Standers (Lat. consistentes, co-standers), an order of penitents iii the primitive Church, so called from their having liberty (after the other penitents, energumens, and catechumens were dismissed) to stand with the faithful at the altar and join in the common prayers and see the oblation offered; but yet they might neither make their own oblations nor partake of the eucharist with the others. This the Council of Nice (can. 11) calls communicating with the people in prayers only, without the oblation;
which, for the crime of idolatry, was to last for two years, after they had been three years hearers and seven years prostrators before. The Council of Ancyra (can. 4) often uses the same phrase of communicating in prayers only, and communicating without the oblation: and in one canon (25) expressly styles this order of penitents συνιστάμενοι, costanders; by which name they are also distinguished in the canons of Gregory Thaumaturgus (can. 11), and frequently in the canons of St. Basil. See Bingham, Christ. Antiq. bk. 18, ch. 1, § 5.
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