T , . „ r,x. 1, which form the frame
Lectern ui Ramsay Church, . ,
Huntingdonshire (about 1450). supportmg the volume.
In Scotland, during the
last centun,', the precentor's desk was commonly called
by that name, and pronounced lettern. See Chambers,
Cyclopadia, vol. vi, s. v. ; Walcott, Sac. A rchceol. p. 345.
See Eagle.
Lecticarii, the same as the copiatce. They were called lecticarii from the fact that they carried the corpse or bier at funerals. See Copiat^.
Lectionarium, or Lessons. Of the many real
and supposcil meanings of the expression lectio (avay- voiaic, di'dyrwrrpa), we have here only to consider the liturgical. In this sense it is used to designate the read- ing, which, together with singing, prayers, prcacliing, and the administration of the sacraments, constitutes public worship.
This part cjf worship is adopted from the Jews, and, like that of the synagogues, was at first restricted to the reading of their sacred books (O. T.). The first record we find of the reading of the N.-Test. Scriptures in the churches is in Justin, Apol. i, cap. 67. But the fact of the reading of the Bible in general from the earliest times is clearly established by passages of Tertnllian {Apolog. cap. 39; De anima, cap. 9), Cyprian {Fp. 24, 33, edit. Oberth. 34), Origen {Contra Cel-s. iii, 45, ed. Oberth. 50), etc. It is self-evident that the canonical books and the homologoumena were those most gcnerallv read. But that lessons were occasionally read also from the Apocrypha and Antilegomena is shown by the vet re- maining lists of libri ecclesiastici and uvayivwc^icoptva, i. e. of such books as, although not recognised as au- thorities in matters of faith, are still permitted to be read in the churches. Other writings, especially acta martyrum, and sermons of some of the most distin- guished fathers, came afterwards to be also read to the people. The number of pieces (leciiones) read at each service varied; the author of the Apostolic Constitu- tions (ii, c. 57) mentions four; two was the minimum — one from the Gospels, the other from the epistles or oth- er books, including those of the O. T. See Peiucop^e. At first the portions to be read, at least on every ordi- nary Sunday, were taken in succession in the sacred books (lectio contimai), but afterwards special ]iortions were appointed to be read on certain Sundays, and the selection was made by the bishop, until at last a regular system of lessons was contrived, which is the base of the one still used at present in churches where the strictly liturgical service is adhered to. For feast-days, at first, special lessons were appointed (for instance, the ac- count of the resurrection on Easter : see Augustine, Serm,
LECTISTERXIUM
ilS
LECTURES
139, 140). But it is not known at what time the plan ^vllic■ll forms the basis of the present sj'stem was first adopted. Yet Kanke {Das Kirchl. Pertkojieiisi/iitc-m, Berl. 1847) gives us good reasons for tliinkini;' that tradition may be correct in representing Jerome as the author of the ancient list of lessons known under the name of '•comes," and as the originator of the S3-stem in the "Western Church.
Such lists, indicating the portions of Scripture to be read in public assemblies on the different days of the year, are named lectionaria (sc. volumina) or lectionarii (libri) ; Greek, avayvoiaTiKu, tvayytXiaragia, tKKoya- via (they are also called evangeliarium ef (pisiolare ; evangelia cum epistolis ; comes). In Latin the principal are the " Led. Gallicanum," in Mabillon, Litur;/. Gallic., the "comes" of Jerome; the "Calendarium Homanum" (edit. Fronto, Par. 1652) ; the " Tabula aiifiquarum lec- tionum,'' in Pauli, .4cZ missas, in Gerbert, J/on(Hft. Uturg. ^4^e??i.i,409. See ±\xign&t\,l)enkwurdifjk.\o\.\i; Handb. del- chr. A rch.W, 6 ; Kanke, Das Kirchl. Perikojjensi/stem ; Palmer, Orii/. Lit. I, i, 10; Bingham, Orig. Eccles, xiv, 3, § 2; Procter, History of Book of Common Prayer, p. 2U) sq. ; Martene, De Ant. Eccles. Hit. iv, 5, 1 sq. ; Freeman, Principles of Divine Service, i, 125 sq. See Liturgy.
The reading of the lesson in the early ages of the Church was intrusted to the lector (q. v.). At present, in the Komish mass, when the number of officiating priests is complete, the epistle is read by the subdeacou and the Gospel by the deacon. See Herzog, Real-Ency- Moj). viii, 268; Blunt. Z>;c^ of Docir. and IJist. Theol. p. 408 sq. Sec Lesson. (J.H.W.)
Lectisternium (Lat. lectus, a couch, and sternere, to spread), a religious festival ceremony among the an- cient Komans. It was celebrated during times of public calamity, when the gods were invited to the entertain- ment, and their statues taken from their pedestals and laid on couches. The lectisternium, according to Livy (v, 13), was first celebrated in the year of Home 354 (on the occasion of a contagious disease which committed frightful ravages among the cattle), and lasted for eight successive days. On the celebration of this festival en- emies were said to forget their animosities, and all pris- oners were liberated. — Brando and Cox, Dictionary of A rt and Sciences, vol. ii, s. v.
Lector {avayvioanjo) or Reader was the name of an officer in the ancient Church whose place it was to read the holy Scriptures and other lessons (for instance, the.4c/rt martyrum) in public worship. He was also intrusted with the keeping of the sacred volumes. This reading of the Word of God formed an important part in the service of the Jewish synagogues (see Luke iv, 16; Acts xiii, 15, 27; 2 Cor. iii, 14), and was introduced ijito the Christian Church from thence. But we do not know at what period the performance of it became a special office. Yet Tertullian, De prcescr. Imr. c. 41, ex- pressly sjjeaks of the lector as a special officer in the Church, and Cyprian {Kp. 33, and edit. Oberth. 34) men- tions the ordination of two readers. The early Church councils (C'oncil. Chalcedon. a. 451, c. 13, 14 ; folet. 7, 2 ; Vasense, ii, 2 ; Valentin, c. 1 ; A rausial, i, 18) give direc- tions about the duties of readers. Still, although the most eminent fathers laid great stress on the reading of Scripture in the churches, and Cyprian declares their otBcc one of great honor {Kpist. .34), it was yet classed among the ordines inferiores. This is easily accoimted for from the fact that the simple reading, without any exegetical or liomiletical explanations (which are not in the province of the reader), was a mere mechanical performance, and in after times often intrusted to cliil- (Iren. After the form of the liturgy of the mass was final- ly settled, the lectors were forbidden to read the peri- copes occurring in the missa (idclium. They were also thereafter exchuied from the alt'ar, and suffered to read only at the pu/pilum, and finally were obliged to leave to the deacon or presbyter the pronouncing of the for- mula solennis. i)robably because the reader was of lower