The New Testament also ftimishes us with exam- pies of consecration. Christians in general are es- teemed as consecrated to the Lord, and are a holy race, a chosen people (1 Pet. ii, 9). Ministers are in a peculiar manner consecrated or set apart, and so are places of worship, the forms of dedication varying ac- cording to the views of different bodies of Cluistians. See Obdinatioh. It does not appear that we have any particular accounts of the formal consecration of churches earlier than the fourth century, a fact which may be easily accounted for by considering the cir- cumstances of the times before Constantino. See the articles following ; also Bells.
Consecration -OFPERiKo. At the inauguration of the Israelitish priesthood, in connection with the oblation, certain parts of the victim (a ram), besides bread and cakes, were laid in the hand of the person to be consecrated, before he came to the altar (Exod. xxix, 22 sq. ; Lev. viii, 25 sq.), as a manipulation ex- pressive of the representative power thus conferred (Bihr, Symbol, ii, 426). This depositing in the hand is called by the technical term fiOing their hand (A. V. ** consecrate," Exod. xxviii, 41; xxix, 9; Lev. xxi, 10 ; Num. ill, 3 ; comp. Exod. xxxii, 29 ; 1 Chron. xxix, 5), and thus the sacerdotal consecration^ffering itself was styled ^ filing (D*^K^Q, sc. of the hand. Sept T(kiUMric, Lev. vii, 87 ; xxviii, 81), and the sacrificed ram was dosignatod by the corresponding term (b^K Q"«»ip, Exod. xxix, 26).— Winer, i, 881. See Or-
FEBINO.
CONSECRATION, hi the Christian Church, a cer- emony of dedicating persons or things to the service of God. It is especially applied to the setting apart of bishops for their office, and to the dedication of Church edifices to the worship of God.
I. Contecration of Bishops, — ^The fbrms for the con- secration of bishops in the Greek, Roman, Anglican, sod Methodist Episcopal churches are given under Bishop (i, 822, 828). In the preface to the form used in the Church of England, it is stated that no one shall be accounted or taken to be a bishop, or suffered to execute the same function, unless he be called, tried, and admitted thereunto according to that form, or hath formerly had episcopal consecration. The conclud- ing portion of this sentence recognises the validity of coBsecrations given in foreign churches by any other form adopted by those churches. Thus a Greek or Roman bishop, conforming to the rules of the Church of England, requires no ft^sb consecration, but is at liberty to officiate in that Church (Hook, s. v.). The
Greek and Roman churches, on the contrary, do not recognise the validity of Anglican consecrations.
Accordhig to a canon of the first Nicene Council, there must be four, or at least three blshope present at the consecration of a bbhop. See College, 2.
II. Comecraiion of Churches,— "L Anaeni Church, . —The practice of solemnly dedicatfaig to God those edifices which had been built for his worship is very ancient. The precise manner in which it was done for the first three ages of Christianity is unknown ; but Eusebius gives an account of the ceremony by which the church of Jerusalem, built by Constantine, was consecrated, A.D. 836. On such occasions it was usual for a whole synod of the neighboring or provin- cial bishops to assemble. " The solemnity ordinarily began with a panegyrical oration or sermon in com- memoration of the founder, which was followed by prayers, among which there seems to have been one in particular for the church which was then to be dedi- cated. The act of consecrating churches was so pecu- liarly reserved to the office of bishops that presbyters were not allowed to perform it. Ancientiy churches were always dedicated to God, and not to saints, though they were sometimes distinguished by thebr names as a memorial of them. Consecration was per- formed, indifferently, on any day; but, whatever the day was, it was usually kept and observed among their annual festivals. To this pope Gregory, sumamed the Great, added a new custom in England, which was, that on tlie anniversary of the dedication of churches, and particularly of those which had been heathen tem- ples, the people might build themselves booths round the church, and there feast themselves, in lieu of their ancient sacrifices while they were heathens. The wahesj which are still observed in some English coun- ties, are the remains of these feasts of dedication."
2. Church of Home. — ** The consecration of a church is performed with much ceremony in the Church of Rome, by whose members this rite is usually termed a dedication. As a preliminary step, the relics which are to be deposited in the altar of the new church are put into a clean vessel, together with three grains of incense, to which a piece of parchment is added, con- taining the day of the month and year, and the name of the officiating bishop. Three crosses are painted on each of the church walls, and over each cross a candle is placed. On the morning appointed for the ceremony, the bishop, arrayed in his pontifical vest- ments, and attended by the clergy, goes to the door of the church, where they recite the seven penitential psalms ; after which he makes a tour of the church walls, sprinkling them in the name of the Holy Trin- ity. This rite l>eing performed, he knoclu at the church door with his pastoral staff, repeating from Psalm xxiii [xxiv], ^^AttoUite portas^ et introibU Rex Glories,** A deacon, shut up in the church, demands, • * Quis est iste Rex Gloria f" To which the bishop an- swers, ^^Dominus fortis et potens: Dominus potens in prceliof" At the same time the bishop crosses the door, repeating the following verse :