TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 6, 7 June 1873, Page 7

TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, —l trust through the columns of youi valuable paper you will find space to afford me an answer to the following question: —ln the Church of England Common Prayer Book is to be ibund a " table of the Vigils, Fasts, and dajs of abstinence to be observed -throughout the year;" and in the " form and manner of ordering of priests," the Bishop, with the priests present, lay their hands severally upon the head of the person receiving the Order, the Bishop saying: " Sec ive

the Holy Ghost for the office and work of a priest in \he Church of God, now committed unto thee by the imposition "of our hands. Whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven ; and whose sins thou dost retain, they are retained, fyc, fyc" Now, Sir, what I am anxious to know is : Why have they these tables and form* in their books when they don't act up to them ? I was a member of the Church of England until lately, but, by the grace of God, I have been brought to a knowledge of tho true faith ; and I actually did not know that these things were in the Prayer Book until I read of it in a Catholic book. I put the question to several laymen of the English Church, asking them why these forms were in their book, and not one of them knew it before, and would not believe it until I showed it to them. About a fortnight ago I wrote a letter (anonymous) to the English Bishop of this place, asking him if he would be kind enough to give me and othera a little information through the columns of the press on tho some subject, but he has not done so ; and I infer from his silence that he can give no satisfactory explanation to my question. I am, &c, ran. .- • „ , IXQTTIRER. L-Ihe question is one which we cannot explain. We can only ci cr NN UZU ZZ CTC Ti e8P ° ndent tO B ° me authorit y in the English Church —