REVISED PRAYER BOOK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20074, 11 October 1928, Page 12

REVISED PRAYER BOOK.

" HANDMAID NOT MASTER." LESSONS OF REJECTION. v FAITH AND DOCTRINE. CHURCH NEEDS AUTONOMY. ARCHBISHOP'S STRIKING APPEAL. "Important as tho revision of the Prayer Book may bo in England or New Zealand, it is of less importance than the revival of vital religion and real devotion to tho living Christ." In these words Archbishop Averill issues to churchmen in his charge to synod a now and hopeful outlook in placo of tho spirit of despair occasioned in solno circles by the defeat in the House of Commons of tho revised Prayer Book measure.

Tho present bearings and implications of tho Prayer Book rejection, as His Grace sees them, are contained in a portion of tho charge, which was delivered during a service held in St. Mary's Cathedral last evening on the cvo of tho opening of- the Diocesan Synod. There was a largo attendance of the clergy and lay members of tho synod. Tho only solution to tho present impasse, in tho archbishop's opinion, is for tho Church to endeavour to amend the Enabling Act of 1919 in order to give the Church complete autonomy in matters affecting faith and doctrine, so long as autonomy does not affect adversely the constitutional rights of tho people. "It is intolerable," he said, "that Parliament should have tho last and vital word with regard to the Church's interpretation of what it considers to bo for tho highest welfare of tho Church. If Parliament continues to havo the right to defeat in a fow hours measures which have taken the bishops nearly a quarter of a century to prepare, episcopal supervision is altogether discounted and there is no outlook for the Church but a continued reign of lawlessness." An Omission of the Bishops.

It was foolish to ignoro the plain lessons of the' rejection. Had the bishops abolished the present Ornaments Rubric or revised and made it intelligible to men who really wanted to know what it did allow or prohibited, as the Royal Commission on Ecclesiastical Discipline ordered, the Revised Prayer Book might have inspired more confidence in the minds of the laity. If the Church of England had a definite contribution to make to the fullness of the Catholic Church she could only do it by loyalty to her Catholic, scriptural and reformed position, and not by any appearanco of doubt or uncertainty as to her mission and witness in the world. Ihere must be greater unity in the Church and more loyalty to the Anglican tradition before it would bo possible to produce a Prayer Bool; which would be acceptable to the great majority. It seemed at first sight that disestablishment was the only remedy, and that only by disestablishment could the Church " secure real spiritual autonomy and bo supreme in her own spiritual sphere, but to most thinking men disestablishment would produQO more evils than it would cure.

Blow to the Church and Nation. Disestablishment, apart from disendowmcnt, would be a serious blow to the Church as wall as to the nation, and would probably have a more far-reaching effect than its advocates anticipated, lhe Church and nation had grown up hand in hand and side by side, and their roots were so intertwined that any change in tho present relationship of the two would mean such a breach with the past that the very foundations of the nation would bo seriously weakened. It was foolish to say the Church would not suffer by disendowment which, of course, would accompany disestablishment. Sne mig not lose her cathedrals and parish churches, but she would lose a large portion of her rcvenuo and would be sciiously crippled in her contributions to missions, hospitals, etc. If party spirit were ono of the great weaknesses of the Church of England today. what would it be if she were disestablished? If the Church were dominated bv one extreme or tho other there would soon bo dissensions and schisms and the ( h„rch would lie split up into narrow sects and cease to be a spiritual home big enough for men of the most divergent views. There, seemed to bo far less cusire in England for disestablishment than there was years ago, and no political party in England seemed likely to use the present impasse between Church and btate to press tho claims of disestablishment. Use of Rejected Book.

It did not seetn right to His Grace to authorise tho use of the rejected revision of the Praver Book, but it would be a relief to tha minds of many _ faithful churchmen and a guide to them in a time of confusion and uncertainty, if the bishops could make some definite pronouncement upon what standard of doctrine and practice was consistent with lovaltv and faithful adherence to the traditions of the Church of England, lhcro is so much in the proposed revision which is extremely helpful," he said, ' that we cannot but regret fht the Church should be deprived of it and wo can only hope and pray that the bishops with tho goodwill of Parliament may yet devise some means by winch tho greater part of tho book may be available for general use, even though tho present service for tho Holy Communion remains as it is." As far as Now Zealand was concerned, general synod could, if it thought fit, accopt any revision mado in England, but would not bo under any compulsion to do so. With the passing of tho Empowering Bill tho New Zealand Church was perfectly free to accept such a revision or any part or parts of such revision, or anv revision adopted in any other pait of the Anglican Communion, or to make a revision of its own or to remain in statu quo, but it was bound to keep within the strict limits 01 tho doctl lllC and Sacraments of Christ as set forth in the 1662 revision of tho Prayer Book and adopted by the framcrs of our Constitution in 1057. Alternative Services Banned. Tho occasional prayers ■ and thanksgiving from the revised Prayer Book might bo usod in the services of tho Church and tho Summary of the Law might bo substituted for tho Ten Commandments from time to time, but tho alternative services proposed in tlio book could not bo substituted for tlioso contained in tho present Prayer Book. • "Important ns tho Prayer Book is in tho spiritual lifo of tho members of the Church." Archbishop Averill coutinuod, "it occupies the position of a handmaid and not that of <i master, it is a means to an ond and not an end in itself. The Church's work and mission far transcend the importance of the instruments and channels through and by which 't expresses its faith and worship. "Wo aro living in a fool's paradise if wo aro satisfied to imagine that a revised Prayer Book is going to regenerate society. The most serious problem which we have to faco is tho fact that the sense of God has been largely eliminated from tho consciousness of men and \yomen, and when that 'senso becomes atrophied, materialism, superstition, disregard of tho moral law and selfishness aro bound to assert themselves in individual and national life. Tho remainder of tho charge will jic given at tho opening .of synod at St. ; Mary's Cathedral at 10.30 a.m. to-day.