The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia

by William James Miller

It may be interesting to note that the first Bishop consecrated on
American soil was the Rt. Rev. Thomas John Claggett, the first
Bishop of Maryland, in whose consecration all four of the American
Bishops united. This took place in Trinity Church, New York,
September 17th, 1792. From that time to the present, the American
Episcopate has increased greatly by reason of the growing needs of
the Church in this rapidly developing country. More than two hundred
Bishops have been consecrated for the work of the Church in the
United States and for its missions in the foreign field.

The growth of the Church itself, likewise, has been remarkable when we consider the disadvantages under which it labored in those early days and the bitter prejudice against it which even yet is not wholly done away. To-day there is not a State or a Territory which is not under the pastoral care of a Bishop, many of the states having several Dioceses each with its Bishop at its head. The quiet, persistent loyalty to the Truth "as this Church hath received the same," the reasonable terms of admission to her fold, the missionary zeal and enterprise, the practical work enlisting so largely the labors and cooperation of the laity, the far-reaching influence on the religious thought of the day, the proposal of the terms for Christian Unity, the multiplying of services and the more {18} frequent communions, all manifest her inner and outward growth and demonstrate the reality and high purpose of her Mission to this land and nation. (See GROWTH OF THE CHURCH.)

Amice.—One of the Eucharistic Vestments. (See VESTMENTS).

Anaphora.—The Greek name for the Offering or, Oblation in the Holy Eucharist and is usually applied to that portion of the Office beginning with "Lift up your hearts" and including the Prayer of Consecration. All that precedes this is called the PROANAPHORA (which see).

Andrew, Feast of Saint.—A Holy Day of the Church observed on November 30, and is of very ancient date. It is known to have been observed since A.D. 360. St. Andrew was of Bethsaida in Galilee and the brother of St. Peter. He was the first who found the Messiah and brought others to Him. It was this fact in his life that suggested to the young men of the American Church the organization of "THE BROTHERHOOD OF ST. ANDREW" (which see). St. Andrew was the first called to be a disciple and Apostle, with St. Peter. After the dispersion of the Apostles, St. Andrew is said to have carried the Gospel to what is now called Turkey in Asia and also to Russia and was the first founder of the Russian Church, as St. Paul was of the English Church. After laboring in Turkey in Europe, he suffered martyrdom at Patras, A.D. 70, being crucified on a cross the shape of the letter X, to which his name has been given. As St. Andrew is greatly reverenced in Scotland, the St. Andrew's cross was made a part of the national banner {19} of Great Britain on the union of Scotland with England in 1707. The St. Andrew's cross (Scotland) with the cross of St. Patrick (Ireland) and the cross of St. George (England) were made in 1801 to form the present Union Jack so dear to the English nation. In ecclesiastical art St. Andrew is represented holding in his hand a cross saltire, or else leaning upon it.

Angels.—(See HOLY ANGELS.) It is also to be noted that the term "Angels" is used in the New Testament for the Bishops of the Church, as in the Epistles to the seven Churches of Asia (Rev. 2 and 3) which are addressed, "unto the angel of the Church of———", i.e., the Bishop.

Anglican Church, The.—The name given to the Church of England as being the Church of the Anglo-Saxon race. The Church was introduced into Britain as early as A.D. 61, probably by St. Paul and it has continued there the same organization ever since, and the Church of the whole English nation until within the last 300 years, when divers and sundry religious bodies have sprung up. Thus the English nation from that early period of the Church's first introduction into Britain down to the present time, has never been without the Orthodox Faith; the Apostolic Ministry in three orders—Bishops, Priests and Deacons; the Sacraments and the ancient Liturgy. Moreover, the Church of England has always affirmed her own national integrity and independence and although overcome and brought into subjection to a foreign power, and finally regained her former independence—yet throughout all she has ever retained the four essentials of Christian Truth and Order mentioned, and thus {20} demonstrates that she is a true branch of the Church founded by Christ, and as such Catholic and Apostolic. For one to say that the Church of England was founded by Henry VIII, or to say that it is a "schism from the Roman Church" shows great ignorance of even the plainest facts of history. The following statement, from a secular paper, the Providence (R. I.) Journal is worth reprinting: "It is still quite usual even for intelligent persons to misunderstand the purposes of the English Reformers, and the result of the English Reformation. . . . The supremacy of Rome has never been borne patiently by the English people, whose church organization was established long before Rome took the trouble to interfere with it; and several English kings had quarreled before Henry the Eighth's time with the Holy See. What the English Reformers wanted, and what they accomplished under Elizabeth, was Reform within the Church. It was on the continent that Protestantism without the Church, built up a new ecclesiastical organization. All this, it may be, is a matter only of historical value to the busy nineteenth century. But even if facts in a historical aspect are of small importance to an intensely practical generation, it is as well to have these facts right as wrong." (See UNDIVIDED CHURCH).

Anglican Communion, The.—The term used to designate the churches that are in communion with the Church of England and hold the same Faith, Order and Worship. Under this term are included the Church of England, the Church of Ireland, the Church of Scotland, the Churches in British North America, the West Indies, Australia, South Africa and in all the English colonies {21} throughout the world wherever established. The Episcopal Church in the United States is also included in the Anglican Communion, being identical with the Church of England as is set forth in the Preface to the Prayer Book, in which it is declared, "This Church is far from intending to depart from the Church of England in any essential point of doctrine, discipline and worship; or further than local circumstances require." The Anglican Communion is one of the most powerful forces in our modern religious world. From statistics we learn that it has a larger membership than any other religious body among English-speaking people. The following Table taken from the New York World Almanac for 1901 gives some idea of

THE RELIGION OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLE.

Episcopalians 29,200,000
Methodists of all descriptions 18,650,000
Roman Catholics 15,500,000
Presbyterians of all descriptions 12,250,000
Baptists of all descriptions 9,230,000
Congregationalists 6,150,000
Free Thinkers 5,250,000
Lutherans, etc 2,800,000
Unitarians 2,600,000
Minor religious sects 5,500,000
Of no particular religion 17,000,000
—————-
English-speaking population 124,130,000