ings of Convention," the
petition, "We beseech thee to be _present_ with the council of thy
Church here assembled in thy name and _presence_" does seem open
to the charge of tautology if nothing worse.

It would be well if wherever the word occurs in the Prayer Book
in connection with Deity the anthropomorphic plural "ears" could
be replaced by the symbolic singular "ear."

Considering also the great evil of having in a formulary of worship
too many things that have to be laboriously explained, it might be
well if in the Litany the adjective "sudden," which ever since
Hooker's day has given perpetual occasion for cavil, were to yield
to "untimely," or some like word more suggestive than "sudden" of
the thought clumsily expressed in the "Chapel Liturgy" by the
awkward phrase, "death unprepared for."[12]

It must be again remarked that these are not points for the sake
of which word-fanciers would be justified in disturbing an existing
order of things; they are simply instances of lesser improvements
that might very properly accompany larger ones, should larger ones
ever be seriously undertaken.

With so many pegs upon which controversies might be hung staring
us in the face, can we think of it as at all likely that any
considerable number of Churchmen assembled in committee (to say
nothing of Convention) will be able to agree upon a common line
of action with reference to an amendment of the formularies?

That is the very point at issue, and how it is to be decided only
the event can show. Certainly in the roll of the victories of
charity, a favorable result, were it achieved, would stand exceeding
high.

This reflection naturally leads up to the inquiry whether there is
any special reason to consider the present a happy moment to
attempt within the limits already defined a revision of the Prayer
Book.

III. The argument for timeliness has been, in part, already stated.
A revision will be timely, if the times imperatively demand it;
and the main reasons for thinking that they do are before the
reader. Something, however, is still left to be said in evidence
that the movement now begun is opportune--not rudely thrust upon
the Church. "To everything," saith the preacher, "there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under heaven," and among the categories
that follow this statement we find reckoned what answers to
liturgical enrichment, for "there is," he observes, "a time to
build up."

Fifty years ago a pe