The Church Handy Dictionary Part 1

The Church Handy Dictionary.

by Anonymous.

CHURCH HANDY DICTIONARY.

_Additions and Corrections_.

ALTAR CLOTH, p. 3 add-- This is the modern Roman sequence of colours, but there is another more truly belonging to the English Church, viz., the Sarum, in which only _Red_ and _White_ are used.

HERESY, p. 53, line, for "not taught" read "_formally condemned_."

MIRACLES, p. 69, at the end, dele. and add-- , which latter deals with certain specious arguments adduced by these writers against the _a priori_ possibility of a miracle taking place.

PRESENCE, REAL, p. 81, add,-- Bishop Harold Brown says, in his history of Art. 28, "The doctrine of a real, spiritual presence is the doctrine of the English Church," and quotes the following pa.s.sage from Jer.

Taylor: "The result of which doctrine is this: it is bread, and it is Christ's Body. It is bread in substance, Christ in the Sacrament; and Christ is as really given to all that are truly disposed, as the symbols are: each as they can; Christ as Christ can be given; the bread and the wine as they can; and to the same real purpose to which they were designed."

The Article referred to above states, "The Body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the Supper, only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is Faith."

Preface

From the nature of the case a little work such as this cannot lay claim to much originality, but must be, in the main, a compilation from various sources. Thus the articles on controverted subjects set forth the views of the best authorities to which the compiler has had access, but not necessarily his own, though his stand-point all along is, he trusts, distinctly that of the Church of England.

The idea of this book was suggested by Dean Hook's invaluable Church Dictionary, but, as will be seen on comparison, it is by no means a mere abridgement of that work, many other authors having been laid under contribution, and fresh articles having been added. Dean Hook's Dictionary is admirable for its comprehensiveness and general accuracy, but unfortunately the price puts it out of the reach of most of those for whose use the present "Handy Dictionary" is intended.

The compiler wishes to furnish not only the younger clergy, but also the laity of the Church of England, with a cheap and handy book of reference on all Church matters. He believes that Sunday School Teachers and Church Workers, Teachers in National Schools, the upper scholars in Church Schools of higher grade, both public and private; and, indeed, all engaged in the elementary study of the Prayer Book, or of Church History, will find this short "Handy Dictionary" full of useful information.

The compiler desires in this place to acknowledge gratefully his obligations to all the authors and books consulted, especially to those contained in the following list:--

Hook's Church Dictionary.

Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity.

Bishop Harold Browne on the Thirty-nine Articles.

Bishop Wordsworth's Greek Testament.

Bishop Wordsworth's Theophilus Anglica.n.u.s.

Hart's Ecclesiastical Record'.

Riddle's Christian Antiquities.

Smith's Bible Dictionary.

Sir R. Phillimore's Ecclesiastical Law.

The S.P.C.K. Teacher's Prayer Book.

Bishop Barry's Teacher's Prayer Book.

Procter on the Book of Common Prayer.

Palmer's Origines Liturgicae.

Wheatly on the Book of Common Prayer,

Pearson on the Creed.

Sanderson's Handbook of Theology.

Hardwick's and other Church Histories.

Blunt's Household Theology.

Encyclopedia Britannica.

Chamber's Encyclopedia

The Globe Encyclopedia.

The Official Year Book of the Church of England.

Whitaker's Almanack,

etc., etc.

ABLUTIONS. Small quant.i.ties of wine and water poured into the chalice, after a celebration, and consumed by the Priest. Some take two ablutions, the first of wine, the second of wine and water mixed. The object of this is to insure the entire consumption of the consecrated element.

ABSOLUTION. In the Anglican Church the authoritative declaration, by a Bishop or Priest, of G.o.d's pardon to the truly penitent. "All the office and power of man in it is only to minister the external form, but the internal power and grace of remission of sins is properly G.o.d's." (_Bingham_.)

There are three forms of absolution in our Prayer Book, viz., in the Order for Morning and Evening Prayer; in the Communion Service, and in the Office for the Visitation of the Sick. It is to be noticed in each case that Confession precedes Absolution. The Scriptural authority for Absolution is found in Matt. xvi.19; xviii.18; John xx.23; 1 Cor. v.3-5; 2 Cor. ii.10.

St. Jerome compares the office of the Christian Priest in Absolution, with that of the Jewish Priest in cases of cleansing from leprosy.

ABSTINENCE, _see_ Fasting.

ACOLYTE. One of the minor Orders of the Church of Rome. An Acolyte's duties are to wait upon the Priests and Deacons, carrying the bread and wine, &c. In some of our churches a layman, called a "Server,"

performs these duties.

ADULT BAPTISM, _see_ Baptism.