The sun., 1894-09-09
BrsHoP POTTER AND FATHBR
RITCHIE.
A Not-bie Declaration Ae.sust ere ne
r.nnlstlo rrnctiees Of Sc. Ignatlns.

, n,.nistie Practices OF sc. Ignsttus.
To TVS EDITOR OF THB sUN-Sir; The Epis-
, copal Church in this country has been favored
with declaration signed by nineteen doctors Of
, divinity and theological professors This dec
laration IL a manifesto on their part, giving the
public and the Church at large their personal
conclusions on the controversy between Bishop
Potter and Father Ritchic rector Of 81. IgnRtiuss
Church Of this city. II is well known that Bishop
Potter has refused 10 administer confirmation at
St. Ignatius's because Father Ritchie has main
tained an abbreviated form Of service at high
mass instead Of the full order for the celebration
OF the holy communion, as provided for by the
Book OF Common Prayer.
The point Of contention. however, in this
whole matter is not so much the form Of the
service, but, rather, fasting communion. Father
Richie, as well as the rest Of the Catholic party
In the Anglican Church, takes a firm stand for
that point. but Father RtChie and Father Lar
rabee of Chicago have gone step further
They purposey omit from the IL o'clock mass
on Sunday morning all portions Of the liturgy
that refer In any way TO the communion of the
people, and also make IL next TO impossible for
their respective To receive at that
service. Very recently Father Richie has de-
clared that this rule applies only to his own
congregation, and that outside people who seek
the altar Of st. Ignatius's at high mass may have
| the benefit Of communion without question.
| The law of the Episcopal Church requires
| every priest to give those dcsrous oppor-
| tunity to make their communion at all celebra-
tions, and therefore. IL is claimed by those hold
| ing conservative views that the omission OF any
| part of the communion service Ia not llturgical
| There iies Father Rtchie's weak point. II he
| had taken stand In this matter on the ground
of fasting communion alone he would have had
better cqnipnmsent s with which to fight his COM
| The whole Anglican communion processes to
stand by the undisputed General Councils Of the
| early Church. and II she ar a communion prac-
| tices her professions, then she must require
those coming to her altars to come fasting,
nous declaration have left out any reference
whatever to the very point at issue, and there
lies the singular aspect Of the whole matter.
These doctors, priests and monks are OF the
High Church school. and most OF them are of
however. that has been placed there fear. at the
sacrifice OF a full statement that majority,
signed. THAT Is to say, II these scholarly church.
men have taken stand las most of them do,
Dr. Dix's name could not consistently have been
added thereto. There Is no question but that
doubt practses % It for himself: but the spectacle @
to & be seen e. ola Trinity every sunday at The
to understand DR.. Dix's personal views on the
subject.
tied are these Can clergyman OF the Epsco-
pal Church refuse to administer the communion
TO the congregation at high mass and can
holy communion not fastingl The answer to
both questions is unquestionably, No.
of these doctors and fathers % who ''p are parish %
priests take care to see that the law in these
power lies, w. HARRY BAILEY, Jr.
SEPT. l, 1894.
The followingds copy of the declaration and
the signatures
The undersigned without In any way Intend
ing to question the good faith Of those who diff
fer from them) feel 1t their duty to put record
their entire lack of sympathy with any omissions
from the order provided in the Prayer Book for |
the celebration Of the holy communion other |
than those allowed by the rubrics. Their con- |
viction in this matter rests upon two founda-
tions First, they could not (even should they
deem such omissions desirable) feel justified in
departing from what they understand to be the
law of this Church with regard to worship to
which, at their ordination, they have solemnly
promised to conform. Second. they dis
approve OF mutilating the service either
which prrecedes the prayer for the
Church militant, or by the omission OF
those parts t which refer to the communion OF the
which did not contain the Collect, Epistle and
Gospel, and an expressly by words imply COM
without precedent, and alike contrary TO
both the Latin and Greek rites; and, while
firmly holding that the communion OF the priest
is quite sufficient for the integrity of the SER
Vice, and that 1t Is the right of all communi-
cants to assist At celebrations at which, for
municate, yet they also hold that primitive
practice and the continuous teaching OF the
whole Church down to to-day point TO a conn
munion or those properly disposed and pre-
pared, as most in accordance with our Blessed
Lords intention when he instituted that holy
sacrament.
RICHARD BENSON ssJF
Student OF Christ Church, oxford.
AL8ERSoS 4. CRAPsEY,
Rector of 81. Andrews, Rochester Ny
.c,u,sr wa.tern rnao s.D; ID; pnvESESEL .n SD
Com Canons OF the House OF Deputies
MORGAN DIX, STD, Del
JOHN l. ELhESDoRF, STD,
Lecturer on Apologetlcs and Moral Theosophy west
GEoRGE MCCLELLAN FrsKE STD,
Rector St. stephsp's ProvidsnSe, RI
Professor Of Liturgics &C. Western Theo Sem. Chi
cago.
Provincial for America, ST. John the Evsnsest's
WILLIAM McGARvEY 3D.
church OF the Evangelists, Philadelphia |
AIJRED q. MORTIMER II. D., ,
Rector OF st. Marks, Philadelphia
FREDERIC =. MoRTIAER,
Rector OF 81. Marks Jersey City ,
ROBERT II. PAiIE
Rector OF Mount Calvary, baltimore
HENRY X. PERCNAL, S. T. D.,
Rector OF the Ch. of the Evangclsts, Philadelphia
THohAs kICHEY s. I. D.,
ofessor OF Eccles History, Gen. Theo sem, New 4
York. '
Superior OF the Order OF the Holy Cross. /
Rector Of ST. Clements Philadelphia n
FREDERICK W, TAYLOR DID,
Dean OF ProcathedIal, Springfield. d
Rector of Holy Innocept's. moSoten. \. ]. r
.,. JoHS WILLIAMS, q
Rector OF 81, BarnAbass, Omaha, Neb. >