namely, Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, and the feast for the dedication of the Church, or, as Beleth says, All-saints', when the alms were allotted for the priests' stipend and the purchase of the paschal. By Henry VIII.'s injunction, 1538, the four general offering-days were changed to Christmas, Easter, Nativity of John the Baptist, and Michaelmas, when money-offerings at the altar were given for the support of the clergy. In the last century, the king, attended by the Knights of the Garter and heralds in their tabards, offered, at Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, and All-Saints', a bezant in his private chapel; on six other days gold; and on Circumcision and Epiphany gold, frankincense, and myrrh, in three purses.
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