The Bishop of Natal writes to Wednesday's Times to say
that hia.private letter objecting to =prayer to Christ as unscriptural was hastily written to catch a mail, and -never for a moment intended for publication. He asserts . that he is quite "prepared to use" the liturgy of the Church of England as it stands, but that he-believes the practice of praying direetly to Christ to be un- scriptural, and the development of a litter age than that of the New Testament. The Bishop haws fair right to take this position. But if he objects on principle to prayer to Christ, we do not know how he can ever use the Liturgy as it stands. We should have thought it certain that almost all the Litany, certainly all that .section of it to which tho response is "Good Lord, deliver us," is addressed to Christ. The invocation "by the mystery of Thy holy incarnation" clearly, proves this. The Bishop has been exceedingly ill-used, and we should see with sincere sorrow any -charge against him.that: could be 'sustained. But we can scarcely =understand any objection on principle to prayer to Christ, unless -On the ground of a doubt -as ' to 'the Incarnation. But the mere dislike (not on theological grounds) to -a practiee without distinet precedent In Setipture is conceivable enough, and that • may b& =consistent also with the 'habit of ecrnforming in -the oases which have already crept into our Liturgy, while' protesting-against their multiPlication.
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