Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-06-24
AIexatoria Gazette.
Entered at the Postofice of Alexandria, Vir-
ginia, as second-class matterl
ENGLISH PREACHERS PROTEST


R. C. Fillingham, Vicar of Hexton,
England, has sent letter to Bishop
Potter saying that the rector and COM
municants of the Church Of St. Mary
the Virgin in New York are communl-
ting foolatry at their services in defiance
of the intents and laws of the Protestant
Episcopal Church. Mr.. Fillingham, as
a low-churchman, has criticised rituallsts
in his own country in the same candid
manner on a number of occaions. de
is visiting in this country at present and
writes as follows
"Fifth Avenue Hotel,
"New York, June %, 1903.
"Right Reverend Sir-I hope shall
not be credited with undue interference
in the affairs of others if ] address you
on the subject of the scandalous and un-
lawful proceedings at the Church OF st.
Mary the Virgin, New York.
II am benefited clergyman OF the
sister Church of England. | have been
called upon by my countrymen to take
somewhat prominent part in opposing
the ritualistic movement in our churcn.
Several of my American friends nave
urged me to do something in the same
cause here so hope this may be my ex-
cuse for addressing you.
81 was present last Sunday morning
at st. Mary the Virgin. That church
is congregation of the Protestant Epis-
copal Church, body which solemnly
denies any intention to depart from the
Church of England in any essential
point of doctrine, discipline or worship
The whole service was fagrant de-
fiance of Professionalism. The Church OF
England was reformed especially to get
rid of the mass, but on Sunday morn
ing what was openly and cynlcaiiy
termed high mass was performed. vest
ments were worn, incense was burned,
oenuaections were made; and all these
things are in fragrant defiance of the
discipline of the English church; they
are absolutely illegal. And the pro-
ceedings eliminated in the elevation and
alteration of the senseless elements OF
bread and wine-an act of idolatry,
which. as our Prayer Book says, should
be ahhorred by all Christian men.
'Sir, the Articles of Religion, adopt
ed bv the whole Protestant Episcopal
Church in 1901, describe masses as
.blasphemous fables and dangerous
deceits.' Yet the rector of st. Mary
the Virgin publicly celebrates the high
mass. which he is pledged TO disbelieve.
81 write to you, therefore, to solemnly
urge the exercise of your episcopal au-
thority in the matter of this glaring
scandal. Surely You are not merely
Bishop in name surely you have some
power to enforce the laws of the church;
surely the Protestant Episcopal Church
in America is not the kingdom ofchance
and error l call upon you, as ruler OF
the Protestant church to take steps to
put an end to these scandalous and
idolatrous proceedings.
at has been my lottoprotest publicly
against idolatry in St. PauPs Cathedral,
London, and elsewhere. hope it may
not be my duty, on my return to New
York, to protest publicly, with band
of friends. against the idolatry practlsed
by the rector of St. Mary the Virgin.
But if nothing is done to excise this
plague-spot, we may feel it our duty, by
forcibe action, to call the attention OF
the public to this matter. am, Right
Reverend Sir, your obedient servant,
"R. G. FILLINGHAM,
"Vicar of HextOn, England"