17 DECEMBER 1927, Page 2

The Prayer Book Measure has passed the House of Lords

by the unexpectedly large majority of nearly three to one In no debate in tbe House of Lords. 'since the War has there been so much animation, and no other his - attracted such large and deeply interested audiences. The debate began on Monday. It is impossible for us to follow the arguments for and again t the Measure ;.. they are already well known. It is enough to say that the debate was on a very high level, thorough and dignified though not without earnest passion. The Ecclesiastical Committee had rightly commended the Measure as suit- able to be submitted to Parliament, for that Committee had only to judge the doctrine of the new Prayer Book in its reactions upon the Oath of the Soveieign to maintain the Protestant reformed religion. They came to the conclusion that the new Book raised no constitutional question at all. It was left to Parliament to accept or reject the Book, or to refer it back to the Church Assembly. The supporters of -the Measure, as it seems to us, had a heavy balance of reason and effectiveness on their side in the House of Lords.

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