29 OCTOBER 1927, Page 3

In sum, the Archbishop holds that the Bishop of Birmingham

unduly enlarged the scope of his " negative and destructive " statements, applying to many strictures that might have been fairly applied to a few. The Archbishop's remarks about the negativeness of the Bishop's -statements is 'valuable criticism. If the BiShop, who is a learned man, a scholar, a man of science and a brilliant .expositor; would give his whole attention to stating constructively what he believes, he would, we are sure, provide a rallying-point for an enormous number of laymen. As it is, they are less impressed than they might be, for however slender their present interest in the Church, they look- for charity in Bishops. Happily there is a gentler tone in a second open letter, published on Thursday.