Chapter 6

_The Ring in Marriage._--"The use of the wedding-ring was probably adopted by the early Church from the marriage customs which were familiar to Christians in their previous life as Jews or heathen." A ring, or something equivalent, seems to have been given at marriage by the man to the woman from patriarchal days. The ancient custom of the Church was for the bridegroom to place the {115} ring upon the thumb of the bride, saying, "In the Name of the Father"; then upon the second finger, saying, "and of the Son"; then upon the third finger, saying, "and of the Holy Ghost"; and then upon the fourth finger, saying, "Amen." "It was an old belief that a particular vein proceeded from the fourth finger to the heart." The ring, being of gold, and having neither beginning nor end, is not only a "token and pledge" of the vow and covenant made in marriage, but is also a symbol of the purity and unbroken constancy with which they should be "surely performed and kept."

_Observance of the Church Year._--The Church Year was a very natural development for the early Christians, familiar with the great annual festivals of the ancient Jewish Church. By a series of anniversaries and holy-days, with suitable services, the different seasons of the year were in like manner made to serve a Christian purpose. Time as it passes thus becomes a perpetual memorial of the events of our Saviour's life, and of the work and virtue of the Apostles and other saints.

The year is divided into eight great seasons: Advent, Christmas-tide, Epiphany-tide, Lent, Easter-tide, Ascension-tide, Whitsuntide, and the Trinity season. Of these Whitsuntide is the shortest, {116} lasting but one week. The Trinity season, including from twenty-three to twenty-eight weeks, is the longest. The four greater Festivals are Christmas, Easter, Ascension, and Whitsunday. The penitential seasons are Advent, preceding Christmas, and Lent, preceding Easter. The two great Fasts are Ash-Wednesday, at the beginning of Lent, and Good Friday, the day of our Lord's crucifixion. Other days of fasting and abstinence are the forty days of Lent, all the Fridays in the year, the Ember-days (the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday before the four stated Times of Ordination to the holy ministry), and the Rogation-days (the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Day).

From Advent, with which the Church Year begins, to Trinity, our Lord is set before us in His life and His work. "We live over again, year by year, the time of the Incarnation from Bethlehem to Bethany." The design is to "bring out, and to bring home to the minds and hearts of all who shall reverently use these holy festivals and fasts, the great representative facts of Christ's life--to exhibit and to glorify Him. And that not in a vague, mystic, or one-sided way, but by setting Him before us in all the majesty and beauty and completeness of His character, from the manger to the Cross, and from {117} the Cross up to the mediatorial throne. Thus a complete Christ, if one may so speak, is set before us. All the great facts of His life are marshaled into line and proportion; every feature and lineament of His character is revealed and illuminated; every office He sustained in the work of redemption is affirmed and emphasized."

In the long season from Trinity to Advent we are taught to use practically the Faith in which we have thus been instructed, and "to follow the blessed steps of His most holy life."

In conjunction with this teaching there is also the thankful commemoration of "the wonderful grace and virtue declared in the saints who have been the choice vessels of God's grace and the lights of the world in their several generations." By a series of Saints'-days distributed throughout the year, and falling one or two in each month, we are kept in mind of how we are "knit together" with the blessed saints "in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of Christ our Lord," and are called to follow "the example of their steadfastness in the faith and obedience to God's holy commandments." There are days dedicated to the memory of the Blessed Virgin; the Apostles; the Baptist as the precursor, and St. Stephen as the {118} protomartyr; to St. Mark and St. Luke as Evangelists; to St. Paul and St. Barnabas on account of their extraordinary call; to the Holy Innocents as the earliest who suffered for Christ's sake; to St. Michael and All Angels, to remind us of the benefits received by the ministry of angels; and to All Saints, as the memorial of all those who have died in the faith.

The advantages of thus making days and seasons the ever-recurring memorials of our Saviour, and of the virtue and example of the saints, are evident. Each year brings to mind the facts of our Lord's life and the great doctrines which He taught. Not a single essential truth of the Gospel is allowed to fall into practical neglect or to drift into forgetfulness. We are reminded to continue steadfast in this Faith and to live by it, and are instructed and encouraged in so doing by the example of the saints whose rest is won.

"And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long, Steals on the ear the distant triumph-song, And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong. Alleluia."

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_List of Books for Reference_

"Stones of the Temple." Field.

"Our Parish Church." Baring-Gould.

"The Spiritual House." Huntington.

"Manual of Information." Shinn.

"Hints on Church Furnishing," etc. "The Living Church Quarterly," 1892.

"Symbolism in Christian Art." Hulme.

"Christian Iconography." Didron.

"History of Christian Art." Lindsay.

"Art Teaching of the Primitive Church." Tyrwhit.

"Christian Art and Symbolism." Tyrwhit.

"History of Medieval Art." Reber.

"Signs and Symbols." "The Churchman," 1895.

"Our Mother Church." Mercier.

"Calendar of the Prayer-Book." Parker & Co., London.

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"Red-Letter Saints." S. P. C. K.

"Sacred and Legendary Art." Jameson.

"Dictionary of Art." Adelene.

"Pagan and Christian Rome." Lanciani.

"History of the Church Catholic." Hore.

"Handbook of Christian Symbols." Clement.

"Dictionary of Heraldry." Coats.

"English Heraldry." Boutell.

"Handbook of Heraldry." Cussan.

"Church Decoration." French.

"Church Decoration." Frederick Warne & Co., London.

"Folk-Lore of Plants." Dyer.

"Sacred Trees and Flowers." "London Quarterly Review," 1863, vol. cxiv.

"Annotated Book of Common Prayer." Blunt.

"The Prayer-Book." Daniel.

"Parish Lectures on the Prayer-Book." Snively.

"Notes on the Use of the Prayer-Book." Hall.

"The Congregation in Church." Mowbray & Co., London.

"Church Needlework." Lambert.

"Embroidery for Church Guilds." Woodward.

"Church Vestments." Dolby.

"Vestiarum Christianum." Harriott.

"Ecclesiastical Vestments." Macalister.

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Index

PAGE

Agnus Dei . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Alb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Almond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Alms-basin . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Alpha and Omega . . . . . . . . . 69 Altar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Altar-cloth . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Altar-cross . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Altar-desk . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Altar-vessels . . . . . . . . . . 39 Amice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Anchor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Angelic figures . . . . . . . . . 87 Apostles, symbols of . . . . . . . 85

Baptism . . . . . . . 13, 76, 99, 100 Baptismal shell . . . . . . . . . 42 Baptistery . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Bells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Biretta . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Bishop's Chair . . . . . . . . . . 48 " Throne . . . . . . . . . 49 Bowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Burial of the Dead . . . . . . 14, 102 Burse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Candlestick, seven-branched . . . 74 Candlesticks . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Cassock . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Chair, Bishop's . . . . . . . . . 48 Chalice . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 " veil . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Chancel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Chasuble . . . . . . . . . . . 62, 109 Chi Rho . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Chi Rho and N . . . . . . . . . . 72 Chi Rho Sigma . . . . . . . . . 73 Choir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Church, the building . . . . . . . 11 " dedication of . . . . . . 12 " consecrated . . . . 11, 13, 15 " open . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Church Year . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Circles, interlacing . . . . . . . 65 Circles and triangle . . . . . . . 66 Colors, symbolism and use . . . . 88 Confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Constantine . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Corporal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Credence . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Cross, the . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 " legend of tree of . . . . . 52 " legend of finding . . . . . 55 " Latin . . . . . . . . . . . 55 " Calvary . . . . . . . . . . 56 " Greek . . . . . . . . . . . 56 " tau . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 " St. Anthony's . . . . . . . 57 " potent . . . . . . . . . . 57 " Jerusalem . . . . . . . . . 57 " heraldic . . . . . . . . . 58 " moline . . . . . . . . . . 58 " recercele . . . . . . . . . 58 " bottone . . . . . . . . . . 59 " trefle . . . . . . . . . . 59 " patonce . . . . . . . . . . 59 " flory . . . . . . . . . . . 59 " pommee . . . . . . . . . . 59 " crosslet . . . . . . . . 59, 60 " fitche . . . . . . . . . 59, 60 " patte . . . . . . . . . . . 60 " Maltese . . . . . . . . . . 60 " floriated . . . . . . . . . 60 " Irish . . . . . . . . . . . 61 " St. Andrew's . . . . . . . 62 " Canterbury . . . . . . 62, 109 " the Altar . . . . . . . . . 38 " the sign of the . . . . . . 112 Crown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 " of thorns . . . . . . . . . 76 Cruciform shape . . . . . . . . . 18 Cruets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Customs, devout . . . . . . . . . 103

Dalmatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Dossal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Dove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Eagle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84, 85 " lectern . . . . . . . . . . 45 Episcopal habit . . . . . . . . . 111 Evangelists, symbols of . . . . . 83 Evening Prayer, the . . . . . . 27, 96 Ewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Fair linen . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Father Almighty, symbols of . . . 66 Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Fishes, interlaced . . . . . . . . 76 Flagon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Floriated cross . . . . . . . . . 60 Flowers, symbolism of . . . . . . 78 Font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Frontal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Fylfot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Good Shepherd . . . . . . . . . . 68 Grapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Greek cross . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Hand, of God . . . . . . . . . . 66, 67 Heraldic crosses . . . . . . . . . 58 Holy Communion, the . 28, 32, 97, 101 Holy Ghost, symbols of . . . . . . 74 Hoods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 How to use Prayer-Book . . . . . . 92

IHS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Incense . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 I. N. R. I. . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Iota Chi . . . . . . . . . . . . 73, 74 Iota Eta Sigma . . . . . . . . . . 73 Iota Sigma Chi Sigma . . . . . . . 74 Irish cross . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Jerusalem cross . . . . . . . . . 57

Kneeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Lamb of God . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Lamps, seven burning . . . . . . . 74 Latin cross . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Laurel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Lectern . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Lights, symbolism of . . . . . . . 90 Lily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Lion, winged . . . . . . . . 83, 84, 85 Litany . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 96 Litany-desk . . . . . . . . . . 22, 48

Maltese cross . . . . . . . . . . 60 Man, winged . . . . . . . . 83, 84, 85 Maniple . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Matrimony . . . . . . . . 14, 101, 114 Mitre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Monogram of "Christ" . . . . 71, 72, 73 Monogram of "our Christ" . . . . . 72 Monogram of "Jesus" . . . . . . 71, 73 Monogram of "Jesus Christ" . . . 73, 74 Morning Prayer, the . . . . 27, 93, 95

Nails of crucifixion . . . . . . . 76 Name and triangle . . . . . . . 66, 67 Nave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Oak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Olive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Ox, winged . . . . . . . . . . . 84, 85

Pall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Palm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Passion-flower . . . . . . . . . . 83 Paten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Pelican . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Pentalpha . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Phoenix . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Plants, symbolism of . . . . . . . 78 Pomegranate . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Pulpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Purificator . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Reredos . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Retable . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Ring in marriage . . . . . . . . . 114 Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

St. Anthony . . . . . . . . . . . 57 St. Boniface . . . . . . . . . . . 80 St. Stephen . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Shell, baptismal . . . . . . . . . 42 " escallop . . . . . . . . 76, 85 Sign of Cross . . . . . . . . . . 112 Spire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Staff, Bishop's . . . . . . . . . 112 Stalls, choir and clergy . . . . . 47 Standing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Stole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Superfrontal . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Surplice . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Symbols of Apostles . . . . . . . 85 Symbols of Evangelists . . . . . . 83 Symbols of the Father Almighty . . 66 Symbols of the Holy Ghost . . . . 74 Symbols of the Holy Trinity . . . 63 Symbols of our Lord . . . . . . . 66 Symbols, use of . . . . . . . . . 51

Tau-cross . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Tetramorph . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Threefold arrangement . . . . . . 63 Throne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Transepts . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Trefoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 " under triangle . . . . . 63, 64 Triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 " and circles . . . . . . 65, 66 Triangles, intersected . . . . . 63, 64 Trinity, symbols of . . . . . . . 63 Triquetra . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Tunicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Turning to east . . . . . . . . . 106

Usages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Vases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Vesica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Vestments . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 " meaning of . . . . . . . 111 Vine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Wheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Wreath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77