Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-08-30
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNION CUPS.

Reference to an Evil That Cannot Longer
lie Ignored-Twenty-iive Hundred Peo-
| pie PartaIsing of Communion From the
same Cup-Dauger of the Spread of
Loathsome Disease.
New York sun, August cath.
The railway trains going to Ocean
Grove, in New Jersey, have been
crowded of late with people hurrying
to attend the campmeeting, which was
formally opened there on Tuesday, and
will continue until the close of August.
On Monday preliminary religious
exercises took place and great multi
tude Joined in them. The most impress
sive of these ceremonies was com.
munion service in the evening, at which
as many $500 of the attendants partook
of the consccrated bread and wine.
Thus they pledged themselves anew to
fidelity to the faith, and particularly to
united and harmonious efforts for the
conversion of souls in the campmeeting
to begin the next day. In general they
were Methodists, the campmeeting being
under the direction of that denomination
Of Christians more especially; but in
cluded in the number were many other
Protestants of the churches described as
evangelical.
This communion service was con-
Quoted after the old and still prevalent
method of the Protestant churches.
The wine was distributed in chalices,
from which many slipped, and there was
no discoverable indication that the par
takers were mindful of the dangers Of
the common cup as pointed out by
medical societies, in accordance with
whose advice two large churches of
Rochester, in this State, substituted for
it a separate chalice for each commune
cant n few months ago. In their re-
ligious eXaltation the thoughts of the
multitude at Ocean Grove seemed to be
concentrated on the significance of the
holy mystery. Nearly all of them,
probably, would have resented any in
reference by human science with the
method of the celebration as a protane
worldly distraction and dissertation.
This feeling evidently is now general
among earnest Protestant believers. As
yet the innovation introduced at Roches-
ter has been adopted by only a very few
churches. Important as it is, it has
been almost completely ignored by the
papers representative OF the different
Protestant denominations. They seem
to be afraid to touch it; but their silence
has not prevented its discussion among
communicates of the churches to which
they belong. The change at Rochester
and the reasons for it have spread fears
, OF the common chalicc that must event.
nally compel the papers to treat tine
subject as Of grave Importance.
, When physician writes to q
!, newspaper, as one wrote to the SUI
: the other day, that he refrained from
drinking from the chaiice at
i recent celebration of the Eucharist il
. the Episcopal Church, because before
: him two patients of his had slipped from
: the cup, the one afflicted with an odiou
: and the other with destructive com
! municablG disease, reasonable fears o
: the danger of the hallowed practice arr
!, excited even among the most deyout 0
i communicates; and such fears, thu
Justified, are quickly and widely diff
fused. Is it unlikely, then, is it no
probable, that this alarm will become s
I, extensive and so great that all churGhe
' whose doctrines require that both ele
ments shall be administered to til
= whole body of communicates, will b
: compelled to initiate the Rochcste
= example, or adopt some other metho
. devised for the same purpose, in orde
T. to save the communion in both kind
= from perilous disease2
:, 1t is true that the multitude of $50
- who partook OF the communion
=, Ocean Grove on Monday evening wei
e not influenced by any such fears. The
:, joined in the Lords supper, hayin
y faith that the Lord would protect thei
- from natural dangers while they WEI
- rendering what they regarded as obligi
= tory obedience to His command in inst
y tuting the ordinance. In thousands
Protestant churches in which the hOl
:, communion is celebrated monthly, Il
- use of the common chalice continu,
a. undisturbed by the admonitions
~ modern science against it, and so far
= we have seen, without provoking an
IL discussion as to its unquestionab
- dangers from any ecclesiastical bod
with authority to modify the existir
practice, or which expresses the gener
sentiment of any Protestant denomin
u ton. When the medical inventor Of Il
te Rochester separate chalces undertot
to impress the Importance of the chan,
y on the Baptists in convention and ii
~ Presbyterians in General Assembly
~ Saratoga last spring, he was SUGGEST
y, only in influencing a few indlvidu
~ ministers. The subject was ignored
~ the conventions as whole, at
~ there has been since no initiate
w of the new practice by particul
~ churches, to indicate that he produc,
-. more than tranSltOry impression
~ the pastors he seemed to have convert
% % to his views. The physician who wrC
"a to US Of the liability of the conmunC
~ ton of odious and fearful diseases
- means of the common chalcc, rem
=, sents, undoubtedly the opinions of t
- - medical men generally who are his f
\" low communicates Of the Episcul
-, Church; but by NJ authority, COVE
~. -, ton, bishop, or priest Of that chur
- I, has any judgment on the subject be
~ expressed, so far as the public knoN
= though ii is probable that there is no
single pastor to whom mis5ivings as
the existing practice have not been &C
tided by SOME Of his parishioners. l.
fai tiers from individual commandments
papers not professionally religious in
cate that the example Of this physici
tse in passing by tho common chalice /
at- tasted is frequently followed, and t
my frequency is sure to increase as the ST
zen ject is discussed.
9se 1t is a very difficult and delicate m
d ter to treat, and we are not surpri.
that the churches are fighting SHY Of
M but it is manifest that the time is not
off when they will be obliged to &
70 official attention to admonitons
aeu science, which are respected by III
fse most intelligent members.
How's This!
We offer One Hundred Dollars Rev
,rrv for any case of Catarrh that cannot