The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia Part 4

Choir, The Vested.--(See SURPLICED CHOIR).

Choral Service.--(See EVEN SONG, also INTONE and PLAIN SONG.)

Christian.--In the 11th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, the 26th verse, we read, "And the disciples were called _Christians_ first in Antioch." As the result of the persecutions which arose about St. Stephen, some of the disciples who had to flee for their lives came to Antioch. In time there grew up a church there, a mixed society of Jews and Gentiles, and the citizens of Antioch naturally asked, "What are they?" "What name do they bear?" "What is their object?" While they were acquainted with the Jews and their peculiarities, they saw that this was not a Jewish organization, for it embraced Gentiles as well. When {52} they learned that the one bond which held this society together was their belief in a Messiah, a Christ, the people of Antioch, who were celebrated for their fertility in nicknames, called the members of this society, _Christians_. Without doubt the name was given in ridicule. It did not spread widely at first; it is only twice used in the Bible and each time as a word of reproach. But as often happens with names thus conferred, this was a name to remain forever; a name that was to be powerful and far-reaching; a name that was to stand for all that is lovely, n.o.ble and beautiful in human life. Such is the origin of the name we bear. We are Christians because we know no other name but that of Christ and no other bond but that of union with Christ. We are made Christians in our Baptism, for we are then brought into union with Christ and made members of His Body. The old word _Christen_, meaning to baptize, really means _to Christian_, that is, to make Christian by incorporating us into Christ.

Christian Name.--(See NAME, CHRISTIAN.)

Christian Unity.--(See UNITY, CHURCH).

Christian Year, The.--The Church's Year of Festivals and Fasts is called the _Christian Year_ because as Bishop Cosin says, "the Church does not number her days, or measure her seasons, so much by the motion of the sun, as by the course of our Saviour; beginning and counting her year with Him who, being the true Sun of Righteousness, began now to rise upon the world."

The Christian Year is one of our richest possessions and has been handed down to us from the most ancient {53} times. By it the Church regulates her Public Wors.h.i.+p, makes generous provision for the reading of the Bible and for us, her people, it is the measure of our coming up to the House of G.o.d. By means of it we connect the pa.s.sage of time with the great facts of Redemption and thus are enabled to so number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. An examination of its structure reveals the fact that it insures the Scriptural setting forth of the Gospel, not in part, but in all its fulness. Its princ.i.p.al divisions are as follows:

I. ADVENT, the Coming of Christ; the Season includes four Sundays.

II. CHRISTMAS, Incarnation and Birth of Christ.

III. EPIPHANY, the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles: Season variable and may include six Sundays.

IV. SEPTUAGESIMA or the PRE-LENTEN SEASON; three Sundays: why G.o.d the Son came to earth; consciousness of sin.

V. LENT, including HOLY WEEK, GOOD FRIDAY, and EASTER EVEN; Penitence and Amendment of life; Redemption by the Blood of Christ.

VI. EASTER, the Risen Life; teaching of the Great Forty Days.

VII. ASCENSION, the Hope of Glory.

VIII. WHITSUN TIDE, the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

IX. The TRINITY SEASON, the completed Revelation; the moralities of the Gospel.

In addition to these great divisions or seasons, there are the Holy Days dotting the Calendar--SAINTS' DAYS commemorating the grace given unto G.o.d's {54} faithful servants, and other Holy Days each having its special Scriptural teaching. (See FASTS, TABLE OF, also FEASTS.)

The value of the Christian Year cannot be too highly estimated, for after all has been said, the fact remains, that no better instructor in the truths of the Bible can be found than what is commonly called THE CHRISTIAN YEAR.

Christmas Day.--Christmas is preeminently a Church Festival, and observed on December 25th. On this day the Church celebrates with joy, gladness and exultation the Nativity of her Lord, who became Incarnate (_i.e._, took our nature upon Him) and was born of a pure Virgin. As the angels at His Birth, so mankind ever since has hailed the Day of His Nativity with exceeding great joy. The Puritans strove with all their ardor to destroy it, but happily did not succeed. The argument used against it, that the Birthday of the Child Jesus is not known, and, therefore, cannot be preserved, does not prevail against the universal longing to celebrate in some way this great event. We are not surprised, therefore, to find that from the very earliest period Christmas was observed. St.

Chrysostom, in the fourth century, speaks of it as being even then of great antiquity. In one of his Epistles he mentions that Julius I, about A.D. 350, had caused strict inquiry to be made and had confirmed the observance of Christmas on December 25th.

Christmas has always been observed with several celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, three at least taking place; one at midnight, another at early dawn and the third at midday. The growing devotion of the {55} American Church has demanded this celebration of Christmas and, therefore, at the last revision of the Prayer Book a second Collect, Epistle and Gospel for this day was inserted. It is customary to decorate our churches on Christmas with evergreen as symbolical of the eternal nature of our Lord; to deck the Altar with white symbol of joy and purity, and in some places with lighted candles to typify our Lord as the Light of the world.

Church.--The word used in Holy Scripture for Church is _ecclesia_, from the Greek word _ek-kaleo_, meaning to call out. An ecclesia, therefore, is a body _called out_. The Rev. Francis J. Hall has given the following explanation, "The Church is called the _ecclesia_ because her members.h.i.+p consists of those who are called of G.o.d, and adopted as His children and heirs of everlasting life. The name teaches that the origin of the church was due, not to any human act of organization, but to Divine operations and a Divine ingathering of the elect. The mark by which the elect are distinguished in Holy Scripture is members.h.i.+p of the Church by Baptism, although ultimate salvation requires further conditions." The use of the term _ecclesia_ came originally from the calling out of Israel from Egypt; "out of Egypt have I called my Son;" this is the first use of the word. The true conception of the Church is a body called out from the world, and set apart to the service of G.o.d, as such it is called the Kingdom of G.o.d, over which G.o.d reigns and in which they who are called serve Him.

(See UNITY, CHURCH; KINGDOM OF G.o.d; CHURCH CATHOLIC; also ANGLICAN CHURCH). {56}

Church Building Fund.--A very important and helpful organization exists in the American Church known as "The American Church Building Fund Commission." It was established October 25th, 1880, by the General Convention and consists of all the Bishops, and one clergyman and one layman from each Diocese and Missionary Jurisdiction appointed by the Bishop thereof, and of twenty members-at-large appointed by the Presiding Bishop. Its object is to create by an annual offering from every congregation, as recommended by the General Convention, and by individual gifts, a Fund of One Million Dollars, portions of the princ.i.p.al to be loaned, and of the interest given, to aid the building of churches wherever needed. In order to hold property and carry on the work of loaning money on mortgage in a safe and legal manner, it was necessary to organize a corporation and this was done under the laws of the State of New York, the t.i.tle of the organization being that given above. This commission is one of the most efficient agencies in Church extension; many a mission through its aid being enabled to erect a House of Wors.h.i.+p, which otherwise would have had to give up in despair and abandon all hopes of having the Church's wors.h.i.+p and administration of the Sacraments.

Church Catholic, The.--The kingdom of Christ, partly visible here on earth, partly invisible behind the veil. The Church Catholic embraces three great divisions:

I. THE CHURCH MILITANT, here on earth, struggling, fighting (which militant means) against sin to overcome it. {57}

II. THE CHURCH EXPECTANT where the soul abides after death in a state of expectancy of the final Resurrection; called, also, the INTERMEDIATE STATE (which see).

III. THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT in Heaven where the soul reunited to the body has its perfect consummation and bliss in G.o.d's eternal and everlasting glory.

Church Chronology.--Under this head may be given certain dates and events which may be regarded as "Turning Points" in the history of the Christian Church:

EVENT. DATE.

Day of Pentecost, Birthday of the Church A.D. 33

Death of St. John at Ephesus 97

The Ten great Persecutions of Christians 64-313

I. General Council, at Nicea 325

II. General Council, at Constantinople 381

III. General Council, at Ephesus 431

IV. General Council, at Chalcedon 451

Leo the Great revised the Roman Liturgy 492

V. General Council, at Constantinople 553

Gregory the Great revised the Roman Liturgy 590

St. Augustine came to England 595

VI. General Council, at Constantinople 681

Venerable Bede died at Yarrow, England 735

Alfred the Great founded Oxford University 887

Final Separation of Church in East and West 1054

Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury, revised English Liturgy 1081

Crusades began 1095

Bible divided into chapters 1252

Wickliffe and his work 1377-1384

First book printed, a Latin Bible, at Mentz 1450

Martin Luther and his work 1517-1546