The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-08-01
CHURCH MATTERS
Continued from Page II


Chinese chapel served by Chimes
Deacon, all of whom receive partia
support from their people. It is clea,
so large a grant is not necessary. Tn,
| American Church would never consen
10 so large grant, nor is ii reasonable
| 20 ask it.
The Bishop says he cannot admit
that political changes either have or
ought to have any effect on this
Church in her relations 10 England
and in support of this opinion he has
officially called a meeting OF the Dioce-
san Synod of the Anglican Church for
the 18th of December next.
We would draw his Lordship's at
tenUion to the printed report of the
! proceedings of the First Session of the
Fourth Diocesan Synod of the Angli-
can Church of Hawaii. opened on the
18th of December. 1898. In his own
opening address to this Synod, he
speaks thus:
AT the close of our last Synod in
1891 l looked forward to the assemb-
ling of this fourth Synod about May
! in the present year. But when. on
January 18th, constitutional govern
ment, under which this little kingdom
has long enjoyed peace and prosperity.
! was OverthrOWn' the fu-
ture of the Anglican Church in Hawaii
hung in the balance, together with the
| political future of the Islands. Had the
| Government at Washington accepted
the offers of the commissioners sent by
| the Provisional Government" *
! and annexation had taken place we
could not have held another Synod I'M
, der our present constitution on Ameri-
can soil. An entire reorganization I'M
| der the conStit' ton of the American
| Church would have been necessary
Since our constitution remains I'M
| changed, and we are now on American
| soil, on the Bishops own showing, the
! political changes render an entire re-
organization in order and necessary be-
| fore another lawful Synod can be con-
| vened.
We are inclined to think that no rea
son exists why our Church relations
with England must be disturbed be
cause of annexation, if all persons con-
cerned wish them to be preserved, but
we argue. too. that there is no reason
why such relations should not alto
gether cease at any time, if either the
Church in England, or that in Hawaii
desire it, and see it to be for the gen
eral good. We use the word Church
as defined in Article XIX, in the Ar
ticleS of Religion. And the Church in
Hawaii now feels that the ends of re-
ligiOn would be better served, and her
usefulness promoted, by her transfer to
the Church in America on such terms
as the ecclesiastical authorities in Eng
land and America, knowing the posi-
ton of our Church, may consider
right.
The Bishop lays down as a sine qua
non" that the See of Honolulu be main
tanned and perpetuated in its integrity
1nterregnumS are sometimes unaVOld-
able. A resident Bishop is no doubt
most desirable, but until we are much
stronger we do not feel that the Amer
lean Church would be under any obi
CATION to support one here. We could
be Joined to one of their existing mis-
sionary Jurisdictions, and share with
it tbs Episcopal duties of its Chief.
We do not resign forever the hope of
resident Bishop; it is but deferred
until the Church with which we are
connected feels justified and sees fit to
appoint one, which will be, no doubt,
as soon as one is required.
His Lordship lays much stress upon
the wrong that would be done to the
whole Anglican communion if the Ha-
waiian Islands should cease to be a
seat of the Anglican Episcopate.'
Such course" he says, would be
unjust to the memory of its founders,
for so convinced were they that Homo
lulu was created See of the Anglican
Communion in perpetuity, that when
King Kamehameha ". died money
was subscribed in England for a ca
thedral Ito be built in his memory on
the site which the King had decided to
the Anglican Church.
l.
stances. any such claim can be consid-
cred. AS matter of fact, the King did
not deed this land to the Anglican
Church. His gift for the cathedral site
was decided TO the synod of the Ha
waiian Reformed Catholic Church,
their successors and assigns And
very wisely. too, for although it may
not be generally known now, the
founders knew that this Mission was
not planted exclusively an Anglican
Mission. but joint Mission of the
Churches in England and America, as
we shall show. Moreover, as early as
1854 in the time of Kamehameha Ill.
the political outlook and the destina-
ton of these Islands were very uncert-
ain. and owing TO the peculiar circum-
stances of the period, their annexation
to the United States was then as Gag
erly sought both by the King and
many white residents as it has been
since (PrOf. AleXanderS History Of
Hawaii.)
In view, probably, Of both these
facts. the King and Bishop StaIey wise
ly had this property decided to the To-
cal Church, in order that it might pass
either East or West, with the country
ITSELF as time should determine, and
that it might not be hampered by the
claims of any other Church. Hawaii
had appealed to the United States for
the Church before she approached
England; her interests lay in America
and it was only the weakness of the
Church in that country at the time
that prevented the American Church
being planted here. However. a Joint
Mission was finally decided upon. as
will be seen from a letter from Bishop