STS, or FESTIVALS. These are days of rejoicing in the Church,
in commemoration of some great truth of Christianity, or of some
great example of Holy Life. The commencement of the Prayer Book
furnishes us with a list of these Holy Days. The rubric, after the
Nicene Creed, directs that "The Curate shall then declare to the
people what holy days, or fasting days are in the week following
to be observed."

FELLOWSHIP. A settled income bestowed by a college on a student as
a reward for distinguished scholarship. Various conditions are
associated with these prizes in the different colleges.

FERIA. A day which is neither a feast nor a fast.

FLAGON, _see_ Altar Vessels.

FONT. From a Latin word, meaning a _fountain_. The vessel holding
the water for Baptism. The 81st Canon says it is to be made of
stone. By ancient custom it is usually placed at the West end of
the Church, near the door, as signifying that Holy Baptism is the
entrance into Christ's Mystical Body, the Church.

FORMULARY, see _Liturgy_. A formulary is a book containing the
rites, ceremonies, and prescribed forms of the Church. The
formulary of the Church of England is the Book of Common Prayer.

FREE WILL. see Article x. The doctrine of our Church is that
although man has a perfectly free will to choose good or evil, yet
we prefer the animal life to the spiritual life, and, through the
badness of our perverse will, shall continue to prefer it until
prevented by the grace of God.

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 consid