7. A law of .Justinian {Cod. lib. v, tit. 4, De Kvptiis, leg. xxvi) forbids any man to marry a woman, whether she be slave or free, for whom he had been godfather in baptism when she was a child. The Council of Trullo (can. 53) forbids the godfather not only to marry the infant, but the mother of the infant, for whom he an- swers; and orders them that have done so first to be separated, then to do the penance of fornicators. This [irohibition was extended to more degrees in the follow- ing ages, and grew so extravagant that the Council of Trent thought it a matter worthy of their reformation. By their rules, however, this spiritual relation was ex- tended lo more degrees, forbidding marriage not only between the sjionsors and their children, but also be- tween the sponsors themselves; nor may the baptizer marry the baptized, nor the father or mother of the bap- tized, because of the spiritual relation that is contracted between them.
8. The twenty-ninth canon of the Anglican Church makes it necessary for every child to have a godfather and godmother; and, in order to secure this benefit to all the infantine members of the Church, it prohibits the iiarents assuming this oflice. The canon ai)pears to argue in this way; No father or mother is a real god- father or godmollier; it is (piite true that they may stand at the font and take upon themselves the nominal
SPOON
9G3
SPORT
office, but the real godfather and the real godmother are the creations of time, custom, and natural feeling working within the precincts of the Church. They are, essentially, persons outside of the home circle, whose in- terest is engaged in the rising young Cliristian by as- suming this relation to him. 'I'he [Kircnts themselves are already sponsors by the simple fact of being parents; so that, if j'ou give the child only his parents for his sponsors, you give him nothing at all, because he has them already. The reason of having a godfather and godmother is that they are persons from without, who add friendly interest and attention to the parental one. According to Gilpin, "the Ciuirch demands the security of sponsors, who are intended, if the infant should be left an orphan or neglected by its parents, to see it properly instructed in the advantages promised and the conditions required" {Serm. xxiii, vol. iii, p. 259).
See Bingham, Christ. A nflq. bk. xi, ch, ix ; Riddle, Christ. Antiq. ; and the monographs cited by Volbeding, Index Program, p. 1-1:2. See Baptism.
Spoon (C]3, kaph, a hand, as elsewhere), a hollow dish or iian used as a censer for the Tabernacle and Temple (Exod. xxv, 29 ; Numb, iv, 7 ; vii, 14 sq. ; 1 Kings vii, 50; 2 Kings xxv, 14; 2 Chron. xxiv, 14; Jer. Iii, 18, 19). The Orientals generally eat with the lingers, and so have no occasion for knives, forks, etc. See Eating. Among the ancient Egyptians spoons
SI'OON, a vessel used both in preparing the chal- ice for the eucharist and for distributing the sacra- ment to the faithful generally, to the intirm, and the sick. In the tirst case the bowl is i>erforated, in order that any impurities in the altar wine may be easily and simply removed ; in the other the bowl is solid, and the handle usually made in the form of a cross. Many an- cient examples exist. The spoon is likewise used in tlie ceremonies of a coronation. — Lee, Gloss, of Litunj. Terms, s. v.
Spooner, Ekastus Cakter, a Presbyterian minis- ter, was born at Brandon, Vt., July 18, 1815. He grad- uated at Miildlebury College in 1839, after which he en- tered the Union Theological Seminary, where he re- mained over two years, and engaged in teaching in Brandon; and before he couhl prepare for the ministry, which was his design, he was called away to a higher field of labor. He died in Brandon, Dec. 11, 1841. (W. P. S.)
Sport (some form of pn^ or pHlU, to laugh ; but in Isa. Ivii, 4 USS'nil, to mock; ii'Tpi<faiiJ,2 Pet. ii, 13), The various events incident to domestic life afforded the Jews occasions for festivity and recreation. Thus, Abra- ham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned (Gen. xxi, 8). Weddings were always seasons of re- joicing; so, also, were the seasons of sheep -shearing (1 Sam. xxv, 36; 2 Sam. xiii, 23) and harvest home.
were introduced when required for soup or other liq- i To these may be added the birthdays of sovereigns aids; and perhaps even a knife was employed on some (Gen. xl, 28 ; ISIark vi, 21). Of most of these festivities occasions, to facilitate the carving of a large joint, which j music and dancing were the accompaniments (Lam. v,
is sometimes done in the East at the present day. The Egj'ptian spoons were of various forms and sizes. They were principally of ivory, bone, wood, or bronze, and other metals; and in some the handle terminated in a hook, by which, if required, they were suspended to a nail. Many were ornamented with the lotus flower; the handles of others were made to represent an animal or a human tiguie; some were of very arbitrarj' shape; and a smaller kind, of round form, probably intended for taking ointment out of a vase and transferring it to a shell or cup for immediate use, are occasionally discov- ered in the tombs (Wilkinson, Anc. Eyypt. i, 183 sq.). See Dish.