Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-08

gether, make up what, with our modern
understanding of it, we may fifty enough
call new religious order. We do not
wonder that men of moral earnestnesS. in
an organization Ike the Church of Eng
land, which claims to represent and en-
body the nations religious life. should
suggest 1t as thing needed and impera-
tive"
The Rev. Melville X. Bailey. writing in
the ChurohmOa on Ritualistic Expression
of the Eucharist says: at will scarcely
be disputed that the true metaphvsicaI
basis, the exact expression of the Divine
thought, was given in the first Eucharist.
Every essential feature of that Eucharis.
is exactly known, and so is the relation OF
all one to another. First, there was one
supreme Figure to the priest and sacrifice.
second, there were the Apostles, the CON-
munlcants. Third, there were the ele-
ments. The Priest was Lord and Master
OF the Disciples, and had absolute power
over the elements to make them His Body
and Blood. The COMMITMENTS adored
their Lord and consumed His Body and
Blood. The elements were purely passive
being consecrated and consumed. Does
not the simple statement indicate tie ma
ture OF each and their exact order of rela-
tion one to another? Now, as coming
from above, this original pattern must re-
main Interchangeable as the metaphysical
basis, whatever be the ritualistic expres-
sloD. The Eucharist, as from God. must be
ever the sane, whether in tfS hs.nds of
Roman priest or congregational deacon
But the benefit derived may be modified
by the degree of truth with which we
mirror it in mind, and this again will up-
failingly determine its rituaIistic eyn-es-
sion. The Apostles may show us what
these ought to be. They differed. Peter
was changeable, Thomas was doubtful. III
das was detached and Withdrew when the
Celebrant paused space that these who
were so minded might depart. Perhaps
John may help us most, if we can only by
the bright beams Of light from his Gospel
read his mind. First of all, he must have
adored with exceeding reverence his ord.
Next, he must have had tranquil equality
OF love to his brethren. Last surely. hs
must have received the elements as if thev
were indeed the sacred, broken BODY and
flowing blood of Him who even ther in
will died for him. We note that there
would be three degrees in order of reye--
ence-chief for his Lord, then for biq
brethren, and less than either for the ale-
ments. Yet we shall do well if we attain
to his reverence for those Nothing. how
ever, can be more certain than that none
of the Apostles did such reverence to the
elements as to merit the term Of alteration.
Christ Himself, not his parts. or Him
Ifs ar+- 81 81
sentative, did they worship. The Institu-
ton and their example show us with pre-
cision what is the changeless metaphvsical
basis OF the Holy Eucharist, and what Il is
when rightly imprinted on the clear mir
ror of the human spirit. That scene il ali
Its intellectual exactnesS, depth of tender
ness, and pure sanctity we strive perpetr-
ally TO reproduce. What, now, are the
necessary limits of ritualistic expressiou7
Clearly, 1t Is vigorously limited againa
any distortion OF the original Eucharist.
That, in It's spiritual substance, was exactlv
right, is the same now, and should be .
shown. Ritual is to express what is. not
what is not. Denial of the cup ma;ns
true expression by excision of an essential
element. Elevation of the Host is disto~-A
ton. We cannot conceive of our Lord
elevating the element and bidding tbeH
Apostles adore 1T while He was present
The entire metaphysical basis in the mind
of the worshiper is thus thrown ont al
equilibrium, though the eternal archtypef
in the divine mind cannot be. The error
of Rome lies in exalting the elemeptg
which stand third in order Of reverence
far above their true place. The err oil
lrreverent worshiperS who seem not per
fectly to discern the Lords body is. while
ranking them third in order of reverence
TO depress them far below their true pisoa
Neither form OF distortion is necessary.
Christ Himself is as truly present in tbs
last Eucharist as in the first and Him We
adore, loving our brethren and reyerepcirg
His sacred body and blood. But if The OF
iect Of worship be exactly the true one
God in Christ, and not Christs parts. wby
need there be any limit of ritual;stic eT-
preston, except what the necessity OF na-
ture imposes? The instinct of yorship
which fills the human heart conscious o. E
the unspeakab!e gift Of grace viii never be
satisfied until 1t has expressed itself in the e
highest eloquence and splendor attainabls 9
by art. True, since worship in Its essence
is purely spiritual, the soul of the humble
priest in the plain country church NAV
burn with as deep alteration as tina. Of the
priest before the high altar Of the city
temple. But where the means are at con-
mand, and the invariahle equilibrium OF
the first Eucharist is maintained, to CHECK
lis free, spontaneous expression in rituai is
simply like trying 10 check the music Of
the sea or the splend0r Of the autumn fer-
ests."