THE PRAYER BOOK

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 106, 7 May 1928, Page 11

THE PRAYER BOOK

SYNOD'S DECISION . THE IiEVISION MOVEMENT (By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post."| AUCKLAND, This Day. "It seems ive hayc crossed the rubicon, and it is likely that we Avill have our own New Zealand Prayer Book," said Canon Pcrcival James, in St. Mary's Cathedral last evening, referring to the recent unanimous decision of the General Synod with regard to the fundamental clauses of the constitution of the Anglican Church in Now Zealand. Tho Synod, he said, had made its own mind clear, and would seek legal enactment to put the matter beyond dispute that the Ncav Zealand Church could make her own revision of tho formularies under the most ample safeguards to prevent any departure from the doctrinal standard of thb Book of Common Prayer. "I am sure Aye will not decide to adopt in toto the English revision," said Canon James, "even if that book survives the ordeal of the House of Commons, which is doubtful. Other branches of the Anglican Church have their own l-'rayer Books—in Scotland, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, and tho United States — and doubtless other provinces of the Church will make their oavh revisions. I believe it is not only good, but even necessary, that tho genius of New Zealand Anglicanism should find expression in a distinctively New Zealand Prayer Book." If the Church should undertake the task of revision an essential condition of success avus, he said, that party strife should be kept out of it. Ho urged'his hearers to tnko the advice of Dean Vaughan:— "Don't let anyone put a ' label on you." They should not be called "high churchmen" or "loav churchmen," he said; it Avas enough to bo Ncav Zealand churchmen, loyal to tho best traditions of the Church.