The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-08-01
CHURCH MATTERS
CONTINUED from Page ID

mt Fulham Palace. when | showed Mr.
Wyllie's letters TO the Bishop of Lou
don, and we went fully into the mat
ter. II was agreed that II should be a
Joint Mission; that two or three clergy
should be sent out by the Church of
England, and the same number by the
American Church, when practicable.
The animus Of the whole affair was
shown in single remark made to me
on this occasion by the Bishop of Lon
don. i am happy. said he, that the
application for this Mission comes
from an American Bishop, so that IL
cannot be said that the Church Of Eng
land Is obtruding itself on The Islands.
"A public meeting, to be presided over
by the Bishop Of Oxford, was then
called, and l was requested to be pres
ent to make necessary explanations.
As had an engagement in the coun-
try which prevented my being there.
wrote long letter to the Bishop of
Oxford, giving all the statements
which had verbally made to him and
the Bishop OF London. When l next
met him, he told me that my letter
was read at the meeting, and then
placed on file. to show at any future
time their reasons for this action
Il would mention also that the Bish-
0p OF New York, who was then In
England. being consulted, gave his cor
dial appreciation to the measure"
1t was the following year, 1861, that
the Bishop Of Oxford, in a discussion
which took place IN the Upper House
Of Convocation, on the subject Of Mis-
sionary Bishopricks said: .
The present mail has brought me a
letter from the Bishop Of California.
who points out the importance of max
ing the islands a missionary centre.
Further, the American Church is very
anxious to unite with the Church of
England on this work. And Bishop
Potter states that they will undertake
TO support one or possibly two mis-
sionary clergy, TO work with the
Bishop whom the Church of England
may send out. All this is matter of
the deepest interest and the greatest
Importance: and / think 1t most i'm
portant that We should at once con-
slider the question" The result was
that many of those who sympathized
with the object, came together and
formed committee, consisting of
Church dignitaries, nOblemen and gen
tlemen; several OF them, members of
the Committees of the two venerable
Societies for the Propagation of the
Gospel In Foreign Parts, and for the
Promotion of Christian knowledge.
Within one month after the Bishop
of Oxford's speech in COnvocation, the
following statement was published and
circulated
Polynesian Church-The Committee
for promoting the establishment of a
Church In Honolulu, in communion
with the Churches of England and
America, having taken into considera-
ton the King of Hawaii's desire to re-
ceive a Mission from the Church Of
England headed by a Bishop, are Of
opinion that measures should be taken
for fulfilling the desire thus put, we
trust, by God into the heart Of Ills Ma
jesty 80 - ." That as Il appears
by letters from the Bishops of Califor-
MIA and New York, that there Is
readiness on behalf OF the American
Church to unite in this effort, the Com
mittee hail with gratitude to God such
an opening for common missionary
action between the two great branches
OF the Reformed Catholic Church. -
That the Bishops OF California and
New York be requested to convey to
the Church in America most earnest
invitations from this Committee to
unite In the work"
The two venerable societies, the So
ciety for the Propagation OF the Gospel.
and the Society for Promoting Christ
ian knowledge, Immediately signified
their approval of the movement by
liberal grants in its aid. And on the
18th OF December, Bishop Staley was
consecrated for the new See of Homo
, lulu, which place he reached in the
autumn of 1862. The responsibilities
| assumed by each Church we do not
know. but that the Mission was u
. joint Mission Ia shown by the fact of
the American Church sending out two
clergymen as soon as practicable az
agreed between the Bishops of Cali
, fOrnia and London, endorsed by the
Bishop of New York. Although, ow-
. ing no doubt to the Civil war, this was
not practicable until 1866. The Rev
) G. b. Whipple was one of those sent
out.
i We do not think the arguments OF
the Bishop of Honolulu, either in
favor of the obligations attached to the
American Church, or the perpetuatlne
OF the See of Honolulu are reasonable
or tenable. We think that perhaps
. the Church in Hawaii, although weak
knows best what Is for her own good
, and, without commenting upon hel
f.. past. since she seeks, and we may say
. almost unanimously seeks, to be re
leased from the Episcopal Jurisdiction
OF the Church OF England and trans
ferred to that of the United States
that she should be permitted to do so
and on what conditions she sees Mt.
We sympathize with the Bishop In
his desire that further development
should not be checked such develop
ment Is the very hope and aim of oa
Society; and In the language Of ON
motto, 1t is "for God and the Church
] that We are making this conscientious
effort,
=, Thanking you for your courtesy, VI