Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-03-09
TOPICS OF SUNDAY.
BISHOP KAINS FOURTH LECTURE on RITUAL
0BSBRVANCES.
A Large Audience At the Cathsdral-An Inter
eshng Treatment Of the Sugsct-Rsy
Afford IIudss 70 the Tragedy.

iuNfN lu tine puOllc worship OF UOQ, anu
he large, appreciative audience present
lttested the interest which this subject
laS excited even outside of the Catholic
Church. Having already discussed the
he necessity and advantages of church
'ermonial and explained the ceremonies
used i'm the Mass and SacramentS, the
Bishop yesterday examined and re-
'utcd the charge that Symbolical teach
ug is contrary 20 the Scripture of the
New Testament. Some, he said, base
this charge on the absence from the
New Testament of any such ceremonial
hook as the Old Testament contains.
But thi, at the best is but neg
alive argument easily refuted. The
Christian Church, with whom the
continued presence and guidance
of the Holy Ghost are promised,
i> perfectly well qualified 10
REGULATE THE CEREMONIAL
obscrvauces proper ia the worship OF
God without any special divine reyela-
ton. Moreover being, not local or
national, but universal church, she
must adapt these outward ceremonies
20 the various nations OF the world, and
20 the varying circumstances OF peace
or persecution through which she has
10 pass. Ceremonies suited 10 the cata-
combs may not be betting the days of
her triumph and rice rcrSd.
But 70 is even charged that the New
Testament positively condemns such
practices rs 90 20 make mp the cere-
mOuial 0f the Catholic Church. This Is
a grave accusation; ON what grounds
does 10 reSt2 Our Lord, We are told, re-
pr0bated over and over again and IN
the seyereSt terms the PhariSeeS and
their outward ceremonies. That the
Savior denounced the PharlseeS for
emitting solemn duties imposed by the
law, whilst displaying an hypOcrltical
eNactitude in the observance OF out
ward practices and human traditions,
we readily admit, said the bishop; and
some condemn such phariSaical reliance
on mere external ceremonies more Sc
yerely than do Catholics; but He no
where rcprobated outward ceremonies
as wrong I'm themselves. On the con-
trary. our Lord laid down the true rule
as understood and followed in the Cath
ollie church. When He said To these
very PhariSeeS. These things you
ought To have done aud not leave the
others uudone. The conduct OF
THE HUMBLE PUBLICAN
and the proud PhariSee in the temple Is
brought into striking contrast by our
fbf......T T..F....,,-. l,tt ,,r tho worry no
caSion of the contrast. when each was
praying ion the temple, did not the Pub
licau whom our Lord 50 highly praises,
make use of several very apt cerem0-
Mics in his prayer? Are We not told that,
90 express his unwOrthineSS, she stood
afar OILS" that 'hc would not 80 much
as lit his eyes % heaven" and that "he
struck his breast" II was not then alb
Sencc OF external ceremonies that rem
drrcd the prayer of the Publican pleas
ing o. tod. aud the presence of such
outward marks that made the prayer OF
the PhariSee diSpleaSing To God.
10 is again argued by the opponents Of
church ritual that our Lord gives no
couutcnauce TO the principle of con-
ycyiug instruction or teaching by sym
bOliSm-that He Himself employed no
such method Negative though this ar
gument is. vet il is utterly untrue. Not
only did he institute the essential cere-
monies of baptism aud the eucharist.
but He habtually made use of external
and most suggestive ceremonies IN
prayer, such as kueeling, throwing
himself Hat ou the ground, lifting mp
His eyes % heaven. so. too, ia the per-
formauce Of all His miracles, a. every
reader OF the Bible must know. Did
lie not wash the feet of His apostles?
Did hc not apply Spttle to the eyes OF
the blind man? When He would bless
litUc children or cure the sick, did lie
not impose His hands upon them" When
lie wished 20
BE~ToW Ills HOLY SPIRIT
upon Ills Apostle. did tie not breathe
on them--a most significant ceremony?
Did lie not praise those who worShlped
Him with outward ceremonies? Was IL
not iu obedience 20 His Instructions
that the Apostles ''auOinted with oil
many that were sick and healed them?
Was il not from Him that they learned
the ceremony OF imposing hands for the
comforting of the Holy Ghost? In fact
the application OF the universally adj
United principle Of symbolic teaching Is
so common throughout the New Tesla
mcnt that IL requires great deal OF
htrdihOOd Co call this fact i'm question.
-. Paul well understood this principle
and applied 10 when u Cor. Xi.) he, for
deep mystical reasons, forbade women
Co pray with uncovered heads.
Not only then, concluded the Bishop,
IS this principle condemned, but 1t Is APP
proved iu the Scriptures OF the New
Testament by both our Lord and His
Immediate disciples. As confirmation
OF this conclusion, the Bishop quoted
also from the Book OF Revelations,
wherci. ~. John pictured to Us the
heavenly worship. The picture he
draws of that worship aboundS in sym
bolic representations. II he could use
them in this inspired description Of the
celestial temple and its worship, why
may they not be used In the divine wOr-
ship on earth9 At all events, the
charge that symbolism in the service
of God is Inconsistent with either the
letter or the spirit OF the new Tesla
ment is utterly groundleSS. But does
aot the Catholic Church put herself in
20 the whole tenor of the
SAVIoK'> HUMBLE LIFE
and spirit by Sanctioning 81 much eN-
terror show and pomp in the Divine wor-
ship? The answer To this question will
form the subject of next Sundays lee
ture. which will be the last one OF this
Ltnten course, a. the Bishop has to fill
an engagement in Parker>burg on sun
day week.