of Voluntaries as giving
time for meditation.

VULGAR TONGUE. The native language of a country. The phrase in the
Baptismal Office stood formerly, "in the English tongue," but it was
altered to embrace the case of foreigners.

VULGATE. The Latin translation of the Bible in common use. The first
Vulgate of the Old Testament was translated, not from the original
Hebrew, but from the Septuagint (which see), the author being
unknown. The second Vulgate was by St. Jerome, and was made from
the Hebrew. A mixture of these two was authorised for use by the
Council of Trent. Other translations have since been made. It is
the official and standard text in the Roman Church.

WAFERS. The bread used by the Romanists, by Lutheran Protestants,
and by some Ritualists in our own Church, in the Eucharist.

WESLEYANS, _see_ Methodists.

WHITSUN-DAY, or WHITSUNDAY. The derivation of the name is doubtful;
some taking it from Whitsun, a corruption of Pentecosten, the old
Anglo-Saxon name for the day; and some from White Sunday, because
those who had been baptized on its eve wore white robes. This
festival is the birthday of the Church, and has been observed, like
Easter, from the first days of Christianity. (See _Pentecost_.)

WILL, FREE, _see_ Free Will.

WORD, THE. A name given to our Lord in the opening of St. John's
Gospel. The term was familiar to the Jews. (See _Logos_.)

WORSHIP. Besides meaning the supreme homage and devotion due to
Almighty God, it is also used in the Bible and Prayer Book, to
denote honour, respect, and reverence given to men. Thus it is
used in Ps. lxxxiv.12; Luke xiv.10; and in 1 Chron. xxix.20, it
seems to be used in both senses.

In the marriage service the husband promises to _worship_ his wife,
that is, to render her all due respect and honour. In like manner
we call a Mayor or a Chancellor "Worshipful."

WORSHIP, PUBLIC, _see_ Public Worship.

YEAR, THE ECCLESIASTICAL. The different seasons of the Church Year
have each a separate notice. The Church begins her year with Advent,
because, as Bishop Cosin says, "she does not number her days, or
measure her seasons, so much by the motion of the sun, as by the
course of our Saviour; beginning and counting her year with Him
who, being the true Sun of Righteousness, began now to rise upon
the world."

End of Project Gutenberg's The Church Handy Dictionary, by Anonymous

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHURCH HANDY DICTIONARY *