te service and are very
solemn and impressive.

Reredos.--A carved or sculptured screen of wood or stone placed
above and back of the Altar, The word is a compound of the old
English _rere_, the same as "rear," and the French word _dos_,
derived from the Latin _dorsum_, meaning "back."

Responds.--In the old system of reading Holy Scripture in Divine
Service, short selections from different books of the Bible were
read successively, with short Anthems being sung after each, which
were called "responds." This responsory system of reading Holy
Scripture is still retained in its old form in the case of the Ten
Commandments when read in the Communion service. One of the
principal changes made in revising the Prayer-book in 1549 was the
setting forth of longer Lessons with responsory canticles sung at
the end only. Thus the respond to the First Morning Lesson is the
Te Deum, and the respond to the Second Lesson is the Benedictus, etc.

Responses.--The name given to the answers made by the people in the
Church services as in the Versicles, the Litany, after the Ten
Commandments, etc.

Responsive Service.--The glory of the Episcopal Church is its
_responsive service_, as provided by the Book of Common Prayer. By
means of this, the people have their part in the service. Thus {230}
worship becomes general throughout the whole congregation and the
people are not silent spectators, nor yet simply an audience. But
however reasonable and desirable this may be, there is a deeper
principle involved. The responsive character of the services brings
out and emphasizes the "Priesthood of the People." St. Peter, in
his First General Epistle, writing to the Baptized, says of them,
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy nation,
a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praise of Him who
hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light." Thus the
Baptized are called in Holy Scripture "a royal priesthood," and
this doctrine pervades the Prayer-book. The whole system of
responsive worship is founded upon the Priesthood of the Laity,
and enables them to _show forth the praise_ of Him who hath called
them out of darkness into His marvelous Light. (See AMEN; FORMS;
also VERSICLES.)

Retable.--A shelf at the back of the Altar, usually fastened to the
reredos, on which are placed the Altar cross, the vases for flowers,
and the candlesticks. The necessity for the retable arises from
the fact of the reveren