Ap·os·tol·ic Ap·os·tol·ic·al a.
 1. Pertaining to an apostle, or to the apostles, their times, or their peculiar spirit; as, an apostolical mission; the apostolic age.
 2. According to the doctrines of the apostles; delivered or taught by the apostles; as, apostolic faith or practice.
 3. Of or pertaining to the pope or the papacy; papal.
 Apostolical brief. See under Brief.
 Apostolic canons, a collection of rules and precepts relating to the duty of Christians, and particularly to the ceremonies and discipline of the church in the second and third centuries.
 Apostolic church, the Christian church; -- so called on account of its apostolic foundation, doctrine, and order. The churches of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem were called apostolic churches.
 Apostolic constitutions, directions of a nature similar to the apostolic canons, and perhaps compiled by the same authors or author.
 Apostolic fathers, early Christian writers, who were born in the first century, and thus touched on the age of the apostles. They were Polycarp, Clement, Ignatius, and Hermas; to these Barnabas has sometimes been added.
 Apostolic king (or majesty), a title granted by the pope to the kings of Hungary on account of the extensive propagation of Christianity by St. Stephen, the founder of the royal line. It is now a title of the emperor of Austria in right of the throne of Hungary.
 Apostolic see, a see founded and governed by an apostle; specifically, the Church of Rome; -- so called because, in the Roman Catholic belief, the pope is the successor of St. Peter, the prince of the apostles, and the only apostle who has successors in the apostolic office.
 Apostolical succession, the regular and uninterrupted transmission of ministerial authority by a succession of bishops from the apostles to any subsequent period.  --Hook.

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 Brief n.
 1. A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few words.
 Bear this sealed brief,
 With winged hastle, to the lord marshal.   --Shak.
 And she told me
 In a sweet, verbal brief.   --Shak.
 2. An epitome.
    Each woman is a brief of womankind.   --Overbury.
 3. Law An abridgment or concise statement of a client's case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the heads or points of a law argument.
    It was not without some reference to it that I perused many a brief.   --Sir J. Stephen.
 Note: ☞ In England, the brief is prepared by the attorney; in the United States, counsel generally make up their own briefs.
 4. Law A writ; a breve. See Breve, n., 2.
 5. Scots Law A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their verdict to pronounce sentence.
 6. A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose. [Eng.]
 Apostolical brief, a letter of the pope written on fine parchment in modern characters, subscribed by the secretary of briefs, dated “a die Nativitatis,” i. e., “from the day of the Nativity,” and sealed with the ring of the fisherman. It differs from a bull, in its parchment, written character, date, and seal. See Bull.
 Brief of title, an abstract or abridgment of all the deeds and other papers constituting the chain of title to any real estate.
 In brief, in a few words; in short; briefly. “Open the matter in brief.”  --Shak.