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ANGLICAN CHURCHES. 



The fourth meeting of the General Synod 

 of the Church of Ireland was held at Dublin, 

 beginning April 9th. The Lord Primate pre- 

 sided. But little progress was made during 

 the session in the work of revising the Prayer- 

 book. A large proportion of the amendments 

 proposed by the revision committee, and ap- 

 proved by the laity, were defeated upon a di- 

 vision of orders by failing to receive the requi- 

 site two-thirds vote of the clergy. Thirty-three 

 petitions were presented in favor of the revi- 

 sion and eight against it. Among the adverse 

 memorials were an address signed by 550 of 

 the clergy, and one signed by more than 800 

 gentlemen of rank and position, 200 clergy, 

 and 6,600 members. A number of amend- 

 ments to the ritual, relating to the Form for 

 the Consecration of Bishops, to the Form of 

 Prayer for June 30th, and to various prayers, 

 thanksgivings, and collections, were agreed to 

 without opposition, and with but little discus- 

 sion. A proposition to omit from the answer 

 to the second question of the Catechism the 

 words, " whereby I was made a member of 

 Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the 

 kingdom of Heaven," was negatived on a divi- 

 sion of orders, as were also several other alter- 

 ations of the Catechism proposed by the revi- 

 sion committee. A new question and answer 

 were, however, approved, to be introduced into 

 the Catechism before Communion, in the fol- 

 lowing terms : " Question. After what man- 

 ner are the body and blood of Christ taken in 

 the Lord's Supper? Answer. Only after a 

 heavenly and spiritual manner, and the means 

 whereby they are received- and taken is faith." 



A motion for leave to introduce a bill re- 

 quiring the reordination of Reformed Roman 

 Catholic priests seeking admission into the 

 Church of Ireland was defeated by a vote of 

 the clergy. A motion to substitute another 

 form for the Commination service held on Ash- 

 Wednesday was also rejected. The proposition 

 to remove the so-called " damnatory clauses " 

 of the Athanasian Creed was carried with the 

 laity by a large majority. The clergy .refused 

 concurrence. A strong division of opinion 

 was manifested upon the subject. Both houses 

 finally concurred in an arrangement by which 

 the Creed should be inserted entire and with- 

 out change in the latter part of the Prayer- 

 book, and should also be printed in the morn- 

 ing services with the "damnatory clauses" 

 omitted, for recitation in place of the Apostles' 

 Creed on the occasion of the festivals, when 

 it is directed to be substituted for that article. 

 It was the intention of this adjustment to leave 

 it optional with the clergyman whether the 

 Creed .in question should be read entire or 

 without the " damnatory clauses." ' 



Provincial Synods of Canada, Australia, 

 and the West Indies. On account of its close 

 connection with 'the Established Church in 

 England, synodal action in the Episcopal 

 Church in Canada was of doubtful legality 

 before 1857. In that year an act was passed 



providing that the several dioceses in the 

 Province of Canada might, by their respective 

 bishops, clergy, and laity, meet to frame con- 

 stitutions and make regulations for their own 

 government. The same act further authorized 

 them to meet in general assembly within the 

 province, by such representatives as might be 

 determined upon, to frame a constitution and 

 make laws for the general management and 

 good government of the Church. Under this 

 act diocesan synods were formed in the dio- 

 ceses of Quebec, Toronto, Montreal, Huron, 

 and Ontario. When confederation took place, 

 the Episcopal Churches in the Eastern prov- 

 inces naturally desired to enjoy the benefits 

 of a similar union. Accordingly, acts were 

 passed by the Parliament of the Dominion ex- 

 tending the provisions of the Provincial Act 

 to Nova Scotia in 1870, and to New Brunswick 

 in 1870. These acts prescribed the manner in 

 which the dioceses in the provinces named 

 could be admitted to the Provincial Synod, and 

 enjoy in that body the same standing as the 

 Canadian Synods possessed. Application for 

 such admission was made by the diocese of 

 Nova Scotia in 1871, but, on account of a 

 fatal defect in form, it could not be granted. 

 The application was renewed in 1874 by an 

 almost unanimous vote of the Synod, in proper 

 form, and deputies were chosen to represent 

 the diocese in the Provincial Synod. The 

 Diocesan Synod of Fredericton (New Bruns- 

 wick), which met June 30th, on the second 

 day of its session, also resolved, by a vote of 

 fifty to forty-six, to enter the Provincial Synod, 

 and appointed deputies to represent it there. 

 The Provincial Synod is pledged to continue 

 an integral portion of the United Church of 

 England and Ireland ; to take the Holy Bible, 

 "as set forth by that Church, on the testimony 

 of the Primitive Catholic Church," as the rule 

 and standard of faith ; and, under the suprem- 

 acy of the Queen, to receive and maintain, and 

 transmit unimpaired to posterity, its Book of 

 Common Prayer and its " Scriptural and Apos- 

 tolic form of government and doctrine." It 

 purposes for itself to deal chiefly with matters 

 of discipline, government, and Church exten- 

 tion throughout the Dominion. By its consti- 

 tution it consists 'of two Houses ; the first, or 

 Upper House, comprising all bishops having 

 sees or officiating as assistant or missionary 

 bishops under its jurisdiction ; and the second, 

 or Lower House, which is composed of twelve 

 clerical and twelve lay delegates from each 

 diocese united with the Synod. The Houses 

 meet separately. The Metropolitan is Presi- 

 dent of the Upper House. The Lower House, 

 at the beginning of each session, elects a prolo- 

 cutor from among its own members. The Syn- 

 od meets at Montreal every third year, on the 

 second Wednesday of September. 



The Provincial Synod of Canada met at 

 Montreal September 9th. The meeting was 

 opened by the metropolitan in a joint session 

 of the two Houses, after which the Rev. J. 



