nothing ; for they do not pretend to heal
men by it, nay, they pretend the contrary,
because they never use it but in extremity,
and where they look upon the person as
past recovery ; and if they do not think so,
they would not use it. — Ahp. Tillotson.
EZEKIl^L, THE PllOPIIECY OF.
A canonical book of the Old Testament.
Ezekiel was the son of Buzi, of the house
of Aaron. He was carried captive to Ba-
bylon with Jechoniah. He began to pro-
phesy in the fifth year of this captivity,
which is the pera by which he reckons in
all his prophecies. He continiied to pro-
phesy during twenty years. He was con-
temporary with Jeremiah, who prophesied
at the same time in Judea. He foretold
many events, particularly the destruction
of the temple ; the fatal catastrophe of
those who revolted from Babylon to Egypt;
and, at last, the happy return of the Jcavs
into their own land. He distinctly pre-
dicts t\\Q plagues which were to fall upon
the enemies of the Jews, as the Edomites,
^loabites. Ammonites, Egyptians, Assyri-
ans, and Babylonians. He foretells the
coming of the Messiah, and the flourishing
state of his kingdom. — Du Pin, Canon of-
ScriptiirBy b. i. c. iii. § 20.
The greatest part of this prophecy is
easy, plain, and intelligible, referring
chiefly to the manners and corruption of
that degenerate age. Of all the prophets,
Ezekiel abounds the most in enigmatical
visions. His style (in the opinion of St.
Jerome) is neither eloquent nor mean, but
between both. He abounds in fine sen-
tences, rich comparisons, and shows a great
deal of learning in profane matters. The
beginning and end of this book (by reason
of the abstruse mysteries contained in
them) were forbidden to be read by the
Jews, before thirty years of age.
Ezekiel was called to be a prophet by
being carried in a vision to Jerusalem, and
there shown all tlie several sorts of idolatry,
which were practised by the Jews in that
place. This makes the subject of the 8th,
9th, 10th, and 11th chapters of his pro-
phecies. At the same time God promised
to those of the captivity, who kept them-
selves from these abominations, that he
would be their protector, and restore them
to the land of Israel. This is his theme
in the 15th and following chapters. The
26th, 27th, and 28th chapters contain the
threatenings of God's judgments against
Tyre, for insulting on the calamitous e>itate
of Judah and Jerusalem. To these we
may add his prophecy concerning the
captivity of Zedckiah, contained in the
12th chapter; and that against Pharaoh
Hophra, king of Egyj)t, in the .â– 3;ird. These
are the principal prophecies of this book.
— Prideaux, Connect, p. i. b. i.
It is said, that Ezekiel was put to death
by the prince of his people, because he
exhorted him to leave idolatry. It is pre-
tended likewise, that his body was depo-
sited in the same cave wherein Shem and
Arphaxad were laid, on the bank of the
Euphrates. His tomb, they say, is still to
be seen : the Jews keep a lamp always
burning in it, and boast, that they have
there the prophet's book, written Avith his
own hand, which they read every year
upon the great day of Exi)iation.
The Jewish Sanhedrim, we are told,
once took it under their consideration,
whether they should not suppress the pro-
phecy of Ezekiel, on account of the ob-
scurity of some parts of it ; but that Kabbi
Chananias prevented this design, by offer-
ing to remove all the difficulties. His
proposal, they say, was accepted, and a
present was made him of three hundred
tun of oil for the use of his lamp, while he
was employed in this undertaking. AVe
may easily discover, that this is a mere
fable and an hyperbole of the Talmudists.
EZRA. One of the canonical books of
Scripture is called the Book of Ezra.
The book of Ezra was WTitten in the
latter end of the author's life, and com-
prehends the transactions of about eighty,
or, as some say, a hundred years. It in-
cludes the history of the Jews from the
time of Cp'us's edict for their return, to
the twentieth year of Artaxerxes Longi-
manus. In this book are recorded the
number of those Jews who returned from
the captivity, Cp'us's proclamation for the
rebuilding of the temple, the laying of the
foundations thereof, "&c. Part of this
book was written in the Chaldee language,
namely, from the eighth verse of the fourth
chapter to the twenty-seventh verse of the
seventh chapter ; all the rest was written
in Hebrew.
FACULTY COURT belongs to the
archb'shoj-) of Canterbury, and his officer
332
FAITH.
is called the Master of the Faculties. His
power is to grant dispensation to marry,
to eat flesh on days prohibited, to hold two
or more benefices ordinarily incompatible,
and such like.
FAITH. (See Grace, Justification.)
" We are accounted righteous before God,
only for the merit of our Lord and Sa-
viour Jesus Christ, by Faith, and not for
our own works or deservings. Wherefore,
that we are justified by faith only is a
most wholesome doctrine, and very full of
comfort, as more largely is expressed in
the Homily of Justification." — Article XI.
Faith, in its generic sense, either means
the holding rightly the creeds of the Ca-
tliolic Church, or means that very Catholic
faith, which except a man believe faith-
fully, he cannot be saved. Thus, when
the priest is directed, in the office for the
Baptism of those of Iliper Years, to inquire
into the faith of the candidate, he asks
his assent to one of the creeds ; and, in
the office for the Visitation of the Sick, he
is required to use the same test, and this
of course agrees with St. Paul's statement :
*' With the heart man believeth unto right-
eousness, and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation."
It should be noted, that we are justified
hy faith, not because of faith ; for there is
no more " merit " in our faith, than in our
works. Faith therefore is not the cause,
but the condition, of our justification,
which is solely to be attributed to the
bounty of GoD, and the merits of Christ.
— Archdeacon IVelchman.
I am sensible, says Dr. Waterland, that
some very eminent men have expressed
a dislike of the phrase, of the instrument-
ality of faith ; and have also justly re-
jected the thing, according to the false
notion which some had conceived of it. It
cannot, with any tolerable sense or pro-
priety, be looked upon as an instrument of
conveyance in the hand of the efficient or
principal cause ; but it may justly and
properly be looked upon as the instrument
of reception in the hand of the recipient.
It is not the mean by which the grace is
wrought, effected, or conferred ; but it
may be, and is, the mean by which it is
accepted or received : or, to express it a
little differently, it is not the instrument
of justification in the active sense of the
word, but it is in the passive sense of it.
It cannot be for nothing that St. Paul so
often and so emphatically speaks of man's
being justified by faith,' or through faith
in Christ's blood ; and that he particu-
larly notes it of Abraham, tliat he l:)elieved,
and that his faith was counted to him for
justification ; when he might as easily
have said, had he so meant, that man is
justified by faith and works, or that Abra-
ham, to whom the gospel was preached,
was justified by gospel faith and obedience.
Besides, it is certain, and is on all hands
allowed, that, though St. Paul did not di-
rectly and expressly oppose faith to evan-
gelical works, yet he comprehended the
works of the moral law under those works
which he excluded from the office of justi-
fying, in his sense of justifying, in those
passages ; and further, he used such argu-
ments as appear to extend to all kinds of
works : for Abraham's works were really
evangelical works, and yet they were ex-
cluded. Add to this, that if justification
could come even by evangelical works,
without taking in faith in the meritorious
sufferings and satisfaction of a mediator,
then might we have " whereof to glory," as
needing no pardon ; and then might it be
justly said, that " Christ died in vain." I
must further OAvn, that it is of great weight
with me, that so early and so considerable
a writer as Clemens of Rome, an apos-
tolical man, should so interpret the doc-
trine of justifying faith, so as to o])pose it
plainly even to evangelical works, however
exalted. It runs thus : " They (the ancient
patriarchs) were all, therefore, greatly
glorified and magnified ; not for their own
sake, or for their own works, or for the
righteousness which they themselves
wrought, but through his good pleasure.
And we also, being called through his good
pleasure in Christ Jesub, are not justified
by ourselves, neither by our own wisdom,
or knowledge, or piety, or the works which
we have done in holiness of heart, but by
that faith by which Almighty GoD justi-
fied all from the beginning," Here it is
observable, that the word faith does not
stand for the whole system of Christianity,
or for Christian belief at large, but for
some particular self-denying principle by
which good men, even under the patri-
archal and legal dispensations, laid hold
on the mercy and promises of GoD, refer-
ring all, not to themselves or theu' own
deservings, but to Divine goodness, in and
thi-ough a mediator. It is true, Clemens
elsewhere, and St. Paul almost everywhere,
insists upon true holiness of heart, and
obedience of life, as indispensable condi-
tions of salvation or justification ; and of
that one would think there could be no
question among men of any judgment or
probity : but the question about conditions
is very distinct from the other question
about instruments; and, therefore, both
parts may be true, viz. that faith and obe-
FAITH.
FAITHFUL.
333
(lience are equally condidons, and equally
indispensable where opportunities permit;
and yet faith over and above is em])hatic-
ally the insfnimc/it both of rcceivinj^f and
holdinfi^ justification, or a title to salvation.
To explain this matter more distinctly,
let it be remembered, that God may be
considered (as I before noted) either as a
party contracting with man, on very gra-
cious terms, or as a judge to pronounce
judgment upon him.
]Man's first coming into covenant (su])-
posing him adult) is by assenting to it, and
accepting of it, to have and to hold it on
such kind of tenure as God proposes : that
is to say, upon a self-denying tenure, con-
sidering himself as a guilty man, standing
in need of pardon, and of borrowed merits,
and at length resting upon mercy. So
here the previous question is, whether a
person shall consent to hold a privilege
upon this submissive kind of tenure or
not ? Such assent or consent, if he comes
into it, is the very thing which St. Paul
and St. Clemens call faith ; and this pre-
vious and general cpiestion is the question
which both of them determine against any
proud claimants who would hold by a
more self-admiring tenure.
Or, if we next consider GoD as sitting
in judgment, and man before the tribunal,
going to plead his cause ; here the ques-
tion is, "\A'hat kind of plea shall a man re-
solve to trust his salvation upon ? Shall
he stand upon his innocence, and rest upon
strict law ; or shall he plead guilty, and
rest in an act of grace ? If he chooses the
former, he is proud, and sure to be cast;
if he chooses the latter, he is safe so far,
in thi-OM-ing himself upon an act of grace.
Now this question also, which St. Paul has
decided, is previous to the question, what
conditions even the act of grace itself
finally insists upon ? A question which
St. James in i)articular, and the general
tenor of the whole Scrii)ture, has abund-
antly satisfied ; and which could never
have been made a question by any con-
siderate or impartial Christian. What
I am at present concerned with is to ob-
serve, that faith is emphatically the in-
strument by which an adult accepts the
covenant of grace, consenting to hold by
that kind of tenure, to be justified in that
way, and to rest in that kind of plea, put-
ting his salvation on that only issue. It'
appears to be a just observation which
iJr. AVhitby makes, {Pre/, to the Epist. to
Galat p. 300,) that Abraham had faith
(Heb. xi. 8) before what was said of his
justification in Gen. xv. 6, and aftcr-
Avards more abundantly, when he offered
up his son Isaac ; but yet neither of those
instances was })itched upon by the apostle
as fit for his purpose, because in both,
obedience was joined with faith : whereas,
here was a ])ure act of faith, without works,
and of this act of* faith it is said, " it was
imputed to him for righteousness." The
sum is, none of our works are good enough
to stand by themselves before Ilim who is
of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.
Christ only is pure enough for it at first
hand, and they that are Christ's at second
hand, in and through him. Now, because
it is by faith that we thus interpose, as it
were, Christ between God and us, in
order to gain acceptance by him; there-
fore faith is emphatically the instrument
whereby we receive the grant of justifica-
tion. Obedience is equally a condition or
qualification, but not an instrument, not
being that act of the mind whereby we
look up to God and Christ, and whereby
we embrace the promises. — Waterland on
Justification.
There is not any one word which hath
more significations than this hath in theword
of God, especially in the New Testament.
It sometimes signifies the acknowledgment
of the true God, in opposition to heathen-
ism; sometimes the Christian rehgion, in
opposition to Judaism ; sometimes the be-
lieving the power of Christ to heal dis-
eases ; sometimes the believing that he is
the promised Messias ; sometimes fidelity
or faithfulness ; sometimes a resolution of
conscience concerning the lawfulness of
anything : sometimes a reliance, affiance,
or dependence on Christ either for tem-
poral or spiritual matters ; sometimes be-
lieving the truth of all Divine relations ;
sometimes obedience to God's commands
in the evangelical, not legal sense ; some-
times the doctrine of the gospel, in opjjo-
sition to the law of Moses ; sometimes it
is an aggregate of all other graces : some-
times the condition of the second covenant
in opposition to the first : and other senses
of it also there are, distinguishable by the
contexture, and the matter treated of
where the word is used. — Hammond,
Practical Catechism.
FAITH, IMPLICIT. (Sec Implicit
Faith.)
FAITHFUL. This was the favourite
and universal name uniformly used in the
primitive Church, to denote those who had
been instructed in the Christian religion,
and received by baptism into the commu-
nion of the Church. The apostolical Epis-
tles are all addressed to "faithful men,"
that is, to those who formed the visible
Church in their respective localities ; those
334
FALD STOOL.
FASTING.
who had made profession of the faith of
Chkist in holv baptism.
FALD STOOL. A small desk, at which
the Litany is enjoined to be sunc^ or said.
It is <>cne'rally placed, in those churches in
which it is used, in the middle of the choir,
sometimes near the steps of the altar. This
word is probably derived from the bar-
barous Latin, falda, a place shut up, a fold.
(See Litany.)
FALDISTORY. The episcopal seat, or
throne, within the chancel ; but more ])ar-
ticularly, the bishop's chair, near the altar,
mentioned in the Ordination Service, in
which he sits, Avhile addressing the can-
didates for orders, &c.
FALL OF MAN. (See Original Sin.)
The loss of those perfections and that hap-
piness which his Maker bestowed on man
at his creation, for the transgression of a
positive command, given for the trial of
his obedience. This doctrine may be stated
in the language of our ninth Article : —
" Original sin standeth not in the following
of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk,)
but it is the fault and corruption of the
nature of every man, that naturally is en-
^enf/eref/ of the ofispring of Adam, whereby
man is very far gone (the Latin is qiiam
lonf/issitne^ i. e. as far as jwssible) from
original righteousness, and is of his own
nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh
lusteth always contrary to the Spirit ; and
therefore, in every person born into this
world, it deserveth God's wrath and damn-
ation. And this infection of nature doth
remain, yea, in them that are regenerated,
whereby the lust of the flesh, called in
Greek (ppuvtjfxa aapKog, which some do ex-
pound the %A isdom, some sensuality, some
the aff'ection, some the desire of the flesh,
is not subject to the law of God. And
although there is no condemnation for
them that believe and are baptized, yet
the apostle doth confess that concupiscence
and lust hath of itself the nature of sin."
FAMILLVRS OF THE INQUISI-
TION. (See Inquisition.) In order to
support the cruel proceedings of the In-
quisition in Spain, great privileges were
bestowed upon such of the nobility as were
willing to degrade themselves so far as to
become familiars of the holy office. The
king himself assumed the title, and was
protector of the order.
The business of these familiars was to
assist in the apprehending of such persons
as were accused, and to carry them to
prison ; upon which occasion the unhappy
person was surrounded by such a number
of these officious gentlemen, that, though
he was neither fettered nor bound, there
was no possibility of escaping out of their
hands. As a reward of this base employ-
ment, the familiars were allowed to commit
the most enormous actions, to debauch,
assassinate, and kill with impunity. If
they happened to be prosecuted for any
crime, the Inquisition took upon itself the
prosecution, and immediately the familiar
entered himself as their prisoner ; after
which he was at liberty to go where he
pleased, and act in all things as if he were
free.
A gentleman, a familiar of the holy office
at Corduba, having killed a person, the in-
quisitors were so strongly solicited against
him, that they could not help condemning
him pursuant to the lavrs. But the rest of
the gentleman familiars getting a horse
ready for him, and a sum of money, let
him privately out of prison. Another,
being put in prison for having disputed on
free-will and grace, (for which any other
person would have been punished with the
utmost severity,) was only admonished not
to argue any more upon religion, and pre-
sently set at liberty. — Broxu/hton.
FANATICISM. When men add to
enthusiasm and zeal for the cause which
they believe to be the cause of truth, a
hatred of those who are opposed to them,
whether in politics or religion, they fall
into fanaticism, and thus violating the law
of Christian charity, are guilty of a great
sin.
FARSE. An addition, used before the
Reformation, in the vernacular tongue, to
the Epistle in Latin, anciently used in some
churches, forming an explication or para-
phrase of the Latin text, verse by verse,
for the benefit of the people. The sub-
deacon first repeated each verse of the
epistle or lectio in Latin, and two choris-
ters sang the farse or explanation. The
following is an example from the Epistle
with a farse for new-year's day. " Good
people, for whose salvation God deigned
to clothe himself in flesh, and humbly live
in a cradle, who has the whole world in
his hands, render him sweet thanks, who
in his life worked such wonders, and for
our redemption humbled himself even to
death." — Lectio Epistolce, SfC. Then fol-
lows the lesson from the Epistle of St. Paul
to Titus, and then the/arse proceeds. *' St.
Paul sent this ditty," &c. — See Buryiey^s
History of 3Iusic, ii. 256.
FASTING. (See Abstinence and Fasts.)
Abstinence from food.
By the regulations of the Church, fasting,
though not defined as to its degree, is in-
culcated at seasons of peculiar penitence
and humiliation, as a valuable auxiliary to
FASTING.
FASTS.
335
the cultivation of habits of devotion and
self-denial, llespectinf^ its usefulness, there
does not appear to have been much diver-
sity of opinion until late years. Fastinj^
was customary in the Church of God lon«^
before the introduction of Christianity, as
may be seen in the Old Testament Scrip-
tures. That it was sanctioned by our
Saviour and his apostles, is equally plain.
And that it was intended to continue in
tlie future Church can scarcely be ques-
tioned ; for CillilST gave his disciples par-
ticular instructions respecting it, and in
reprobating the abuses of it among the
Pharisees, never objects to its legitimate
use. He even declares, that after his as-
cension his disciples should fast : " The
days will come when the bridegroom shall
be taken away from them, and then they
shall fast in those days." (Luke v. 35.)
Accordingly, in the Acts of the Apostles
occur several notices of fastings connected
with religious devotions. St. Paul evi-
dently practised it with some degree of
frequency. (2 Cor. xi. 27.) He also recog-
nises the custom, as known in the Cor-
inthian Church, and makes some observa-
tions implying its continuance. From the
days of the apostles to the present time,
fasting has been regarded under various
modifications as a valuable auxiliary to
â– penitence. In former times. Christians
were exceedingly strict in abstaining from
eveiT kind of food for nearly the whole of
the appointed fast days, receiving only at
stated times what was actually necessary
for the support of life. At the season of
Lent, much time was spent in mortifica-
tion and open confession of sin, accompa-
nied by those outward acts which tend to
the control of the body and its appetites ;
a species of godly discipline still associated
with the services of that solemn period of
the ecclesiastical year.
In the practice of fasting, the intelligent
Christian will not rest in the outward act,
but regard it only as a means to a good
end. All must acknowledge that this re-
straint, even upon the innocent appetites
of the body, is eminently beneficial in
assisting the operations of the mind. It
brings the animal part of our nature into
greater subservience to the spiritual. It
tends to prevent that heaviness and in-
dolence of the faculties, as well as that
perturbation of the passions, which often
proceed from indulgence and repletion of
the body. It is thus highly useful in
promoting that calmness of mind and
clearness of thought, which are so very
favourable to meditation and devotion.
The great end of the observance is to
" afflict the soul," and to increase a genuine
contrition of heart, and godly sorrow for
sin. This being understood, abstinence
will be approved of God, and made con-
ducive to a growth in s])iritual life.
The distinction between the Protestant
and the llomish view of fasting is this, that
the Koman regards the use of fasting as a
means of grace ; the Protestant, only as a
useful exercise. It is not a means of grace,
for it is nowhere ordained as such in the
Scri])tures of the New Testament ; but it is
a useful prc})aration for the means of grace,
and as such the Scriptures have assumed
that it will be resorted to by Christians.
FASTS. Those days which are ap-
pointed by the Church as seasons of absti-
nence and peculiar sorrow for sin. These
are the forty days of Lent, including Ash
Wednesday and Good Friday ; the Ember
days, the three llogation days, and all the
Fridays in the year, (except Christmas
Day,) and the eves or vigils of certain
festivals.
By Canon 72. "No minister shall, with-
out the licence and direction of the bishop
under hand and seal, appoint or keep any
solemn fasts, either publicly, or in any
private houses, other than such as by law
are, or by public authority shall be, ap-
pointed, nor shall be wittingly present at
any of them ; under pain of suspension for
the first fault, of excommunication for the
second, and of deposition from the ministry
for the third."
By the rubric, the table of Vigils, Fasts,
and Days of Abstinence to be observed in
the Year, is as folloAveth, (which, although
not in words, yet in substance, is the same
with what is above expressed in the afore-
said statute,) viz. " The evens or vigils
before the Nativity of our Lord, the Puri-
fication of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, Eas-
ter Day, Ascension ])ay, Pentecost, St.
Matthias, St. John Baptist, St. Peter, St.
James, St. Bartholomew, St. Matthew, St.
Simon and St. Jude, St. Andrew, St.
Thomas, All Saints. And if any of these
feasts fall upon a Monday, then the vigil