CHURCH. 
305 
land; it has neither aided in the erection of churches, or in 
the maintenance of the ministry. The Sovereign here ceases 
to be “ the Defender of the Faith,” in the sense used in 
England. All that has hitherto been done to establish the 
Church of England, has been accomplished by the Church 
itself, as represented by the Church Missionary Society, and 
more recently, by the Society for Promoting the Gospel. 
Therefore, with those two powerful societies of our Church, 
at present rests the maintenance of the New Zealand Church' 
which is not yet sufficiently rooted in the land to sustain 
itself, without being still upheld by the fostering hands which 
hist planted it. So long as this state continues, with them 
must rest the right and duty of selecting and appointing its. 
bishops and pastors, and drawing up a system for its future 
governance. 
But when those societies withdraw their aid, and leave the 
infant church to its own resources, and to support its ministry, 
then it must exercise its own inherent right in the sole ap¬ 
pointment of its officers. 
Cast off by Government, it must rely upon itself, and 
altered as that Government now is, it may be quite as well, 
and is no doubt intended by Infinite M^isdom to preserve the 
Church pure, and from an injurious influence. 
In considering the future constitution of the Church, I 
cannot help thinking that its ministry should have looked 
more to those societies representing the parent Church, and 
less to secular aid. It seems remarkable, that whilst in general, 
the ministry is so jealous of all lay interference, in this case 
it has rather looked up to its superior piety and wisdom to 
give our infant Church its future form, than to the archbishops 
and bishops of the parent Church. I cannot but think that 
this is inconsistent with faith and principle. 
The Ameiican Episcopalian Church, when severed from its 
Anglican parent, looked to itself, and not to the State, in 
solemn convocation imploring the guidance and direction of 
the Most High, used the power given it, drew up its own laws, 
and has gone on and prospered ever since. Surely this is a 
suitable example for the Colonial Church at the present time. 
x 
