t happily
did not succeed. The argument used against it, that the Birthday of
the Child Jesus is not known, and, therefore, cannot be preserved,
does not prevail against the universal longing to celebrate in
some way this great event. We are not surprised, therefore, to find
that from the very earliest period Christmas was observed. St.
Chrysostom, in the fourth century, speaks of it as being even then
of great antiquity. In one of his Epistles he mentions that Julius
I, about A.D. 350, had caused strict inquiry to be made and had
confirmed the observance of Christmas on December 25th.

Christmas has always been observed with several celebrations of
the Holy Eucharist, three at least taking place; one at midnight,
another at early dawn and the third at midday. The growing devotion
of the {55} American Church has demanded this celebration of
Christmas and, therefore, at the last revision of the Prayer Book
a second Collect, Epistle and Gospel for this day was inserted. It
is customary to decorate our churches on Christmas with evergreen
as symbolical of the eternal nature of our Lord; to deck the Altar
with white symbol of joy and purity, and in some places with
lighted candles to typify our Lord as the Light of the world.

Church.--The word used in Holy Scripture for Church is _ecclesia_,
from the Greek word _ek-kaleo_, meaning to call out. An ecclesia,
therefore, is a body _called out_. The Rev. Francis J. Hall has
given the following explanation, "The Church is called the
_ecclesia_ because her membership consists of those who are called
of God, and adopted as His children and heirs of everlasting
life. The name teaches that the origin of the church was due,
not to any human act of organization, but to Divine operations
and a Divine ingathering of the elect. The mark by which the
elect are distinguished in Holy Scripture is membership of the
Church by Baptism, although ultimate salvation requires further
conditions." The use of the term _ecclesia_ came originally from
the calling out of Israel from Egypt; "out of Egypt have I called
my Son;" this is the first use of the word. The true conception
of the Church is a body called out from the world, and set apart
to the service of God, as such it is called the Kingdom of God,
over which God reigns and in which they who are called serve Him.
(See UNITY, CHURCH; KINGDOM OF GOD; CHURCH CATHOLIC; also ANGLICAN
CHURCH). {56}

Church Building Fund.--A very important and he