The Project Gutenberg EBook of The American Church Dictionary and
Cyclopedia, by William James Miller

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Title: The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia

Author: William James Miller

Release Date: January 7, 2010 [EBook #30888]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AMERICAN CHURCH DICTIONARY ***

Produced by Elaine Laizure, from images generously made
available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.

The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia

BY THE REV. WILLIAM JAMES MILLER, M.A., B.D.

"_Of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God_."--Acts 1:3.

NEW YORK THOMAS WHITTAKER

2 AND 3 BIBLE HOUSE

COPYRIGHT, 1901,

By THOMAS WHITTAKER

Preface

The writer of the following pages has long been convinced, from an
experience of many years in the Ministry, that a great desideratum
among Church people is a Church Dictionary, especially one not so
expensive as the more costly works, and at the same time something
more complete and satisfactory than a mere glossary of terms. What
seems to be needed is an inexpensive, handy volume, "short enough
for busy people, plain enough for common people, cheap enough for
poor people," yet complete enough to give the information needed.
The present work was undertaken with this object in view. It was
thought "worth while"; for if words are things, then greater
familiarity with the phraseology of the Church will lead to greater
knowledge "of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." What is
here set forth is really a HANDY BOOK OF READY REFERENCE _arranged
in alphabetical order_; and while some of the articles may seem to
be too brief, yet the system of cross references adopted, it is
believed, will throw considerable light on subjects where it is
employed and thus enables the book to be kept within the limits
already specified.

The title, THE AMERICAN CHURCH DICTIONARY, indicates the purpose
as well as those for whom it is written. In preparing it, the
writer worked under the {3} conviction that not only is it necessary
to set forth the historic facts, doctrines, terminology, customs
and usages of the