What is "low church"

Low \Low\ (l[=o]), a. [Compar. Lower (l[=o]"[~e]r); superl. Lowest.] [OE. low, louh, lah, Icel. l[=a]gr; akin to Sw. l[*a]g, Dan. lav, D. laag, and E. lie. See Lie to be prostrate.]

1. Occupying an inferior position or place; not high or elevated; depressed in comparison with something else; as, low ground; a low flight.

2. Not rising to the usual height; as, a man of low stature; a low fence.

3. Near the horizon; as, the sun is low at four o'clock in winter, and six in summer.

4. Sunk to the farthest ebb of the tide; as, low tide.

5. Beneath the usual or remunerative rate or amount, or the ordinary value; moderate; cheap; as, the low price of corn; low wages.

6. Not loud; as, a low voice; a low sound.

7. (Mus.) Depressed in the scale of sounds; grave; as, a low pitch; a low note.

8. (Phon.) Made, as a vowel, with a low position of part of the tongue in relation to the palate; as, [a^] ([a^]m), 5, 10, 11.

9. Near, or not very distant from, the equator; as, in the low northern latitudes.

10. Numerically small; as, a low number.

11. Wanting strength or animation; depressed; dejected; as, low spirits; low in spirits.

12. Depressed in condition; humble in rank; as, men of low condition; the lower classes.

    Why but to keep ye low and ignorant ?
    --Milton.

13. Mean; vulgar; base; dishonorable; as, a person of low mind; a low trick or stratagem.

14. Not elevated or sublime; not exalted in thought or diction; as, a low comparison.

    In comparison of these divine writers, the noblest wits of the heathen world are low and dull.
    --Felton.

15. Submissive; humble. ``Low reverence.''
    --Milton.

16. Deficient in vital energy; feeble; weak; as, a low pulse; made low by sickness.

17. Moderate; not intense; not inflammatory; as, low heat; a low temperature; a low fever.

18. Smaller than is reasonable or probable; as, a low estimate.

19. Not rich, high seasoned, or nourishing; plain; simple; as, a low diet. Note: Low is often used in the formation of compounds which require no special explanation; as, low-arched, low-browed, low-crowned, low-heeled, low-lying, low-priced, low-roofed, low-toned, low-voiced, and the like. Low Church. See High Church, under High. Low Countries, the Netherlands. Low German, Low Latin, etc. See under German, Latin, etc. Low life, humble life. Low milling, a process of making flour from grain by a single grinding and by siftings. Low relief. See Bas-relief. Low side window (Arch.), a peculiar form of window common in medi[ae]val churches, and of uncertain use. Windows of this sort are narrow, near the ground, and out of the line of the windows, and in many different situations in the building. Low spirits, despondency. Low steam, steam having a low pressure. Low steel, steel which contains only a small proportion of carbon, and can not be hardened greatly by sudden cooling. Low Sunday, the Sunday next after Easter; -- popularly so called. Low tide, the farthest ebb of the tide; the tide at its lowest point; low water. Low water.

    1. The lowest point of the ebb tide; a low stage of the in a river, lake, etc.

    2. (Steam Boiler) The condition of an insufficient quantity of water in the boiler.

       Low water alarm or Low water indicator (Steam Boiler), a contrivance of various forms attached to a boiler for giving warning when the water is low.

       Low water mark, that part of the shore to which the waters recede when the tide is the lowest.
       --Bouvier.

       Low wine, a liquor containing about 20 percent of alcohol, produced by the first distillation of wash; the first run of the still; -- often in the plural.

High \High\, a. [Compar. Higher; superl. Highest.] [OE. high, hegh, hey, heh, AS. he['a]h, h?h; akin to OS. h?h, OFries. hag, hach, D. hoog, OHG. h?h, G. hoch, Icel. h?r, Sw. h["o]g, Dan. h["o]i, Goth. hauhs, and to Icel. haugr mound, G. h["u]gel hill, Lith. kaukaras.]

1. Elevated above any starting point of measurement, as a line, or surface; having altitude; lifted up; raised or extended in the direction of the zenith; lofty; tall; as, a high mountain, tower, tree; the sun is high.

2. Regarded as raised up or elevated; distinguished; remarkable; conspicuous; superior; -- used indefinitely or relatively, and often in figurative senses, which are understood from the connection; as

   1. Elevated in character or quality, whether moral or intellectual; pre["e]minent; honorable; as, high aims, or motives. ``The highest faculty of the soul.''
      --Baxter.

   2. Exalted in social standing or general estimation, or in rank, reputation, office, and the like; dignified; as, she was welcomed in the highest circles.

      He was a wight of high renown.
      --Shak.

   3. Of noble birth; illustrious; as, of high family.

   4. Of great strength, force, importance, and the like; strong; mighty; powerful; violent; sometimes, triumphant; victorious; majestic, etc.; as, a high wind; high passions. ``With rather a high manner.''
      --Thackeray.

      Strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
      --Ps. lxxxix. 1

3. Can heavenly minds such high resentment show?
   --Dryden. (e) Very abstract; difficult to comprehend or surmount; grand; noble.

   Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
   --Shak.

   Plain living and high thinking are no more.
   --Wordsworth. (f) Costly; dear in price; extravagant; as, to hold goods at a high price.

   If they must be good at so high a rate, they know they may be safe at a cheaper.
   --South. (g) Arrogant; lofty; boastful; proud; ostentatious; -- used in a bad sense.

   An high look and a proud heart . . . is sin.
   --Prov. xxi.

4. His forces, after all the high discourses, amounted really but to eighteen hundred foot.
   --Clarendon.

   3. Possessing a characteristic quality in a supreme or superior degree; as, high (i. e., intense) heat; high (i. e., full or quite) noon; high (i. e., rich or spicy) seasoning; high (i. e., complete) pleasure; high (i. e., deep or vivid) color; high (i. e., extensive, thorough) scholarship, etc.

   High time it is this war now ended were.
   --Spenser.

   High sauces and spices are fetched from the Indies.
   --Baker.

   4. (Cookery) Strong-scented; slightly tainted; as, epicures do not cook game before it is high.

5. (Mus.) Acute or sharp; -- opposed to grave or low; as, a high note.

6. (Phon.) Made with a high position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate, as [=e] ([=e]ve), [=oo] (f[=oo]d). See Guide to Pronunciation, [sect][sect] 10, 1

   1. High admiral, the chief admiral.

      High altar, the principal altar in a church.

      High and dry, out of water; out of reach of the current or tide; -- said of a vessel, aground or beached.

      High and mighty arrogant; overbearing. [Colloq.]

      High art, art which deals with lofty and dignified subjects and is characterized by an elevated style avoiding all meretricious display.

      High bailiff, the chief bailiff.

      High Chur`ch, and Low Church, two ecclesiastical parties in the Church of England and the Protestant Episcopal Church. The high-churchmen emphasize the doctrine of the apostolic succession, and hold, in general, to a sacramental presence in the Eucharist, to baptismal regeneration, and to the sole validity of Episcopal ordination. They attach much importance to ceremonies and symbols in worship. Low-churchmen lay less stress on these points, and, in many instances, reject altogether the peculiar tenets of the high-church school. See Broad Church.

      High constable (Law), a chief of constabulary. See Constable, n.,

   2. High commission court, a court of ecclesiastical jurisdiction in England erected and united to the regal power by Queen Elizabeth in 1559. On account of the abuse of its powers it was abolished in 1641. High day (Script.), a holy or feast day. --John xix. 31. High festival (Eccl.), a festival to be observed with full ceremonial. High German, or High Dutch. See under German. High jinks, an old Scottish pastime; hence, noisy revelry; wild sport. [Colloq.] ``All the high jinks of the county, when the lad comes of age.'' --F. Harrison. High latitude (Geog.), one designated by the higher figures; consequently, a latitude remote from the equator. High life, life among the aristocracy or the rich. High liver, one who indulges in a rich diet. High living, a feeding upon rich, pampering food. High Mass. (R. C. Ch.) See under Mass. High milling, a process of making flour from grain by several successive grindings and intermediate sorting, instead of by a single grinding. High noon, the time when the sun is in the meridian. High place (Script.), an eminence or mound on which sacrifices were offered. High priest. See in the Vocabulary. High relief. (Fine Arts) See Alto-rilievo. High school. See under School. High seas (Law), the open sea; the part of the ocean not in the territorial waters of any particular sovereignty, usually distant three miles or more from the coast line. --Wharton. High steam, steam having a high pressure. High steward, the chief steward. High tea, tea with meats and extra relishes. High tide, the greatest flow of the tide; high water. High time.

      1. Quite time; full time for the occasion.

      2. A time of great excitement or enjoyment; a carousal. High treason, treason against the sovereign or the state, the highest civil offense. See Treason. Note: It is now sufficient to speak of high treason as treason simply, seeing that petty treason, as a distinct offense, has been abolished. --Mozley & W. High water, the utmost flow or greatest elevation of the tide; also, the time of such elevation. High-water mark.

         1. That line of the seashore to which the waters ordinarily reach at high water.

         2. A mark showing the highest level reached by water in a river or other body of fresh water, as in time of freshet. High-water shrub (Bot.), a composite shrub ( Iva frutescens), growing in salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of the United States. High wine, distilled spirits containing a high percentage of alcohol; -- usually in the plural. To be on a high horse, to be on one's dignity; to bear one's self loftily. [Colloq.] With a high hand.

            1. With power; in force; triumphantly. ``The children of Israel went out with a high hand.''
               --Ex. xiv. 8.

            2. In an overbearing manner, arbitrarily. ``They governed the city with a high hand.''
               --Jowett (Thucyd. ).

               Syn: Tall; lofty; elevated; noble; exalted; supercilious; proud; violent; full; dear. See Tall.

Low church is a term of distinction in the Church of England or other Anglican churches initially designed to be pejorative. During the series of doctrinal and ecclesiastic challenges to the established church in the 17th century, commentators and others — who favoured the theology, worship, and hierarchical structure of Anglicanism (such as the episcopate) as the true form of Christianity — began referring to that outlook (and the related practices) as ' high church'. In contrast, by the early 18th century, those theologians and politicians who sought more reform in the English church and a greater liberalisation of church structure, were called "low church". "Low church", in an Anglican context, denotes the church's simplicity or Protestant emphasis, and "high church" denotes an emphasis on ritual or, later, Anglo-Catholicism.