Who, then, are these "Cardinals" who hold princely rank and splendour in the Church, and are the chief counsellors of the Holy Father? What is the origin of their office and its dignities, and how far back does its existence go in Christian history? If we look back we shall find that—like many ancient traditional institutions, it has grown out of something originally very simple. The great officers of the modern British State were, to begin with, private servants in the Royal household—the word "minister" simply means servant.