The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-27
OBJECTED TO CANDLES.
RECTOR MEAD's views roo BIGH
CHURCH ron ms CONGREGATION.

He Resigned, ne Is said. Recnuse He
Couidn't Perrorr. the Ceremonies Sc be-
iievss In-He Says d. His Farewell SER
mor that He objects 60 the Word Protes-
tsut as Applied 10 the Episcop.i Csureh.
The resignation of the Rev. George N. Mead,
rector of ~. Johns Protestant Episcopal
Church. in West Hoboken, TO accept a call to
another church in Ononto, Wis, was not due
entirely to a desire to exchange his charge for a
better one. His pnrishionerI have objected TO
his religious practices because they savored of
Romanism. In speaking of the subject yester-
day one of the members Of the church said:
Personally, Mr.. Mead has been much es-
teemed. lie had n high sense of the sacredness
and responsibility of his mission. But the ma
jority of his congregation have come to regard
him as very little short Of a Roman Catholic
priest in disguise"
1t is said that MIR. Mead celebrated the Holy
Eucharist. and believed in the confessional. the
microscopy power of the saints, holy water, in
fact in all OF the rites and doctrines of the
Roman Catholic Church except the immaculate
conception and tho infallibility and supremacy
Of the Pope. At vestry meetings he advocated
the use of lighted candles on the altar during
the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, but the
vestrymen objected.
Last Christmas Mr.. Mead, without consulting
the vestrymen, 1t is said. had two lighted can
dies placed on the altar. A vigorous objection
was made against the innovation, and no more
candles were used. On Sunday Mr.. Mead, who
has been rector of the church for eight years,
preached his farewell sermon. His text was:
81 have not Stunned To declare unto YOU all the
council of God"
The rector explained and defended every doc
trine that he had preached, and every ceremony
he had practiscd. He said that the large party
to which, he belongs held that the word Prote.;
tant ought To- be taken from the title page of
every prayer book, and a new name given to che
Church. y should be called the American
the United States"
mo doubt" the rector said, "the name will
be misunderstood by some, but so Is the present
name misunderstood. II leads people TO sup
pose that the Episcopal Church Is practically
tons: whereas, the Church teaches SO many
doctrines that are universally known as Catho-
lie. and that are repudiated by Protestants. II Is
therefore a misnomer to speak OF the Episcopal
Church as a Protestant Church without quail
flying the meaning Of the word
regeneration, apostolic succession, and Euchar-
istic sacrifice: Of the Real presence, and on
Church agrees with the Latin. Greek, Syrian.
Armenian. ana other primitive Churches. The
s sSIa' II. hiatt of i the Is n Gfaho tic ,dPs Rrt OUR f MT; Mssa
and put a Protestant Interpretation upon them.
They claim that the known views Of the liturgy
and our articles forbid that any but n primitive
meaning be attached to their utterances. They
hold that the creeds should be held as the an
Client Church held them"
The rector said the Protestant prided himself
on his right Of private Judgment In the interpre-
tation of the Bible and the right of rejecting ali
councils. creeds. iiturgies. and early documents
as having any binding authority upon his con-
science.
"This individualism.'' Mr.. Mead said. has
divided Christendom into thousands OF sects,
many Of which are now extinct. and the others
are doomed to extinction sooner or later. One
hundred and forty-two religious bodies are to be
found in the United States to-day. With the
exception of the Roman Catholic and the Ameri-
can Catholic tEpiscopaD Church, these all de-
clare that private judgmen Is their rule Of faith.
The Roman Catholic Church accepts the decision
of the Pope as final and infallible. Not so with
the Anglican and other historic churches. They
all agree in denying the infallibility of the Pope
and maintaining the authority OF the united
episcopate."
In conclusion Mr.. Mead said: MY ritual has
been the ritual prescribed by authority in l54S.
and never since repudiate,i by the Church. To
be sure, it remains a dead Letter with many Ang-
lican priests, but the law remains"