NEW PRAYER BOOK.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10566, 20 April 1928, Page 5

NEW PRAYER BOOK.

BLENHEIM PARISHIONERS PROTEST. ARCHBISHOP OPPOSES LAITY INTERFERENCE. (Press Association.! BLENHEIM, April 10. The much-debated attempt to introduce the new Prayer Book into the . Church of England was responsible for ail animated discussion and some 'rather tense moments at the annual meeting of parishioners of the Church; of the Nativity last evening, when •Mr. A. F. Bent moved the following motion: “That this meeting protests against any attenipt-to introduce' the now Prayer Book into the Church of: England, on the grounds that (1) its teachings are contrary to the 39 articles of tlie Church of England (2) that it opens the door to unscriptural doctrines of the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine at Holy Communion, and prayers fol the faithful, thus being contrary to God’s word; (3) that it tends to bring .the Church back to the darkness from which it emerged at the Reformation ; and (4) that it is the cause of strife in our eliurch and for the sake of unity should not be introduced; and that a copy -of this resolution be sent to the Diocesan Synod and to the representative at the General Synod.” Afer lengthy discussion, during which Archdeacon York expressed the opinion that the meeting should not discuss such controversial subjects, the motion was carried unanimously. ARCHBISHOP AVEItfLL’S views. FURTHER REVISION STILL NECESSARY. (Press Association.) AVELLINGTON, April 19. Archbishop Averilh referring to the Prayer Book revision in his presidential "address at the General Synod this .afternoon, said:— “We cannot but feel profound thankfulness*' to the English Episcopate for the product of their twenty years’ labor, and for the excellent result of that labor. Taken as a whole, the revision is fully worthy of the areab Church which has produced it, and it will remain a monument oi : patience, wisdom and honest endeavor to unite the , Church more closely without being cause of offence to any partv in the "Church. “It was naturally to be expectedthat so important a .measure, supported by nearly the whole of the Episcopate, and by so great a majority of representative members of the Church would have received the consent of Parliament, 'and consequently lloyal assent. to my mind its weakness consists (1) 111 the retention of the ornaments of t.ie Rubric ;(2) in providing 'alternative services for the administration o sacraments; and (3) m permitting continuous reservation. mav be the ultimate fate of the measure in England I should be sony to see the Church of this province accept it as it stands. __