In 1928 the Church of England revised its Prayer Book,
and it is to the Prayer Book that the ordinary man rightly looks to discover what the Church demands of its members. If Sir Henry Bashford will study the 1928 Prayer Book he will find that the Church there states its demands of today quite definitely enough for most people. (The fact that a secular House of Commons refused to allow the book to be used has, of course, no bearing on the teaching and beliefs of the Church.) But apparently Sir Henry Bashford wants the Church so to alter its teaching as to be able to welcome the youth of today. I agree that the youth of today (and the middle-aged of today) will not for the most part accept the fundamental teaching of the Church—I mean that of the Catholic Church as a whole, not only the teaching of our branch of it. But to alter the beliefs which, whether true or not, are the foundation of the Christian faith, because (like some mathematical facts) they are contrary to common sense and therefore mumbo jumbo to the majority (who know little about them and understand less) seems an extraordinary course of action to suggest to men of intelligence—that is, to readers of The Spectator. The outline of his private interpretation of Oulstianity, which is con- tained in the last lines of Sir Henry Bashford's letter, is very attractive. It has the great merit of being acceptable to all without requiring any mental effort. But why try to foist it upon the Church, whose teaching is so different and so much more difficult to accept?—Yours faithfully,
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