The compiler wishes to furnish not only the younger clergy, but also the laity of the Church of England, with a cheap and handy book of reference on all Church matters. He believes that Sunday School Teachers and Church Workers, Teachers in National Schools, the upper scholars in Church Schools of higher grade, both public and private; and, indeed, all engaged in the elementary study of the Prayer Book, or of Church History, will find this short "Handy Dictionary" full of useful information. The compiler desires in this place to acknowledge gratefully his obligations to all the authors and books consulted, especially to those contained in the following list:-- Hook's Church Dictionary. Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity. Bishop Harold Browne on the Thirty-nine Articles. Bishop Wordsworth's Greek Testament. Bishop Wordsworth's Theophilus Anglicanus. Hart's Ecclesiastical Record'. Riddle's Christian Antiquities. Smith's Bible Dictionary. Sir R. Phillimore's Ecclesiastical Law. The S.P.C.K. Teacher's Prayer Book. Bishop Barry's Teacher's Prayer Book. Procter on the Book of Common Prayer. Palmer's Origines Liturgicae. Wheatly on the Book of Common Prayer, Pearson on the Creed. Sanderson's Handbook of Theology. Hardwick's and other Church Histories. Blunt's Household Theology. Encyclopedia Britannica. Chamber's Encyclopedia The Globe Encyclopedia. The Official Year Book of the Church of England. Whitaker's Almanack, etc., etc. ABLUTIONS. Small quantities of wine and water poured into the chalice, after a celebration, and consumed by the Priest. Some take two ablutions, the first of wine, the second of wine and water mixed. The object of this is to insure the entire consumption of the consecrated element. ABSOLUTION. In the Anglican Church the authoritative declaration, by a Bishop or Priest, of God's pardon to the truly penitent. "All the office and power of man in it is only to minister the external form, but the internal power and grace of remission of sins is properly God's." (_Bingham_.) There are three forms of absolution in our Prayer Book, viz., in the Order for Morning and Evening Prayer; in the Communion Service, and in the Office for the Visitation of the Sick. It is to be noticed in each case that Confession precedes Absolution. The Scriptural authority for Absolution is found in Matt. xvi.19; xviii.18; John xx.23; 1 Cor. v.3-5; 2 Cor. ii.10. St. Jerome compares the office of the Christian Priest in Absolution, with that of the Jewish Priest in cases of cleansing from leprosy. ABSTINENCE, _see_ Fasting. ACOLYTE. One of the minor Orders of the Church of Rome. An Acolyte's duties are to wait upon the Priests and Deacons, carrying the bread and wine, &c. In some of our churches a layman, called a "Server," performs these duties. ADULT BAPTISM, _see_ Baptism.