New-York tribune., 1899-04-13
MASS AND THE CONFESSION
ARCHDEACoN TIFFANY SAYS THEY ARE
WITHOUT SANCTION.
UNEssENrIAL REFERENCES TO THEN IN THE
ENGLISH PRAYER BOOK OMITTED IN
TIVE AMERICAN


ENGLISH PRAYER BOOK OMITTED IN
THE AMERICAN.
In response to a request to give his Views on
the questions relating to the mass and auricular
confession now agitating the Church Of Eng
land, Bishop Henry C. Potter wrote that to DO
so would require more time than he could At
present command. At his suggestion the same
request was made of the Rev. Or. c. c. Tiffany.
Archdeacon Of New-York, who has sent the fol.
lowing reply
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: You ask me to give an answer 10 two
questions involved in the religious controversy
now rife in the Church OF England. at least 30
far as they pertain to the attitude Of the Prot
estant Episcopal Church. shall endeavor to do
so briefly. though OF course to treat them ex-
bausttvely a volume might be written concern.
ing each Of them.
First--Is or is not the doctrine Of the Mass, as
held by the advanced Catholic party OF the
English Church. in harmony with the teaching
of the Episcopal Church?
second--what is the attitude Of the Episcopal
Church toward the doctrine Of Auricuar Con-
fession. either enforced or voluntary?
In relation to the Mass. permit me TO call at
tention TO the fact that the name does not
occur either in the English or American Prayer
Book. save in the thirty-frst Of the Thrty-nins
Articles. where the word is used In the plural.
"the sacrifices Of masses" only to repudiate ana
condemn the practice and the doctrine involved.
"in terms" to quote the language OF bisnop
Barry. formerly Primate Of Australia and BY
no means Low Churchman. "in terms the
vehemence OF which can only be understood by
al ;rnVo Vorfa pr
in the whole OF the religious movement OF the
age" l. e., the age Of the Reformation
Those who would favor the restoration OF the
term and the doctrine involved have. since Tract
No 30 was written by John Henry Newman,
sought to distinguish the condemnation Of the
sacrifices of masses" from the condemnation OF
"the sacrifice of the Mass" But the repetition
~ the Mass could find its reputation only from
the condemnation Of the Mass ITSELF for the
repetition OF a good thing is no reason for the
rejection of the thing The article simply dis"
claims the idea Of propitiatory sacrifice In the
Mass. in language which shows the violent heat
of opposition to It, as a "blasphemous fable ana
dangerous deceit"
The reason the term Mass was excluded from
the Prayer Book is because the doctrine OF the
Holy Communion signifed by it was rejected.
L
self but we cannot after term has had his
tory and become identified with special mean
ing. resort to the simple chronological meaning
and empty 1t Of all the significance 1t has ac-
ouired The term appeared In the first Prayer
Book of Edward VI but not the term which
II appled to the communion service. 1t gave its
order for the administration Of the Lords Sup
per" commonly called the Mass. What was
commonly so called was renamed by the first
English Prayer Book because there was a read
justment Of its doctrine Of the Holy Communion
as we'll as Of the service Of It's celebration
After that short-lived book, the term Mass.
| even as commonly so called" never reappeared
| in the English formulares The reason for this
| Is plain Mass had come to mean the Roman
doctrine Of the Eucharist. II was founded on
| the doctrine OF Reconsideration, which ArtL
| Gle Twenty-eight repudiates, not simply as an
imperfect statement but that which over
| throweth the nature Of q sacrament" Both in
| the Articles and the Catechism the English
| Church and the American Episcopal Church as
| WELL deny that Chrsts presence in the sacra-
ment is material or corporal They affirm 1t as
spiritual. but do not localize 1t In the elements
| OF bread and wine which set II forth only
after an heavenly and spiritual manner is the
Body OF Christ given. taken and eaten in the
supper" THE means whereby It is eaten is
faith" a spiritual. not physical act. But the
affirmation OF the spiritual is as strong as the
denial OF the physical The devout participation
in the service brings to the faithful communf-
cant the reality which the sign signifies. and In
the admirable language OF the recent pastoral
of the Archbishop OF York. that can be no less
than the very life of the Redecmer Himself.
| AS thus the English-A American service lifts the
| Lords Supper out Of the region Of the material
and physical into that of the spiritual and vital
| IL removes from the service all trace OF a pro-
pitiatory sacrifice Of Christ's natural Body and
| Blood the same as that born Of the Virgin
| Mary. present and inundated on the altar as
| on the cross. as Roman theologians maintain
It's sacrifcial element is that OF the Eucharist.
viz. the giving Of thanks for the one great sac
| rlfice. the memorial Of which We offer to God as
the witness Of our reliance thereon and thank
| fulness therefor together with the living sacrt-
fee Of ourselves in its spirit and by Its power
Thus It would appear that any doctrine OF the
Mass which reaffirms the Roman idea OF II. win
whatever variance of terms is not In harmony
with the teaching Of the Anglican or American
Episcopal Church.
Second-In regard to Auricular Confession. X
can be assuredly stated that It finds no author'-
zation in the American Prayer Book, either a.
enforced or voluntary In this the American
differs from the English Prayer Book. which. in
certain special and exceptional circumstances
commends Auricular Confession as voluntary
| act, but never enforces 1t as a necessary dis
cipIine In a rubrc in the once Of the Vista
ton of the Sick in the English book. we read:
Then shall the sick person be moved to make
snac,ai confession Of his sins II he feel his con-
science troubled with any weighty matter Az
ter which confession the priest shall aoeoNs
him or he humby and heartily desires it''
Then follows the Indicative form OF aosoiu-
tion. including. after the prayer that Christ VIII