British Debate

Dean Inge has often remarked that Anglo-Catholics are "unchurched" by Roman Catholics*and attempt to unchurch everyone else. Their present objective is to include in the Prayer Book much matter which is offensive to other Englishmen, Nonconformists as well as Anglicans.

Particularly, they hope to insert two festivals for permissive observance-the feast days of Corpus Christi and of The Falling Asleep of the Virgin Mary (which corresponds to the Catholic 'Assumption").

Last week, Sir Thomas Inskit, leader of the "Low" or "Broad Church" party, issued a manifesto hotly attacking the Anglo-Catholics. It is admitted the Prayer Book will stand revision, for it has scarcely been altered since the days of Queen Bess when it was finally adopted as a compromise between the High and Low Church parties of the day. But that it should be revised Catholic-ward is unthinkable to the majority of Britishers. The possibility of such an event arises chiefly from the fact that Parliament has relinquished much of its control of the Church to ecclesiastics, and among the latter Anglo-Catholics are comparatively strong.

The Church congress meets for decision in the autumn. Meanwhile, much strenuous religious debate-quite different from the Fundamentalist controversy, which England has long since abandoned-may be expected in the Kingdom of His Britannic Majesty and, indeed, in his Dominions Beyond the Seas.

*The Roman Catholics will not have them because this historic church accepts no one except on its own terms.