aily throughout the Season. The color
for Altar hangings, etc., is purple or violet.

Advent Sunday.--A name to be found in the Prayer Book for the First
Sunday in Advent. It is commonly regarded as the first day of the
Church Year, and as such the _Christian's New Year's Day_. From the
fact that the Church Year anticipates the Civil New Year by a whole
month it is thought that the Church thereby teaches that the Kingdom
of God should be first in our thoughts, (See ADVENT, also CHRISTIAN
YEAR).

Affusion.--The _pouring_ (which the word means) of water on the
recipient of Baptism, when the Baptism is not by immersion.
Questions have arisen from the very earliest ages as to the matter
and form with which this Sacrament is to be administered. The
original mode was undoubtedly by the descent of the person to be
baptized into a stream or pool of water. The practice of immersion
was not, however, regarded as an essential feature of Baptism. There
can be little doubt that affusion was practiced instead of immersion,
at the discretion of the Priest, in ancient as well as in modern
times. The Prayer Book provides for either mode. The method is a
matter of indifference, the essential point being that the candidate
for Baptism come into actual contact with water while the words, "I
baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost," are spoken.

Agape.--A Greek word meaning _love_. The name given to the "Love
Feast" or social meal which the ancient Christians were accustomed
to have when they came together and which was partaken of before
the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. But owing to abuses, which
St. Paul rebuked in writing to the {9} Corinthians, it was finally
abolished. There seems to be some confusion of ideas in regard to
this ancient custom as is seen in the wrong use that is made of the
term LORD'S SUPPER (which see).

Agnus Dei.--Meaning "The Lamb of God." This is the name given to
the prayer "O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us," to be found in the Litany and Gloria in
Excelsis. The Agnus Dei is often sung as an anthem after the Prayer
of Consecration in the Holy Communion. It is also the name given to
a representation of a lamb with banner as an emblem of Christ. (See
EMBLEMS).

Aisle.--This term is often wrongly applied to the alleys or
passageways between the pews of a church. Aisle, properly speaking,
is an architectural term given to the