Purgation a clearing of an accused person from impeachment by oath of himself and others: this, in 696, was done at the altar. The number of witnesses, or consacramentals, varied; the common man had four. In Wales three hundred were required; and in 1194 the bishop of Ely purged himself with one hundred priests' hands. The practice was general among the Teutonic nations; in England it was called the atha. If the offence was alleged to have been committed in Lent or on a festival, a triple purgation was enjoined in 1018. SEE ORDEAL.
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