Church, change and decay
LETTERS
From John Bradley, Sir Richard Acland, Francis Bown and Stephen J. Kern, Sir Graham Sutton, Peter Croft, George Edin- ger, A. Walker, Jeremy Maule, June Gib- son, Dennis Ward, A. G. L. Turner, M. M. Carlin, G. Reichardt, Kennedy Wells.
Sir: I share Mr Ludovic Kennedy's sorrow (7 June) at the passing of the noble prose of the prayer book. However, Mr Maude (30 May) is right enough when he reminds us that what the Church teaches is even more important than how the message is ex- pressed.
We are often told that religion is more than ethics, and this is true. There are signs now, however, that the Church of England is set on a course which leads to a religion less than ethics. In the service of Holy Com- munion, the invitation was given to men who truly and earnestly repent, who intend to lead a new life following God's laws, and who are in love and charity with their neighbours. What was required is the good will, which—as Kant said—shines like a jewel by its own light. But this is no longer required. From ode of the new experimental (!) forms of ser- vice, the fine words of the serious moral intention have been dropped. Ordinary people may judge that the intention to lead a good life does not matter, or even that the bread and wine act as by magic.
What we need is a second Hensley Hen- son to set us right.
John Bradley Department of Education, University of Hull, Hull
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