands, and is lost to the mission for the present. Head Quarters of the Mission.— The mission re- moved from its old head-quarters at Kohimarama, near Auckland, to Norfolk Island, in the year 1866, an estate of 1,000 acres in that island having been purchased from Sir John Young (now Lord Lisgar), then Governor of New South Wales, to form a mission station. The station was named St. Barnabas, and there is situated St. Barnabas' Chapel, built as a memorial to Bishop Patteson. THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 467 Statistics. — In the letter of the Bishop of Melanesia, above referred to, dated November 19th, 1886, the bishop says, " The following rough summary for the year 1886 will show how we stand now " : — In sixteen islands, which are named, the Schools amounted in all at that date to 69, the teachers numbered 156, the scholars 1,977. The number of adult baptisms for the year was 559. At the Norfolk Island School there were at that date 180 scholars, instructed by six white clergy and three laymen, besides several ladies, who give most efficient help. The bishop confirmed 36 persons at Ara in that year, who, he says, "were prepared by the native clergyman in charge, and seemed very much in earnest to renew their vows." Churches. — The bishop writes as follows : Great pains are taken now to build suitable schools and churches. In the Banks' Islands they work in lime and stone. Last month I opened a church on the little reef island of Rowa, containing a population of twenty-nine souls, where the walls, seats. Com- munion Table and rails were all made in concrete. I also consecrated a new church at Halavo, in Florida. Expenditure. — The expenses of the mission amount to about ;2^6,5oo per annum. This sum is required for the following purposes : — i. Stipends of clergy and other helpers. 2. Food and clothing for the scholars at St. Barnabas' mission station. 3. The mission vessel, with its auxiliary steam power. 4. Salaries of native teachers, amounting to about ^600 per annum. 2 H 2 NEW ZEALAND. Means of Support. — The sources of revenue are threefold. I. The Melanesiari Mission Trust Fund, which pro- duces about ^i,ooo per annum, the proceeds of landed and other investments derived from the original capital raised by subscription in England by Bishop Sehvyn, Bishop Patteson's bequest, and other bequests and donations. II. Offertories and Subscriptions. — Rather more than ^2,000 per annum is received from subscrip- tions raised in England. In 1886, the amounts re- ceived from the Australian and New Zealand dioceses, being chiefly the proceeds of offertory collections, were as follows : — Australia. New Zealand. £ s. d. £ s. d. New South Wales Auckland ... ••■ 259 10 8 dioceses 800 Waiapu ... 247 6 6 Melbourne 133 9 Wellington ... 193 I II Adelaide 308 19 Nelson ... 66 I I Perth 8 8 Christchurch • ■• 273 II I Tasmania 155 I 6 Dunedin ... Total... - 53 15 7 Total 1 ,405 17 6 ... 1,093 6 10 III. Scholarships. — About seventy persons or parishes in England support scholars ; others con- tribute to the support of particular schools, or the work in particular islands. Twenty-five scholars are supported by schools, or individual benefactors in New Zealand, and forty-six in Australia. The amount contributed annually towards the support of a scholar is understood to be ;^io. THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 469 CHAPTER VIII. THE MAORI MISSION. Mission Board— Native Church Boards — Maori Church Statis- tics :— I. North Island — II. South Island— Educational Institutions : — A. Training College at Gisborne — B. Native College at Te Aute— C. Native Girls' School at Napier. Mission Board. — The direction of the New Zealand Mission, originally established, as related in the first part of this work, by the C.M.S., is now in the hands of a resident Mission Board, constituted by the Society in 1882. Tlic following are the main features of the constitution of this Board : — i. It is to consist of a body of nine persons — the three bishops of the northern island as ex-officio members, three missionaries of the Society, and three laymen, all six appointed in the first instance by the Home Committee. 2. Five members, including one bishop, one missionary, and one layman, form a cjuorum. 3. When any vacancy occurs, other than among the ex-officio members, a new member is to be appointed by the Board at its next meeting, subject to the approval of the Home Committee. 4. Minutes of the proceedings of the Board are to be sent to the Home Committee as soon as possible after each meeting. 5. Provision is made for the diminution of the Society's annual grant at the rate of ^50 per 47° NEW ZEALAND. annum, and for the cessation of the whole grant, with certain exceptions, after the expiry of twenty years from the date of the constitution of the Board. 6. The continuance of the annual grant is made conditional on the Board complying with such direc- tions as the Home Committee may from time to time forward to them. 7. The Home Committee has power to remove any member of the Board. 8. The missionaries must conform to the decisions of the Board, but may lay complaints before the Home Committee, forwarding them through the Board's secretary. 9. The Board is to select its own chairman at each meeting, but the Home Com- mittee appoints the secretary, who, if not already a member of the Board, becomes one ex officio, and is eligible to act as chairman. 10. The Home Committee will carefully consider any plan that may be proposed to them for permanently transferring to the Mission Board the proprietorship of the land and land fund in New Zealand now belonging to the Society. Until such transfer the income of the land and land fund will be administered by the Mission Board, in addition to (and subject to the same con- ditions and otherwise as) the annual grant. JPirst Members of the Board. — These were the Bishops oi Auckland, Wellington, and Waiapu, ex-officio members ; the Ven. Archdeacon Clarke, the Rev. R. Burrows, the Rev. S. WilUams ; F. Larkins, Esq., H. T. Clarke, Esq., T. Tanner, Esq. The Ven. Archdeacon Williams was appointed secretary. The first meeting of the Board was held at Napier on the 5th February, 1883. THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 47 I Native Church Boards. — In the course of the session of the General Synod held at Auckland in 1868, as has been related in the fifth chapter of the third part of the preceding History, a plan which had been devised by Sir W. Martin was embodied in a statute (now Title B, Canon III.), to provide for the establishment in convenient districts of Native Church Boards. Every such Board is subordinate to the Synod of the diocese, and is authorised to exercise in respect of the native population only of the dis- trict such of the powers of the Diocesan Synod as may from time to time be prescribed by the bishop or his commissary. The first meeting of a Native Church Board was held on the 31st October, 1870, at Turanganui, just across the river from Gisborne, and was presided over by Bishop Williams. It con- sisted of the bishop, six clergy, and nine laymen. Neither Hawke's Bay nor the Bay of Plenty was represented in it, but Hawke's Bay was afterwards provided with a Board of its own. The Turanganui, or Poverty Bay, Board has held annual meetings regularly since 1870. In a paper on "The Pro- gress of Maori Mission Work in the Archdeaconry of Waiapu," read at a church meeting at Napier on the 28th September, 1885, the Ven. Archdeacon Williams gave the following testimony to the value of these Boards. Speaking in particular of the Turanganui Board, he says : — " This institution has been found to work very well in this and in other dis- tricts, stirring up a lively interest in everything con- nected with the welfare of the Church, binding the different congregations together as members of one 472 NEW ZEALAND. body, and provoking a healthy emulation in good works. At every annual meeting the state of the Church in each parochial district is brought under review, and the attention of those who may be con- cerned is pointedly directed to blemishes which need to be rectified. The annual recurrence of these inquiries, and of the comments on the result of them, has no doubt tended in its degree to overcome the excessive apathy of a few years ago, and to form a sound public opinion on the externals of Church work, the influence of which is very generally felt. Another matter in which the Native Church Board has been helpful is the promotion of brotherly sympathy with the people of the neighbouring dis- trict in the eastern portion of the Bay of Plenty, between Opotiki and Cape Runaway. These people a few years ago seemed to be in a state of utter indifference in religious matters. Through God's blessing, a change has since come over them, and their present circumstances are regarded by the people south of the East Cape with a lively interest. A remarkable proof of this was afforded at the last meeting of the Board. The question under discus- sion was the place at which the next meeting should be held, and it was decided that, should the people of the Bay of Plenty desire it, the Board should hold its next meeting among them at Te Kaha, with the view of fostering the healthy movement which is now taking place there, and of paving the way for the organisation of a distinct Native Church Board for that district." THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 473 MAORI CHURCH STATISTICS. I. — North Island. A. In the Diocese of Auckland. — For the year 1886, out of a native population, according to the last census, of 18,872, the number of the baptized was computed to be 6,025 ; of baptisms during the year, 311; of communicants, 1,270; of English clergy ministering to the native population, 4 ; of native clerg}', 13; of native lay agents, unpaid, 151 ; the amount of contributions for Church purposes, £SZA- los. 2d. B. In the Diocese of JVaiafu. — For 1886, native population, 16,269; thenumber of baptized persons, 8,816 ; baptismsin the course of the year, 311 ; num- ber of persons confirmed in the year, 53 ; of com- municants, 740 ; of English clergy ministering to natives, 6; of native clergy, 10 ; native voluntary agents, 188; contributions for Church purposes, ;^3i8. 4S. C. In the Diocese of Wellington. — For the same year, native population, 4,435 ; number of the , baptized, 3,400; baptisms during the year, 311; communicants, 552 ; English clergy ministering to natives, 2 ; native clergy, 4 ; native voluntary agents, 41 ; contributions for Church purposes, ;^6i8. I2S. 7d. II. — South Island. — In the whole of this island the native population is very small, scattered in de- tached villages. In the Diocese of Nelson the natives do not exceed 500 in number ; in Canterbury there 474 NEW ZEALAND. are about 650 ; in Westland, about 100 ; in Otago and Southland, comprising the Diocese of Dunedin, about 800. In the Diocese of Christchurch, including Canter- bury and Westland, there is a Maori mission, sup- ported partly by contributions from the Maories themselves, and partly by offerings made in every church in the diocese on the first Sunday after Epiphany in every year. The Rev. James W. Stack, son of one of the earliest missionaries of the C.M.S. has been in charge of the mission for the last twenty- seven years, having been ordained deacon by the Bishop of Christchurch in December, i860; priest in December, 1862. He is assisted by a Maori deacon, the Rev. George Peter Mutu, ordained on Trinity Sunday, 1872, and residing at St. Stephen's, Kaiapoi, where there is a native church and school. In the Diocese of Dunedin, there is no native mission, the Maories being ministered to by the clergymen of the parishes in which their Kaingas are situated, ac- cording to the best of their ability, and by native lay agents. Educational Institutions : — Namely, A. Training College for the Native Ministry. With regard to this excellent and thriving Insti- tution, situate at Gisborne, the Ven. Archdeacon Williams writes as follows on the 25th June, 1887: — "Our Maori Training College was estab- lished in 1883, under my charge as Principal, with the assistance of the Rev. A. O. Williams as tutor. Up to the present time we have had twenty THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 475 Students, of whom eleven are now here. Two of the twenty were deacons preparing for priests' orders. Three have been ordained deacons, and one of the two deacons has been ordained priest, the other having died. Four of the unordained have left, owing to ill health and other causes. We have no rule about length of course, but those who have been ordained deacons have been studying either three or four years. The subjects of study are (i) Holy Scripture, both Old and New Testaments ; (2) Church History, General and English ; (3) the Thirty-nine Articles; (4) the Prayer-book; (5) Elementary subjects, as required ; (6) Singing. Four of the whole number are married. Of these two have been ordained, and the other two are with us still. The wives attend to household matters, and have instruction as well. The hours are — Prayers, 7.30 to 8 a.m. : Lectures, &c., 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., and from 4.30 to 6 p.m. ; Evening Prayers, 6 p.m. Two of our students received their previous education at St. Stephen's, Parnell, and two at Te Aute. We hope in time to have none but such as these, but, at present, we are obliged to take others. None as yet are able to study Latin or Greek. The students are housed and fed by means of our Trust Funds, but have to find clothing, &c., for themselves." B. Native College at Te Aute. The editor is indebted to the Principal, the Rev. Samuel Williams, for the following account of this Institution, so well known by name and high repute throuarhout New Zealand : — 476 NEW ZEALAND. " The conditions of mission work in New Zealand have, of late years, operated against the estabhshment of anything Hke a system of Native Christian Village Schools. The unsettled state of the country, the nomadic habits of the Maories themselves, their fre- quent changes of abode, both individual and collec- tive, may probably be assigned as some of the causes which led to the establishment of boarding schools, both for boys and girls, in the chief centres of work. There can be no doubt that these schools have done, and are doing, excellent work amongst the Maories. Of existing institutions of this description, that at Te Aute has gained for itself the first place. Both in reference to its standard of work and the ages of the students it may deservedly be termed a native col- lege. It is an endowed institution, and consists of a handsome and thoroughly well-appointed block of buildings. The endowment, amounting to 7,000 acres of pastoral land, was formed in 1853, during the Governorship of Sir George Grey, 4,000 acres having been granted by the Government, and 3,000 given by the natives, both gifts being about equal in value. The property has been converted from a tract of fern land into a valuable estate, yielding an income of ;^i,8oo per annum, an amount nearly sufficient for the support of an efficient staff, and between fifty and sixty boarders. During the last few years the school has made great strides and now ranks, according to the reports of the Government Inspector, amongst the best secondary schools of New Zealand. It works up to the standard of the matriculation exami- nation of the New Zealand University, and in this THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 477 connection, as showing what Maori lads are capable of, it may be mentioned that in February, 1884, a matriculation class was formed, the pupils of which, though fairly advanced in other subjects, had until then never opened a Latin book. They commenced its study then, and in the following December two of them were successful in the examination. To master sufficient Latin grammar and translation, in less than nine months, to enable them to pass such a test, may be described as a scholastic feat, and proves that the Maori is capable of sustained applica- tion to study. The institution is under Government inspection, and year by year is very highly reported of by the inspector. A suitable workshop, built entirely by the boys themselves, and well provided with tools and appliances in constant use, proves that technical education receives due attention, while the well-earned reputation of the college football team, which holds its own against the best clubs in the province, as well as its records at the annual athletic sports, are sufficient evidence that physical education is not neglected. At the present time, the Institution boards and educates fifty-two pupils, of whom more than half are over fifteen years of age, and have entered Te Aute, after completing the village school course as prescribed by the Government. A goodly number of young men who have passed through the Institution have entered upon various pursuits and promise to become useful members of society — some as students, some as clerks, some as lawyers — while others, who have returned to their homes, are, it is hoped, exerting an influence for good amongst 478 NEW ZEALAND. their own people. The general tone of the school is described as excellent, while the manners and be- haviour of the boys, as witnessed to by their opponents in the fields of sport, are extremely courteous and gentlemanly. The staff consists of a head master, an assistant master, and a pupil teacher. The following is the outline of the time-table : — 7.0 A.M. — 7-15 Morning Prayers. 9-30 >, — 12.0 School. 1.30 P.M. 3-3° School. 6-15 » — 7-3° Evening Work and Pre paration. 8.0 „ — Evening Prayers. The Holidays are : — Three days at Easter. Three weeks at Midwinter. Six weeks at Midsummer. No fees are charged, but the parents provide clothing. C. Native Girls' School at Napier. The following account of this interesting institution has been kindly contributed, at therequest of the editor, by Miss A. M. Williams, daughter of the late bishop ; — " The Hukarere Boarding School for Maori and half caste girls was established in 1875 by the late Bishop Williams, near his own residence, and is under the management and supervision of his daughters. The funds for building were raised in England by the bishop's sister, Mrs. Heathcote, and by the C.M.S., THE SEVEN DIOCESES. 479 who opened a special subscription for native schools in the Diocese of Waiapu. The C.M.S. also paid the salaries of the teacher and matron till April, 1880. The working expenses are met by grants from the New Zealand Government, and from the Waerenga- hika Native School Trust, aided by a few local sub- scriptions. Part of the present building, with accom- modation for twenty-five girls, was opened in June, 1875, with three scholars, but the numbers increased steadily, so that it soon became necessary to make considerable additions, and since 1877 there has been an average of between forty and fifty scholars, who came from various parts of the island, some of the more advanced pupils in the village school being sent to Hukarere by the Government for a term oi two years. From four-and-a-half to five hours daily are devoted to lessons and needlework, besides an evening Bible class three times a week. The teach- ing staff consists of an English mistress and two assistant teachers both old scholars, having been amongst the first pupils admitted in 1875. The girls are taught English, reading, writing, arithmetic, needlework, singing, drawing, and drill, as well as all kinds of household work, including cooking and laundry- work, the domestic work of the establishment being done by the pupils under the able direction of the matron, who also teaches the elder ones to make and mend their own clothes. The children are always very anxious to give satisfaction to the Government inspector, who institutes a strict examination into the details of every department. He shows such a fatherly interest in them that they look upon him 480 NEW ZEALAND. quite as one of their best friends. On Sundays the children attend English service with their teachers in the morning, have Sunday School in the afternoon, and in the evening have a Maori service in the schoolroom. An hour after Sunday School is spent in singing Maori hymns to well-known English tunes, which they thoroughly enjoy. Care is taken that those who do not uriderstand much English should have religious instruction in their own language. They have holidays for a fortnight in winter, when all remain at the school excepting those whose homes are within easy reach ; and seven weeks in summer, but it generally happens that about a dozen girls whose parents find a difficulty in paying their travelling expenses, are obliged to stay at the school all through the summer holidays. Happily they do not appear to find the time irksome, but amuse them- selves with all sorts of English games. In a private letter Miss Williams says : — " Per- haps I should have added that though we have had some disappointments, we hear very good accounts of many of our old scholars, who, we have reason to believe, are exercising a Christian and civilising in- fluence among their own people." THE END. WYMAN AND SONS, PRINTERS, GREAT QUEEN STREET, LONDON, W.C. APPENDIX. I AM permitted by the courtesy of the Tract Committee of S.P.C.K., to add a few words to the preceding History, with reference to that portion of it which treats of the Dunedin Bishopric contro- versy. While grateful for the author's (Dean Jacobs) kindly expressions towards myself personally, I cannot help seeing that, though he has given the facts of the case fairly enough, he has viewed them exclusively from his own standpoint. Viewed from mine, I submit that they prove my case rather than his. I. For instance, he argues that the Bishopric of Dunedin could not have been constituted by my consecration for that Diocese, because for such con- secration there had been no sufficient authority given by the General Synod. But the author quotes as historical (p. 304), a statement of Bishop Selwyn's to the effect that it was unanimously agreed by the General Synod of 1865, that the next Session should be held at Dunedin, if by the time of meeting there should be a Bishopric of Dunedhi consiitiited, and the Bishop should have entered on the duties of his office. If this resolution of the General Synod means anything, it evidently implies that the constitution of the Bishopric was contemplated without any further action of the Synod. And I submit that it proves to demonstration that the Primate (Bishop Selwyn), did not act without sufficient authority, when he requested Archbishop Longley to select a Bishop for Dunedin. The wishes of the Synod being so clearly indicated, who could have carried them out, but the Primate of New Zealand ? 2. I call attention to the citation (p. 321) by Dean Jacobs, of the opinion of his greatest authority, SirW. Martin, to the effect that, in the case of my nomina- tion, there was a fair and reasonable approximation to the rule laid down in Clause 28 of the Constitution, which judgment, says Dean Jacobs "was admitted by all concerned." Whence it follows that in the absence of any distinct provision in the Constitution for the election of a first Bishop, no question ought to have been raised as to the regularity of my nomination. 3. The General Synod, not being in session, had no jurisdiction in regard to the confirmation of the nomination. This the Dean proves by the quotation given on p. 347, from the Constitution, Clause 23. And if it be urged, as it has been, that the Otago Rural Deanery Board specially referred the matter to the General Synod, I ask, how could such a body give the General Synod a jurisdiction which it had not 3 before. By the Constitution, the question ought to have been decided by a majority of the Standing Committees of the several Dioceses. 4. The author shows that no intimation of any possible difficulty having been given to me, until at least fourteen months after my nomination by Arch- bishop Longley, and eight months after my consecra- tion had been known in New Zealand. The irregu- larities of which so much have been made, wtre an afterthought, and alleged ad hoc. 5. Everywhere the author demonstrates that these irregularities were merely technical, and such as arose out of the uncertain condition of Church affairs in New Zealand. 6. The author considers that the great Bishop of New Zealand (p. 311), as well as the entire English Episcopate (p. 354), were in error in regard to my consecration. It is impossible to admit this. As brevity is enjoined upon me, I will say no more, though much more might be said. The present position of affairs must, apparently, be taken as final ; though, from accounts which from time to time reach me from the Colony, I judge that a strong feeling has been for some years growing up, that a mistake was made, in my case, by the Synods of 1868 and 1871 ; and it is conceivable that some future General Synod may give expression to this feeling by repudiating as far as in it lies, the doings of its predecessors. I leave readers of this History to weigh what I have briefly urged against the author's view ol an unhappy dispute, only trusting that nothing that I have said may lead to any breach of brotherly charity. HENRY LASCELLES JENNER, (Bishop). Reston Vicarage, WiNGHAM, March \^th, 1889. The Tract Committee of S.P.C.K. thought it wise to submit to the author Bishop Jenner's disclaimer. It is right to add that the author does not recognise its cogency. He submitted it to Bishop Hadfield (then Primate-Elect of New Zealand), who, in a letter dated May 31st, 1889, wrote as follows : — *' Bishop Jenner's assertions and arguments are worthless. But then they are only known to be so by persons like our- selves. In England they w ould be regarded as conclusive ; and by their admission into the book, as more or less sanctioned by the S.P.C.K." The Tract Committee feel they have acted impartially in the matter in giving both sides of the question. EDMUND McCLURE, Editorial Sec, S.P.C.K. October, 1889. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 30m-7,'70(N8475s8) — C-120 3 1 58 00522 0602 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 000 796893 6