The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-14

4 Pastors Reasons for its adoption.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
The new method of administering
the Lords Supper, with individual
wine cups, as introduced at Rochester,
is described in detail by the Post-Ex-
press of that town, and the adoption OF
the innovation may become extensive
among Protestant churches. The des-
cription is Of much interest.
The chalices provided are as many
as the communicates OF the chufch'
and. therefore, as the pastor explained
on the occasion of their Introduction
two SUNDAYS ago, one OF the incidental
advantages of their use is that ''lf any
members chalice is left untouched, the
reason for that members absence" can
be discovered. They were constructed
in accordance with scientific sanitary
principles, under the supervision Of DIR.
Charles Forbes, of Rochester, and are
"of silver, with gold lining, bell shaped,
with flat bottom, each holding tea
spoonful." They are handed about In
''holders of oak, silver-tipped, with a
convenient handle" each holder con-
tanning forty or fifty of them.
Before the sacrament the pastor ex-
blamed the reasons for the innovation,
saying that he had been convinced by
his own observation of scientific exper-
iments conducted by DR.. Forbes and
by a professor of Rochester University
chat the individual communion chal-
ice should be adopted as preventive
of disease and as public object lesson
in cleanliness" He referred to the
circumstance that can epidemic OF
diphtheria, which recently cost many
lives at San Jose, Cal, was traceable,
without shadow of doubt, to the fact
that many persons had partaken Of
wine from communion cup to which
the lips of a diseased man had been
touched" He said also that the new
method would be "an excuse-destrOyer
for the Over-particuiar and those who
absent themselves from the Lords Ia
BILE on various pretexts ;" and then he
went on to justify such excuses, in
language not oyer-nice in it's suggest
ions "People who are Ill and those
having chronic diseases" he said, ''feel
themselves forced away from the COM
munion table People who are sensi-
tive are prevented from coming. Col
ored people who are sincere Christians
do not partalle because they dread the
preiudices of the general public. In
many large churches not half the mem
bership is present at the communion
service. This is largely caused by the
preiudices against the existing system.
Many ladies have repeatedly passed the
cup untouched because some profess
ing Christian with a tobacco stained
moustach had preceded them in par
taking of the wine."
If that Is the usual or frequent expe-
rience. the Rochester innovation would
seem to be an obvious necessity. More
disease by the old method of admins
tering the cOnsecrated element, des-
cribed by the pastor as current already,
will be further intensified and extended
by the publication of the reasons he
gave for the change. Already we are
receiving letters from various parts of
the country, asking for precise infoT-
nation as to the new cups and reports
come that the advisability of adopting
the plan is discussed by so many
churches that the time seems not far
distant when it will be the general
Protestant practice
Such change would be more than
a mere superficial modification of an
established practice 1t would be so
far radical and essential that it could
not be made in the Episcopal Church.
Tor Instance, without an alteration of
the rubric, which would provoke an
anxious discussion. The common sac
ramental cup has symbolical slgniti-
canoe which is lost by the substitution
OF the individual cup and hence the
innovation commanded by science
would have important religious conse-
nuoncaS If wO11lH irvoIxo q +,,,,f