The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia Part 8

Eastern Church.--The collective term by which is designated the Churches which formerly made part of the Eastern Empire of Rome.

The Greek, Russian, Coptic, Armenian, Syrian and other eastern churches are those usually included in this Communion. But in strictness, the term "Eastern" or "Oriental Church" is applied only to the Graeco-Russian Church in communion with the Patriarch of {94} Constantinople. The great Schism whereby the communion between the East and the West was broken took place, A.D. 1054.

Eastward Position.--(See EAST, TURNING TO.)

Ecclesiastical Year.--(See CHRISTIAN YEAR.)

Ec.u.menical.--From a Greek word meaning general or universal. The name is given to certain councils composed of Bishops and other ecclesiastics from the whole Church. A Council to be ec.u.menical must meet three requirements: (1) It must be called of the whole Catholic Church; (2) it must be left perfectly free, and (3) it must be one whose decrees and definitions were subsequently accepted by the whole Church. It is commonly believed that there have been only six great Councils of the Church that satisfy these conditions. For a list of them see COUNCIL.

Elder.--This is the English translation of the Greek word _Presbuteros_, meaning Presbyter or Priest, the t.i.tle of one admitted to the second Order of the Ministry. It has been pointed out that "in Scriptural usage and in Church History such a person as a _lay_ Elder is an impossible person; the words contradict each other. The first hint of such an office was given by Calvin." (See PRIEST.)

Elements.--The bread and the wine in the Holy Communion, and the water in Holy Baptism are so-called.

Ember Days.--The Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday and Sat.u.r.day after the First Sunday in Lent; Whitsun Day; the 14th of September and the 13th day of December, and are regarded as the Fasts {95} of the four seasons. The time of their observance was definitely fixed by the Council of Placentia, A.D. 1095. Their origin is ascribed to Apostolic tradition. The derivation of the name Ember is uncertain.

Some trace it to the Saxon word _ymbren_, meaning a "circuit,"

because they are periodically observed. Others derive it from the Anglo-Saxon word _aemyrian_, meaning "ashes," because these days are appointed to be kept as fasts, and ashes, as a sign of humiliation and mourning, were constantly a.s.sociated with fasting. The Ember Days are appointed to be observed at the four seasons named because the Sundays following are the set times for Ordination to the Sacred Ministry. For this reason one of the two prayers, ent.i.tled, "For those who are to be admitted into Holy Orders," is to be read daily throughout the week.

Emblems.--Symbols and emblems of various kinds take a foremost place in sacred Art. Some of these are here given:

THE CROSS is the special symbol of Christianity. It appears in a variety of shapes, the most familiar being the Latin Cross, the Pa.s.sion Cross, the Greek Cross, St. Andrew's Cross and the Maltese Cross.

THE TRIANGLE is the emblem of the Holy Trinity, as is also the TREFOIL (which see).

THE CIRCLE is the ancient emblem of Eternity, being without beginning or end; enclosing a triangle it means Three in One or the Blessed Trinity; enclosing a cross it symbolizes Eternal Life.

THE CROWN is used as the symbol of Victory and sovereignty.

THE LAMB--Agnus Dei--is the chief emblem of {96} our Blessed Lord.

Bearing a banner it signifies Victory and is an emblem of the Resurrection.

THE STAR is a Christmas emblem, commemorating the Star of Bethlehem.

It has generally five points, but sometimes _seven_, the number of perfection.

THE FISH was a very early symbol of our Lord. The letters which form the Greek word for fish, viz.: ICHTHUS are the initials in Greek of the words _Jesus, Christ, G.o.d, Son, and Saviour_.

THE ANCHOR is the emblem of the Christian's hope.

THE SHIP is a symbol of the Church as the Ark of Salvation, in which we are saved, as Noah was saved by the Ark.

THE LION is the symbol of our Lord who is called in Revelation 5:5, the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah."

THE DOVE is used as the emblem of the Holy Ghost.

The emblems of the four Evangelists are as follows: ST. MATTHEW, a winged Man; ST. MARK, a winged Lion; ST. LUKE, a winged Ox, and ST. JOHN, an Eagle.

Emmanuel.--A Hebrew word used as a name of our Lord, and means, "G.o.d with us." The Rev. Morgan Dix, D.D., in his book "The Gospel and Philosophy," speaking of the word _Emmanuel_, says, "'G.o.d with us' is the sum of the Christian Religion. That is a proper description of the Religion from the beginning to the end.

Emmanuel: the meaning of the word was not exhausted in those blessed years, three and thirty in all, during which Christ was seen in Judea and known as the Prophet of Nazareth. It is as accurate, as necessary to-day; it shall be true {97} till all be fulfilled, till the earth and the heavens shall pa.s.s away and the new earth shall appear. . . . This Presence of the Personal G.o.d, a presence not made by our faith, but disclosed to our faith that we may believe and adore, is secured to the faithful in their generations by ordinances, instruments and inst.i.tutions adapted to that end. . . . That system is known as the Holy Catholic Church."

Epact, The.--The Epact is the moon's age at the beginning of any given year. The term is derived from the Greek word, _Epacte_, meaning _carried on_. The Epact is used in the calculations for finding on what day Easter will fall. (See TABLES IN THE PRAYER BOOK.)

Epiphany, The.--A Feast of the Church observed on January 6th to commemorate the Manifestation of Christ by the leading of a star.

Occurring twelve days after Christmas, it is frequently called "Twelfth Day." The word _Epiphany_ is derived from the Greek and means _Manifestation_ or showing forth. It was originally used both for Christmas Day when Christ was manifested in the Flesh and for this day when He was manifested by a Star to the Gentiles. Later on, about the Fourth Century and in the Western Church the Epiphany seems to have acquired a more independent position and to be observed with special reference to the manifestation to the Magi of the East. It thus became the occasion of the giving of praise and thanksgiving to G.o.d for thus proclaiming the Gospel to the Gentile world as well as to the Jews, His chosen people. An examination of the services for the Feast of the Epiphany shows that the {98} commemoration is really threefold: (1) Our Lord's Manifestation by a star to the Magi; (2) The Manifestation of the glorious Trinity at His Baptism, and (3) The Manifestation of the glory and Divinity of Christ by His miraculous turning water into wine at the marriage in Cana of Galilee; all of which are said to have happened on the same day, though not in the same year. "The Epiphany is a Festival which has always been observed with great ceremony throughout the whole Church; its threefold meaning and its close a.s.sociation with the Nativity as the end of the Christmas Tide, making it a kind of acc.u.mulative Festival."

Epiphany, Sundays after.--The Epiphany is continued in the Sundays following, the number of which is variable being dependent on the time Easter is kept. There may be one "Sunday after Epiphany" or there may be six. The Scriptural teachings of these Sundays are all ill.u.s.trative of the fact that the Eternal Word was manifested in the Flesh.

Episcopacy.--The name given to that form of Church government in which Bishops are the Chief Pastors with Priests and Deacons under them. The word is derived from the Greek _Episcopos_, meaning overseer; _Bishop_ being the Anglicized form of the Greek word.

Much controversy has been held in regard to Church government, as if the form was a matter of uncertainty, or not clearly revealed.

The question can only be decided by first regarding Christianity as an inst.i.tution, as the Kingdom of G.o.d, and then inquiring whether this Inst.i.tution, founded by our Lord, has been characterized always by the same {99} thing. In regard to Church government we find that the Church as an inst.i.tution was always governed by Bishops, and that for 1500 years after Christ no Christian people recognized any other Ministry but that of Bishops, Priests and Deacons. Since the Reformation the controversy has come up and various theories, especially Presbyterian and Congregationalist, have been advanced.

But even now the question of Church government may be considered as a matter of fact rather than of theory. If we take the whole Christian world of to-day, we find that the number of Christians is in round numbers _five hundred millions_. Of this number only _one hundred million_ are non-Episcopal, so that we may conclude from the universal acceptance of Episcopacy before the Reformation and from the large preponderance of adherents to this form of Church government at this present time,--from these facts we may safely conclude that Episcopacy is in accordance with the mind of the Master. This, at least, is the conclusion of the best scholarship of the day, both Episcopal and non-Episcopal. For example, a non-Episcopal divine has set forth his conclusions in the following statement: "The Apostles embodied the Episcopal element into the const.i.tution of the Church, and from their days to the time of the Reformation, or for fifteen hundred years, there was no other form of Church government anywhere to be found. Wheresoever there were Christians there were also Bishops; and often where Christians differed in other points of doctrine or custom, and made schisms and divisions in the Church, yet did they all remain unanimous in this, in retaining Bishops." So {100} also, the historian Gibbon gives his conclusion as follows: "'No Church without a Bishop' has been a _fact_ well as a maxim since the time of Tertullian and Irenaeus; after we have pa.s.sed over the difficulties of the first century, we find the _Episcopal government established_, till it was interrupted by the republican genius of the Swiss and German reformers." (See MINISTRY, THE.)

Episcopate.--The office of a Bishop. The term is variously used. It means not only the office or dignity of a Bishop, but it may also mean the period of time during which any particular Bishop exercises his office in presiding over a Diocese. Again, _Episcopate_ is the collective name for the whole body of Bishops of the Christian Church, lists of which have been carefully preserved from the beginning. The Episcopate of the American Church includes all the Bishops from Bishop Seabury, our first Bishop, down to the Bishop who was last consecrated.

Epistle, The.--The portion of Holy Scripture read before the Gospel in the Communion Office, generally taken from one of the N. T.

Epistles, though sometimes from the Acts of the Apostles or from one of the books of the Prophets of the Old Testament. It is well to note that the Collect, Epistle and Gospel embody the special teaching of the day for which they are appointed.

Epistle Side.--The south or right side of the Altar from which the Epistle is read. When the Priest celebrates alone, he first reads the Epistle at the south side and then pa.s.ses to the north side where he reads the Gospel. {101}

Epistoler.--The minister who reads the Epistle for the day and acts as sub-deacon at the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

Eschatology.--That department of Theology devoted to inquiry concerning the "last things,"--the Advent of Christ, Death and the State of the Departed, the judgment to come and the final award.

Espousal.--That portion of the Marriage Service in which the contracting parties answer "I will" to the questions, "N. wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife" and "N. wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband." This seems to be the remains of the old form of _espousals_, which was different and distinct from the Office of Marriage, and which was often performed some weeks or months or perhaps years before. Something similar to what is now called "engagement," only that it had the blessing of Mother Church upon it. In the Greek Church at the present time there are still two different offices, viz.: the one of espousals and the other of marriage, which are now performed on the same day, although formerly on different days.

Eucharist.--Derived from a Greek word meaning "giving of thanks."

It is the name universally applied to the HOLY COMMUNION (which see).

Eucharistic Lights.--(See ALTAR LIGHTS.)

Eucharistic Vestments.--The special vestments worn in celebrating the Holy Eucharist to mark the dignity of the service and as symbolical of the Pa.s.sion of our Lord which is therein commemorated.

They are as follows: the Amice, Alb, Girdle, Stole, Maniple and Chasuble worn by the celebrant, and the Dalmatic {102} and Tunicle, worn by the Deacon and sub-Deacon; each of which is described under the heading, VESTMENTS (which see). From ancient sources we learn that it was the universal custom of the Church to wear distinctive vestments at the celebration of the Holy Communion to mark it as the only service ordained by Christ Himself, and also as the highest act of Christian Worship. This is evidenced by the fact that the seven historical churches which have possessed a continuous life since the Nicene era, viz.: the Latin, Greek, Syrian, Coptic, Armenian, Nestorian and the Georgian--all use the Eucharistic Vestments. When we consider that these historic churches have not been in communion with one another for over a thousand years, we cannot but conclude that any point on which they are agreed must go back to the middle of the Fifth Century and must be part of their united traditions from a still earlier date. From the fact that these historic churches, having no communion with one another, do agree in the use of distinctive vestments for the Holy Eucharist, we learn that their use is not, as is sometimes supposed, an imitation of Rome but is a Catholic and Primitive custom. The Eucharistic Vestments are now used in more than two thousand churches in England and America, thus showing how they recognize and are rea.s.serting their Catholic heritage.

Evangelical.--Belonging to, or consistent with, the Holy Gospels, derived from the Greek word for Gospel.

Evangelical Canticles.--The name given to the canticles sung in the Church service which are taken {103} from the Gospels, viz.: Benedictus, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis.

Evangelists.--The name given to the writers of the four Gospels.

Eve, or Even.--The day before a Festival, as Christmas Eve, Easter Even, and designed to be a preparation for the due observance of the Festival it precedes. By rubric it is provided that the Collect appointed for any Sunday or other Feast may be used at the Evening Service of the day before.

Even Song.--The name given in the Calendar of the English Prayer Book to the Order for Daily Evening Prayer and is frequently used in the American Church. It is a very old term and a very significant one, indicating that the Evening Oblation chorally rendered is evidently the mind of the Church and its ancient usage. Our beautiful Evening Prayer thus rendered is certainly much more in keeping with Scripture and much more elevating than the "Song Services," or "Vesper Services" of the various denominations. These latter are not regarded as "Romish" and are very popular. Yet in some places if a choral Even Song is attempted, at once the cry of "Romanism"

is raised, and yet from Holy Scripture we learn that music is a divinely ordained element in the public worship of G.o.d and the service thus rendered is an approach to the worship of Heaven. (See INTONE; PLAIN SONG also PSALTER.)

Examination for Holy Orders.--t.i.tle I, canon 6 of the Digest provides that "There shall be a.s.signed to every Candidate for Priest's Orders three separate examinations." These examinations are made by the {104} Bishop in the presence of two or more Priests.

The three examinations are on the following subjects:

I. The Books of Holy Scripture, in English, Greek and Hebrew.

II. The Evidences of Christianity, Christian Ethics and Dogmatic Theology.

III. Church History, Ecclesiastical Polity, the Book of Common Prayer, the Const.i.tution and Canons of the Church and those of the Diocese to which the candidate belongs.