nt," was inserted, 1662.
From this, many--Wheatly, Palmer, Bishop Patrick, &c.--conclude
that the _oblation_ consists in the offering of the bread and wine.
Others would consider it merely synonymous with "_alms_."

OCTAVE. The octave is the _eighth day_ after any principal
festival of the Church. In ancient times it was customary to
observe these days with much devotion, including the whole period
also from the festival to the octave. In our Prayer Book we observe
the octaves of Christmas, Easter, Ascension, and Whit-Sunday, by
using the special preface appointed in the Communion Service at
every celebration during the octave. The Whit-Sunday preface,
however, is only used six days, because Trinity Sunday falls on
the octave.

OECUMENICAL. (Belonging to the whole inhabited world.) A term
applied to General Councils of the Church, to distinguish them
from councils of less importance. It is also a title of the
Patriarch of Constantinople.

OFFERTORY. In an ecclesiastical sense, the anthem said or sung
while the offerings are being made; it is now frequently used to
denote the alms collected. Oblations in money or kind have always
been made from apostolic times (1 Cor. xvi. 2). Out of these
offerings in kind were taken the bread and wine used in the
celebration of the Holy Communion. (See _Alms_, _Communion_.)

ORDERS, HOLY. Three _Orders_ have always been recognised in the
Church of Christ--Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. The preface to
the Ordinal in our Prayer Book affirms this very strongly. To
these were added, but on a distinctly different footing, what
are called the _Minor Orders_--Sub-Deacon, Acolyte, Exorcist,
Singer, Reader, Door-keeper; these are of merely ecclesiastical
institution, and are not generally retained in the Church of
England, although the office of Reader may be said to be in part
revived, and the revival of Sub-Deacon is recommended. The Church
of Rome has seven Orders. Articles xxiii., xxxvi. and xxxvii., as
well as the preface referred to above, should be carefully read
on this matter. (See also _Apostolical Succession_ and _Ordinal_.)

_Bishop_. From a Greek word (_episcopos_) meaning an "Overseer."
It is the title now given to the highest Order in the Christian
Ministry, to which appertains the function of ordination. Of this
Order were Titus and Timothy, the one being Bishop of Crete, the
other Bishop of Ephesus. In the English Church a Bishop must not
be less than 30 years old, a Pr