ine Service.

When Church Wardens have been chosen, they are admitted to their
office by the Archdeacon. The office is of one year's duration only.
In many larger parishes they are assisted by Synodmen, or Sidesmen.

A Church Warden should be a resident rate-payer; but non-residence
is not always a disqualification. The following are certainly
disqualified to hold office,--all aliens born, as well as aliens
naturalized; all Jews; all children under 10 years of age; all
persons convicted of felony; all idiots and insane persons.

CHURCH YARD. The ground adjoining the Church, in which the dead are
buried. It is the freehold of the parson, but inasmuch as it was
the common burial place, it was fenced and cared for at the charge
of the parishioners, who could be rated for it. Recent _Burial Acts_
(which see) have lately given power to laymen to conduct funeral
services even in the consecrated Churchyard. Rates have also been
done away with, and thus we find the parson burdened with the charge
of a Churchyard in which any man, woman, or child, may hold funeral
services. The Church of England is the only religious body in
England which may not have a distinct burial ground for her dead!

CHURCHING OF WOMEN. From the earliest times it has been usual for a
woman after child-birth to come to God's house to offer thanks. It
was so among the Jews, although with them the idea of purification
is involved as well as of thanksgiving, as it is in the Eastern
Church at the present day. In some country places there is an idea
that a woman can be "_Churched_" at home, which is a contradiction
in terms.

CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST. A feast dating from before the 6th century,
when a special service was already in use for it. The collect--a
translation from an ancient Latin one--sums up well the teaching
of the day.

CLERGY. A general name for ecclesiastics of all orders (see
_Orders_), as distinguished from the laity. The word is from a
Greek one, meaning a _portion_.

CLERK. The legal designation of a clergyman is "_Clerk in Holy
Orders_." The _Parish Clerk_ was formerly a person in Holy Orders,
but his office, as defined in our Prayer Book, is usually discharged
by a layman. The appointment of a Parish Clerk is in the hands of
the incumbent, by whom also he may be dismissed; but in some
parishes the office is a freehold. The almost universal use of
choirs in churches has nearly done away with that strange mode of
public worship whic