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CATHOLIC APOSTOLIC CHURCH, THE

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Originally appearing in Volume V05, Page 533 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CATHOLIC APOSTOLIC See also:CHURCH, THE , a religious community often called Irvingites," though neither actually founded nor anticipated by See also:Edward Irvinyg (q.v.). See also:Irving's relation to this community was, according to its members, somewhat similar to that of See also:John the Baptist to the See also:early See also:Christian Church, i.e. he was the forerunner and See also:prophet of the coming See also:dispensation, not the founder of a new See also:sect; and indeed the only connexion which Irving seems to have had with the existing organization of the Catholic Apostolic See also:body was in " fostering spiritual persons who had been driven out of other congregations for the exercise of their spiritual gifts." Shortly after Irving's trial and deposition (1831); certain persons were, at some meetings held for See also:prayer, designated as " called to be apostles of the See also:Lord " by certain others claiming prophetic gifts. In the See also:year t835, six months after Irving's See also:death, six others were similarly designated as " called " to See also:complete the number of the " twelve," who were then formally " separated," by the pastors of the See also:local congregations to which they belonged, to their higher See also:office in the universal church on the 14th of See also:July 1835. This separation is understood by the community not as " in any sense being a See also:schism or separation from the one Catholic Church, but a separation to a See also:special See also:work of blessing and intercession on behalf of it." The twelve were afterwards guided to ordain others—twelve prophets, twelve evangelists, and twelve pastors, " sharing equally with them the one Catholic Episcopate," and also seven deacons for administering the temporal affairs of the church catholic. The apostles were the channels of the See also:Holy See also:Ghost and the mysteries of See also:God, and the authoritative interpreters of " prophetic utterance "; their teaching was brought See also:home to the See also:people by the " evangelists." The See also:function of the prophets was to explain scripture and exhort to holiness, that of the " pastors " is explained by their See also:title. The central See also:episcopacy of See also:forty-eight was regarded as indicated by prophecy," being foreshown in the forty-eight boards of the See also:Mosaic See also:tabernacle. For ecclesiastical purposes the church universal is under their See also:charge in twelve tribes; for Christendom is considered to be divided into twelve portions or tribes, each tribe being under the special charge of an apostle and his co-ministers, and the seat of the Apostolic See also:College being at See also:Albury, near See also:Guildford. This is an ideal outline which has never been fulfilled. There has never been a " central episcopacy " of forty-eight. The " apostles " alone always held the supreme authority, though, as their number dwindled, " coadjutors " were appointed to assist the survivors, and to exercise the functions of the " apostolate." The last " apostle " died on the 3rd of See also:February 1901. For the service of the church a comprehensive See also:book of liturgies and offices was provided by the apostles." It See also:dates from 1842 and is based on the See also:Anglican, See also:Roman and See also:Greek liturgies. See also:Lights, See also:incense, See also:vestments, holy See also:water, See also:chrism, and otheradjuncts of See also:worship are in See also:constant use.

The ceremonial in•its completeness may be seen in the church in See also:

Gordon Square, See also:London, and elsewhere. The daily worship consists of " See also:matins " with " proposition " (or exposition) of the See also:sacrament at 6 A.M., prayers at 9 A.M. and 3 P.M., and " See also:vespers " with " proposition " at 5 P.M. On all Sundays and holy days there is a " See also:solemn celebration of the See also:eucharist " at the high See also:altar; on Sundays this is at ro A.M. On other days " See also:low celebrations " are held in the See also:side-chapels, which with the See also:chancel in all churches correctly built after apostolic directions are separated or marked off from the See also:nave by open screens with See also:gates. The community has always laid See also:great stress on symbolism, and in the eucharist, while rejecting both See also:transubstantiation and consubstantiation, holds strongly to a real (mystical) presence. It emphasizes also the " phenomena " of Christian experience and See also:deems See also:miracle and See also:mystery to be of the essence of a spirit-filled church. Each See also:congregation is presided over by its " See also:angel " or See also:bishop (who ranks as angel-pastor in the Universal Church); under him are four-and-twenty priests, divided into the four ministries of " elders, prophets, evangelists and pastors," and with these are the deacons, seven of whom regulate the temporal affairs of the church—besides whom there are also " sub-deacons, acolytes, singers, and See also:door-keepers." The understanding is that each See also:elder, with his co-presbyters and deacons, shall have charge of 500 adult communicants in his See also:district; but this has been but partially carried into practice. This is the full constitution of each particular church or congregation as founded by the restored apostles," each local church thus " reflecting in its See also:government the government of the church catholic by the angel or high See also:priest Jesus See also:Christ, and His forty-eight presbyters in their fourfold See also:ministry (in which apostles and elders always See also:rank first), and under these the deacons of the church catholic." The priesthood is supported by See also:tithes; it being deemed a See also:duty on the See also:part of all members of the church who receive yearly incomes to offer a tithe of their increase every See also:week, besides the See also:free-will offering for the support of the See also:place of worship, and for the See also:relief of See also:distress. Each local church sends " a tithe of its tithes " to the " See also:Temple," by which the ministers of the Universal Church are supported and its administrative expenses defrayed; by these offerings, too, the needs of poorer churches are supplied. It claims to have among its See also:clergy many of the Roman, Anglican and other churches, the orders of those ordained by Greek, Roman and Anglican bishops being recognized by it with the See also:simple See also:confirmation of an " apostolic See also:act." The community has not changed recently in See also:general constitution or See also:doctrine. It does not publish See also:statistics, and its growth during See also:late years is said to have been more marked in the See also:United States and in certain See also:European countries, such as See also:Germany, than in Great See also:Britain. There are nine congregations enumerated in The Religious See also:Life of London (1904).

For further details of doctrines, See also:

ritual, &c., see R. N. See also:Bosworth, Restoration of Apostles and Prophets, Readings on the See also:Liturgy, The Church and Tabernacle, and The Purpose of God in Creation and Redemption (6th ed., 1888) ; G. See also:Miller, See also:History and Doctrines of See also:Irvington (1878).

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