REVISED PRAYER BOOK

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 13 December 1927, Page 7

REVISED PRAYER BOOK

ARCHBISHOP OPENS DEBATE. REASONS FOR CHANGE. GREAT PUBLIC INTEREST. tiY CABLE—PEESS ASSOCIATION— ’OPYKIGHI. Received 1.50 p.m. to-day. HiOiNOUN, .Dec. 12 As a result of widespread, interest in the Prayer Hook debate, mere was a long queue oi public in me outer Kioto or tne no use or Lords, clergymen ana women predominating. me puunc naileries were crowned, including in© portion reserved lor peeresses and meniDers of tne House or Commons. me Arcnbisfiop of canterouiy, )King from a lull bencn. ot toisnops, moveu on at tin© I' layer hook measure be piesented for itoyai assent, he expressed cue opinion tnat tne new Prayer Book would promote tiiei good order ot tne Church and tne welfare of me Engtosn peopie'. He cud not agree witn the view Unit Parliament’s; only duty .mis to accept tne enurones’ decision an the mattor. Every member hud an absolute right to vote rreely on the question. Inoxe who were submitting tlie revised Prayer Hook had been charged: with dreadful things, such as. being lais© to tneir ordination vows, being renegades, suDtly trying t obring back to English homes the obscuration from which, ttie iveiotmat.on set England free. Tiie Archbishop of Canterbury said that it was startling to learn that Largs sums had been subscribed in order to spread tnis sort of charge. “I am absolutely unconscious of any departure from the principles of the reformed Church to which I declared < allegiance 53 years ago, and have striven to (maintain tnat ever since- If 1 thought that the present proposals were calculated to controvert and impair these principles, I should not bei standing here, but I believe nothing of the kind.” The House was entitled to demand an answer to the questions. -‘(I) Are there adequate reasons for desiring the Revised Prayer Book!” “(2) What are the outstanding diferentes between the present .and. proposed rules of worship f”’ “(3) What good results are to be expected as a result of the change l f” The great majority of the Church Assembiv supported the new book. The Archbishop of Canterbury proceeded: “I hope I have shown conclusively that this is not a plan or phantasy of the bishops. It is the book of the' Church, drawn up by the laity and clergy, and finally approved by the bishops. I maintain that every available means of securing a corporate voice of the representatives of the Church have been taken.” The new Book recognised, the more devotional spirit noticeable in all churches in tlie country. Changes in the order of the services in the Churches of Scotland were greater than those in most of the Jiurcnes in England. Prayers for the Empire, for industrial peace and for the League of Nations were ail enlargement and enrichment of the present Prayer. Book.—A.P.A- and “Sun.”