of England, whether they are Protestants or Papists. For
further particulars see under their various names.

DONATIVE. A form of conferring an ecclesiastical benefice on any
clerk, by which he is exempt from presentation, induction, or
institution; the patron acting virtually as a Bishop. This is said
to be the usual manner in which benefices were anciently conferred.

DOXOLOGY. An ascription of praise to God. The most familiar
doxologies in use in our Church are the "Gloria Patri," the "Gloria
in Excelsis," and the well-known verse, "Praise God from whom all
blessings flow," &c. Many of our prayers, especially those of
thanksgiving, conclude with a doxology.

EAST, TURNING TO THE. This is now generally done at the Creeds. It
is a survival of a general custom of worship towards the East--as
the region of light, symbolical of the rising of the "Sun of
Righteousness"--which is at least as old as the time of Tertullian,
who lived in the second century.

EASTWARD POSITION. A term descriptive of the position used by a
Priest who adopts the custom of celebrating Holy Communion facing
the East, with his back to the people. There is a very great
difficulty in ascertaining what the rubrics with relation to the
Priest's position really mean, because the Altar itself occupied
various positions at the time the rules were framed.

(1.) _Position of Altar_. "The Table. . . .shall stand in the Body
of the Church, or in the Chancel," is the rubric of 1552. "The Holy
Table shall be set in the place where the Altar stood. . . .saving
when the Communion of the Sacrament is to be distributed, at which
time the same shall be so placed in good sort (conveniently) within
the Chancel," is the direction in the Injunctions of 1559.

By degrees, however, the custom of moving the Holy Table at the
time of Communion, and placing it length-ways in the Church ceased,
and it was allowed to remain at all times placed "Altar-wise" at
the East End of the Church.

(2.) _Position of the Priest_. In the rubric of 1549 the direction
was for him "to stand humbly afore the midst of the Altar," of
course with his back to the people. In 1552 the present rubric,
directing the "North-side," was introduced, but owing to the Altar's
standing East and West then, the position of the Priest remained
virtually the same as before. But when, through Laud's influence,
the Holy Table was removed back to its original position, the
question was whether the Priest wa