tions. He is the
presiding officer at all Vestry meetings, superintendent of the
Sunday-school, and President of all Guilds, Brotherhoods and other
parochial societies. These offices he may delegate to others, but
_ex officio_ the Rector is head of all, and all that may be done in
the parish is to be done with reference to his consent and approval.

Rectory.--The house owned by the parish, intended for the use of the
Rector as his home.

Red Letter Days.--Those Festivals of the Church for which Collect,
Epistle and Gospel are provided in the Prayer-book. They are so
called from having been printed in the Calendar in red letters. The
words have passed into popular use to denote any notably auspicious
or favorable day; a day to be remembered.

Refreshment Sunday.--The Fourth Sunday in Lent is so called from the
Gospel for the day, which relates the feeding of the five thousand
by our Lord in the wilderness. As the late Bishop Coxe pointed out
in his "Thoughts on the Services," "having thus far (in the Lenten
services) considered the havoc of sin, we come now to consider its
repair; and because the sufficiency of Christ to refresh and satisfy
our hunger and thirst after righteousness is exhibited in the Gospel
for this day. It has little of the austere character of the other
Sundays in Lent; and its design is the {227} encouragement of
catechumens and penitents." (See FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT; also LENT,
SUNDAYS IN.)

Regeneration.--The inward and spiritual gift in Holy Baptism is
_regeneration_, that is being born anew. It is well to note that
Regeneration, or the "New Birth" is often confounded with
"Conversion," or they are regarded as synonymous terms. This is a
mistake and contrary to the teaching of Holy Scripture. Regeneration
is a New Birth unto God whereby we become partakers of the nature of
Christ. As the natural birth, so the new and spiritual Birth can
take place only once, and that in Holy Baptism. A baptized
Christian may repeatedly fall from Grace, and by repentance, by
amendment of life and by forgiveness he may be again restored,
(this is _Conversion_), but he cannot be said to be again _regenerate_
without a grievous misapprehension of the language of the Bible and
a _total departure from the Doctrine of the Primitive Church_. By
_Regeneration_, therefore, is meant that gracious act of God whereby
for Christ's sake. He brings us into a new relationship with
Himself, adopts us as His own children, tran