f 1 ^^m m i iiiflilll ^^^^^^H if I liil ill iM 1 III ill ^^^^^B«|l ^^H ' ' 11 11 II 1 ^ ' 1 i 1 i = 1 1 1 LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PRINCETON, N. J. Presented by Division .BX b S^ S Section...^.....'i^..l / NOTICES EXTRACTED FROM THE Pl^LIC JOURNALS. From the Churchman. Our readers have been prepared by previous notice, for the announce- ment of this work, and it is therefore the less necessary at present to enter into an extended examination of its merits. •' It has long been felt," says the author in his preface, " that a chasm existed in the elementary literature of the Church, which could only be filled by a brief but definite explanation of terms and phrases every where interwoven with the language and identified with the usages and customs of our institutions. A work of easy reference was required, in which every facility should be given for immediate information on topics con- stantly presenting themselves. AVords and peculiarities of expression also, in no trifling number, bearing relation to our ecclesiastical forms and arrangements, imperfectly understood by some, and totally without meaning to others— words whose import could not be found without re- curring to books not always accessible, made it desirable that some com- pendious exposition should offer itself as a guide and vade mecum to the Episcopal community. With this object, and in the absence of any similar work, the present ecclesiastical manual was projected, and is now respectfully offered to the Church." A work of this nature— useful at any time— is especially suited to the present crisis of the Church in our country. Indeed it may be said to have grown out of the exigencies of the day, the author's attention having been first directed to it from the impositions that have been practiced on the public in respect to his Church, by means of Fessenden's Bible Dic- tionary and other compilations of the like superficial and insidious na- ture. Such works, by their gross misrepresentation, have been productive of much evil by disseminating and strengthening the most unfounded prejudices, and something in the shape of a substitute is needed to coun- teract their tendencies. There are many members of other denomina- tions, many new-comers among ourselves, who desire information respect- ing the peculiarities of our Church, who have neither the time, opportu- nity, nor adequate resources for thorough investigation, and who need just that'kind of occasional and ever-ready help which can be found and found only in " a Dictionary of the Church." Particularly in the Western or other distant sections of our country, where the Church is comparatively un- known, or beheld through mists of prejudice, such a work as Mr. Staunton offers may be most advantageously distributed ; while in every Episcopal family, however well informed, it is worthy of a place as a book of easy and valuable reference. Thus much may be said of the design of the present work. In refer- ence to its execution it is proper for us to remark, that we are not now offering a critical review of the work. If such were our object we might point out here and there a superfluity to be retrenched, a defect to be sup- plied or an obscurity which might be removed by a new arrangement of matter. But these faults (or what seem to us to be such) are incidental to a new work, and too inconsiderable, in the present instance, to impair the general usefulness of the whole. The author has entered an untrod- den field, and his work therefore is fairly entitled to a much larger share of indulgence than, as we believe, it will be found to need. Regarding it as a whole we do not hesitate to commend it for the soundness of its principles, the variety of its topics, the correctness and relevancy of its information, and its fearless and uncompromising avowal and advocacy of the distinctive features of the Church. This last characteristic, which is the pervading excellency of the work, will probably secure for it, from persons of loose Churchraanship, no small degree of opposition and cen- sure : for which, we trust, the author is prepared. Viewing the present work, in connection with the present position of the Church in our country, .we regard it with peculiar interest as the representative of a class of literature adapted to her present exigencies which is yet to be formed anew. Our Church, is indebted for much of her numerical strength to an influx from other denominations; and unless efforts are made by means of popular books to explain and defend the peculiarities of the Church, we may find ourselves in danger of being brought down to their level instead of seeing them brought up to ours. Somewhat has been done in this way by the contributions of our own clergy and by the republication of the works of divines in the mother Church. Much more, however, remains to be done : and we sincerely hope that Mr. Staunton may meet with such success in his present enter- prise as to be encouraged to follow it up with others of a similar nature. From the New - York Gazette. The Episcopal community are much indebted to the enterprising pub- lishers of this work for supplying them with a convenient manual ex- planatory of the peculiarities of their Church. Their venerable liturgy, like the translation of the Bible, is a standard of our language, and conse- quently fewer phrases occur in it which have become obsolete or have changed their signification, than in most of the productions of that period. There are some expressioiis, however, which unexplained, will either be unintelligible to the modern English reader, or at least will be imperfectly understood. All such are amply elucidated in the Dictionary. Independently of its language, the Book of Common Prayer presents diffi- culties of another character. Its services are mostly unknQwn in many parts of our country, and in others their propriety is unappreciated. A 3 popular exposition of them will do much to remove prejudice, and prepare the way for an impartial investigation of the theological peculiarities of the Episcopal Church. Besides this, the general reader will find in Mr. Staunton's volume much curious and interesting information, conveyed in a style admirably adapted to his subject, at once clear and forcible, and sometimes characterized by an enthusiastic fervor that almost rises into elo- quence. Though his task is a new and untried one, he has performed it with singular ability. His own opinions are expressed with manly candor and firmness, and those of others are never misrepresented. With reprobation of what he honestly esteems error, he has no uncharitable spirit to those by whom the error is entertained. We cordially commend this volume to all, in the assurance that all will find in it instruction and delight. Prom the Troy Daily Whig. The title of this neat duodecimo of about five hundred pages, expresses more concisely the general character of the work, or at least explains its object much better than we are able to do in an extended notice. Every one understands the signification of the word dictionary, who is at all familiar with the vocabulary of his mother tongue. The object of the author is, to give an exposition of terms, phrases, and subjects, connected with the external order, sacraments, worship, and usages of the Protestant Episcopal Church, with an especial reference to its existence in the United States. The learned author, the Rev. William Staunton, has, we think, performed the laborious task with great ability and fidelity, and contributed a volume to the standard literature of the Episcopal Church, every way worthy of its pure and primitive worship. The vocabulary embraces such words as relate to the ministry, sacraments, worship, discipline, usages, etc. — obsolete words and phrases occurring in the Prayer-book — expres- sions liable to misconstruction on the part of those not familiar with the doctrines and views of the Church, and words of frequent occurrence in ecclesiastical and other works, but not directly appertaining to the Protest- ant Episcopal Church. We cheerfully commend the work to every intel- ligent Episcopalianj and to those who would become acquainted with its peculiarities. From the New- York American. To the readers for whom this volume is more especially designed, our recommendation would be needless. A full exposition of the admirable ritual of the Episcopal Church, in a popular and attractive form, is a de- sideratum that has long been felt. The excellence of the Book of Com- mon Prayer has been appreciated by intelligent Christians of every deno- mination. It has ever been regarded as among the first of devotional compositions, while its literary merits have placed it among the standards and classics of our land's language. The origin and history of the ser- vices connected with the Prayer-book, constitute a subject of interest to the antiquarian, while their reasonableness and propriety will be recog- nised in proportion as they are understood. In the work before us, those expressions w'hich in the lapse of time have changed their signification, or become altogether obsolete, are fully explained. Many who are fright- ened with the name of a dictionary, will be surprised when we assure them that it not only contains much useful information, but also much agreeable reading. The style of Mr. Staunton is always clear and forcible, and in the vindication of his Church, kindles into eloquence. In the maintenance of theological peculiarities, his firmness has never led him into a breach of the cardinal principle of charity. From the Boston Merca^itile Journal. A work of this kind has long been a desideratum, and we have for some time been anxiously looking for its appearance. It supplies a want which has long been experienced, not only by Episcopalians, but by members of other denominations, who have been desirous to understand the terms, phrases, &c., used in the Liturgy of the Church, and works published by her members. The work is, of course, more particularly interesting to EpiscopaUans than to others, and probably will be of more use to them than those who are not members of the Church; but will be interesting and useful to all. The Reverend author has rendered a great service to the public at large, and his work will have an extensive circulation. His ex- planations are sound and practical, and may be depended upon for their accuracy ; and those who are desirous of understanding the views of Episcopalians on the various subjects connected with thc^ doctrines, disci- pline, and worship of their Church, will be much gratified and instructed by a perusal of this work. The articles Absolution, Altar, Baptism, Infant Baptism, Immersion, Lay Baptism, Catechising, Catechism, Catechist, Catholic, Ceremony, Church, Clerical Garments, Communion, Confirma- tion, Episcopacy, Bishop, Ordination, Uninterrupted Succession, Holy Days, Lent, Liturgy, Missions, Music and Musical Instruments, Pulpit, Regeneration, Schism, Sunday School, Unity, and others, give much valu- able and accurate information on subjects about which the views of Epis- copalians are not unfrcquent'y misunderstood. "VVe learn by the article entitled " Chant," that the author has now in preparation a w^ork on chanting^ in which he will give a "full exposition of the whole matter in detail." We rejoice to learn this. Probably no one is more capable of giving a complete and valuable work on this inter- esting subject, than the Reverend author of this Dictionary, and if he ex- ecutes that task as well as he has the present, the Church will be much indebted to him. We shall look for the new work with much interest. We have one complaint to make — and that is, so valuable a work, and one so important for general circulation should have been printed in two editions, one of which should have been so cheap that its price would hin- der no one from its purchase. We trust this defect will speedily be reme- died, and that the work will be found in every Episcopal family and Sunday School. It deserves to be often read and diligently studied. A DICTIONARY OP THE CHURCH, CONTAINING AN EXPOSITION OF TERMS, PHRASES, AND SUBJECTS, CONNECTED WITH THE EXTERNAL ORDER, SACRAMENTS, WORSHIP, AND USAGES OF THE PROTESTMT EPISCOPAL CHURCH, WITH AN ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE CHURCH IN THE BY THE REV. WM. ''STAUNTON, Rector of St. Peter's Church, Morristown, New Jersey. SECOND EDITION, REVISED, CORRECTED AND ENLARGED, BY THE AUTHOR. this also we wish, even your perfection." — 2 Cor. xHi. 9. PHILADELPHIA: HERMAN HOOKER, CORNER OF CHESNUT AND FIFTH STREETS. 1840. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1838, by William Staunton, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New York. PREFACE. The design of the present work is chiefly to illustrate and explain, in a familiar manner, the external Order, Customs, and Language of the Church. The writer has, therefore, confined himself mainly to these, without touching directly on the higher ground of the doctrinal characteristics of the Church, except in those articles where the close connection of these with the outward administration of the sanctuary furnished a justifiable reason for digression. The scope of the work is such as necessarily to embrace many points of importance, already made familiar through the periodical press, or by the expositions of writers ever ready to consecrate their services to the Church. With the province of these, it is not the object of the present sketches to interfere. We ofier the outline ; others have given the finished picture. And the reader whose interest this little volume may have excited, will equally gratify himself and the writer, by renewing his investigations in the more elabo- rate works of others. Yet it has long been felt that a chasm existed in the ele- mentary literature of the Church, which could only be filled IV PREFACE. by a brief, but definite, explanation of terms and phrases every where interwoven with the language, and identified with the usages and customs of our institutions. A work of easy reference was required, in which every facility should be given for immediate information on topics constantly pre- senting themselves. Words and peculiarities of expression also, in no trifling number, bearing relation to our ecclesias- tical forms and arrangements, imperfectly understood by some, and totally without meaning to others — words whose import could not be found without recurring to books not always accessible, made it desirable that some compendious exposition should offer itself as a guide and vade mecum to the Episcopal community. With this object, and in the ab- sence of any similar work, the present Ecclesiastical Manual was projected, and is now respectfully offered to the Church. It has been the aim of the writer, to notice the greater portion of the words requiring explanation in the Prayer- book, the Canons, and other standards of the Church. In addition to these, various other articles have been introduced, on topics of interest, in connection with the institutions of the Church, and a considerable number of words, scarcely requiring notice in the case of adult readers, have been inserted with a special reference to young persons. The vocabulary embracer — 1. Such words as relate to the Ministry, Sacraments, Worship, Discipline, Usages, &c. of the Church. 2. Obsolete words and phrases occurring in the Prayer-book, &;c. 3. Expressions liable to misconstrue tion on the part of those not yet familiar with the doctrines and views of the Church. 4. A few words of frequent occur- PREFACE. V rence in Ecclesiastical and other works, but not directly appertaining to the Protestant Episcopal Church. The work, as before hinted, does not profess to be a Theo- logical or Bible Dictionary, in the ordinary use of the term. Yet, so near and intimate is the relation between the exter- nal offices of the Church, and the " better things " which await the devout worshipper — so immutable is the connection between the faithful use of divine means, and the sure enjoy- ment of divine Messing, that nothing but violence could sunder what God had so joined ; and thus, occasions have offered for spiritual improvement, too frequent not to relieve the dreaded apprehension of technical wearisomeness. Thus, in illustrating the Church, we have been led to contemplate her divine Head. In describing the Spouse, we have not forgotten the Bridegroom. And as He is " Head over all things to the Church," in Him we have sought to make all things centre and unite. In doing this, we have seen abun- dantly the spiritual tendency of the Church, and all the credit ' we claim is, that we have followed faithfully her heavenly guiding. To the reader we now commit our labours, which, we trust, have been pursued with the single hope and purpose of doing good. If we have merited attention, we are thankful. If we have at ail enlightened the intellect, we rejoice. But if we have kindled the heart, we offer upon it the best and earliest incense of gratitude and praise. W. S. New.York, November 3. 1838. 1* DICTIONARY OF THE CHURCH. A. Abbe^ a title of the same import with Ahhot^ and applied to the head of a religious house for males. In the Church of France, this title has long lost its appropriate signification, and been assumed by a class of secular persons, neither pos. sessing nor looking forward to ecclesiastical office or em- ployment. Abbess. The superior of a nunnery, or other religious community consisting of females. The authority of an abbess in the house over which she presides, is similar to that of an abbot in a community of males, except in her inability to perform the spiritual functions of the priesthood. Abbey. A monastic house, or series of buildings, subject to the government of an abbot or abbess, and therefore con- tradistinguished from priories, hospitals, &c. The term appears to have been first applied to communi- ties of monks or nuns over which abbots or abbesses presided, and to have been subsequently transferred to the buildings themselves. Abbeys were anciently of varied extent and arrangement, according to the wealth and importance of their respective establishments. The mitred abbeys were the most 8 ABBEY. eminent; those who presided over them having (Hke the bishops) seats in Parliament, by virtue of the baronies at- tached to their station.* In former days, the wealth and influence of many of these establishments was very great. Some idea of this may be formed from the extensive and magnificent structures which sprung up in Europe during the prevalence of monastic power, and from the princely splendor and exquisite taste displayed in the rearing and decoration of the once glorious fabrics now mouldering under the hand of time, or laid in ruins by a less pardonable destroyer. With the morals of these institutions, we do not here intend to meddle. Their history, if true, is a terri. ble evidence of human wickedness in high and sacred places ; a record of the most astounding perversion the world has ever known, of edifices and communities founded for holy purposes, to the encouragement of every thing revolting, impure, and heathenish. But, however this may be, even if they were dark as midnight within, while pure as a robe of light without, com- mon sense (not to say intelligent piety) will ever wonder at the stupidity and utter folly of that mob-like fury which involved in one general wreck, without a particle of discrimi- nation, the communities themselves, and the consecrated sanctuaries they had so wretchedly abused. For once, sacri- lege and theft became virtues, and the rapacity of a mon. arch was not to be satisfied till the very altars and sacristies were plundered of their gold ; and the vessels, ornaments, and elaborate works of art, which the beneficence of ages had brought together, were confiscated and recklessly squan- dered, as a peace-offering to an ambition more lustful than vandalism itself. " Methinks," says Butler, " our too zealous innovators were not so well advised in that general subver- sion of abbeys and religious houses, promiscuously to fling down all. They might have taken away those gross abuses ♦ Britton's Arch. Antiq. ABBEY. 9 crept in among them, rectified such inconveniences, and not so far to have raved and raged against those fair buildings and everlasting monuments of our forefathers' devotion, con« secrated to pious uses."* This is very true, but somewhat tame. King Henry had a deeper game to play than the " rectifying of inconveni- ences." The dismantling of these edifices was the opening of a mine of wealth too fruitful to be spared, even at the cost of a thorough desecration of the noblest temples man ever built to his Maker. " Unprincipled rapacity * * * was the true cause of the suppression of the religious houses in the reign of Henry VHI. Had they possessed no estates to whet and fix individual appetite," (continues a writer, with stinging sar- casm,) " it is somewhat probable that the alleged corruption of their inmates would not have much disturbed the conscience even of that pure-minded monarch, and his disinterested courtiers, "f Whether this suggestion be true or not, a wiser policy than that of Henry might have carried the Reforma- tion, as it respected the abbeys, &c. to a better issue. The gold and the silver were the Lord's, and so were the "long drawn aisles and fretted roofs" now bowed down in desolation and overgrown with decay. From these, superstition and immorality might have been effectually banished, and the services of a purer faith introduced ; services which would have hallowed and redeemed the places, and filled their courts with men who had learned to worship God " in spirit and in tiuth." The number of monasteries in England, at the period of the Reformation, has been variously estimated. According to Bishop Tanner,:j: it would appear that " by the act of Par- liament, passed in 1535, about 380 religious houses, having ♦ Anatomy of Melancholy. t Cluarterly Review, (London,) 1830— p. 111. t Notitia Monaslica. 10 ABB a less revenue than £200 a year, were dissolved. From these, the crown derived a revenue of £32,000, besides plate and jewels to the value of about £ 100,000. By a subsequent act passed in 1539, all the remaining monasteries were sup- pressed, to the number of 186 ; the revenues of these amounted to £100,000 per annum. Besides the monasteries, 48 houses of the knights' hospitallers of St. John were also- confiscated to the crown." Abbot. The superior of an abbey or religious community of males. " The word abbot, or ahbat, as it has been some- times written, comes from abbatis, the genitive of abbas, which is the Greek and Latin form of the Syriac abba, of which the original is the Hebrew ab, father." The history of Abbots furnishes a remarkable instance of the acquire- ment of power by successive degrees, till it amounted to a species of despotism, and set at nought, in many cases, the legitimate authority of the episcopate itself. Originally, the abbot was simply the chief or head of an association of lay monks, under the immediate jurisdiction of the bishop of the diocese, and the priest of the parish. Before the close of the sixth century, the monks were frequently admitted to the clerical office, and the abbot acquired the rank of a chief priest, or, technically, an archimandrite or hegumenos. Subsequently, the abbots claimed a degree of dignity closely allied to that of a bishop, and were permitted to assume the mitre and crosier, the latter being carried in the right hand, to distinguish them from the bishops, who carried theirs in the left. Finally, attempts were made, by the more ambitious, to throw off entirely the authority of their bishops, and with such success, that, in certain cases, charters were obtained for abbeys, recognizing their independence, and lodging supreme power in the abbot. With this, the title of" Lord " was associated, and, in their exemption from episcopal juris, diction, the pomp and luxury of nobility early characterized the mitred abbots. At the present day, much of the dignity ABS 11 -of the office, and the splendor of its appendages, have passed away, together with the standing and influence of the estab- lishments to which they belonged. Abbreviations. In the Calendar, and in other parts of the Book of Common Prayer, several words and titles have, for convenience, been shortened or abbreviated, by the omis- sion of letters. The following list may not be without its Chr. - - Christmas. V. M. Virgin Mary. Ep. or Epiph. Epiphany. Ev. or E. - Evangelist. Sep. - - Septuagesima. A. or Apos. Apostle. Sex. - - Sexagesima. Min. . . Minister. Quin, - - Quinquagesima. Quest. - - Question. Eas. - - Easter. Ans. - - Answer. Asc. - - Ascension. Ch. - . Chapter. Tr. or Trin. Trinity. V. - - . verse. S. - - - Sunday. to v. - - to verse. S. or. St. - Saint. Art. - . Article. Wk. - - Week. A. M. . . . Apostle and D. - - Day. Martyr. To these may be added — A. M. Anno Mundi, (in the year of the world) ; A. C. Ante Christum, (before Christ,) or AnnoChristi, (in the year of Christ) ; B. D. Bachelor of Divinity ; A. B. Bachelor of Arts ; D. D. Doctor of Divin- ity ; S. T. D. Doctor of Sacred Theology. Absolution. In the ecclesiastical sense, a loositigfrom sin, equivalent to the remission or forgiveness of sin. The term is popularly used, by abbreviation, for the forms in the daily service of the Church, and in the Communion Oflice, entitled " The Declaration of Absolution." The existence of a power in the priesthood to minister absolution, is one of those things which the Church assumes as an incontestable fact, the warrant for which is drawn from those remarkable words of Christ, " Whose-soever sins ye 12 ABSOLUTION. remit, they are remitted," &c.* In consequence of this grant, the Church does not hesitate to assert the possession of this authority, in the words, " Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, * * * * ;j^^^ ^/ren jpower and commandment to his ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins." And in the form for the Ordering of Priests, the Bishop, as the agent for perpetuating the ministry with its appropriate functions, confers this power, in the words, " Re- ceive the Holy Ghost for the office and work of a priest in the Church of God, &c. Whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven : and whose sins thou dost retain, they are re- tained," &c. From this, it is most evident that, by the power of absolv- ing penitents, the Church means something, (to say the least,) otherwise the assertion of its existence, the conferring of it in ordination, and the future exercise of it in the ministra- tions of the sanctuary, are not only formal and superstitious, but impious, profane, and blasphemous. And that the Church not only means something by absolution, but that she esteems this act as one of a very peculiar and solemn nature, may be deduced from these further considerations. 1. The Church, universally and in all ages, has claimed the power of absolution as an integral part of the priestly office. 2. While the Church admits deacons to preach, baptize, and perform other ecclesiastical offices, yet she acknowledges no power in them to administer absolution. " The benedic- tion or absolution of the penitent faithful," says Palmer, "has always been committed to bishops and presbyters in the Christian Church."t 3. The Church has ever recognized this as an act totally distinct from the mere announcing of God's mercy in ser- * John XX. 23. t Origines Liturgicae, I. p. 107. ABSOLUTION. 13 mens, &c. "This remission of sins granted here to the priest, to which God hath promised a confirmation in heaven, is not the act of preaching, or baptizing, or admitting men to the Holy Communion, as you may see in Matthew x. 7, and John iv. 2, and 1 Cor. xi. All these powers were granted before our Saviour's resurrection. But this power of remit- ting sins, mentioned John xx., was not granted (although pro- mised. Matt. xvi. 19) till now, that is, after the resurrection, as appears first, by the ceremony of Breathing, signifying that then it was given ; and secondly by the word Receive, used in that place, verse 22, which he could not properly have used, if they had been endued with this power before. Therefore, the power of remitting, which here God authori- zes, and promises certain assistance to, is neither preaching nor baptizing, but some other way of remitting, namely, that which the Church calls Absolution."* 4. The circumstances connected with the act are also worthy of observation. It is to be " pronounced " or " de- clared,"! "^^ merely said, hereby indicating authority. It is to be pronounced by the priest alone, in the daily service ; and in the Communion, by the bishop, if present. It is to be min- istered by the priest standing, though immediately before and after, he is to kneel ; and while the priest pronounces it, the people are to continue kneeling. It is not to be used at all, till both priest and people have humbly confessed their sins. The inevitable deduction from all these considerations, is, (as we have said before,) that absolution, in the view of the Church, is no figment or formality, but an act of an authoritative, solemn, and highly peculiar character. We have put the matter in this simple inductive form, and drawn from it the most gentle inference possible, in order that the way may be cleared for the main inquiry. What is the ♦ Bishop Sparrow's Rationale, t See the wording of the larger form of Absolution. 2 14 ABS0LUTI0l5f. act of absolution ? or, What particular spiritual benefit does' the Church suppose it confers ? In approaching this question^ we beg the reader to bear in mind the substance of the fore- going remarks. Let him bring together the dignity of the language — the solemnity of the manner — the singularity of the adjuncts — the directness, force, and importance which characterize the declaration of absolution, and, we apprehend, he must come to the conclusion, either that the Church has engrafted in her liturgy a piece of serious mummery, (a sup- position which no intelligent Churchman would entertain for a moment,) or, that she intends to inculcate and carry out 3uch views of this portion of her services, as will sustain and justify the serious air she has thrown around it. The principal opinions respecting the Absolution, may be stated under four heads : The first, is that which restricts it to the removal of eccle- siastical censures, and regards it only as connected with the outward discipline of the Church. However this may be in- cluded in the judicialhrm of absolution in the English Pray- er Book,* it is certain that it meets neither the language nor the spiritual drift of the forms in the public service. The first of these, avows a certain authority delegated to the min- ister, " to declare and pronounce " to the penitent, remission of sins, on the ground that God " desireth not the death of a sinner" &c. And the whole of both forms manifestly relates, not to offences against the Church, but to sins against God ; not to delinquencies to be met by ecclesiastical discipline, but to moral transgressions of a deeper stain, criminating and con- demning the soul. This view of the matter is, therefore, too superficial and limited for the scope and language of the forms we are considering. Besides, if they relate simply to a release fi'om Church censures, the question may welt ♦ See the office for the " Visitation of the Sick," in the English Pra3'er-book. ABSOLUTION. 15 ho asked, Why are they embodied at all in the services of the Church, not to say, constantly used, even when no one present may be under the species of discipline here sup- posed ? A second opinion regards the absolution as a public decla- ration of the promises of God to penitent sinners, or, in other words, as an emphatic announcement, before the con- gregation, of the scriptural terms of forgiveness. But if we adopt this view, we inevitably confound absolution with the preaching or public reading of the Scriptures, two things which, as already shown, the Church keeps entirely distinct. Besides, if the absolution be nothing more than a simple pro- •clamation of divine mercy, we are brought again to the question, Why should the Church deny, in the most pe- remptory terms, any license to lay-readers and deacons, to use these forms ? The Church invariably makes it a priestly act ; while the plain statement of the fact, that " when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, &c., he shall save his soul alive," together with even more direct and am. pie exhibitions of the terms of pardon, are recognized as within the province of any private Christian, and, for their announcement, ordination is never demanded. It is remark- able also that, in the administration of the communion, if a bishop be present, the rubric assigns JiifM the absolution and benediction, though the priest may proceed in the consecra- tion of the elements, and even their distribution *• to the bishops, priests, and deacons," *&c. From these considera- tions we infer, that the present opinion cannot be sustained as fully expressive of ^tbe sense of the Church in her form of absolution, much less will it serve as an interpretation of the texts on which this form and this [branch of the priestly office arc grounded. The third opinion is that of the Church of Rome, which regards absolution as the actual forgiveness of sins, by virtue of the sacerdotal authority. To prevent any misstatement 16 ABSOLUTION. here, we offer the following quotations from a Roman Catho- lic work, in which the writer had every motive to express his views in the most moderate and conciliating tone. And we do this in preference to appealing to the authoritative decisions of the Romish Church, because we have here an informal interpretation of those decisions, by a bishop and controversialist of that Church, which is of more value to us, in the present case, than the decisions themselves. It will be observed in what follows, that the intervention of the priest is made necessary to the pardon of sin. " If the con- fession made to God alone were sufficient, Jesus Christ would have given to his ministers the power of absolving to no pur- pose, because the fiist means being more easy, and of as cer- tain an effect, it is clear that sinners would be perfectly satis- fied with it ; therefore our Saviour would not have spoken the truth, when he promised to his substitutes, that whatever they should bind upon earth, should be bound also in heaven ; because in spite of all their bonds, sinners would become free and unshackled, by turning themselves directly to God.^"^ " We see clearly, that by investing his ministers with the power of binding and loosing, he attaches to this power the promise of pardon ; but we no where read that he has attach- ed it to confession made only to God."f " In order to obtain the pardon of his [the penitent's] faults, it is no longer sufficient for him, to lament them in himself, and before God ; he must, also, when it can be done, humble himself so far as to confess them without disguise, and to the best of his power, in order to receive the benefit of sacerdotal absolution.":}: It is scarcely necessary to say, that the extravagant claim her© * "An Amicable Discussion," Slc. by the Rt. Rev. J. F. M. Tre- vern, D, D., Bishop of Strasburgb, (late of Aire.) Baltimore edition. Vol. 2, p. 109. t Ibid. p. 110. tibid. p. IIL ABSOLUTION. 17 advanced, finds no countenance in the formularies of the Pro- testant Episcopal Church. The language of the absolution ascribes the act of forgiveness solely to God. " He pardon- eth and absolve th," dec. " Almighty God * * * * pardon and deliver you from all your sins," &c. So also, in various places of the liturgy ; as in the three Collects for Ash Wed- nesday, where the Church has expressed herself with an energy evidently directed against abuses on this very point.* The first Collect has these words : " That we may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, j;er/ec/ remission and forgiveness,^'* &c. The two following are taken from the " Commination " office of the Church of England, and are levelled against pri- vate confe>sion, and the corrupt view of absolution ; thus — " O Lord * * * * spare all those who confess their sins unto THEE ; that they whose consciences by sin are accused, by THY merciful pardon may be absolved," &c. Again, " Thy property is always to have mercy ; to thee only it apper- taineth to forgive sins." These are but a sample of the proofs afforded by the Liturgy, of the repugnance of the Church to any view of the efficacy of absolution correspond, ing with that of the Church of Rome. We now come, fourthly, to that statement of the doctrine of absolution, which, we apprehend, best agrees with revela- tion — with the limits of ministerial power, and with the spirit of the Church. It is one of the first truths of religion, that " all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." To be under the guilt of sin, is to be subject to divine wrath, for "the wages of sin is death." But God hath " reconciled the world unto himself, by the death of his Son," making it possible, in con. ♦ Ash Wednesday and Shrove Tuesday (the day previous) are, in the Romish Church, days of confession, penance, and peculiar hu- miliation, connected with absolution in the offensive form abov« stated. 2* 18 ABSOLUTION. sistency with the divine perfections, to remit the guilt of sin, and release the offender. The forgiveness of sin is not an unconditional gratuity, or an indiscriminate exercise of mercy. Deep and heartfelt penitence is invariably demanded in the recipient. God " willeth not the death of a sinner," but rather that he may "turn from his wickedness and live." Wherever, therefore, the terms or conditions of pardon are complied with, the blessing of forgiveness must follow, rest- ing, as it does, on the direct promise of God. Let us now proceed one step further. The agents between God and the souls of men, are the authorized ministers of the Church, To these is committed " the ministry of reconcilia- tion." Among the spiritual powers given to the Apostles, and through them to their successors, was that of declaring to penitents, in God's name, the remission of their sins : " Whose-soever sins ye remit, they are remitted," &c. With this power, there was combined in the Apostles, the " dis- cerning of spirits," so that they were enabled, in a special manner, to test the spiritual condition of any one to whom they administered absolution ; while their successors, by in- heriting only the ministerial and not the miraculous endow- ment, are able only to pronounce sins forgiven to the peni- tent, without pretending to read the state of any man's heart. Has then the withdrawal of the miraculous gift, nullified or essentially impaired the power of absolution ? By no means. It still remains on its original ground as a function of the Christian priesthood, and must continue, so long as that priesthood lasts. God alone pardoneth sin. So, God alone raiseth the dead. God alone maketh the blind to see, and the cripple to walk, and the sun to halt in his course, and the sea and the Jordan to divide. But man may be the agent in all these ; and if so, God can invest him also with authority to pronounce, in his name, the forgiveness of sins. This is not " an invasion of the prerogatives of God ; any more than it tends to impair the privileges of a temporal governor, when AGO 10 an officer of his appointment delivers a sealed pardon to a condemned malefactor."* This then we believe to be the doctrine of the Church respecting Absolution. Nothing short of this, will interpret her own words with any consist- ency. Nothing short of it, will justify her in asserting that Almighty God " hath given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, being peni- tent, the absolution and remission of their sins.^^ How widely this view differs from that of the Church of Rome, a glance may show. We dare not make the agency of a priest neces- sary to the forgiveness of sins. We pretend not, on our own judgment, to read the heart, and, as it were, compel the Al- mighty to pardon, in consequence of our verdict. We admit no private absolutions, predicated on formal or temporising confessions. We encourage no superstitious views of indis. criminate pardon, consequent on this act, and tending to nourish among the people an ungrounded feeling of security. We neither exact nor sanction any peculiar veneration of the priestly office, as due to this branch of its prerogative. In short, so carefully guarded is the moderate and scriptural use of absolution by the Episcopal Church, that, while we are secure of all its benefits, we are protected against all its abuses ; for, like the preaching of the gospel, and every other function of the ministry, absolution is not free from the liability to abuse : and in this we may rejoice, that while the framers of our Liturgy had before their eyes the most revolting and ruinous corruptions of absolution, they had wisdom given them to discern its true nature, and skill to rescue it from the evils with which it had been associated. Abstinence. See Fasting. AcoLYTH, Acolyte, or Acolythist. From 'AxoXou^o?, a follower, attendant, or companion. In the Latin Church, * Bishop Brownell's Commentary on the Prayer-book^ p. 12, 20 ADO the designation of certain ecclesiastical persons, who attended on the Bishop, assisted the clergy in some minor offices, and, if found competent, were admitted by ordination to the vari- ous grades of the ministry. In the Church of Rome, the office of the Acolythi differed very little from that of an ordi- nary sexton. Administration. The execution of the duties of the Min- istry. In this sense, chiefly, the term appears to be used by the Church, implying, not the persons who are intrusted with official power, (as frequently used in civil affairs,) nor the office itself, but the exercise and fulfilment of the functions of the office. This sense it bears in the Form for the Ordering of Deacons. " Almighty God, who * * * didst inspire thine Apostles to choose into the Order of Deacons the first martyr St. Stephen, with others ; mercifully behold these thy servants now called to the like office and administration,^^ &c. Afler ordination, a deacon is required, in general, to continue one year in that office, " to the intent he may be perfect, and well expert in the things appertaining to the ecclesiastical administration,^'' i. e., may become familiar, by practice, with the execution of his own appropriate duties, and by observa- tion, with the functions of the priesthood to which he aspires. See also the second prayer for those " who are to be admitted to Holy Orders." Admonition. In the Canons of the Church it is ordered, that when a Clergyman has been found guilty of an offence, not requiring severe discipline, he shall be admonished, or seriously warned and reproved by his Bishop. The sentence of " admonition " is the lightest punishment which is inflicted on an offending minister. The other degrees are suspension for a time from the duties of his office, and degradation, by which latter he is deprived of his ministerial character alto- gether, and publicly expelled from the sacred office. See Degradation and Suspension. Adoration. The rendering of supreme homage and wor- ADORATION. 21 ship to God. The derivation of the word, (from ad, " to," and OS, oris, " the mouth,") points to a very ancient form of wors!iip paid to the gods, by applying the right hand to the mouth in a reverential manner. The term is frequently used in a more lax sense, to denote honor and respect paid to per. sons of rank and dignity. Relative adoration " consists in worship paid to an object as belonging to, or representative of, another. In this sense the Romanists profess to adore the cross, not simply or immediately, but in respect of Jesus Christ, whom they suppose to be on it." Whatever palliations may be urged in behalf of such worship, by its advocates, adoration before an intermediate object, is not only unscrip- tural, but useless, pernicious, and, amongst the ignorant, scarcely to be distinguished from idolatry itself. In reference to this, the Church has declared in her 22d Article, that " The Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, worshipping and adoration, as well of Images as of Reliques, and also invo. cation of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scnpture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God." So scrupulously has the Church guarded herself against this error of the Romanists, that in the Prayer- book of the Church of England, a protestation is appended to the Communion Office, to meet an objection, sometimes urged against kneeling at the reception of the Eucharist. After stating that this attitude is here adopted to signify *' our humble and grateful acknowledgment of the benefits of Christ therein given to a.U worthy Receivers," it is added, "Yet, les{ the same kneeling should by any Persons, either out of ignorance and infirmity, or out of malice and obstinacy, be misconstrued and depraved ; it is hereby declared. That thereby no Adora- tion is intended, or ought to he done, either unto the Sacrament- al Bread or Wine there bodily received, or unto any Corporal Presence of Christ's natural Flesh and Blood. For the Sa. cramental Bread and Wine remain still in their very natural 22 ADV substances, and therefore may not be adored ; (for that were Idolatry, to be abhorred of all faithful Christians)." Advent, Sundays in. For the greater solemnity of the three principal Holy-days, viz : Christmas, Easter, and Whit- sunday, the Church has appointed certain days to precede and follow them with appropriate services. " The four Sundays before Christmas have the name of Advent, from the Latin compound verb ^advenire,^ to co7ne to. They are designed to prepare us for celebrating with becoming faith, seriousness, and devotion, the advent of Christ in the flesh ; and to direct our view to that second advent, when he will come to judge those to whom he before came to offer his salvation. The language of the Church, therefore, in reference to both views of this holy season, is, * Prepare ye the way of the Lord'." It has been contended, by some of the Romanists, that this holy season was originally instituted by St. Peter, and, there- fore, stands on apostolic authority. But the precise time of its institution is not so easily to be determined ; though it certainly had its beginning before the year 450, because Maximus Taurinensis, who lived about that time, wrote a homily upon it. It is the peculiar computation of our Church, to begin her years, and to revive the annual course of her services, with this time of Advent. For she neither follows the course of the sun, nor moon, to number her days, and measure her seasons, according to their revolution ; but Jesus Christ being to her as the only sun and light whereby she is guided, fol- lowing his course alone, she begins, and counts on her year with him. When this Sun of Righteousness, therefore, doth arise, that is, when his coming and incarnation are first pro- pounded to us, then begins the year of the Church, and from thence are all her other days and times computed.* " Adversity.'* Poverty, distress, affliction, or any con. ♦ Wheatly. dition opposed to prosperity. The term may be correctly applied to either spiritual or temporal evils ; but, in the Scrip- tures and the Prayer-book, it is generally used in reference to the latter. The following are examples in the Prayer- book : " Mercifully assist our prayers which we make before thee, in all our troubles and adversities,^^ &c.,* referring to persecutions and other temporal calamities, for aid against which, this prayer was anciently used. Again : " That we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, [temporal evils] and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul,"f [spiritual evils.] Again : " Succor all those who, in this transitory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity.^^X "There should be no greater comfort to Christian persons, than to be made like unto Christ, by suffering patiently, adversities, troubles, and sickness. "§ " Blessed Lord, * * * give him, [a criminal under condemnation,] we beseech thee, pa- tience in this his time of adversity, and support under the terrors which encompass him."|| In all these examples, the reference is obviously to evils of a temporal character, though, by accommodation, the phrase- ology may, in some cases, be made to bear a spiritual appli- cation. See also the Collect for the 22d Sunday after Trinity, and the last paragraph of the Family Prayer for Morning. " Advertise." To notify, advise, or warn. " If the min- ister shall know any to be an open and notorious evil liver, &c., he shall advertise him, that he presume not to come to the * Prayer in the Litany, " O God, merciful Father," &c. t Collect for the 2d Sunday in Lent. X Pia\ er for the who'e stale of Christ's Church mi^tant. § Exhortation in the Visitation of the Sick. II Prayer in the Visitation of Prisoners. 24 ALL Lord's Table," &c. ;* i. e., he shall privately advise or no- tify him to that effect. Affusion. The act of pouring water on the head of a person, in tlie sacrament of baptism. See Immersion. Alb. a garment, somewhat resembling a surplice, an- ciently worn by the Clergy in the administration of the Holy Communion. " Alloweth, favorably." The verb to allow, is, in this phrase, used in the remote sense, to approve, justify, or sane lion. "Nothing doubting, but that he favourably alloweth [approveth] this charitable work of ours, in bringing this In- fant to his holy Baptism. "f The following quotation from Latimer, may illustrate this use of the word. " St. Peter, in forsaking his old boat and nets, was allowed as much before God, as if he had forsaken all the riches in the world. "f All Saints' day. The festival of All Saints is not of very high antiquity. About the year 610, the Bishop of Rome ordered that the heathen Pantheon, or temple, should be con- verted into a Christian Church. This was done, and it was appropriately dedicated to the honor of All Martyrs ; hence came the origin of All Saints, which was then celebrated on the first of May. In the year 834 it was changed to Novem- ber 1st, on which day it is still observed. " Our Church having, in the course of her year, celebrated the memories of the holy apostles and the other most eminent saints and mar- tyrs of the first days of the gospel, deems it unnecessary to extend her calendar by any other particular festivals, but closes her course with this general one. It should be the Christian's delight, on this day, to reflect, as he is moved by the appointed scriptures, on the Christian graces and virtues * First Rubric in the Holy Communion, t Office of Public Baptism of Infants. t Sermon, Of the Householder. ALL 25 which have been exhibited by that goodly fellowship of saints who, in all ages, have honored God in their lives, and glori. fied him in their deaths ; he should pray for grace to follow them ' in all virtuous and godly living ;' he should meditate on the glorious rest that remains for the people of God, on which they have entered ; he should gratefully contemplate that communion of saints which unites him to their holy fellow- ship, even while he is here militant, if he be a faithful disciple of the Savior in whom they trusted ; he should earnestly seek that grace whereby, after a short further time of trial, he may be united with them in the everlasting services of the Church triumphant." All Souls. A festival or holyday of the Romish Church, on which special prayers are made for the benefit of the souls of the departed. Its observance has been traced back to the year 998, about which time, as we are told, a certain monk whose curiosity had led him to visit Mount ^Etna, which he in common with others of that age, verily believed to be the mouth of hell, returned to his abbot with the grave story that he had overheard " the devils within complain, that many de- parted souls were taken out of their hands by the prayers of the Ciuniac monks." The compassionate abbot took the hint, and set apart the second day of November, to be annually kept by his monks as a day of prayer for all souls departed. This local appointment was afterwards changed by the Pope into a general one, obligatory on all the western churches. The ceremonies observed on this day were in good keeping Avith the purpose of its institution. In behalf of the dead, persons arrayed in black, perambulated the cities and towns, each provided with a loud and dismal toned bell, which they runty in public places by way of exhortation to the people to remember the souls in purgatory, and give them the aid of their prayers. In France and Italy, at the present day, the annual Jour des Mots is observed, by the population resum- ing their mourning habits, and visiting the graves of their 3 26 ALT friends, for many years after their decease. At the period of the Reformation, the Church of England abrogated alto* gether the observance of this day, which is no longer kept, except in Roman Catholic countries. Alms. Gifts and offerings for the relief of the poor. The duty of almsgiving, together with its privileges and rewards, are constantly inculcated in the holy scriptures. " Remember the poor," is a dictate both of natural benevolence and of re- velation ; and sympathy thus exercised carries its reward with it, every emotion of a tender and feeling heart serving to corroborate the divine saying, " It is more blessed to give than to receive." From the earliest days of the Church, it has been custom- ary to approach the altar, at the time of communion, with a gift. " And it is very probable that at the time of receiving the sacrament, all those large donations of houses, lands, and money were made," of which we read in the Acts of the Apostles. In the Communion Office of our Church, provi- sion is made, in like manner, for almsgiving ; and sentences of scripture, referring to this duty, are appointed to be read while the alms are collecting. These gifts are afterwards laid on the altar, and solemnly dedicated, as an offering to Almighty God, to be expended in the relief of the suffering members of his Church. The 52d Canon of the General Convention provides that " The alms and contributions at the administration of the holy communion, shall be deposited with the minister of the parish, or with such Church officer as shall be appointed by him, to be applied by the minister, or under his superintend, ence, to such pious and charitable uses as shall by him be thought fit." Altar. From alia, ara, an elevated table of stone, mar- ble, or wood, variously ornamented, and usually situated at one end of the Church, within the chancel, for the celebration of the holy Eucharist. In Romish churches, smaller altars ALTAR. 27 are placed in various other parts of the building, for the per- formance of religious services in honor of the saints to whom they are respectively dedicated.* The terms, Holy table, Communion table, and Lord's table, are sometimes substituted by the Church, for the word altar. In popular discourse, still more frequently, this latter term is either suppressed, or used with evident caution, as though some deadly error lurked under it. The pith of the objection to the word, (so far as we have been able to trace it,) lies in the assumption that an altar always implies the offering of a victim in sacrifice, and that by using the term, we give coun- tenance to one of the grossest errors of the Romish Church. In reply to this, we contend that an altar does not invaria- bly suppose a victim, or a bloody sacrifice. In the Jewish temple, incense was daily offered upon an altar of gold, which " was solely appropriated to this purpose, and directly forbid- den to be used for any bloody sacrifice." (See Ex. xxx. 9.) We learn also from Leviticus ii., that offerings were made consisting of flour, grain, bread, cakes, oil, and frankincense, &;c., being what are commonly known as unbloody sacrifices. Of these it is said, " when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it tinto the altar," &c., and a portion of them were consumed upon it. The objection therefore is defeated by the express words of scripture, and the Church would be jus- tified, (as we shall presently see,) in using the term altar, far more exclusively than she actually does ; for in the oblation of the symbols of Christ's body and blood, there is, at least, as fair a ground for naming that on which they are offered an ALTAR, as that the table on which incense was offered should be called "the altar of incense." If we advert to the language of the early Church, we shall find these views strongly fortified by the general use of the term in question. In the second of the Apostolic Canons, Britton's Arch. Antiq. 28 ALTAR. (which are acknowledged to be very ancient,) the holy table is thrice spoken of as " the altar." In the African Code, which was of very great authority in the old English churches, we meet with allusions like these : " That they who handle the Divine Sacraments, and serve at the altar, abstain," &c.* " That the sacraments of the altar must not be celebrated by any who are not fasting," &c.f " The min- istry of the altar J^X And so sacred was the altar considered, that none were suffered " to approach, but such as were in holy orders, unless it were the Greek Emperors at Constan- tinople, who were allowed to go up to the table to make their offerings, but were immediately to return back again. "§ It would appear that for a period of three hundred years after Christ, the term altar was universally used by the Church, and it was not until the very same period from which we date the rise of corruption, that other appellations came into general ase, to the prejudice of the original name. It is very difficult to account for the universal use of the term in the first ages of the Church, without referring, for its introduction, to the apostles themselves. It seems to stand upon the same ground with many other things, whose origin can be explained on no other hypothesis. " We have an altar," says St. Paul, " whereof they have no right to eat which servts tl>e taber- nacle. "|| What could this altar be? Certainly not the Jewish altar, as is sufficiently evident from the context. True, we may allegorize or spiritualize the text, and obtain from it a thousand divers meanings ; but the plain and direct sense of the passage gives little room to doubt that the apostle alluded to the table of the Christian sacrifice of thanksgiving ; and if * Canon 4. t Canon 41. t Canon 47. § Wheatly. This is stated on the authority of the 69th Trullan Canon , " That no layman come within the Holy Chancel, except the Emperor, when he comes to make his offering according to trdditioOv" II Hebrews, xiii. 10, ALT 29 the term was similarly incorporated in the public teachings of the other apostles, the mystery of its adoption in every part of the Church is solved at once — it came from inspired lips. But after all, the term (we are told) is used by the Roman- ists ! So much the better. Would to God that they were equally primitive and scriptural in matters of deeper conse- quence. The Romanist is not to be blamed for using this term, but for the dangerous errors he associates with it — errors with which, God be thanked, the Reformed Catholic Church is not chargeable. We apprise the objector, that he- lms aimed his lance, in this case, at the wrong object — at the altar instead of the sacrifice upon it. The Romanist, be it remembered, contends that the Eucharist is a true propitiatory sacrifice for sin ; while the Episcopal Church declares this notion to be " a blasphemous fable and dangerous deceit,"* and describes the Eucharist as " a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,^^ — a memorial with gifts and oblations, offered to the Divine Majesty, of the ^full, perfect, and sujficient sa- crifice" once offered on the cross. If this important distinc- tion had always been kept in view, the clamor about convert- ing altars into tables would have sunk to rest, entombed in its own folly. With these hints, (already too long,) we trust that the Churchman will not permit himself to be disquieted at the use of a term, which has scripture, antiquity, and uni- versal consent on its side. Altar-piece. Sculpture, or painting, ornamenting the wall, or a window, screen, &c., in the rear of an altar. Alternate. Alternate reading, in the services of the Church, is when the minister and people read " by turns," or " verse by verse," as in the Psalms of the day, which are recited, one verse by the minister, and the following by the congregation. In ancient times it was also customary to perform the sing- 3* ♦ Article XXXI. 30 AME ing in the same manner, by having two separate choirs in each Church, one only of which usually sung at a time, except in the doxologies. The custom is said, by Socrates the his- torian, to have been first introduced among the Greeks by Ignatius, and among the Latins by St. Ambrose. Theodo- ret attributes the practice to Diodorus and Flavian. That the chanting of the Psalms alternately is even older than Christianity, cannot be doubted, for the custom prevailed in the Jewish Temple. Many of the Psalms are actually composed in alternate verses, evidently with a view to their being used in a responsive manner. In the early days of the Christian Church, this practice was adopted and became uni- versal. St. Basil tells us that in his time, the Christians, " rising from their prayers, proceeded to singing of psalms, dividing themselves into two parts, and singing by turns." And Tertullian remarks, that " when one side of the choir sing to the other, they both provoke it by a holy contention, and relieve it by a mutual supply and change." For these or similar reasons, the reading of the Psalter is, in our own Church, divided between the minister and people. In the cathedral worship of the Church of England, the Psalms of the day are usually chanted throughout. And, in order to preserve their responsive character, two full choirs are sta- tioned one on each side of the church. One of these, having chanted two verses, (the usual compass of the chant-tune,) re- mains silent while the opposite choir replies in the verses suc- ceeding ; and at the end of each psalm, (and division of the lIGth Psalm,) the Gloria Patri is sung by the united choirs in chorus, accompanied by the peal of the loud organ. Alumnus. In its ecclesiastical application, one who has passed through the required course of study in a Theological Seminary. Amen. A word adopted into our language from the He- brew, having for its radical meaning truly, or verily. Its import varies slightly with the position or connexion in wliich AMEN. 31 it is placed. In the New Testament it is frequently synony- mous with " verily," and is retained in some versions without being translated. For example, " Amen, Amen, I say unto you."* At the conclusion of prayers, it signifies, so he it. This explanation of it is given by the Church Catechism, in the words, "and therefore I say Amen : So he it.'^ In the same sense it occurs in Rev. xxii. 20, " Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come. Lord Jesus." Sometimes it signi- fies a ivish, as in Numbers v, 22. After the repetition of the Creed it assumes the form of an ajjirmation, as " yes, I fully believe it." At the close of exhortations, &c., it expresses assent and approval. In the primitive Church, the Amen was considered as a most important part of the service, being the ratification, on the part of the people, of the prayers, &c. ofiered for them by the priest. We are told by Clement of Alexandria, that they were accustomed, in some places, to pronounce the Amen with such fervency and energy, that their desire seemed to be that the word should carry up their bodies as well as their souls to heaven. St. Jerome's remark is also well known : — " In similitudinem coslestis tonitrui Amen reboat." [The Amen echoed like the thunders of heaven.] A practice the very reverse of this, has unfortunately gained a far too exten- sive sanction in the American Church. In some degree, this may be attributed, we conjecture, to the jejune mode in which the Amen is given by our choirs. Musical composers, with a lack of taste not less remarkable than their entire oversight o of the import of the word, have couched it in strains as un- meaning as puerile, and thereby degraded that which should be the proclamation of an unwavering faith, into something not very remote from a half-smothered token of unbelief. Organists and singers, with too much indulgence for the false ♦ Rhcmish Testament. 32 ANA taste of the composer, have given authority to the error, and from them the evil has extended itself to the responses of the congregation. The Amen is now but a sigh or a groan. It has lost its honors, and been robbed of its potency. Why should not devotion once more assert its rights, and the impe- rial sound of the Amen echo as in the days of Jerome ? " Let the ancient customs prevail,"* and the seal of our faith, and the sanction of our professions, be raised again to its deserved dignity. Anabaptists. Allusion is made in Article XXXVIII. to this sect, which sprung up in Germany about the year 1521. The great project aimed at by the Anabaptists was the form- ation of a pure and perfect Church, such, we take it for granted, as the world had never seen, or the Apostles ever thought of. And thus they went about it : — In the first place, they claimed, of course, to be acting under a divine impulse ; and, to substantiate this, took to themselves the power of working miracles ; the privilege of seeing visions ; and the very convenient faculty of receiving new revelations. The next step was the evolving of a train of new doctrines, admi- rably illustrative of their notions of Christian liberty, and asserting the entire needlessness of civil government to those who lived by the gospel; — the folly of retaining in Christian society any distinctions arising from rank, wealth, &c. ; to- gether with the propriety of forming a common stock of pro- perty, from the proceeds of which an equal distribution should be made among all the membei's of the fraternity. Their faith, it seems, soon brought forth works ; for, to the stubborn com- mon sense of Luther and his co-workers, this Protestant monkery was not a whit better than the Popish ; nay, was even more lawless and unshapely ; and as a reward for their contempt of it, the Anabaptists, with Munzer at their head. ♦ Canon VI. of the Council of Nice. ANA 33 took up other arms than the word of God, and arraying them- selves against all existing laws and government, whether civil or ecclesiastical, boldly entered the field, and defended their cause with as much vigor as enthusiasm, till they were overthrown and defeated by the Elector of Saxony, and driven from the contest, with the loss of Munzer, their general. The reader, by comparing dates, will find, that while the sentiments and the doings of the Anabaptists were still fresh in every one's mind, the Church of England was engaged in the holier enterprise of bringing to perfection the Book of Common Prayer. To check at once the introduction among churchmen, of those dogmas which had led to bloodshed and all manner of mischief on the continent, the 3!^th Article was framed, in which one of these vagaries is reprobated in plain terms. About the same time, or at the last review of the Prayer-book, it was judged expedient to insert an "Office for the Baptism of such as are of riper years ; which, although not so necessary when the former Book was compiled, yet by the growth of Anabaptism, through the licentiousness of the late times crept in amongst us, is now become necessary, and may be always useful for the baptizing of Natives in our Plantations, and others converted to the Faith."* Anathema. A term adopted from the Greek, signifying a thing set apart, appropriated, or devoted. In its ecclesiastical use, it expresses the authoritative separation of a person from the communion of the faithful, and the privileges of the Church. In this sense, it amounts to the same as excommu- nication, and in the early Church this was probably the ex. tent of its meaning. " I can really understand nothing by it," says a writer, " but a full excommunication, and therefore think the one no more unlawful than the other, "f In the canons and decrees of councils, it has frequently ♦ Preface lo the English Prayer-book. t Johnson on the Canonical Codcis. 34 ANC been employed as a brand upon those who were disposed con- tumeliously to withstand the decisions of the Church. The following are among the earliest instances in which it was thus used, with the exception of the anathema against Arius, at the Nicene Council, (not given in the canons,) and that against Novatus, under Cornelius, Bishop of Rome. " If any one, under pretence of religion, does advise a slave to despise his master, and run away from his service, and not to serve him with good will and all honor, let him be ana- " If any one teach that the house of God, and the assemblies held therein, are to be despised, let him be anaihema.'"-\ "If any one, under the pretence of religion, abandon his own children, and do not educate them, and so much as in him lies, train them up to an honest piety, but neglect them, under pretence of being an Ascetic, let him be anathema»^^X A more intense meaning has sometimes been given to the term, analogous to that of a curse. In this sense, it would seem to be used by the Church of Rome in the anathematiz- ing of heretics and their opinions. " Ancient canons." The laws and rules concerning order, discipline, &c. enacted by Councils of Bishops in the early ages of the Church. Reference is frequently made to these in the Homilies, &c., not only as indicative of the opin. ions and practice of the early Church, but as deserving a certain degree of respect in the legislation of the Church in the present day. The first four General Councils, however, are those whose decisions are entitled to the greatest weight. See Council. In the form for the consecration of Bishops, allusion is made to the " ancient canons," in such a connec- tion as to imply the recognition of a peculiar degree of rever. * 3(1 Canon of the Council of Gangra. t 5th Canon of do. t 15lh Canon of do. The above Canons were enacted not later than A. D. 340. ANC 35 ence tor them ; for the whole series of questions proposed to the Bishop elect, is grounded on the fact that " the Holy Scriptures and the ancient canons, command that we should not be hasty in laying on of hands," &c. Dean Comber has the following remark on this part of the Ordinal : — " This method of asking questions of the candidate for a bishoprick is grounded on divers ancient canons, especially on that of the fourth Council of Carthage ; where it is expressly requir- ed, and where all the particulars to be inquired of, as to his manners, his learning, and especially as to his faith, are set down at large ; and unless he could give an account in all particulars, the Metropolitan was not to consecrate him; From this canon, which also cites the place of St. Paul, our Church hath taken this preface, being like also to the most ancient forms in the Western Church." St. Andrew's day. " This festival is celebrated in com- memoration of St. Andrew, who was, first of all, a disciple of St. John the Baptist, but being assured by his master that he was not the Messias, and hearing him say, upon the sight of our Savior, " Behold the Lamb of God! " he left the Baptist, and being convinced himself of our Savior's divine mission, by conversing with him some time at the place of his abode ; he went to his brother Simon, afterwards surnamed Peter by our Savior, and acquainted him with his having found out the Messias ; but he did not become our Lord's constant attend- ant, until a special call or invitation." After the ascension of Christ, when the Apostles distributed themselves in various parts of the world, St. Andrew preached the gospel first in Scythia, and afterwards in Epirus. After this, he is said to have visited Cappadocia, Galatia, Bithynia, and the vicinity of Byzantium. He finally suffered death by crucifixion, at ^gea, by order of the proconsul of the place. The instrument of his death is said to have been in the form of the letter X, being a cross decussate, two pieces of 3d ANT timber crossing each other in the middle ; and hence usually known by the name of St. Andrew's cross. Angelic Hymn. A title given to the hymn or doxology beginning with " Glory be to God on high," &c. It is so called from the former part of it having been sung by the angels, on their appearance to the shepherds of Bethlehem, to announce to them the birth of the Redeemer. See Gloeia IN EXCELSIS. Annunciation o/'^/ie jBZe55ed Virgin Mary. This festival is appointed by the Church, in commemoration of that event in which it was announced to Mary, by an angel, that she should be the mother of the Messiah. Ante-communion. That part of the Order for the Holy Communion, which precedes the exhortations, prayers, &c. connected with the actual celebration of the Eucharist. It has for many ages been customary to view the Communion service as embracing three main divisions. I. The Ante- communion, or the preparatory portions ; having a general reference to the sacrament, but yet not touching on its imme- diate celebration. 2. The Communion proper, formerly styled the canon, including the consecration and distribution of the elements. And, 3. The Post-communion, or prayers, anthems, &c. which follow after the reception of the sacra- ment. The English and American Prayer-books differ somewhat in assigning the limits of the Ante-communion. In the first book of Edward VI. it appears to have embraced the ofTer- toiy, and in the English Prayer-books now in use, the rubric extends it " until the end of the general prayer, [for the whole state of -Christ's Church militant here on earth]." In the American Prayer-book, the rubric does not authorize the min- ister to proceed further than the end of the Gospel, unless " when there is a Communion." The Ante-communion, when including the prayer " for the whole state of Christ's Church militant," bears a considerable ANTE-COMMUNION. * 37 resemblance to the Missa Catechumenorum of the ancient Church, or " that part of the services at which the Catechu- mens, who were not admitted to the reception of the Euchar- ist, were allowed to be present."* There was this difference, however, that in the early ages of the Church, the Eucharist was generally administered every Sunday, so that the Ante- communion was not recited as a detached portion of the office, but in its immediate connection with the administration of the sacrament, from which the Catechumens were always ex- cluded. Still it is not to be supposed that th^re were not occasions on which the practice corresponded m6re nearly with that which now prevails ; for in both the Eastern and Western Churches, it sometimes happened that large portions of the Communion service were used, without being followed by the "consecration of the mysteries." In this, the Church testi- fied her desire, as she still does, to unite her children on every Sunday, in this sublime act of worship, thereby inviting their weary souls to a perpetual and heavenly feast. It is somewhat unfortunate that in the American Prayer- book, the rubrics relating to the use of the Ante-commu- nion, are much less clear than in the English. The altera- tions which they underwent in our early Conventions, were doubtless intended to meet one or two contingencies, for which provision was not made in the English Prayer-book, The effect, however, has been to convey an ambiguity of meaning, tending to obscure rather than to illustrate the de- si cm of the Church, and to give at least the shadow of a sanction to the occasional omission of this portion of the Com- munion office. But whatever clashing there may seem to be between the rubrics as they now stand, the sense of the Church, in regard to the use of the Ante-communion, cannot Wheatly. 4 38 ANTE-COMMUNION. well be mistaken. The regular use of it is invariably attend- ed by a consciousness that the design of the Church has been met ; whereas the omission of it is sure to create in the mind a vague suspicion of error, not to be allayed even by the most plausible construction of the rubrics. On this ground aloney therefore, it might be judged safest to take the affirma- tive side, and let the Ante-communion be read on every Sun- day and other occasion for which a Collect, Epistle and Gospel have been provided. But there are other reasons for its use, and strong ones too. We shall here only glance at them, and leave the reader to form his own conclusions : — 1. The fact, that " the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel ap- pointed for the Sunday, shall serve all the week after," is proof that the Church designed the daily Morning Prayer to be fol- lowed by the daily Ante-communion, 2. The rubric appended to the " Circumcision of Christ," requires that " The same Collect, Epistle and Gospel shall serve for every day after, unto the Epiphany." This includes several days ; but as the Epistle and Gospel are never read except with the full Ante-communion, that service must be performed, if the requisition of the Church is met. 3. The rubric at the end of the 25th Sunday after Trinity is grounded entirely on the understanding that the Ante-com- munion is to be read on every Sunday. 4. The omission of this service involves the surrender, or the depreciation, of a large part of the Book of Common Prayer. To say nothing of the vast importance of keeping the moral law constantly sounding in the ears and engraven on the hearts of the people, it is beyond all question, that the strong features which distinguish the Sundays and holy.days of the Church, and give them individuality, are found chiefly in the Ante-communion service. The Lessons, we grant, are admirably chosen, and well adapted to illustrate the par- ticular event, or doctrine, commemorated on a holy. day ; but ANTE-COMMUNION. 39 the moment we touch on the Ante-communion, a broad flood of light is cast upon the subject, leaving no doubt in the mind; that the Church reserved her best strength, and her finest painting, for the introductory part of her Communion offices. 5. Without the Ante-communion, the morning service un- dergoes a remodeling, by the insertion of the Sermon in a place not assigned to it; for, as this is specifically provided for in the service we are considering, there is no more au- thority for introducing it until we arrive at its proper place, than there is for delivering it before or after the Creed, or in the midst of the Litany. So, also, there will be a similar un- authorized transposition of the order for the publishing of the bans of matrimony, and other notices. These are to be read only at the close of the Gospel of the day ; and if intro- duced elsewhere in the morning service, are manifestly out of place and irregular. 6. The omission of the Ante-communion is in opposition to the universal practice of the Church. In the primitive age, the Holy Communion was administered on every Lord's day at the least, and the Ante-communion, of course, formed an integral part of the regular Liturgy, or service. But it was also used in a detached form, as with us. Authority for this we have already referred to, and of a very early date. It appears, also, that in the middle ages a practice prevailed, *' under the appellation of missa sicca, or missa nautica. The earliest notice of this practice, according to Bona, is in the writings of Petrus Cantor, who flourished A. D. 1200 ; and it seems to have prevailed extensively in the west for some cen- turies afterwards. The missa sicca, or ' dry service,' as it was called, consisted of a repetition of all the preparatory and concluding parts of the Liturgy, omitting the canon, No elements were laid on the table, and there was neither conse- cration nor communion. This certainly approaches very 40 ANT nearly to the office enjoined by the Church of England, when there is no Communion."* The Church, after the Reformation, finding that she could not restore and enforce the primitive practice of celebrating the Communion on every holy-day, appointed the constant reading of the Ante-communion on the intervening days, as the best token she could offer of her solicitude for ihe re- storation of the original usage, and as constituting a portion of her holy-day services, which could not be omitted without rupturing the admirable system prevailing throughout her ec- clesiastical year. To the above reasons, we beg leave to add the concluding words of a communication on this subject, made by the Amer- ican Bishops to the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, at the General Convention of 1821 ; — "The Bishops deem it their duty, to express the decided opinion, that the rubrics of the Communion service, as well as other general considera- tions, enjoin the use of that part which precedes the sermon, on all occasions of sermon or communion, as well as on those fes- tivals and fasts when neither sermon nor communion occurs." Anthem. Originally, a hymn, in alternate or responsive parts. The term is now chiefly applied to poetical and musi- cal compositions of a sacred character, more free and elabo- rate in their style than ordinary psalmody, and adapted to the use of the Church on festivals and other special occasions. Anthems are said to have been first introduced into the Church of England in the early part of the reign of Elizabeth ; since which time they have occupied a distinguished place in the Cathedral service, and brought into exercise a variety of talent, combining science with devotion, which otherwise might have been lost to the Church, or expended to its injury-. The anthems of the old English school of music, were usually founded on select passages of scripture ; but the word, ♦ Origines Liturgies, I. p. 1C4-5. APO 41 by later usage, extends itself to the greater portion of those musical compositions for the use of the Church, which rank above the grade of the ordinary psalm or hymn tune. In the Prayer-book, the term is applied to any devotional hymn, &c. occurring in the regular service of the Church. The introductory Psalm in the Order for the Burial of the Dead, is styled an anthem; also the selections before the Collect for Easter-day. With a similar general application it is to be understood in the lines — " O come, loud anthems let us sing, Loud thanks to our Almighty King." Antiphon, or Antiphony. A chant or hymn, sung by two choirs, or portions of the congregation, alternately responding to each other. The Antiphon is, in all probability, one of the most ancient forms of Church music, and is still preserved in the Cathedrals of the Church of England. See Alternate. Antiphony, or Antiphonarium. In the ancient Church, a book containing the anthems or verses for the beginning of the Communion, the Offertory, &c. " It was often called < Graduale,' because some of the anthems were chanted on the steps (gradus) of the ambon, or pulpit."* Antistes. a title frequently applied in ecclesiastical history to a prelate or bishop. "Any wise." See Article X. " The Baptism of young children is in any wise to be retained in the Church," &c. ; that is, it should hy all means be continued. Apocrypha. Certain ancient books, partaking of the style of the Sacred Scriptures, but not admitted by protestants into the Canon. The books to which this title refers, were for many ages interspersed with the canonical books of scripture. In this form they appear in the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and various other translations. At the period of the Reformation' they were judiciously separated from the inspired books, and ♦ OrJcrines Liturgies, I. p. 308. 42 APOCRYPHA. inserted in a place by themselves between the Old and New Testaments. A list of them is given in Article VI. The line of distinction between the Apocryphal books and the writings of inspired men, has been clearly laid down by the Church. Notwithstanding this, objections have repeat, edly been made to their insertion, at any time, in the same volume with the Sacred Scriptures. The danger apprehended is that of confounding them with the pure word of God, and thus unintentionally misleading the unwary reader. It does not appear, however, that this evil has ever been felt, the precautions of the Church being too strong to permit such a result. And it is questionable whether the fact has in any case occurred of error and mischief arising from this cause. As a general rule, the tendency has been in an opposite .direction, so that the Apocryphal books do not receive the attention they really merit. Their elevated morality — their valuable historic matter, and their elegance of style, are little known to the general reader ; and instead of their being -mistaken for the word of God, the mass of Christians are generally more ignorant of them,, than of the writings of hea- then antiquity. : But there is a still graver charge against the Church, viz., the appointing of portions of these books to be read in her -public services. In the Church of England a much larger part of the Apocrypha is read than in the American Church. In the table of Sunday Lessons, the inspired books alone are set forth. In the Offertory, three verses from Tobit are in- troduced, but even these are not obligatory, though contain- ing nothing but sound exhortation and doctrine. The Bene- dicite (after the Te Deum) is also left to the discretion of the minister. On several of the holy-days, lessons are appointed to be read from Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus. These are selected with great judgment, and contain nothing repugnant to the word of God, but very much to illustrate and enforce it. The ground on which the Church rests this practice, is that APOCRYPHA. 43 of primitive and universal custom. The place she assigns the Apocrypha, and all the benefits she expects from its use, may be learned from her 6th Article. " The other books, (as Hierome saith,) the Church doth read for example of life, and instruction of manners ; but yet doth it not apply them to es- tablish any Doctrine." This is certainly a very moderate statement, scarcely amounting to the claim the Church makes for her own Homilies. In the Introduction to the English Prayer-book, it is also said, " nothing is ordained to be read [in public service] but the very pure word of God, the Holy Scripture, or that which is agreeable to the same,^^ evidently alluding to the selections from the Apocrypha. After this plain expression of the opinion of the Church, we have only to remark, 1. That these readings do not operate to exclude the use of the pure word of God. The second lesson on holy. days is in- variably from the Canonical Scriptures ; and even if it were not so, the Church service is so abundantly furnished with scripture and scriptural instruction, that the depriving of the people of the bread of life must ever be among the last things a Churchman need fear. 2. The bare announcing of a lesson from the Apocrypha is sufficient to guard every man from the danger of mistaking it for Holy Scripture. No one ever mistakes the Te Deum or the Benedicite for the word of God ; neither is there a greater liability to err in respect to the Apocryphal lessons. 3. It is lawful and customary to introduce human compo- sitions into the worship of God. The appointed portions of the Apocrypha stand on much the same authority with the Confessions, Exhortations, Collects, Hymns, &c., which make up a large part of the public service. All these are set forth by the Church, and are not the fruits of rash decision, but of sober reflection, deep forethought, and an earnest desire for the prosperity of true religion, and a consequent increase of . the glory of God. 44 APOSTLES. Apostles. Literally, persons sent out or deputed by a higher power. Appropriately, those who, in the first age of the Christian Church, were invested with the full powers of the ministry, including the right and the ability of conferring ordination, and of exercising a plenary ecclesiastical jurisdic- tion. Originally the Apostles were twelve in number, and derived their commission immediately from the Lord Jesus Christ. Their names are given in Matt. x. 2, Mark, iii. 16, &c., Luke, vi, 14, &c. After the ascension of our Lord, Matthias was added to the number, to fill the apostolic seat or " bishopric " from which Judas fell. The appointment of Saul of Tarsus to the same office, occurred about two years after ; and in this interim it is probable that Andronicus and Junia were intrusted with the apostolic authority.* Besides these, we find others bearing the title of Apostles, and exer- cising their peculiar prerogatives, among whom are Barna- has, Timothy, Titus, and Silvanus. The Apostles were the first prelates or chief officers of the Christian Church, holding the same ecclesiastical rank which is now enjoyed by those denominated " Bishops." That they exercised a supreme power in the government of the Church is manifest ; and in like manner, the authority to administer ordination, and the rite of confirmation, is con- fined exclusively to the Apostles. This may be affirmed without hesitation — the New Testament and the concurrent practice of the Church for 1800 years amply sustaining the position. Efforts, it is well known, have been made, of late years, to embarrass the general subject of ordination ; but notwithstanding this, the wit of man has never been able to cope with the invulnerable truth we have just stated — a truth on which is based and erected the primitive and Catho- lic doctrine of the Christian ministry. It is not intended here to anticipate what we have to say ♦ Compare Romans, xvi. 10. APOSTLES. 45 under the head of Episcopacy ; but it may be worth while to bring forward a few evidences of the fact, that the superiority of the apostolic rank did not depend on the gift of miracles, or the possession of certain external advantages or peculiar privileges, but on the holding of a certain distinguished minis- terial office. It cannot be denied, nor does any Episcopalian pretend to deny, that the Apostles were endowed with many valuable and extraordinary gifts. But we do contend that they were not constituted Apostles on account of these things, or that the apostolic office depended on such uncommon endowments. For, if we look a little further into the matter, we shall find many others who were similarly gifted. Will any one say that the power of working miracles gave the Apostles this au- thority ? We answer that it did not : for Philip the deacon, and Stephen, had this power, the former of whom astonished the people of Samaria with the exercise of this very gift. Neither were the Apostles particularly distinguished from the other ministers or elders, (as Bishop H. U. Onderdonk justly remarks,) " because they were appointed by Christ personally ; for some are named Apostles in Scripture who were not thus appointed, as Matthias, Barnabas, and probably James the brother of our Lord, all ordained by merely human ordainers. Silvanus also, and Timothy, are called Apostles, and, besides Andronicus and Junia, others could be added to the list. Nor were the Apostles thus distinguished because they had seen our Lord after his resurrection, for five hundred brethren sav/ him. And though the twelve Apostles were selected as spe- cial witnesses of the resurrection, yet others received that appellation who were not thus selected, as Timothy, Silvanus, Andronicus, Junia, (fee. It follows, therefore, or will not at least be questioned, that the Apostles were distinguished from the elders, because they were superior to them in ministerial power and rights."* • Episcopacy Tested by Scripture. 46 APOSTLES. The official duties of the Apostles we find laid down in their commission, though in general terms : " Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them," &c. Some remarkable powers, as we grant, were given to these first ministers, to enable them with success to cope with the prevalent idolatry — to expose, without intimidation, the horrible licentiousness and degradation of the Gentile world, and to awake and call to repentance, those who with wicked hands had crucified the Lord of life. They were therefore endowed with the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, prophecy, discerning of spirits, &c. But (as some one remarks) " such gifts have no more con- nection with ministerial duties, than learning has with the performance of baptism." These did not afiect their official rank at all : and between the ministerial acts of the Apostles, and those ordinary duties performed by our present bishops, there is no real and essential difference. Suppose that the gift of miracles should at this day be imparted to one of our bishops : should we, on this account, regard him as in the slightest degree advanced in official authority over his fellow bishops ? By no means ; for though God had vouchsafed him facilities for the performance of his appropriate duties, and had put into his hands extraordinary means of attesting the truth of the Gospel ; yet, all these things stand apart from his proper office as a bishop ; and unless God should specially interpose to advance him to a primacy, he would undoubtedly be culpable in assuming it. If St. Paul himself should return from his sepulchre, and come among us with the same high endowments which rendered him so eminently conspicuous in the college of the Apostles, we have no reason to infer that he would assume an official superiority above all other bishops, or that they would be justified in submitting to him if he should. So little has even the gift of miracles to do with ministerial rank. There can be no question, that every Christian bishop in the wide world would regard him with the most extraordinary admiration and reverence ; but all this Apo 47 time the ojicial rank of the primitive Apostle, and that of tlic modern bishops, would remain on a perfect equality ; and an ordination performed by the former, would be of no greater efficacy or validity than if performed by any of the latter. We trust that this will be enough to show that the posses- sion of extraordinary gifts, does not in the least affect the rank in the ministry of the person possessing them ; and as these gifts in the Apostles have been mistaken for the pos- session of a peculiar ministry, the correcting of the error establishes the fact, that the doings of the apostles are to be considered simply as the exercise of ordinary episcopal powers, which had nothing in them but what might be, and wh^i has been imparted to others as their successors. See UisHop and Episcopacy. Apostles' Creed. See Creed, Apostles'. Apostolic, or Apostolical. Terms expressive of such things as were done by the Apostles, or were agreeable to their doctrine and practice, or cotemporaneous with the age in which they lived. Thus, the "Apostolical Epistles" are those in the New Testament, written by St. Paul and the other Apostles. " Apostolic Order " is that external form of Ministry and discipline which the Church received from the Apostles under the direction of the great Head of the Church. Apostolic Fathers. The title of Fathers has been ffiven to certain bishops, &c., who distinguished themselves in the early ages of the Church. Of their writings many have been preserved to the present day, and form an invaluable treasure of piety, as well as a body of testimony to the existence of facts respecting the order and doctrine of the Church in their remote age. Between the inspired Apostles, and those sim- ply styled " Fathers," were four venerable men, who from having had personal acquaintance with the Apostles, and the benefit of their immediate instruction, are distinguished by the title of '* Apostolic Fathers." These were Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Hcrmas. To these, Barnabas 48 ARC the apostle is usually added. The Epistles and other writ, ings of these eminent saints are still extant. A more admi- rable appendix to the pure word of God, and a more trust- worthy comment on the principles taught by inspired men, cannot be conceived. As eye-witnesses of the order and discipline of the Church, while all was fresh and new from the hands of the Apostles, their testimony forms the very summit of uninspired authority. None could better know these things, than those who lived and wrote at the very time. None deserve a devouter reverence than those who proclaimed the gospel while the echo of inspired tongues yet lingered in the ears of the people. (An American edition of the writings of the Apostolical Fathers, enriched with ex- planatory notes, has been published by the Protestant Epis- copal Press, New- York.) Apostolicity. a term sometimes employed, for want of a better, to express the quality of being apostolical, or in ac- cordance with the doctrines, practice, and times of the apos- tles; e. g., The rite of confirmation not only commands our admiration on account of its beauty, but our obedience, on the higher ground of its apostolicity. " Apparent." Used in the sense of manifest, evident, or impending, in the " Thanksgiving for Peace and Deliverance from our Enemies,"* thus— " We yield thee praise and thanksgiving, for our deliverance from those great and appa- rent dangers wherewith we were encompassed." Archbishop. We introduce this term, not because it has any immediate connection with the American Protestant Episcopal Church, (in which there are no archbishops,) but to meet the frequent inquiry respecting the nature and pre- rogatives of the office as it exists in the mother Church of England. The prefix Arch, is expressive of precedence and superi- Occasional Thatiksgiving in the Piayer-book. ARCHBISHOP. 49 ority ; it is not to be understood, in the present case, nor in that of Archdeacon, as implying a distinct order of the min- isUy, but only a more ample power of jurisdiction vested in one, with the concurrence of others who enjoy the same spi- ritual rank. The title of Archbishop does not occur in the New Testa- ment, nor in the earliest periods of Church history. About the fourth century it appears in connection with the names of Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, and Celestinus, Bishop of Rome. The more definite title of Metropolitan, and also that of Primate, were more generally used to indicate the same office, or the Bishop of a chief city, having suffragans under his direction in towns and cities in the contiguous country. The Church of England, with its dioceses, is divided into the two Provinces of Canterbury and York, over each of which an Archbishop presides, who exercises a certain juris- diction over the Clergy in his province. The peculiar duties of an Archbishop of the Church of England have been thus stated: " He has the inspection of the Bishops of his province, as well as of the inferior clergy, and may deprive them on notorious causes. He confirms the election of Bishops, and afterwards consecrates them. He may appoint coadjutors to a Bishop who has grown infirm. He may confer degrees of all kinds ; and censure, and ex- communicate, suspend, or depose, for any just cause. He has also his own Diocese wherein he exercises episcopal jurisdic- tion, as in his Province he exercises archiepiscopal. During the vacancy of any see in his province, he is guardian of the spiritualities thereof, as the king is of the temporalities; and during such vacancy, all episcopal rights belong to him, arid he executes all ecclesiastical jurisdiction therein, such as the power of granting licenses to marry, probate of wills, admin- istration to intestates' estates, and also admissions and institu- 5 50 ARC tions."* To this statement maybe added that " the Arch- bishop of Canterbury claims the right of placing- the crown upon the head of the King at his coronation ; and the Arch- bishop of York claims to perform the same office for the Q.ueen consort." When Archbishops are vested with their powers, they are said to be enthroned. The same act, in the case of Diocesan Bishops, is denominated installation. The Archbishop of Canterbnry is styled " Primate, and Metropolitan of all England ;" the Archbishop of York, sim- ply " Primate of England." Both have the title of Grace, and " Most Reverend Father in God by Divine Providence," while the ordinary Bishops have that of Xor^, and " Right Reverend Father in God, by Divine permission." Archdeacon. In the Church of England the Archdeacons are a class of presbyters, invested with certain powers of superintendence and jurisdiction, under the superior control o{ the Bishops. The office is not to be considered as consti- tuting a distinct order, grade, or rank of the ministry ; neither are the spiritual functions of the Archdeacons in any respect superior to those of other priests. The Archdeaconship rests simply on the appointment of the Church, which has authority to continue or to annul ihe office as expediency may suggest. The Archdeacon exercises his duties in what is technically called his "district," which may be a pan or the whole of a Diocese. He is usually nominated and appointed by the. Bishop, and " has power to hold visitations when the Bishop is absent ; to examine clerks for ordination, as also to insti- tute and induct, on receipt of the Bishop's mandate to that effect. He has his separate court for hearing ecclesiastical causes, proving wills, granting administrations, and for the punishment of offenders, by spiritual censures. Also the * Laws relating to the Clergy, by the Rev. David Williams, ART 51 right of inspecting and reforming irregularities and abuses among the clergy ; and has a charge of the parochial Churches within the diocese ; in a word, according to the practice of, and latitude given by the Canon law, he is to supply the Bish- op's room, and in all things to be the Bishop's vicegerent,"* i. e., in all things which do not infringe upon the spiritual powers of the Bishop, or those things which demand epis- copal authority, and cannot, therefore, be delegated to a priest. Arciideaconky. The district through which the visitorial and corrective power of an Archdeacon extends. Of these there are sixty in the Church of England, each of which has its own Archdeacon. " The division of Dioceses into Arch- deaconries, and the assignment of particular divisions to par- ticular Archdeacons, is supposed to have begun in England about the time of the Norman conquest."! Archiepiscopal. Pertaining to, or having connection with an Archbishop. Articles of Religion. The thirty-nine Articles were drawn up at the period of the Reformation, and set forth by the highest ecclesiastical authority, as a declaration of the doctrine of the Church on sundry points,— a testimony against the errors of the Romanists and 'Others, and a standard by which uniformity might be maintained, and peace secured throughout the Church. That there was need of some authoritative decisions of this kind, will not be denied, by any one aware of the corruptions of the faith which had long kept possession of the public mind, and of the perils always attendant on any considerable revolution of religious opinions. The continental reformers found the necessity of embodying their conceptions of Chris- tian truth in certain formularies known as "confessions" of faith. In the year 1552, the same motives led "the Bishops and * Laws relating to the Clergy, t IbiJ. 52 ARTICLES OF RELIGION. Other learned and good men, in the convocation held at Lon- don," to agree upon forty-two Articles, in order " to root out the discord of opinions, and establish the agreement of true religion." These forty-two Articles were subsequently pub- lished under the royal authority of Edward VI., the reigning monarch. The restoration of Popery, on the accession of Q,ueen Mary, blighted for awhile the prospects of theChuich, and occasioned the repeal of these Articles. But in the early part of the reign of Elizabeth, the royal assent was given to " Thirty-nine Articles, agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both provinces, and the whole Clergy, in the Convocation holden at London in the year 1562, for avoiding diversities of opinion, and for the establishing of consent touch- ing true religion." This was ten years after the framing of the forty-two Articles of Edward VI. In the year 1571, the Articles underwent a further revision, and were finally settled, authorized, and publicly set forth in the form in which they now appear. The writers of the articles are not certainly known. It is, however, generally conceded, that Cranmer had a principal part in their composition. The strictest care seems to have been taken in framing them, and the rough draft was sub- mitted to many of the ablest Bishops and divines, whose opi- nions " were collated and examined very maturely ; all sides had a free and fair hearing before conclusions were made.'"* " The thirty-nine Articles may be considered under four general divisions: the first five contain the Christian doc- trines concerning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, the rule of faith is established ; the next ten relate to Christians, as individuals; and the re- maining twenty-one relate to them, as they are mem.bers of a religious society. But, as all confessions of faith have had a reference to existing heresies, we shall here find, not only the positive doctrines of the gospel asserted, but also * Burnet. ART 53 the principal errors and corruptions of the Church of Rome, and most of the extravagancies into which certain protestant sects fell at the time of the Reformation, rejected and condemned."* Articles, Lambeth. The following sketch is framed from a history of these Articles, by J. Ellis, S. T. D., Lon- don, 1660. In the University of Cambridge, (England,) there are two famous Professorships, viz: Regius, and Margaret. In the latter part of the reign of Glueen Elizabeth these were filled by Whitaker and Peter Baron. Whitaker was a man of considerable learning, and his judgment carried great weight which way soever he took. Having married into a family zealous for the Genevan doctrine, he on this ground, or some other, became attached to the party; and with ruminating on the opinion of absolute prede.'^tination, was resolved to advance and carry it out, asserting that the reprobation which was passed upon the mass not yet corrupted, was not purely nega- tive, but did include an affirmation ; for, says he, this is the Decree and Will of God, whereby so many men run into eternal miseries, Peter Baron, it seems, had also considered of this matter, and was moved by these paradoxes of Whitaker to search more diligently into all the parts of this argument. Here- upon he fell into a controversy with Whitaker about predes- tination, a falling-offfrom grace, and the security or assurance of salvation. This dispute having raised up two parties in the University, Whitaker takes a journey to London, and goes straight to the Archbishop of Canterbury, [Whitgift,] giving him notice that the University was corrupted with the Pelagian doctrine ; and in order to prevent an open quarrel, proposes to the Archbishop nine positions which he had drawn up, begging that they might be sent immediately to Cambridge, fortified with the approval of some eminent and Bishop Tomline. 5* 54 ARTICLES, LAMBETH. learned men. Now the positions were wrote in such a man- ner, that one may easily discern the skilfulness of the man, in that nice and exquisite turn of the words, which for peace' sake would not be disapproved of even by such as did not a little dissent from him. A meeting of Prelates and Divines was then appointed, (not a great number,) in November, 1595. After several days disputing, it so happened on the last day, that while some of Whitaker's opponents were ab- sent, the others carried their point. The Archbishop was at the head of the meeting, and did not at all approve of Whit- aker's articles; yet, through easiness, and a fear of disa- greement, since he could not make good his own opinion, himself became the surety and patron of another's. These positions, (called the Lambeth Articles,) were sent, with some alterations, to Cambridge, and Whitaker fell to boasting of the victory he had gained. In the midst of this, he meets with Burleigh, one of the Glueen's privy council, and Chancellor of the University, to whom he declares what had been done, and shows him the very Articles. But Burleigh seeing the artifice, and the mischief likely to ensue, extremely disapproved of tha whole matter, and in a grave speech be- fore the Glueen, took occasion to remonstrate against the ille- gality of the proceedings, the whole business having been done without the authority of the Glueen, and the consent of Parliament. " Here are a few divines," said he, "that have dared to make decrees and determinations concerning the most important questions, which learned men for many ages since, could never yet agree about." He then reminded the Glueen of the consequences resulting from their doctrine of fate, " which," says he, " if it be true, to what purpose is it, that I and the rest of your majesty's faithful ministers do busy ourselves about anything, or take any measures that maybe of use to you, and the kingdom's good ; whereas all consulta- tions about such things as necessarily come to pass, were ab- solutely foolish and ridiculous." On this, the Glueen com* ASH 55 mands the Archbishop to be sent for, and after pleasantly re- minding him that by the step he had taken in transcending his authority, a prcemunire was his due, and the confiscation of his goods, he sought to excuse the matter by pleading that no contempt was intended, but "it was only to interpose, for peace' sake, between the two professors, that no private quar- rels might break out into public mischief" Whereupon, Whitgift was severely handled by some of the counsellors, who told him that the assembly was illegal, and disrespectful to the Queen, who knew nothing of it, and that they might have consulted the peace of the Church better, if they had kept their opinions to themselves. Finally, the Archbishop was required to beg pardon for what he had done so unad- visedly, to withdraw^ the Lambeth Articles from Cambridge, and not to suffer them to be published or spread abroad. An attempt was subsequently made, under the reign of James the First, by Dr. Reynolds and others, to revive and establish these Articles; but the king refused their request, thinking that such sort of definitions did not tend to the peace of the Church. It need only be added, that the Articles of Lambeth con- tain the very essence of the most rigid Calvinism. AscENsioN-DAY, or HoLY THURSDAY. A festival of the Church, in commemoration of the Ascension of Christ. It occurs forty days after Easter. The whole week of the As- cension was sometimes called " Expectation week," because at this time the Apostles continued in earnest prayer and ex- pectatim of the Comforter, whom our Blessed Lord had promised in those words : " If I go away, I will send the Comforter to you." Ash-Wednesday. Ash-Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It has its name from the ashes in which, as well as in sackcloth, the first Christians used to appear, when they were penitent, and wished to be again admitted into the 56 ASS Church, after they had been shut out from it on account of their sins. " Lent is a word meaning • the spring.' The season of Lent contains forty days, from Ash-Wednesday to Easter, exclusive of Sundays, which are never to be observed as fasts. The Jews fasted forty days before their passover. Our Sa- viour fasted forty days in the wilderness. We ought to humble ourselves before God, to repent of our sins, and to prepare for duly celebrating the festival of Easter, during the forty days of Lent ; when we should deny ourselves seme innocent indulgences, of which we are fond, that we may learn self denial in those which are guilty." Aspersion. Sprinkling, in the rite of baptism. See Im- mersion. Assistant Bishop. One who is consecrated in aid of a Bishop, who by sickness, or other infiimily, is disabled from the efficient discharge of his episcopal functions. Canon VI. of the General Convention, makes provision, that in such a case, "one Assistant Bishop may be elected by and for the said Diocese, who shall in all cases succeed the Bishop, in case of surviving him." The duties of an Assistant Bishop are such " as the Bishop shall assign him," except in the event of entire inability in the Bishop, in which case the As- sistant discharges all the ojSices belonging to the Episcopate. Assistant Minister. A Clergyman elected by the vestry of a parish, to relieve the Rector from a portion of the pastoral duty, when, through "infirmity, the extent of the parish, or any other impediment, such aid is judged expedient and neces- sary. An Assistant Minister in the American Church, may be regularly instituted into his office, in similar manner with the Rector. See the Form for Institution. Associated Rector. A Clergyman holding, with another, the joint pastoral charge and jurisdiction of a Church or par- ish. See the Form for Institution. Assumption of the Virgin Mary. A festival of the Romish AUD 57 Church, in honor of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary into heaven, which, we are given to understand, occurred in a miraculous manner, some years after her death. " On this day," says the Romanist, " we honor her happy death. * * * * We also commemorate her glorious assumption into heaven, where she is elevated above angels and archangels, with a special claim to our homages, and ardently desires to promote our real interests."* The following meditation is from a popular devotional book of the Romish Church, and is worth noting, as contain. ing more assumptions than one : — " Let us contemplate in this mystery, how the glorious Virgin, twelve years after the re- surrection of her Son, passed out of this \vorld unto him, and was hy him assumed into heaven, accompanied by the holy angels.." t Athanasian Creed. See Creed, Athanasian. " Audible voice." A voice loud enough to be distinctly heard by the congregation. In various places of the Liturgy, the rubrics enjoin that the Minister shall read or pronounce certain portions with an " audible voice," or "distinctly.'* In the English Prayer-book still more frequently, he is re- quired to read "with a loud \oice," There are three prin- cipal reasons for these requirements : — 1. The propriety of the thing itself. It is the desire and intention of the Church, that every part of the public service should be so performed as to interest and benefit the people. But this primary object would, in a great measure, be de- feated, if so low a tone of voice were used as to be inaudible to the mass of the congregation. This remark applies with peculiar force to the reading of the Lessons from scripture, and to the pronouncing of the Ten Commandments ; the ru- bric to which latter contains this direction — " Then shall the ' Metropolitan Catholic Almanac for 1838, p. 44. t Cluisliun's Guide to Heaven, p. 1G9. 58 AUDIBLE VOICE. Minister, turning to the people, rehearse distinctly ths Ten Commandments." 2. These requirements were intended to counteract and prevent the introduction into our services of a practice long prevalent in the Church of Rome, viz : that of performing the offices of public worship in a low or subdued tone, neither heard nor understood by the people. " These men," says Jewell, "lest the people should understand them, mumhle up their service, not only with a drowned and hollow voice, but also in a strange and barbarous tongue,"* alluding both to the use of the Latin language, and the unmeaning manner in which even that was uttered. 3. The immense size of Cathedrals and other ancient Churches in England, demanded a greater strength and dis- tinctness of voice in the officia^ting Clergyman, than would be necessary in Churches of more modern dimensions. This reason is evidently of a local character ; and being, for the most part, superseded by the convenient form and arrange- ments of the American Churches, many of the English ru- brics have accordingly been abridged in the American Prayer- book. The principle on which these requirements are grounded, extends not only to the Clergy, but also to the laity, who are expected to deliver their responses in an animated and audi- ble manner ; conforming to the custom of the purest ages of the primitive Church, rather than to the confused as well as unscriptural practice of the Church of Rome. In the order of Confirmation there is a special rubric de- serving of notice. The Bishop standing by the altar, asks the candidates whether they do, in the presence of God, renew the solemn promise and vow made at their baptism, &.c. To this question, the Church directs that " every one shall audi- hly answer, I do ;" that is, they shall not answer by making * Jewell's Apology, p 157— New-York edition. ATTG 59 a sign or gesture, or by a whisper, but in a tone of voice which all who are present may hear, especially the Bisnop, that he may be satisfied of the sincere intentions of those who come to him to be confirmed, and of their readiness to confess the faith of Christ crucified. The same remark will apply to the answers required to be given vocally by Sponsors in baptism, and also in the Order of Matrimony. The substitution, at such times, of a nod, an incoherent assent, or a vacant stare, which the Minister is expected to interpret to the best of his charity, must be felt by every Churchman to be not only highly indecent in itself, but disrespectful to the Church, painful to the Clergy- man, and altogether incongruous with the solemn obligations then assumed by the parties. St. Augustine, or, by abbreviation, St. Austin. One of the fathers of the Church, and Bishop of Hippo, in Africa. This celebrated father was born in Tagestum, A. D. 354. The early part of his life was spent in a thoughtless career of folly and dissipation, singularly contrasting with the eminent piety and distinguished zeal which followed his conversion to Christianity. Before this event, he had numbered himself with the Manicheans. The change in his religious views has been attributed to his investigation of St. Paul's Epistles, and to the influence of the preaching of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. Having been admitted to the priesthood a year or two after his conversion, he was consecrated Bishop A. D. 393, and became associated with Valerius, Bishop of Hippo, in the joint administration of that Diocese. " His talents, and ardent disposition, rather than any extraordinary degree of learning, brought him forward prominently in the religious disputes of his day." Among these, was the controversy with the Pelagians, into which Augustine entered with a warmth that " drove him into the contrary extreme, and his ignorance of the Greek language probably helping not a little, produced that system which, revived and set in its strongest 60 BAN light by Calvin, has derived its name from that reformer." A remark of St. Augustine from his 26th treatise on St. John, is quoted in the 29th Article of Religion, Auricular Confession. In the Romish Church, the con- fessing of sins in the ear of the priest, as at the ordinary confessional, &c. This practice has been justly reprobated by the Church, as unscriptural, unnecessary, and, except in the case of disclosures made on a death-bed, as leading to inevit- able abuse and dangerous evils. Instead of private confessions between the penitent and his spiritual guide, the Church has appointed a public form to be used on all occasions of di- vine service. Ave Maria. A form of devotion used in the Church of Rome, comprising the salutation addressed by the angel Ga- briel to the Virgin Mary. Luke i. 28. The words "Ave Maria," are the first two, in Latin, of the form as it appears in the manuals of the Romish Church, thus : — " Hail, Mary, (Ave, Maria,) full of grace, the Lord is with thee," &c. To which is appended the following petition : — ;" Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen." B. " Bands of those sins." This expression is found in the Collect for the 24th Sunday after Trinity. The condition of a-^inner is sometimes represented in scripture as similar to that of a person tied up, enchained, under bonds, or deprived of true liberty, as in the phrases," " bond of iniquity," Acts viii. 23 ; the " captivity ^^ of sin, Rom. vii. 23 ; " holden with the cords of his sins," Pro v. v. 22; also in the expressions " binding " and " loosing," equivalent to the retaining or for- giving of sins. BAP 61 In agreement with this figurative language, we pray, in the above Collect, that God would " absolve " his people from their offences, and deliver us ''from the bands (or bonds) of those sins which by our frailty we have committed." A similar idea runs in the words, "though we be tied and bound by the chain of our sins," &c., in one of the occasional prayers of the English Prayer-book. Bans of Matrimony. In various Dioceses of the Church, when a marriage is about to take place, it is made the duty of the minister to give public notice of it, thereby warning the congregation that if there be any sufficient reason known why the persons named should not be married, information of it should immediately be given. This is called " publishing the baiis^ The words appointed to be used are found at the beginning of the form of " Solemnization of Matrimony," as follows — " I publish the bans of Marriage between M. of . . . and N. of ... If any of you know cause or just impediment why fchese two persons should not be joined together in holy matrimony, ye are to declare it," This is read publicly on Sundays or Holy-days. The number of times depends on the civil laws and the custom of the Church. If read more than once, it is usual to add, " This is the first (or second, or third,) time of asking." Baptism. The Sacrament of Baptism was instituted by our Blessed Lord, as the ordinance by which persons might be admitted to membership in his Church, and to those bless- ings and privileges which are by Him annexed to such mem- bership. Initiation into any important society or confederacy, has o-enerally been accompanied by some significant rite. In the Jewish Church, circumcision was theappointed means through which m'embership was acquired. Into the Christian Church admission is obtained by the baptism of the candidate. So far as relates to the mere ceremony, baptism, in some of its 6 652 BAPTISM* forms, may claim nearly as high antiquity as circumcision ; for Scripture gives us several intimations of the existence of religions purifications by water, at periods very little later than the date of the covenant with Abraham. The element of water has, indeed, in all ages, and in all countries, been consecrated to what have been esteemed holy uses. As a symbol of purity, a remover of guilt, a strengthener of vir^ tue, and a divine safeguard, it has stood in high reputation among all nations. And, among Christians, it is neither superstition nor folly to regard the element of baptism as singularly appropriate in its nature, and highly emblematical in its use, of that spiritual purifying of the soul, brought about by the operation of God's Holy Spirit. To the question, What are the qualijicailons demanded in those who apply for baptism 1 the Church replies in her Catechism, " Repentance, whereby they forsake sin ; and Faith, whereby they steadfastly believe the promises of God made to them in that Sacrament." If it be objected that the baptismal forms of the Church seem too rigorous, and re- quire from candidates more than can reasonably be justified, it may be replied, that in a transaction of so serious a nature, none can be injured by a careful scrutiny of heart. And yet the Church very closely abides by the Scripture test ; for the sum of what she requires from the applicant, is but sincere penitence, and an open and firm confession of faith in Christ. She wisely addresses him as desirous, before sealing his vows, to lay before him the solemn demands of the Gospel. As if anxiously fearful of error, she rapidly sketches, (in her bap. tismal offices, the compass of his duty, to keep predominant in his mind the memorable saying, " If ye love me, ye will keep m.y commandments." But the whole amount is, in effect, simply the demand of Philip from the Ethiopian, " if thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest" be baptized. And the expectation of the Church is, in its spirit, satisfied with the eunuch's reply, " I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," BAPTISM. 63 The two questions which will here naturally arise, respect- ing the eligibility of infants for baptism, and the authority of the modes in which this !^acrament is administered, we shall consider at length under the heads, Infant Baptism, and Im. MERSioN, to which the reader is referred. The benefits or results of baptism may be thus stated : 1. An admission into the visible Church of Christ. By this is meant that persons in baptism become members of that divinely instituted society — members of the Church militant, hereafter to be translated, if faithful, to the Church triumphant. A moral change may or may not accompany this introduction to membership in the Church ; this, of course, will depend on personal character. The Church does not hold the offensive opinion, sometimes imputed to her, that baptism necessarily produces such a moral change as the Scriptures call "conversion." On the other hand, as there were good and bad fish in the net, grain and chaff on the threshing floor, tares and wheat in the field, so will there always be a corresponding diversity in the Church on earth. Simon Magus, and St. Paul, both received baptism, and con- sequently became members of Christ's Church ; but the one afterwards perished in his iniquity, while the other attained the crown of immortal life. 2. Baptism admits the recipient into a special covenant with God — a covenant which " he, for his part, will most surely keep and perform." But neither does this, by neces- sity, imply an entire moral change in the baptized ; for a co- venant may be entered into by a person who is wholly unfit to fulfil the obligations he has assumed. The loicked may thus take God's sacred covenant upon them, and by failure of duty, lose all those blessings which are promised to the obedient. 3. There is in this Sacrament a great and undoubted /noraZ e/ec< produced in all those who receive it "rightly.' The Catechism of the Church describes this as " a death unto 64 ' BAPTISM. sin, and a new birth unto righteousness : For being by nature born in sin, and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace." All this is predicated on the exist- ence of repentance and faith, in the recipient. And as these have been most solemnly avowed by the candidate, the Church is authorized in the language she uses ; having no right, ex - cept in the most flagrant cases of hypocrisy, to question the veracity and honesty of those who appear at her fonts. But without these dispositions of mind, (understanding them as evidences of the working of God's grace,) the above con- sequences, so far as they imply a moral effect, cannot accom- pany baptism. The dignified views, however, which are maintained by the Church respecting baptism, as given above, are fully borne out by the express words of Scripture, which annex to baptism, rightly received, the pardon of sin. Thus Peter exhorted the penitent multitude to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, " for the remission of sins. ^^ And St. Paul, after his conversion, was thus addressed by Ananias, " Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins.^"* Other passages are not wanting of the same import, but always in connection with the existence of right dispositions of heart. To this it is almost needless to add, that the full pardon of sin implies, or is accompanied with, a restoration to the favor of God — the grant of his Holy Spirit, and the promise of final reward as the consummation of obedience. See also Txfant Baptism. 4. Baptism is a mean and pledge of grace. So far as the former is concerned, it is undeniable that by this sacrament " we are made the children of grace,""^ and become entitled to the privileges annexed to such a state. Consequently, bap. tism, the medium of communication, is eminently a mean of grace. It is also a pledge of grace, because its divine Insti. tutor has endowed it with assurances and promises, of the certain fulfilment of which it would be impiety to doubt. The Church has provided three Baptismal offices, agreeing BAR 65 in doctrine, and in all essential features. The first is for the public baptism of infants ; the second for the same, in pri- vate ; and the third for persons of riper years. For further information respecting the language and pecu- liarities of our baptismal services. See the articles. Certify- iNG, Cross, Hypothetical, Member, Regeneration, and Sponsors. Baptismal font. See Font. Baptistery. In the ancient Church, a building containing the font, dec, for the administration of baptism. See Font. St. Barnabas' day. This Apostle was born in the island of Cyprus, and was descended from parents of the house of Levi. He became a student of the Jewish law, under Ga- maliel, who was also the instructor of Paul. Barnabas was one of those " who freely gave up his worldly goods into the common stock, which was voluntarily formed by the earliest converts to Christianity. After the conversion of St. Paul, St. Barnabas had the distinguished honor of intro- ducing him into the society of the Apostles ; and was after- wards his fellow-laborer in many places, especially at An- tioch, where the name of Christian was first assumed by the followers of Jesus. There are no accounts of St. Bar. nabas after he left St. Paul ; nor any of his writings pre- served, except an epistle, never received into the canon af Scripture." St. Bartholomew's day. The day appointed for the com- memoration of this Apostle. In the catalogue of the Apostles, which is given by the first three of the Evangelists, Bar- tholomew makes one of the number. "St. John, however, not mentioning him, and recording several things of another disciple, whom he calls Nathanael, and who is not named by the other Evangelists, has occa- sioned many to be of the opinion, that Bartholomew and Nathanael were the same person." St. Bartholomew is said to have preached the gospel in 6* 66 BEN the greater Armenia, and to have converted the Lycaonians to Christianity. It is also certain that he carried the gospel into India ; and as there is no record of his return, it is not improbable that he suffered martyrdom in that country. St. Bart's day. An abbreviation of St. Bartholomew's DAY, which See. Benedic anima mea. The first words, in Latin, of a hymn appointed to be said or sung after the second Lesson in the evening service. For the sake of variety, the Church has appointed two hymns after each Lesson, one of which is always chanted, or read alternately by the minister and people. The hymn before us, and its substitute, the " Deus miserea- iUTy'^ are taken from the Book of Psalms ; and, as we have immediately before been attending to the reading of God's holy word, we are now required to stand up, and join in these songs of praise, to testify our thankfulness to God, for his blessed gospel, and for having instructed us in the way to final happiness. Benedicite, or Song of the three Children. The title of one of the hymns after the first Lesson in the Morning service. It may be used instead of the Te Deum, which stands imme- diately before it. This hymn is taken from the Apocrypha, and is therefore not read as a portion of holy scripture, but as a venerable and pious composition, accordant with the sentiments of inspired writ, and the feelings of every devotional mind. It is called the iSoTi^ of the Three Children, because it was supposed to have been sung by the three young Hebrews who were cast into the fiery furnace by order of Nebuchadnezzar.* In the first Prayer-book of Edward VI. the Benedicite was appointed to be used during the season of Lent, and the Te * Daniel, iii. BEN 67 Dcum through the remainder of the year. This restriction does not now exist, the two hymns being interchangeable. In the Enghsh Prayer-book the last verse of the Benedi- cite appears thus : — " O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord : praise him and magnify him for ever." This has been omitted in the American editions, probably on the ground of its containing an invocation or appeal to departed spirits. Benediction. A solemn act of blessing performed by the Bishops and Priests of the Church. In the Jewish Church, the priests, by the command of God, were to bless the people, by saying, " The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." * In the Episcopal Church, several forms of blessing are used, agreeing with the particular office of which they form a part. The ordinary benediction at the close of divine ser- vice, is quoted from the end of the Communion Office, in these words : — ^" The peace of God, which passeth all under- standing, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord : and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you always." The former part of this is taken from Philippians iv. 7, and the latter may be considered as " a Christian paraphrase upon Num. vi. 24," &:c. Other forms of blessing, or modifications of the above, may be found in the Offices for Confirmation, Matrimony, the Visitation of the Sick, Visitation of Prisoners, and the Office of Institution. Benedictus. The Latin for " Blessed," which is the first * Numbers vi. 24. 25, 26. 68 BID word in one of the hymns to be ^aid or sung after the second Lesson in the Morning Service of the Church. The Benedictus is taken from Luke i. from the 68th to the 72d verse, being part of the song of Zacliarias the priest, concerning his son John the Baptist, who was to be the fore- runner of Christ, but was then only in his infancy. The hymn also relates in part to our Blessed Lord himself, for Zacharias blessed God that he had " raised up an horn of salvation for us, in the house of his servant David." This evidently refers to Jesus Christ, who, in his human nature, descended from the family or house of David. Benefice. In England, an ecclesiastical living, church, or pastoral charge. Bidding of Prayer. The ancient custom of announcing to the people the subjects for which their prayers were re- quired. This generally took place immediately before the sermon. The preacher having already taken his station, and named his text, (as Bishop Burnett tells us,) proceeded to call the people to their devotions, bidding them to pray for the King, the Pope, the Bishop, &c., &;c. " After which, all the people said their beads in a general silence, and the minister kneeled down likewise, and said his : they were to say a Pater noster, Ave Maria, &c., and then the sermon pro- ceeded." The distinction between actual praying, and the mere bid- ding of prayer, is a plain one. For example : In our Com- munion Office, the minister is directed to say, " Let us pray for the whole state of Chrisfs Church militant J^ This is, in fact, lidding the congregation to pray for that object ; the prayer itself follows after, according to the form prescribed. Again : in the Ordering of Priests, the Bishop having prayed for "strength and power" to be given to the candidates, to perform the obligations about to be assumed by them, desires the congregation {bids them) " secretly in their prayers, to make their humble supplications to God /or all these things.^^ BIS 69 The same thing occurs in the consecration of Bishops, and in the Baptisnnal Offices, and whenever the Minister announces the request of prayers for persons afflicted, &c., &c. BiRTH-DAYS. In the ancient Church, this term, in its ap- plication to martyrs, and the festivals in honor of them, ex- pressed the day on which they suffered death, or were born pinto the glory and happiness of the kingdom above. In this sense it stood distinct from the time of their natural birth into the world, which was considered as an event so inferior, that its ordinaiy designation was merged in that of a translation to the joys of a better world. " When ye hear of a hirtli-day of saints, brethren," says Peter Chrysologus, " do not think that that is spoken of, in which they are born on earth, of the flesh, but (that in which they are born) from earth into heaven, from labor to rest, from temptations to repose, from torments to delights, not fluctuating, but strong, and stable, and eternal, from the derision of the world to a crown and glory. Such are the birth-days of the martyrs that we celebrate." Bishop. From the Saxon, hiscojj. The designation of those who occupy the highest grade of the Christian Ministry. As we have already treated of the origin and nature of this order under the head of Apostle, (to which the reader is re- ferred,) it is unnecessary to go again over the same ground, except by way of recapitulation. The office to which the name of Bishop has for many cen- turies been appropriated, is identical with that, which in the New Testament bears the style of Apostle. It is clear that the Apostles were to have successors, and that some of those successors were to possess and to exercise those ecclesiastical endowments which were held by their ordainers. We say ecclesiastical endowments, as distinguished from miraculous powers; for these latter were not distinctive of the ministry, being often conferred on the laity, while the former embrace every essential feature of the clerical office. To these suc- cessors, then, the Apostles or first Bishops committed either 70 BISHOP. the whole or a part of their official powers, as the case might he. And it is in reference to this fact, that not only Bishops but presbyters and deacons are said to be successors of the Apostles, the two inferior orders inheriting a portion of that spiritual authority, which is enjoyed in full only by the Bishop. More appropriately, however, the term successor belongs only to the Bishop, inasmuch as he alone possesses the entire powers of the ministry, as committed originally to the Apostles, and in this sense we shall here use the word. If then, Bishops are the true successors of the Apostles, the question may very naturally be asked, Why are they distinguished by their present title? or, if they enjoy the ministerial authority of the Apostles, why not their name also ? To this we reply, that the New Testament is evi- dence that at first, the name and the office were linked together, as appears in the case of several who received the full episcopal authority from the primitive Apostles. And there is some evidence that this continued for a time to be the custom of the Church, but was finally changed, out of respect to those who had received their commission directly from the Head of the Church. This we learn from Theodo- ret, who says, that " those who are now called Bishops, were [anciently] called Apostles. But, shortly after, the name of Apostles was appropriated to such only as were Apostles in- deed ; and then the name Bishop was given to those who before were called Apostles." And the author, under the name of Ambrose, declares that " they who are now called Bishops were originally called Apostles ; but the holy Apos- tles being dead, they who were ordained after them to govern the Churches, could not arrive to the excellency of those first ; nor had they the testimony of miracles, but were in many other respects inferior to them. Therefore they thought it not decent to assume to themselves the name of Apostles ; BISHOP. 71 but dividing the names, they left to presbyters the name of the presbytery, and they themselves were called Bishops." * From this it is evident that the change of name was not the change of office. But as the opponents of Episcopacy have frequently availed themselves of a supposed argument arising from the fact that in the New Testament, Bishops were not superior to presbyters or elders, (overlooking altogether the superior grade of Apostles, which was the true original of our Bishops,) it may not be useless to state that, in the New Testament, the names of the three orders of the Ministry stand thus, viz : 1st Order, Apostle. 2d Order, Bishop, Presbyter, or Elder. 3d Order, Deacon. Here it will be seen that the name of Bishop belonged to those who filled not ihefrst but the second rank of the min- istry. But, for the reasons above stated, the Church, while she still retained the three distinct orders unchanged, at a very early period made a slight alteration in the titles, by the disuse of the term Apostle, and the substitution for it of that of Bishop, which, after this, continued no longer to be the designation of the second rank of the Ministry. Under this modification, which still exists, the names stand thus, viz : 1st Order, Bishop, (formerly Apostle.) 2d Order, Presbyter or Elder. 3d Order, Deacon. From this simple explanation may be seen the futility and the unfairness of any argument against Episcopacy, derived from the fact that New Testament Bishops and Presbyters were of the same order. A candid mind will at once decide, that if the Scriptural use of the titles be adopted at all, it should be adopted in full ; and then, while presbyters would ♦ Quoted by Bingham, I. p. 51. 72 BISHOP. take the name also of Bishops, Bishops would be equally en- titled to that of Apostles. Still, fest it might be thought that the adoption of a lower name indicated a withdrawal of some portion of the dignity or prerogatives of the office, it will not be out of place to remark that, in the primitive Church, the Bishops were sur- rounded with an array of additional titles, which leave no room for such a supposition. Among these were Principes Ecclesise, Princes of the Church, Principes Sacerdotum, Princes of the Clergy-. Summi Sacerdotes, High Priests. Pontifices Maximi, Chief Priests. Prsepositi, Presidents of the Church. Patres Patrum, Fathers of fathers. Patriarchs. Angels of the Churches. These titles, and many others equally strong, which were given 07ily to the Bishops, imply a full recognition of the high powers of the Apostolate, as existing in these direct suc- cessors of the original Prelates or Apostles of the New Tes- tament. The introduction and use of such exalted titles can be accounted for in no other way, unless we suppose that be- fore the Apostles were cold in their graves, the whole Chris- tian world had become afflicted with lunacy. Another proof of the eminent and apostolic rank of Bish- ops, arises from the fact that early writers have been careful to record the ecclesiastical genealogy or succession of these men, in several of the principal Churches. Thus we have catalogues of the Bishops of Rome, Jerusalem, Antioch, (fee, though it does not appear that the presbyters and deacons of those Churches were honored with any similar notice. The primitive Bishops, like the Apostles, were on a perfect equality in respect to their spiritual powers. Distinctions, it is true, took place at an early period, grounded on the relative importance and civil rank of the various cities and dioceses BISHOP. 73 in which they presided, and also from other considerations of expediency and convenience in the administration of disci- pline, &c., in the larger divisions of the Church. Hence the titles and offices of Patriarchs, Primates, Metropolitans, Arch- bishops, Chorepiscopi, and SiifFragans, in all which there was but one and the self-same order of the Ministry, though mani- festing itself in so many '• differences of administration " and "diversities of operation." To substantiate this, it is only necessary to recur to the distinctive functions of the Episco- pate, which were those of ordination, confirmation and juria- diction. As it respects the first two, there was not the slightest difference between the validity and true efficacy of the acts of a Patriarch, and those of the humblest Bishop in his province. Neither was the proper spiritual jurisdiction of a diocese diminished, by the responsibility of its Bishop to one whom the Church had placed in the Metropolitan chair. The spiritual powers of a Bishop can never be changed without the consent of the Head of the Church ; but, while these are preserved in their full integrity, the Church itself may, if need be, establish modes and appoint peculiar officers for the more efficient administration of her discipline ; and such arrange- ments being grounded solely on human enactment, may be continued or suspended by the same authority which origin- ated them, just as the position and welfare of the Church may render them expedient or superfluous. In the American Church, the Bishops are all of equal au- thority, each ruling his own diocese, independent of the con- trol of an ecclesiastical superior. To one common Liturgy, Constitution, and body of General Canons, all are bound to conform according to primitive practice ; but no Bishop is amenable to any central authority, other than that of the Church itself, or a body of his peers. The peculiar duties assigned to the " Senior Bishop," or the oldest in the order of consecration, do not form an ex- ception to this rule, his jurisdiction extending no further than 7 74 BISHOP. his own diocese, and no Bishop being accountable to him as a superior or general overseer. See Senior Bishop. Our Jhurch has, therefore, no office precisely corresponding with that of an Archbishop ; neither, on the other hand, has the system of Suffragan Bishops been allowed by the Canons. Midway between these, all our Bishops stand on the indepen- dent and firm ground of apostolic precedent and usage, each invested with the plenary power of jurisdiction within his own diocese, and not subject (except in the case of assistants) to the direct supervision of others, nor authorized to assume such a supervision over them. The only peculiarities exhibited by the Episcopacy of this Church, are those of Assistants and Missionary Bishops. Of the former we have already spoken under the appropriate head, and refer the reader further to the article Suffragan, where a distinction of some importance will be pointed out. Missionary Bishops are those who are sent to exercise Episcopal functions in states and territories not organized as dioceses. Before the General Convention of 1835, our Missions had invariably been committed to the care of pres- byters and deacons, and consequently, in remote districts, the ministerial order of the Church was always presented in the imperfect shape of a body deprived of its head. Besides this, there were other difficulties flowing from the want of the proper officer to administer confirmation, &c., — to watch over and encourage the resident clerg}', and to go forth like the Apostles of old, and with their authority, to lay strong and deep the first foundations of the Christian Church. To meet this exigency, the 2d Canon of 1835 was passed, which pro- vides that Bishops may be consecrated for this service, on nomination by the House of Bishops, and election by the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies ; such Bishops to " ex- ercise episcopal functions in such states and territories as the House of Bishops may prescribe." By the same Canon it is ordered that " each Missionary Bishop shall have jurisdiction BISHOP. 75 over the Clergy in the district assigned him." Missionary Bishops may also be consecrated for foreign parts under cer- tain regulations prescribed in the Canon ; and all Missionary Bishops are entitled to a seat in the House of Bishops, — are eligible for election to any vacant diocese in this Church, and are required to report their proceedings to each General Convention, and also annually, at least, to the Board of Missions. The mode of proceeding in the election of a Diocesan Bishop, in all cases where there is a sufficient number of offi- ciating presbyters to entitle the Diocese to a Bishop, is regu- lated and determined by the Canons of the Diocese electing him. But in a Diocese where there is not the canonical num- ber of presbyters, a Bishop may be obtained by a vote of its Convention, requesting " the General Convention to elect a Bishop for the same." In which case, the House of Bishops nominate a person for the office, and on the concurrence of the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, he may be con- secrated. The 3d Section of Canon I. of 1835, ordains that " To entitle a Diocese to the choice of a Bishop, by the Conven- tion thereof, there must be, at the time of such choice, and have been during the year previous, at least six officiating presbyters therein regularly settled, in a parish or church, and qualified to vote for a Bishop ; and six or more parishes re- presented in the Convention electing." Translations, or direct removals of Bishops from the charge of one Diocese to that of another, have not been sanctioned by the Canons of the American Church. See Transla- TION. The resignation of a Diocese by its Bishop, is allowed in this Church, but only under the restrictions imposed by the 32d Canon of the General Convention. Respecting Episcopal Visitations, See Visitation Epis- copal. 76 BOT Bishopric. A Diocese, or that portion of the Church over which a Bishop's power of jurisdiction extends. Also, the office or prerogatives of a Bishop, equivalent to the Episcopate. This seems to be the sense in Acts i. 20 : — " his Bishopric, [that of Judas,] let another take." The marginal reading is, " Overseer^s office,''^ which is all it could mean at that time — Dioceses proper not being then in exist- ence. Blessed Virgin. The title of " Blessed," is given on the authority of scripture, to the mother of our Lord : — " Hail, thou art highly favored, the Lord is with thee : Messed art thou among women."* In the song of the Virgin, also, oc- curs the expression : — " Behold, from henceforth all genera- tions shall call me hlessed.''^-\ In the use of this term, the Church has therefore a sufficient guaranty to I'elieve her from the slightest charge of superstition. Says Latimer : — " Marj^ was a blessed woman, and yet not such as should be worship- ped.":}: Undoubtedly: and wisely has the Church repudi- ated all such worship, and all invocations and other forms which might lead to it, by presenting to us a Liturgy free from those excrescences, and yet respectful enough to the Virgin Mary, to number us with those generations which shall call her blessed. Blessing. See Benediction. BoNUM est. The first words, in Latin, of one of the hymns in the Evening Service, beginning : — " It is a good thing," &c. This hymn, or the longer one which precedes it, called '^ Cantate Doniino," is appointed to be read or chanted after the conclusion of the first Lesson. "Both kinds." This expression is found in one of the rubrics of the Communion service. It is a technical or scho- lastic phrase, meaning that at the reception of the Holy Com. munion, both the bread and wine should be given to the lay * Luke i. 28. t Ibid. i. 48. t Sermon on the Birth of Christ^ BOW ^^ communicants. The allusion is to the custom of the Romish Church, of withholding the wine from the laity, who are thus said to communicate in only one kind, while in Protestant Churches both the elements are given, and the communicants are said to receive in ''hoth kinds." See the rubric in the Communion Office, immediately preceding the delivery of the elements, and also Article XXX. Bowing at the name q/" Jesus. It is a significant and long established custom of the Church, to make some external mark of reverence at the occurrence of the name of Jesus in the services of the sanctuary. Whether this took its rise from a literal understanding of the w)rds of St. Paul, that " at the name of Jesus every knee should bow," &c. or from the reasonableness of the thing itself, or as a strong and pal- pable check against heresy respecting our Lord's divinity, it is at this distance of time impossible to say. Perhaps all these motives had an influence in the establishment of the custom. The usual form of obeisance adopted, is that of bowing the head ; and in the eighteenth Canon of the Church of England, external obeisance is made obligatory not only in the Creed, but in other parts of the service where the name of Jesus oc- curs. The grounds on which it is placed will be seen in the following extract from the Canon : — " When in time of di- vine service the Lord Jesus shall be mentioned, due and lowly reverence shall be done by all persons present, as it has been accustomed ; testifying by these outward ceremonies and gestures their inward humility, Christian resolution, and due acknowledgment that the Lord Jesus Christ, the true eternal Son of God, is the only Saviour of the world, in whom alone all the mercies, graces, and promises of God to man- kind for this life, and the life to come, are fully and wholly comprised." No heresy can be more dangerous and destructive of the 90uls of men, than that of a denial of the essential divinity of 7* 78 BEE the Son of God. And in proportion to the danger, has been the care of the Church to make her children strong in the faith, and ever watchful against the intrusion of this deadly error. Hence the powerful and striking language employed in all her Creeds, in asserting the cardinal point of every Christian man's belief; and the constant and undeviating proclamation of it in every part of the Liturgy, especially in the frequent occurrence of the Gloria Patri. The same bene- ficial tendency must be ascribed to the act of obeisance we are considering ; which, though not resting on canonical au- thority in the American Church, is yet a custom too closely linked with important fact to be hastily thrown aside, or ac- counted a mere ceremony. It is a perilous matter, hints a writer, to abrogate a custom which nourishes the germ of a living doctrine. This is serious truth ; and it may be safely predicted, that if the plague of Socinianism shall ever cross the threshold of the Church, it will not date its triumphs from the pulpit, but from the gradual disuse of the doxologies, the invocations, and the ascriptions of honor to Christ, in that nobler barrier of the Church — the Liturgy. In the fore-front of these stands that act of obeisance, which the Church has long and universally rendered to her Divine Head. We only ask those who neglect it, can they tell " whereunto this may grow?" BoY-BisHOP. (Episcopus puerorum.) In the ancient Church, this appellation was given to one of the boys of the choir, who, at the time of the celebration of certain feasts, assumed the garments of a Bishop, and in them ludicrously exercised among his companions episcopal jurisdiction. His office lasted about a month, and if he died in. its execution, he was buried in pontijicalibus* Breviary. A book containing the daily service and forms of the Romish Church. * Laws relating to the Clergy. BlTRIAL SERVICE. 79 Burial service. This rich and affecting portion of our ritual, has long been considered as an evidence of the admi- rable judgment which tempered the minds of the reformers of the Church of England. Some slight alterations have been made in the American editions, by the revisal or omission of a few expressions liable to misconstruction, but nothing to efface or diminish the sweet serenity and holy feeling which pervade the entire office. Tlie Protestant Episcopal Church, in her burial service, looks solely to the benefit of the living, and in this respect dif- fers widely from those Churches whose funeral offices con- template some beneficial result to the departed spirit. Hence the entire absence of prayers for the dead, and those super- stitious ceremonies which abound in the ritual of the Church of Rome, &c., the greater part of which are as useless to the living as they are unprofitable to the dead. Even should we place the burial service on the low ground of a mere testi- mony of respect to our deceased friends, it is still an influen- tial lesson for those who survive, by encouraging them to imi- tate the virtues they are so afl^ectingly called to revere. Religious solemnities at funerals can never be lightly es- teemed by those who reflect on the destiny of the human body. That body is the handiwork of God, and will one day be raised, to renew a life not of months and years, but of immortality Uke that of the angels of heaven. Among all the usages of the Church, there is none which takes us so near to the brink of eternity as this ; which opens so vast a range of meditation on futurity ; and which gives a more healthful tone to a mind too apt to be cankered with this world's pursuits. All Christian nations have felt this, and hence have arisen the rites which always accompany sepul- ture in every part of Christendom. The rubric at the head of the Order for Burial, expressly forbids the use of this service " for any unbaptized adults, any who die excommunicate, or who have laid violent hands upon 80 BURIAL SERVICE. themselves." And in the General Convention of 1808, it was declared that the office ought not to be used, in the case of any person who shall give or accept a challenge to a duel. This resolution was modified by the General Convention of 1811, to admit the performance of this service, when such persons have afterwards exhibited evidences of sincere repentance. The key to the rubric, is the simple fact that the Burial Service is framed to meet the condition of those only who die in the communion of the Church. Hence, 1st, It is wholly improper in the case of those who have never entered her pale by the sacrament of Baptism. On these the Church passes no sentence, leaving that for the Judge of all men ; but yet " cannot properly use an office at their funeral, which all along supposes the person that is buried, to have died in her communion." * The same remark will apply, 2d, to those who have been excommunicated, or publicly rejected from the communion of the Church. These are " denied Christian burial also, with the intent of bringing the excom- municated to seek their absolution, and the Church's peace for their soul's health, ere they leave this world." f And 3d, suicides are denied the same office, " and for very great reason : namely, to terrify all from committing so detestable and desperate a sin, as is the wilful destroying of God's image, the casting away of their own souls, as well as their opportunities of repentance : the Church hereby declaring, that she hath little hope of their salvation, who die in an act of the greatest wickedness, which they can never repent of, after it be committed." f In the Burial service in the English Prayer-book, objec- tions have been made against certain phrases in the two final prayers, as implying too strong a confidence in the salvation of the deceased, to be used with safety on all occasions. * Whcatly. t Dean Comber. CAL 81 These expre55sions heve been vindicated by the English ritualists ; but in the American revisal are rejected alto. gether, or so changed as to remove all objection. In the first book of King Edward, it was ordered by rubric, that the Priest should appear at funerals in his Siirplice. Calendar. A methodical distribution of time throughout the year, into months, weeks, and days. The Calendar in the Prayer-book is a list of all the days in the year, with the appropriate titles of all the immoveable feasts, i. e. such as occur on certain fixed days. In connection with the Calendar, the Church sets forth her course of Scrip- ture lessons, for the various days, in columns parallel with the Calendar. Of these, strictly speaking, the list of days alone constitutes the Calendar ; hence the running title in the English and some American Prayer-books, viz : " The Cal- endar, with the Table of Lessons ; '* but by popular usage, the list of daily lessons is now embraced under the same general title of Calendar. The chief object of the Calendar is that of prescribing the lessons of Scripture to be used in public service on each ordinary day of the year ; and the nccessit)' and usefulness of these tables will be appreciated, when it is recollected that the Church service was originally designed for daily use, and not merely for Sundays and holy days. In the American Prayer-book the Calendar consists of seven columns. In the first is given the day of the month. The second contains the first seven letters of the alphabet affixed to the days of the week, of which we shall speak more at length in another place. See Sunday letter. In the third 82 CAN column, are the names of the immoveable feasts. The next two columns give the references for the first and second lessons of morning prayer, and the last two those for evening prayer. It will be observed, that in the columns of lessons there are vacancies opposite to all the days designated as holy days. Sometimes the omission is oi all the lessons of morn- ing and evening prayer ; at other times, of only the first lessons. In such cases, the proper lessons will be found in the table for holy days, immediately preceding the Calendar, which, in connection with the Calendar, gives the full allot- ment of lessons for each of those days. Before the Calendar, is placed a " Table of Lessons for Sundays," which takes precedence of the lessons appointed in the former for the days of the month on which any of those Sundays may fall. Thus, if the 10th of June should be an ordinary day of the week, the lessons for that day would be found, by consulting the Calendar, opposite to that date. But if otherwise, (i. e. if the 10th of June were a Sunday,) the Calendar lessons would not be used, but those prescribed for that particular Sunday in the appointed table. The same order is followed in relation to the other holy days, for which special provision is made in the " Table of Lessons for Holy Da^-s." These always take precedence of the current les- sons in the Calendar. The views of the Church in the appointment of occasional lessons from the Apocrypha, will be found by a reference to the article under that head. Candidate. In the Church, one who is in a state of pre- paration for the Ministry, or for any public act or office of a religious nature. Candidates for Baptism^ when adults, are required to give timely notice to the Minister ; " that so due care may be taken for their examination, whether they be sufficiently in- structed in the principles of the Christian religion ; and that CAN 83 they may be exhorted to prepare themselves with prayers and fastings for the receiving of this Holy Sacrament." Candidates for Confirmation, are expected diligently to prosecute their preparatory religious exercises, under the direction and care of their pastor, seeking earnestly for those holy dispositions and solemn purposes for the future, to which the minister must look as evidence that they are " fit to be presented to the Bishop to be confirmed." Candidates for the Holy Communion, having been made members of the Church by baptism, are required either to be confirmed, or to be " ready and desirous to be confirmed," previously to their admission to the altar. And the pastor is also empowered by virtue of his office, to reject all such as come within the description of unworthy applicants, as given in the Rubrics at the head of the Communion Office. Candidates for Holy Orders, are a class of persons for whose conduct and regulation certain Canons are set forth by the Church. These relate to various points connected with moral and religious character, — literary attainments, — attach- ment to the Church, — term of study, — proceedings in view of ordination, &;c. &c. ; for full information on which the reader will consult Canons IX. X. XI. and XII. of the General Convention. See also Lay Reader. Candlemas day. A name formerly given to the festival of the Purification of the Virgin Mary. In the ancient Church, this day was remarkable for the number of light- ed candles, which were borne about in processions, and placed in churches, in memory of Him who came to be " a light to lighten the Gentiles," and the glory of his people Israel. From this custom the name is supposed to be derived. Canon. A word of very extensive signification in the language of the Church, but always carrying more or less, the sense of the original Greek, xavwv, a rule or measure^ The following are instances of the various appUcations of the word in the ancient and modern Church. 84 CANON. 1. The roil or catalogue of the Clergy. Hence all those who were enrolled were anciently called Canonici,* The sixteenth Canon of the Council of Nice begins thus : — " Whatever Priests or Deacons, or whoever are listed in the Canon, do rashly * * * * remove from the Church," &c. And in the 2d Canon of Antioch we have a still better ex- ample. "If any Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, or other who belongs to the Canon, communicate with one excommu- nicated, he also shall be excommunicated, as confounding the Canon of the Church." 2. The Creed. So called in the ancient Church, from its being the authorized standard, or rule of the orthodox faith. 3. That part of the Communion Office, including the con> secration of the Elements, which was fixed and invariable ; differing in this respect from other portions of the Liturgy, which might be changed by the proper ecclesiastical authorities. 4. A certain tax or tribute exacted in the ancient Church, of men, " for their lands and possessions." f 5. The authorized list or catalogue of the books of Holy Scripture. 6. A law or ordinance of the Church, enacted by a Coun- cil or other ecclesiastical body. In this sense the term is now commonly used. See Canons of the Church. 7. In the Church of England, a clergyman who receives a prebend or stipend, for the performance of divine service in a cathedral or collegiate Church. " Originally, Canons were only priests, or inferior ecclesiastics, who lived in the com- munity, residing near the cathedral Church, to assist the bishop, depending entirely on his will, supported by the revenues of his bishopric, and living in the same house as his domestics or counsellors, &c. By degrees, these commu- nities of priests, shaking off their dependence, formed sepa- ♦ Bingham, I. 37. t Ibid. 441. CAN 86 rate bodies ; in time they freed themselves from their rules, and at length ceased to live in a community." Canons of the Church. The laws or ordinances by which the discipline and government of the Church is maintained. In the American Church these are of two kinds : — 1st. The Canons of the General Convention, which have force through- out all the Dioceses of this Church in the United States. 2d. Diocesan Canons, the obligation of which extends only to the particular Diocese in which they are enacted. The design of the General Canons is, to ensure to the ivhole Church, the blessings of unity, peace, and concord, the attainment of which would be worse than problematical, without the adoption of some broader system of legislation than that of individual Dioceses in their own separate Con- ventions. The particular or Diocesan Canons, on the other hand, are framed by the Conventions of the several Dioceses, and sup- ply rules and forms of proceeding, adapted to the circum- stances and wants of the portions of the Church for which they are designed, including regulations for those subordinate acts of discipline, &c. which, from the nature of the case, do not fall within the province of the General Convention to determine. Canon of Scripture. The term Canon, or Rule, has, from the earliest times, been employed to designate the exact list, or catalogue, of the inspired writings. In a stricter sense, it denotes the Scriptures themselves, as constituting the deter- minate and only rule of a Christian's faith and practice. Hence they were often spoken of collectively, as " the Canon of truth," — "the true Evangelical Canon," — or, "the Eccle- siastical Canon ; " and such books as were (^ivinely inspired, bore the name of canonical, or were said to have been re- ceived into the sacred Canon. In Article VI. the Church declares, in the first place, the "sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation," and then 8 86 CAN srets forth "the names and numbers of the Canonical Books." One leading object of this definition was to counteract the er- ror of the Church of Rome on these points. The Romanists contend that " the books of the New Testament do not con- tain the whole rule of a Christian's faith and practice ; they believe that the Apostles orally delivered many doctrines and precepts of the highest importance to our eternal happiness, which are not contained in the New Testament ; and they fui'ther believe, that these doctrines and precepts have been faithfully transmitted to the present times, and there is an in- fallible authority, vested by Christ in his Church, to judge of their correctness, and to distinguish those which are true from those which are false. On the contrary, we of the Church of England affirm, that the Scriptures contain a com- plete rule of faith and practice ; and we reject every doc- trine and precept, as essential to salvation, or to be obeyed as divine, which is not supported by their authority." * As the Romanists also contend for the canonical authority of most of the Apocryphal Books, and ratify this by the deter- mination of the Council of Trent, the latter portion of the Ar- ticle sets forth the limits of the Canon, and the views of the Church relative to the "other Books called Apocryphal." Canonical. According to the Canon. Thus, the Epis- tles of St. Paul are called Canonical Booksy because they are found in the Canon of Scripture, or in the list of sacred books forming the Bible. The word refers, also, to such things as are done agreeably to the Canons of the Church. For example ; — if the Bishop of Virginia or of Kentucky should in those States admin- ister ordination or confirmation, it would be right and canon, ical, because to them is committed the spiritual jurisdiction of those States or Dioceses ; but if they should perform the same acts in New- York or Pennsylvania, &c. without per- Bishop Tomline. CAN 87 mission from the Ecclesiastical authority there, it would be uncanonical, because directly contrary to the Canons or laws of the Church. Canonical hours. Certain portions of time set apart for the performance of Divine offices, &c. Thus in England, marriage cannot be legally solemnized in the Church, except between the hours of eight and twelve in the morning. Canonical residence. A term indicating that connexion of a clergyman, or candidate for orders, with a diocese and its Bishop, or ecclesiastical authority, or with a Mis- sionary Bishop, by which he becomes responsible or amena- ble to such superior authority for his ministerial acts and moral character. Canonical residence has no necessary connection with actual residence, but simply means canoni- cal or diocesan responsibility. Thus, a clergyman may be actually a resident in one diocese, while he is canonically resident in another, a thing of every-day occurrence, and yet, not affecting the relation subsisting between such clergy- man and his ecclesiastical superior. A clergyman desiring to change his canonical residence, is required to lay before the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese in which he desires to reside, a testimonial of his standing and character, and of his wish to be transferred, from the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese in which he has last resided ; and on the presentation of such testi- monial, (or dimissory letter,) the Bishop or ecclesiastical authority to whom it is addressed, may receive him under his or their jurisdiction. A letter of dismission does not affect the canonical resi- dence of the minister receiving it, until he shall be received into some other Diocese by the Bishop or ecclesiastical au- thority thereof. Canonization. In the Romish Church, the ceremony or act of enrolling a deceased person in the list of saints. Cantate Domino. (" O sing unto the Lord.") One of 88 CANTATE DOMINO. the inspired anthems to be said or sung after the first lesson at Evening Prayer. Universal testimony, both Jewish and Christian, has long ago decided that this Psalm is prophetical of the Messiah, and the triumphs of his kingdom. And there is in it, a strain of such noble rejoicing, connected with so clear a statement of particulars applicable only, to the Christian dispensation, that every one must see the prO- priety with which it is interwoven in the daily services of the Church. It is a song eminently evangelical. "Jesus is adored in the victories of his redemption, and the Church is called upon to sing aloud in the triumphs of his grace." In the opening of this Psalm the reasons are stated for this exuhing song. "He hath done marvellous things." The Actor is the Redeemer of men. He hath done it. " I have trodden the wine-press alone." And, more than this, "he hath gotten himself the victory." Who were the foes Christ defeated? Did sin oppose him? He "finished transgres- sion, and made an end of sin." Did the Prince of darkness assail him? "For this purpose the Son of God was mani- fested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." Did death withstand him ? He replies, " O death ! I will be thy plagues. O grave ! I will be thy destruction." Did hell frown upon him ? He robbed it of its prey, and gave to mankind the hope of everlasting Hfe. "Sing," therefore, "to the Lord a new song." But now we come to the song itself; and how majestic the climax to which it towers ! Let all lands be joyful. And why? Because the news of redemption has come ; — because the chain by which earth and heaven were once linked to- gether, but which was broken by sin, has suddenly been re- newed. " Sing, rejoice, and give thanks." If God made the voice, let the voice praise him ; and not in tones of sorrow, but with the joyous notes of gratitude. Then, bring out the stringed instruments. Awake the harp, — " sing to the harp CANTATE DOMINO. 89 with a Psalm of thanksgiving." Yet more ; call up the stirring clarion, " Now give the hautbois breath," " with trumpets also and shawms ; " implying the use of all luind instruments. The allusion is to the ceremonies at the inauguration of the Jewish kings. But it is the King of kings for whom this array of praise is made. " God is gone up with a shout ; the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." But there is yet a further advance ; " let the sea make a noise, and all that therein is ; the round world, and they that dwell therein." Here, says a writer, " all inanimate creation seems called upon to join the song ; for if men should be silent, the very stones of the earth would cry out." * The climax admits of another degree. " Let the floods clap their hands, and let the hills be joyful together before the Lord." Before, the appeal was to the sea ; now it ascends to the ten thousand rivers and streams. Before, it was to the round world ; now it echoes on the mountains and hills. Let all be joyful to- gether. Let all who dwell on the floods rejoice, and all who inhabit the hills. In short, " let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord." Redemption has dawned on the world, and the reign of superstition, idolatry, and all the power of sin is abolished, and can no longer boast of victory. But there is another motive besides this, and it is an awful one : "For he cometh to judge the earth.'' But why all this re- joicing at such an event ? How solemn the scene ! How alarming the thought, that so heart-searching a person should come to "bring to light the hidden things of darkness," and to make manifest all human counsels ! To the unbeliever, there is indeed little cause of joy ; but to all who love and obey the truth, the advent of Christ is a subject of cheering Hawker. 8* 90 CAR thought, and lively meditation. And he shall hereafter "judge the world with righteousness, and the people with equity." No partiaUty will vitiate his decisions, for without respect of persons, he will try every man by his works. Wouldst thou join with David in these rich exultations? Wouldst thou rejoice because there is one to whom all hearts are open ? Think then as the Psalmist did of human redemption. Mea- sure in some degree that mercy which brought Christ from above ; and then will wonder spring up within, and wonder will merge into love, and love will wake to praise. Cantica. The Latin for the Songs of Solomon. Canticle. A song or hymn. The Song of Solomon in the Bible, is composed of several shorter songs of this kind, and is frequently called by the title of " Canticles." In the Prayer-book, the hymn after the Te Deum, beginning " O all ye works of the Lord," is also denominated a " Canticle." Cardinal virtues. The chief or most excellent of Chris- tian graces. These are usually stated as four in number, viz : prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude. " Carried about." In those countries where the Romish Church prevails, it is a common custom to have religious pro- cessions, composed of priests, monks, and others, who pass along the streets and public ways, chanting psalms, and hymns, and performing other acts of devotion. At many of these processions, the bread which has been consecrated at the Holy Communion, (called by Roman Catholics "the host,^^) is carried with great ceremony by one of the priests ; and all who view the procession, whether it be in the Church or in the street, &c., are required to kneel while it passes ; and as they are taught that the " host " (or consecrated bread) has been changed into the body rf Christ, they fall down and worship, when it is lifted up before them by the priest.* * The lifting up of the consecrated bread, is called by them * the elevation of the host." CAT 91 In reference to these practices, it is said in the 24th Arti- cle, that " The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about" &c. And in Article XXXVIII. it is repeated, that " The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Clirist's Ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped." In the United States these customs are not much observed ; but it has been thought best to retain in the Articles, the testimony of the Church against them, as being unscriptural, and tending rather to evil than to any good result. Cassock. See Clerical garments. Catechising. A method of imparting instruction by ques- tions and answers. The catechising of " children and others in the principles of religion, is founded upon the institution of God himself, and is agreeable to the best examples in Scrip- ture." In the early days of the Christian Church much at- tention was given to this mode of instruction. A class of men, under the name of Catecliists, were set apart for the purpose. But catechetical instructions were not given up solely to laymen, for Presbyters and Bishops of the Church frequently took upon themselves the same labors, the great object being to ditfusc religious knowledge in that way which promised to be most successful. The authority on which this mode of instruction rests, is that of Apostolic precedent and Scriptural example. " The word, indeed," says Bishop Doane, " is a Scriptural word, the practice is a Scriptural practice. When St. Luke declares his purpose, in writing to Theophilus, to be, that he might know the certainty of those things wherein he was instructed, the literal meaning of the word is catechised.^ When Apol. los is spoken of as a man instructed in the way of the Lord, the literal sense is catechised.]' And when St. Paul declares that he had rather speak five words with his understanding, * St. Luke, i. 4. t Acts, xviii. 25. 92 CATECHISING. that he might teach others, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue, the literal rendering is, that he might catechise* others. And accordingly, St. Cyril says expressly, that " St. Paul preached the Gospel, from Rome to lUyria, and taught at Rome by catechising. "f If it be asked, then, what are we to understand precisely by this term, we answer, in the words of Clement of Alexandria, specially this, — " the knowledge of religion first delivered to the ignorant by the catechist, and then by them repeated over and over again,"J the catechist being said to instruct, by making the elements of Christian doctrine resound in the ears of his students, and the catechumen being said to be taught by repeating the words addressed to him, and by answering questions. "§ Under the discipline of the primitive Church, the catechu, mens were divided into distinct classes, according to their proficiency ; and the greater portion of those thus instructed were adults, proselytes from heathenism. In the present state and relations of the Church, this early usage is for the most part superseded by change of circumstances, and the degree of light cast upon the world at large by the Church. But, however true it may be, that the primary elements of religious truth are speculatively known far and wide, the Church can never be exonerated from the obligation of im- pressing them distinctly, forcibly, and practically, on the ten- der minds of her younger members, by systematic efforts, directly pursued, in the full conviction that she is the centre of light ; and if her glory be dimmed, darkness must and will enshroud the world. Hence the Canons and Rubrics of the Church, relative to catechising, are as unlimited by time, as the commands of the Bible respecting repentance and holy living. They are standing ordinances of the Church, ever to be regarded as laws of present obligation, so long as chil- * 1 Corinthians, xiv. 19. t Catechesis, xvii. J6 — quoted by Gilly, p. G6. t Cited by Comber, in Gilly, p. v. § Bishop Doane's Second Charge, p. 13. CATPXHISING. 93 dren need discipline, both for the lieart and the head — so long as the mandate of Christ stands unrepealed, " Feed my LAMBS." The Church Catechism is the child's body of divin- ity, in which godfathers and godmothers are to " take care" that they be "sufficiently instructed." The title itself de- clares it to be " an instruction to be learned by every person before he be brought to be confirmed by the Bishop." And therefore the rubrics direct that " The Minister of every parish shall diligently, upon Sundays and holy days, or on some other convenient occasions, openly in the Church, in- struct or examine so many children of his parish, sent unto him, as he shall think convenient, in some part of this Cate- chism." Still further, "All Fathers, Mothers, &c., shal] cause their children, servants, and apprentices, who have not learned their Catechism, to come to the Church at the time appointed," &;c. Then comes in the demand of the Canon, that the parochial Clergy " shall not only be diligent in instructing the children in the Catechism, but shall also, by stated catechetical lectures and instruction, be diligent in informing the youth and others in the doctrines, constitution, and liturgy of the Church."* Nothing can exceed the clear- ness and force with which the duty of public catechising is stated and reiterated, whenever the Church directs the pastor's eye to the tender lambs of the flock ; and the only wonder is, that amid the profusion of religious thought ever streaming forth from the pulpit, till the Church is literally waxing lean with spiritual indigestion, the just and imperative claims of the tenderest class should ever have been over- looked, and they left to mourn, in silent patience, the lack of the " sincere milk of the word." Yet such, but a few years ago, was the truth of the case. Hence the necessity and popularity of Sunday Schools, the teachei's of which, in some cases, were supposed, by a flexible species of logic, to fulfil * Canon XXVIII. of the General Convention. 94 CATECHISING. by proxy the rubrics relating to the pastor — numbers on the one part being held as an equipoise for office on the other. Thanks to God, that without lessening the usefulness of Sunday schools, we are on the return to Catholic usage — to that sound and discriminating outlay of ministerial labor, which, contemplating the spiritual endowment of the whole flock, gathers under the folds of the ministerial mantle even the youngest heirs of sorrow in this perilous and pitiless world. The Church loves her children. Witness her constant sympathy with them ; her appreciation of their perils, of their helplessness, their need of early discipline, their liability to float on the current of passion, their slight appreciation of God, and of eternity, and of the value of that gem within them which shall outlive the stars of the firmament. And for these, the Church legislated when they were as yet un- born. Long ago were her affectionate arms stretched out to the future, to receive into " the congregation of Christ's flock " the young soldiers of the cross ia many generations to come. The change of times and habits, and of the rate of mental cultivation, instead of making void these efTorts of the Church, should call them more vigorously into action, now that the temptations to laxity, and the want of the reveren- tial spirit of former days, are so influential in an adverse di- rection. Religious knowledge is a gift which the Church is bound ever to hold forth, and this with especial reference to the early training of the young. The era of childhood is a short one ; but it comprises a world of influences, which without a figure, may be deemed immortal. The force of early impressions, every one knows. And that an incontes- table superiority should be given to religious im.pressions, every Christian should distinctly feel. To these, every thing should give way, and stand subordinate. Intellectual cultiva- tion without spiritual discipline, never yet opened the gates of heaven, or made joy among the angels over a repentant sin- CAT 95 ner. Hence the whole drift of the Bible is to build up the supremacy of religion, counting all " wisdom " in llie absence of this, as so much " grief " ; and tlie increase of " knowledge " only the increase of "sorrow." What then is the conclusion, but tliat every Christian, eveiy philanthropist, every parent, if he regard cither the temporal or the eternal well-being of the youth now rising up, is bound both by the law of God, the force of reason, and the purest impulses of benevolence, to provide for the Christianizing of those into whose hands the interests of the Church and the nation are hereafter to be committed. This work the Church has power to accomplish; power lodged in right- ful hands, and flowing from Him who has promised to be with her to the end of the world. And we hail as one of the happiest omens of good to the Church, that the practice of public catechising is rapidly gaining favor, and seems destined eventually to resume its ancient importance. When that shall be brought about, " glorious things " will be spoken of "the city of our God." The sanctuary will be- come the school for heaven ; — the nursery of strong and valiant spirits ; — the centre from which the splendors of primitive piety shall light up the earth. The timidity, the fear, the vague sense of right, and the harassing, — if not the unworthy, — doubts of the half-instructed Christian, will die at once, because their chief originating cause will be removed ; and instead of these, a race born and trained to a religious life — fed from infancy with angels' food — armed with the bright weapons of truth — endowed with a double measure of the Spirit of God, — will adorn and protect the militant Church, and realize once more the dignity of that imperishable king- dom, whose head is " the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace." Catechism. A manual of instruction, generally in the form of questions and answers. The term catechise is de- rived from the Greek, and signifies instruction by sound, or by verbal converse between the teacher and scholar. Hence, 96 CATECHISr-I. a Catechism is a system of elementary instiuction usually conveyed in this peculiar manner. At an early period of the Reformation, means were taken for the instruction of the people in the grounds of Christian doctrine, by the publication of "The Institution of a Chris- tian Man," which, after a short interval, was succeeded by another work, or more properly a revisal, of the first, entitled " A Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian Man." These books consisted chiefly of an exposition of the Apostles' Creed, the seven Sacraments, (as then held,) the Ten Commandments, the Pater Noster, &c. The views maintained in the " Institution " and " Erudi- tion " were not such, however, as in all points met the sanc- tion of the Church at a later date, though in the main they served as the groundwork of the Catechism which now ap- pears in our Prayer-book. Cranmer, in the year 1548, set forth a voluminous Catechism, " originally written in German, and was probably one of the many Catechisms to which Lu- ther's own gave rise, and by which the Reformation in Ger- many was forwarded." * This w^as on the same expository plan as the two works already named ; but still was not free from those immature statements respecting the sacraments, &c., which were naturally to be expected in a period of reli- gioiis agitation, when by slow steps men were searching for the truth, rather than driving the chariot of a mad revolution. The shorter form of Catechism, therefore, became the model on which the Church formed the religious principles of her sons. This was brought out in the reign of Edward VI., and admirably filled a vacant niche in tTie best monument the re- formers have left us — the Book of Common Prayer," " It was of genuine English growth," says Blunt, " though of doubtful origin : Strype assigns it expressly to Nowell ; but the modern biographer of the Dean of St. Paul's, questions * Blunt's Reformation in England, p. 196. CATECHISM. 9t his title to it, and rather gives it to Poinet, afterwards Bishop of Winchester. In any case, Cranmer appears to have re- viewed and digested it, not without the able co-operation of Ridley, It made a part of the Liturgy of King Edward, be- ing inserted in the Office for Confirmation. Nor has any material change been since introduced into it, except that the explanation of the Sacraments was added in the reign of James I., the original Catechism having ended with the ex- position of the Lord's Prayer."* The Church Catechism, like the Liturgy, is remarkable for the expansive catholic tone of its doctrine, — never stoop- ing to define the dogmas of a party, but holding forth those high evangelical principles which are the heritage of the Church universal. These are woven together in this beau- tiful compend, with a simplicity and chasteness of language, characteristic of the period which gave it birth, and admira- bly adapting it to the comprehension of the young disciples of the Redeemer. Combined with this, there will be seen throughout, a strong tinge of that sweet amenity of temper — not less gracious than graceful — so triumphantly contrasting with the vehement and denunciatory language pervading too many other elementary manuals. This, however, is not a sacrifice of truth to peace, for every fundamental doctrine is stated with an honest firmness and decision. The sinfulness of man ; the need of regenerating and sanctifying grace ; the nature of the atonement ; the divinity of Jesus Christ ; the influence of the Holy Spirit ; are all clearly recognized in this little form, and steadily upheld as corner-stones of the Christian system. No heresy can find sanctuary here ; nor is there a " God speed " for the least declension from " the faith once delivered unto the saints." On the whole, the Church Catechism will probably never be surpassed, as a Blunt's Reformation in England, p. 199. 9 98 CAT compact, judicious, orthodox, and intelligible " hand-book," for instruction in the doctrines and practice of the gospel. It is a miniature of Christianity ; an epitome of revelation ; or, (if we may so say,) an image without. a flaw, of the perfect Christian man, hewn out by accomplished hands, and need- ing no shrine but its own worth, to captivate the good-will, and challenge the protection, of posterity. Catechist. One who mstructs by question and answer. More strictly, a person who trains up others in the elementary principles of Christianity, through the medium of the Scrip- tures, and the Catechism of the Church. The term might, therefore, with propriety be applied to the la)'^ teachers of Sunday Schools and Bible Classes, and might, perhaps, be their most appropriate designation. But it is chiefly given to such persons as are appointed by the Bishop, to attend to this duty in places where the services of ministers are not to be obtained, and where the interests of the Church may, notwithstanding, be advanced by the maintaining of public worship. The judicious labors of the Catechist, may often render important aid to the Church in new settlements, or vacant Missionary stations, by preparing the way for the regular ministrations of the gospel, — by gathering together the scattered sheep of the Redeemer's fold, — and by teach- ing the ignorant the truths of the doctrine of Christ, as laid down and illustrated in the Catechism of the Church. The Catechists of the ancient Church "were Ministers, usually distinct from the Bishops and Presbyters, and had their Catechumena, or Auditories, apart. But they did not constitute any distinct order of the Clergy, being chosen out of any order. The Bishop himself sometimes performed this office ; at other times, presbyters, readers, or deacons. Ori- gen was made Catechist at Alexandria when only 18 years of age, and consequently incapable of the deaconship." Catechumen. In the ancient Church, this designation was given to those converts to the faith, who were under pre- CAT 99 paration for baptism. These were required to submit to a course of catechetical instruction, and were not permitted to be present at the administration of the Communion. In the present day, the term is applied to such as are receiving in- struction in the Catechism, whether baptized or not. Cathedral. A Cathedral is the principal Church in a Diocese, where the Bishop presides, and has the seat [^cathe- dra] or centre of his authority. In the American Episcopal Church there are no Cathe- drals, the Bisnop being free to accept the Rectorship of any Church of his Diocese, to which he may be called, or to exercise his Episcopal functions without any special paro- chial charge. Catholic. Universal, or general. The term is employed in the designation of the General Epistles of the New Tes- tament. Thus the Epistles of James, Peter, 1st John, and that of Jude, are known in the original by 'the title of Catholic Epistles, though the distinctive term has somewhat unfortu- natcly been rendered by the word general ; we say, unfortu- nately, because thus a most ancient and orthodox term has suffered a neglect, little apprehended by the translators, and from which a tardy recovery is all that can be hoped for or expected. It is almost superfluous to say, that these epistles were so called, from the circumstance of their having been written, in the first instance, not to particular Churches or individuals, but with a more direct reference to the Church at large, i. e., to the catholic or universal Church. The epithet Catholic is also applied to the Church of Christ "throughout all the world." There is scarcely any idea which the reading of the New Testament forces upon us with more clearness, than that of the oneness of the Church of Christ. It was destined, indeed, to plant itself in all nations ; yet not in the form of so many independent households, but as one great society, the various divisions and members of which should hold the closest communion with each other. 100 CATHOLIC. It was, therefore, one universal or general Church ; and the title " Catholic " became the ordinary and technical designa- fion by which it was known. The term, thus used, not only distinguished the Church from the world, but the true Church from the heretical and schismatical parties which at an early day made their ap- pearance. Hence, in ecclesiastical history, catholic is equiv- alent to orthodox, and soon came to be applied to the indi- viduals composing the Church, as it had always been to the Church itself. Christian and Catholic were thus convertible terms, and a departure from the principles of catholicity, was one and the same thing with a declension from the " faith once delivered unto the saints.'' At a period a little subsequent to the Reformation, through a strange forgetfulness of the maxim, ^^ ahusus non tollit usus,^^ the term Catholic was surrendered by many of the advocates of continental principles, with a rashness no way complimentary either to the coolness of their heads, or the soundness of their discrinaination. The same prejudice made its appearance also in the ranks of dissent in England and elsewhere, and has passed down as an heirloom to their followers of the present day. In the Church of England, on the contrary, the term was never given up. And this for two reasons : 1st, Because it was ever the grand distinguishing title of the Christian Church. Almost as well might we abandon the titles of the Redeemer himself, as surrender this honored designation of the Church — his body. What if the name had for long ages been claimed and appropriated by a corrupt branch of the Church? In an equal degree had the legitimate titles of a thousand other things been used by that Church. And what then? Would any thing be gained by substituting "con- gregation" for "church;" or "commonwealth" for "king- dom;" or "Overseer" for "Bishop?" The true policy would have been the retaining most tenaciously the proper CEM 101 and primitive appellations of such things, and the restoring of them, by degrees, to their long lost dignity. There is something in a name, if it be a right one ; and here the Church showed her wisdom, by "choosing the good, and re- fusing the evil." But 2d, The name was retained, because its rejection would manifestly have argued a deficiency in the thing sifTnified. This the Romanists well knew, and a fear- ful use they are prepared to make of it. "By your own confession," say they, " you are riot Catholic. By the same, we prove that you unchurch yourselves, for the Church is ESSENTIALLY CATHOLIC." Here, then, is a dilemma from which the sectarian may escape as he may think best. But in the case of the Churchman, there is no contest ; for he con- tends, that in the true and best sense of the word, he is a Catholic : not a Roman Catholic, but such a Catholic as was Paul, or Peter, or John; that is to say, a member of Christ's Church, which is described as "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic." The prejudice against the title is therefore absurd to the last degree, and worthy only of a "dark age" when men groped for the light, and put "bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter." We rejoice that the day is dawning when the Ro- manist shall no longer taunt the Churchman with an advantage sometimes given hJm, (by the timidity of calling things by their right names,) even within the bounds of our own house- hold. An Episcopalian is of all men best entitled to the use of the term in question ; but if he reject it, how can he avow his consent to that article of the Creed, " I believe in one Catholic and Apostolic Church?"— how can he pray that he may finally be gathered unto his fathers, " in the communion of the Catholic Church?" Catholicity. A term sometimes used to express the quality of being Catholic. Cemetery. A place, or piece of ground, for the burial of the dead. See Churchyard. 9* 102 CER Censure, ecclesiastical. The judicial sentence of the rulers of the Church, upon those who have been convicted of offences within the cognizance of her authority. The dis- cipline of the Church extends to both Clergy and Laity, the former of whom may be admonished, suspended, or degraded from office, and excommunicated, according to the nature of the offence committed. The latter, for similar causes, may be privately admonished, suspended from the communion, or finally excommunicated. Century. In ecclesiastical as well as in secular history, it is customary to reckon time by periods of one hundred years, i. e., by centuries. The Ciiristian era commences with the age when Christ and his Apostles were on earth, and the Church received its present organization. This period extends down to the year 100, and constitutes the first century. From this will be understood what is meant by the frequent remark, that such a person flourished, or event transpired, in the fourth, fifth, sixth, or any other century, down to the pre- sent, viz., the nineteenth century. Ceremony. In religion, an external act or assemblage of acts, designed to increase the solemnity and majesty of divine worship, and to strengthen, by the use of sensible forms, the reverential feelings of the soul, in the performance of any sacred office. The necessity of ceremonies in the greater portion of re- ligious acts, arises from two simple truths ; 1st, That man is a compound being, consisting of soul and body ; 2d, That God demands the homage of our whole nature., i. e., the submis- sion of the soul, and the discipline and consecration of the body. If man were a purely spiritual being, sensible cere- monies would be superseded, — at least, such as we are here contemplating, and consequently all his religious acts would be of a correspondent character — solely and simply spiritual, without reference to the instrumentality or co-operation of an outward nature. But man is not such a being ; and there- CEREMONY. 103 fore such worship is not all that God requires of him. The bodies not less than the svuls of Christians, are "temples of the Holy Ghost." We are bound to present our bodies aa "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God," and this is declared to be " a reasonable service." * Hence, God is to be honored by the dedication and employment of both con- stituents of our nature, in his service. And in consistency with the demand, is the form and texture of the religion of the Gospel. That religion, by the very fact of its recognizing body and soul as God's, and prescribing means for the sanc- tification and religious employment of both, proves itself to have proceeded from One most intimatel\^ acquainted with the constitution of our nature, even from its actual Author. There is a perfect parallel between the two, just as we might have predicted, a priori. Now this being the state of the case, it is folly to under- value the external acts or ceremonies of religion. Mystics, both ancient and modern, have attempted a species of con- templative worship, independent of outward acts ; but this has always led to enthusiasm, and terminated in the final evaporating of all true devotion. And why ? Because it was contrary to the ordinance of God, and played violence both with the Gospel and with the unchangeable constitution of man. We do not defend the ceremonial of religion as acceptable to God of itself ; for the homage of the soul is that to which revelation principally looks. Balance the value of an im- mortal soul, with the worth of a corruptible body, and the relative importance of the worship rendered by each will be distinctly seen. There is an immense disproportion between body and soul, and this disproportion will be the exact mea- sure of the worship rendered by them, respectively. Yet, as ♦ Romans, xii. 1. 104 CER God is the sovereign proprietor and Lord of both, we plead for the consecration of our whole nature to his service. On no other ground would we advocate an act of external wor- ship, but as it stands in alliance with the devotion of the im- mortal spirit. And with these views, the wisdom of the Church, in her appointed ceremonies, is too obvious to need comment. The ceremonial and the spiritual in her services, stand in an exact ratio with the comparative value of body and soul. She is guilty neither of redundancy nor deficiency ; and if objection be made to the external parts of the Church service, we pledge ourselves to say, that these will be wholly removed, when men can draw near without bringing with them the external part of their nature. Certifying of Baptism. The Sacrament of Baptism is usually administered in the Church ; but " upon great cause and necessity," such as sickness, &c., it is allowed that chil- dren may be baptized " at home in their houses ;" in which case only a part of the form is generally used. But it is so ordered, that if the child should live, " it is expedient that it be brought into the Church," to the intent that the congre- gation may be certified or assured by the Minister, that the child was properly and rightly baptized in private. The re- mainder of the baptismal service is then used, the Minister having first said : — " I CERTIFY you, that according to the due and prescribed Order of the Church, at such a time, and at such a place, be- fore divers witnesses, I baptized this child.^^ But if the child was not baptized by the Minister of the parish, but by some other lawful Minister, then, instead of the above form, he says : — " I CERTIFY you, that in this case, all is well done, and ac- cording unto due order, concerning the baptizing of this child,'''' &c. See the Order for Private Baptism of Children, in the Prayer-book. cHA i(;5 Chalice. In the Prayer-book of the Church of England this title is given to the cup which is used at the holy com- munion. The larger vessel in which the wine is placed on the altar is called the Flagon, and from this, at the time of communion, it is poured by the Bishop or Priest into the smaller vessels, called chalices, i. e., the cups, to be delivered to the communicants. In the American Prayer book, the word cup is used, as being more generally understood. Chance. An effect resulting from an unforeseen cause, or from one which seems accidental or fortuitous. The term is frequently used, in a larger sense, in reference to any event which with probability may, or already has, come to pass. Thus, in the Introduction to the English Prayer Book, we read that the Church has power to put away such Cere- monies as are liable to great abuse, " as in men's Ordinances it often chanceih diversly in divers countries." In one of the Collects appended to the Commurion office of the Church, is found the expression: — "Among all the changes and chances of this mortal life," It has been ob- jected, that to the Christian who believes in an overruling Providence, the reference of any event to chance is offensive, not to say irreligious. In one sense, this is true; in another, false. As it respects the Divine Being, nothing falls out by chance; as it respects the limited comprehension of men, events are continually occurring whose secret causes we cannot discern ; and these are chances to us, though not to God. The framers of the Prayer-book made use of popu- lar lano-uage, — language well understood by the community in general. The same freedom from the artificial primness of the technologist, prevails also in the authorized transla- tion of the Bible; and the force of the term in question will be apprehended by a reference to those words of St Paul, — "it may chance of wheat," &c. ; and those of Christ,— " by chance there came down a certain priest," &c. See also 2 106 CHA Sam. i. 6, — " as I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa." We will only add the caution of a wise writer: — "A man majr dwell upon words till he becomes at length a mere precisian in speech ; and he may think of their meaning till he loses sight of all meaning."* Chancel. An enclosure, usually at the upper end of a Church, containing the altar, and sometimes the desk, the floor being raised above the general level, and the whole separated from the body of the Church by an intervening r«,i7i?i^; hence the English name "Chancel," from the Latin cancelli. The Chancel is of very great antiquity. In the primitive Church, it was held so sacred, that in time of divine service, the laity were not permitted to enter it. The names, also, by which it was designated, were in accordance with this sentiment. Among these were, the " Sanctuary," — the " Holy," — the " Inaccessible." In the midst of this stood the altar, at a sufficient distance from the wall in the rear, to ad- mit a tier of seats for the Bishop and his presbyters, with a space between them and the back of the altar. On one side was the prothesis or side-table, and on the other a place for the Deacons. In the Churches of the present day, chancels are variously constructed, and some innovation has been made on the primitive model, corresponding with the change of circum- stances and the variations of opinion in the less important matters of taste and ecclesiastical architecture. The grand design of the Chancel has, however, been invariably pre- served, viz: the location in it of the altar, or communian- table. In addition to this, the font for baptism is now usually placed within or near the Chancel. As a general rule, the customs of the Protestant Episcopal Church assign the Chancel as the proper place for the per- formance of the sacramental services, while the desk is re- * The Doctor, CHANCEL. 107 served for the ordinary prayers, &c., and the pulpit for the delivery of sermons. In compliance with this principle, baptism is administered from the Chancel ; and the Commu- nion office, whenever used, either in whole or in part, should obviously be read from the same place. In this latter parti- cular, some diversity of practice has obtained in the Church, grounded, we presume, on the supposed inconvenience at- tending a change of place in the midst of the services, by the officiating minister. An objection of this nature, must yield to the fact, that the desk is not the appropriate place for the reading of a portion of a sacramental office, however it may be vindicated on the ground of an ambiguity in the rubric of the American Prayer-book. The same rubric, in its origi- nal shape, is explicit in requiring the Priest to stand, (in the ante communion.) "at the north side of the table ;" i. e., in the Chancel, at that end of the altar which fronted the north, when the head of the Church itself, (according to ancient custom,) was towards the east. The rubric to which we al- lude is immediately before the beginning of the Communion office ; and in the American Prayer-book leaves it somewhat optional with the minister, to descend to the Chancel for the ante-communion, or to remain in the desk. But another ru- bric, standing before the offertory, assumes that the minister must have read the former part of the office at the altar ; for it states, that after the sermon, "the minister, when there is a Communion, shall return to the Lord's table ;" consequently he must have been there before. But the propriety of the custom itself, independently of all legislation, should ensure for the ante-communion the presence of the minister in that place, where he would certainly appear, if he were about to administer the Eucharist from the beginning, without inter- ruption. The custom is an ancient and an impressive one; and none can doubt, on reflection, that it accords far more with the spirit of the Church, than an anomaly almost as con- 108 CHA trary to precedent as would be the administration of baptism in the pulpit. Chant. A peculiar kind of Church music, chiefly em- ployed in the performance of prose compositions, and charac- terized by the reciting of a large portion of the words, to a musical tone. The definition here given is, however, more applicable to the modern than to the ancient chant ; for though musical recitation is now the distinguishing feature of the chant, it is somewhat questionable whether it was so in the early ages of the Church. Many of the Ambrosian and Gregorian, chants, instead of allotting a plurality of syllables and words to a single musical note, on the contrary, allow a train of notes, sometimes of great extent, to a single syllable. It would seem, therefore, that originally a chant was simply a tune adapted to the irregularities of a prose composition. The modern chant, though admitting of considerable di- versity in its structure, is a compound of recitative and regu- lar musical progression. The two forms now in ordinary, use, are known as the single and the double chant, or more properly, the half and the whole chant. The single chant has two members or divisions ; the first containing a recitative and two bars or measures of notes ; the second, a recitative, with three similar measures, thus — ^£ ^lE^p The double chant is simply a composition equal in length and form to two single chants, thus giving a greater scope and interest to the melody. The first bar in each divisivm is called the Recitative, and the following noles, the Cadence; though, strictly speakings the term cadence is applicable only to the two final notes in each division. CHA 109 Chaining is probably the most ancient form of Church music ; and when compared with rhythmical psalmody, has every advantage on the score of beauty and expressiveness. It gives the choir an opportunity of presenting the Psalms of David, and other portions of Scripture, in a musical dress, without the necessity of reducing them to a metrical form. A Psalm of twenty or thirty verses may thus be chanted, and the sentiment preserved entire ; whereas in common psalm- ody, a few verses, sometimes selected from a whole page, a«d strung together ad libitum, are all that can be performed in any reasonable time. A more general use of chanting might, also, in some cases, save the Church from the inflic- tion of occasional verses in rhyme, far less favorable to devo- tional feeling than the same sentiments in their original shape in the Psalter. Our limits will not permit us to venture further on the subject of chanting. A more full exposition of the whole mat- ter in detail, the writer purposes to give in a work now in preparation. See Alternate, and Antiphon. Chantry. Chantries were small buildings originally raised by an individual, and endowed with land and other reve- nues, for the maintenance of one or more priests to say daily mass for the souls of the founder and his relations, or other benefactors. A chantry is often annexed to cathedral and parochial Churches, either within the walls, or attached to the exterior of the building.* Chapel. A place of worship differing in no important respect from a church, except in the relation in which it stands to the ecclesiastical laws or regulations of the Diocese and parish in which it is situated. In the Church of England there are various kinds of chapels, among which may be mentioned such as were an- ciently built contiguous or in immediate connection with ♦ Britton's Arch. Antiq. 10 tl<) CUA cathedrals and the larger parish churches, in honor of the saints, or for depositories of the dead. Also such as are connected with universities, for the performance of the cus- tomary services of the Church. Chapels of ease, are those which are erected for the convenience of parishioners living remote from the parish church, for whose accommodation a curate is provided, while one rector presides over both the church and chapel. Domestic chapels are private edifices erected by noblemen and others on their estates, for the con- venience of their families and dependants. In the United States the term is similarly used for private or public buildings designed for religious worship, in connec- tion with universities, colleges, seminaries, &c. &c. Chapels in parishes are subject to the Rector, Wardens, and Vestry of the Church to which they belong, and may, when desira- ble, become independent churches, with their own separate organization. Chaplain. A Clergyman who performs divine service in a chapel. The title is now given in the Church of England to those also who are retained in the households of nobles, bishops, judges, &c. ; these may by license be eligible to a benefice. The term is also applied to Clergymen in the public service in the army and navy. In this sense it is used in the United States, and extends to those who are temporarily employed during the session of Congress, &c. and to officiate on occasions of national or state festivals. Chapter. In England, a body of Clergy belonging to a cathedral church, '• consisting of prebendaries and canons, whereof the Dean is chief. This collegiate company is meta- phorically termed capitulum, which signifies a little head ; it being a kind of head, not only to govern the Diocese in the vacation of the bishopric, but also to advise and assist the Bishop in matters relating to the Church, for the better or- dering and disposing of the things thereof, and for the con- firmation of such leases of the temporalities and offices re- CHI 111 latin^to the bishopric, as the Bishop from time to time shall happen to make."* The place in which their assemblies are held, is denomi- nated the *' Chapter-house," and the body itself has the title *• Dean and Chapter." Charge. This term is sometimes used for a church or parish, viewed in its relation to the Rector. More generally it signifies the spiritual care of a Pastor over his flock, or a Bishop over his Diocese ; as in the Prayer for the Clergy and people : — " Send down upon our Bishops and other Clergy, and upon the congregations committed to their charge, the healthful spirit of thy grace." A " Charge " is also the title given to an occasional ad- dress from a Bishop to his Clergy; in which he instructs, exhorts, or charges them on some matter of peculiar import- ance, or takes occasion to dilate on the general obligations and responsibilities of the Ministerial office. A Charge is ad- dressed to the Clergy ; — a Pastoral letter principally to the people. Canon XXVII. of the General Convention ordains, that " It is deemed proper that every Bishop of this Church shall deliver, at least once in three years, a Charge to the Clergy of his Diocese, unless prevented by reasonable cause." "Chief Ministers." Among the questions proposed to those who are about to receive ordination as Deacons or Priests, is one in the following words : " Will you reverently obey your Bishop, and other chief Ministers, who, according to the Canons of the Church, may have the charge and government over you ? " In the Church of England, the purport of the words Chief Ministers is plain, having reference to Archdeacons and others, to whom a certain supervisory authority is committed, which the other Clergy are bound to recognize and respect. In the American Church, where Archdeacons do not exist, Laws relating to the Clergy, 112 CHO the question is important, Who are the persons referred to as " other chief Ministers " besides the Bishop ? These, who- ever they may be, the candidate promises to obey, "according to the Canons of the Church." In the case of Deacans, the answer is easy. By the very nature of their office, they are subordinate to the Priest ; and this is apparent in the enume- ration of their duties in the Ordination office. The 17th General Canon also requires " every Deacon " to be subject to the regulation of the Bishop, or " if there be no Bishop, of the Clerical memhers of the Standing Committee," &c., " and he shall officiate in such places as the Bishop or the said Clerical members may direct." As it respects Priests, the order of the Church requires deference to be paid by them, in any official transactions with the Standing Committee. Also from assistants to their principals ; from Clergymen under presentment, to the coun- cils appointed to try them ; and in all other cases where, for the time being, certain additional powers are given to some, for the preservation of order among the many. To these, in that spirit of courtesy which belongs to the Church, as well as in regard to the authority vested in them, the title of "Chief Ministers" is given, and is both appropriate and re-- spectful. Chimere. The upper robe worn by a Bishop, to which the lawn sleeves are generally sewed.* Choir, or GIuire. The singers who conduct the music of the Church. The use of a choir is to guide and lead the praises of the sanctuary ; and for this purpose, it should con- sist of persons who are familiar with sacred music, Avho pos- sess good voices, correct taste, some degree of confidence, combined with modesty of manner, and especially that seri- ousness of mind which becomes all who would " come before ♦ Wheatly. CHO 113 God's presence with thanksgiving, and show themselves glad in him with psalms." The true design of a choir is not to sing instead of the congregation, for God requires praise from all his people ; and it would not be more absurd for the congregation to leave their praj-ers to the Minister, and supplicate by proxy, than it is for them to give up their praises altogether to the choir. On the contrary, the choir should lead the congregation ; and every one who is able to join in this part of divine worship, should feel it a duty to follow. Were this done, every Church would soon become, in truth, a great choir, from which the anthem of joy would resound, — formality would cease, and we, and all, should learn ''heartily to rejoice in the strength of our salvation." Choir. In a Cathedral or other Church, that part of the building in which divine service is performed, or the portion included between the chancel and the nave. Also, that part of any Church which is occupied by the organ and singers. Chorepiscopus. In early periods of the Church this name was given to certain country Bishops (as the term signifies) who were distributed in the regions surrounding the chief cities, where the governing bishops resided. Some consider- able difference of opinion has existed relative to the true ministerial order of the chorepiscopi, some contending that they were mere presbyters, others that they were a mixed body of presbyters and bishops, and a third class that they were all invested with the authority of the episcopal office. That the latter opinion, however, is the correct one, is main- tained by Bishop Barlow, Dr. Hammond, Beveridge, Cave, and other eminent divines of the English Church ; together with Bingham, in his Antiquities of the Christian Church. Their origin seems to have arisen from a desire on the part of the city or Diocesan Bishops, to supply the Churches of the neighboring country with more episcopal services than they could conveniently render. Some of the best qualified pres- 10* 114 CHR b5rters were therefore consecrated bishops, and thus em- powered to act in the stead of the principal bishop, though in strict subordination to his authority. Hence we find them ordaining presbyters and deacons under the Hcense of the city bishop ; and confirmation was one of their ordinary duties. Letters dimissory were also given to the country clergy by the chorepiscopi, and they had the privilege of sitting and voting in synods and councils. The difference between the Chorepiscopus and what was at a later period denominated a Suffragan, is scarcely appreciable, both being under the jurisdiction of a superior, and limited to the exer- cise of their powers within certain boundaries. The SufTra- gan has indeed his own proper diocese, while the Chorepis- copus acted within the diocese of his superior ; but this and a slight difference in the power of jurisdiction, seem to be all the essential points of distinction between the two offices. • Chrism. The unction, ointment, or consecrated oil for- merly used in confirmation, and (in the Romish Church still used) in other religious acts. It is a compound of Oil of Olives and Balsam, or Balm of Gilead. Christen. To baptize. The word, though now seldom used in the American Church, except in local districts, is re- tained in the rubrics of the office for the private baptism of children. Its derivation is probably from the fact, that in baptism the child is made a member of Christ's holy Church, and assumes a name indicative of this, called his Christian name. Viewed in this light, the term is highly expressive of the effect of baptism, in the regeneration or cumsTening of those who receive it. Christendom. The kingdom of Christ. The term is generally used for " the territories, countries or regions in- habited by Christians, or those who profess to believe in the Christian Religion." * There is also an obsolete sense, in * Webster. CHR 115 which it implies the Christian rehgion itself, or the obHga- tions connected with it, as in the following quotation from Wiclif. " When man is baptized, and taketh Christendom, then is the name of Christ put in his soul."* Christmas day. The festival of the Nativity of Christ. This feast seems to have originated in the very earliest times of Christianity, and to have always been reverentially ob- served by the universal Church. " In the determination of the precise and real day, anti- quity itself hath been divided as well as modern times ; but about the year 500, the twenty-fifth of December became the day on which the Church generally observed this festival." " To celebrate no day, because the exact day cannot be ascertained, is the likeliest way to bring the great mystery of our Saviour's incarnation first into contempt, and then into oblivion." " And even if we are mistaken in this particular, yet the matter of the error being of no greater moment than the false calculation of a day, it will certainly be very pardon- able in those who perform the services of the festival with as much piety and devotion as they could do, if they certainly knew the time." " The words, ' at this time,' in the Collect for Christmas day, need not be so rigidly interpreted, as if the precise time were fixed by the Church, and made a term of her commu- nion. They are capable of being understood in a due lati- tude, and do necessarily imply no more, than that we com- memorate, at that time, the blessing of our Saviour's birth and incarnation. In which sense it may well be said, that he was at this time born. And surely those who differ about the precise time of his birth, may, notwithstanding, join at once in the observance of a holy festival, set apart in remem- brance of it," * Wiclifs '' Poor Caitiff." 116 CHU St. Chrysostom. John, Patriarch of Constantinople, one of the most distinguished of the Fathers. His eloquence gained for him the name of Chrysostom, or the golden mouthed, and his fame as a preacher and divine when a presbyter, led to his promotion to the bishopric of Constantinople in the year 393". In this conspicuous station, his boldness and con- stancy in rebuking the vices of the age, raised up around him many bitter enemies, and led to his banishment. But so great was his popularity, that a tumult ensued, which could not be appeased otherwise than by the restoring of the faith- ful Bishop. Soon after, the same causes resulted in his second banishment, from which he never returned, having died amid the severities of his exile, in the year 407, aged about 58. The works of this eloquent Father, which are still extant, consist principally of Homilies, and Commentaries on some of the Books of Scripture. In these the inexhaustible trea- sures of his imagination, the fervor of a devotional spirit, and the wisdom of a profound mind, are freely and copiously poured out. A Collect bearing his name appears in the Church Liturgy. Respecting this. Palmer observes, " Whether it be as old as the time of Basil or Chrysostom, is very doubtful to me, be- cause all the commencement of those liturgies which bear their names, (except the lessons,) appears to be more recent than the time of Chrysostom ; however, this prayer has cer. tainly been very anciently used in the exarchate of Coesarea, and the patriarchate of Constantinople."* Church. The various and obvious meanings of this word, it is almost unnecessary here to enumerate. It may be ap- plied to a single congregation of Christians, as the Church in any city or village, &c. It may signify the Churches col- lectively in any city or large town, as the Church in Constan- tinople, London, or New-York. Again, it may stand for the » Origines Liturgicae, I. p. 250. CHURCH. 117 whole body of Christians professing the same creed, as the Greek Church, the Romish Church, the Protestant Episcopal Church, (fee. Occasionally, it signifies the Clergy, the eccle- siastical government, or the house set apart for divine wor- ship. But we intend here to consider the term " Church," as it points to that universal company of men, who associate together as fellow-believers in Jesus Christ, and are baptized " in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." The first aspect in which the Church presents itself is that of a regular organized society. It diflTers essentially from an accidental concourse of persons professing a coincidence in some mere matters of opinion, by containing within itself all the elements of which a definite society is composed. We recognise in it officers and inferior members. We observe a well-arranged system of government, without which these officers would be needless. We find that it is universal or catholic, having the world for its theatre. We see that it possesses a Supreme Head, to whom all are subject — Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls. We per- ceive its unity as a body represented in Scripture under va, rious symbols. It is a building fitly framed ; a spiritual house ; a city of the living God ; a fold under one Shepherd ; a fam- ily under the care of a Master ; a body composed of many members ; a kingdom of which Christ is the Sovereign. It will be further observed, that the Church is an outivard and visible society. The title is, in Scripture, constantly applied to a society of this character. Thus the elders of Ephesus are commanded to " feed the Church." Paul and Barnabas are led on their way by ihe Church. Grievances are to be laid before the Church, and throughout the New Testament the visible character of the Church is acknow- ledged. More than this, its original constitutio7i was outward. Its officers are outwardly recognized. Its sacraments are outwardly received ; so that " those who deny that the Church is visible, are compelled to deny that it is a society 118 CHURCH. at all.''^ Christ preached publicly, — the disciples followed him publicly, — the Apostles baptized publicly, — the early Chris- tians assembled and united in the visible breaking of bread; and in the words of Archbishop Potter, " an instance cannot be produced of any Christian Church throughout the whole world, where the sacraments were not administered, the gospel preached, and the worship of God celebrated in an open and public manner. Even in the sharpest persecutions, the Chris- tian assemblies, though (it may be) not so openly as in times of peace, were constantly held, and frequented : so little had the notion of an invisible Church prevailed in those early ages." Such then is the first aspect of the Church of Christ. But here arises an important question. We see around us a diversity of organizations, all claiming to belong to this Church of Christ. There are Roman Catholics, Protest- ant Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Mo- ravians, Lutherans, Q,uakers, Covenanters, Scceders, Soci- nians, and a catalogue of others, with endless subdivisions, which no ordinary patience would venture to recount. Now while each of these stands opposed in many particulars to the others, can it be possible that they all possess the elements of a true Church? Shall we say that Christ is divided? That he has not one, but 7nany bodies? That there are countless Lords, countless faiths, and countless baptisms ? We are not unaware of the plea, that though there may be dif- ferences in non essentials, yet various parties may at the same time be component parts of the one true Church. And this we grant, provided these differences extend no further than non-essential points. But this we deny to be the case, for many of these are at variance concerning points which enter into the very essence of the Church. Let it be remembered, that wc are here upon the question of the outward and visible Church, that which is dwelt upon by the New Testament writers as a divine organization ; in other words, the character and description of tliat society to which Christ and his Apos- CtttTRCH. 119 ties applied the term " Church." Of this Church then, which is styled " Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic," we have the foU lowing definition in Article XIX. " The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's Ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same." A definition, more ample, but to the same effect, is thus given, in the short catechism of Edward VI., 1552 : — " That congregation is nothing else but a certain multitude of men ; which, wheresoever they are, profess the pure and upright learning of Christ, and that in such sort as it is faithfully set forth in the Holy Testament, by the Evangelists and Apos- tles ; which in all points are governed and ruled by the laws and statutes of their King and High Bishop, Christ, in the bond of charity ; which use his holy mysteries, that are commonly called Sacraments, with such pureness and sim- plicity, as touching their nature and substance, as the Apos- tles of Christ used, and left behind in writing." Where, then, shall we find this Church ? Let us undertake the search. The Church of the New Testament was an organized body, established in the world by the Son of God, and by men acting under divine inspiration. In this Church were two remarkable constituents, on the union of which its vitality depended. These were its faith and its officers, both of them the results of divine agency. Almost without a figure, the FAITH may be called the soul, and the ministry the body of the Church. We shall therefore take these as the fair and legitimate tests of the Church in the present day, inasmuch as they were destined to continue, to the world's end, to be the distinctive traits of the Church. We are not forgetful that other tests of the true Church have been given, such as its unity, its apostolicity, the valid 120 CHURCH. administration of the Sacraments, and its holiness ; but all these being simply consequences or accessories of its divine Faith, and divine Order, we are not so much concerned about them, if we can discover the two grand characteristics from which they take their rise. First, then, of the Faith of the Church. This is given at large in Holy Scripture, that sacred deposite which the Church has ever held inviolate. The Christian faith is not only in its very nature one, but was so held universally in the primitive Church. But, for the detection of heresies, and the preservation of the Church from them, the leading doctrines of Christianity were early embodied in the form or index called the Apostles' Creed ; and this, or a concise form, holding forth the same principles, was probably used by the Apostles themselves, on the admission of members into the Church. In the Creed were embraced those important topics on which heresies were most likely to arise ; and hence it was universally used as a summary of the gospel, and an authoritative rule of the faith of Scripture. This, to render it more effectual still against the intrusion of heresy, and an impregnable safe- guard of apostolic orthodoxy, was reviewed at the council of Nice, and set forth, not as a new system of faith, but as a declaration of the doctrine which, from the Apostles' days, had been held by the Catholic Church. Wherever, then, we find the word of God received in this primitive and orthodox sense, we have, so far, a sure testimony of the existence of the Church. Let it not be objected, that we are here setting Creeds in the place of Scripture. This is a false view of the case. « The Bible," says, Cecil, " is the meaning of the Bible." The Christian faith is not that interpretation which every man may choose to put on the words of Scripture, for then would there be ten thousand faiths, instead of one, and all certainty respecting truth would be lost ; but it is that interpretation or CHURCH. 121 view of Christian doctrine, which has existed from the Apos- ties' times, certified by the consent of the Church universal in every age, and ratified by the decisions of General Coun- cils. The Creeds, therefore, do not usurp the place of Scrip- ture, their main object being to declare, in a brief summary, and in the clearest form, what are the essential and leading characteristics of the Christian faith. In applying this test to the various divisions of the Chris- tian world, we find it met by the consent of all, or nearly all, of those existing Churches which inherit the apostolical suc- cession. The Apostles' Creed is also received in its ortho- dox sense, by a large proportion of those religious societies which have sprung up since the Reformation ; consequently, to this extent, they bear one of the marks of the true Church of Christ. But the possession of the true faith atone, is not enough to constitute the Church, though there can be no true Church without it. Hence we are led to consider the second mark proposed. This was the divinely established Order of the Church. By this, we understand, chiefly, the existence of a body of men, possessing authority by direct transmission from the Apostles, to govern, to instruct, and to dispense the means of grace to those composing the Church. This authority, without which no man has a right to as- sume any rank above that of a layman, was originally com- mitted to three distinct classes of men, called in the New Testament,—!. Aposdes ; 2. Bishops, Presbyters, or El- ders ; 3. Deacons : but now known as, — 1. Bishops ; 2. Pres- byters, or Elders; 3. Deacons.— -(See Bishop.) To the hio-hest order alone was given the power of transmitting au- thority to minister in sacred things, commonly called the power of ordination. Now, it must be evident, that if Christ had not at first commissioned a race of ministers or ambassadors to act in his name, the Church must, to the present day, have been 11 VZ^ cinTRCs. without them : for no possible combination of men could have constituted a body of Apostles, with authority to rule the Church of God, and much less with any shadow of right to administer Sacraments, &c. And if a divine commission was absolutely necessary in the first race of Ministers, it must be equally necessary for all their successors ; inasmuch as the same duties are to be performed by them. This was foreseen by the great Head of the Church ; and therefore provision was made, that in the highest rank of the ministry, a power should be lodged of perpetuating to all ages the sa- cred office, and thus insuring to the Church a continual suc- cession of Pastors, bearing the same legal authority under which the Apostles and their fellow-laborers acted. This Ministry, thus transmitted by an unbroken chain of Apostles and Bishops, from the very time of Christ's ascen- sion, now exists ; and it is evident that, exclusively of this, no man can establish a claim to a rank in the Church, superior to that of a layman, unless he can prove, by actual miracle, his investiture with the sacred office. Where, then, do we find this Apostolic Order ? The an- swer is, — In those existing religious bodies which have de- scended from the primitive Church. In all these, without exception, an Episcopal Ministry exists, in the three orders of Bishops, Priests, and Dea^.ons ; and these unanimously refer their authority to a regular transmission from the Apos- ties, by succession. In a large proportion of those societies to which the Re- formation, and other subsequent events, have given rise, this important mark of the " visible Church of Christ " fails alto- gether ; their Ministry being either confessedly grounded on human appointment, or flowing from ordinations by Presby- ters, to whom, (if the New Testament be true,) the power of perpetuating the Ministry was never committed. We may here remark, that the preservation of. the true ministerial Order is not of itself sufficient to constitute the CHURCH. 123 Church. T his will be evident from the fact, that all the heretical sects of the ancient Church, had the Apostolic Min- istry, while they were deficient in the Faith of the Church, and were therefore rejected from its conmi union. The Arians, the Donatists, the Novations, &c. &c., were all Epis- copal in their Ministry, and in this respect differed nothing from tlie orthodox Catholic Church. Their grand error lay in the want of that union of Order and Faith, which are es- sential to the being of the Church. The first deduction from the above is, that there are now in existence at least two classes of religious bodies, — those wliich exhibit only one mark of the Church, and those which retain hoth. In the latter class, stands the Protestant Epis- copal Church, with its undoubted inheritance of the Gospel Ministry, by direct succession from the Apostles, and its pos- session of the Gospel Faith, as proved by its reception of the Holy Scriptures, and those summaries of Scripture doctrine, the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. Therefore, we argue, she is a true branch of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Aposr tolic Church. The bearing of these principles on other organizations, it is not our object here to discuss. But it is a weighty and solemn question, and one which every Christian man is bound to propose to his conscience. Whether he is numbered in a Church resting on a divine foundation, and exhibiting on its fore-front the credentials of the Church of the living God ? The spirit of the present age has given currency to the impression, that a Church is a voluntary combination of individuals, which, if secure in the doctrines of the Gospel, may erect a ministry, without regard to its Apostolical deri- vation. But what if men were reminded, that it would be as easy for them to create a world as to found a Church ? Yet so it is. Divine power was called forth in the establishment of both the Faith and the Order of the Church ; and if men would shudder at the thought of avowedly creating new doC'> 124 CHu trine, so should they tremble at any attempt to innovate on the Order of God's Church. Heresy is an offence against the one, and schism a breach of the other ; and of the hein- ousness of these crimes, let the Apostles be the judges, and the consciences of men. If, in the view of all men, a Church stands forth, bearing the sure credentials of her truth, and of her rightful authority, it is no trifling peril to refuse commu- nion with her ; and to proceed further, by erecting independ- ent organizations, manifestly defective in at least one grand constituent of the Church, (not to say in open hostility to it,) is to venture on an enterprise, the defence of which at God's bar, we should fear to trust, unless we could plead, in the sincerity of our souls, invincible ignorance. Church ebifice. A building set apart and consecrated for the worship of God ; more properly and usually called a Church, without the a'ddition of " edifice," which is always understood. Church government. The mode in which the Church is ruled and governed, by those who have lawful authority in it. Church Government is not to be confounded with the Ministry of the Church, though the mistake is not an unfrequent one. There may be many Churches having the same form of Mm- istry, and yet, in all these the government may be very differ- ent. For example : the Church of England, the Greek Church, and the Episcopal Church in the United States, have all the same kind of a Ministry; viz., of Bishops, Priests^ and Deacons ; but yet, the government, or the manner in which these rule their Churches, and the laws or canons by which they act, are in many things widely different ; so that it is important always to remember this distinction, for the want of which, many have arrayed themselves against the government of our Church, when, in truth, their objections lay against the Ministry, or the fact of our having Bisk&ps, Priests, and Deacons, which is quite another matter. And in like manner some have objected to the Ministry of the Churoht CHTJ 125 when, in fact, their allegations referred to some points in our government, or in the regulations and Canons by which the Church is ruled. It should not be forgotten, that for our Church Govern- MENT we do not claim divine authority, it being a matter which the Church has power to devise and establish, and to vary in different countries, according to circumstances. But the Ministry incontestahly rests on divine authority, and therefore cannot be changed by the Church, but is the same every where, and at all times, and must so continue, imless modified by the same divine power which originally insti? tuted it. Churching of women. A service appointed in the Prayer-book, to be performed when a woman desires to re- turn thanks to God for her safe delivery in child-bed. It was a pious and ancient custom for Christians always to appear before God after a recovery from dangerous sickness, to thank and praise him for his goodness in restoring them to health. And this was especially becoming, after deliverance from "the great peril and danger of child-birth." As this thanksgiving was usually offered on the woman's first appear- ance at Church after her sickness, the probability is that it hence derived the name of Churching, indicating her return again to the privileges and worship of God's holy temple. This service is now not frequently used, one of the occasional thanksgivings being generally substituted, viz., that entitled <' The thanksgiving of Women after childbirth ; to he said when any woman, being present in Church, shall have desired to return thanks to Almighty God for her safe deliverance.'" Churchman. This term, though originally applied to the Clergy, is now used in a less restricted sense, for any one who approves and believes the doctrines of the Church, who is attached to her solemn services, partakes of her sacra- ments, submits to her godly discipline, and respects her wise and venerable usages. 11* 126 CHir The name of Churchman is seldom given in popular dis* course, to any others than Episcopalians, though from its ob- vious import it ought to be the valued title of every professing Christian. We read in the New Testament, that when the Apostles, by preaching the gospel, converted many Jews and Gentiles, they immediately added them to the Church, as our blessed Redeemer had commanded, and thus, all these con* verts became, in the true and proper sense of the term, Churchmen, and were " obedient to the faith/' and to those who "had the rule over them." Since the days of the Apos- tles, hundreds of years have gone by, yet the same Church continues which they established, the same Ministry exists, the same gospel is preached, the same sacraments are ad- ministered. The lapse of time only proves the immortality of the Church, which was built on the A postles and Prophets. The same relation also continues between the body and the members composing it. And if any other designation than that of Christian be required, none can be more happy and more thoroughly descriptive of one who professes adherence to this Church, and receives what she teaches in agreement with Holy Scripture, than the familiar title of Churchman. Church-wardens. Certain lay officers of the ecclesi- astical affairs of a parish. These officers were instituted to protect the edifice of the Church ; to superintend the cere- monies of public worship ; to promote the observance of re- ligious duties ; to form and execute parochial regulations ; and to become, as occasion may require, the legal represent- atives of the body of the parish.* The Church-wardens, with the Vestrymen, are chosen an^ nually in Easter week, according to the customs or Canons of the various Dioceses. The General Canons of the Church do not prescribe the duties of these officers, this being left to Diocesan reo-ula- ♦ Laws Relating to the Clergy. CLE 127 tion, and that common understanding of the nature and lim- its of their powers, which time has handed down. Though there is no distinct enumeration of their duties in the general laws of the Church, yet, the most important of these may be gleaned from the Rubrics and the Diocesan Canons, to which we refer the reader. Church-yard. The place where the dead are buried, so called, because in former times the place of burial was al- most always in the yard or grounds about the Church, or at least, in some of the lands belonging to the Church. Circumcision. A Jewish rite, by which children at the age of eight days, were admitted members of the Church. It was also practised on adults, and answered nearly the same purpose with baptism in the Christian Church, except in the extent of spiritual blessings annexed to it. Circumcision of Christ. This feast is- celebrated by the Church, to commemorate the active obedience of Jesus Christ, in fulfilling all righteousness, which is one branch of the meritorious cause of our redemption ; and by that means abrogating the severe injunctions of the Mosaical establish- ment, and putting us under the grace of the Gospel. The institution of this feast is of very considerable anti- quity. In the sixth century a special and appropriate service for it was in use. It sometimes took the name of the " Oc- tave of Christmas," or the eighth day from that festival. If this festival be considered merely as the commemora- tion of the circumcision of our Lord, its institution, or at least its revival, commenced with our Reformation, or on the publication of our English Liturgy, and was first observed on January 1, 1549-50. Clergy. A title by which the Ministers of the Church are distinguished from the Laity. See Clerk. The designation was frequently given, in the ancient Church, to the inferior orders, (which See,) perhaps more frequently than to those who possessed the true ministerial office. The 1^8 CLE first Apostolic Canon runs in these words, viz., " Let a Bishop be ordained by two or three Bishops, a Priest by one Bishop, and so likewise a Deacon, and any other Clergyman." Here the inferior orders are alluded to as embraced under the term Clergy. At a later period, it became customary to designate Bish- ops and Priests, and perhaps Deacons,* as ' Ispwrixoi, (those of the Priesthood,) while Sub-deacons, Readers, &c., were called (KXripixoi, (Clergy.) Thus, in the 27th Canon of Lao- dicea, it is said, " That neither those of the Priesthood, ('Isparixoi,) nor the Clergy, (KX'/]pj)coi,) nor of the Laity, ought," Church prove this, being full of high and heavenly breathings of soul, coupled with strains of devotion, almost enthusiastic. Here then was the model ; and admi- rably have our compilers followed it, by not only catching its spirit, but in many cases its very words ; — thus qualifying us, so far as the external apparatus is concerned, to unite with the worthies of a better age in their sublimest acts of worship, and their saintly hymns of thanksgiving. The Communion Office of the Church of England, though entitled to this praise, was not, however, so entirely free from imperfection, as to leave no room for the retouching of fu- ture hands. In the American revisal, some portions are omitted, which were of a local or civil nature ; and the Prayer of Consecration has been entirely remodelled. In the English book this prayer includes only what forms the first paragraph in our Office, with the insertion of a few words from the Invocation following. " The Oblation and Invoca- tion were added, or rather restored, to the Communion Office, COM 147 at the revision of the Liturgy by our General Convention in the year 17!:59. The Oblation is taken verbatim from the Con- secration Prayer in the first Book of Edward VI., with the ad- dition of a single clause from the Scotch Liturgy, 'which we now offer unto, thee,' inserted after the words ' thy holy gifts.' This Oblation was dropped in the second Book of King Edward, at the instance of Bucer and Martyr, and has not since been restored to the English service. The Invo- cation is taken in part from the Prayer of Consecration in the first Book of Edward, and partly from a Collect, transferred to this place from the Post-communion service of the present English Book."* The effect of these changes has been to enhance, in no slight degree, the beauty and excellence of the Communion Office ; a better proof of which need not be given, than in frequent admissions to this effect, by writers of the Church of England. Respecting kneeling at the communion, See the latter part of the article Adoration. See also the articles. Alms, Altar, Ante-communion, Both kinds, Canon, Carried about. Chalice, Chancel, Communion of the Sick, Consubstantiation, Devotions, Elevation of the Host, Eulogies, Excommunication, Lin- en cloth. Mass, Oblation, Offertory, Prefaces, Tran- substantiation, and Trisagion. Communion of Saints. The Church of Christ being a societv, the members of which are all " servants of the same God, redeemed by the same atoning blood, sanctified by the same Spirit, governed by the same laws, partakers of the same sacraments, and heirs of the same promises,"f it fol- lows, both from the nature of the case, and from the com- mand of God, that there should exist not only an outward ♦ Bishop Brownell's Commentary on the Prayer-book, p, 307. t Bishop Brownell. 148 COMMUNION OF SAINTS. fellowship in the bonds of the Church, and in tlie enjoyment of its privileges ; but also a close and endearing "synipathy of souls,"— a mutual sharing of joys and sufferings, and a feeling of intimate relation among all who belong to the household of faith. Between the faithful members of the Church, and their Divine Head, there is an undoubted com- munion guarantied by the express promises of Scripture. Christ and his saints are united in one holy fellowship, as the branches are united to the vine ; and in like manner, a sacred and inviolable bond of fraternal love, should link together all who name the name of Christ, and are heirs of the same heavenly inheritance. This, we apprehend, is the purport of tliat article of the Creed, in which we assert our belief in "the Communion of Saints." But the question may here be asked, How far does this communion extend ? We reply, to the whole state of Christ's Church. That it reaches to the remotest bounds of the Church on earth, is manifest, and no accidental differ- ences of rank, education, wealth, &c., should be permitted to rupture the lie of brotherly concord, which is the vital principle of our religion, and the crowning grace of the Church. But does the fellowship of saints extend no fur. ther than this? Shall we say that there is no spiritual ^nion between us and those who have finished their course 1 Is the communion of saints limited to the borders of this lonely planet? Is there no ladder of communication, by which (like the angels in the patriarch's dream) we may ascend to the regions of triumphant immortality? Is the body of Christ divided, and are the conquerors above sepa, rated from the valiant soldiers below, by a barrier impene. trable to the eye of faith ? Is the silken cord snapped asunder, which binds the Church in glory to the Church in probation ? No ! but the family of God is one — indivisible— extending to both worlds. Death is powerless to separate what God iias joined together. There is an unbroken connexion exist- COM 149 ing between heaven and earth, in the fact that saints, whether in the body or out of the bod\^ are brethren still, and mem- bers still, of that sacred communion of which Christ is the Head. The fellowship of the children of God, is a fellow- ship of souls. Death may triumph over the body, but yet the immortal spirit is secure. And if the dissolution of the body produce any change in the relation of the spirits of the living to those of the dead, we see not how it can be, but by the enlarging and strengthening of former intercourse; otherwise, we are forced to the conclusion that the Apostle spoke in parables, when he encouraged the Hebrew and all other Christians, to " run with patience the race that was set before them," on the grou7id that they were ".compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses," even the souls of the faithful departed. If then there be such a thing as the *• communion of saints," we find not that it is limited to the Church below. " Angels, and living saints, and dead, But one communion make ; AH join in Christ, their vital Head, And of his love partake."* Communion of the Sick. In this office, we have an ex- ample of the benevolent care exhibited by the Church to- wards her suffering members. "As all mortal men be sub- ject to many sudden perils, diseases, and sicknesses, and ever uncertain what time they shall depart out of this life,"t the Church has not only provided for their baptism, and for the visitations of the pastor, but has authorized and directed the administration to them of " the most comfortable Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ." Although the Church maintains that the Eucharist, as a general rule, is to be publicly administered in the house of ♦ Hymn 26. t Rubric. 13* 150 COMMUNION OF THE SICK. God, and has signiiied her disapprovt.1 of solitary comma- nion, in all cases; yet when by sickness her members are in- capable of presenting- themselves at the altar, there is a wise and tender relaxation of her usages, corresponding with the peculiar necessity of the case. This too "is exactly con- formable to the most early practice of the primitive Church ; for there is nothing more frequently mentioned by the an- cient writers, than the care of the Church to distribute the Eucharist to all dying persons that were capable of receiving it."* " There are many instances," says Palmer, " in anti- quity, of the celebration of the Eucharist in private for the 6ick. Thus, Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, caused the Eucharist to be celebrated in his own chamber, not many hours before his death. Gregory Nazianzen informs us, that his father communicated in his own chamber, and that his sister had an altar at home ; and Ambrose is said to have administered the sacrament in a private house at Rome. The Church is therefore justified in directing the Eucharist to be conse- crated in private houses, for the benefit of the sick ; and she has taken care, in the rubric immediately preceding the of- fice, that the sacrament should be decorously and reverently admin istered."-(- By the rubrics it is provided, that on all ordinary occasions of Communion of the Sick, there shall be at the least two persons present to participate, besides the priest and the sick person. But at times of contagious sickndss, &c., where, through fear of the infection, these cannot be had, the minis- ter is permitted to communicate alone with the diseased. In the distribution of the elements, the rubric orders that the sick person shall receive last. This is done " because those who communicate with him, through fear of some con. tagion, or the noisomeness of his disease, may be afraid to drink out of the same cup after him." J Wheatly, p. 496. t Origines Liturgicse, I, p. 229. t Wheatly, cOi^ 151 CoMMtJNioN Table. See Altar. Concurrence of Holy Days, or Doubles. As many of the holy-days of the Church are fixed to certain determinate days of the year, and the others, including all the Sundays, are continually subject to change their days, it must necessa- rily follow that two holy-days will occasionally meet together on the same day of the year, and consequently, that for such a day there will be two sets of Lessons for Morning and Evening Prayer, with two Collects, Epistles, and Gospels. These days are technically called " Doubles," " Concurrent Holy-days," or "Duplex Festivals." A question of some difficulty here occurs, relative to the day to be observed, on such an accidental conjunction of Sunday with a Saint's day, or of a Saint's day with any other festival or fast. It is evident that a choice must be made, as ]>oth services entire cannot be used ; and the making of this choice constitutes the difficulty. The Church itself has here given no decision, either by her Canons, Rubrics, or Customs. In consequence, a variety of practice prevails both in the Church of England and that of the United States, assuming the following general forms : — 1. That of preserving the regular Sunday services entire, without regard to any other festival, except Christmas, which may occur on such Sundays. This practice applies only tc Sundays, and the holy-days coming into collision with them. 2. The reverse of this, in the use of the service of the holy- day, and the waiving of that for the Sunday, except on Ad. vent, Easter, Whitsunday, and Trinity. This, too, only re- fers to Sundays. 3. The mixing of the two services on any such duplex festival, by selecting from the Lessons of each, and using one or both Collects, and either of the Epistles and Gospels. The first of these modes is grounded on the supposition, that the ordinary Sunday service is of superior obligation to that appointed for the other festivals. But this is very far 152 CONCURRENCE OF HOLY DAYS. from being the case, inasmuch as both services rest simply on the appointment of the Church. And that no such supe- riority was acknowledged in the Church of England, ap- pears from the fact, that in the form there used for the 5th of November, (Gunpowder Plot,) the rubric ordains, that " If this day shall happen to be Sunday, o?iIy the Collect proper for that Sunday shall be added to this office in its place." Under the same circumstances, the form for " The Restora. tion of the Royal Family " is to be used only in part on Whit- sunday, and Trinity. " But if it shall happen to be any other Sunday, this whole office shall he used, as it followeth entire- ly,''^ And in the case of the form for the King's Accession, it is ordered, that " If this day shall happen to be Sunday, this whole office shall he used as it followeth, entirely.^'' From this we argue, that no superior authority was attached to the Sunday service ; and that, if it might be set aside for the above semi-political festivals, with at least equal reason might the same be done in favor of the proper holy-days of the Church. One of the other expedients mentioned, — that of selecting portions of both services, and mixing them together, — is also open to objection. The Sunday service, it will be observed, is a complete form, and equally so is that for the holy-day. If then a portion only of each be used, neither service is per- formed ; and more than this, the minister assumes the re- sponsibility of compiling d^ new service, by the mutilation of two already set forth by the Church. A further objection to this practice, is the irregularity consequent upon it. Every Clergyman would, of course, make his own selection, and by so doing, the uniformity of the Church services would be broken on every such festival, when, of all times, that uniformity should be most conspicuous. The other practice referred to, of giving the precedence to the holy-day, rather than to the Sunday service, on all com^ mon occasions, seems to be more nearly accordant with the CONCURRENCE OF HOLY DAYS. 153 design of the Church, and therefore the safest way of resolv- ing the difficulty.* In this, however, and in what follov/s, vvc beg to be understood as merely expressing an opinion, such as appears to us most reasonable, on a view of the question in its various positions. With this understanding, thercforcN we offer the following observations : — There are four Sundays, the services of which claim pre- cadence of all other holy-days which may happen at the same time. These are, Advent, Easter, Whitsunday, and Trinity. On all other Sundays, in cases of concurrence, the festival should take precedence of the Sunday service. On week days, Christmas, Ash-Wednesday, Good Friday, Ascension, and perhaps also Epiphany and Passion-week, should be observed in preference to all other holy-days coin- ciding with them. In all other supposable cases of doubles on week days, there seems to be no other alternative, (till the proper au- thorities decide,) than to estimate the relative importance of the two festivals thus coming together. As a general rule, the festivals of our Lord have precedence ; hence, should St. Mark's day fall on Easter Monday or Tuesday ; or that of St. Barnabas on Monday or Tuesday in Whitsun-week, they should give place to those days connected with the history of our Lord ; for " in these cases," says a writer, " it appears to me that it is the evident intention of the Church, in the first instance, to call our attention to the history of the Pas- sion, and in the other to the Resurrection, and Descent of the Spirit, and therefore the saint's day ought to give way."| The same reasoning will apply to the case of the Annuncia. tion happening in Passion week ; in which case, there being a concurrence of two days commemorative of our Lord, it * The only considerable objection to this would be the occasional intro- duction of apocryphal lessons on Sundays. t British Magazine, 1837, [> 45u 154 CON would seem that the claims of the solemn season of Passion week should have the precedence, and remain uninter- rupted. CoNDiGNiTY, and CoNGRUiTY. Tcrms used by the School- men, to express their peculiar opinions relative to human merit and deserving. " The Scotists maintain that it is possible for man in his natural state so to live as to deserve the grace of God, by which he may be enabled to obtain salvation ; this natural fitness (congruiias,) for grace, being such as to oblige the Deity to grant it. Such is the merit of congruity." " The Thomists, on the other hand, contend that man, by the Divine assistance, is capable of so living as to merit eter- nal life, to be worthy (condignus) of it in the sight of God. In this hypothesis, the question of previous preparation for the grace which enables him to be worthy, is not introduced. This is the merit of condignity." * Confession. 1st. The penitent acknowledgment of sins before God. '2d. The particular forms in the Liturgy, in which this act is made. 3d. The public ratification, on the part of candidates for Confirmation, of the obligations as- sumed for them in baptism. See the Preface in the Order of Confirmation. 4th. A public declaration of faith, &c., as the Augsburg, Westminster, and other "Confessions." The penitential Confession, at the opening of our Liturgy, has justly been considered as one of the most admirable por- tions of the Church service. Its position is at the beginning of our acts of worship, because repentance and its evidence in an humble confession, are indispensable in approaching God's infinite Majest; . The langtiage too, is in unison with the object of this form, simple, grave, and reverential. The scope is such as to meet every variety of circumstances in the worshipper. It does not descend to minute particulars, be- * Professor Whittingham. in, Jewell's Apology, p. 8. CON 155 cause this would be unsuitable to a mixed congregation. Yet it is really so particular, that it comprehends sins of every possible character. Had it been extended so as to embrace a distinct specification of sins, in all their number and mi- nuteness of distinction, a volume would have been necessary for the purpose, nay, a hundred volumes would not have ex- hausted the catalogue. And more than this, the greater part of the congregation would be called to confess sins, of which they had no consciousness of being guilty. The con- fession then, is sufficiently particular. It gives room, under distinct heads, for every man to confess " the plague of his own heart ; " and whatever may be our spiritual infirmities, we can, with little mental effort, arrange them under some head of the confession ; and thus, by stating audibly the class of the offence, we can in our own minds, bring up all the par- ticular sins embraced by it, of which we feel ourselves guilty. Confessional. An enclosed seat, recess, or small apart- ment in a Romish Church, where penitents make confession to a priest. Confessor. This title was given in tne early Church to those who, by the confession of a true faith, were called to endure persecution, without actually suffering death. This constitutes the distinction between confessors and martyrs. In another sense, the term applies to priests in the Romish and other Churches, who receive the confessions of penitents. Confirm. To establish, strengthen, and invigorate, as in the hymn, " Veni, Creator Spiritus," " Our weakness strengthen and conjirm." * Also in the second absolution form, " confirm and strengthen you in all goodness," &c. ♦ Form for " The Ordering of Priests." 156 CONFIRMATION. Confirmation. The Christian Church, with her sacra- ments and ordinances, stands upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone. Upon this ground we place the rite of con- firmation. In many things under the gospel, the pattern of the pre- ceding dispensation was followed. Thus, baptism succeeded in the place of circumcision, and the Lord's Supper in that of the Passover. The Jews had their temple and syn- agogues : we have our Churches for the worship of the same Divine Being. Their services consisted of praise, the read- ing of the scriptures, and the use of prescribed forms of prayer ; the same thing prevails with us. They had a min- i ;try in three orders ; so have we. But we follow these, not because they were existent in the Jewish Church, but because they were re-enacted, or at least sanctioned by the founders of the Christian Church. If the prototypes of hapdsm and the Lord^s Supper were seen in the Jewish Church, there also we find a rite analogous to Confirmation. We are told by historians, that at the age of thirteen, the children were "publicly examined before the congregation, in order to, re- new the covenant which their parents had made for them in their infancy, and to take upon themselves their obligations to the divine law." That Confirmation was practised by the Apostles, and familiarly spoken of in their writipgs, can scarcely be doubted by the diligent reader of the New Testament. Let attention be turned, for example, to the planting of the Church in Sa- maria. Philip the Deacon goes down to that city, and de- clares to the inhabitants, Christ and the resurrection. The people are struck with the power of his doctrine, and amazed at his miracles. They profess their belief in Jesus, and both men and women are baptized in his name, and there is great joy throughout that city. But the Apostles, who were at Jerusalem, learn that Samaria has received the word of God. CONFIRMATION. 157 Upon this information, Peter and John are sent down to them, that by the imposition of their hands, the baptized might re. ceive the Holy Ghost, " for as yet he was fallen upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost."* It appears then, that though the Sama- ritans were converted and baptized by Philip the Deacon, yet there remained " something for their furtherance in the faith, which Philip, though a Minister of Christ, and clothed with miraculous power, could not confer upon them."f From this fact, then, we learn two things ; 1st. That it was necessary for these converts to receive " the laying on of hands." 2d. That this could only be performed by the Apostles : and therefore among us, in like manner, it is only administered by the Bishops, who are the direct successors of the Apostles. The objection that this was done to confer miraculous power, we shall consider presently. Again ; we find a case in the 19th Chapter of the Acts, in which this ordinance was administered by St. Paul. The Apostle is at Ephesus, and finds some disciples of John the Baptist. Paul baptizes them in the name of the Lord Jesus, and subsequently lays his hands on them, and they receive the Holy Ghost, and speak with tongues, and prophesy. The same Apostle designates the laying oq of hands as one of the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, and ranks it with l^entance, faith, baptism, the resurrection, and eternal judgment. If then these fundamental points are binding on Christians, confirmation must be so, being one of them. And if it v/ere not of divine appointment, it would seem that Paul was guilty of " teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," which is not to be imagined. In other places of the New Testament, hints respecting this rite are found. " Thus • Acts viii. 17* t Bishop Ravenscroft. 14 158 CONFIRMATION. Paul supposes both the Corinthians and Ephesians to have been all partakers of this holy rite, and plainly intimates, that the happy effects of it were, being ' established in Christ,' being ' anointed and sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,' and having ' an earnest of the Spirit in their hearts.' And that all these expressions refer to Confirmation is evident, as well from comparing them together, as from the concurrent testimonies of several ancient fathers." * To this evidence from Scripture, may be added the prac- tice of the Church, from the Apostles' days down to the time of the Reformation, a period of 1500 years, during which it appears that Confirmation was universally practised. The consent of the whole Christian world for so long a period, is enough to satisfy any reasonable mind, when taken in con- nexion with even the slightest hints in Scripture. It is on this ground that we receive the holy Scriptures as divine ; for Scripture, of course, cannot prove its own inspiration : of this, we must have external evidence, and that evidence is undoubtedly the unanimous testimony of the Church. By the same means we know that the Sabbath was translated to the first day of the week ; — that infants were baptized ; — that females were admitted to the Lord's Supper ; and many other things of importance, concerning which there is no scriptural command, and independently of the testimony of the Church, we should be left to the vagueness of mere in- ference and conjecture. In respect then to Confirmation* we have, as above stated, the testimony and practice of the whole Church for about 1500 years, and that of perhaps nine tenths of Christendom for 300 years more. But if it be thought that this rite is merely a device which sprung up in the corrupt ages of the Church, and therefore can be of no obligation now ; let the ancient fathers reply, who lived soon after the Apostles' days. Imagine that there should rise ♦ Wbeatly. CONFIRMATION. 159 from the grave, and stand before us, a minister of Christ, who had flourished within 80 years of the Apostle John. How earnestly should we inquire of him respecting the doc- trines and customs of the Church in his day, and how valua- ble should we esteem any information he might communicate ! We should be conversing with one who was doubtless fami- liar with many who had heard the Apostles preach, and could remember their admonitions, their piety, and their zeal. Now just such an one was Tertullxan, whose writings are still in existence. And thus he speaks of Confirmation ; " After baptism, is the laying on of hands, by blessing and prayer inviting the Holy Spirit, who graciously descends from the Father, upon the bodies cleansed and blessed by baptism." Imagine another, a Bishop of the Church, who lived only 50 years later, and was eminent for his learning and piety. Such an one was St. Cyprian ; and he says, in relation to the confirmation of the Samaritans by Peter and John, " The same thing is done among us. They who are baptized are brought to the rulers of the Church, that by our prayer, and the laying on of our hands, they may obtain the Holy Ghost, and be perfected with the seal of the Lord." Let us summon one more witness. This shall be St. Je- rome, who lived about 250 or 300 years after the time of St. John, and who says, " As for those who are baptized afar off in the lesser towns by the Presbyters and Deacons, the Bishop travels out to them, to lay hands upon them, and to invoke the Holy Spirit." Can we imagine any words which more accurately describe the visitation of one of our modern Bishops'? And yet, these words were penned more than 1400 years ago, and when the Church was in a state of purity to which we might look with some respect. From the Apostles' days, therefore, the rite of confirmation has been uniformly practised in the Church, for all ecclesiastical history declares it ; and inasmuch as it was an apostolical institution, it is not a matter which may be lightly rejected. 160 CONFIRMATION. At the time of the Reformation this rite was purged from certain corruptions which had gathered around it, and was then retained by the Church of England. It was also re- tained by almost all the Lutheran Churches, notwithstanding that they rejected Episcopacy, and is still in use in those Churches. It was granted also by many eminent Presbyte- rians, to be of Apostolical authority. Such was the opinion of John Calvin himself, and of Beza his colleague. Dr. Owen also approved of Confirmation, and "acknowledged that it existed in the Apostolical Churches ;" and in many of the Presbyterian societies of Europe and America, a strong feeling has been manifested in favor of this rite. But it is objected, that by the laying on of the hands of the Apostles, the power of working miracles was bestowed; and that this was what is meant by conferring the Holy Sx^xC^ ; ";7h^rcao V:t CSn pretend to no such power ;— ergo, the rite of confirmation is a mere form. In reply to this it is sufficient to say, that the gifts of the Spirit are various, and the power of working miracles is but one of those gifts. The Apostles did not confer this power on all who received confirmation. The laying on of hands was used in their ordi. nations; but several were ordained who do not appear to have had the gift of miracles. It appears that on some were poured out the ordinary, and on others the ea;^m-ordinary gifts of the Spirit, and all by the imposition of hands. The latter of these ceased after the Apostolic age, but the former are vouchsafed to the Church till the end of time. To those who are disposed to undervalue the rite of con. firmation, or to neglect it altogether, we have this much to say, viz., that before they can overthrow the obligation of this ordinance, they must prove that Peter, and John, and Paul, knew less of the mind of Christ, than they do them- selves. That though inspired men estabhshed this rite in the Church, yet they may freely receive or decline it. That though it repeatedly appears on the page of the New Testa. CON 161 ment, yet every such notice of it shall be to them a blank. That the Ministers of the primitive Church (who universally practised confirmation) were in a great error, though taught and ordained by the Apostles. And that the laity, whose parents, at least, had heard the gospel preached by inspired men, were under the full influence of the same mistake. And, to crown this catalogue of absurdities, they must ac- knowledge that from the day of Christ down to the present time, though this rite has universally prevailed in Apostolical Churches, yet it is entirely without foundation ; and though millions of holy men have received it as originating with the Apostles and Christ their Master, yet they were all deluded, and submitted to a mere invention of man. If our proofs are worth any thing, the objector must be brought to this perilous dilemma. On which side lie truth and safety, let conscience decide. " Confounded." Put to confusion by a sense of sin, or under the punishment due to it. The word is of frequent occurrence in the Psalter, and is also found in the last verse of the Te Deum. The following instance of a similar use of the term, is from Latimer, " What, quoth Cain, am I set to keep my brother ? I cannot tell where he is. But at last he was confounded, and his murder brought to light."* Congregation. An assembly or body of people. The term is applied, 1st, to the universal Church of Christ, as in the 19th article, " The visible Church of Christ is a Congre- gation of faithful men," &c. 2d. To the persons present on occasions of public worship. 3d. To the persons composing the actual charge of a Minister, and who are members of an individual corporation or organization, as in the Office of Institution of Ministers. CONGRTJITY. See CONDIGNITY. ♦ Sermon on Covetousness. 162 CONSECRATION. Consecration. A solemn act of dedication to a divine service and use. From this general sense, the word is employed to desig- nate: — 1. The devotion of any object to a sacred use ; as in the consecration of wealth, talents, influence, &c., to the cause of religion. 2. The investing of any worthy object with peculiar venera- tion and respect. 3. The dedication of Churches and other places, by the Bishop, to the service of the Most High, by separating them *• from all unhallowed, ordinary, and common uses," and de- claring them to be henceforth sacred to Him whose name, presence, and blessing, we invoke. 4. The act of conferring the office of a Bishop. The term is here used in the sense of ordaining, with which it was an- ciently synonymous. 5. The solemn act of blessing, and invoking the divine presence on the elements, in the Eucharist. This is per- formed by the Bishop or Priest, in that part of the Commu- nion office called the "Prayer of Consecration." In the Consecration of Bishops, though the act itself is really performed by one Bishop; yet, in accordance Avith the customs of the ancient Church, two others are required to be associated with him as assistants. The first Apostolic Canon provides, that a Bishop shall be ordained by two or three Bishops. This was, however, simply a measure of security on the part of the Church ; and hence, a consecration by a single Bishop would be valid, though not canonical. " Lest," says a writer, "by any extraordinary casualty, some one Bishop should surreptitiously intrude himself into the office, the Church has taken care, that his irregularity should not descend to those at whose ordination he concurred, by requir- ing, that no Bishop should be ordained, except in case of ne- cessity, but by three, or -two at the least; that so, if it should chance that one of them was not canonically ordained, yet CON 163 still there might be two, or at least one, against whom there could lie no exceptions ; and if but one of the ordainers were really a Bishop, I see no reason to doubt, but that the or- dained was so too." " There is no necessity, except what proceeds from Canon law, for above one ; for 'tis evi- dent that one Apostle might, and did ordain a Bishop ; as for instance, St. John ordained Euodius and Ignatius ; St. Paul, Clement ; and by parity of reason, one of their successors might do the same."* " Consented together in Holy Wedlock.'''' Seethe Of- fice for Matrimony. Reference is here made not only in general to that mutual consent which lies at the foundation of marriage, but also to a former part of the service, in which this consent was publicly declared : — " Wilt thou have this woman?" &c. CoNSTANTiNopoLiTAN Creed. See Creed, Nicene. " Constantly believe." The word '• constantly^'' as here used, not only m.eans always, or through the entire life, but firmly, sincerely, and with full purpose of heart ; i. e. with constancy. Constitution. A body of general principles, set forth in each Diocese, as the ground-work of its organization and legis- lation ; and also by the General Convention, with the same ob- jects in reference to the Church at larg^in the United States. CoN§UBSTANTiAL. Of the Same substance or essence. The term is used in theological writings, to express that oneness and sameness of substance which belongs to the Father and the Son. In the Scriptures, the word does not occur, though the truth which it covers most certainly does. Its introduction into the language of the Church, may be dated from the Council of Nice, A. D. 325, at which time, through the spread of Arianism, it became necessary to guard the orthodox faith by more strict terms than those of the Apos- * Johnson on the Canonical Codes. 164 CON ties' Creed. Hence the rise of what is called the Nicene Creed, in which we find the phrase " of one substance [con- substantial] with the Father ;" — a definition respecting the Son of God, which the heterodox Arians would not brook, in- asmuch as it asserted in the most unequivocal manner the Supreme Deity of Christ, a revealed truth which, under shel- ter of less decisive terms, they had before this managed to evade. CoNsuBSTANTiATiON. The Opinion of the Lutheran Church, that in the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ are actu- ally present, together tvith the substance of the bread and wine. The difference between this, and the views of the Church of Rome, may be seen by comparing the opinion here expressed with transubstantiation. "Consummation, perfect." The full completion, end, or accomplishment of any event or thing. The expression oc- curs in one of the prayers near the end of the Burial service, thus : — " that we, with all those who are departed in the true faith of thy holy name, may have our ferfect consummation and bliss, both in soul and body, in thy eternal and everlast- ing glory." The allusion is, obviously, to the doctrine of an intermediate state, in which the souls of the righteous, being separated from the body, do not, and indeed cannot, enjoy that fulness of bliss ^hich will be the reward of the faithful after the resurrection, when the spiritual body, purified from all corruption, and endowed with immortality, will share in the fruition of endless bliss. The attainment of this perfect consummation of happiness, by the united enjoyments of the soul and the glorified body, is doubtless a legitimate object of prayer, and one which must nerve the Christian with strong and sublime anticipations of the glory " hereafter to be re- vealed," when we and all who have served God faithfully, shall be exalted to that state where " there shall be no more death." Convention. A Council or Synod of the Church, assem- CONVENTION. 165 bled for the transaction of ecclesiastical business, and consist- ing of delegates from both Clergy and Laity. Of these, there are in the American Church : — 1. The Gc7ieral Convention, which meets 'once in three 3-ears, "in such place as shall be determined by the Conven- tion." In this Convention are ordinarily two houses, viz : — the House of Bishops, which, " when there are three or more, shall ******** form a separate house, with a right to originate and propose acts," &c. But in case of there not being three or more Bishops, "any Bishop attending a General Convention shall be a member ex officio, and shall vote with the clerical deputies of the state to which he belongs." The other house is that of Clerical and Lay Deputies, consisting of a representation of Clergy and Laity, not to exceed four of each for a Diocese, chosen by the Convention of the Diocese they represent. Before proceeding to business, it is necessary that the Church shall be represented by a majority of the states which have adopted the General Constitution of the Church. A Special General Convention may be called on urgent occasion, by the presiding Bishop, " provided that the sum- mons shall be with the consent or on the requisition of a majority of the Bishops, expressed to him in writing." * 2. Diocesan Conventions. These meet annually in each Diocese, on business pertaining to their respective Dioceses alone, unless in cases where, by the General Convention, their separate action is required on some point of wider interest. A Diocesan Convention consists of the Bishop, with his Clergy, and a lay representation from each parish in union with the Convention. The qualifications required to ^entitle to a seat and vote in these Conventions, are regulated by the ♦ Canon XLIX. of the General Convention. 166 CON Canons of the various Dioceses, and differ according to the circumstances and usages of the Diocese enacting them. Special Diocesan Conventions may be held on the summons of the Bishop, and in conformity with the local Canons. " Conversation." Used in the Prayer-book, and also in the Bible, not for talk and familiar discourse, &c., but for the general mode and habit of life. In the forms for the Order- ing of Deacons and Priests, the word occurs with this broader significaticMi, thus : " Take heed that the persons whom ye present unto us, be apt and meet for their learning and godly conversation, to exercise their Ministry," &c. It will hardly be supposed that by the words ^^ godly conversation,^^ the Church here means a facility in discoursing on religious sub- jects ; for though a certain fluency of utterance is no de- spisable thing, yet it is, at the same time, no trustworthy argument either of piety or uncommon intelligence, being, like the rain, a gift that falleth on both the evil and the good. The phrase evidently refers not to this, but to that " godly, righteous, and sober life," in all its acts and aims, to which all the disciples of Christ should aspire, and more especially those who in the Ministry are to be living witnesses of the truth, "known and read of all men." Conversion of St. Paul. A holy-day is set apart by the Church for the celebration of this event. "St. Paul is not commemorated, as the other Apostles are, by his death or martyrdom, but by his conversion, which was wonderful in itself, and highly beneficial to the Church of Christ. For whilst the other Apostles had their particular provinces, he had the care of all the Churches, and by his indefatigable labors contributed very much to the propaga- tion of the Gospel throughout the world." Convocation. In the Church of England, " an assembly of the representatives of the Clergy, to consult of ecclesias- tical matters in time of parliament ; and summoned by each Archbishop in his peculiar province, in consequence of a writ COR 167 directed to him by the king before the meeting of every new parhament. It consists of two houses, the higher or upper house, where the Archbishops and all the Bishops sit sever- ally by themselves ; and the other, the lower house of con- vocation, where all the rest of the clergy sit, i. e., all deans and archdeacons, one proctor for each chapter, and two proc- tors for all tho parochial clergy of each diocese, making in the whole number 166 persons ; but on account of the small number of dioceses in the province of York, each archdea- conry elects two proctors. In York, the convocation con- sists only of one house ; but in Canterbury there are two houses, of which the 22 Bishops form the upper house ; and before the Reformation, abbots, priors, and other mitred pre- lates sat with the Bishops. The lower house of convocation, in the province of Canterbury, consists of 144 members, viz., 22 deans, 53 archdeacons, 24 proctors for the chapters, and 44 proctors for the parochial clergy." " The Archbishop of Canterbury is the president of the convocation, and prorogues and dissolves it by mandate from the king."* The term " Convocation " is applied, in several Dioceses of the United States, to certain monthly or other periodical meetings of the Clergy, for the purpose of mutual conference, the holding of public services, and the devising and execution of plans for the extension of the Church. The organized body formed by these Clergy, is known by the same name. Corpus Christi. The body of Christ. In the Church of Rome, an annual festival, with this name, is observed on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Its design is to commemo- rate the corporal presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Dr. Webster has fallen into an error in defining this to be " a festival of the Church of England * * * j^^ honor of * Laws relating to the Clergy. 168 COR the Eucharist." The Church of England has no sucli festival, having abrogated it at the Reformation. " Corrupt following." In the 25th Article of Religion it is said, that " Those five commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Ex- treme Unction, are not to be counted for sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt fol- lowing of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed by the Scriptures," &c. From this, an objection has sometimes been made against the rite of Confirmation, as having arisen from " the corrupt following of the Apostles," and thus it is concluded that if the Church had correctly and wisely fol- lowed their example. Confirmation would not have been prac- tised and held in its present estimation. The answer to the objection is this. The Article referred to is on the " Sacraments,''^ and it declares that these are two in number, viz., " Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord." But inasmuch as the Romanists hold that there are five others, viz., Confirmation, Penance, Orders, (fee, the Article goes on to say, that " these are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel." And, having stated this, the next point was to show how they came to be regarded as Sacraments in the Romish Church, viz., "partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed by the Scriptures,'* that is, part of them, as Confirmation, Penance, and Extreme Unction, have been exalted to the rank of Sacraments by the Romanists, through their mistaken imitation of the Apostles, who never counted them as Sacraments ; and the other part of them, viz.. Orders and Matrimony, are "states of life allowed by the Scriptures, but yet have not like nature of Sacraments with baptism and the Lord's Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God." From this it will appear that the Article does not assert that Confirmation came through the " corrupt following " of the COTT 169 Apostles ; but that by these means the Romanists came to hold it as a Sacrament, which it is not. The whole matter may be thus stated. The Episcopal Church, by the riglit following of the Apostles, holds confirmation to be an A'pos- iolical ordinance. But the Romanists, by the corrupt follow- ing of the Apostles, regard confirmation as a Sacrament. Council. The Councils of the ancient Church were as- semblies of Bishops, called together at stated times or on occasions of emergency, to secure, by their decisions, the in- tegrity of Christian doctrine, — to frame Canons for the go- vernment of the Church, — to settle controversies and heal disorders, — and to deliberate on all questions in which the interccsts of the Church were concerned. These Councils, though formed of Bishops, did not exclude the inferior orders of the Clergy, nor refuse their advice and co-operation on disputed questions. On some occasions the same privilege was also allowed to the more distinguished members of the laity. Councils are usually considered as General or Provincial. A General Council, to which the name of (Ecumenical is also applied, consisted of a representation by Bishops, from the Churches in every part of the world, and their acts were re- ceived as authoritative by the universal Church. These were of rather infrequent occurrence, and formed the most august and solemn tribunal of the Church. The Provincial Councils were composed of the Bishops of a province, or other local division of the Church. By the Canons, these were required to assemble at least twice every year. Their acts had force only in the district represented by the Council. To the decisions of the first four General Councils, respect has always been shown by the Protestant Episcopal Church. These were, 1. The Council of Nice, assembled A. D. 325. 2. The Council of Constantinople, A. D. 381. 3. That of Ephesus, A. D. 431. And 4. That of Chalcedon, A. D. 451. 15 170 CEE The leading decisions of all these, were directed against the errors on the doctrine of the Trinity, advanced by the Allans, the Macedonians, the Nestorians, and the Eutychians. The twenty-first of the thirty-nine Articles, is on " The Authority of General Councils." Its omission in the Amer- ican Prayer-book was grounded on the two-fold objection, 1st, that its provisions were useless to a Church not in con- nection with the civil government ; and 2d, that every thing in it of any value to us, is stated in nearly the same words in Article VI. In the Church in the United States, the term " Council " is used in reference to a General or Diocesan Convention, as in the Prayer for Conventions, &c. Creed. From Credo, I believe. A concise summary of Scripture doctrine, set forth under the authority of the Church. The necessity and use of Creeds arises from the fact, that while our rule of faith is Holy Scripture, revelation does not come to us in the form of a methodical and distinctly arranged body of divinity. The Bible nowhere professes to be a book regularly laid out, in which different points of doctrine are discussed in separate chapters and treatises ; but we find it composed of writings in which all the points of our faith are mingled together, and regarded as established focts, without the parade of constant argument and logical analysis. That there are some exceptions to this, is not to be denied ; the Epistle to the Romans, for example, being in the main, a dis- course on justification by faith ; and part of the Epistle to the Hebrews, being a defence of the Divinity of Jesus Christ. But as a general rule, the Bible is not a systematic work. While the doctrines of the Gospel are all included in it, they are blended together, or scattered at large over the whole volume. Hence it has always been thought expedient to draw out these various doctrines, and arrange them in a short and luminous catalogue, that every one may see, at a glance, what CREED. 171 is taught as certain truth, to be believed and acted upon by the disciples of Christ, The inquiry is sometimes made, why we attach any real importance to a Creed, if we believe the Bible to be our rule of faith ? Why not declare simply, that the doctrines we hold are those of the Scriptures, rather than appeal to the Apostles' or any other Creed? The answer brings us to another use of Creeds, and is this. All men ivill not interpret Scripture rightly, and thus the truth must suffer, unless some guide or check be provided. The mere declaration of our belief in the Bible, conveys no definite impression of our views. Take, for example, an Episcopalian, a Presbyterian, a Baptist, and a Unitarian, and ask them, what is their rule of faith % They will all refer to the Bible ; and yet how variant are their doctrinal views ! The first three contend, that Jesus Christ is God, of the same essence with the Father ; while, on the contrary, the Unitarian asserts that he is only man. The Churchman reads in the Bible that Christ died for the sins of the ivhole world, and that God would have all men come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved. But the Presbyterian (if he believe the Westminster Confession) is of another opinion, holding that God, without any foresight of faith and good works, has elected a certain number to eternal life, and abandoned the rest to sure and everlasting ruin. Now all these claim the Bible as the proof of their doctrines ; but they differ in their interpretation of it. The Creed there- fore, being a representation of the doctrines of Christianity, as believed and held in the earliest ages of the Church, when the truth, as taught by the Apostles, was fresh and bright in the minds of all men, is of incalculable service in the pre- servation of sound views of the Gospel — such views as will stand the test of the judgment day. To Creeds of modern invention, we attach no kind of im- portance, because they are not tests of the primitive faith. But the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, being declarations 172 CRE sanctioned by the consent of the universal Church, and ever held in esteem as the safeguards of truth, we continue reve- rently to receive ; not exalting them to the place of Scripture, but venerating them as authoritative statements of the true meaning of Scripture. See Church. Creed, Apostles'. The Apostles' Creed is a summary of Christian doctrine, which has been received by the Church universal, from the earliest ages. The title has been variously accounted for. There is an ancient tradition that this Creed was actually framed by the Apostles, each furnishing an ar- ticle, until the whole was completed. But this is for the most part regarded as a fable ; and probably took its rise from the name of Symbolum or Symbol, sometimes given to this Creed,- a name derived from a Greek word, signifying a throw- ing or casting together. It is more likely that this Creed is so called, from its consisting of doctrines taught by the Apostles, though the exact words may not be retained. It was customary among the early Christians to make a free use of the title " Apostolic." Thus, any Church in which an Apostle had personally taught, especially if he had ministered there for any considerable time, was denominated an Apos- tolic Church. For example, the Churches of Jerusalem, Corinth, Ephesus, Antioch, and Rome, were all called Apostolic Churches. In the course of years, the Bishops, with their Sees, and the Christian faith, obtained the same appellation, and eventually this was given to the Creed itself. We have strong reason for believing, that in the very earliest days of the Church, the Apostles' Creed was in use ; for Irenseus, who was taught by Polycarp, a disciple of St. John, gives a creed similar to this, and says that " the Church dispersed throughout the whole world, had received this faith from the Apostles and their disciples." Tertullian also, who lived about a hundred years after the Apostles, gives a creed of the same character, and says that it had been in use " as a rule of faith in the Church, from the beginning of the Gospel.** CREED, apostles'. 173 Originally, the Creed had fewer articles than at present ; for in the copies as given hy these writers, the descent into hell, the communion of saints, and the life everlasting, are not included. These were points, however, fully believed by the early Christians, but were not embodied in the Creed until the third or fourth century, when this became necessary, to counteract some doctrinal errors, which at that time dis- turbed the peace of the Church. The whole Creed is found in the works of St. Ambrose, who flourished A. D. 374, and in the works of other writers of the same age. It deserves remark, that at the period of the Reformation, all the reformed Churches retained the Creed, and several of them incorporated it into their liturgies. In the Church of England it was made a part of the pubhc service, as it had been for many ages before. When the book of Common Prayer underwent a revision in the American Church, the Apostles' Creed was retained, and we recite it on occasions of public worship, thus declaring our faith in the very words which have dwelt on the lips of the earliest disciples of the Redeemer. Apart from its use as a standard of orthodoxy, the Creed may be viewed as a fountain of warm devotional feeling. In the words of one who well knew its value, " It is the watch- word of Christian soldiers — the cheering exclamation of the Christian army, transmitted from rank to rank, from the fel- lowship of the Apostles, and the army of martyrs, down to our time. It has animated the whole Christian host ; and if \^e yield to the holy sympathetic feeling, we surely must catch a portion of their devout zeal, as we repeat this symbol of the truth. It is the Gospel in epitome ; and though it will not suffice without the Gospel in detail, yet it cannot but bring to our grateful recollection, the great doctrines which we love — in which we now walk — in which we hope to die. " On every account, therefore, we should prize this sum- mary of our faith ; — not with superstitious veneration for it, 15* 174 CEE merely because it is ancient — but with great deference, be- cause though ancient, its authority is not shaken by all the inquiries of after ages. We should prize it, because, instead of being the cant language of a sect, it is the mighty asser- tion of the faith of the Church Catholic. We should prize it as the grandest offering of praise uttered by the faithful ; — for a confession of the whole Gospel is, in this act, sent up as incense to the Eternal Jehovah, Three in One." Creed, Athanasian. A Creed of very considerable an- tiquity, still retained in the Prayer-book of the Church of England, and appointed to be used on certain Sundays and other holy-days. Its name is derived from St. Athanasius ; but that it was actually written by him, is far from being either certain or probable. By Dr. Waterland its composition is referred to Hilary, Archbishop of Aries, who flourished about A. D. 480. The same author remarks, " that we cannot assign a later period than the year 880 for the introduction of this creed into th^ office of prime by the English Churches ; but we have no reason to think that it may not have been used long before that date. It is not found in MS. Psalters of the 7th and 8th centuries."* The Athanasian Creed consists of a summary of the Ca- tholic faith, expressed in terms exceedingly strong and pre- cise. Much the larger part is occupied with an elaborate statement of the doctrine of the Trinity, with particular reference to the Divinity and Personality of the Son and Holy Ghost. The whole begins and closes with declarations in nearly the same terms, that " this is the Catholic Faith ; which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.'* The strong language of this Creed, with its repeated de- nunciations, though vindicated and explained by the English ritualists, procured its rejection from the American Prayer- ♦ Cited by Palmer in Origines Liturgicse, I. p. 234. CRO 175 book, by the General Convention of 1789. The proceedings in relation to it, may be seen in Bishop White's Memoirs of the Church. Creed, Constantinopolitan. See Creed, Nicene. Creed, Nicene. Sometimes called the Constantinopolitan Creed. " This creed was chiefly composed by the orthodox Fathers of the first general council of Nice, A. D. 325, to define the Christian faith, in opposition to the heresy of Arius. As sanctioned by this assembly, it ended with " I believe in the Holy Ghost ;" the remainder was added by the second general council, held at Constantinople, A. D. 391, in which the heresy of Macedonius, with regard to the divinity of the Holy Spirit, was condemned. In the 5th century, the western Churches added to this creed the words Jilioque, in conformity with the doctrine, that the Holy Spirit proceeds /rom the Son, as well as from the Father."* In the English Prayer-boak, the Nicene Creed occurs only in the Communion Office ; but in the American revision it has been placed with the Apostles' Creed, in the Order of Morning and Evening Prayer, the Minister having liberty to use either of them in the ordinary services, and also in the Administration of the Communion, when necessary. Crosier, or Crozier. A Bishop's pastoral staffer crook. In the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, this, with the mitre, dec, have grown into disuse. It was formerly considered as an emblem of jurisdiction, and pastoral autho- rity. In form it resembled the well-known shepherd's crook, the head being frequently decorated with elaborate work- manship. It was for many ages always 'presented to a Bishop on receiving his consecration, and indicated that he was then constituted a shepherd over the flock of Christ, The Bishop's crosier was always carried in the left hand. Cross. As our Savior Christ suffered death on the cross, * Origlnes Liturgicae, II. p. 54. 176 CROSS. for man's redemption, the Church has, in all ages, considered this instrument of death as the most appropriate emblem or symbol of the Christian religion. In ancient times, the figure of a cross, made of wood or stone, was in common use as a Church ornament, &c., being frequently placed on steeples, towers, pinnacles, and the summit of arches and roofs ; besides being interwoven with all the curious and beautiful forms of Gothic ornament in the interior of Churches and sacred places. So long as the cross was viewed simply as the sign of our religion, no possible evil could result from its use, and it might even have served the valuable purpose of constantly putting Christians in mind of the sacrifice which was made for them by the precious biood-shedding of the Redeemer. But in the course of time, it came to be grievously abused, (Uke many other harmless things,) to superstitious and unholy purposes ; the consequence of which has been the exclusion of it, in a great measure, from almost all Protestant Churches. The proper and innocent use of the cross as an architectural ornament, and as an emblematical decoration on Church books, pulpit trimmings, &c., has still been retained in the Episcopal Church. In the Sacrament of Baptism, it is the custom for the Min- ister to make (or mark with his finger) the sign of the Cross on the forehead of the person baptized. This is done to in- timate that the person is now admitted to the fellowship of Christ's religion, and become one of his professed disci- ples. And as it was an ancient custom " for masters and generals to mark the foreheads or hands of their servants and soldiers with their names or marks, that it might be known to whom they did belong ; so has it long been the custom of the Church to sign and seal all those who become in baptism the soldiers and servants of Christ." It was in allusion to this, that the Fathers (or ancient Bishops, &c.) CtTR 177 called this sign " the Lord's signet, and Christ's seal"* The sign of the cross is not made till after baptism, so that it is not absolutely essential to this rite, and, if request is made, it may be omitted altogether, " although the Church knows no worthy scruple concerning the same." Cross, Holy. A festival of the Romish Church, kept on the fourteenth day of September, in honour of the recovery from the infidels of a piece of the cross, which, we are told, was brought back to Jerusalem, with great triumph, by the Emperor Heraclius. The festival takes its date from the year 615. Cross, Invention of the. A festival observed in the Church of Rome, in memory of the fnding of the true cross, by He- lena, the mother of Constantino the Great. The story or legend in which the circumstances of the discovery are re- lated, may be seen in " Wheatly, on the Common Prayer." This festival occurs on the third of May. The term invent Hon is here used in a sense now somewhat obsolete, for the finding or discovery of the cross. Crucifix. A figure of the cross, either in statuary or painting, &c. with a representation of Christ extended upon it, very commonly used among Roman Catholics in their pri- vate devotions, and conspicuously placed in their Churches, to excite, (as they allege,) religious feeling, and aid in fixing their thoughts on the sufferings and death of the Redeemer. The superstitious notions, and " peril of idolatry," which have long attended the crucifix, have led to its banishment from all Protestant Churches. Crypt. From xpu'TTrw. The subterranean vaults or cel- lars under a cathedral, or other church, chiefly used as depo- sitories for the dead. Curacy. The office or ecclesiastical situation held by a Curate. ♦ Wheatly. 178 CUR Curate. A Minister who has the cure or care of souls. In former times, this title belonged to all Pastors of the Church, as it still does in the English Liturgy ; but, by de- grees, it came to be applied only to those Ministers whose duty it was to assist the Pastors or Rectors of Churches, and was no longer used for the Rectors themselves. The Pro- testant Episcopal Church in the United States seldom em- ploys this term ; and the office itself, in the strict sense of a subordinate minister appointed by the Rector alone, and by him remunerated, scarcely exists. The word occurs once in the Prayer-book, viz : in the form for the Ordering of Dea- cons, where it is said to be a part of the Deacon's duty, " to search for the sick, poor, &c., and intimate their estates, names, and places where they dwell, unto the Curate.^^ In this place, it refers to the Minister who has the actual pastoral care of the parish, whether he be the Rector or the Assistant Minister. In the Church of England, Curates are not instituted or inducted into Churches. Cure, Cura. The spiritual charge of a parish ; or, in a wider sense, the parish itself. The term is not frequently used in the American Church, but occurs sometimes in the Prayer-book, as in the Ordering of Priests : — " Will you * * * * teach the people committed to your cure and charge," &c. Also in the Office of Institution : — " We au- thorize you to claim and enjoy all the accustomed temporal- ities appertaining to your cure" &c. ; i. e., of the Church over which the Minister has now become the settled Pastor. "Curious and Carnal Persons." In Article XVII. the effects of the " consideration of Predestination " on two distinct classes of persons, are described. The first are, — " godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ." The other class consists of " curious and carnal persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ," with whom " to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God's Predestination, is a most dangerous downfall," &c. By tak- DAI 179 ing the word curious, here, in its antiquated sense, in con- nection with carnal, we have a distinct reference to persons of a severe and unsanctified temperament, cautious even to a fault, distrustful of God, and disposed rather to search into what God has not revealed, than to practise what he has com- manded. Asa check upon all such speculations, and a hint that holiness is better than metaphysics, the Article ends with the important remark, that the promises of God are to be re- ceived as they are set forth in the Scriptures, and his will to be followed in all our doings, as it is " expressly declared unto us.'" D. •• Daily." It was evidently the intention of the Church, in the framing of the Prayer-book, that divine service should be performed on every day in the year. Hence, the Morning Service is called "the Order for Daily Morning Prayer ; " and that for the Evening, "the Order for Daily Evening Prayer." The Calendar also declares what Lessons of Scripture are to be read on every day in the year,— that is, the daily lessons : and a similar provision exists in relation to the Ante-com- munion service. In cathedrals and many other churches in England, the custom of maintaining public service on every day, is still con- tinued ; and in the United States, an approach to it is made in some of the more considerable city churches, by the regular observance of Prayer-days twice or thrice in the week, and on all festivals and other holy-days. The Church of England further ordains, that " all Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening 180 DEA Prayer, either privately or openly, not being let [hindered] by sickness or some other urgent cause." " Damnation." The changes which time has wrought in the meaning of words, have seldom been more unfortunate than in their effect on this term, and the verb " to dam7iV Modern usage limits them, with one exception,* to the final doom of the wicked. But, in several passages of the New Testament, as Rom. xiii. 2 ; xiv. 23; — 1 Cor. xi. 29 ; — the sense is that of condemn, or condemnation, according to the use of the word at the time when our translation of the Scriptures was made. Respecting the passage in Corinthians, John Wesley remarks, that ^^ damnation is a vile mistranslation of the word," for judgment ; forgetting, it is charitable to suppose, that the translators did not live in his day. In the Prayer-book, the word is often used as in the New Testament for condemnation. See the 25th Article. Bishop Jewell has the following remark in his Apology, where the word is similarly used , " even so these men will see, their own matter is damned and destroyed in the word of God, as if it were in poison." f "Dare not ask." A strong expression in one of the Collects, at the end of the Communion Office : " those things which for our un worthiness, we dare not [ask.]" The meaning appears to be this : — If God's mercy or bounty were to be appealed to on the ground of our own worthiness, con- science would render so stern a verdict, that our lips would be for ever sealed ; in virtue of the merits of Christ alone have we boldness to seek those blessings which, through our own " un worthiness, we dare not " otherwise presume to ask. Deacon. In the Ministry of the Church, Deacons are the lowest of the three ordei's or grades. The name by which they are distinguished, is of Scriptural origin, having been * In the language of the Theatre. t P. 133. DEACON. 181 given to those who first filled this office, and has ever since been retained in the Church. In the ancient Church, there was always preserved a broad and manifest line of distinction between the office of a Dea. con and that of a Priest. So clearly was this defined, that none could possibly mistake, or fail to see a difference be. tween these two orders, as wide as that between a Priest and a Bishop. In consistency with this, the Protestant Episcopal Church sets forth in her Ordinal, the duties appertaining to the office of a Deacon, carefully preserving the distinction between that office and the " higher ministries of the Church." That Deacons were a branch of the sacred ministry is abundantly evident from the 1st Epistle to Timothy, where instructions are given relative to their qualifications, and to the proper use of their office in the Church of God. The same will appear from a review of those passages in which Deacons are represented as actually preaching and baptizing, which were duties appertaining exclusively to the ministry. But the most luminous proof of their ministerial character, is derived from the account, in the 6th chapter of the Acts, of tile ordination of seven persons to this office. On this we purpose to base our vindication of the Order of Deacons, as showing distinctly that tiiey were not meiely appointed to a secular office, but ordained as Mmisters of Christ's Church. The narrative sets forth, that on account of some com- plaints of neglect in the distribution of the daily charities of the Church, the Apostles gave order that the disciples should select " seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom," whom they might "appoint over this business." Accordingly, seven weie chosen, among whom were Philip and Stephen; and, on being presented to the Apostles, they were ordained by the imposition of their (the Apostles') hands. The first thing to be noticed here, is the character or 16 182 DEACON'. qualifications of these men. Now, if they were for no higher purpose than to take cognizance of the temporal affairs of the Church, it would have been sufficient that they possessed simply an ordinary amount of good sense, integrity, and piety. They would have occupied a place very much re- sembling that of the Wardens and Vestrymen in our Churches. But what do the Apostles direct 1 " Look ye out seven men ******* juii of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.'' And among those selected was Stephen, " a man/w/Z of faith and of the Holy Ghost.'' Now if this was merely a secular office, we see the Apostles most strangely demanding for it the highest spiritual qualifications. In fact, there was no sort of relation between the qualifications and the office. To illus- trate the matter, suppose that some benevolent persons should present to our own Church a sum of money, to be laid out at stated times, in relieving a number of poor people belonging to the congregation ; and suppose the charge of this fund to be lodg€d, in the first instance, in the hands of the Bishop ; but finding that more important duties prevented him from attending to the distribution, he should think proper to call for the appointment of some other persons to this duty : would it be at all necessary, that for this merely temporal business, he should require the Church to look out persons " full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom " ] It would be directly perceived that such exalted spiritual qualifications were not absolutely needed forthe b-isiness in hand, however desirable they might be on other accounts. And, in the case in ques- tion, it is equally inconceivable that the Apostles should have required the selection of men endowed with the noblest spiritual gifts, and full of wisdom, to be appointed to a kind of labor m hich any honest man among the disciples would have been competent to discharge. Further : these men were not only chosen by the people, but solemnly ordained by the Apostles. Here we ask, is it at all likely, that for the mere distribution of charity, such a DEACON. 183 solemnity would have been performed? To advert to our former illustration : — If a sum of money had been given to our own Church to assist the indigent, would the Bishop not •only require in the person to whom the distribution should be committed, the highest spiritual gifts, but actually deem it necessary to ordain him, before entering on his simple duty? Would not the thing appear utterly unnecessary and super- fluous? And would not every one decide, that if the person possessed the above qualifications, and received ordination from the Bishop, that something more would be expected from him than that line of duty in which his gifts would have no ^eld for exercise ? But we find at least two of these Deacons engaged imme- diately after, in ministerml labors. Stephen is found, not confining himself to the lesser matter of distributing the charily of the Church, but preaching in the various syna- •gogues of the foreign Jews, and we read that " they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake." And by consulting the tihronology of our Bibles, it will be perceived that this occurred in the same year in which he was ordained, if not directly upon the receiving of his official authority. The next year we find Philip, another of the Deacons, going to Samaria, and preaching and baptizing. It would appear then, as some one has remarked, that if they were appointed only to serve tables, they must have been very unfaithful servants, so soon to desert their trasL But it is objected that Philip is called an Evangelist, and that he ministered in this capacity, and not in that of a Deacon. We reply, that he is not called an Evangelist be- fore the history in the 21st chapter of the Acts, which was at least twenfy-seven years after he went to Samaria. In truth, we know Philip only as a Deacon, for Evangelist is not a title of a distinct order, but signifies only a minister of Christ — one who officially proclaims the gospel. And even if it were a distinct office, we have Philip, as just stated^ 184 DEACON. preaching Christ, 27 years before he is called by this title. It appears then, that the Deacons were ministers of the icord, as well as ministers of tables, or distributors of charity. It may be further remarked, that no objection can validly be brought against the sacred character of the Deacons, from the fact that the Apostles say, "it is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables." For this by no means proves that one of these duties was incompatible with the other ; but that the Apostles having the chief work of preaching the gospel — having "labors more abundant," thought it best to release themselves as much as they might from lesser duties, which could be performed by others in connection with a less arduous ministry. For the same rea- son, Paul afterwards refused even to baptize, alleging that Christ sent him " not to baptize, but to preach the gospel." In the narrative, the Apostles give as a reason for the ordina- tion of Deacons, that they wished to give themselves, " con- tinually to prayer," &c. They did not want to be interrupted in their ministry ; but by no means say that the Deacons' duties could not be performed without a surrender of the ministry. Again ; if the Deacons were ordained simply to 'distribute the property of the Church, under the temporary arrange- ment of a community of goods, how is it that the office sur- vived when that arrangement ceased ? How is it that St. Paul writes to Timothy, no less than 31 or 32 years after the ordi- nation above, giving him rules for the choice and govern- ment of Deacons ? If it be said in answer, that these officers were still wanted in the Church, to take charge of the poor ; and that if the Scriptures had carried down the history a little later, we should have seen them so employed ; we reply, that where the Scripture ends, we must take up other early writers who lived immediately after the Apostles, and see what they write concerning the duties and office of Deacons. Let us then consult a few of them, and hear their testimony* •BEACON. * 185 The first whom we shall notice, is Clement, a disciple of St. Peter, and Bishop of Rome. In one of his Epistles, he says that Isaiah had prophesied of Bishops in the Christian Church as "overseers in righteousness," and of Deacons as "their ministers in faith," adding, that the Apostles estab- lished such officers. After this, and almost in the spirit of prophecy, he continues, that " the Apostles knew by our Lord Jesus Christ, that there should contentions arise, upon the account of the ministry." Ignatius, another of the Apostolic Fathers, who flourished while some of the twelve were yet living, and was probably acquainted with them and their views respecting the constitution of the Church, in writing to the Magnesians, names Bishops, and Presbyters, and adds, " and your Deacons most dear to me, being intrusted with the Ministry of Jesus Christ.'' In another Epistle he speaks of the sacred office of Deacon thus : — " The Deacons also, as being the ministers of the mysteries of Jesus Christ, must by all means please all ; for they are not the ministers of meat and drink, but of the Church of God." Polycarp, a disciple of St. John, says to the same purpose, " the Deacons must be blameless before (God) as the ministers of God in Christ,^' Here then we have the testimony of holy men who lived with the Apostles, that in their day. Deacons were an order of the Christian ministry. The matter is so plain, that if denied, there is no meaning in language, and no truth in history; and it would be equally as reasonable to contend that such men as Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp, never existed. When to this we add the undeniable fact, that from the times of these men, down to the days of Luther and Calvin, all the Deacons in the world were ordained ministers ; and when we consider that at the present time all the Churches in the world which are derived from the Apostles, hold their Dea- cons in the same light, what a convincing and striking com^ mentary have we 0:1 the scriptural account of the institutioB of I he office ! 16* 186 t DEA It follows then, that if Deacons are to take their stand among the laity, as mere officers to take charge of the poor, dec, there is this formidable task first to be accomplished, viz., to overcome the testimony of the New Testament ; — to give it an interpretation which the Church never heard of for 1500 years ; — to accuse the friends and disciples of the Apostles, of falsehood or ignorance ; — to deny the unanimous testimony of the Church in the whole world, and through all ages ; and to declare that the present race of Deacons in all Churches now under an Episcopal ministry, are a budy of impostors, exercising a ministry to which they have no shadow of right. The intelligent reader will decide which is the safest side of the dilemma. "Deadly Sin." It would appear that the 16th Article, in which this expression occurs, was framed with a view to counteract an opinion originally held by the Novatians, and revived by the Anabaptists and other sects, at the period of the Reformation. By maintaining that all sin after baptism, was unpardonable, they not only set forth a dogma incon- sistent with the tenor of Scripture, but reduced all moral offences to a perfect level, as being equally heinous in the sight of God. The former notion is denied in the Article ; and as respects the latter, while ihe Church teaches in agree- ment with Scripture, that every sin is a grievous offence against the majesty of lieaven, and that a curse rests on every one "that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" — a curse from which there is no escape but by the l.lccd of C hiist, yet she aho re( cgnizes different dEG language of the people, abounding with instruction, and call- ing men to unite in it " understandingly," it was a first duty to locate the officiating minister, in such a position as would secure to the congregation the benefit of a distinct hearing of the service. The Bishops, therefore, " at the solicitations of their inferior Clergy, allowed them in several places to supersede their former practice, and to have Desks or Read- ing Pews, in the body of the Church, where they might, with more ease to themselves, and greater convenience to the peo- ple, perform the daily morning and evening service. Which dispensation, begun at first by some few ordinaries, and re- commended by them to others, grew by degrees to be more general, till at last it came to be an universal practice ; inso- much that the convocation, in the beginning of King James I's reign, ordered, that in every Church there should be a convenient seat made for the minister to read service in."* This is, in short, a history of the origin of the desks of our Churches. And though, from the convenient size and plan of modern Churches, the original necessity cannot now be pleaded for the use of desks, yet other reasons equally valid, are not wanting in vindication of them as an essential part of a well-furnished Church. A return to the primitive prac- tice of reading the liturgy from the Chancel is not to be looked for ; and in the absence of desks, there might be a tendency to bring in the pulpit as a substitute, a practice which would with difficulty recommend itself to any lover of ecclesiastical order and propriety. Deus misereatur. The Latin of " God be merciful " unto us, which are the first words of one of the hymns ap- pointed to be used after the second Lesson in Evening Ser- vice. This is simply the 67th Psalm, an anthem beginning with a penitential prayer, then expanding into a desire for the Wheatly, p. 112. Dio 195 spiritual good of all nations, and terminating in a strain of universal rejoicing, with a recapitulation of both the temporal ^nd eternal blessings which shall attend the general diffusion of divine truth. Deuteronomium. The Latin title of the book of Deuter- onomy, as given in the 6th Article of Religion. " Devotions." Near the beginning of the Communion Ser- vice in the Prayer-book, this name is given to the offerings which the people give for the relief of the poor, &c., thus — "the Deacons, Church Wardens, and other fit persons ap. pointed for that purpose, shall receive the Alms for the Poor, and other Devotions of the people." These gifts are proba- bly so called because they are devoted to this pious purpose. The word, however, is now seldom used in this sense. See Oblations. DiAcoNATE. The office or rank of a Deacon. The deaconsMp. Dignitary. A Bishop or other ecclesiastical officer hold, ing a peculiar rank or dignity in the Church. DiMissoRY Letter. Presbyters and Deacons are, in all ordinary cases, under the care and jurisdiction of one of the Bishops of the Church, usually the Bishop of the Diocese in which they reside. But in the event of a removal into another Diocese, the Bishop, on request, furnishes a letter to the Bishop of that other Diocese, recommending the appli- cant to his spiritual care, and testifying to his correct stand, ing in the Church. This is called a " Dimissory Letter," or " letter of dismission.*' See Canonical Residence. Diocesan, a. Relating to a Diocese, and not to the Church in general. Thus, the regular annual meeting of the Clergy, &c. of any particular Diocese, is called a Diocesan Convention ; and their ecclesiastical laws, are denominated Diocesan Canons, because they are enacted for that Diocese only. In like manner, a seminary or school for the educa- tion of persons for the ministry, and belonging to any par- 196 DIO ticular Diocese, is called a Diocesan Seminary, whereas another for the same purpose, but belonging to all the Dio- ceses in common, has the name of the General Seminary. DiocESA^v^, n. One who exercises the ecclesiastical ju- risdiction of a Diocese, i. e. a Bishop. The term Diocesan is more limited than that of Bishop, the latter including and recognizing all the peculiar functions of the Episcopate, while the former has reference only to the bounds in which those functions shall be exercised. Bishop, is therefore a desig- nation, in all circumstances and places, of one holding the powers of the Episcopate. On the other hand. Diocesan is applicable to such an officer, only in respect to the limits of his own Diocese. The Bishop of New-York, for example, bears the title of Bishop throughout the whole Church ; but that of Diocesan only in his relation to the particular Diocese of New-York. Diocesan Convention. See Convention. Diocese, or Diocess. A territorial district or portion of the Church, forming the spiritual jurisdiction of a Bishop. The division of the Church into dioceses, may be viewed as a natural consequence of the institution of the office of Bishops. The authority to exercise jurisdiction, when com- mitted to several hands, requires that some boundaries be defined, within which each party may employ his powers ; otherwise, disorder and confusion would ensue, — and the Church, instead of being benefited by the appointment of governors, might be exposed to the double calamity of an overplus of them in one district, and a total deficiency in another. The fixing of parish boundaries, would meet the difficulty so far as Presbyters were concerned ; but we are here con- templating the sphere in which powers of a higher grade were to operate ; — powers extending to the government of those Presbyters, and to the higher acts of discipline in their parishes. Hence we find, even as early as the New Testa- DIOCESE. 197 ment history, some plain indications of the rise of the Diocesan system, in the cases respectively of James, Bishop of Jerusalem ; Timothy, Bishop of Ephesus ; Titus, of Crete ; to whom may be added the Angels or Bishops of the seven Churches in Asia. These were located in cities, and had jurisdiction over the Churches and inferior Clergy in those cities, and probably in the country adjacent. The first Dioceses were formed by planting a Bishop in a city or considerable village, where he officiated statedly, and took the spiritual charge " not only of the city itself, but the suburbs, or region lying round about it, within the verge of its [civil] jurisdiction : Which seems to be the plain reason of that great and visible difference which we find in the ex- tent of Dioceses ; some being very large, others very small, according as the civil government of each city happened to have a larger or lesser jurisdiction." * This was the primi- tive mode of proceeding. One Bishop, and no more, was allowed to a city ; but it did not follow, neither was it the fact, that every Bishop had only one city within his Diocese ; for numerous instances can be given to prove the contrary. As an ordinary rule, however, "an Episcopal Church {or Diocese] was generally a city and a whole region, of the very same extent with the power of the civil magistrate, whose bounds for the most part were the bounds of the Bishop's Diocese ; though the rule was not so universal, but that it admitted of some particular exceptions.""]' To these Episcopal districts or bishoprics, the name of Diocese was not given till the beginning of the fourth cen- tury. Before that period they were denominated Parochia ; from which circumstance the advocates of Presbyterianism have endeavoured to prove that the Episcopacy of the primi- tive Church was simply parochial — a Bishop being no more * Bingham, II. p. 281. t Ibid, II. p. 284. 17* 198 DIOCESE. than the pastor of a parish Church, whose jurisdiction ex- tended over it, and the clergy who might be his assistants and dependents. But it is demonstrable that, whatever may- be the case now, the term parochia was not, at the period in question, the designation of a single congregation or parish, but of " the towns or villages near a city, which, together with the city, was the Bishop's Tlapoixja, or as we now call it, his Diocese, the bounds of his ordinary care and juris- diction. That thus it was, appears evidently from this, that the largest Dioceses, such as those of Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria, which had many particular Churches in them, were called by the same name, as the reader may find an hundred passages in Eusebius, where he uses the word Ilapouia, when he speaks of those large and populous cities, which had many particular Churches in them."* The ob- jection therefore amounts to nothing more than a quibble on a name, and is defeated by the slightest reference to the ac- tual state of things in the early Church. The word Diocese came into use for a bishopric, at an early period of the fourth century, but it was not till a later date that the ancient name of parochia changed its applica- tion, by being appropriated as the designation of a single congregation, such as we now call a parish Church. In the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States, the limits of Dioceses are for the most part defined by the civil boundaries of States and Territories, in agreement with what seems to have been the ordinary practice of the primi- tive Church. Provision is made, however, by the General Canons, for the erection of new Dioceses within the limits of those now defined by States, whenever the growth of the Church, and the decisions of their Bishops and Conventions, may require it. Bingham, II. p. 282. DIP 199 Every Bishop of this Church is required to " confine the exercise of his Episcopal office to his proper diocese or dis- trict, unless requested to ordain or confirm, or perform any- other act of the Episcopal office, by any Church destitute of a Bishop." * " A Diocese without a Bishop, may, by its Convention, be placed under the full Episcopal charge and authority of the Bishop of another Diocese, who shall by that act become the Bishop also of the said vacant Diocese, until a Bishop is duly elected and consecrated for the same, or until the said act of its Convention be revoked." I A congregation in one Diocese, may not unite themselves with the Church in any other Diocese, as this would not only be irregular and contrary to the principles on which Dioceses are framed, but would produce endless confusion and litiga- tion in the administration of discipline, &c. Every congre- gation, therefore, is " considered as belonging to the body of the Church of the Diocese, within the limits of which they dwell, or within which there is seated a Church to which they belong." J DiPTYCHS. In a very early age, it was customary to have in every Church, two written tables, " whereof one contained the names of all eminent Bishops and Clergymen then living, with whom that Church held Communion and correspond- ence ; the other the names of all eminent Bishops and other men of their own, or other Churches, then dead. The Dea- cons rehearsed all the names in both tables, at the altar, whenever the Eucharist was celebrated. These tables were by the Greeks called AiVrup^a, and by some English writers Diptychs." § ♦ Article IV, of the General Constitution, t Canon VII. of the General Convention. t Canon XLIII. do. § Johnson, on the Canonical Codes.. 200 - ^% Discipline. The discipline of the Church is the order by which it is regulated and preserved from error, especially in admonishing and correcting those members who have com- mitted offences, and in maintaining the truly pious in the way of truth, and in the favor of God. For example : if a Minister is accused of some error or crime, he is brought to trial before his Bishop, and if found guilty, is either reproved for his offence, or suspended for a time from the exercise of his ministry, or publicly and finally discharged from his office. See Degradation. If a communicant be found guilty, he may, in like manner, be denied a place, for a time, among God's people, at the Lord's Supper, or may be openly rejected as an unworthy and wicked person. See Excommunication. The discipline of the Church also refers to those Canons, laws, and customs by which the Church exercises her cor- rective power, and her salutary influence, — without which, instead of peace, tranquillity and concord, there would be danger of continual disorder and confusion. "Discreetly." In a careful and prudent manner. In the baptism of Infants, the Minister is enjoined by the rubric to dip the child "in the Water discreetly^'' or to "pour Water upon it," &c. The need of such a precaution is ob- vious in cases of immersion, and serves to illustrate the care and tenderness of the Church. Discretion. Wherever, in the services of the Church, the Prayer-book gives permission to the Minister to omit, to add to, or differ from the usual order of worship, he is said to have the " liberty of discretion,''^ or the right to follow his own choice and judgment. The following are cases of this kind : — 1. In the Litany he may omit the part which is printed between brackets, thus [ ], and over which is written, " The Minister may, at his discretion, omit all that follows, to the prayer, " We humbly beseech thee, O Father," &c. Dis 201 2. At Morning or Evening Prayer, or at the Communion, any of the short Collects at the end of the Communion ser- vice, may be added, "at the discretion of the Minister." 3. Instead of the regular Psalms of the day, any one of the Selections of Psalms may be used. 4. " On Days of Fasting and Thanksgiving, appointed either by the Civil or by the Ecclesiastical Authority, the Minister may appoint such Psalms as he shall think fit in his discretion, unless any shall have been appointed by the Eccle- siastical Authority, in a Service set out for the Occasion ; which, in that case, shall be used, and no other." 5. " On occasions of Ecclesiastical Conventions, and those of Charitable Collections, the same discretion of choice is allowed " in selecting Lessons from Holy Scripture, as in choosing Psalms. See 4, above. In the Communion Service, the Order for Infant Baptism, and that for the Visitation of the Sick, dz;c., &;c., the Minister is also allowed to omit or to use certain parts at his discre- tion, or as he may think most proper at the time. Dispensation. A privilege granted by the ecclesiastical authority, under peculiar circumstances, exempting candidates for Orders, and others, from a strict compliance with certain requisitions of the Canons. The authority by which a dis- pensation is made, is also derived from the Canons, together with the limits to which it is confined, and the qualifications necessary in the applicant. "Dissemble." To practise deceit, or (as it is used in the Exhortation at the beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer,) to confess with our lips, what we do not believe or feel in our hearts. " We should not dissemble nor cloke [our sins] before the face of Almighty God, our heavenly Father." Dissenters. A term applied in England, and sometimes in the United States, to those religious sects which differ or dissent from the views entertained by the Church, and are not connected with her ministrations and worship. 202 Dox "Distempers." See the Prayer for Persons troubled in mind or conscience, in the Visitation of the Sick. " Give him strength against all his temptations, and heal all his distempers.''^ The word is here used in a somewhat obsolete sense, for distraction and uneasiness of mind, — a want of due regularity, or balance in the mental faculties, — a predominance of fear, terror and anguish of spirit. "Distinctly." See "Audible voice." Dominical. Pertaining to our Lord, as dies Domini, the Lord's day, or the Dominical. The term is also applied to the Lord's prayer, &c. Dominical Letter. See Sunday Letter. Doubles. See Concurrence of Holy days. DoxoLOGY. A song of glory, or a hymn in which glory is ascribed to God. The noblest and most animating doxologies of the Church, are the " Gloria Patri," — (Glory be to the Father, &c.) — and the " Gloria in excelsis," (Glory be to God on high, &c.) — both of which are not only venerable for their antiquity, but rich with the life of devotion, and the firm, unswerving tone of divine truth. The first of these occurs several times in the appointed Morning and Evening services ; the Church assuming, that every sincere Christian will love, at all times, to ascribe glory to that divine Being, who hath made, re- deemed, and sanctified him. After singing one of the Psalms or Hymns in metre, it is customary to conclude with a doxology to the same tune. For this purpose, the Church has set forth several, adapted to all the varieties of metre in the selection of Hymns, and the metrical Psalms. See Gloria in excelsis, and Gloria Patri. EAS 203 lEi. Easter Collection. In the Eastern Diocese it is ordered that a collection be annually made in each of the Churches, on Easter day, or as soon after as convenient, for the pur- pose of aiding in the support of young parishes, and sustain- ed the missionary operations of the Diocese in general. The funds arising from these collections are lodged in the hands of a Treasurer, and are subject to the disposal of the Bishop. Easter day. The great festival of the Resurrection of our Savior Christ. The word Easter is derived from the Saxon "oster," signifying "to rise." This sacred festival has had existence from the earliest ages of the Church, and there can be little doubt of its apos- tolical authority. "As all Christians, on the preceding Friday, stood, as it were, mournfully by the cross of their Savior, and the next day were overwhelmed with grief for his departure. The Church on this day, upon the first notice of his resurrection from the grave, calls upon us, with a becoming and holy transport, to turn our heaviness into joy, to put off our sackcloth, and gird ourselves with gladness. " Among the primitive Christians, this queen of feasts, as they called it, was so highly esteemed, that it was solemnized fifty days successively ; but as devotion abated, this feast was shortened ; the whole week, however, was for a long time observed as holy-days, for the expression of their joy for our Lord's resurrection. And our own Church, though she appoints only particular services for the Monday and Tuesday following, which contain full evidences of our Sa- vior's resurrection ; yet makes provision for the solemn observation of the whole week, by appointing, in the office of Communion, a preface suitable to the season for eight days together." 204 ELD Easter even. Properly, the evening next before the Festival of Easter ; but, according to usage, the whole of the day preceding that Feast. For Easter Even, the Church has provided Lessons not only for the evening, but also for a morning service. And, from the fact of there being also an appointed Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, it would seem to have been the intention of the Church, to provide for a full morn- ing service, for at that time only could the Epistle and Gos- pel properly be used. Ecclesiastic. A person holding any office in the sacred ministry of the Church. Ecclesiastical. Relating to the Church, — (Ecclesia.) Thus the laws of the Church are Ecclesiastical laws, or Canons, Ecclesiastical history, is a record of events which have transpired in the Church. The surplice, gown, &c., are frequently called Ecclesiastical garments. Ecclesiastical administration. See Administration. Ecumenical, or GEcumenical, A term applied to General Councils of the Christian Church, to distinguish them from provincial or national assemblies of the same kind. See Council. Ejaculation. A short and sudden prayer, such, for ex- ample, as " God be merciful to me, a sinner ! " " Lord have mercy upon us." " O Christ hear us." The disciples, when overtaken by a storm on the sea of Galilee, uttered an ejacu- lation when they cried " Lord, save us, we perish ! " Blind Bartimeus, also, when he prayed, " Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on rne," and Paul, when he cried out at his con- version, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? " The Psalms of David abound with holy ejaculations, which every devout Christian may treasure up in his memory, to offer to God in seasons of sudden danger or temptation ; for these brief petitions are heard in heaven, and will be answered by Him, who never forgets the sorrows and griefs of a contrite heart. Elder. One of the Scripture names of the second order END 205 of Ministers in the Church of Christ. The title of Presbyter or Priest is of the same import, and is now more generally used. See Bishop. Elements. The materials used in the Sacraments, and appointed for that purpose by Christ himself. Thus water is the element of baptism, and bread and wine of the Holy Communion. Elevation of the Host. A practice in the Romish Church, of lifting up the consecrated wafer or bread in the Eucharist, to be seen and adored by the people. In allusion to this ceremony, the Church declares in her 28th Article, that " Tile Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's Ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or wor shipped. ^^ Ember days. These are the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the first Tuesday in Lent, the feast of Whit- Sunday, the 14th of September, and the 13th of December; the Sundays following these days being the stated times of ordination in the Church. The weeks in which these days fall are called Ember weeks. The derivation of the name is uncertain. It has been supposed by some to signify "ashes," and by others, "absti- nence," in allusion to the ancient customs connected with fasting. The fact that the Ember weeks return at stated periods, has led others to trace the name to a Saxon word signifying a "course" or "cycle." In the Western Church they were denominated "the Fasts of the Four Seasons." On these days "the design of the Church is to call her mem- bers, by prayer and fasting, to invoke the divine aid and bless- ing on the choice and commission of ministers of the Gospel. The deep interest every Christian heart should feel in a mat- ter of such infinite moment, should secure for these days the pious observance of the members of the Church." " Endow." To furnish a person or object with a portion of money, or other property, as in the settling of a dower in 18 206 ENL marriage, or the appropriation of a fund to the support of an institution of learning, &;c. In the marriage service of the Church, the word occurs in a connection, where, when taken in the popular rather than the strict and proper sense, c<)rtain misgivings have arisen in many minds, as to the extent of obligation involved. The passage alluded to is as follows : " With this ring I thee wed, and with all my worldly goods 1 thee endow ; In the name of the Father," &c. By recurring to the original signification of the term, it will be evident that the husband does not here constitute the wife sole and absolute proprietor of all his worldly goods, for this would imply an obligation on his part to relinquish all right to manage or dispose of such property, except as his wife's agent or by her express permission. On the contrary, all that the Church designs, in this promise is the declaration on the part of the husband, of his wife's right to a maintenance by participation in his fortune and estate, and of such further interest in his property as may arise from previous contract, the laws of the state, the customs of society, or the honor, respect, and affection, which are required by Scripture, as due from men to their wives. Enlightened. This term was, in the ancient Church, a designation of those who had been baptized. The epithet, Il/ummaied, had a similar application, in allusion to the heavenly light imparted by the gospel to those who had just emerged from the gloom of paganism. The following are examples of the use of the former term. " One lately en- lightened ought not to be promoted to the Sacerdotal Order,"* that is, a newly baptized person should not be ordained a Priest. Again, " They who are to be enlightened, ought perfectly to learn the Creed, and rehearse it to the Bishops ♦ Canon III. of the Counc I of Laodicea. EPi 20? or Priests on Maundy Thursday,"* in readiness for their baptism on Easter, the Sunday following. Epact. In Chronology, and in the tables for the calcula- tion of Easter, a number indicating the excess of the solar above the lunar year. The solar year consisting in round numbers of 365 days, and the lunar, of twelve months, of twcnty-nine and a half days each, or 354 days, there will be an overplus in the solar year of 11 days, and this constitutes the Epact, In other words, the epact of any year expresses the number of days from the last new mc on of the old year, which was the beginning of the present lunar year, to the first of January. In the first year, therefore, it will be ; in the second 11 days ; in the third twice 11, or 22 ; and in the fourth it would be 11 days more, or 33 ; but 30 days be- ing a synodical month, will in that year be intercalated, mak» ing thirteen synodical months, and the remaining 3 is then the epact. in the following year 11 will again be added, making 14 for the epact, and so on to the end of the cycle, •adding 11 to the epact of the last year, and always rejecting 30, by counting it as an additional month. Epiphany. " The Ei)iphany, or Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, happens on the 6th of January, and denotes the day on which the wise men came from the East to wor- ship the infant Jesus. Matt. ii. 4. Let us be thankful for the light of the Gospel, which on that day began to shine on those who sat in darkness. Isaiah ix. 2; Matt. iv. 16. " The word Epiphany is derived from the Greek compound verb, which signifies to manifest or declare, and was at first used both for Christmas-day, when Christ was manifested in the flesh, and for this day, (to which it is now more properly appropriated,) when he was manifested by a star to the Gentiles." Besides the more usual name, we find it called by ancient * Canon XLVI. of the Couneil of Laodicea. 208 EPi writers " the Day of the Holy Lights ; " and " the Theophany," or Manifestation of God. " The principal design of our Church, in the celebration of this festival, is to show our gratitude to God for manifesting the Gospel to the Gentile world, and vouchsafing to them equal privileges with the Jews, who had been all along his peculiar people ; the first instance of which divine favor was in declaring the birth of Christ to the wise men of the East. In all, however, there are three great manifestations of our Savior commemor ited on this festival, all which happened, according to St. C-hrysostom, on the same day in ditferent years. The first, his manifestation to the magi, or wise men, by a star, which conducted them to the place where the child Jesus lay, and where they paid him their respective tributes of adoration. The second manifestation was that of the .glorious Trinity at his baptism. Tlie third was the mani- festation of the glory and divinity of Christ, by his miracu- lous change of water into wine at the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee." . This festival was observed in the time of Gregory Nazi- anzen, whose sermon upon " the Holy Lights," is upon this day. Epiphanius and Chrysostom have likewise sermons upon it. St. Augustine, in his time, speaks of it as univer- sally celebrated by the Catholic Church, and neglected by none but the schismatical D jnatists. Episcopacy. By this term is sometimes understood the entire system of doctrine, order, discipline, &c. of the Pro- testant Episcopal Church. More properly it denotes the form of ministry in the Church, comprising the three Orders of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and in this sense alone we shall use it in the present article. That it was the design of our Blessed Redeemer to con- tinue a ministry in the Church, after his ascension, is a truth for which we ask no better proof than that furnished by the narratives of the EvangeHsts, and the practice of the Apos- EPISCOPACY. 209 ties. If then a ministry divinely authorized was to exist, it is equally evident that it would assume some definite form. It would consist either of a ?ingle grade of office, in which every person ordained would have an equal share in its func- tions and prerogatives, or of two, three or more grades, dis- tinguished from each other by degrees of authority and pecu- liarities of duty. In the first of these cases the ministry would be Congregational or Presbyterian ; in the second it would necessarily involve the principle of Episcopacy. There is another point to be noticed. There must exist somewhere^ the power of transmitting tha ministry by ordi- nation. On the Presbyterian hypothesis, with its single grade of office, this power is lodged in every minister, but to be exercised by a body of them collectively, in the form of a Presbytery. On the Episcopal model, comprehending the three grades of Bishop, Priest, and Deacon, this highest ministerial act is limited to the superior ministerial grade — the functions of each grade rising in exact correspondence with the degrees of authority committed to them. We say then, that the Christian ministry must have the form, either of several distinct orders, or of only one ; and that the power of ordination (to which we may add that of jurisdiction) will be in the hands of all ministers, or in those of some only. It is manifest that whatever may prove itself to be THE form of ministry established and authorized by Jesus Christ, every other must be altogether void of such authority, and based simply on human appointment. For there are no two forms of ministry in existence, which are not utterly contradictory and hostile to each other. Both cannot possibly be right ; and to suppose that He who is the fountain of all wisdom could have been the author of such inevitable disorder — a kind of disorder which must ever keep the axe at the root of that uiiUy ior which He prayed, is not only an absurdity, but an opinion equally repudiated by all parties. 18* 210 EPISCOPACY. So far, we have concerned ourselves mainly with theory. Let us now look abroad on the Christian world, and see in what manner this is borne out and illustrated hy fact. At the first glance we are struck by observing a wide dis- crepancy in the views and practice of religious bodies, con- cerning the matter before us. In one quarter we find stren- uous advocates of a ministry embracing but a single grade ; some of these deriving their powers from lay appointment ; others referring them to an ordination by a presbytery. In another quarter we notice a ministry having three grades, viz.. Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, with the ordaining power residing onlv in the highest order. If we bring these to a numerical comparison, we discover that this latter form em- braces nearly seven parts in nine of the whole of Christendom, while all the other varieties may be comprised in the remain- ing two. To determine, which of these is the true and authorized ministry of the New Testament, we shall here re- duce them to two classes, viz., that which exists in one grade, and that which exists in three ; or, in other words, the Pres- byterian and the Episcopal forms ; and following the line of history, trace them back to their origin, wherever it may lead us. 1. Of the Presbyterian theory. By ascending to a period a little subsequent to the Reformation — a period of compara- tively modern date, we find Presbyterianism in existence, but under circumstances not a little remarkable. The Conti- nental reformers (so far as they were in holy orders) had received their ministerial commission from the Romish Church — a Church strictly Episcopal. Not one of them had been ordained by a Presbytery, but in every case their orders were derived from individual Bishops. And what is still more remarkable, at the time when Luther arose, there was not a Church in the whole world which held that Presbyters either singly, or combined in a Presbytery, had any power or right to ordain persons to the ministry. However, as the Refer* EPISCOPACY. 211 ination proceeded, the novel opinion was broached by some, that there was no very essential ditference between a Bishop and a Presbyter, and that as the former unquestionably pos- sessed the power of transmittiiig the commission to minister in holy things, so did the other also : — ergo, Luther, Calvin, Melancthon, &c., &c., were as competent to ordain as any existing Bishop. To fortify this opinion, recourse was had to the primitive fathers, and to the New Testament. In sift- ing the former, so unpropitious was the task, that it had well nigh been given up in despair, but for a plausible sentence or two in the aberrations of St. Jerome. These formed the sum total of argument from antiquity; and even thjse were nullified by the astounding declaration of the same Father, that it was the peculiar province of the Bishop to ordain. On turning to the New Testament, there was the same dearth of testimony : for though Timothy was ordained with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery, yet Paul the Apostle conveyed the ministry by the laying on of his hands, which made it a regular Episcopal ordination. Neither was there found a case in which Presbyters were instructed in matters pertaining to ordination, or any indication that they had any such power in possession. When Paul met the Elders (or Presbyters) at Miletus, it doe^ not appear that he said one word to them on the subject ; and all who were ordained in the Churches founded by the Apostles, received their com- mission direct from them, or from the hands of those who partook with them of the Apostolic office. But there yet remained a shadow of an argument in the fact, that the names of Bishop and Presbyter are used in the New Testa- ment for the same office. This all allow ; and yet it is nothing to the purpose. For the Apostles, at that time, were ■^ strictly what have since been called Bishops ; and the name Bishop was given to an inferior order. The names were nothing, so long as the offices were distinct ; and an argu- ment on such a basis is a mere play upon words. Driven 212 EPISCOPACY. then from the New Testament, and finding no support in an- tiquity, and knowing that the whole Christian world denied the validity of ordination by Presbyters, the only ground on which the non-episcopal Reformers could sustain them- selves, was by pleading the necessity of the case. They were about to proceed to establish a ministry, without the right or power to do it; — a ministry unheard of in the Christian Church ; and in justice to them, let it be said, that they grounded it chiefly on the plea of necessity. This or none, was by them supposed to be the alternative ; and with many sorrowings of heart because Bishops were not to be had, they did what they thought the exigency of the case de- manded. It will here be perceived, that while we have not traced Presbyterian ordination further back than about 250 years, we have already arrived at its fountain head. Before the Reformation, for a period of 1500 years, ordination by pres- byters was totally unknown, except in a few crooked cases, where the attempt was made, and followed by instant con- demnation from the Church, and the declaration that they were utterly null and void. Whether the plea of necessity was a just one, or indeed whether it can ever occur, is a question worthy of considera- tion. It has been said, that "the continental Churches might long since have conformed to the apostolical model ; the Dutch Church might, at a very early period, have obtained orders from the neighbouring Episcopate of Denmark and Sweden, or, no doubt from England ; the French Church might have done so, possibly since the Regent's administration, certainly in the reign of Louis XVI. Switzerland, like Holland, has possessed an opportunity of completing its Reformation on the Episcopal standard for centuries."* If such be the case, Christiaa Remembrancer, (Loncl.) EPISCOPACY. 213 that Luther, Calvin, and others, might by a little more effort and patience have obtained Episcopal ordination for their Churches, it is difficult to conceive any tenable gnmnd of defence for a ministry not derived by succession from the Apostles ; for it must be evident that the plea of successive presbyteries handing down the ministerial commission, (which is the High Church Presbyterian theory,) fails altogether when the above facts are taken into view. We now turn, 2d, to the Episcopal theory. At the pre- sent day, we find that the prevalence of a ministry of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, is so great as to embrace by for the largest part of the Christian world. Whatever may be the corruptions of some branches of the Church, the Holy Scrip- tures and the Apostolic ministry have been preserved in their original integrity. And we beg the reader carefully to distinguish between the ministry itself, and all abuses and corruptions with which it may have become connected in certain Churches. It is easy, then, to trace Episcopacy by its lines of Bishops, not only back to the Reformation, but into the depths of antiquity, till we arrive ct its origin in the days of the Apostles. The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, has her catalogue of Bishops back to the year 1787. In that year. Bishops White and Provoost were consecrated in England; and in 1784, Bishop Seabury, of Connecticut, received consecration in Scotland. From that date, the chain of Bishops may be traced back by name for a period of about 1200 years. At an age still earlier than this, the British Church was represented in councils by its Bishops ; and we are thus landed, with scarcely an effort, in an age when the direct successors of the Apostles, (and pro- bably St. Paul himself,) declared the gospel among the an- cient inhabitants of Britain. If we take the Romish or the Greek Church, — both Episcopal, — the chain of succession is equally clear and unbroken. Apply the same test to any 214 EPISCOPACY. Other Episcopal Church,* and we arrive at the same result. In fact, it is onl}^ necessary to verify the succession as far back as the Reformation, to arrive at the proof of an Apostolical origin ; for, as we have already stated, before that era therQ was no ministry in existence but that which had come down direct from the Apostles ; i. e., the Episcopal. If it be alleged, that these Bishops were simply the ordi- nary Pastors of Churches, we prove the contrary by the united testimony of history ; — by the fact, that they only or- dained ; — that they only formed the councils of the Church, into which Presbyters, &:c., were admitted simply by cour- tes}^ ; — that a manifest distinction between them and the in- ferior clergy is apparent from their duties, prerogatives, and titles ; and that in the writings of men who lived 1600 or 1700 years ago, this distinction is as clear as in the works of Hobart and Ravenscroft, or the Canons of our General Convention. If the reader require proof, we refer him to the Epistles of Ignatius, from which we might quote at length did not our limits admonish us to be brief. That Episcopacy was universal at a period very little later than the apostolic age, is indeed freely admitted by many of its opponents, while they deny its divine origin, and its per- petual obligation in the Church. Now if there be any truth in history, it is clear that Episcopacy was the only ministry of the Church, not only near the apostolic age, but in Imme- diaie juxtaposition with it. There were no doubts on the subject — -no controversies about it resembling those of our own da}^ Whence then did it come? How did it happen, that at the time when St. John died, (say A. D. 100,) all the world was Episcopal ? Respecting some of the hooks of Scripture there were doubts expressed by some, and this for two or three centuries : yet we feel no hesitation now in rely- * The Methodist Episcopal excepted, wh ch derived its Bishops from the Rev. John Weslej', a Presbyter of the Church of England. EPISCOPACY. 215 ing on the ultimate decision of the Church. We receive the ancient canon of Scripture with unwavering faith, trusting in the testimony of the Church, notwithstanding the local doubts which had prevailed. Now as it respects the ministry, we read of but one universal opinion, in which all were agreed, viz., that it was Episcopal ; consequently, our persuasion of the existence of Episcopacy in immediate connection with the Apostles, should be firm and decided in the highest de- gree. We ask then, from whence did Episcopacy come? There can be but one answer — from the inspired Apostles and their Divine Master. And if we turn to the New Test- ament, there we find the evidence of its establishment. When our Lord was on earth. He was the Bishop of the infant Church. Under him were the twelve, in a secondary grade ; and below these the seventy, in the third grade. Immediately before the ascension, the twelve were solemnly advanced to the Episcopal office, by having new ministerial powers imparted to them. And in the future history of the Church, we find them exercising these peculiar powers, in ordain- . ing, confirming, and in acts of jurisdiction. Besides the Apostles, there were two other grades of ministers, viz., Presbyters or Elders, (also called Bishops, so long as the superior order had the name of Apostles,) and the lower grade of Deacons. To the Apostles (Bishops proper) alone belonged the power of ordination. Hence we read nothing about ordinations by Presbyters or Deacons, nor are there any intimations in the New Testament that they possessed this power. Indeed, only one or two passages are alleged by Presbyterians, in vindication of their hypothesis. One of these, in the case of Timothy, we have already noticed. The other, in Acts xiii. 1-3, is singularly unfortunate, not being an ordination at all. Paul and Barnabas, on that occasion, were merely "separated" from their brethren, by command of the Holy Ghost, to undertake a cevidiin mis- sionary tour ; having been in the ministry (and Apostles too) 216 EPISCOPACY. for many years before. Nothing can be more clear, than that a ministry in one grade only, is not to be found in the New Testament ; and the few facts we have cited, to which if we had room, a multitude of others might be added, show that the several duties of the ministry were not performed in common by all ministers. Philip, the deacon, could not coiu firm the Samaritans, — hence two Apostles went to them for that purpose. The elders at Ephesus could not ordain; hence Timothy was sent there empowered with that author- ity ; — ^jurisdiction and discipline were committed to Apostolic hands, and the elders, deacons, and laity were under their control. In short, if we believe that the ministry, as ordained by Jesus Christ and his inspire 1 Apostles, was Episcopal, the New Testament is intelligible to any capacity ; but on any other hypothesis, its obscurities and difficulties are not only endless, but require a wide and perilous license of inter- pretation. We have seen then, that a ministry of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, was established by the direct interposition of divine authority. To this the New Testament and the Church of all ages are witness. It was foreshadowed by the three orders of the Jewish Church ; and after the lapse of long ages, is now the ministry of the ( hurch Catholic. That it was to be perpetuated, is evident from the fact that the Church was to be perpetuated. In that Church a ministry was to exist; and as authority was given only to one ministry, that, if any, must be the ministry of the Church. The powers of the sacred office are not of human origin ; but if not human, then are they divine ; and if divine, then must they be ob- tained either directly or indirectly from the source of author- ity ; {indirectly, they will be verified by miracle ; \\ indirectly ^ they will come by transmission through the line of Bishops from the Apostles, who were themselves constituted by the Sen of God. Recurring to fact, w^e see that Episcopacy was perpetuated : EPi 217 but this can be said of no other ministry. Had not this been so, the Church must have had either no ministry at all, or one founded simply on human authority. On Episcopacy then, we can rest with a certainty of divine warrant ; with an assurance that its authority flows from the fountain of power ; with a confidence of God's approbation, equal to that of any Christian living in the age of the Apostles. See Apostle. Bishop. Church. Deacon. Jure divino, and Uninter- rupted Succession. Episcopal. From Episcopus, (a Bishop,) denoting some relation between Bishops and the thing to which the term is applied. Episcopal Church. Properly, any Church possessing a ministry of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. In its popular sense, those reformed Churches which have such a ministry ; e. g. the Church of England, with that of Scotland, Ireland, 6z;c., and the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. To the latter branch, we shall for the most part con- fine our remarks. The ministerial order, sacraments, usages, &c., of this Church, it is the design of the present work to illustrate and explain. Of these we have endeavored to treat under their appropriate heads ; and instead of attempting a synopsis, the reader is referred to the several articles on which he may desire information. The doctrines of the Protestant Episcopal Church, profess to be, in the strictest sense, evangelical, i. e. the very doc- trines set forth in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, in all. their simplicity and harmony, — free from the entanglements of metaphysics, and the heretical interpretations of modern speculatists. Throughout the Liturgy, the Articles, &c., there is a constant recognition of the corruption of human nature ; the inability of man " without faith and calling upon God," to perform works acceptable to Him ; — the doc trine of "justification and salvation only through the free. 19 218 EPISCOPAL CmJRCH. grace of God in Jesus Christ " ; — the absolute necessity of a spiritual change, or renewing of the Holy Ghost ; and the need of divine influence to promote and sustain the work of sanctificaticn. These stand prominent among the doctrines of the Church, and eminently distinguish her as " the pillar and ground " of those great truths, on which alone depend the present hopes and the future deliverance of sinful man. With these cardinal principles of the Christian faith dis- tinctly defined in her standards, and maintained by her sons, the Church began her career in the colonies which now form the United States. It will easily be apprehended that the planting of the Gospel in a new and almost untrodden country, must demand no trifling amount of self-devotion and fortitude in those who undertake it. But there are also per- plexities, trials, and privations, which seldom meet the public eye, and are only to be appreciated by those whom Providence calls to endure them. And in the ordinary mode of con- ducting foreign missions under the Episcopal regimen, a further and peculiar disadvantage arises from the absence of the superior order of the ministry, and the consequent impos- sibility of carrying out fully the beneficial purposes of the Church. With a fair allotment of these lessons of patience, the Rev. Mr. Hunt, in company with a band of enterprising and pious Churchmen, landed, in the year 1607, on the coast of Virginia. How well they sped, and what are the " changes and chances " which time brings about, may be learned from their dismantled edifice, with its picturesque tower, yet to be seen on the bank of James River. In the south, with so zealous a beginr^ing, the Church grew apace, notwithstanding the attempted administration of sundry buffetings from the religionists of another quarter, and the drawbacks arising from a dependence on the mother country for Clergy and the necessary acts of jurisdiction. But in the northern Colonies, where the Church stood in the minority in point of numbers, there was to be encountered a formidable EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 219 train of obstacles, in the intolerance of Puritanism, and the bitter persecuting spirit flowing from it. Yet, even in New-England, the least propitious of all climates for the growth of Episcopacy, there were founded churches enough to give hopes of a kindlier harvest in the time to come. Possibly too, it might have occurred to some of the pilgrim worthies, that having fled from England "for conscience' sake," there were means of refunding the chastisements of their ancient mother, far less exceptionable than the lex talionis — an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Mean- while, in New-York, Pennsylvania, and other provinces, the Church was blessed with a more tolerant reception, and gradually won its way to some distinction, though surround- ed by influences not the most favorable. Maryland and Vir. ginia gave a direct protection to the Church, and it there assumed the dignity and enjoyed the provision of a legal establishment. Elsewhere the number of the Clergy was small, and their maintenance precarious, till the organization in the early part of the 18th century, of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. From the funds of this noble Institution, the Clergy north and east of Maryland drew their supplies, with the exception of those located in some of the more considerable towns. And yet, down to the beginning of the revolutionary war, there were only about 80 clergymen in all the northern and middle colonies. In the south, however, their number was greater, and their principles met with less opposition. The most serious difficulty affecting the Church, was the entire absence of Episcopal oversight. To the Bishop of London, indeed, was committed the care of the American Churches ; but " it is evident that his authority could not be effectually exerted, at such a distance, for the removing of unworthy clergymen ; " as to confirmations, they were im- possible ; and in cases of admission to the ministry, the candidates were under the necessity of visiting England to 220 iSPISCOPAL CHtJRCH. receive their ordination. Objections too, of a political or civil nature, were advanced in some provinces, and when at- tempts were made for the obtaining of a Bishop, fears were openly expressed, respecting the extent of the powers with which such a dignitary might come invested, and whether they might not come in collision with "the principles on which the settlement of the Colonies had taken place." During the revolutionary war, these obstacles to the growth of the Church were increased tenfold. Many of the Clergy fled to the mother country, and others could not be obtained to fill their places, and those who remained were scrupulous concerning the use or omission of such por- tions of the service as contained allusions to the civil powers. The consequence was, that the services of the Church were very generally suspended, and the stipends from the Society above mentioned, were finally withdrawn from the Clergy who remained. On the termination of the war, and the acknowledgment by Great Britain of the Independence of America, some relief was experienced by the passing of an act of Parlia- ment, allowing the then Bishop of London to ordain, without requiring promises of allegiance to the British Crown, several gentlemen who had gone to England /or that purpose. Still this was but a partial relief; and the need of an Episcopate was now more painfully felt than before the war. The Church was destitute of unity, government, provision for its Clergy, and incapable of acting to any advantage, or of preserving uniformity in the public services. To remove these evils, the first step was taken in May, 1784, at a meeting of a few Clergy of New- York, New- Jersey, and Pennsylvania, at New-Brunswick, N. J. Though this meeting was called on other business, yet the project of a general union of the Churches throughout the States became. a topic of sufficient interest to lead to the calling of another meeting, to be held in October following, in the city of New- EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 221 York. At this latter meeting "although the members com- posing it were not vested with powers adequate to the pre- sent exigencies of the Church ; they happily and with great unanimity laid down a few general principles, to be recom- mended in the respective States, as the ground on which a future ecclesiastical government should be established."* It was also recommended that the several States should send clerical and lay-deputies to a further meeting in Philadelphia, on September 27th of the following year. In the interim, the Churches of Connecticut having made choice of the Rev. Dr. Seabury for a Bishop, he had proceeded to England, with a view to consecration, In this application he was not suc- cessful, the English Bishops having scruples, partly of a po- litical nature and partly relative to the reception which a Bishop might meet, under the then imperfect organization of the Church. Resort was therefore had to the Church in Scotland, where Dr. Seabury received consecration in No- vember, 1784. According to appointment, the 1st General Convention assembled in 1785, in Philadelphia, with delegates from seven of the thirteen States. At this Convention measures were taken for a revisal of the Prayer Book, to adapt it to the po- litical changes which had recently taken place ; — articles of union were adopted ; — an ecclesiastical constitution was framed ; and the first steps taken for the obtaining of an Episcopate direct from the Church of England. In June, 1786, the Convention again met in Philadelphia, a correspondence having meanwhile been carried on with the Archbishops and Bishops of the English Church. Consider- able dissatisfaction was expressed on their part relative to some changes in the Liturgy, and to one point of importance in the constitution. The latter of these was satisfied by the Bishop White's Memoirs of the Church. 19* ^ 222 EPISCOPAL CHURCH. action of the present session, and the former removed by re- consideration in a Special Convention summoned in October of the same year. It now appearing that Dr. Provoost had been elected to the Episcopate of New- York, Dr. White to that of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Griffith for Virginia, testimo- nials in their favor were signed by the Convention. The two former sailed for England in November, 1786, and were con- secrated at Lambeth, on the 4th of February in the follow- ing year, — by the Most Rev. John Moore, Archbishop of Canterbury. Before the end of the same month, they sailed for New- York, where they arrived on Easter Sunday, April 7th. In July, 1789, the General Convention again assembled. The Episcopacy of Bishops White and Provoost was recog- nized; — the resignation of Dr. Griffith as Bishop elect of Virginia, was received; and in this and an adjourned meeting of the body, in the same year, the Constitution of 1786 was remodelled ; — union was happily effected with Bishop Sea- bury and the Northern Clergy ; — the revision of the Prayer- Book was completed ; and the Church already gave promise of great future prosperity. In September, 1790, Dr. Madison was consecrated Bishop of Virginia, at Lambeth, in England, by the same Arch- bishop who, a few years before, had imparted the Apostolic commission to Drs. White and Provoost. There being now three Bishops of the English succession, besides one of the Scotch, every thing requisite for the continuation and exten- sion of the Episcopacy was complete. Accordingly, the line of Am.erican consecrations opened in 1792, with that of Dr. Claggett, Bishop elect of Maryland. In 1795, Dr. Smith was consecrated for South Carolina; in 1797, the Rev. Ed- ward Bass, for Massachusetts; and in the same year, Dr. Jarvis for Connecticut, that diocese having become vacant by the death of Bishop Seabury. From that time, the con- EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 223 secration of Bishops has proceeded, according to the wants of the Church, without impediment, to the present day. At the beginning of the present century, the Church had become permanently settled in its organization, and its sta- bility and peace were placed on a secure footing. In 1811, there were already eight Bishops, and about two hundred and thirty other Clergymen, distributed through thirteen States. A spirit of holy enterprise began to manifest itself in measures for the building up of the Church west of the Alleghany Mountains, and in other portions of the countrj* where heretofore it had maintained but a feeble existence. The ministry numbered in its ranks, men of the first intel- lectual endowments, and of admirable self devotion to the cause of the gospel. With a steady progress, unawed by the assaults of sectarianism, and the reproaches of the fanatic, the Church gradually established itself in the affections of all who came with a spirit of candor to the examination of her claims. The blessing of her great Head was apparent, not only in the peace which adorned her councils, but in the de- mands which were continually made for a wider extension of her influence. Hence the establishment of her General Theological Seminary, and afterwards of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society — both of which institutions were instrumental in providing heralds of the gospel, for the distant places of the west. These were followed by the Diocesan Seminaries of Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, and efforts for the founding of several in other Dioceses. At the General Convention of 1835, the whole Church assumed the position of one grand missionary organization, and has already her bands of missionaries laboring in the cause of the Church, in the remotest districts of the country ; and her banner has been lifted up in Africa, China, Greece, and other foreign parts. With her eighteen Bishops, and more than twenty Dioceses ; with her numerous societies for the spread of the Bible and the Liturgy ; and with her 224 EPi institutions of learning, and presses constantly pouring out the light of truth, may we not predict, under the Divine pro- tection, a day of coming prosperity, when Zion shall be a praise in all the earth ; — when her temples and her altars shall be seen on the far off shores of the Pacific; — when even " the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them ; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose," Episcopal habit. The robes and other ecclesiastical garments, worn only by a Bishop, as distinguished from the surplice and gown, which are also used by Priests and Deacons. Episcopalian. One v/ho is attached to the doctrines, order, and usages of an Episcopal Church. See Church- man. Episcopate. The office, order, and dignity of a Bishop. Epistle. The name designating that portion of one of the Apostolical .Epistles, which is read in the Communion office, immediately before the Gospel. In the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, it was customary in both the Greek and Latin Church, to introduce some por- tions of the New Testament, in the form of Lessons. These were selected from the Epistles and Gospels, and frequently formed the subjects of exposition in the sermons and homilies delivered at the time. " During the early ages," says Pal. mer, " the lesson which is now ordinarily designated as the Epistle, was more generally known by the appellation of "the Apostle." We find it generally called by this name in the ancient liturgies, and the writings of the Fathers. Thus Augustine often speaks of it ; and in the sacramentary of Gregory the Great, it is said, — " the Apostle follows," (Se- quitur Apostolus.) meaning the Epistle or Apostolical writ- ing is then read. In the patriarchate of Constantinople, where ancient customs have been preserved more perfectly than any where else, the Epistle is called " the Apostle " to this day. In the west, this lesson has however, long been EST 225 kno^n by the name of " the Epistle," being most commonly- taken from the Epistles of St. Paul." * The appointment and selection of these Epistles are of no very modern date. In the most ancient formularies of the Church of England, we find them as they now stand ; and having been introduced into that Church by Augustine, Archbishop of Canterbury, mey have been regularly used for a period of more than 1200 years. Epistler. In the ancient Church, and the Church of England, one of the Clergy appointed to read the Epistle. The 24th Canon of the Church of England ordains, that " in all Cathedral and Collegiate Churches, the Holy Communion shall be administered upon principal feast-days, — sometimes by the Bishop, if he be present, and sometimes by the Dean, and at sometimes by a Canon or Prebendary, — the principal minister using a decent Cope, and being assisted with the Gospeller and Epistler agreeably," &;c. EsDRAS. In the catalogue of books of Scripture, in the 6th Article of Religion, we read, among others, of the " First and Second books of Esdras.^^ By these are meant those which are now called Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra was the compiler of both, and on this account they were, probably, called by his name, — Esdras, being the same with Ezra. " Estate," or " Estates." In the Prayer-book this word is chiefly used in a sense now almost obsolete, except in solemn discourse and devotional books. In the Exhortation in the Visitation of the Sick, we read, " I require you to examine yourself and your estate, both toward God and man," — that is, that the sick person should examine into his spiritual standing or condition, both as it respects God and man, that he may seek forgiveness where he has offended, and make restitution if he has injured or defrauded his neighbor. * Origines Liturglcaej I. p. 42. 226 EVA In the Ordering of Deacons, it is declared to be their duty "to search for the sick, poor, and impotent people of the Parish, to intimate their estates, names, and places where they dwell, unto the Curate," &c. Here it seems to refer to their temporal condition merely, which, if necessary, is to be "relieved with the alms of the parishioners and others." Again. In the second Collect for Good Friday, we pray " for all estates of men," in the Church, that is, for all classes of Christians, whatever may be their temporal condition, or their rank in the Church, all being equally in need of strength from God, that, " in their vocation and ministry, they may truly and godly serve him." See also the Order for Matrimony. Eucharist. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion. See Communion, Holy. Eulogies. "The Eucharistical bread and wine, which the ancient Christians used to send from one Church and Dio- cese to another, in token of friendship and communion." * The following ancient Canons have relation to this custom. " That the holy (Mysteries) be not carried into other parishes on the feast of Easter, by way of Eulogies. ^^ -\ "That the Eulogies of heretics ought not to be received ; for they are rather Alogies, that is, nonsensical things, than Eulogies, that is, blessings.":]: Evangelical. The plain sense of this word is simply, according to the Gospel, or " Evangel," § (sudyyJXjov,) of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the sense in which the term is recognized by the Church, as characteristic of her doctrines, liturgy, sacraments, ministry, &c. For as these preserve an exact correspondence with the pattern prescribed in the gospel, we only express this in other words, when we call * Johnson, on the Canonical Codes. t Canon XIV. of Laodicea. t Canon XXX II. of Laodicea. § Now obsolete. EVA 227 them evangelical. As therefore the Church is evangelical throughout, all who carry out her teachings must come under the same designation ; and any narrower application of the term must evidently be invidious. A Clergyman will be evangelical, just so far as he faithfully and honestly abides by the doctrines, order, worship, &c., of the Church, and the more strict, the more evangelical. Conversely, in proportion as he departs from her standards, or forces upon them novel interpretations, he sacrificos in the same degree, his legitimate claim to the distinction. Evangelist. In the present day, an appellation proper for any lawful minister who is sent forth to preach the Gos- pel of Christ, — whether he be a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon. Timothy was an Evangelist, and also BisJiop of Ephesus. Philip, who was a Deacon, is also called an Evangelist, In view of the various opinions which have been held relative to the true office of the New Testament Evangelists, the fol- lowing admirable observations of a Church of England divine, are well worth reflection : — "St. John and St. Matthew were Apostles and Evangel- ists : — St. Mark a Bishop and Evangelist : — St. Luke an Evangelist ; and yet, as is commonly believed, one of the seventy : — Philip was certainly both a Deacon and Evan- gelist. We know why four of these are called Evangelists, viz : — because they were so v/ell skilled in the history of our Savior's life and death, as to give it us in writing. By parity of reason, all others called Evangelists, were such as made it their study and business to make themselves acquainted with our Savior's actions, and sermons, and sufferings, and to re- late such passages of them in the public congregation as the present occasion required. And this was as useful and edify. ing an office as any in the Church of God, and it was ex- tremely necessary for some years after our Savior's ascen- sion ; for it was a good while before the Gospels were WTitten, and much longer still before they were dispersed and uni- 228 EVE versally received. During all this time, the Evangelist who could confirm any great truth, add weight to any advice or reprehension, by rehearsing any discourse, or relating any momentous passage of our Savior's life and death, must have frequent and great occasion to exercise his abilities. But when the four Gospels were committed to writing, and were in every man's hand, this office of course ceased; nor is there any mention of such officers in the history of the Church of the ages next to the Apostles. It is rtot necessary to sup- pose that any miraculous gifts were required to qualify a man for this office ; the Holy Ghost assisted him only in calling to rememhrance what he had seen and heard by conversing with our Savior himself, or learned from those who were themselves eye-witnesses." * EvANGELisTARiuM, or EvANGELiARiuM. A book Contain- ing those portions of the Gospels appointed to be read in the Communion service. Eve, or Even. The night or evening before certain holy-days of the Church. In former times it was customary to have religious services on these Eves, and sometimes to spend a great part of the night in prayer and other devotions, to qualify the soul for the better observance of the Festival itself on the morrow. These nights, thus spent, were called Vigils or Watchings, and are still professedly observed in the Church of England, &c. In the American Church no special services have been ap- pointed for them, with the single exception of Easter Even, for which a Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, together with appro- priate Lessons, are provided. See Easter even. Evening. In the present usage of the Church, there seems to be some little deviation occasionally from the ori- ginal intention of the framers of our Liturgy, by turning our Johnson on the Canonical Codes. EVE 229 Evening into an Afternoon service. That the Evening Prayer was designed to be used at ike close of the day, or late in the afternoon, is evident from the language of the Collect,^as it stands in the English Prayer-book : — " Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord, and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night," &c. Here, in the opening words, is a beautiful allusion to the decline of day, and the approach of the " evening shades." The direct reference, also, to the night, which has b?en pre- served in the American Prayer-book, indicates the same position of the Evening service. EvEN-soNG. The form for Evening prayer, anciently so called. Evergreens. " Christmas, the joyous period of the year ! Now bright wiih lu)Ily, all the temi les strew^n With laurel green, and vcrda-.t mistletoe." The practice of adorning Churches and dwellings with evergreens at the season of Christmas, may be traced back to a very remote age, when the minds of Christians were in- fluenced by something deeper and purer than mere supersti- tion and fancy. The Advent of our Lord was annually cele- brated with universal joy, and demonstrations of gratitude, rising almost to enthusiasm. It was a time of triumph; — the feast, the an'hem, the suspension of the ordinary avoca- tions of life, and of the public games; — the crowded tem- ples; — the eucharist, and the decoration of the Churches with boughs and garlands of evergreen, — all proclaimed it ^ religious jubilee, worthy to be styled by St. Chrysostom, "the metropolis and mother of all festivals." From this, the reader will learn the primary design of a custom now grown venerable in the Church It is expressive of the glory and triumph which marked the incarnation of the Son of God — a triumph in which the Church partakes, 20 ;230 EVE realizing- the langfuage of prophecy, " The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary ; and I will make the place of my feet glorious."* But beyond this, these decorations "intimate to tlie eye of faith, that everlast. ing freshness, verdure, beauty, and peace, which we hope to enjoy in the Church triumphant, through tlie merits of the divine Savior, * who came as at this time ' to purchase our emancipation from the thraldom of sin and wo,"f Who could have imagined that a custom so innocent and so highly emblematical of those imperishable gifts bought for us by the Lord of Life, should have the ill fortune to meet wi«:h obloquy, in an age of light and discernment? We ask the objector, whether emblems are sinful 1 — whether they are not sanctioned by revelation ? — whether they are not vindi- cated by the practice of " holy men of old " ? — whether they may not sometimes be stimulants to a sluggish devotion; and whether, in the present case, they are not replete with meaning, and with associations dear to a Christian heart? We see no essential difference beween an emblem gathered from the forest, and an emblem in paper and print, or one which may drop from the lips of a fervid speaker. To enter then, into the " philosophy " of the matter, is either to anni- hilate the objection, or to sweep from the sacred Scriptures themselves a thousand tropes and figures, if not to apply the same hypercriticism to the parables of One " who spake as never man spake." " Every petition." In a rubric near the end of the Com- munion Office, it is ordered that " the Minister shall say the Lord's Prayer, the people repeating after him every petiiion,^^ In this there appears to be an indirect precaution against the practice of the Romish Church, where the greater part of the Isaiah, Ix. 13. t Rev. Dr. Rudd. Exc 231 Lord's Prayer being recited by the Priest alone, the people join in the concluding words, as a signal for which, the Priest elevates his voice. The propriety and beauty of all joining in this prayer, and in every petition of it, now that they have sealed their vows of love to the Redeemer, and of brotherly affection to each other, is too evident to need remark. Excommunicate, a. In the state of excommunication. This word occurs in the Order for the Burial of the Dead, where, (in the first Rubric) it is said, "the office ensuing is not to be used for any unbaptized Adults, [nor] any who die excommunicate,''^ &c. — that is, any who, for their great crimes, have, by the lawful authority been rejected from a place and a name in the Church of God. The reason why the Burial Service is not to be read over these, is a very obvious one. That service takes for granted that all who deserve Christian burial, have died in commu- nion with the Church, or at least, have been numbered among her children. But inasmuch as the unbaptized have never been admitted to that Church, and the excommunicated have been repelled from it, this service cannot and ought not to be used in either case. Excommunicate, v. To banish or expel from the Church, any member who has been found guilty of a heinous crime. See Excommunication. Excommunication. The separation or rejection of an unworthy person from the Communion of the Church. This awful sentence is never passed on an accused person, till, by a careful, merciful, and impartial examination, his guilt has been ascertained. By excommunication, a person is cut off. from the privilege of partaking of the Lord's Supper, and is excluded from that affectionate intercourse and communion which should subsist among the faithful people of God. It would seem, therefore, that the Church, in such extreme and severe cases of discipline, should cautiously guard against a 232 EXT rash and hasty judgment. And accordingly, the laws of the Church require the plainest evidence of guilt, and give to the accused, both time and means to establish his innocence (if possible) before judgment is pronounced. But when the offender's guilt has been proved, and sentence given against him, then it becomes a part of Christian duty, to regard him no longer as worthy of the privileges, but entitled only to the prayers, of the Church he has thus contemned. In the 33d Article of Religion may be seen the views of the Church in relation to intercourse with excommunicated persons. Exhortation. An address made at any time to the peo- ple, to move or persuade them to their duty. The term, however, is chiefly applied to that affectionate appeal which stands at the opening of the Morning and Evening Prayer, beginning " Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us," &c. This, by way of distinction, is called " The Ex- hortation." Other exhortations of an appropriate character, may be found in most of the principal Offices (or Services) of the Church, — as in the Order for the Holy Communion — the form of Baptism — the Visitation of the Sick, &c. &c. "Ex OFFICIO." By virtue of official rank. Thus in cer- tain assemblies, &c., a Bishop is President, ex officio, or from the fact of his holding the office of a Bishop. Expectation week. See Ascension. Extemporary, or Extempore. Any thing which is pub- licly spoken, without previous study, or without being com. mitted to writing. An extempore serinon, (so called,) is one which is delivered without notes, or with the aid only of a brief analysis. In this application, the word is used in a strained and improper sense, though justified by usage and common consent. For, the leading idea which it suggests, is that of thoughts uttered from the impulse of the moment, ex- cluding any direct act of previous composition and study ; whereas extempore discourses are frequently the result of close and careful application, and the term, in strictness, is EXT 233 true only of the language employed, and the incidental thoughts which spring up and are interwoven in the delivery. An extempore prayer is one which is framed at the time when it is offered. In Episcopal Churches the prayers for public service are precomposed, and are thus distinguished from such as are merely extempore ; but in other religious societies this is not usually the case, the prayers being gone- rally composed by the officiating person at the time when uttered. Like extempore sermons, these prayers are to be considered as the offspring of previous thought and medita- tion, though the language and actual composition may be entitled to the name of extempore. The comparative advantages of extempore and precom- posed prayers we reserve for the Article, Liturgy. See also Canon XLV. of the General Convention. Extreme unction. The ceremony of anointing the sick with oil, as practised in the Church of Rome, and said to be founded on those words of St. James, " Is any sick among you, let him send for the elders of the Church," &c. There is, however, no proof in Scripture that this custom was an Apostolical Ordinance designed to be continued in the Church. A clear proof to the contrary would seem to arise from the fact, that St. James refers to the miraculous healing of the sick by the elders of the Church, many of whom, at that time, were endued with the power of working miracles. If extreme unction were accompanied with miracles or the restoration of the sick person, the custom might command more consideration. But if we are not mistaken, it is not practised in the Romish Church, with a view to the healing of the sufferer, but rather as the last of all religious rites, to be administered only when hope of life is past, and the frame is fast sinking into the slumber of death. Extreme unction, or, (as we may interpret this somewhat uncouth name,) the anointing at the extremity of life, has been raised to the dignity of a Sacrament, by the Romanists. 20* 234 FAS There is no proof, however, that it was ordained as such by the institution of Christ. Against this corruption, therefore, the 25th Article is in part directed ; in which, Baptism and the Lord's Supper are recognized as the only Sacraments of the Church, while .Extreme Unction, among others, is con- sidered as having taken the rank of a Sacrament through a perversion of Scripture, or by " the corrupt following of the Apostles." F. "Fain." Pleased, delighted, or rejoiced. An antiquated word occurring in Psalm 71, verse 21, in the Prayer-book version : " My lips will be /am [joyful] when I sing to thee," "Faithful men." In the 19th Article, the Church is described as "a congregation of faithful men,^^ &c. The epithet " faithful," is here used with the same latitude which is necessary in the application to the Church of the term Jioly ; not meaning that all who belong to it are holy and faithful, but that the principles of the Church require them so to be. And as the design of the Church is to promote holiness, the definition should correspond with the design, however true it may be that some in her pale may not live up to the solemn profession they have made. That this limitation is to be understood, may be proved from the latter part of this same Article, which asserts that the Churches of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome, though compre- hended under the definition of "the CAwrc/t," have "erred, not only in their living and manner of ceremonies, but also in matters of faith." Fasting. Abstinence from food. By the regulations of the Church, fasting, though not defined as to its degree, is in- FASTING. 235 culcated on seasons of peculiar penitence and humiliation, as a valuable auxiliary to the cultivation of habits of devo- tion and self-denial. Respecting its usefulness, there does not appear to have been much diversify of opinion until late years. Fasting was customary in the Church of God, long before the introduction of Christianity, as may be seen in the Old Testament Scriptures. That it was sanctioned by our Savior and his Apostles, is equally plain. And that it was intended to continue in the future Church can scarcely be questioned ; for Christ gave his disciples particular instruc. tions respecting it, and in reprobating the abuses of it among the Pharisees, never objects to its legitimate use. He even declares, that after his ascension his disciples should fast : " The days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days." * Accordingly, in the Acts of the Apostles occur several no- tices of fastings connected with religious devotions. St. Paul evidently practised it with some degree of frequency.f He also recognises the custom, as known in the Corinthian Church, and makes some observations implying its con- tinuance.J From the days of the Apostles to the present time, fasting has been regarded, under various modifications, as a valuable auxiliary to penitence. In former times Chris- tians were exceedingly strict in abstaining from every kind of food, for nearly the whole of the appointed fast- days, re- ceiving only at staled times what was actually necessary for the support of life. At the season of Lent, much time was spent in mortification and open confession of sin, accom- panied by those outward acts, which tend to the control of the body and its appetites ; a species of godly discipline still associated with the services of that interesting period of the ecclesiastical year. In the practice of fasting, the intelligent Christian will not ♦ Luke, V. 35. t 2 Cor. xi. 27. t 1 Cor. rii. 5. 236 FAT rest in the outward act, but regard it only as a means to a good end. All must acknowledge that this restraint, even upon the innocent appetites of the body, is eminently bene- ficial in assisting the operations of the mind. It brings the animal part of our nature into greater subservience to the spiritual. " It tends to prevent that heaviness and indolence of the faculties, as well as that perturbation of the passions, which often proceed from the indulgence and repletion of the body. It is thus highly useful in promoting that calmness of mind, and clearness of thought, which are so very favorable to meditation and devotion." * The great end of the ob- servance is to " afflict the soul," and to increase a genuine contrition of heart, and godly sorrow for sin. This being understood, abstinence will be approved of God, and made conducive to a growth in spiritual life. Fasts. Those holy-days which are appointed by the Church, as seasons of abstinence and peculiar sorrow for sin. These are Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and the forty days of Lent ; the Ember days, the three Rogation days, and all the Fridays in the year, except Christmas day. See Fasting. " Father of heaven." In the Litany. " O God, the Father of heaven, &c." (Pater coelestis.) Two different readings and interpretations have been given of this passage. 1. That which places the comma after " Father," giving this invocation the same form or figure with the two succeeding, — thus : " O God the Father," &c. « O God the Son," &c. " O God the Holy Ghost," &;c. the predicates in each case thus bearing a similarity of relation to the subject or title. 2. That which follows the printed editions, with the comma after " God." The sense will then be that of " Lord, or Creator, of heaven," which unquestionably breaks in upon the gradation of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, by substituting ♦ Doddridtje. FIN 237 the general word God, for the personal title of Father. The best authorities seem therefore to prefer the former interpre- tation, notwithstanding the sacrifice of euphony, and a de- parture from the common punctuation, these being lesser evils than a trespass on the doctrinal drift of the whole passage. Fathers. An appellation given to those Bishops and other ecclesiastical writers who distinguished themselves in the early ages of the Church. The value of their writings, in the present day, arises from the testimony they afford to facts connected with the doctrines, usages, &c., of the Church, in the period when they flourished, and also for the deep and saintly feeling of devotion with which they are generally pervaded. See Apostolic Fathers. Feast. See Holy.days. Festivals. Those holy.days of the Church on which we gratefully commemorate some event in the life of our Lord, or the virtues and example of the Apostles and Saints. These have always been observed by the Christian Church, as seasons of peculiar joy ; and appropriate public services have been appointed for them. See Holy-days. "Finally." A term occurring near the middle of the Prayer for all Conditions of men, — the propriety and object of which is not, at first sight, very clear to the young reader. It appears that this prayer was at first drawn up to supply the want of a general supplication on those days when the Litany was not appointed to be read. Wheatly states that originally it was " much longer than it is now, and that the throwing out a great part of it, which consisted of petitions for the King, the Royal family. Clergy, &c., who are prayed for in the other Collects, was the occasion why the word finally comes in so soon in so short a prayer." This is probably the true explanation of the difficulty ; the word was inadvertently retained, or preferred to the remodelling of . the prayer. 238 FON " Fond." Foolish, silly, imprudent. See the 22d Article. " Purgfatory, Pardons, Worshipping, and Adoration * * * * and also. Invocation of Saints, is a fond thing vainly in- vented," &;c. Font. A vessel usually placed in or near the Chancel of a Church, to contain water for the administration of Baptism. In the early Church, the fonts were of considerable size, the smallest being large enough to admit the entire immersion of the person. Aftr^r the practice of baptizing in rivers, ponds, and fountains, had continued for some time. Christians were driven, by persecution and the fear of disturbance, to adopt places of more privacy for the administration of this rite; artificial fountains (or fonts) were therefore erected, and soon came into general use. In after ages, these were built in a costly style, and were consecrated with man 3'^ frivolous cere- monies. Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, amid the sway of Gothic architecture, fonts and baptisteries sprang up every where, adorned with all the elegancies of that singularly beautiful style. The font itself was a cistern hewn sometimes fri^m the solid rock, embellished on all sides, by the chisel, with rich bands of foliage and sculptured flowers, and such other delicate ornaments as the taste of the artist might suggest. The buildings in which the fonts were placed, were of similar magnificence. At first, they were built at some distance from the Church, but were afterwards allowed to stand in the porch of the Church, intimating that baptism is the entrance into the Church mystical. They were next placed in the Church itself, "but not in every one, but only the city church where the Bishop resided, which was called the Mother Church, because it gave s))iritnal birth by baptism." Afterwards they were brought inside the country churches "with this limitation, however, that they should occupy only the lower end " It appears also to have been a custom to place them in a separate part of the building FOR 239 in cathedrals and other spacious churches, where this could conveniently be done. Some time after these arrang-ements, and towards the period of the Reformation, the fonts began to fall into disrepute, and in the end, immersion being for the most part abolished, they gradually diminished in size, and finally reached the com- paratively small dimensions in which we now have them in our churches. It is to be regretted that so decent and useful an appendage to a Church, does not every where take its place, and banish the unsightly and scarcely tolerable basins, &c., which are frequently substituted for it. " For the Epistle." Before reading the Epistle for the day, the rubric enjoins that the Minister shall say, " The Epistle is written in the chapter of , beginning at," &c. But on certain days, some other portion of Scripture is ap- pointed instead of the Epistle, in which case the above prefix is substituted by saying, " The portion of Scripture appoint- ed/or the Epistle,^^ &c. ; that is, in the place of it. See Ash Wednesday, Monday and Tuesday before Easter, Monday and Tuesday in Easter week, Ascension day, Whitsunday, &c. Form. An established order, by which the offices of reli- gion are performed. Hence there are forms, or modes of proceeding, in the public worship of all denominations of Christians; forms of prayer, forms of praise, forms in the administration of sacraments, and in the customary arrange- ments of the several parts of divine service. In the Episcopal Church, the term usually denotes the ritual, and the order prescribed for the performance of the sacred offices of the Church, as also, in certain cases, the private devotions of her members. The peculiar advantages of forms of prayer, we shall consider more at length under the head of Liturgy, and shall here only add, that, con- stituted as man is, there must and will be forms, in far the greater part of his religious exercises. There is an inward 240 FORM. and an outward part, and God demands the allegiance of both ; but the outward part can act only through the medium of a form. This may be extempore, or otherwise. Still, what- ever shape it assumes, it is a form. A Liturgy is nothing more than a fixed or ready made ibrm, by which the embar- rassments and evils of forms springing from the impulse of the moment, are efTectually prevented. If this were duly considered, objections would cease, because, if carried out, they must lie against all outward modes of devotion. To say that external forms do not act favorably in the preservation of a high spiritual tone within, but that the luxuriance of the one is a sure prognostic of the decay of the other, is mere verbiage. The objector docs not, in fact, proceed on the ground of his own objection. Else why does his Christianity exhibit any outward apparatus at all ? He may differ from us very much in the amount of form, but certainly very little in the principle. "Religion, not forms," says the mystic. "Let us kneel and adore^^ replies the Churchman. In truth, one half of religion will inevitably be of the nature of form. We do not say mere form — M*! ^s'vojro ! — but form, as the manifestation of living principle. Faith has its form, or its exterior, or its ceremonial, in good works ; love, in its sweet ministrations ; charity, in its open hand ; hope, in its radiant eye ; sympathy, in the throbbing heart ; contrition, in the tear ; repentance, in the sackcloth : grief, in the sob ; and just so, the direct act of worship must have its form. The spoken prayer is a form. The triumphant anthem is a form, whether from the lip of the objector, or the tongue of the Churchman. And the fervor of the soul, — the ardor of the spirit's devotion, — is mightily enhanced by the very form of adoration. If then our ritual offers to the soul more fre- quent and more efficacious aids in its ascent to the realms of life, and if we are zealous that God should shine in all that he has made, (be it spiritual or material,) let us not be blamed. While body and soul are in union, religious wor- TOR 241 ship mil demand a form ; and we doubt not, that in the heavenly state it will be the happiness of the redeemed to join in the angelic liturgy, — "Holy, holy, holy. Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."* See Cere- mony, and Formality. Formality. Strictly, formality is a conformity to estab- lished rites, modes of worship, customs, &c. ; but in the popu- lar sense, it denotes a punctilious regard to outward cere- monies and ordinances, disconnected from the inward and spiritual life of religion. In this sense it manifestly involves a moral delinquency, more or less hostile to the existence of true piety. The fear has sometimes been expressed, that the use of prescribed forms in public or private devotions, must have a strong tendency to produce formality in its worst sense ; and consequently, that the advantage lies altogether on the side of the extempore method. Now if this were so, the evil must extend to the reading of the Bible, for the Bible is undoubtedly deform; therefore, this should be superseded by private contemplation. And for the same reason, hymns and spiritual songs should give way to the casual effusions of fancy. A form of prayer, is no more dangerous than a form of doctrine, or a form of praise. Yet the objectors retain these, apprehending no ill consequences, and singularly unconscious of the broad scope of their own argument. Properly speaking, the evil is not in formality, but in mere formality — in the mechanical engagement of the outward sense, without the accompanying devotion of the spirit. There may be as deadly a formality under extempore efforts at prayer, as iii alliance with the supplications of a liturgy. Paper and print are not the worst foes to spiritual advance- ment ; and it is the duty of the worshipper to be watchful * Rev. iv. 8. 21 342 GAZ against the treachery of an evil heart, in all times and places ; knowing that formality may steal away his devotion as readily when his lips express the fugitive thoughts of the moment, as when they utter the fervid language of martyrs and saints. Form for Thanksgiving. See Thanksgiving day. Formulary. A book, (the Prayer-book, for example,) containing the rites, ceremonies, and prescribed forms of the Church. " Fraud." Deceit, artifice, cunning ; as in the expression, " fraud and malice of the devil," * which is elsewhere spoken of as " the wiles of Satan," f and the " crafts and assaults of the devil," ij: or the " craft and subtilty of the devil ; " f in allusion to those artful temptations of the adversary, by which the careless and irresolute are taken captive. " O ye worldly and fleshly caitiffs," says Wiclif, " ye are led away from the joy of God, and deceived with the devil'sy?-aMfZ."§ Funeral rites. See Burial service. G. " Gazed upon." See the 25th Article, where we are in- structed that, " The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about, but that we should duly use them." The latter clause of the 28th Article is to the same effect. In both, the declaration is pointed at the custom existing in the Romish Church, of elevating the host or sacramental bread, in the sight of the people, who there- upon were taught to adore it as the true body of Christ. See "Carried about," and Elevation of the Host. ♦ Collects in Visit. Pris. t Commendatory Prayer in Visitation of Sick. * Litany. § Wiclifs " Poor CaitifT."' GLO 243 General Convention. See Convention. General Council. See Council. Genuflection. The act of bending the knee, or kneel- ing in religious worship. See Kneeling. " Ghostly." One of the few antiquated words still retained in the Prayer-book. In religious works, the term spiritual may express its meaning. An instance of its use occurs, in one of the prayers in the " Order of Confirmation," thus, " daily increase in them * * * * the spirit of counsel and ghostly strength." Here it obviously refers to "spiritual strength," or strength to resist evil, and to obey the holy will of God. The title " Holy GteV' is, in like manner, synonymous with " Holy Spirit,''^ the word ghost being often used in old theological or devotional works, for soul or spirit. "It is sad matter, says Latimer, a godly matter, a ghostly matter, a matter of damnation and salvation." * Wiclif has a treatise entitled " The armor of heaven, or the ghostly battle," i. e. the spiritual contest. Glebe. A portion of land belonging to a Church or parish, the use or revenue of which is applied to the support of the Rector, &c, Gloria in excelsis. " Glory be [to God] on high." One of the doxologies of the Church, sometimes called the An- gelic hymn, because the first part of it was sung by the angels at Bethlehem. The latter portion of this celebrated hymn " is ascribed to Telesphorus, about the year of Christ, 139 ; and the whole hymn, with very little difference, is to be found in the Apostolical Constitutions, and was established to be used in the Church service, by the 4th Council of Toledo, about a thousand years ago." f It is used by both the Greek and Latin Church. " In the eastern Church," says Palmer, * Sermon on Covetousness. t Wheatly. 244 GOD " this hymn is more than 1500 years old, and the Church of England has used it either at the beginning or end of the liturgy for above 1200 years."* Gloria Patri. " Glory be to the Father/' The Latin title of one of the primitive doxologies of the Church, some- times called the lesser doxology, to distinguish it from the Gloria in excelsis, or angelical hymn, which, at the close of the psalms of the day, may be substituted for it. From the times of the Apostles, it has been customary to mingle ascriptions of glory with prayer, and to conclude the praises of the Church, and also sermons, with gloiy to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. The first part of the Gloria Patri, is traced by St. Basil to the Apostolic age of the Church. In the writings of the Fathers, doxologies are of very frequent occurrence, and in the early Church they appear to have been used as tests, by which orthodox Christians and Churches were distinguished from those which were infected with heresy. The doxologies then in use, though the same in substance, were various in their form and mode of ex- pression. The Arians soon took advantage of this diversity, and wrested some of them, so as to appear to favor their own views. One of the doxologies which ran in these words, " Glory be to the Father, ly the Son, in the Holy Ghost," was employed by them as a support to their unscriptural opinions. In consequence of this, and to set the true doctrine of the Church in the clearest light, the form as now used was adopted as the standing doxology of the Church. GoD-FATHER. See Sponsors. " Godly motions." God worketh in us both to will and to do, for all good thoughts and holy desires come from Him. Therefore we pray, in the Collect for the first Sunday in Lent, " that our flesh, being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever * Origines Liturgicae, I. p. 159. GOD 245 obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness." This is very similar to a petition in the Easter Collect, and which may serve for its illustration; "That, as thou dost put into our minds good desires, (godly motions,) so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect," &c. GoD-MOTHER. See Sponsors. "God of God." This, and the expressions by which it is followed, in the Nicene Creed, are simply designed to as- sort in the most decisive form, the essential Divinity of the second Person of the Trinity. Being the Son of God — the only-begotten of the Father — the partaker of the divine nature, he is therefore God of God, " as one Man is the Son of another, though after a spiritual manner, and purely pro- pagated as one Light is generated of another [Light of Light] without diminution of Substance, generated from the eternal Essence, and not made as Creatures are ; being of one Essence with the eternal Father," * and therefore " very God OF very God." It is scarcely necessary to remind the reader, that the above expression is not to be understood as implying simply that Christ is God over all other gods ; this is far from ex- pressing the meaning of the article ; for though he is truly " King of Kings, and Lord of Lords," yet the Christian faith recognizes no God but one, and the very design of this por- tion of the Creed was to set forth the Redeemer of mankind as a partaker in the one divine essence. "God speed." A good old phrase, honored alike by the Bible and the Prayer-book. St. John cautions us f against bidding " God sjpeed,''^ to any one who " abideth not in the doctrine of Christ." "For" he adds, "he that biddeth him God speed, is partaker of his evil deeds." God speed, is a wish of success, and is equivalent to " good speed be to thee," * Dr. Nicholls, t 2 John, 10, 11. 21* ^46 6oL or "speed thee well." When used with solemnity, (and it should never be used otherwise,) it implies our benevolent feelings to its object and his errand, and a commendation of both to the protection of God. Who then does not admire the touching and affectionate congratulations which the Church enjoins at the Institution of a Minister into his cure, when ''the Wardens, Vestry, and others shall salute and welcome him, bidding him God speed.^^ It is a delightful and lovely relic of the olden time, worthy to live when the formal charities of a worse age shall be forgotten, and the pastor, in the truth of his office, be rallied around as the father of the flock, the centre of his spiritual family. Golden number. By referring to the Astronomical Ta- bles at the beginning of the Prayer-book, it will be seen that a large proportion of them are simply calculations of the day on which Easter will fall in any given year, and, by conse- quence, the moveable feasts depending on it. In the early Church, it is well known that there were many and long dis- putes on this point, the eastern and western Churches not agreeing on the particular day for the celebration of this festival. To remove these difficulties, the Council of Nice came to a decision, from which the following rule was framed, viz : " Easter-day is always the first Sunday after the full moon which happens upon or next after the twenty-first day of March ; and if the full moon happens upon a Sunday, Easter day is the Sunday after." To determine the time of Easter in any year, it was there- fore only necessary to find out the precise time of the above full moon, and calculate accordingly. Now if the solar year exactly corresponded with the lunar, the time of the paschal moon would be liable to no variation, and Easter would fall on the same day of every year. But as the lunar year is really shorter than the solar, by eleven days, it follows that the paschal moon must, for a course of years, always happen at a different period in each successive year. If then the Gos 247 above rule be observed, the time of Easter may vary from the 22d of March to the 25th of April, but somewhere within these limits it will always fall. Hence the adoption, by the Council of Nice, of the Metonic Cycle, by which these changes might be determined with tolerable accuracy. From the great usefulness of this Cycle, its numbers were usually written on the Calendar in letters of gold, from which it derived the name of Golden Number. Good Friday. This day received its name from the bless- ed effects of our Savior's sufferings, which are the ground of all our joy : and from those unspeakably good things he hath purchased for us by his death. It is the day on which the great sacrifice was offered up for sin, and has been set apart for a peculiar solemnity of devotion, from the first ages of Christianity. " How inconsistent and how culpable is the conduct of those Christians, who, belonging to a Church which sets apart a day for the commemoration of their Savior's death, do not thus devote it, but pursue on this day their customary business and pleasures ! " " Goodly fellowship." See the Te Deum. " The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee." The eTpiihei goodly denotes the excellence and sanctity of these venerable men, "of whom the world was not worthy.-' And by the term fellowship may be understood their relation to each other, notwithstanding the various times in which they flourished ; and the fact of their forming a distinct class to execute the commands of the Most High. Gospel. The history of the life and doctrines of our Blessed Redeemer, as written in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and elaborated in the Apostolical Epistles. In the Prayer-book, that portion of Scripture which is read immediately after the Epistle in the ante-communion, is called by this name, from its being taken from one of the four Gos- pels. Before it is read, the congregation rise and give thanks to God by saying or singing " Glory be to thee, O Lord," 248 HAN indicating their gratitude to God, for the sacred gospel now about to be read to them. Gospeller. A Clergyman appointed to read the Gospel of the day. See Epistler. This term was also applied in derision, by the Romanists, to the reformers, on account of their valiant and determined persistence in preaching the gospel, and exhorting all men to judge by it of their doctrine, whether it was of God. "Governance." See Collect for Grace in the Morning Prayer: " that all our doings, being ordered by thy governance,^' &c. ; — i. e., being subject to God's control, direction, and government, — they may be righteous in his sight. Government, Church. See Church Government, Gown. See Clerical Garments. H. Hades. See Hell, Descent into, "Hands, into their.'' In the Communion office, it is or- dered that the elements shall be delivered into the hands of the people, according to the primitive mode of receiving this Sacrament. There is here an implied censure of certain customs which had crept into the Church, having neither reason nor Scripture to support them. " At an early age," says Wheatly, " some indiscreet persons pretending greater reverence to the elements, as if they were defiled with their hands, put themselves to the charges of providing little saucers, or plates, of gold, to receive the bread, until they were forbidden by the sixth general council. Another abuse the Church of Rome brought in, where the Priest puts it into the people's mouths, lest a crumb should fall aside." To HEL 249 counteract all such notions, the Church has wisely provided, that the elements shall be delivered into the hands of the communicants. "Happy issue." See the Prayer for " all Conditions of Men : " " giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions," &c. The ex- pression is not to be understood as referring exclusively to a restoration to health, but to a favorable and blessed result, whether in life or death. " Health." In a spiritual sense, safety, protection, or pu- rity of spirit, as in the expressions : — " there is no health in us ; " — " to know and believe to his soul's health ; " — " thy saving health to all nations ; " — " the voice of joy and health is in the dwellings of the righteous ; " — " Lord, I have looked for thy saving health.^^ The following parallel cases are from Wichf : — " The ground of health, that is, a Christian man's belief; for with- out belief, [faith,] it is impossible, as St. Paul saith, that any man can please God : " — " Whereto, therefore, say ye idly, — * We shall be saved in Jesus,' — while ye cease not to hate him, without whom ye cannot have health ! " Hell, Descent into. In the 3d Article of Religion, it is declared, that, " As Christ died for us, and was buried, so also is it to be believed, that he went down into hell.''' One of the Articles of the Apostles' Creed also expresses the same truth, in the words, "he descended into hell.'' These are fully borne out by the language of Scripture. See Acts, ii. 27, — Psalm xvi. 10, — and 1 Peter, iii. 18, 19. The main source of difficulty in relation to the doctrine of Christ's descent into hell, arises from the fact that two en- tirely different words in the original language of the New Testament are rendered, in our version, by the single word, "hell." The first of these is hades, which occurs eleven times in the New Testament, and in every case but one, is translated "hell." Now, hades is never used to denote the 250 HELL. place of final torment, — the regions of the damned ; but signi- fies "the place of departed spirits," whether good or bad, — the place where they are kept until the day of judgment, when they shall be reunited to their bodies, and go each to his ap- pointed destiny. The other word,- gelienna, signifies the place of torment, — the eternal abode of the wicked. At the time when our translation was made, and the Prayer-book compiled, the English word " hell," had a more extensive meaning than it has at present. It originally signified, to cover over or conceal; and is still used in this sense in seve- ral parts of England, where, for example, to cover a church or house with a roof, is to hell the building, and the person by whom it is done is called a Tiellier. But the word also de- noted the place of future misery, and is accordingly used in that sense in the New Testament, as the translation of ge- henna ; and in consequence of the changes which our Ian- guage has experienced during the last 200 years, it is now restricted to this particular meaning. Bearing in mind, then, that hades Avas translated by the word " hell," for want of another more exactly corresponding with the original, the reader will perceive that the above Article in the Creed, does not refer to the place of final misery, but to that general receptacle of all departed human souls, both penitent and impenitent, where they are reserved in a state of comparative enjoyment or misery, to wait the morning of the resurrection, "when, their bodies being united to their souls, they will be advanced to complete felicity or wo, in heaven or hell." On the death of our Lord, his soul, — his human soul, — went to this " place of departed spirits." It was necessary that his death should be attended with all those circumstances Avhich mark the death of men. Christ was possessed of a human nature, both body and soul, besides his divinity. The body of man at death sinks to the grave ; and the soul goes to hades, or the place of departed spirits. In like man- HIE 251 ner, the body of Jesus Christ was laid in the tomb, but his soul went to the general repository of human disembodied spirits, where, according to St. Peter, he declared the fulfil- ment of the great work of redemption, — he went and preached to the spirits in prison." Heresiarch, The chief leader or head of a heresy. Heresy. A wilful and obstinate departure from the or- thodox faith of the Christian Church. Heretic. One who wilfully holds false opinions " repug- nant to some point of doctrine clearly revealed in Scripture, and either absolutely essential to the Christian faith, or at least of the highest importance." Heretical. Relating to, or having the character of a heresy. Heterodox. Contrary to the established faith or doctrine of the Church. Hierarchy. A designation equally applied to the ranks of celestial beings in the Jerusalem above, and to the Apos- tolic order of the Ministry in the Church below. In refer- ence to the latter, it is an error to suppose that it necessarily implies temporal distinction, wealth, splendor, or any other adjuncts with which the Ministry may, in certain times and countries, have been distinguished. These are mere acci- dents, which prejudice has identified with the being of a hierarchy, but from which no just inference can be drawn against the inherent spiritual dignity of the Christian priest- hood. Hierome. One of the ancient Fathers of the Church, better known by the name of Jerome, or St, Jerome. He lived about 1450 years ago, and wrote many valuable works, containing, among other things, comments, &c., on many of the books of Scripture. The greatness of his reputation, and the sanctity of his life, are well known. St. Jerome was never advance'd to the rank of Bishop, but, like Tertul- lian and Origen, remained a presbyter to the close of his 252 HOL life. His name is mentioned in the 6th Article of Religion where an expression of his is quoted. HiERUsALEM. The Same with JERUSALEM. See the 19th Article of Religion, in the Prayer-book. •' Holiness and righteousness." It has frequently been remarked, that, in the Liturgy, words occur in immediate juxtaposition, carrying the same general meaning, and giving the appearance of needless tautologies. This is not the effect of accident or negligence on the part of its compilers, but was done with the design of making the Liturgy intelli- gible even to persons of the narrowest education. Simpli- city, combined with dignity, is one of the happiest character- istics of the Liturgy. Every care was taken in its formation that both the refined and the illiterate might be edified. On the occurrence of words which might not be generally under- stood, we find therefore another immediately following, of the same or similar meaning. Sometimes too a word derived from the Latin is attended by another of the same import from the Saxon. The following cases will illustrate this peculiarity of the Liturgy; — holiness and righteousness; — acknowledge and confess; — peril and danger; — assemble and meet together; — craft and subtilty; — requisite and necessary; erred and strayed ; — declare and pronounce ; and confirm and strengthen. "Holpen." See Psalm xxii. 5., in the Prayer-Book, — " They called upon thee, and were holpen ; they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded." Holpen is the ob. solete form for ^'helpedJ^ The verse will be understood, by reading, •' they called upon thee, and were helped " — that is, God heard their prayer, and mercifully delivered them from their troubles. Holy cross day. See Cross, Holy. Holy days. Among the earliest means adopted by the Church, for the purpose of impressing on the minds of her children the great and interesting scenes of the Gospel his- holv-days. 253 tory, and the extraordinary events which marked the first planting of Christianity, was the appointment of a train of anniversaries and holy-days with appropriate services, com- memorative of all the prominent transactions of the Re- deemer's life and death, and of the labors and virtues of the Blessed Apostles and Evangelists. These Institutions, so replete with hallowed associations, have descended to our own day, and the observance of them is commended by the assent of every discerning and unprejudiced mind — is sus- tained by the very constiluti(m of our nature, which loves to preserve the annual memory of important events, and is in the highest degree reasonable, delightful, profitable, and devout. The Church can see no valuable end to be attained by re- garding the claims of that disafftction which would rob her of so ancient and so religious a custom. In the assumption that the facts of revelation can be sufficiently retained in the mind without external commemoration, there is certainly ground for the suspicion that those facts are under-estimated by the objector ; for we value the day not as holy per se, but for the sake of the subject of which it is the vehicle. Suppose a body of American citizens should form a soci- ety, and in their Constitution declare that the memory of the independence of the nation, and of its written declaration, and of the birth-day of Washington, &c., &c., would be well enough preserved and perpetuated, without the troublesome formality of the customary celebrations ; and that it there- fore became their duty, as sober-minded citizens, to over, turn altogether those festivals as grounded on a false prin- ciple, or still better, to change them into seasons of sorrow and lamentation. Now what would be the public verdict on such a proceeding? What would be thought of its origin- ators'? If we are not mistaken, the community would very soon learn to bring their soundness of judgment into ques- tion, even if they would not proceed to arraign their patriot- 254 HOLY-DAYS. ism itself. We plead for holy. days in the Church on this same principle, th.-it the vivid sense and estimation of the fact, is heightened by a periodical concentration of the mind upon that fad; in other words, by the devout ob:servance of a day of celebration. There is also something highly reason- able in the institution of holy-days ; for if it is universally conceded that in national and civil concerns, there is a mani- fest propriety in the appointment of certain days for the com- memoration of striking events or remarkable persons, so are they equally wise and proper in the Church, and no sound reason can be shown why the Church should not at definite times celebrate the various events in the history of her great Head, and bring to our remembrance and recommend to our imitation, the virtues and the piety of her " shining lights." It is considered also both reasonable and proper, that civil rulers should appoint public fasts, days of thanksgiving, and days for special supplication in national emergencies. But if all this may lawiully be done by the State, and is allow- edly praiseworthy, surely the same is at least equally reason- able when done by the constituted authorities of the Church. The principle is also admitted in its fullest extent by almost all denominations of Christians, when they appoint days for fasts, simultaneous meetings, thanksgivings, anniversaries, and religious commemorations of certain events in civil his- tory. The Church cannot therefore justly be censured for exercising a privilege universally claimed, and for selecting from the gospel history the subjects which she celebrates. Respecting the character and object of these days, it will be perceived at once that a very considerable number of them are set apart fur the purpose of bringing before us the prin- cipal facts in the life of our Saviour, and in the history of our redemption. These can never be too strongly impjinted on the mind, and they must always be subjects of grateful re- collection and reviving thought, to all " who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." It is true that the detail of these HOLY-DAYS. 255 events, as given in the Holy Scriptures, will engage and im- press every devout mind ; but, as we have already hinted, nature itself teaches that well known facts are brought to bear with an increased force on the mind, by the appoint- ment of set times for their celebration. And this principle of our nature was recognized and sanctioned by God himself, in the institution of solemn festivals under the Jewish dis- pensation. Another class of holy-days have relation to the memory of departed saints ; and the object of the Church is to lead us to bless God for the evidences of his grace, in their exemplary lives, and their triumphant death, and to encourage us to the exercise of the same virtues which irradiated their character. The early Christians were deeply impressed with the reason, ableness of holding " the righteous in everlasting remem- brance," they felt that "the memory of the just is blessed," they esteemed it as a law to " remember them who had once had the rule over them, and who had spoken unto them the word of God." And from this conviction arose the custom of honormg certain days more especially to their memory, and of periodically beseeching God that grace might be given ^'to follow their good examples.^' We do not pretend to say that such appointments are safe from abuse, for it is beyond question that in former ages, as well as in some unreformed Churches at the present day, these have been multiplied to an extent so great as to engross almost every day in the year, and thus to east many important and essential duties of the Gospel into the shade. They have also been abused by the elevation of persons to the rank of saints, of whom little is known, and of whose piety (not to say of whose existence,) we have very scanty evidence ; and the sacred nature of these festivals has frequently been set aside, or exchanged for secular mirth, riot, and disorder. But against all these the Protestant Episcopal Church has guarded, by appointing no celebrations in particular, except for such persons as stand 256 HOLY-DAYS. forth for our imitation in the Holy Scriptures, and by re- quiring that the employments of these days shall be of a strictly religious character. There is something truly admirable in the order and sue- cession of these holy-days. Our Church begins her ecclesi. astical year with the Sundays in Advent, to remind us of the coming of Christ in the flesh. After these, we are brought to contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation ; and so, step by step, we follow the Church through all the events of our Savior's pilgrimage, to his ascension into heaven. In all this, the grand object is, to keep Christ perpetually before us, to make him and his doctrine the chief object in all our varied services. Every Sunday has its peculiar character, and has reference to some act or scene in the life of our Lord, or the redemption achieved by him. Thus every year brings the whole Gospel history to view ; and it will be found, as a general rule, that the appointed portions of Scripture in each day's service, are mutually illustrative ; the New Testament casting light on the Old — prophecy being admirably brought in contact with its accomplishment, so that no plan could be devised for a more profitable course of Scripture reading than that presented by the Church on her holy-days. The objections against the keeping of holy-days are such as these. St. Paul says, "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years," &c. This occurs in the Epistle to the Galatians. Again in the Epistle to the Colossians, " let no man judge you * * * in respect of a holy-day," &c. From these it is argued, that as we are brought into the liberty of the Gospel, we are no longer bound to the observ- ance of holy-days, which are but " beggarly elements." Respecting the first, it is surprising that no one has "con- scientiously " drawn from it an inference for the neglect of the civil division of time : and in relation to both, it requires only an attentive reading of the Epistles from which they are taken, to see that they have no more connection with the HOLY-DAYS. 257 holy-days of the Church, than witli Episcopacy. The Apos. tie is warning the Gentile Christians to beware of the attempts of Judaizing teachers to subvert their faith. It was the aim of these to bring the converts under the obligations of the Jewish ritual, and some progress appears to have been made in their attempts. Paul, therefore, reminds them that these were but the shadow of good things to come, while Christ was the body. The passages therefore have no relevancy to the question ; or, if they have, they show that while Chris- tians abandoned the Jewish festivals, they were to observe their own. If they were to forsake the shadow, they were to cleave to the substance. Again ; if we keep holy-days, v/e are said to favor Ro- manism. But these days were hallowed long before corrup- tion was known in the Ramish Church. And waiving this, let it be remembered, that we are accustomed to judge of things by their intrinsic worth, and the main point to be de- termined is, v/hether they are right or wrong. If they are right, wc receive them ; and if they are not right, we reject them, whether they are received by the Church of Rome or not. We abandon the worship of images, not because it is in the Romish Church, but because it is morally sinful and idol- atrous. On the other hand, we receive the doctrine of the Trinity, though held by the Church of Rome, and this solely because we judge that doctrine to be right and scriptural. The most popular objection urged againr^t holy-days, is grounded on the assumed uncertainty of the time when some celebrated events occurred. Thus it is contended, that in re- lation to Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, &c., as we cannot determine the precise day, it is vain to dedicate any day to their celebration. On this point we should reason very dif- ferently ; for, granting that the true day is uncertain, does it necessarily follow that no day is to be kept? May not the Church appoint some certain day for the commemoration of an event, though the actual day of the event is lost? Sup- 22* 258 HOL pose the 4th of July to happen on Sunday, it is in consequence celebrated on the 3d or 5th; but does this change of the day vitiate the force or alter the nature of the festival? Is patriotism to be regulated by a chronometer ? In like man- ner, suppose we should not really know the exact day on which our Redeemer was born, but should keep the feast on the 1st of January, or on any other day ; would this destroy all the utility and do away with all the benefits of Christmas ? But we claim a decided certainly respectirg these days : for in relation to Easter and the days dependent on it, the hea- venly bodies are our guides, and unless these vary in their motions, our appointed days are the true anniversaries of the events they represent. And as it respects Christmas, the proof that we are correct, is too abundant to be questioned. We have the testimony of numerous writers of antiquity, and the plain fact that the same day which we keep, has been kept from the earliest ages. The day was not appointed by the modern Church, but retained as it has been in the Church from the beginning. It is a pleasing thing to observe that every where the wis- dom of the Church in her institutions is becoming better known, that objections to the observance of her holy-days are rapidly wearing away, and that the principle itself is almost universally acknowledged as salutary, in the appoint- ment of set days for various religious purposes among all denominations of Christians. See the articles on the titles of the respective Holy-days. Holy Orders. See Orders, Holy. Holy Rood. The term rood, from the Saxon rode or rod, was anciently used for a cross or crucifix. Hence the title of Holy Rood, (or Holy Cross,) day, a festival formerly ob- served in memory of the alleged recovery of a large frag- ment of the true cross, by the Emperor Heraclius, after it had been carried away on the plundering of Jerusalem, bv Chosroes, king of Persia, about the year of Christ 615. HOM 259 Holy table. The altar or table on which the sacred elements are placed at the Lord's Supper. See Altar. Holy Thursday. See Ascension day. Holy week. See Passion week. Homilies. The Homilies of the Church are two books of plain discourses, composed at the time of the Reformation, and appointed to be read in Churches, on "any Sunday or Holy-day, when there is no Sermon." "The first volume of them was set out in the beginning of King Edward Vl's reign, having been composed (as it is thought) by Archbishop Cranmer, Bishop Ridley, and Latimer * * * when a com- potent number of Ministers, of sufficient abilities to preach in a public congregation, was not to be found."* The se- cond book appeared in 1562, in the reign of Elizabeth. In neither of these books, "can the several Homilies be as- signed to their several authors with any certainty." f In the second book " no single Homily of them all has been appro- priated.""!- In the first, that on "Salvation" was probably written by Cranmer, as also those on " Faith,'' and " Good Works " — " Internal evidence arising out of certain homely expressions, and peculiar forms of ejaculation, the like to which occur in Latimer's Sermons, pretty clearly betray the hand of the Bishop of Worcester to have been engaged in the homily against" brawling and contention;" the one against "adultery" may be safely given to Thomas B.-con, one of Cranmer's chaplains, in whose works, published in 1564, it is still to be found ; of the rest nothing is known but by the merest conjecture." f In Article XXXV. is given a list of the Homilies, together with the rank and character assigned them by the Church. In this the American Church coincides, but suspends the reading of them in Churches " until a revision of them may * Wheatly. t Blunt, Hist. Ref. p. 195. 260 HYP be conveniently made, for the clearing of them, as well from obsolete words and phrases, as from the local references." Host. From the Latin hostia, a sacrifice. The name by which, in the Church of Rome, the consecrated bread in the Eucharist is called. In this term is embodied the doctrine of that Church, relative to transubstantiation, or the change of the bread into the true body of Christ ; and also that of the Eucharist being a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of both the living and the dead. The term has, therefore, been abandoned by the reformed Church. House of Bishops. See Convention. House of Clerical and Lay Deputies. See Conven- tion. Hymn. The title of Hymn is not confined, by the Church, to those songs of praise which appear in English metre, but is frequently used in its more extensive import, to embrace those holy anthems with which the Scriptures abound, and also the compositions of uninspired men, which were used in the primitive Church. Thus the name of "hymn" is given in the Prayer-book to the song of Zacharias, from Luke, ch. i. : — " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel," &c. Also to the "Te Deum." In the "Churching of Women," a part of the 116th Psalm is called a hymn. And in the Forms of Prayer to be used at sea, several portions of the Book of Psalms are thus denominated. The j)salms, &c., which are sung or said after-the reading of the Lessons of Scripture, are also frequently styled hymns. In this the Church retains the use of the word as applicable to the Psalms, &c., in their true character as Hebrew poetry, though assuming, in our translation, the form of prose. Hypothetical. This term is sometimes used in relation to a baptism administered to a child, of whom it is uncertain whether he has been already baptized or not. The Rubric states, that " if they who bring the infant to the Church, do make such uncertain answers to the Minister's questions as IGN 261 that it cannot appear that the child was baptized with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," then the Minister, on performing the baptism, is to use this form of words, viz :— « If thou art not already baptized, N , I baptize thee in the name," &c. This, therefore, is called an hypothetical or conditional form, being used only on the supposition, that the child may not have already received baptism. I. "Ignorance in asking." An expression occurring in one of the Collects at the end of the Communion office, im- plying that even in the exercise of prayer itself there are de- fects which need the pardoning grace of God. In the Litany we further pray, that "sins, negligences, and ignorances" may be forgiven, and this is by no means a superfluous or useless petition. It is doubtless true, that God will punish none who are ignorant from actual incapability. And among accountable beings, the severity of punishment will also be proportioned to the light and means of knowledge resisted. With many, therefore, the plea of ignorance must be altogether out of the question ; for the Scriptures of truth are thrown open to every man. And if, in the present day, we should esteem that man deserving of censure, who passes through life without acquiring the first principles of educa- tion, in the midst of favorable opportunities : so will God righteously treat with severity the man who remains igno- rant of his truth, when he is privileged with countless means and advantages for learning it. Well, therefore, may we pray "that it may please" God "to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances." 262 IMM I. H. S. An inscription formerly very common on pulpits, books, and other furniture of Churches. The letters are the initials of "Jesus Hominum Salvator :" — Jesus, the Savior of men. By some writers they are supposed to be derived from the name 'IrjCotc:, (Jesus,) of which they form the first three letters in Greek, with a slight modification. Some- times the H. is ornamented by a cross mounted on the mid- dle stroke. Immaculate conception. A doctrine maintained in the Romish Church, that the Virgin Mary was conceived and born without sin. A festival bearing the name of Conception is still observed in that Church, in memory of "the inestima- ble privilege granted to the mother of God, of being conceived in original justice, and exempted from all sin." * Immersion. One of the modes in which the Sacrament of Baptism is administered, consisting in the plunging or dipping of the person in water. The views of the Church respecting the mode of Baptism are simply these : — 1. That the application of water to the body, is essential to the validity of the Sacrament. 2. That no inspired precept has been given relative to the quantity of water to be employed ; neither can this be determined from a review of the cases of Baptism recorded in the New Tes- tament. 3. That, therefore, it must be a matter of indiffer- ence, whether the body be plunged in water, or whether the element be applied in the form of pouring or sprinkling, inas- much as, (in the absence of precept,) all these modes meet the spirit of the requirement, and have been held valid from a very early age. The varieties in the mode of Baptism are generally stated as follows : — 1. Immersion, dipping, or plunging. Metropolitan Cathulic Almanac, 1838. IMMERSION. 263 2. Affusion, or pouring. .3. Aspersion, or sprinkling. All these the Cliurch regards as lawful modes of Baptism. As to the first, we freely grant its antiquity and validity, and, consequently, it is retained by the Church, as may be seen from the Rubrics in the Baptismal offices. It is also granted, that, in the early ages of the Church, immersion prevailed very extensively, perhaps more extensively than any of the other modes of Baptism ; and, amid the number of Scripture examples, the probability is that Baptism was in some cases thus administered by the Apostles or their fellow- laborers in the ministry. In advocating affusion and sprinkling, we take the testi- mony of Scripture and antiquity. The word "baptize," has in Scripture so great a breadth of meaning, that it cannot be used to support any one mode of administering the rite, to the prejudice of the rest. From this, therefore, nothing can be proved either way. We apprehend, however, that when the preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles produced its vast multitudes of converts, the nature of circumstances would not always admit of other Baptism than that by pouring or sprinkling. Rivers or lakes could not always be resorted to, on the spur of the moment. In some cases, a tedious march, with women and children, over a considerable tract of coun- try, might have been necessary before a sufficiency of water could be found for immersion. It is unlikely, too, that pro- per garments could in all cases be so hastily provided. The rapidity with which these Baptisms were performed, seems entirely inconsistent with the slow process of immersion After the preaching of St. Peter, it is stated that 3000 were baptized, and that these were added to the Church in one day. Now the immersion of 3000 persons in so short a time, carries with it so great an air of improbability, that we must be excused, if we suspect that some more rapid mode was adopted for their Baptism. Reflect upon this one mo- 264 IMMERSION. ment : — Peter's sermon began, (as we are told,) after the third hour of the day ; that is, nine o'clock in the morning. His addresses occupied a considerable time ; for, besides the sketch given in the Acts, it is said that " with many more words he exhorted them," — which are not recorded. Now it was not until after all this, that the Baptisms began, — and the time remaining to the evening, could scarcely have been more than eight hours. Dividing, therefore, the 3000 per- sons, there would be 375 to receive Baptism in each of those eight hours, — a number so great that it is difficult to imagine how they could possibly have been immersed. But again ; in the case of the jailor at Philippi, we have an instance of a whole family, suddenly baptized, and this too at midnight. The whole matter was transacted in a very limited time, and we cannot, without violence, bring ourselves to believe in the reality of such a thing, as the instant arousing from slumber of a whole family, and the immediate plunging of them in the cold element of baptism : to say nothing of the improbability of there being on the spot, and at the time, a sufficiency of pure water, and suitable vessels to meet the emergency. Again ; we know that the sick and infirm were admitted to Christian baptism. But is it at all probable that these, when feeble, suffering, and prostrate, would be denied bap- tism, simply on the ground that they would not venture an immersion, which common reflection told them, would in all likelihood be highly dangerous, if not fatal? And even if we should grant that the general rule was immersion, and set down all these cases as exceptions ; yet we are entitled to the inference, that the validity of the other modes was fairly established and recognized. It is worthy of remark, that in connection with the narratives or notices of baptisms in the New Testament, there is nothing whatever said about the laying aside of garments, or about any precautions with re- gard to decency, &c., on the part of the candidates, things IMMERSION. 265 which would naturally have been alluded to, if those bap. tisms had uniformly been by immersion* In the case of the 3000 who were baptized on one day, the circumstances of their sudden preparation for the rite — their disrobing — the in- dispensable arrangements for the preservation of decency, and the resuming of their ordinary clothing after the ceremony, would have given a character to the whole scene which could not but have been touched upon by the sacred writer. And yet not a word is said concerning these necessary accompani- ments of immersion. " When our Lord washed the feet of his disciples, unimportant as the transaction was, it is record- ed that he laid aside his garment.*' But here, in a matter of far greater magnitude, the Evangelist is silent, and we are forcibly led to the conclusion that the circumstances we have alluded to did not occur, the mode of baptism used on the occasion not requiring them. By those who deny the validity of pouring or sprinkling, much weight is laid on those words of St. Mark, (i. 9,) "Jesus * * * * was baptized of John in Jordan." From this it is inferred, that our Lord, at his baptism, actually went down into the waters of the Jordan, and there received the rite by immersion. As to the latter, — it does not follow that a person baptized at a river, must necessarily be immersed. The circumstances are equally favorable for any of the other modes, and if there is ho direct statement relative to the mode adopted, no conclusion can legitimately be drawn for one to the disparagement of the rest. The reasoning on the former point is equally unsound. The preposition £\g is assumed to bear the sense of " into'' as a general rule ; and thus trans- lated, it might indeed appear that Jesus went into the Jordan, though, by the bye, to be lajHized into a river, is an ex- pression not very consistent either with good taste or sound orthodoxy. The preposition sig, on the contrary, is not un- frequently rendered by "m," "^o," "&?/»" &c. We refer to the following texts as examples. Rom. vi. 4 : " Even so wc 23 266 IMP also should walk in (not into) newness of life." Acts ii, 38 ; "Be baptized for (not into) the remission of sins." Matt. xv. 24 : "I am not sent, but unto (not into) the lost sheep," &c. Acts vii. 53 : " Who have received the law by the dispo- sition of angels," (not "mio the disposition," &c.) From a comparison of these with the passage in question, it is at least doubtful whether, at the time of his baptism, our Lord went into the Jordan. The words in the original do not assert it ; but the phrase '•' to go to, — to be baptized in, or hy Jordan," is " as proper and emphatical (says a writer) as the other rendering, and does not involve the immersion of Christ." It needs only to be added, in connection with these hints from Scripture, that affusion and sprinkling were certainly practised in very early days of the Church ; and that by de- grees, as Christianity extended itself into colder climates, where persons were liable to serious injury from immersion, these modes were very generally adopted as better agreeing with local circumstances. " A little water (says St. Cyprian) can cleanse the believer as well as a whole river." In the fourth and fifth centuries, aspersion or sprinkling was common in the Church. St. Chrysostom, for example, mentions the case of several young women being baptized by aspersion. This mode has, at the present day, become almost general. The variations of climate, with the manners and religious habits of modern times, seem to have determined its prevalence among most classes of Christians. We have seen then, that each of the modes of Baptism is in itself lawful, for we have every reason to believe that they are as old as the days of the Apostles, and were by them on different occasions exercised. Immoveable Feasts. Those holy-days which do not de- pend on Easter, but are permanently fixed to set days of the year. Christmas, and all the Saints' days, with some others, are of this character. Imparity. A difference of degree or rank, as in the Epis- INF 267 copal Ministry, where the clergy are not all of one kind or rank, but some are Bishops, others Priests, and others Dea- cons, each of these being of a different grade. Were they all on a level, in regard to the powers committed to them, there would exist a parity or equaHty ; but, as it is, their difference of grade makes an imparity or inequality among them, such as is described in the New Testament, and has always existed since the Church of Christ was first estab- ished. See Parity. Imposition of hands. A religious ceremony of very great antiquity, and still retained in the Church, as the ap- pointed means of administering Confirmation, and of commu- nicating the powers of the Christian Ministry. See Orders. Impropriation. In England, an impropriation implies the possession and employment, by a layman, of the revenues of a Church or ecclesiastical benefice. Incarnation. See Christmas day. Incumbent. The Rector, Pastor, or stated Minister, of a Church, The word occurs in the Prayer-book, in the Office for the Institution of a new Minister in a Church, thus ; — " The day being appointed for the new Incumbent'' s Institu- tion, at the usual hour of Morning Prayer, the Institutor, attended by the new Incumbent)" &c., — that is, the Minister who is about to receive the spiritual care of the Church. Induction. See Institution. Indulgences. See Pardons. Infant baptism. To the present writer, it seems, that all controversy respecting the baptism of infants, might be re- duced to the simple question, Can infants be made mem- bers of Christ's body — the Church ? If they can, then they ought. If it be possible, then is it obligatory. We judge so, on the simple ground that the blessings of Christianity are designed by God himself /or all who are capable of them, and are in a proper disposition for receiving them. To what ex. tent infants may be the subjects of spiritual blessing, we 268 INFANT BAPTISM. know not ; but that this is sufficient to remove every impedi- ment from the way of their introduction to the Church, we have the assurance of our Lord himself, in the direct asser- tion " of such is the kingdom of heaven." From this it fol- lows, that they are capable of, and fit for, at least, a portion af those peculiar blessings which are called spiritual ; and as these blessings are conveyed by means divinely established in the Church, the result is, an obligation (of no slight cha- racter) to employ those means for the benefit of infants. The neglect of this, would be a fraud on their souls, for which we should be justly ansv/erable.* We might safely leave the matter here, without saying another word. But the testimony of 3500 years to the truth, that infants (equally with adults) are capable of Church- membership, is well worth considering, especially when it is borne in mind, through how large a portion of that time the Church was under the direction of men divinely inspired — men, who never failed to rebuke error, and inculcate truth. Let us take a rapid review of the facts which catch the eye, in glancing over this long period. Under the covenant made with Abraham., and in the Jew- ish Church, children were always admitted members by the rite of circumcision. Infants, therefore, of eight days old, were declared Jit to enter into covenant with God. Now, in this relation, haptisin is, in the Christian Church, precisely what circumcision was in the Jewish. If then, infants were eligible subjects of admission to the Church of God before the coming of Christ we know of no valid reason why they should not be equally so now ; especially when we take into consideration that it is the glory of the Christian dispensa- tion that it affords blessings and privileges far more abundant ♦ This argument would not justify infant communion, inasmuch as they are incapable of doing this in remembrance of Christ. INFANT BAPTISM. 269 than were enjoyed in the Jewish Church. And, most clearly, there is not to be found in Scripture, the least intimation of a difference having been made between the two dispensations, so startling, as the exclusion of infants in the latter. When families of proselytes obtained admission into the Jewish Church, it was by means of circumcision united with baptism, and all their households were made subjects of these rites. Now, Christian baptism, as an initiatory rite, was borrowed from this Jewish custom ; but the subjects of it were never changed. There is no limitation of it to adults ; and indeed had such been the case, so new and ex- traordinary a procedure would have been the cause of loud complaints on the part of Christianized Jews, who, before this, had never doubted the eligibility of infants for Church, membership. If children, then, had always, from the days of Abraham, been thus received, we certainly have no power to reject them, inasmuch as there is given to us, no repeal of the law which authorizes and commands their admission. Again; among the first Christians, multitudes of con. verted Jews still retained circumcision, thus showing that they yet viewed their children as fit members of the Church. Paul manifests his displeasure at their adherence to the par- ticular rite of circumcision, but utters not a syllable to cau- tion them against indulging in the ancient practice of receiv- ing children into Church-membership. But if these children were circumcised, it is almost demonstrable that they must also have had Christian baptism ; for, being " recognized as having a right to Church-membership by their circumcision, so also, they must necessarily have been baptized in order to ratify and confirm that right in the Christian Church ; so that the many thousands of children who were circumcised by their parents, after they embraced Christianity, are so many thousands of examples of infants that were baptized.^^ Further : If the children of Christian parents had from necessity to wait for baptism until they had attained adult 23* 270 INFANT BAPTISM. age there would thus have been (in immediate contact with the Apostles) a great number of young people in the inter- esting station of candidates for this holy rite. But though, in the Apostolical Epistles, we observe many passages in which the writers express their affection and regard for chil- dren and young persons, not a solitary hint is given which can lead us to believe that any of these were in a state of preparation for haptism. If such had been the case, there is little doubt that frequent and earnest appeals would have been made to encourage them to enter with alacrity and re- soluteness upon the Christian warfare. Their young minds would have been carefully turned to the solemnities of their coming baptism, and their parents would have been urged to an especial degree of watchfulness in guiding their prepara- tory exercises. But, in the total absence of any hint to this effect, what can we offer as a solution, unless it be the fact, that there was no such class of young unbaptized persons — all having been admitted to this rite in their infancy, or when their parents embraced the Gospel. That infants should be baptized, appears also by fair de- duction, from the words of Christ to Nicodemus. " Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Now no one can deny that this declaration is, in its nature, universal, and there is no other passage of Scripture which lays it under limits. Infants, therefore, must be born again. But this new birth is declared to be by "water and the Spirit." Therefore we conclude that they are proper subjects of baptism. It is indeed some- times objected that faith must, in all cases, precede baptism, and as infants cannot exercise this, they are not in a condi- tion to receive this sacrament. The objection in plain terms will stand thus : — We must believe before we can be baptized ; but infants do not believe ; therefore infants ought not to be baptized. To this reasoning we may, with equal plausibility, reply: — We must believe before we can be saved; but in- INFANT BAPTISM. 271 fants do not believe ; therefore, infants cannot he saved. This, surely, would not be admitted even by those who reject Infant Baptism, for Christ himself has said, " Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." It appears then from the passage under consideration, and also from that just quoted, that children may be admitted into the kingdom of God. And if it be asserted that the phrase, "kingdom of heaven," re- fers to the Church above, and not to the visible Church on earth, we ask, if infants may be admitted to the greater, why not to the lesser? If a child can obtain an entrance into heaven without faith, why must we deny that child admittance to the congregation of Christ's flock heloiu under the same circumstances ? But it is alleged that there is no j^ositive command for the baptism of infants. But neither is there any such command that they shall not be baptized. The scripture does not name any specific age as a qualification or condition of baptism, nor does it ever assert that infancy is an impediment to the reception of this rite. As well might it be urged that we should not jprayfor infants, in the absence of a positive com- mand, as that we should not baptize them in similar circum- stances. The truth is, that the commands relative to the ordinances of Christianity are few in number, much being left to the discernment, the sober judgment, and plain sense of the Church. Some of the most manifest duties stand in the same predicament, being only alluded to inferentially, because their obligation was already well understood. Such is a very hasty sketch of the Scripture argument for Infant Baptism, an imperfect sketch, we are aware, but yet, as we trust, sufficient for our main purpose. As we promised, at the outset, to be brief, our limits will not allow, neither can the subject require, more than a glance at the practice of the Christian Church. This will be shown by a few quotations from ancient writers, testifying to the 272 INFANT BAPTISBI. existence of Infant Baptism from the very time of the Apostles. Justin Martyr, who lived only about forty years after the Apostles, mentions that " there were many among them, who were then 70 or 80 years of age, who had been made disci- ples of Christ when they were infants." Now as infants are incapable o^ faith, they must have become disciples by bap- tism, and if so, their age shows that they must have been baptized while the Apostles were living. Irenaeus, who lived about 60 or 70 years after the Apostles, reckons children among those who were " born again to God." Consequently, even on the principles of those who reject Infant Baptism, they were certainly fit subjects for admission into the Church on earth. And if the phrase is used to denote " that regene. ration (or change of state) which is the effect of baptism, this becomes a plain testimony to the early existence of the custom of baptizing infants." After these, may be mentioned Tertullian, Origen, St. Cy. prian, and St. Augustine, who speak of Infant Baptism with as much clearness as if they had been Bishops and divines of the nineteenth century. The latter " declared it as his opinion, that the baptism of infants had been established by Divine authority, since he found that the whole Church prac- tised it ; that it was not instituted by any council, but had always been retained, and therefore must be believed to have been delivered to the Church by the Apostles." To contend then, that in the first ages of the Church, no such thing pre- vailed, but that it was afterwards introduced by some design- ing persons, is to cast aside very strong evidence, and to cling alone to mere conjecture. So bold an invention, on its first appearance, would have stirred up an universal clamor in the Church. Its novelty would have provoked general discus- sion, as we well know less important matters did, and con- troversies, violent and long, would have been the natural and sure result. Yet ecclesiastical historians record no such INF 273 event, but preserve the most unbroken silence. The con- clusion then, so far as we can see, is, that from the time of the covenant of God with Abraham, for a period of about three thousand Jive hundred years, infants were never denied admission into God's Church, but were always received, un- der the former dispensation, by circumcision ; under the Chris- tian, by ha.jJtism. It may be added that, at the present day. Infant Baptism is held by at least nineteen twentieths of the whole Christian world. [See Jerram on Infant Baptism, to which work we are indebted for some of the above hints.] Inferior orders. In the ancient Church, the three or- ders of the Ministry, as established by Christ and his Apos- tles, universally prevailed. But besides the Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, there were, in most of the Churches, other ecclesiastical persons of inferior rank, who were allowed to take part in the ministrations of religion. These constituted what are called the Inferior Orders, and in some of the ancient Canons, they have the name of " Clergy." There is this great difference between the three Holy Orders, and the other, that the. former are every where men- tioned as those degrees of men whose ministrations were known and distinguished, and without which no Church was looked upon as complete : But to show that the Inferior Or- ders were never thought to be necessary in the same degree, let it be considered, 1. That different Churches, or the same Church in differ- ent ages, had more or fewer of the Inferior Orders. In some were only Readers ; in others, Suh-deacons, Exorcists, and Acolyths. The Apostolic Canons mention only Sub-dea- cons, Readers, and Singers. The Laodicean enumerates these, and also Exorcists and Ostiaries. But while there was no standing rule respecting these merely ecclesiastical orders, the three essential grades of the Ministry were found in all parts of the Church. 2. In reckoning up these Inferior Orders, there is no steady 274 INF series to be observed, whereas tlie three Holy Orders of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, are invariable. 3. It would seem that any one of the Inferior Orders might perform the ministrations of the rest, which is not the case with the three regular orders. 4. Inferior Orders might be conferred by Priests, while the functions of the Ministry were never given but by Bishops. 5. In the time of Ignatius, there were none of the Inferior Orders in being, whereas Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, occur in almost every page in his Epistles ; therefore these Inferior Orders could not be of Apostolical institution, as the others certainly were. 6. They were called Orders only in a loose and improper sense. Sometimes they were disciplined as laymen, and the greater part of their duties were such as a layman might perform. In a word, none of them have been in all Churches and ages ; not any of them were ever thought necessary ; nor is there any ecclesiastical minisJ;ration, but what may be per- formed without them ; and they were clearly of human insti- tution, and may be laid aside by human authority.* "Infidels." In one of the Collects for Good Friday, we pray, that the benefits of the atonement which we then com- memorate, may be extended not only to the faithful, but to all others, embraced under the four heads of "Jews, Turks, In- fidels, and Heretics." The term Infidel was probably de- signed to embrace all classes of the Heathen, it having for- merly been used as synonymous with " pagan." Custom has now assigned to it the general meaning of " unbeliever ; " and taken in this sense, there is a striking gradation in the terms of the prayer. Jews first, as being a people distin- Johnson on the Canonical Codes. INS 275 guished by revelation, and for whom many and groat pro- mises are in reserve. 2. Mohammedans, who, though far in. ferior to the Jew, in the amount of truth embraced in their system, yet still acknowledge the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 3. Infidels, whose creed being a mere negation, is ipso facto inferior to the former. And 4. Heretics, who not only deny the truth, like the latter, but also substitute pestilent and Anti-Christian errors in its place. 1 Tim. v. 8. Initiated. In the early ages of the Church, this term was applied to those who had been baptized, and admitted to a knowledge of the higher mysteries of the Gospel. The dis- cipline of the Church at that period, made it necessary that candidates for baptism should pass through a long probation, in the character of Catechumens. While in this preparatory state, they were not allowed to be present at the celebration of the Eucharist ; and in sermons and Homilies in their presence, the speaker either waived altogether any direct statement of the sublimer doctrines of Christianity, or alluded to them in an obscure manner, not intelligible to the unini- tiated, but sufficiently clear to be interpreted by those for whom they were intended, viz : — the baptized or initiated. Hence the phrase so common in the homilies of the Fathers, " the initiated understand what is said." Innocents' day. One of the holy-days of the Church. Its design is to commemorate one of the most thrilling events in the Gospel history. " The Innocents were they who suf- fered death under the cruel decree of Herod, who thought, by a general slaughter of young children, to have accom- plished the death of the infant Jesus. They are so called from the Latin term innocentes or innocui, harmless babes, altogether incapable of defending themselves from the malice of their inhuman persecutors. The celebration of the mar- tyrdom of these innocents was very ancient. It occurs on the 28th of December." Inspiration. That extraordinary and supernatural in- 276 INS fluence of the Spirit of God on the human mind, by which the prophets and sacred writers were qualified to receive and set forth divine communications, without any mixture of error. In this sense the term occurs in 2 Tim. iii. 16. " All scripture is given by inspiration of God," &c. The word inspiration also expresses that ordinary opera- tion of the Spirit, by which men are inwardly moved and ex- cited both to will and to do such things as are pleasing to God, and through which all the powers of their minds are elevated, purified, and invigorated. " There is a spirit in man ; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them under- standing." Job xxxii. 8. In this latter sense the term and its kindred verb frequently appear in the Offices of the Church ; as in the petitions, " grant, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that are good ; " * « cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy holy Spirit ; " f " beseeching thee to inspire con- tinually the Universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord ; " :j: and, " Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, And lighten with celestial fire.'' § " Visit our minds, into our hearts Thy heavenly grace inspire." § Installation. The act of conferring an office or dignity, or investing a person with the powers appertaining to such an office. In the Church of England, the word is chiefly used for the induction of a Dean, Prebendary, or other ec- clesiastical dignitary, into the possession of his stall or other proper seat, in the cathedral to which he belongs. * Collect for 5th Sunday after Easter, t 1st Collect in Communion OfSce. t Prayer for Christ's Church militant. § Ordering of Priests. INSTITtJTiON. ^77 Institution. The act of conferring upon a Minister the spiritual charge of a parish or church, by a public service adapted to the occasion. The 39th General Canon provides, that on the election of a Minister to such a charge, the Vestry shall give notice to that effect to thi- Bishop, or where there is no Bishop, to the Standing Committee of the Diocese, in a form set forth in section 1st of the Canon. Inquiry is then made as to the sufficiency of the person so chosen, and on a decision in his favor, his election is recorded by the Secretary of the Con- vention, and his Institution may take place according to the form appointed in the Prayer-book. In the American Church, the Offices of Institution and Induction are blended into one service ; but in the Church of England they are kept distinct. By Institution proper, the spiritual charge of a Church is conferred ; while by Induction, a right is give"h to the temporalities of a living. According to the usages of the Church of England, Induction is performed by the " Inductor laying the hand of the Clergy- man upon the key of the Church. door, pronouncing at the same time a short legal formula, and thus letting him into the Church, where he signifies his corporal possession by tolling a bell."* The following anecdote in the life of Herbert, may illus- trate this ceremony. " When at his Induction, he was shut into Bemerton Church, being left there alone to toll the bell, (as the law requires him,) he stayed so much longer than an ordinary time before he returned to those friends that stayed expecting him at the Church-door, that his friend, Mr. Wood- not, looked in at the Church-window, and saw him lie pros-. Irate on the ground before the altar : at which time and place, (as he after told Mr. Woodnot,) he set some rules to himself, * British Magazine, 1837, p. 643. 24 278 INT for the future manage of his life ; and then and there made a vow to labor to keep them."* Institution, Letter of. On the election of a Clergyman to the charge of a parish, and the approval of the same by the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese, the Bishop transmits to the Presbyter who shall perform the Office of Institution, a letter authorizing and licensing the pastor elect to exercise his sacred functions in the Church to which he is elected. This Letter of Institution is read in the presence of the congregation, near the beginning of the appointed Office of Institution. Institutor. a Presbyter appointed by the Bishop to Institute a Clergyman as Rector or Assistant Minister in a Parish. Where there is no Bishop, the appointment may be made by the Clerical members of the Standing Committee. Intercessions. That part of the Litany in which, having already prayed for ourselves, we now proceed to supplicate God's mercy for others. The Intercessions are accompanied by the response, " We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord." See Litany. Intercessor. One who pleads in behalf of another. The title is applied emphatically to Jesus Christ, " who ever liveth to make intercession for us." The practice of the Romanists in investing angels and departed saints with the character of intercessors, is n jected by the Protestant Epis- copal Church, as resting on no Scriptural authority, besides .being derogatory to the dignity of our Redeemer. Interdict. In the Church of Rome, an ecclesiastical censure, forbidding the performance of divine offices in a kingdom, province, town, &c. " This censure has been fre- quently executed in France, Italy, and Germany ; and in the year 1170, Pope Alexander III. put all England under an * Walton's Lives, p. 319. INV 279 interdict, forbidding the Clergy to perform any part of divine service, except baptizing of infants, taking Confessions, and giving Absolution to dying penitents. But this censure being liable to the ill consequences of promoting libertinism and a neglect of religion, the succeeding Popes have very seldom made use of it." Interludes. Before the Reformation, this word had reference to certain theatrical entertainments, connected with sacred subjects, which the gross corruption of the times permitted to be performed even within the walls of conse- crated places. At the present day, it is applied to those musical strains or performances which are played on the organ, &c., between the verses of metre psalms and hymns. Intermediate state. See Hell, Descent into. Introit. In the ancient Church, (and also in the Church of England so late as the reign of Edward VI.,) a Psalm was always sung or chanted immediately before the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, As this took place while the Priest was entering within the rails of the altar, it acquired the name of httroitus or Introit, This part of the Liturgy is now reject- ed, and the vacant place supplied by a metre psalm selected at the discretion of the Minister. Invention of the Cross. See Cross, Invention of the. Invitatory. " In the service of the Western Church before the Reformation, the invitatory was commonly some select passage or text of Scripture, generally adapted to the day, and used immediately before and during the repetition of the venite. The invitatory at certain closes and periods of the psalm, was of old, and still is in the Romish Church, repeated nine limes during the singing of the psalm." * Invocation of Saints. The act of appealing, in devotional exercises, to the spirits of saints departed, with a view of ♦ Shepherd. 280 INW securing their aid and intercession. This custom, so preva- lent in the Romish Church, is declared in our 22d Article to be "a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no war- ranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God." Invocations. The solemn appeal to the mercy of God, Avith which the Litany opens. In this, there is a separate invocation of each of the Persons of the Holy Trinity, and then an invocation of the whole Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Every part of this is to be devoutly repeated by the people, after the Minister, that each for himself may claim the ear of a merciful God, and be blessed with the answer of all those petitions, which, in the following parts of the Litany, the Minister is about to present at His throne. "Inwardly digest." This expression occurs in the Col- lect for the 2i Sunday in Advent, in which we pray that we may "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest^ those Holy Scriptures which God has caused "to be written^ for our learning." It is not enough that we merely rmd them, for this may be done even^ by the ungodl-y; but we should also mark or particularly notice wh^t we have read, in order that we may gain wisdom from the exercise, and thus Jearyi the tmths which Uol has revealed. Eut this is not all, for God's word is to the soul, what food is to the body. And, as natural food does not benefit the body until it is digested, so divine truth or spiritual food is useless without meditation and prayer. Therefore we pray that, by the help of God, we may not only ham the truths of the Bible, but may also " invmrdly digest'' them, by frequently reflecting and meditating upon them, that our souls may thus be nourished, and daily grow in grace. Beautifully does the Psalmist describe such a person, as one who — " makes the perfect law of God His busine-s and delight ; Devoutly reads therein by day^ And meditates by night=*'' 281 J. St. James's day. The day on which the Church cele- brates the memory of the Apostle James the Great, or the Elder. He was one of the sons of Zebedee, and brother of St. John. It does not appear that he ever exercised his ministry out of Judea. His martyrdom occurred at an early date, Herod having "stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Church, and killed James the brother of John with the sword." He was the first of the Apostles that suffered martyrdom. Jesus, bowing at the name of. See Bowing at the name, &c, St. John Baptist's day. The day on which the Church celebrates the birth of John Baptist. It will be observed, that whereas other festivals are celebrated on the supposed day of the saint's death,l\i\s is appointed for that of St John's nalivity, the only one, except that of our blessed Savior, for which the Church assembles with thanksgiving. The cir- cumstances and design of his birth were so full of signifi- cance and so wonderful, that this in a peculiar manner claims our praise to God. "Though this Saint laid down his life for the truth of his preaching; yet he was not a Christian martyr, as our Savior's Apostbs were, who suffered in testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His memory, however, is celebrated by the Christian Church, because he was the forerunner of our blessed Lord, and by preaching the doctrine of repentance, paved the way for publishing the Gospel." There was formerly another day set apart in commemo- ration of the martyrdom of John; but this is no longer observed. 24* 282 JUB St. John- the Evangelist's day. The day appointed for the commemoration of "the belov. d disciple." "St John the Evangelist (so called from the Greek term which signifies the messenger of glad tidings,) was a Galilean by birth, the son of Zebedee and Salome, the younger brother of James, but not of him who was surnamed the Just, and who was the brother of our Lord, His brother James and he were surnamrd by Jesus, the Sons of Thunder, for their peculiar zeal and fervency for his honor, which we see manifested in St. John's sedulous assertions of our Lord's divinity. He was the most beloved by our Savior of all the disciples." St. John exercised his ministry in Asia Minor ; and having excited enemies through preaching the doctrines of Christ, was carried prisoner from Ephesus to Rome, in the year 92. Subsequently to this he was banished to the Isle of Pat- mos, where he wrote his Revelation. He was afterwards recalled from his exile by Nero the Emperor, and then re- turned to Ephesus. His three Epistles were written with a reference to some prevailing heresies of the times; and the scope of his Gospel, which was his last work, shows that the Apostle had in view the same deniers of the divinity of the Savior. He survived till the reign of Trajan, and died at the age of nearly one hundred years. St. John the Evangelist's day is on the 27th of December. JosHUE. The book of Joshua. See the catalogue of books of Scripture in the 6th Article. Journal of Convention. A book or pamphlet in which are recordi^d the proceedings of an Ecclesiastical Convention, together with the Address of the Bishop, and an account of the state of the Church. See Convention. Jubilate Deo. (" O be joyful in God.") One of the Psalms appointed to be used alter the second Lesson in the Morning Service. It is the same with the 100th Psalm in the Psalter. JURE DIVINO. 283 "Jure divino." By divine right: — an expression fre- quently occurring- in controversial writings, especially in re- lation to the Ministry of the Church. It is evident, and generally confessed, that the right to min- ister in holy things is not in every man's power. If it were so, the very idea of the Ministry, as a distinct class of men, empowered to act "in Christ's stead," would be broken up,, and the Church would lose its character as a society, for that implies the existence of officers, and of subordination. It is also confessed, that in the Christian Chuich, men are not horn to the Ministry, as they were under the Jewish dispensation. Whence then comes that authority with which the ambassador of Christ is invested? Is it human ? Can any body of men confer the power to rule and minister in a society, the full con rol of which is in the hands of the Eternal God ? Most evidently not. Human 'power, ar a commission derived from human sources, is as void and inadequate in qualifying for the functions of the Ministry, as it would be in the attempt to create a world, or to found a new rank in the hierarchy of heaven. Wc are driven then, at once, to the divine institution as the foundation of all legitimate power in the Church. The Head of the Church established a Ministry, with the right and ability to execute all its appointed functions. It was not intellectual eminence, or high station, or influence, wealth, courage, or any other human attribute, which brought into being "the glorious company of the Apostles;" but it was the sovereign power alone of Him "in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." And was this power to be recalled on the demise of those who were every daj^ doomed to stripes, imprisonments, perils, and death in a thou- sand shapes? No ; for either the Church of the future must fail, — the sacraments be obliterated, — the "watching for souls" be abolished, — or the continuation of the sacrfd Min- istry must be demanded, with all its original spiritual func- tions. To the Apostles, therefore, was given, (jure divine) 284 JUR and to them alone, the ability to perpetuate or transmit the gift which the Redeemer had bestowed. From them the prerogatives of the episcopacy, (or apostolate,) were commu- nicated to younger men, including the transmissive or or- daining faculty. Under these, the Elders and Deacons were put in trust with a share of the original grant of ministerial power, — a power they were themselves incapable of delega- ting : and by an unbroken succession, in the line of Bishops, the divine commission has reached these latter days of the Church. If then, as we have shown, divine W^A^ is the only foundation on which the Ministry can stand, there is no alternative left to any one claiming office in the Church of God, but to vin- dicate the legality of his mission by miracle, or some other tangible divine verification, which no man can dispute ; or else, to bring forth such credentials as Timothy, Titus, and the Ministers ordained by them, had to show, viz — the sim- ple evidence of the fact, that the Apostles, or their successors, had imparted to them the authority they claim to possess. This every Bishop, Priest, and Deacon in the Episcopal Church, is prepared to do. See Episcopacy and uninter- rupted Succession. Jurisdiction. The power and authority vested in a Bishop, by virtue of the Apostolical commission, of govern- ing and administering the laws of the Church within the bounds of his Diocese. The same term is used to express the bounds within which a Bishop exercises his power, i. e., his Diocese. KIN 285 Keys, Pouter of the. The authority existinor in the Chris- tian Priesthood, of administering the discipline of the Church, and communicatingr or withholding its privileges, so called from the declaration of Christ to Peter, Matt. xvi. 19. "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven " The power here promised, was after- wards conferred on Peter and the other Apostles, whf>n the Savior breathed on them, and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose-soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose-soever sins ye retain, they are retained.'' John, XX. 22-23. In the Scriptures, keys are emblematical of power and government; "for he who has the power of opening and shutting a house, that is, of admitting into it, and excluding from it, has undoubtedly the government of that house. In this sense the word is used in Isaiah, xxii. 22; and Rev. iii. 7. There can therelore be no doubt, hut tK<»t by the keys of the kingdom of heaven which Christ promised to Peter, was meant the government of his Church. "Whatsoever thou shall bind on earth, shall be bound ir. heaven; and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven," must relate to the use of the keys, the government of the Church, and must mean, whatever act of authority thou shall duly execute in my Church, in consequence of that power which shall be committed to thee, shall be ratified in heaven; God will confirm it." * See Dr Hammond's tract "Of the Power of the Keys;" also the article Absolution. " Kindly." Natural, usual, according to kind, or in agree- Bishop Seaburj^'s Sermons. 1. pp. 71. 72. 286 KYR merit with constitution ; as "the kindly fruits of the earth ;" i. e., the fruits which the earth naturally produces. Wiclif remarks, " We see that all things kindly [naturally] after travail seek rest. God in six days made heaven and earth, and all things within them, and rested on the seventh day." Again: "Since kind [nature, natural affection] teaches the sinful to give goods to their children, how much more will God, author of goodness and charity, give spiritual goods, profitable to the soul, to his children whom he loves so much." "Kinds, both." See "Both kinds." "KxAppETH." An obsolete word occurring in Psalm xlvi. 9th verse, Prayer-book version, thus, " He breaketh the bow, 2inA knaf'pelh \,\\e. spear in sunder;" that is, "he snaps (or breaks) the spear in pieces. In the Bible translation it reads, "he cutteth the spear in sunder." Kneeling. The posture which the Church prescribes in prayers, acts oi confession, &c. This attitude is strikingly expressive of humility, and appropriate to the solemn offices in which it is used. It is vindicated by the example of our Redeemer, and the practice of many eminent saints in both the Old and New Teetament. Under this high authorify, connected with the jo