New-York tribune., 1919-09-21
Postponement Of Action ON
Changes in Book Pro-
posed by Committee Ad-
vised by Church Leaders
Other Issues Pressing
More Vital Matters Will Re-
quire Entire Time of the
Convention, TheyContend

tant Episcopal BOOK OF Common
Prayer at this time have been made
by some Of the most prominent
clergymen of that communion.
The report on the proposed revision
represents labors Of more than six
years. 1t was the hope of the COM
mission and of advocates of the
changes that action would be taken at
etroit next month. They are not in
clined to view the protests as a seri-
GUS effort at delay, but the prominence
of the authors of the movement to
postpone the vote is held to be an
argument to the contrary.
The Rev. DR.. Floyd Tompkins, rector
Of Holy Trinity Church, Philadelphia,
and delegate to the convention, has
addressed a formal petition to the
church to withhold action. His petit
tion is in the form of paper in "The
Churchman." DR.. Tompkins says:
Cannot the report of the Committee
On the Revision of the Prayer Book be
laid with an expression of gratitude
for the time and labor Of the commit
tee) on the table until 1922, or re-
convention of that year? There are
weighty reasons for such action
New Problems Faced
"The General Convention meets at a
time when the whole world is restless
and unsettled, and there should be dis
cussion and action on many social and
economic problems with which, as an
influential body, the convention should
deal. Is it fitting under these circum-
stances for this large body of some
700 bishops, clergymen and laymen to
spend days discussing changes in the
hnn Of IN 4
to the report and to the problems of
worldwide importance in the short
time allowed for our meeting?
THE report on suggested changes in
our missionary canon, the report of
the committee on candidates for the
ministry and examining chaplains, the
matter of revision of our canan on
marriage and divorce, discussion Of the
pension fund and on the new hymnal.-
all these very important matters are
to come before the conveitno and they
will demand time and discussion And
above all else, there must be full
and hearty dealing with the every
member campaign-one of the big
problems of the Inter-Church World
which calls US to do our
part in the church's work at home and
abroad.
prayer book has only just reached US,
and the probability is that many of
the lay deputies, and perhaps some of
the clerical deputies, have not bought
copy, let alone seriously studied
"It may we'll be questioned whether
the great body of the members Of the
church wish prayer book so changed
as to be almost new
us it wise for US to make changes
In our prayer book without consulting
the Church of England, that there may
not be too much discrepancy between
US in our lturgical worship? :"
The Rev; Dr.: Randolph H. McKim,
rector of the Church of the Epihany,
in the same publication, says: "The
revisers of 1SS3-1s02 did their work
SO reverently and with such wise re-
straint that, in spite of the revision,
the Prayer Book remained the same
sacred book that had been revered and
loved for generations. The revision
and enrichment gave no shock to the
Church. Not SO this so-called ere
vision: Every service is changed, some
SO radically as to be hardly recognized.
But the most serious feature of it is,
not that 1T does violence to the senti-
ment of reverent affection with which
our people regard the Prayer Book,
but that it involves change in our
doctrinal position.
"The new book does not breathe the
free air of the Reformation, but rather
the atmosphere of medievalism
is the Protestant horse to be now
cut from the traces?
"Of one thing, however, there can
be no Question-if the reactonarv pro-
Posals OF the report finally should be
incorporated in our Prayer Book. the
pope that this church may ultimately
become In any large degree the Church
O., the American people will vanish
like dream"
Time Not the Present
Christ Church, Hudson. n Y. writes:
Tho report of the joint commission
on revision and enrichment of the Book
OF Common Prayer should be laid upon
the table indefinitely. At the same
time recognition should be made of the
-inde btedness of the Church to the COM
mission for doing well what they wore
commissioned to do.
Great as is the need of revision and
enrichment of the Prayer Book, now
Is not the time, nor the detailed dis
cussion of the report of a commission
the way, to accomplish this much need
ed revision and enrichment. Moreover.
q book of worship and Offices adequate
to the need will call for revision far
more radical and etended than that
contemplated in the instructions given
to the present join commission"
- The Rev Edward l.. Parsons, Bishop
Coadjutor elect of California, writes:
1T viii be noted that the report of
the commission on the revision of the
Prayer Book contains no minority re-
port. The members Of the commits ion
believed that it would be understood
that no single member can in any case
be considered to favor all the pro-
posed changes and that rather than
lumber up the report wich minority
suggestions or protests, it was better
to leave the individual members to
present their dissent in the church
paners and in the convention"
Bishop elect Parsons then proceeds
to protest vigorously against the pro-
posed change in the calendar, which
number the Sundays following Trinity
as from Pentecost
DR.. Parsons is a member of the com
mission.