Part 4 (1/2)

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 carew 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, ere celebrated for their fertility in nicknames, called the members of this society, _Christians_ Without doubt the naiven 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 re; a name that was to stand for all that is lovely, noble and beautiful in huin 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 ht into union with Christ andto baptize, really means _to Christian_, that is, tous 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 theand counting her year with Hian now to rise upon the world”

The Christian Year is one of our richest possessions and has been handed down to us froulates her Public Worshi+p,of the Bible and for us, her people, it is theup to the House of God By reat 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 principal divisions are as follows:

I ADVENT, the Co 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 God the Son ca 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 reat divisions or seasons, there are the Holy Days dotting the Calendar--SAINTS' DAYS coiven unto God'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 Deceladness and exultation the Nativity of her Lord, who became Incarnate (_ie_, took our nature upon Hiels 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 arguainst 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 soreat event We are not surprised, therefore, to find that from the very earliest period Christmas was observed St

Chrysostoreat antiquity In one of his Epistles he mentions that Julius I, about AD 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 rowing 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 custoreen as symbolical of the eternal nature of our Lord; to deck the Altar hite syhted candles to typify our Lord as the Light of the world

Church--The word used in Holy Scripture for Church is _ecclesia_, fro 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 membershi+p consists of those who are called of God, and adopted as His children and heirs of everlasting life The nain of the church was due, not to any huanization, but to Divine operations and a Divine ingathering of the elect The uished in Holy Scripture is h ultimate salvation requires further conditions” The use of the ter out of Israel froypt 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 God, as such it is called the Kingdons and in which they who are called serve Him

(See UNITY, CHURCH; KINGDOM OF God; CHURCH CATHOLIC; also ANGLICAN CHURCH) {56}

Church Building Fund--A very ianization exists in the A 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 twentyBishop Its object is to create by an annual offering froation, as recoifts, a Fund of One Million Dollars, portions of the principal 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 al anize a corporation and this was done under the laws of the State of New York, the title of the organization being that given above This coencies in Church extension;enabled to erect a House of Worshi+p, which otherould have had to give up in despair and abandon all hopes of having the Church's worshi+p and administration of the Sacradom of Christ, partly visible here on earth, partly invisible behind the veil The Church Catholic ereat divisions:

I THE CHURCH MILITANT, here on earth, struggling, fighting (which ainst 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)