Forms.--One great objection brought against the Episcopal Church by
many persons not members of it is what they call _forms and
ceremonies_. They say what they want is "spiritual religion," and
this objection seems to be so final with them there is evidently
nothing more to be said. It is not the purpose of this article to
go into a vindication of forms, but rather to point out how
unreasonable this objection is. If it were real, it would do away
with all social forms and all forms in business as well as in
religion. But they who make this objection do not adhere to it in
their own religion. They cannot come together, even in a "Prayer
Meeting" without some method or form which must be gone through
with. Even the Quakers who, above all others, lay the greatest
stress on "spiritual religion," must have their _form_--of silence,
speech, dress and of even the architecture of their meeting-place,
and which form is peculiar to them. This being the case the
question, therefore, is not "Shall we have forms?" but, "_What_ form
shall we have in our Public Worship?" for we have learned that we
_must_ have some kind of FORM. The Episcopal Church simply clings
to that which was from the {113} beginning, because the experience
of centuries demonstrates that this is best, more consonant to reason
and more expressive of the religious wants of man. Hence she values
her Book of Common Prayer which is the outgrowth of the devotions
of the ages and she cherishes the usages and traditions that have
grown up around it. The Episcopal Church does not insist on forms
merely for the sake of forms, but she values them for their
helpfulness, for what they convey to the soul faithfully using
them, and also, because they enable us to worship God as did His
faithful people in all the ages past.
Forty Days, The Great.--Easter Tide which commemorates the period
of Forty Days our Lord spent on earth after His Resurrection with
His Apostles "and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom
of God" (Acts 1:2 and 3). From many of our Lord's Parables as well
as from other utterances by Him in His Teaching we learn that the
words "Kingdom of God" mean _His Church_. So, then, during this
mysterious time of His Resurrection Life our Lord was giving His
final instructions concerning His Church, and to this instruction
is to be traced many of the Church's usages and practices set forth
in the Acts of the Apostles which otherwise are inexplicable--for
example--the choice of St. Matthias in the place of the traitor
Judas--thus indicating the perpetuity of the Apostolate; the
observance of the first day of the week instead of the seventh; the
ordaining of Deacons thus indicating "divers orders" in His Church;
the Rite of Confirmation; Frequent Communion, Infant Baptism and
many other things to be noted in the {114} Acts of the Apostles,
which have become inherent features of the Church; how else are
they to be accounted for and explained but as being among "the things
pertaining to the Kingdom of God" of which the Master spake during
these Great Forty Days? If not, then how came about their universal
acceptance and continuance even unto this present day?
Fourth Sunday in Lent.--The Sundays in Lent are numbered. First,
Second, Third, etc., through the six Sundays. But the last three
Sundays are so striking in their teaching that additional names are
given to them in order to emphasize that special teaching. Thus
the 6th Sunday is called Palm Sunday; the 5th, Passion Sunday. So,
also, the Fourth Sunday in Lent has its special name or names. Thus
it is called _Mid Lent Sunday_ because the middle of Lent has been
reached. It is also called _Refreshment Sunday_ from the Gospel for
the Day which gives the account of our Lord feeding the multitude
in the wilderness, and thereby indicating a more joyous note in the
service for this day than belongs to the other Sundays in Lent. An
old English name for this Sunday is _Mothering Sunday_. Mid Lent
was considered somewhat of a holiday on which servants and children
absent from home were permitted by their employers to visit their
mothers. The name, doubtless, had its origin from the ancient custom
of making pilgrimages to the Mother Church or Cathedral of the
Diocese. (See LENT, SUNDAYS IN.)
Fraction.--The name given to the manual act of breaking the Bread
by the Priest during the Consecration in the Holy Communion,
according to the {115} rubric which directs, "And here to break the
Bread." (See MANUAL ACTS.)
Free and Open Churches.--These words express the idea embodied in a
movement in the American Church that has been making for many years
to make the House of Prayer what it was originally, viz. _free_ for
all people, no reserved or rented pews, but every seat free and
unreserved, so that high and low, rich and poor alike shall be equal
in the Father's House; and open not simply when there is a service,
but open all the time for private prayer as well as public. This
movement is growing rapidly so that to-day more than half of our
churches are thus free, and a great many of them are kept open
all day long every day in the week. It is found that many earnest
and devout souls, homeless perhaps, or dwellers in hotels or
boarding-houses where there is little or no privacy, as well as
others, gladly avail themselves of this privilege of the _Open
Church_ and find comfort in it. A society for the promotion of
Free and Open Churches has been organized for many years with
headquarters in Philadelphia.
Frequent Communion.--The influence of the Puritans on the religious
life of the Church was in many instances tremendous and far-reaching.
While the Prayer Book provides for _frequent Communion_, that is,
every Lord's Day and Holy Day at the least, yet under the Puritan
influence _infrequent_ Communion became prevalent, and four times a
year at the most came to be considered sufficient. When the Church
began to pass out from under this influence we find that a _monthly_
celebration became the universal rule {116} in the Church, and even
with this many seem now to be satisfied. But as the Church grew, as
the study of the Prayer Book and of Church History became more
general and the Church began to assert herself, to claim her
heritage, we find a return to the ancient order and Scriptural
rule. The Sunday and Holy Day Eucharist was more and more restored,
so that to-day there are very few parishes where "Frequent Communion"
is not the rule. On this subject the Bishop of Maryland, the Rt.
Rev. William Paret, D.D., has remarked, "God's Word and all
history show that receiving the Holy Communion every Lord's Day
was the _old way_ and receiving once a month entirely a modern
custom. In often receiving we are copying the whole Church of the
first three hundred years."
Friday.--In the Prayer Book we find that Friday of each week
is placed in the Table of Fasts to be observed in this Church
throughout the year, and the rubric directs that it be announced to
the congregation on the Sunday before. Friday as a Fast is intended
to be the weekly memorial of the Crucifixion of our Lord just as
Sunday is the weekly memorial of the Resurrection. Both are alike
obligatory as both are enjoined by the same authority. It is
encouraging to note a growing recognition of this Fast and a more
general desire to honor weekly the day of our Lord's Crucifixion
with a public service in Church and by personal acts of self-denial
and devotion on the part of the faithful. (See GOOD FRIDAY, also
FASTS, TABLE OF.)
Frontal.--The name given to a hanging in front of the Altar. The
same as ANTEPENDIUM (which see). {117}