NEW PRAYER BOOK

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 18 May 1928, Page 5

NEW PRAYER BOOK

RECENT CRITICISM.

BISHOP OF LONDON’S REPLY,

THE ISSUES AT STAKE

(UNITED PKES3 ASSOCIATION—BY ELECTRO TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN PRESS ASSOCIATION - (UNITED SERVICE.) I , LONDON, May 16. ■‘You seem to ignore the fundamental fact that the old Prayer-Book is still usable unaltered,” says the Bishop o; London, replying seriatim to Sir William Joynson-Hicks, who answered the bishop’s open letter to members of the House of Commons. “Nobody knows better than myself the feeling of the Protestant laity. I believo you and others unduly worked thereon under a misunderstanding. “The Assembly’s reduced majority in favour of the revision is probably due to the abstentions of those differing and not agreeing with you. Some did not vote or voted against ns because they were disgusted with what they regarded as efforts to placate you. “Regarding the disorder in the cliurchT you do not find it easy to produce order in the country despite the most effieent police in the world. You have not fulfilled last year’s promise to the clerical deputation to deal with night clubs and drink clubs. Ido not blame you. I know the difficulties owing to the opposition of both party and public opinion. Similarly the public are opposed to persecution in the church which once was tried and failed. You taunt us with want of courage, but we produced the Bill you have done your best to defeat. AVe would be more sympathetic if you were officiallv courageous enough to produce a Club Bill. . “You hold receptionist views on the Sacrament that there is a doctrine of Christ’s real objective presence in the Sacrament, which, the Court of Arches and the Privy Council pronounced equally tenable. 1 believe you do not realise the consideration due to the manv holding this view. “Mv speech, at the diocesan conference referred to the desire for liberty to give the Communion to night nurses and other churchgoers usually going to work too early to attend service. “Axe you and your friends aiming at driving the Anglo-Catholics from the church, repeating our ancestors’ awful error of driving out the \Yesleyans ? Surely our large-hearted ai’chbishop’s policy in keeping the church comprehensive is more preferable. Admittedly there is a handful cf priests and laity who would be happier with the Church of Rome, hut antagonising the whole of the loyal Anglo-Catholics is not the way to deal with them. Your policy, if success!ul, will lead to disruption, which none wnl deplore more than yourself.”