The American Church Dictionary And Cyclopedia

Reproduction of the original: The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia by James Miller William

Excerpt from The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia The writer of the following pages has long been convinced, from an experience of many years in the Ministry, that a great desideratum among Church people is a Church Dictionary, especially one not so expensive as the more costly works, and at the same time something more complete and satisfactory than a mere glossary of terms. What seems to be needed is an inexpensive, handy volume, "short enough for busy people, plain enough for common people, cheap enough for poor people," yet complete enough to give the information needed. The present work was undertaken with this object in view. It was thought "worth while"; for if words are things, then greater familiarity with the phraseology of the Church will lead to greater knowledge "of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." What is here set forth is really a Handy Book of Ready Reference arranged in alphabetical order; and while some of the articles may seem to be too brief, yet the system of cross references adopted, it is believed, will throw considerable light on subjects where it is employed and thus enables the book to be kept within the limits already specified. The title, The American Church Dictionary, indicates the purpose as well as those for whom it is written. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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Complete A to Z of everything Church from Ablutions to Zuchetto The writer of the following pages has long been convinced, from an experience of many years in the Ministry, that a great desideratum among Church people is a Church Dictionary, especially one not so expensive as the more costly works, and at the same time something more complete and satisfactory than a mere glossary of terms. What seems to be needed is an inexpensive, handy volume, "short enough for busy people, plain enough for common people, cheap enough for poor people," yet complete enough to give the information needed. The present work was undertaken with this object in view. It was thought "worth while"; for if words are things, then greater familiarity with the phraseology of the Church will lead to greater knowledge "of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." What is here set forth is really a HANDY BOOK OF READY REFERENCE arranged in alphabetical order; and while some of the articles may seem to be too brief, yet the system of cross references adopted, it is believed, will throw considerable light on subjects where it is employed and thus enables the book to be kept within the limits already specified. The title, THE AMERICAN CHURCH DICTIONARY, indicates the purpose as well as those for whom it is written. In preparing it, the writer worked under the {3} conviction that not only is it necessary to set forth the historic facts, doctrines, terminology, customs and usages of the Church, but also to indicate the spirit of the Church as well, -the spirit that pervades all her life, her teachings and her customs, and which when once possessed makes us deeply conscious of her continuous life from the beginning, as having a history and glorious traditions. Many sources of information have been drawn from, the thoughts of many writers have been laid under contribution, but not always was it possible to make acknowledgment, as what is here presented is the result of the writer's general reading and study. As such the work is sent forth with the hope that all who refer to its pages may find it adequate to the purpose described and realize the full meaning of St. Cyprian's word's, "He cannot have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his Mother."

This work also includes an abridged account of the Religious Orders and One Hundred and Fifty Important Facts of Church History Explained. The object in compiling a Catholic Pocket Dictionary and Cyclopedia was to provide a work of ready reference and to give the necessary information in a condensed form. The large number of subjects included, naturally, required the economy of space. No attempt, therefore, has been made to dwell on questions that are obsolete or of little interest to the general reader. The demand for a Catholic Pocket Dictionary and Cyclopedia containing a brief explanation of the doctrines, discipline, rites, ceremonies and councils of the Church, as well as an abridged account of the Religious Orders and an explanation of important facts in Church History, has been so great that I hope all those seeking knowledge on the subjects treated herein will find it a useful book. Question: Is it true that Galfieo was persecuted and imprisoned by the Inquisition? Answer: It is alleged that Galileo was persecuted for having taught that the earth moves around the sun, and this is brought forth as a proof of the Church's ignorance, intolerance and fallibility, and of her opposition to the progress of science. Facts have been here misrepresented. It is true that by order of Pope Paul V, Galileo's doctrines were examined in Rome in 1610, and were condemned, first by censure of the Holy Office and then by a decree of the Congregation of the Index. Having promised in Rome that he would no longer defend or teach his opinions, Galileo returned peacefully to Florence. In 1692 he again published his theory, drawing upon himself a fresh condemnation of the Holy Office with the penalty of imprisonment. This penalty was afterwards commuted to that of seclusion in the gardens of Trinita-del Monte. Here Galileo was at liberty to receive visits, and he received permission to return to his country house, where he died. It may be stated that the horrors of chains, dungeons and tortures which he had to undergo at the hands of the Inquisition are but fables and calumny.