3. Greek Church. — In the Greek Church, as in the other Eastern communions, the ritual forms part of the general collection (which contains also the eucharistic service) entitled Euchologion (q. v.).
4. The Methodist Churches. — The ritual of these churches embraces directions for public worsliip, for the administration of baptism and the Lord's supper, for sol- emnizing matrimony, burial of the dead, reception of members, laying corner-stones, dedication of churches, consecration of bisliops, and ordination of deacons and elders. The chief part of this ritual was prepared by ]\Ir. Wesley, and was adopted by the (ieneral Confer- ence of 1784. Methodists do not believe tliat any pre- cise form of ritual is essential, but that, as far as prac- ticable, a uniform system should be adopted for the sake of propriety and order. See Blunt, Diet. ofTheol. ; Chum- _ bers's Encyclop. ; Simpson, Cyclop, of Methodism, s. v. ; Mosheim, Church IJisf. vol. i; Barnum, Romanism.
Ritual Choir. The part of the church actually used for the choir, and distinct from the architectural or constructional choir. — AValcott, Sac. Archceol. s. v.
Rituale Romanum. Various rituals {oixlines Ro- mani) had been issued from time to time in behalf of the worship of the Roman Catholic Church [see Ordo RoMANUs] ; but the later popes, since the Council of Trent (comp. sess. xxv, Be Indice Libroruni) were con- cerned to promote ecclesiastical unity by introducing a common ritual. Pius V accordingly published the Bre- viarium and the Missale Romanum, and Clement VIII the Pontificale and Ceremoniale (see the respective arti- cles); and Paul V followed their example by causing certain cardinals to compile a new service-book from several of the older rituals, especially that of car- dinal Julius Antonius (Sdnctee Serei-ince'), which was issued under the title Rituale Romanum, June 16, 1614, and its use made obligatory. It contains the sacra- ments to be administered by priests, sacramentfilia, pro- cessions, forms for use in records of the Chtu'cli. etc. Other service-books gradually gave way before it in the general use of the Church, though special books were still prepared, particularly, for use in the churdies of the city of Rome. See Catalani, Sacrarum Cieremoniarum, etc. (Rome, 1750, 2 vols, fol.). — Herzog, Real-Ertcy- Liop. s. V.
Ritualism, a term popularly apjilied to a move- ment in the Church of England, and in the Protestant Episcopal Church. The revival of ecclesiastical learn- ing, which was so conspicuous a feature of the Tracta- rian (q. v.) movement, necessarily made the clergy bet- ter acquainted with the primitive liturgies, and witli the ancient service-books of the. Church of England. This study of ecclesiology, as the science came to be
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calleil, was soon brought to bear upon the restoration of old churches and the construction of new ones, as well as upon the service of the Church. There was also the feeling that prayer, praise, and the holy eucharist are offered to God, as well as used for the spiritual advan- tage of man. It was under such circumstances, and under such influences, that " Ritualism" took its rise.
The principles of Ritualism, according to its advocates, are. three. They say, in the first place, that it rests on the declaration of the Convocation of Canterbury (1571), " that preachers should, in the first place, be carefid never to teach anything from the pulpit, to be relig- iously held and believed by the people, but what is agreeable to the doctrine of the Old and New Testa- ments, and collected out of that very doctrine by the catholic fathers and ancient bishops." This was thought to establish the doctrinal identity of the Church of England with the primitive Church. Consequently the apostolic episcopate and sacramental grace are spe- cially insisted on, baptismal regeneration is strenuously asserted, and the holy eucharist has been made the cen- tral object of teaching and the highest object of wor- ship. The voluntary use of private confession and absolution as a preparation for the reception of the holy communion has also made considerable progress. The second great principle of the Ritualist is stated in the thirtieth canon : "So far was it from the purpose of the Church of England to forsake and reject the churches of Italy, France, Spain, and Germany, or any such-like churches, in all things which thej^ held and practiced, that, as the apology of the Church of England confesseth, it doth with reverence retain those ceremo- nies which do neither endamage the Church of God nor offend the minds of sober men." This principle, it is alleged, establishes the fraternal readiness of the Church of England for visible union with other branches of the apostolic Church, and the Ritualists assert a willing- ness to do any and ever}- thing lawful to ajiproximate towards the Continental Church. The third principle is found in the Ornaments Rubric : " The chancels shall remain as they have dune in times past . . . that such ornaments of the church and of the ministers thereof, at aO times of their ministration, shall be retained and be in use as they were in this Church of England, by the authority of Parliament, in the second year of the reign of king Edward YI." This was interpreted to mean that the chancels, vestments, ornaments of the church and ministers, should be the same as before the Reformation. This principle was fully developed at several churches in London, Oxford, Leeds, and else- where. Depending upon the above-mentioned princi- ples, there are six chief jjoints insisted upon b_v the Ritualists : 1, the eastward position of the celebrant in the sacrament of the holy communion, with his back to the people; 2, the eucharistic vestments; 3, lights, burning at the time of celebration ; 4, incense ; 5, the mixed chalice, a little water being mixed with the wine ; G, unleavened (or wafer) bread. The IHrectorium Ani/liamum, lieing a mainial of directions for the right celebration of a holy communion, for the saying of matins and evensong, and for the performance of other rites and ceremonies of the Church, acconling to an- cient uses of the Church of England, by the Rev. John Purchas. was pul)lished in 1H5H. A full development of ritualistic usages on the principle thus indicated was established at St. Alban's Church, IIoll)orn, and at a later date at a Rrighton chapel, of whicli iMr. Purchas became incumbent. The ceremonial of divine service was raised to a much liighcr standard tlian had been contemplated by the older school of Ritualists, and pro- voked op|)o.sition from tliem, for it was chiefly copied from modern Continental customs, and was iirtuch mixed up with a sentimentalism about candles and flowers, as well as with an excessive minuteness in regard to post- ures and gestures, whicli made it easy to charge the school with trifling and want of manliness.