PRAYER BOOK DEADLOCK

Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1929, Page 11

PRAYER BOOK DEADLOCK

MOVE TO ACCEPT CHANGES DEBATE BY CONVOCATIONS CHURCH AUTHORITY DRIFTS By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Australian Press Association. Received July 11, 7 p.m. United Service. London, July 10. Yet another stage was reached in the Prayer Book negotiations when th© Convocations of York and Canterbury assembled to debate a motion giving official sanction to the proposals outlined by the Bishops last year provisionally approving the changes contained in the 1928 book. The Primate (Dr. Lang), in moving the motion in the Upper House of / Canterbury Convocation, postponed his full - statement until he addressed the Lower House. ..

The Bishop of London (Dr. Winnington Ingram), in seconding the motion, made the principal speech. He said the State had rejected their plans to overcome the difficulties but something must be done or everybody would be.a law unto themselves. He denied they were flying in Parliament’s face. They were not proposing to authorise the 1928 Prayer Book for use in every parish, and it was untrue that they were forcing ritual on reluctant congregations, because the parish councils must assent thereto. ■ No solution would’ ever be satisfactory to the extremists of both sides, especially regarding the Sacrament, continued the bishop. Agitation ,in that connection had wrecked both the Prayer Books. These proposals were only temporary, and he hoped Parliament would yet assent to the new book.

The debate, which was adjourned, did not reveal 'any changes in the individual viewpoints of the bishops. The Bishop of Birmingham (Dr. Barnes) suggested the addition of a rider to protect the minority bishops. ' ■ ■ ' Dr. Temple, Archbishop of York, in moving the motion at the York Convocation, said the Church might yet have to seek disestablishment, but at present there was no clean-cut conflict between C'.urch and State. It was deplorable ■ that any member of the Church should appeal, to Parliament against the Convocation. He hoped the next assembly would appoint a commission to study the Church’s relations to the State. The Church’s law at present was hardly observed anywhere, and nobody seemed to wish it. should be observed. The bishops contended that the law should be altered in order to bring inside certain practicps which were now outside the law.