Ecumenical.--From a Greek word meaning general or universal. The
name is given to certain councils composed of Bishops and other
ecclesiastics from the whole Church. A Council to be ecumenical must
meet three requirements: (1) It must be called of the whole Catholic
Church; (2) it must be left perfectly free, and (3) it must be one
whose decrees and definitions were subsequently accepted by the
whole Church. It is commonly believed that there have been only six
great Councils of the Church that satisfy these conditions. For a
list of them see COUNCIL.
Elder.--This is the English translation of the Greek word _Presbuteros_,
meaning Presbyter or Priest, the title of one admitted to the second
Order of the Ministry. It has been pointed out that "in Scriptural
usage and in Church History such a person as a _lay_ Elder is an
impossible person; the words contradict each other. The first hint
of such an office was given by Calvin." (See PRIEST.)
Elements.--The bread and the wine in the Holy Communion, and the
water in Holy Baptism are so-called.
Ember Days.--The Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
after the First Sunday in Lent; Whitsun Day; the 14th of September
and the 13th day of December, and are regarded as the Fasts {95} of
the four seasons. The time of their observance was definitely fixed
by the Council of Placentia, A.D. 1095. Their origin is ascribed to
Apostolic tradition. The derivation of the name Ember is uncertain.
Some trace it to the Saxon word _ymbren_, meaning a "circuit,"
because they are periodically observed. Others derive it from the
Anglo-Saxon word _aemyrian_, meaning "ashes," because these days are
appointed to be kept as fasts, and ashes, as a sign of humiliation
and mourning, were constantly associated with fasting. The Ember
Days are appointed to be observed at the four seasons named because
the Sundays following are the set times for Ordination to the Sacred
Ministry. For this reason one of the two prayers, entitled, "For
those who are to be admitted into Holy Orders," is to be read daily
throughout the week.
Emblems.--Symbols and emblems of various kinds take a foremost place
in sacred Art. Some of these are here given:
THE CROSS is the special symbol of Christianity. It appears in a
variety of shapes, the most familiar being the Latin Cross, the
Passion Cross, the Greek Cross, St. Andrew's Cross and the Maltese
Cross.
THE TRIANGLE is the emblem of the Holy Trinity, as is also the
TREFOIL (which see).
THE CIRCLE is the ancient emblem of Eternity, being without
beginning or end; enclosing a triangle it means Three in One or
the Blessed Trinity; enclosing a cross it symbolizes Eternal Life.
THE CROWN is used as the symbol of Victory and sovereignty.
THE LAMB--Agnus Dei--is the chief emblem of {96} our Blessed Lord.
Bearing a banner it signifies Victory and is an emblem of the
Resurrection.
THE STAR is a Christmas emblem, commemorating the Star of Bethlehem.
It has generally five points, but sometimes _seven_, the number of
perfection.
THE FISH was a very early symbol of our Lord. The letters which
form the Greek word for fish, viz.: ICHTHUS are the initials in
Greek of the words _Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Saviour_.
THE ANCHOR is the emblem of the Christian's hope.
THE SHIP is a symbol of the Church as the Ark of Salvation, in which
we are saved, as Noah was saved by the Ark.
THE LION is the symbol of our Lord who is called in Revelation 5:5,
the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah."
THE DOVE is used as the emblem of the Holy Ghost.
The emblems of the four Evangelists are as follows: ST. MATTHEW, a
winged Man; ST. MARK, a winged Lion; ST. LUKE, a winged Ox, and
ST. JOHN, an Eagle.
Emmanuel.--A Hebrew word used as a name of our Lord, and means,
"God with us." The Rev. Morgan Dix, D.D., in his book "The Gospel
and Philosophy," speaking of the word _Emmanuel_, says, "'God
with us' is the sum of the Christian Religion. That is a proper
description of the Religion from the beginning to the end.
Emmanuel: the meaning of the word was not exhausted in those
blessed years, three and thirty in all, during which Christ was
seen in Judea and known as the Prophet of Nazareth. It is as
accurate, as necessary to-day; it shall be true {97} till all be
fulfilled, till the earth and the heavens shall pass away and the
new earth shall appear. . . . This Presence of the Personal God, a
presence not made by our faith, but disclosed to our faith that
we may believe and adore, is secured to the faithful in their
generations by ordinances, instruments and institutions adapted to
that end. . . . That system is known as the Holy Catholic Church."
Epact, The.--The Epact is the moon's age at the beginning of any
given year. The term is derived from the Greek word, _Epacte_,
meaning _carried on_. The Epact is used in the calculations for
finding on what day Easter will fall. (See TABLES IN THE PRAYER
BOOK.)
Epiphany, The.--A Feast of the Church observed on January 6th to
commemorate the Manifestation of Christ by the leading of a star.
Occurring twelve days after Christmas, it is frequently called
"Twelfth Day." The word _Epiphany_ is derived from the Greek and
means _Manifestation_ or showing forth. It was originally used both
for Christmas Day when Christ was manifested in the Flesh and for
this day when He was manifested by a Star to the Gentiles. Later
on, about the Fourth Century and in the Western Church the Epiphany
seems to have acquired a more independent position and to be
observed with special reference to the manifestation to the Magi
of the East. It thus became the occasion of the giving of praise
and thanksgiving to God for thus proclaiming the Gospel to the
Gentile world as well as to the Jews, His chosen people. An
examination of the services for the Feast of the Epiphany shows
that the {98} commemoration is really threefold: (1) Our Lord's
Manifestation by a star to the Magi; (2) The Manifestation of
the glorious Trinity at His Baptism, and (3) The Manifestation of
the glory and Divinity of Christ by His miraculous turning water
into wine at the marriage in Cana of Galilee; all of which are said
to have happened on the same day, though not in the same year. "The
Epiphany is a Festival which has always been observed with great
ceremony throughout the whole Church; its threefold meaning and
its close association with the Nativity as the end of the Christmas
Tide, making it a kind of accumulative Festival."
Epiphany, Sundays after.--The Epiphany is continued in the Sundays
following, the number of which is variable being dependent on the
time Easter is kept. There may be one "Sunday after Epiphany" or
there may be six. The Scriptural teachings of these Sundays are
all illustrative of the fact that the Eternal Word was manifested
in the Flesh.
Episcopacy.--The name given to that form of Church government in
which Bishops are the Chief Pastors with Priests and Deacons under
them. The word is derived from the Greek _Episcopos_, meaning
overseer; _Bishop_ being the Anglicized form of the Greek word.
Much controversy has been held in regard to Church government, as
if the form was a matter of uncertainty, or not clearly revealed.
The question can only be decided by first regarding Christianity
as an institution, as the Kingdom of God, and then inquiring whether
this Institution, founded by our Lord, has been characterized always
by the same {99} thing. In regard to Church government we find that
the Church as an institution was always governed by Bishops, and that
for 1500 years after Christ no Christian people recognized any other
Ministry but that of Bishops, Priests and Deacons. Since the
Reformation the controversy has come up and various theories,
especially Presbyterian and Congregationalist, have been advanced.
But even now the question of Church government may be considered
as a matter of fact rather than of theory. If we take the whole
Christian world of to-day, we find that the number of Christians
is in round numbers _five hundred millions_. Of this number only
_one hundred million_ are non-Episcopal, so that we may conclude
from the universal acceptance of Episcopacy before the Reformation
and from the large preponderance of adherents to this form of Church
government at this present time,--from these facts we may safely
conclude that Episcopacy is in accordance with the mind of the
Master. This, at least, is the conclusion of the best scholarship
of the day, both Episcopal and non-Episcopal. For example, a
non-Episcopal divine has set forth his conclusions in the following
statement: "The Apostles embodied the Episcopal element into the
constitution of the Church, and from their days to the time of the
Reformation, or for fifteen hundred years, there was no other form
of Church government anywhere to be found. Wheresoever there were
Christians there were also Bishops; and often where Christians
differed in other points of doctrine or custom, and made schisms
and divisions in the Church, yet did they all remain unanimous in
this, in retaining Bishops." So {100} also, the historian Gibbon
gives his conclusion as follows: "'No Church without a Bishop' has
been a _fact_ well as a maxim since the time of Tertullian and
Irenaeus; after we have passed over the difficulties of the first
century, we find the _Episcopal government established_, till it
was interrupted by the republican genius of the Swiss and German
reformers." (See MINISTRY, THE.)
Episcopate.--The office of a Bishop. The term is variously used. It
means not only the office or dignity of a Bishop, but it may also
mean the period of time during which any particular Bishop exercises
his office in presiding over a Diocese. Again, _Episcopate_ is the
collective name for the whole body of Bishops of the Christian
Church, lists of which have been carefully preserved from the
beginning. The Episcopate of the American Church includes all the
Bishops from Bishop Seabury, our first Bishop, down to the Bishop
who was last consecrated.
Epistle, The.--The portion of Holy Scripture read before the Gospel
in the Communion Office, generally taken from one of the N. T.
Epistles, though sometimes from the Acts of the Apostles or from
one of the books of the Prophets of the Old Testament. It is well
to note that the Collect, Epistle and Gospel embody the special
teaching of the day for which they are appointed.
Epistle Side.--The south or right side of the Altar from which the
Epistle is read. When the Priest celebrates alone, he first reads
the Epistle at the south side and then passes to the north side
where he reads the Gospel. {101}
Epistoler.--The minister who reads the Epistle for the day and acts
as sub-deacon at the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
Eschatology.--That department of Theology devoted to inquiry
concerning the "last things,"--the Advent of Christ, Death and the
State of the Departed, the judgment to come and the final award.
Espousal.--That portion of the Marriage Service in which the
contracting parties answer "I will" to the questions, "N. wilt
thou have this woman to thy wedded wife" and "N. wilt thou have
this man to thy wedded husband." This seems to be the remains of
the old form of _espousals_, which was different and distinct from
the Office of Marriage, and which was often performed some weeks
or months or perhaps years before. Something similar to what is
now called "engagement," only that it had the blessing of Mother
Church upon it. In the Greek Church at the present time there are
still two different offices, viz.: the one of espousals and the
other of marriage, which are now performed on the same day, although
formerly on different days.
Eucharist.--Derived from a Greek word meaning "giving of thanks."
It is the name universally applied to the HOLY COMMUNION (which see).