The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-25
THE EPISCOPALIANS MASS.
HIsIoRIcAL IMPORTATION <s TO
1HEIR RIGHT 10 TINE WoRn

To TEE EDIToR OF The sur-Sir; Your cor.
respondent, who disereetly conceals his iden-
tuy under the nnme Gotham" strikes the
keynote Of the difference which has agi-
tated the Episcopal Church for many years in
the brief and sadly frank letter which you
rinted on TUESDAY. lie frankly and openly
denies that the Church which he Affects so
tn revere possesses any Just claim TO the title
tathoilc. thus placing himself at variance with
evsry living theoloRlan OF its comm union TO
try nothing OF all the dead who have spoken
a. d written on the subject basing his adms-
zion. however on the very extraordinary
ground that no church can he Catholic which
represents n numerically inferior body OF
hrisiians.
IN other words, there IL only one Catholic
urch. and that must Of necessity. according
4" his view. be the Roman. which is in num-
l,rst largest thus leaving out OF the cate
6 ~ the Greek, the Coptic. and all others that
J. vein times past claimed and enjoyed this
designation. such proposition Is manifestly
too absurd for consideration. but II Ia OF inter-
ct as showing the attitude Of the evangelical
lection OF the church. which. he admits. is
rapidly passing out OF influence In Its counclls-
The real meaning Of the word Catholic" as
used By those who glory In calling themselves
such, has never probably been told to our
friend Gotham" He uses Il in Its sense as
pretat H il uni H 10 Sosses.ine those
doctrines which In com m on are thu heritage
now Se .scrcls ol he
ucharst q character which every line and
v ord and letter Of the Prayer Book makes
proper to spdaS Of this. Therefore. as do other
Catholic communions. by the name mass
his brethren take fright at the use Of any name
Or thing, that reminds them OF their hated
Object to the name even song" as applied TO
The office Ct evening PRAYER: yet the name
but he ases alarm at once at the word
which II used with much stronger authority.
sgd objects because i T. not Issh IN the 69oS
OF ancient ceremonial which has accompanied
the revival Of Catholic spirit IN the Church.
tnnt i,sue WsiIe The Catholies whom whom he 80
essential. The thufcn is moving onward and
"Gotham" and his friends are. alas. moving.
crab fashion. backward. Soon they Will dis
MGRcH2i. dEoRoE T. DAVIDSON
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-Sr. In your
issue Of yesterday Is published O lette dated
the 18th inst. signed Gotham" VIII wishes
TO know what authority there ia for the state
ment that mass" is the name for the service
OF holy comm union. and mass " is celebrated
in all Episcopal churches. Let me tell him.
At the commencement OF the com mum on ser
vico in the Irayer Book OF Edward VI tfac-simi-
les OF which can be obtained In this city he
will ind those words: The order for the ad-
minlstration OF the Lords Supper. or HolJ
Communion. mmonly called The Mass" In
the reign OF Elizabeth. when tho Prayer Book
was restored with some slight changes. the
term The Mass" was dropped. It is no ar
gument however. to say that the expression is
not applicable now. for inasmuch as the ser
vice is practically the same It is still a mass"
But why does Gotham" object so strongly
to the term2 Surely 1t has the recommended
ton OF brevity, and the claim on our respect
that antiquity is entitled to. fear 1t Is Goth
ans" dislike to anything sounding Romish-
his excessive Protestantism. as 1t were. He
may not know that the Roman Church has no
corner" on the expression, since IL has been
used from time immemorisl by the Greek
Church. 1t Is also used by tho Old Catholics
Of Germany. the Jansenists. several Protestant
Church OF Eng Land now.
Gotham also points out that our distin-
ting these men alone
am afraid that not peh consolation can be
the ritual site tend -ncy" Of our metropolitan
sharshes S can , only say Iss BishSP norstio
they sought to check the DEVELOPMENT by ad-
verse legislation that he IS nibbling at tho
the objections OF u great many others that We
have heard for some years back zone Of the
deLcon q Westminster AbbeyI ever since the
oxford Movement started. The most practical
Improved condition OF the church services
now compared to the donr and slovenly wor:
:s s@ sis sSS ds.n tSS Il. Of
nation Of guilds. sistsrhooda brotherhoods.
the s that ,S the An
dertul progress she is making.
Moreover. as q member OF one OF the church.
ss against which Gotham especially signi-
fies his dipleHsure. must take positive excep-
tion TO his charge retrograde movement"
these churches. at least. are doing large and
=, Gotham invites US to leave the Episcopal
do 80. however: PVT propose to Eemain Just
presses his disdain n Tor or tn. ' term catholic"
M i, mi may MIX Ak does he mean when he 70,
or added e. the, faith as taught by the
Of the Protsstant traditions Of the Episcopai
Church. What he means sy this. except q
Romish, ia not apparent. Thank God. We
are past pas that stage however, and Gotham"
viii md that he lives too late In the times to
u 4 indeed true that re casklIng q goose
encouraged ny the rene hrancs Of this Whom
h. pebped his letter, since he apparently
% 9s csseR vi. AZ sS sG% the
for his talents u he turns his attention to OBJ
jeeting to some doctrines that are taught in
the Episcopal Church by men outside OF the
Catholic party; men who deny the efficacy OF
the sacrgments. the nlenary Inspiration Of the
Holy Scriptures. certain parts Of tho creed. and
openly exploit lelaGian and LAtltudlnarian
heresios Yours truly ANGLICAN CATHOLIC.
To THE EDITOR or The sUN-Sh,: In a COM
munieation addressed to you and published in
the issue OF the n at inst. one Gotham" asks
for authority for the use OF the word mass"
IS applied to the once of Holy Communion.
and states thA'. to the best OF his knowledge
and belief. no such word descriptive OF that
ofies Is given in the Book Of Common Prayer.
the recognized standard Of ecclesiastical eere-
monies set forth by the Protestant Episcopal
Church. He further. adds that the ministers
Of the churches referred to. presumably st.
IgnAtius. st. Mary the Virgin. Church OF the
Reteemer. st. Edward the Martyr. are surely
using word unauthorized,
II the writer is looking only to the Book OF
Common Prayer for authority tN as to names
ami services he should not stop at the word
mass" but continue mis- search or fault find