Doxology The exact periods of the origin of the liturgical doxologies are unknown, iwing to the scantiness of early Christian literature. But it may be safely conjectured that, in their earliest forms, they came into use soon after the circulation of the Gospel narratives. The "Gloria in Excelsis" is unquestionably of Eastern origin. Liturgical speculators have ingeniously discovered a reference to its existence in very early writers. It has frequently been assumed that it was, in fact, "the hymn" which Christians sang on all solemn occasions, including such as are referred to in Ac 16:25; 1Co 14:26; and Col 3:16. The origin and history of the "Gloria Patri," or lesser doxology, is even more obscure than that of the "Gloria in Excelsis," and in its present shape it is the result of the Arian controversies concerning the nature of Christ.
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