ishop
of the province, and to the Bishop elected; then the sovereign
gives his royal assent under the great seal, directed to the
Archbishop, commanding him to _confirm_ and consecrate the Bishop
thus elected. The Archbishop subscribes this "_fiat confirmatio_."
After this, a long and formal process is gone through, and at
length the Bishop elect takes the oaths of office, and the election
is ratified and decreed to be good. The matter is in no way of a
spiritual nature.

CONGREGATION. In an ordinary sense, an assemblage of people for
public worship. In the Bible our translators consider _Congregation_
and _Church_ convertible terms. Psalm xxii.22; Heb. ii.12.

CONGREGATIONALISTS. The newer name of the _Independents_. (which
see.)

CONGRUITY. A term used in the 13th Art. The "School authors"
mentioned are the theologians of the middle ages as compared with
the "Fathers" of the early times. Bishop Harold Browne says, "The
school-authors thought that some degree of goodness was attributable
to unassisted efforts on the part of man towards the attainment of
holiness: and, though they did not hold, that such efforts did, of
their own merit, deserve grace, yet they taught that in some degree
they were such as to call down the grace of God upon them, it being
not indeed obligatory on the justice of God to reward such efforts
by giving His grace, but it being agreeable to His nature and
goodness to bestow grace on those who make such efforts." (Art. X.)

These endeavours on the part of man to attain to godliness were by
the schoolmen said to deserve grace _de congnio_, _of congruity_.

CONSANGUINITY, _see_ Kindred.

CONSECRATION of BISHOPS, _see_ Ordinal.

CONSECRATION of CHURCHES, CHURCH YARDS, and CEMETERIES. A Christian
custom dating, at latest, from the 4th century. Nor does the law of
England recognise any place as a church until it has been consecrated
by a Bishop. Nothing more, however, is implied, than that the
building or place consecrated is set apart for holy uses.

CONSECRATION of ELEMENTS, _see_ Communion, Holy.

CONSUBSTANTIATION. A doctrine of the Lutheran Church with regard
to the Real Presence in Holy Communion. "It differs from
Transubstantiation, in that it does not imply a change in the
substance of the elements. Those who hold this doctrine, teach
that the bread remains bread, and the wine remains wine; but that
with, and by means of the consecrated elements, the true, natural
Body and Blood o