Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-03-23
REPLIES To BISHOP KAN.
Rev. c. W. Cushing Discusses the Matte
Of Church eremonials.

Rev. c. W. Cushing Discusses the Matter
OF Church Ceremonials.
In his discourse last evening at the
Fourth street Methodist Church, Rev.
&c. W. Cushing took occasion to reply to
some recent Lenten statements of Bish-
op Kahn, as published in the REGIS
TER, regarding church ceremonialS.
The speaker started out by saying that
these lectures were possibly not intend
ed a. thrust at Professionalism, but, II
true. uudermines the doctrines aud
worship of the entire Protestant church.
For this reason, an examination seems
"a matter OF duty, in the interest OF the
truth Of Professionalism.
Bishop Kahn says that the same body
that was pierced on the cross; the same
precious blood that was shed on Calvary
are present on the altar the same d.
vine victim continues to immediate him
self To a PrOteStant'S ear this IS a
shocking statement. To say nothing OF
Christ continuing TO put himself
20 death, perpetually the question
arises. how could Christ at the
time be instituted this sacrament. been
present before the Disciples in body aud
M the same time his body and blood be
eaten and drank by them? To ordinary
minds this would involve the necessity
of having two ChriSts present at the
same time and yet identical. This doe
trlne is founded on the statement Of
of Christ i'm the EpiStle to John, Chap
ter vi. verse 81. But Christ says IN
verse SO. TO relieve the difficulty in their
minds. that these words are spiritual.
He saw evidently that they were con
fused by trying to understand that His
words we're literal. There can be but
one meaning to the spiritual interpreted
ton OF these words. II meant to be
spiritual thew could not be taken liter
ally.
we now come To the consideration Of
the charactertics OF New Testament
worship. All through the Prophets
Christ is foretOld. "a one characterized
nv great meeknesS. lie was to come
without pomp or ceremonial display Of
any kind; in fact, did come, so unpre-
cautiously that those who were nearest
Him did not know that He had come.
When Christ came il was in such power
~ and with such lack OF display that
His own people rejected Him, and this
continued until the day OF His death,
and even after His resurrection, when
we should expect Him to Introduce
something more imposing, il Il were IN
harmony with His system OF worship.
We find Him in every PLACE With such
an absence OF everything which would
distinguish Him that He was not recog-
nized until He made Himself known.
Everything. 50 long as the Savior
remained with his disciples, was totally
bald of even the shadow of cersmonialS.
II was intimated by the Bishop that
their poverty kept them from introduce
ing them. But the spirit OF sacrlhce
which led the disciples 70 give up All Tor
Christ. would have made some promise
for them, II they deemed 10. The TACT
remains that there is not one syllable
anywhere in the words OF Christ or His
APOSTLES which suggests that such GER
emony would even be tolerated.
The Bishop cites the glory connected
with the transformation TO Justify the
nomp ~ the church. 10 can't BE- pos
SfbIe that the hl>hVp "'ii'NNSf i"i .
moment. that the scenes on the Mount
were intended as a pattern for worship
ers' No more can His entrance into
Jerusalem. on the Sunday before His
ctuci6xion. be construed IN favor OF
ceremonial worship. Suck things look
IKE the boldeSt >ophiStry.
Now then. nov ,alne these ceremoni:
ais IN be- In the church? ] venture the
assertion. without fear Of successful
Contradiction. that there WAS not the
slightest appearance Of them until the
cbvrcb began TO decline In spiritual
mower. They were then introduced as
= substitute for that which was lacking,
honipe thereby 70 hold men to the
rburch There is rot shred OF proof,
sitber IN church or contemporaneouS
history. that the church in its primitive
nrritv had any such ceremOnialS.
II is 10 be devoutly hoped That the
iav no, far away when the church, !
vim ali her me- uiscent machinery and /
ber multitudes Of deyout followers, vili |
~ brought back TO the simplicity aud /
,i,cerity OF the early church, and so
her mighty Influence to the /
snsi conversion OF the world to Christ. /