CONSECRATION is the act of solemnly dedicating a person or thing to the service of God. It is one of the most widely spread religious ceremonies of the ancient world, being practiced in India, Egypt, Chidden, Judea, Greece, Rome, Britain, and other countries. In the Old Testament we read of the C. or dedication of the first-born, both man and beast, to the Lord; also the dedication of the Levites, of the tabernacle and altar, of fields, houses, walls, etc. This custom, at least so far as regarded places and things, did not pass immediately from Judaism to Christianity, for the latter being more or less a persecuted religion until the time of Constantine, could not venture to indulge with safety in any public ceremonialism; but DO sooner was the sword of persecution sheathed than, according to Eusebius, "the sight was afforded us, so eagerly desired and prayed for by all—the festivals of dedications and consecrations of the newly erected houses of prayer throughout the cities." Eusebius himself describes the C. of the church built at Jerusalem by Constantine, 335 A.D. The practice of consecrating religious edifices has continued to the present day in the Roman and Anglican churches. The forms were at first very simple, consisting chiefly of prayer, the celebration of the Lord's supper, thanksgiving, and benediction; but they afterwards became more numerous and imposing, whilst, also, the bishops and higher dignitaries assumed the power of consecrating entirely to themselves. An important part of the C. of Roman Catholic churches consists in the deposition of relics for a time upon the altar. In the English church, each bishop is left to his own discretion as to the form of C. to be adopted, but that most generally used is the form sent down by the bishops to the lower houses of convocation in 1712. The English church also retains the C. of burying
grounds.
C. OF A.ucautsuors AND Thsuors.—According to a canon of the first Nicene coun cil, there must be four, or at least three bishops present at the C. of an archbishop or bishop. The form used in the church of England is that prepared in the reign of Edward VI. The Romanists deny the validity of English orders generally, as derived from heretical and improperly consecrated bishops. They had an old story, refuted by their own historian Lingard, which is known as that of the "Nag's Head consecration." According to this story, archbishop Parker was consecrated at the Nag's Head tavern, Cheapside, by one of the Protestant bishops present laying a Bible on his head, and saying: "Take thou authority," etc. Lingard thus relates the facts: "Barlow, the deprived bishop of Bath, and Hodgkins, once suffragan of Bedford, who had both been consecrated according to the Roman Catholic pontifical, in the reign of Henry VIII., and Scorcy, the deprived bishop of Chichester, and Coverdale, the deprived bishop of Exeter, who hail been both consecrated according to the reformed ordinal, proceeded to confirm the election of Parker, and then to consecrate him after the form adopted in the reign of Edward VI. A few days later, Parker, as archbishop, confirmed the elec tion of Barlow to the see of Chichester, and of Scorey to that of Hereford, and with these for his assistants, consecrated all the other prelates elect." The C. took place in the chapel at Lambeth, as appears by the archbishop's register, and Lingard says that there is nothing to countenance the supposition of the entry being other than authentic. The story probably arose from a fact, mentioned by Fuller, that the commissioners who confirmed Parker's election dined at the Nag's Head, a tavern much frequented by the country clergy.