Whether leavened or unleavened bread should be used in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper has been the subject of a spirited dispute between the Greek and Latin churches. The former contended for the use of leavened, the latter for that of unleavened bread. (See AZYMITES). In the Romish Church bread is called the host, hostia. It consists of cakes of meal and water, made small, circular, and thin like wafers, and by this name it is frequently called. This form seems to have been adopted at the time of the controversy with the Greek Church in 1053. One of the ceremonies used in the consecration of the elements was breaking the bread. This was done in conformity with our Lord's example. Many ancient authors have alluded to this custom.
In times of superstition the Greeks began to break it into four parts, the Latins into three. The Mosarabic Liturgy directs that it be broken into nine parts. Bingham, Orig. Eccles. bk. 15, ch. ii, 5-34.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More