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Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Terms: Quakers
Quakers or "Friends." Established 1646 by George Fox, who rejected all religious ordinances, etc. The Quakers have no liturgy, forms of prayers, or regular preaching. They assemble and sit in solemn silence until one feels moved by the Holy Spirit to speak. Their tenets as to conduct, amusements etc., are very strict.
Roman Catholics. Members of the Church which looks upon the Pope as its spiritual head. They form one branch of the Catholic Church, the other two being the Anglican and the Greek.
Sabbatarians. A very small sect now. They hold that the Sabbath should be observed on the seventh day of the week instead of the first. Some Baptists hold this belief also, and are termed Seventh-Day Baptists. Salvation Army. Founded 1865 by Wm. Booth, then a Methodist minister. Now a most extensive organization, of which, under the title of "General" he is at the head. The military system is adopted, and members of the army live in barracks. Strict discipline is maintained. Doctrinal views mostly Arminian. Meetings characterized by great excitement, out-door processions, etc., much in vogue. Many Homes, Refuges, etc., organized and supported by the Army, which comprises of upward of 150,000 members.
Shakers. A sect which seceded from the Quakers in 1747. Their religious belief displays itself in gesticulations and posturing, and is characterized by much excitement. There are few now in England, and the practices of these have been much modified.
Swedenborgians. Founded in 1755 by Emmanuel Swedenborg. The doctrines of this sect are that the sole Deity is centred in Jesus Christ, that faith and works are necessary to salvation, that there is no resurrection of a material body, and that the second coming of our Lord has already taken place in a spiritual sense. Theists. Those who deny the doctrine of the Trinity. The followers of the belief have formed themselves into a body under the title of the "Theistic Church." Their minister is the Rev. Charles Voysey, formerly a minister of the Church of England, but deprived of his position for heresy in 1871. Unitarians. A very large body, who profess to believe and worship one God only, and reject the unity of the Trinity. They deny the divinity of our Saviour, and look upon him only as an exceptionally pure and good man, asserting that his crucifixion was in no sense an atonement for sin. They believe salvation may be gained by good works. In England there are over a million of this sect. There are over 6000 known languages and dialects. The average rate of speed at which orators deliver their words is from 180 to 230 per minute. At present English is spoken by over 110 millions of people; German, 69 millions; Russian, 67 millions; French, 48 millions; Spanish, 41 millions; Italian, 30 millions; Portuguese, 13 millions.
The number of persons in the United Kingdom still speaking Celtic is :- Irish Gaelic, 867,600; Scotch Gaelic, 309,250; Manx, 12,500; Welsh, 1,006,100. The alphabets of different nations contain the following number of letters :- Hebrew, 22; Latin, 22; Italian, 22; Greek, 24; French, 25; English, 26; German, 26; Spanish, 27; Arabic, 28; Turkish, 28; Persian, 32; Russian, 35; Slavonic, 42; Sanscrit, 44; Chinese radical characters, 214; Chinese alphabet, 33. The language used by Christ was the Aramaic the dialect of Northern Syria. The changes English has undergone are well shown in the Lord's Prayer as used at various periods :- A. D. 1158. Fader ur heune, haleweide beith thi neune, cumin thi kuneriche, thi wille beoth idon in heune and in erthe. The euryen dawe briend, gif ous thilk dawe. And vorzif uer detters as vi vorsifen ure dettoures. And lene us nought into temtation, bot delyvor eus of evel.
A. D. 1300. Fader ure in heavene. Halewyn be thi name, thi kingdom come, thi wille be done as in hevene and in earthe-Oua urche days bred give us to daye. And forgive oure dettes as we forgive oure dettoures. And lead us nor in temptation, bote delyveor us of yvil.
A. D. 1370. Oure fadir that art in heunes hallowid be thi name, thi kingdom come to, be thi wille done in erthe as in heune, geve to us this day oure breed oure other substance forgene to us our dettis as we forgauen to oure dettouris, lede us not into temptation; but delyuer us yvel.
Α. D. 1524. Ο oure father which arte in heven, hallowed by thy name. Let thy kingdom come. Thy wyoll be fulfilled as well in earth as it is in heven. Give us this daye oure dayly brede. And forgive us our trespaces even as we forgive our trespacers. And lead us not into temptation, but delyver us from vell. For thyne is the kingdome and the power and the glorye for ever.