ACCLAMATION
46
ACCOMMODATION"
tiation. That a sacrament, by its very nature, is es- sentially a sensible sign, not only in relation to our- selves, but in itself, i. e., in the language of the schools, not only ex parte nostri, but ex parte sui ; and that, con- sequently, if all that there is real and physical in the eucharist ic accidents consists in this, that God causes them to produce in us, after consecration, the same sensations ■which the bread did previously, the sacra- ment is no longer a sensible sign, ex parte sui, in itself, but only ex parte nostri ; and, therefore, when God ceases to produce such sensations in us, as, for in- stance, when the consecrated host is locked up in the pyx, it is no longer a sacrament. They argue also, that to hold that they are not pure, or absolute acci- dents, destroys equally the nature of transubstantia- tion, because (1) transubstantiation is a real conver- sion of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Now, in every conversion there must be something common to both substances remaining the same after the change that it was before, else it would be simply a substitution of one thing for another. As, then, in the holy eucharist, the substances of bread and wine do not remain after consecration, it follows that what does remain is the pure accidents. (2) They who oppose the doctrine of absolute accidents teach that one body differs from another only in the differ- ent configuration of its parts ; and that wherever there is the same configuration of parts, there is the same body; and wherever there are the same sensations produced, there is also the same arrangements of parts to produce them. If this be so, since, in the holy eucharist, the same sensations are produced after the consecration as before, there must be the same config- uration of parts after consecration as before, or the same body; in other words, there is no change, no transubstantiation. — Landon, Eccl. Dictionary, s. v. See Transubstantiation.
Acclamation, (1.) in Roman use, the unanimous concurrence of all the votes in an election for pope or bishop, without previous balloting, is called acclama- tio or rjuasi-inspiratio.
(2.) In the ancient Church, the name acclamatio was given to shouts of joy, by which the people expressed their approval of the eloquence or doctrine of their preachers. Sometimes in the African Church, when the preacher quoted an apposite text of Scripture in illustration or confirmation of his argument, the peo- ple would join him in repeating the close of it. This was encouraged by the minister, in order that the peo- ple might gain a familiar acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures. The acclamations were general, and con- sisted not only of exclamations, but of clapping the hands, and other indications of assent. It is said that the people applauded the sermons of Chrysostom, some by tossing their garments, others by moving their plumes, others laying their hands on their swords, and others waving their handkerchiefs, and crying out, "Thou art worthy of the priesthood! Thou art the thirteenth apostle ! Christ hath sent thee to save our souls," etc. While the ancients did not refuse these acclamations, they took care to exhort those to whom they spoke to show their approval of the sermons they heard by the fruits of godly living. They proved to them that the best praise of the sermon is the com- punction of the hearers. Jerome lays it down as a rule, in his directions to Nepotian, that in preaching he should try to excite the groans of the people rather than their applauses, and let the tears of the hearer be the commendation of the preacher. Many passages in Chrysostom's writings show that he desired the prac- tice to be banished from the Church, because it was abused by vain and ambitious persons, who only preached to gain the applause of their hearers, and even hired men to applaud them. lie says, "Many appear in public, and labor hard, and make long ser- mons, to gain the applause of the people, in which they rejoice as much as if they had gained a kingdom ;
but, if their sermon ends in silence, they are more tor- mented about that silence than about the pains of hell. This is the ruin of the Church, that ye seek to hear such sermons as are apt not to move compunction, but pleasure ; hearing them as you would hear a musician or singer, with a tinkling sound and composition of words." The practice of giving expression to the feelings in worship has been known in modern times. There was a sect in Flanders, in the fourteenth cen- tury, called Dancers, whose practice it was to seize each other's hands, and to continue dancing till they fell down breathless. The Whippers or Flagellants, the Jumpers, the Shakers, have obtained their respect- ive designations fram certain customs adopted in wor- ship.—Bingham, Orig. Eccl. xiv, iv, 27.
Acco. See Acciio.
Accolti, Peter, known under the title of Cardinal of Ancona, was born at Florence in 1497, and died at Florence in 1549. Under Leo X he occupied the place of Apostolical Abhreviator, and in 1549 he drew up against Luther the famous bull which condemned 41 propositions of this reformer. While secretary of Clement VII he was appointed cardinal in 1527, and sent as legate in 1532 into the March of Ancona. Un- der Paul III he fell into disfavor, and was imprisoned in the castle of San Angelo. He obtained his liberty only upon paving the large sum of 59,000 dollars. He obtained several bishoprics, and left one daughter and two sons. He is the author of a treatise on the rights of the popes upon the kingdom of Naples. Some of his poems are contained in the first volume of the Carmina illustrium poetarum ltahrrum (Florence, 1562, 8vo). — Hoefer, Biographic Generate, i, 165.