Easter Monday and Tuesday.--It was a very ancient custom of the
Church to prolong the observance of Easter, as the "Queen of
Festivals." At first the Festival was observed through seven days,
and the Code of Theodosius directed a cessation of labor during
the whole week. Afterwards the special services became limited
to three days, the Council of Constance, A.D. 1094, having enjoined
that Pentecost and Easter should both be celebrated with three
festival days. This is now the custom of the Anglican Communion,
which provides Collect, Epistle and Gospel not only for Easter Day,
but also for Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday.

Easter Tide.--The weeks following Easter Day and reaching to
Ascension Day are so called. They commemorate the forty days our
Lord spent on earth after His Resurrection, commonly called THE
GREAT FORTY DAYS (which see).

Eastern Church.--The collective term by which is designated the
Churches which formerly made part of the Eastern Empire of Rome.
The Greek, Russian, Coptic, Armenian, Syrian and other eastern
churches are those usually included in this Communion. But in
strictness, the term "Eastern" or "Oriental Church" is applied only
to the Graeco-Russian Church in communion with the Patriarch of {94}
Constantinople. The great Schism whereby the communion between the
East and the West was broken took place, A.D. 1054.

Eastward Position.--(See EAST, TURNING TO.)

Ecclesiastical Year.--(See CHRISTIAN YEAR.)

Ecumenical.--From a Greek word meaning general or universal. The
name is given to certain councils composed of Bishops and other
ecclesiastics from the whole Church. A Council to be ecumenical must
meet three requirements: (1) It must be called of the whole Catholic
Church; (2) it must be left perfectly free, and (3) it must be one
whose decrees and definitions were subsequently accepted by the
whole Church. It is commonly believed that there have been only six
great Councils of the Church that satisfy these conditions. For a
list of them see COUNCIL.

Elder.--This is the English translation of the Greek word _Presbuteros_,
meaning Presbyter or Priest, the title of one admitted to the second
Order of the Ministry. It has been pointed out that "in Scriptural
usage and in Church History such a person as a _lay_ Elder is an
impossible person; the words contradict each other. The first hint
of such an office was given by Calvin." (See PRIEST.)

Elements.--The bread and the wine in the Ho