Antiphonal.--The alternate singing or chanting by two sides of the choir and congregation, each taking a verse in turn. This mode of rendering the music of the Church is of very ancient origin; it prevailed in the ancient Jewish worship as the antiphonal structure of the Psalms indicates. It is a reproduction of the heavenly worship as described by Isaiah, "And one {24} cried unto another and said." It seems to be also a practical following out of the admonition, "teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." (Col. 3:16.) Apocalypse.--The name given to the last book of the Bible; a Greek word meaning _Revelation_. The book of the Revelation was written by St. John Evangelist about A.D. 96 or 97. Its purpose is set forth by Bishop Wordsworth as follows: "The Apocalypse is a manual of consolation to the Church in her pilgrimage through this world to the heavenly Canaan of her rest." Apocrypha.--This is the name given to certain books generally bound with the Old and New Testament Scriptures which the Sixth Article of Religion describes as "The other books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine." They are called Apocryphal for the reason that while they are usually bound up with the Bible, yet they are not regarded as canonical. Apocrypha is a Greek word meaning _hidden_, secret or unknown. Several of the Lessons are taken from the Apocryphal Books, and the Benedicite, which is sung as an alternate to the Te Deum, is taken from one of them, namely, "The Song of the Three Children." Apostle.--One who is sent; messenger; ambassador. The name given to our Lord's twelve commissioned disciples who were thus made "the original fountain of ministerial authority and capacity pouring forth twelve streams, and from whom were to flow all the branches of that river whose streams should make {25} glad the city of God by carrying to it the blessings of His grace." (See BISHOP).