Corporal (corporale, sc. relum), the linen cloth which is spread over the symbols after communion. It is so called from being originally intended to represent the sheet in which our Lord's body (corpus) was wrapped after death. It is of linen with reference to Lu 23:53. Originally it was so large as to cover the host and the wine, hence the name palla (εἰλητόν); but in the Middle Ages it received its present smaller size. It was retained by the English Reformers. Herzog, Real-Encyk. 3:153; Wetzer u. Welte, Kirch.- Lex. 2:881.
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