NEW PRAYER BOOK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20292, 28 December 1927, Page 13

NEW PRAYER BOOK.

ATTACK ON THE HOME SECRETARY. APPEAL TO PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE. (Feo.m Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 16. Sir William Joynson-Hicks, the Home Secretary, who has all along been a persistent critic of the new Prayer Book, has drawn up alengthq memorandum for submission to the Ecclesiastical Committee of Parliament, and in this he offers reasons “ who the Deposited Book shou.d not receive the authority of Parliament.”

Her e are some of his charges Notwithstanding very strong episcopal and other official pressure exerted to induce them to do so, not more than onehalf of those eligible to vote (at diocesan conferences and elsewhere) have voted in its favour. No effective safeguard is provided m Jie measure against the misuse of the extensive powers for the regulation if divine service conferred on the arch bishops and bishops. There is no guarantee that individual bishops will not in the future ignore legal restrictions as they have been accustomed to do in the past. BISHOPS’ NEGLECT. Sir William proceeds to show, according to his view, the casual and incidental manner in which the government of the Church of England is being transferred from the constitutional system we have hitherto known to an oligarchy consisting of bishops, whose neglect of their plain duty to maintain discipline and order nas brought the church to its present divided and difficult position. Special objection is taken to the actual or implied sanction of— Prayers in the communion service which support the doctrine of the Real Presence. The restoration (under a disarming title) of the Roman commemoration of Corpus Christ!, The use of the sacrificial vestment which the Roman Catholic priest wears at the celebration of mass. The optional use or entire omission at the minister’s discretion of th e prayers for the King. JUMPING-OFF GROUND. “It has been urged,” adds Sir William “ that the authorisation of the new book will, in regard to these matters, bring order out of the existing chaos in the church. The provision of alternative services with permission to use portions of either would appear more, likely to increase than to diminish the present confusion. “ There can be no finality about this revision. It will inevitably be used as a jumping-off ground for further demands from those who advocate and adopt Romanising practices.’’