FUNERAL SERVICE, see Burial of the Dead.
GHOST, THE HOLY, see Trinity, The Holy.
GLEBE. Land belonging to an ecclesiastical benefice, and which forms part of its endowment, the freehold being vested in the Incumbent.
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS. "Glory be (to God) on high." A hymn in the Communion Office, sometimes called the Angelic Hymn, because the first part was sung by angels at Bethlehem. It has been used by the Church for more than 1,500 years, and, in substance, was sung by Polycarp at his martyrdom.
GLORIA PATRI. "Glory be to the Father." This is one of the oldest doxologies of the Church; in substance, at least, it is as old as the 4th century. It is directed to be said at the end of every Psalm, thus turning Jewish praises into Christian hymns.
GNOSTICS. Early heretics who boasted of their superior knowledge, for that is the meaning of the word, just as agnostic means without knowledge. This heresy dates back to Apostolic days, Simon Magus being considered its founder.
They mixed up the Christian faith with systems based on Platonism, Oriental Philosophy, or corrupt Judaism. St. John is believed to have written against the gnostics in certain parts of his Gospel.
GOD, see Trinity, The Holy. The word God can be traced back no further as yet than the Gothic Gutha, but no one knows its root.
GOD-FATHER, see Sponsors.
GOD-MOTHER, see Sponsors.