Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1915-09-01
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!. THE INDIVIDUAL j..
.h COMMUNION CUP. !.
i. "S' !. i. y. j. j. .se j. i j. .
Baltimore Southern Methodist.

Np"i'lhloTe southern MetnOQ1St.)
We have been asked our opinion of
the individual communion cup. We
have no hesitation in giving it our
unqualified endorsement.
CD On the ground of cleanliness.
1t stands to reason that it is impos-
sible to keep the cup and It's contents
clean when the mouths of a large
number of people, some with boards
and muStaches, come in contact with
the wine. We would not think of
having a common glass for guests at
our table, and is there any reason
why we should be less particular
when mnistering at our Lords table?
If modern life demands strict clean
illness and "cleanliness is next to
Sodliness," should not the church
stand for cleanliness in all things?
(2) For sanitary reasons: If the
State on hygienic grounds has aboi-
ished the common drinking cup from
railway trains and other public insti-
tutionS, should the church be indif-
ferent to the vital matter of the
general health of it's congregation?
Germs are no respecters of sacred
things. There is no miraculous
charm that will keep them from con-
tamlnatlng the communion cup and
making it the purveyor OF disease.
member Of the vestry Of a leading
Episcopal church in Brooklyn made
some meteorological tests in rever-
ent manner. The edge Of a common
cup before it was cleansed was ex-
amlned and the presence of the germs
OF RIGGS disease was discovered: af-
ter it had been cleansed with q drv
napkin it was again subjected to a
test which revealed unchanged con-
dltlons, proving that something more
than dry purifcator was needed.
lhe edge of the cup was then cleans
ed with publication dipped in pure
alcohol upon being third time sub
Jected to test showed the presence
of no germs whatever. This church
has adopted siX-sided cup, four of
them being used at each communion
table, accommodating "a persons, the
officiating clergyman turning the cup
as he presents it to each communi-
cant, SO that no two persons put their
lips to the same place on the edge Of
the cup. The four cups are taken to
the altar after each rail service and
1ro rlaH1ecd + was found upon on
am'Aauou jlut with these preaau~
tinNs Tie drcgs OF ,bc wine. after all
haa, Communicated, we're free from
he 'caeNce Of germs.
l'op|c O. both sexes. q. uu apes.
some the victims of various diseases,
and with different standards Of clean
illness, using a common cup at the
communion service do not certainly
contribute to the maintenance Of the
health Of the community
CD Because the Individual COM
munion service retains the essentials
and spirit Of the institution and adds
to its impressiveness, for the intelli-
gent worshiper is not distracted by
the thought of the uncleanliness of
the common cup and the possible
dangers lurking in it.
The first time it was used in one of
our churches in this city, young
lawyer who has attained considera-
bic prominence in the legal world,
was so impressed by the spirit Of
Christ working through it that he
with others gave his heart to God.
Our experience has been that the
communion gains rather than loses
in effectiveness by the adoption Of the
individual service, not to speak Of
the sanitary reasons demanding its
adoption.
A modest individual communion
service is so inexpensive that, con-
sidering such imperative reasons for
its use, we cannot conceive why it
has not become universal in our
churches.