The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-08-01
CHURCH MATTERS
Remarks on a Recent Article in
The Diocesan Magazine.
PAST UTTERANCES RECALLED
Anglican Church In Hawai, Now
Favors Amalgamation with the
Church of America.
To the Editor of the Pacific CONNER

To the Editor of the Pacific CONNER
cial Advertiser.
Dear Sir: you kindly permit
us through your columns to remark
upon an article which has appeared i'm
the July issue of the Diocesan Maga-
zine, under the head of The See Of
HonOlulu-Its Foundation, and the OBJ
legation to Maintain it
We consider it of great importance
TO the Church that the merits of this
article should be discussed, coming as
it does, from the Bishop of the Diocese.
1t is written, we take it, to hinder
the transfer of the Anglican Mission in
Hawaii to the Church in America, and
it undertakes to show that such trans
fer cannot he effected unless the two
following conditions are complied
with: First, that the American Church
assume all financial obligations now
resting on the Church of england for
the support of the Church in these
Islands; Secondly, that the American
Church undertake to maintain and
perpetuate the See of Honolulu in its
integrity. 1t contends that the An
glican Church here is not, and should
not, in any way be disturbed in its
relations to the English Church or
changes in the country; and intimates
that, should things SO shape them
selves that the Church II England
should think it proper to transfer the
Jurisdiction CT the Mission to the
Church in America, the Bishop would
resist such transfer until he be aSSur-
ed of the conditions, as above, being
complied with-and the article ends,
"if it is suggested that the present
Bishop lay down MS pastoral staff,
with the knowledge that no successor
will be consecrated to take it up, the
suggestion is one which cannot be en-
tertained for moment. The transfer
of jurisdiction will convey to the
American Church solemn obligation
to discharge all the responsibilities
and obligations now resting on the
Church of England with regard to this
See Foremost among. those RESPONSE
bilities is to maintain and perpetuate
it,"
Now this Association is composed
largely of reasonable people who view
things in a practical way. Personally,
we are distinctly in favor of amalgama
ton with the American Church on less
onerous TERMS but the question Is,
laying sentiment entirely ON one side,
down by the Bishop, be considered OBJ
legations? What is the true value of
his cOntentione
The Bishop says that the transfer
of Jurisdiction to the American Church
carries with it the obligation on that
Church to assume the full financiai
responsibilities heretofore resting on
the Church Societies i'm England, for
the support of this Church. We do not
consider that any obligation has rested
on the Church Societies, of late years.
to continue their grants. These grants
are purely volun.ary-Ehateye moral
obligations might have rested on them
for the first few years of the existence
of this Mission, it is quite clear such
obi cations could not continue for ever,
and we think thirty-SeVen years sup
rort of Mission in such a country as
his should absolve them from fur
ther claims. Even now the Society for
the Propagation of the Gospel has sig
nified it's intention of withdrawing it's
grant In any case we think the
amount Of the grant claimed is unreas-
onably large, in view of the feeble
state of the Diocese This Church mas
for many years received som ething
like 100000 per annum from England.
Is SO much required? The Church in
the city of Honolulu should be re-
garded as self-supporting inasmuch as
there are now two clergymen doing
duty here who receive no aid from
funds. Outside of Homo
lulu there are but three parishes or
Missions, with clergy in charge,
the whole Diocese (Mr.
Davis of Kone. having lately resignedl