PRAYER-BOOK REVISION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1895, 1 November 1913, Page 5

PRAYER-BOOK REVISION.

■ ——-» ■' ". ■ ' * ORDINATION QUESTIONS., By Telcsrmipli—Press ißsooiation—Oopyrloiit (Reo. Ootober 31, 8.55 p.m.) London, Ootober 81. The Oxford and Cambridge Divinity Professors and Examiners have memorialised the Archbishop of Canterbury, suggesting that the third question to bo addressed to deacons at their ordination should read: .! "Do you be|ieve in the Holy Scriptures as given by the inspiration of God?". The signatories point out that mon capable of good serrico are. deterred from offering themselves for ordination because they are unable to affirmativelv answer the existing formulary. In a pamphlet entitled. "Some Praotioal Proposals Regarding. the Revision of the Prayer Boole];' the Dean of Wella (Dr. Armttage-Robinson) states: "A proposal is made to substitute in the service for Ordination of Deacons the words used in the' Ordination of Priests in regard to tho question, and answer as to belief in the Holy Scriptures. Charity pleads for this on behalf of those who are greatly afflicted by the use of words in less than their full meaning on the most solemn occasions.. It would, bo something—much, indeed—if we could get a direction authorising the Bishop to make tho substitution at his discretion." The third question t now addressed to deacons fit ordinntion is as follows:—"Do you unfeigncdly believe all the Canonical Scriptures of tho Old and Now Testament?" At the ordering of. priests tho candidate is asked: "Are you persuaded that the Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently n\\ doctrine equired of necessity for eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ?" The objection'to tho present question put to deacons is that it commits the onndidoto to too m'noh/in view of tho trend of modern Biblical echolarshin. The remedy suggested by tho divinity professor* differs from that proposed by Dr. .Armitnge-Robinson in that it provides an entirely now question instead of the' substitution of the question contained in the service for tho ordination of priests.