The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-10
THE HOLY COMMUNION
INDIVIDUAL PLATES AND GLASSES
FOR USE OF PARTICIPANTS.
An Impressive Service at Crawforsls-
ville-Rcv. DR.. Leech's Interesting
Talk ON the Subject.

Methodist Church here on Sunday morning.
The auditorium was crowded and many
persons occupied sittings in the adjoining
Sunday school rooms opening into the
church. Rev. DR.. Leech preached on Pop
ular Excuses for Neglecting the Lords
supper" After the sermon the most i'm
pressive. solemn and beautiful sacramentai
service ever held In this elegant church
took place. Inside the altar rail. from one
end to the other. the Ryan tables ex-
tended, forming two continuous lines of
miniature glasses, called Individual cups"
On each table were two glass plates filled
with waters from Bethlehem. Each glass
rested in a depression In the bed OF the
table, lined with crimson felt. Each glass
contained as much unfermented wine as
would fill a thimble. Twelve times the
altar railing was filled by persons receiv-
ing the sacrament and yet the service con-
5umed but twenty minutes. The organist
rendered soft and solemn music throughout
the entire distribution of the bread and
wine, and the effect was to produce a
wonderfully beautiful service. AS DR.. Leech
spoke the words. The body Of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which was given for thee;
preserve thy soul and body unto everlast-
ing life take and eat this In remembrance
that Christ died for thee, and feed on
Him in thy heart by faith with thanksgiv-
ing" each kneeiing COMMUNICATE took
from the plate near him a wafer and ate
it. Each took one of the miniature glasses
of wine when the minister said, 1.-THE
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was
shed for thee; preserve thy soul and body
unto everlasting life; drink this in remem-
brance that Christs blood was shed for
thee and be thankful The pastor deliv-
cred a brief extemporaneous address TO
each company OF communicates. The tables
are the exact height of the railing, and
each is about twelve inches wide and thir-
ty-six long. AS the companies were dis
missed a steward on each occasion re-
moved the empty glasses. The tables have
folding legs and form an ornamental cabi-
net, with cover, when not In use, They
match the oak furnishings The service
could not have been more impressive and
it received the general praise OF the great
audience present.
DIR. LEECH'S VIEWS.
After the conclusion of the service DR..
Leech, the pastor, gave his opinion Of 1t as
follows, 20 a newspaper representatives: II
have administered the Lords supper"
said he, for more than quarter of a
century as a pastor of the Methodist Eps-
copal Church. When physicians appealed to
our board to adopt this new method. for
sanitary reasons. l was Intensely prejudiced
against it; but, after reading the hearty
concentrations Of Bishop John III. Vincent,
Rev. DR.. c. H. Payne. Rev. DIR. d. H.
Moore and numerous other ministers, re-
solved 20 study up the history of this ordi-
nance. The Pathological Society, of Roches-
ter, N. Y, has unanimously warned pastors
of the danger of propagaung contagious dis
healthy persons drink from the same goblet
OF wine, to say nothing OF the uncieanliness
of the practice. The Lords supper was In
the passover. Tho Jewish Mishua required
that each family of Hebrews should have
at least four cups of wine on the table
when celebrating the passover. For CEN
turtles past each Jew has had his individual
cup at these celebrations My belief is that
the last supper. celebrated "a day earlier
picted by Leonardo da Vinci In his famous
picture OF The Last Supper to be seen
at Milan, in which, more than four cen
goblet e Of Of wine Inc to each disciple. Nobody
knows whether the thirteen present: used
but the usual four cups. or had thirteen
our times, drink from a solitary chalice?
Luke tells us that he took the cup prob
ably referring TO the vessel containing the
and then gave thanks and said take this
and divide 1t among yourselves When
Bishop Vincent administered the Lord s
supper by the new method. at Ironton. o.,
to the Ohio Conference, he and numerous
pastors became eloquent In its praise. Even
the leading paper of the city said; 1t was
very beautiful and in no sense robbed of
its sanctlty and solsmnity. The service
proved most simple and impressive DIR.
Stebbins says that of the 1900 members of
his church at Rochester, n. w. nobody
wants to return to the old method OF adj
ministration.
COMMUNION METHODS.
Jesus" continued DR.. Leech. left US
no special directions as TO how or when
we are to celebrate the Eucharist. He left
many things in connection with church
work to be determined by the individual
consciences and judgments of his followers.
What he desires is that man worship Him
in spirit and in truth. Jesus and His dis
ciples received the bread and wine, ac-
cording to the Oriental usage, reclining on
diyans. Some of the German churches
take the elements standing at the chancel.
Presbyterians receive it seated in the pews.
and Roman Catholics. Methodists and Eois-
copalians kneel at the altar TO receive
these symbolic elements. The primitive
Christians communed weekly and the Mora
vians monthly; other churches at otner
dates most convenient to themselves. The
early churches solemnized IT as an even
ing ordinance; then 1T became. almost uni
versally. a morning rite. For centuries
the Greek Church used unleavened bread
and the Roman Catholic Church leavened
bread; but In the fifteenth century the
great council OF Florence ueclarcd tndt
either kind of bread was appropriate. The
Roman Catholic communicate has dipped
his symbolic wafer in the wine ever since.
in the thirteenth century the chalce was
withheld from laymen; but all other
churches give the cup to the 1aity. Prot
estant Churches do not mingle the wine
with water as a rule, as do the Greek and
Roman Catholic churches The Methodist
Episcopal Church requires pastors to use
unfermented wine. The vital things are
the memorial spirit and the attitude of the
soul towards the atonement OF Jesus Christ.
The shape or character of the bread;
the nature or age OF the wine; the hour or
place of Administered ton; the multitude or
soltariness OF the cups, and the posture
of the communicates constitute but Sec
their way through forest OF prejud'ces.
1t has not been long ago since pastors
shut the laymen out of the General Con-
ference. For nearly two decades they have
been welcomed TO seats in our supreme
body and they will soon have larger
the church. But few years ago vast
majority OF our preachers favored the ex-
ciuson of Miss Frances T.. Willard from
seat In the General Conference OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church. Now the con-
ferences are voting almost soiidly for the
admission OF women and their representa-
tives will be seated next May amidst the
congra tulations or pastors and churches.
The new, beautiful, brief. impressive,
cleanly and healthy method Of administer
with old prejudices that win disappear
like frost before the splendor Of "a noon
sun Lord SALISBURY fifty said In an ora
ton, Prejudice is mist which, in our
journey through the world. often dims
the brightest and obscures the best of all
US on our way My own conviction is
that before ten years have passed few