Christian Chapel Lands Sale Act of 1888 51 Vic (NSW)

CurIsTIAN CHAPEL Lanps SALe.

Preamble.

An Act to empower the trustees of certain lands situated in Elizabeth-street, Sydney, on which is erected the Christian Chapel, to sell such land, and to apply the proceeds for the benefit of the said trusts. [17th May, 1888.]

HEREAS by a certain indenture, dated the twelfth day of August,

one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, and made between Jonathan Stephens Perry of the one part, and Matthew Wood Green, Samuel Vial, George Morrison, and John Lockley and William Baker of the other part, after recitals, whereby it appeared that the said Matthew Wood Green, Samuel Vial, George Morrison, John Lockley, and William Baker had associated themselves, together with other persons, into a congregation of Christians for the worship of Almighty God, according to the teaching of the book known as the New Testa- ment, and therein declared and set forth and that the lands thercin mentioned and intended to be thereby conveyed had been purchased for the purpose of erecting thereon a church or chapel, wherein the persons known as Christians, and professing the doctrines taught in the New Testament, could worship God in a proper, orderly, and becoming manner, and that the said Matthew Wood Green, Samuel Vial, George Morrison, John Lockley, and William Baker had been nominated and elected as the first trustees of the said lands, and the said church or chapel to be erected thereon the land particularly described in the Schedule hereto were granted and released by the said Jonathan

; Stephens

1888. dl' VIC.

Chrislian Chapel Lands Sale.

Stephens Perry unto and to the use of the said Matthew Wood Green, Samucl Vial, George Morrison, John Lockley, and William Baker, their heirs and assigns, upon trust to stand seised of the said lands and of the church or chapel to he erected thereupon in trust for all and every person and persons known as Christians and worshipping Almighty God therein, and who, in order to their identification and to prevent the misappropriation of the said land from the purposes herein described, do profess and believe the following statements as the prominent items of their faith, that is to say -— Virstly—That the Bible alone, unaided by any human erced, is the only and all sufficient rule of Christian faith and practice. Sccondly—Who believe in the Messiahship of Jesus as the Son of the living God and the only Saviour of men, and that believers in Ifim are under the most solemn obligations to obey all His commands and regulate their practice both individually and collectively according to the teachings of Jesus and His Apostles. Thirdly: y—_Who reject all party designations as subversive of the headship of Christ and as destructive of the oneness of ITis body the Church, and henee acknowledge no name but those found in the New Testament as Christians Disciples of Christ, &ec. Fourthly—That the first Churches as set in order in the days of and by the Apostles of Christ are the only true models of a Church of Christ, and who recognize no statement as authori- tative in reference to the order of those Churches but that found in the New Testament. Fifthly—Who believe, that while it is their duty to believe all the facts and truths and obey all the commands found in the New Testament, they have entire liberty of judgment in all other matters; And Sixthly —Who believe that the Messia iship of Jesus as the Son of the living God is the only true basis of Christian union, that the one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God is the bond within which the Church should be united in peace, and that the bond of perfection to obtain which should be the object of all true believers in love to God and man. And whereas a certain church or chapel was afterwards erected wpon the said lands, and such church or chapel has been used for the purpose of worship by a congregation professing the doctrines set. forth in the said trusts. And whereas the said Matthew Wood Green, George Morrison, and John Lockley are the now surviving trustees of the said indenture. And whereas the said church or chapel erected upon the said lands is inconvenient for the purposes aforesaid, and the said lands have greatly increased in value. And whereas the congregation worshipping in the said church or chapel is desirous that the said lands should be sold and the proceeds of the sale thereof applied towards the purchase of another site and the erection of another church or chapel thereon. And whereas it is impracticable to carry such desire into effect without the sanction of Parliament. Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly of New South Wales in Parl iament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :—