A Theological Dictionary, Containing Definitions of All Religious Terms

saves us; not putting away the filth of the Philo nor Josephus speak of them. The flesh, but the answer of a good conscience Christian church was for some ages a toward God, &c. The meaning is, that stranger to them. Origen, Athanasius, Hirighteousness, or the answer of a good con-lary, Cyril of Jerusalem, and all the orthoscience towards God, now saves us, by dox writers who have given catalogues of means of the resurrection of Christ, as for the canonical books of scripture, unanimerly righteousness saved these eight per-mously concur in rejecting these out of the sons by means of the ark during the flood. The word antitype, therefore, here signifies a general similitude of circumstances; and the particle w, whereunto, refers not to the immediate antecedent vdaros, water, but to all that precedes.

canon. The Protestants acknowledge, such~ books of scripture only to be canonical as were esteemed to be so in the first ages of the church; such as are cited by the earli est writers among the Christians as of divine authority, and after the most diligent enANTOSIANDRIANS, a sect of rigid quiry were received and judged to be so by Lutherans who opposed the doctrine of Osi- the council of Laodicea. They were written ander relating to justification. These are after the days of Malachi, in whom accordotherwise denominated Osiandromastiges-ing to the universal testimony of the Jews, The Antosiandrians deny that man is made just, with that justice wherewith God himself is just; that is, they assert that he is not made essentially but only imputatively just; or that he is not really made just, but only pronounced so.

the spirit of prophecy ceased. Mal. iv. 4.6. Not one of the writers in direct terms advances a claim to inspiration. They contain fables, lies, and contradictions. 1 Macc. vi. 4. 16. 2 Macc. i. 13. 16. 2 Mace. ix. 28.

The apocryphal books are in general be lieved to be canonical by the church of Rome; and even by the sixth article of the church of England, they are ordered to be read for example of life and instruction of manners, though it doth not apply them to any doctrine. Other reformed churches do not so much as make even this use of them. See Prideaux's Connection, vol. i. p. 36-42; Lee's Dis: on Esdras; Dick on Inspiration, p. 344.

establish

APELLEANS, so called from Apelles, in the second century. They affirmed that Christ, when he came down from heaven, received a body not from the substance of his mother, but from the four elements, which at his death he rendered back to the world, and so ascended into heaven without a body.

APHTHARTODOCITES, a denomination in the sixth century; so called from the Greek apeapros incorruptible, and doxsa, to judge; because they held that the body of Jesus Christ was incorruptible, and not subject to death. They were a branch of the Eutychians."

he assumed was endowed with a sensitive and not a rational soul; but that the divine nature supplied the place of the intellectual principle in man. This sect derived its name from Apollinaris, bishop of Laodicea: Their doctrine was first condemned by a Council at Alexandria in 362, and afterwards in a more formal manner by a council at Rome in 375, and by another council n 378, which deposed Apollinaris from his bishopric. This, with other laws enacted against them, reduced them to a very small number; so that at last they dwindled away.

our religion, either by an open declaration APOSTACY, a forsaking or renouncing in words, or a virtual declaration of it by our actions. The primitive Christian Church distinguished several kinds of apostacy; the first, of those who went entirely from ChrisAPOCARITES, a denomination, in the complied so far with the Jews, as to comtianity to Judaism; the second, of those who third century, which sprung from the Mani-municate with them in many of their unlaw cheans. They held that the soul of manful practices, without making a formal prowas of the substance of God.

APOCRYPHA, books not admitted into the canon of scripture, being either spurious, or at least not acknowledged as divine. The word is Greek, and derived from a, "from," and xpT, "to hide or conceal." They seem most of them to have been composed by Jews. None of the writers of the New Testament mention them; neither

who mingled Judaism and Christianity tofession of their religion; thirdly, of those gether; and, fourthly, of those who voluntarily relapsed into paganism. Apostacy may be farther considered as, 1. Original, in which we have all participated. Rom. iii. 23-2. National, when a kingdom relinquishes the profession of Christianity:-3. Personal, when an individual backslides

from God, Heb. x. 38;-4. Final, when men || that the pope was the sole apostolical priare given up to judicial hardness of heart, mate of the universal church. And hence as Judas. See BACKSLIDING. a great number of apostolicals; apostolical see, apostolical nuncio, apostolical notary, apostolical brief, apostolical chamber, apostolical vicar, &c.

APOSTLE, properly signifies a messenger or person sent by another upon some business. It is particularly applied to them whom our Saviour deputed to preach.-2. Apostle, in the Greek liturgy, is used for aa collection of regulations attributed to the book containing the epistles of St. Paul, apostles, and supposed to have been collectprinted in the order wherein they are to be ed by St. Clement, whose name they likeread in churches through the course of the wise bear. It is the general opinion, howyear.-3. The appellation was also given to ever, that they are spurious, and that St. the ordinary travelling ministers of the Clement had no hand in them. They apchurch. Rom xvi. 7. Phil. ii. 25, though in peared first in the fourth century, but have our translation the last is rendered messen-been much changed and corrupted since. ger.-4. It is likewise given to those persons who first planted the Christian faith in any place. Thus Dionysius of Corinth is called the Apostle of France, Xavier the Apostle of the Indies. &c.

APOSTLES' CREED. See CREED. APOSTOLATE, in a general sense, is used for mission; but it more properly denotes the dignity or office of an apostle of Christ. It is also used in ancient writers for the office of a bishop. But as the title apostolicus has been appropriated to the pope, so that of apostolate became at length restrained to the sole dignity of the popedom.

APOSTOLIC, apostolical, something that relates to the apostles, or descends from them. Thus we say the apostolical age, apostolical doctrine, apostolical character, constitutions. traditions, &c.

APOSTOLIC, in the primitive church, was an appellation given to all such churches as were founded by the apostles; and even to the bishops of those churches, as being the reputed successors of the apostles. These were confined to four, viz. Rome, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. In after times, the other churches assumed the same quality, on account, principally of the conformity of their doctrine with that of the churches which were apostolical by foundation, and because all bishops held themselves successors of the apostles, or acted in their dioceses, with the authority of apostles.

The first time the term apostolical is attributed to bishops, as such, is in a letter of Clovis to the council of Orleans, held in 511, though that king does not. there expressly denominate them apostolical, but (apostolica sede dignissimi) highly worthy of the apostolical see. In 581, Guntram calls the bishops met at the council of Macon, apostolical pontiffs, apostolici pontifices.

In progress of time, the bishop of Rome APPROBATION, a state or disposition growing in power above the rest, and the of the mind, wherein we put a value upon, three patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, or become pleased with, some person or and Jerusalem, falling into the hands of the thing. Moralists are divided on the principle Saracens, the title apostolical was restrained of approbation, or the motive which deterto the pope and his church alone; though mines us to approve or disapprove. The some of the popes, and St. Gregory the Epicureans will have it to be only self-inGreat, not contented to hold the title by this terest: according to them, that which detenure, began at length to insist that it be-termines any agent to approve his own aclonged to them by another and peculiar right, as being the successor of St. Peter. The country of Rheims, in 1049, declared

APOSTOLICAL CONSTITUTIONS,

There are so many things in them different from and even contrary to the genius and design of the New Testament writers, that no wise man would believe, without the most convincing and irresistible proof, that both could come from the same hand. Grabe's Answer to Whiston; Saurin's Ser. vol. ii. p. 185; Lardner's Cred. vol. iii. p. 11. ch. ult.; Doddridge' Lect. lec. 119.

APOSTOLIC FATHERS, an appellation usually given to the writers of the first century, who employed their pens in the cause of Christianity. Of these writers, Cotelerius, and after him Le Clerc, have published a collection in two volumes, accompanied both with their own annotations, and the remarks of other learned men. See also the genuine epistles of the apostolic fathers, Abp. Wake.

APOSTOLICI, or APOSTOLICS, a name assumed by different sects on account of their pretending to imitate the practice of the apostles.

APOTACTITE, an ancient sect, who affected to follow the examples of the apostles, and reced all their effects and possessions. It does not appear that they held any errors at first; but afterwards they taught that the renouncing of all riches was not only a matter of counsel and advice, but of precept and necessity.

APPLICATION, is used for the act whereby our Saviour transfers or makes over to us what he had earned or purchased by his holy life and death. Accordingly it is by this application of the merits of Christ that we are to be justified and entitled to grace. and glory.

Application is also used for that part of a sermon in which the preacher brings home or applies the truth of religion to the consc aces of his hearers. See SERMON.

tion, is its apparent tendency to his private happiness; and even the approbation of another's action flows from no other cause but

saves us; not putting away the filth of the Philo nor Josephus speak of them. flesh, but the answer of a good conscience || Christian church was for some age toward God, &c. The meaning is, that stranger to them. Origen, Athanasius, righteousness, or the answer of a good con-lary, Cyril of Jerusalem, and all the of science towards God, now saves us, by dox writers who have given catalogue means of the resurrection of Christ, as for- the canonical books of scripture, u merly righteousness saved these eight per-mously concur in rejecting these out of sons by means of the ark during the flood. canon. The Protestants acknowledge. The word antitype, therefore, here signifies books of scripture only to be canonica a general similitude of circumstances; and were esteemed to be so in the first age the particle w, whereunto, refers not to the the church; such as are cited by the immediate antecedent voares, water, but to est writers among the Christians as of di all that precedes: authority, and after the most diligent quiry were received and judged to be s the council of Laodicea. They were wr after the days of Malachi, in whom acc ing to the universal testimony of the J the spirit of prophecy ceased. Mal. iv. 6. Not one of the writers in direct te advances a claim to inspiration. They tain fables, lies, and contradictions. 1 M vi. 4. 16. 2 Macc. i. 13. 16. 2 Mace. ix

ANTOSIANDRIANS, a sect of rigid Lutherans who opposed the doctrine of Osiander relating to justification. These are otherwise denominated Osiandromastiges.The Antosiandrians deny that man is made just, with that justice wherewith God himself is just; that is, they assert that he is not made essentially but only imputatively just; or that he is not really made just, but only pronounced so.

The apocryphal books are in general lieved to be canonical by the church Rome; and even by the sixth article of church of England, they are ordered t read for example of life and instructio manners, though it doth not apply ther establish any doctrine. Other refor churches do not so much as make even use of them. See Prideaux's Connect vol. i. p. 36-42; Lee's Dis. on Esd Dick on Inspiration, p. 344.

APATHY,among the ancient philosophers, implied an utter privation of passion, and an insensibility of pain. The word is compounded of a, priv. and rates, affection. The Stoics affected an entire apathy; they considered it as the highest wisdom to enjoy a perfect calmness or tranquillity of mind, incapable of being ruffled by either pleasure or pain. In the first ages of the church, the Christians adopted the term apathy to express a contempt of all earthly concerns; a APOLLINARIANS were ancient h state of mortification such as the Gospel pre-Christ, and maintained that the body w tics, who denied the proper humanity scribes. Clemens Alexandrinus in parti- he assumed was endowed with a sensi cular, brought it exceedingly in vogue, and not a rational soul; but that the di thinking hereby to draw such philosophers to Christianity who aspired after such a nature supplied the place of the intellec sublime pitch of virtue. principle in man. This sect derived name from Apollinaris, bishop of Laodi Their doctrine was first condemned t Council at Alexandria in 362, and afterwa in a more formal manner by a counci Rome in 375, and by another councilin which deposed Apollinaris from his bish ric. This, with other laws enacted aga them, reduced them to a very small nu ber; so that at last they dwindled away

APHTHARTODOCITES, a denomination in the sixth century; so called from the Greek apeapros incorruptible, and done, to judge; because they held that the body of Jesus Christ was incorruptible, and not subject to death. They were a branch of the Eutychians.

APOSTACY, a forsaking or renounc our religion, either by an open declarat our actions. The primitive Christian Chu in words, or a virtual declaration of it distinguished several kinds of apostacy; first, of those who went entirely from Ch APOCARITES, a denomination, in the tianity to Judaism; the second, of those w third century, which sprung from the Mani-municate with them in many of their unla complied so far with the Jews, as to co cheans. They held that the soul of man was of the substance of God.

APOCRYPHA, books not admitted into the canon of scripture, being either spurious, or at least not acknowledged as divine. The word is Greek, and derived from a, "from," and xp, “to hide or conceal." They seem most of them to have been composed by Jews. None of the writers of the New Testament mention them; neither

ful practices, without making a formal p fession of their religion; thirdly, of the gether; and, fourthly, of those who vol who mingled Judaism and Christianity tarily relapsed into paganism. Aposta may be farther considered as, 1. Original, which we have all participated. Rom. 23-2. National, when a kingdom rel quishes the profession of ChristianityPersonal, when an individual backslid

from God, Heb. x. 38;-4. Final, when men are given up to judicial hardness of heart, as Judas. See BACKSLIDING.

APOSTLE, properly signifies a messenger or person sent by another upon some business. It is particularly applied to them whom our Saviour deputed to preach.-2. Apostle, in the Greek liturgy, is used for a book containing the epistles of St. Paul, printed in the order wherein they are to be read in churches through the course of the year.-3. The appellation was also given to the ordinary travelling ministers of the church. Rom xvi. 7. Phil. ii. 25, though in our translation the last is rendered messenger.-4. It is likewise given to those persons who first planted the Christian faith in any place. Thus Dionysius of Corinth is called the Apostle of France, Xavier the Apostle of the Indies, &c.

APOSTOLIC, apostolical, something that relates to the apostles, or descends from them. Thus we say the apostolical age, apostolical doctrine, apostolical character, constitutions, traditions, &c.

In progress of time, the bishop of Rome growing in power above the rest, and the three patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, falling into the hands of the Saracens, the title apostolical was restrained to the pope and his church alone; though some of the popes, and St. Gregory the Great, not contented to hold the title by this tenure, began at length to insist that it belonged to them by another and peculiar right, as being the successor of St. Peter. The country of Rheims, in 1049, declared

that the pope was the sole apostolical primate of the universal church. And hence a great number of apostolicals; apostolical see, apostolical nuncio, apostolical notary, apostolical brief, apostolical chamber, apostolical vicar, &c.

APOSTOLICAL CONSTITUTIONS, a collection of regulations attributed to the apostles, and supposed to have been collected by St. Clement, whose name they likewise bear. It is the general opinion, however, that they are spurious, and that St. Clement had no hand in them. They appeared first in the fourth century, but have been much changed and corrupted since. There are so many things in them different from and even contrary to the genius and design of the New Testament writers, that no wise man would believe, without the most convincing and irresistible proof, that both could come from the same hand. Grabe's Answer to Whiston; Saurin's Ser. vol. ii. p. 185; Lardner's Cred. vol. iii. p. 11. ch. ult.; Doddridge' Lect. lec. 119.

APOSTOLICI, or APOSTOLICS, a name assumed by different sects on account of their pretending to imitate the practice of the apostles.

APOTACTITE, an ancient sect, who affected to f llow the examples of the apostles, and reced all their effects and possessions. It does not appear that they held any errors at first; but afterwards they taught that the renouncing of all riches was not only a matter of counsel and advice, but of precept and necessity.

Application is also used for that part of a sermon in which the preacher brings home or applies the truth of religion to the consc nces of his hearers. See SERMON.

APPROBATION, a state or disposition of the mind, wherein we put a value upon, or become pleased with, some person or thing. Moralists are divided on the principle of approbation, or the motive which determines us to approve or disapprove. The Epicureans will have it to be only self-interest: according to them, that which determines any agent to approve his own action, is its apparent tendency to his private happiness; and even the approbation of another's action flows from no other cause but

an opinion of its tendency to the happiness of [[ whole diocese, or only a part of the approver, either immediately or re-are sixty in England, who visit motely. Others resolve approbation into a years in three, when they enquir moral sense, or a principle of benevolence,reparations and moveables bel by which we are determined to approve churches; reform abuses; suspen every kind affection either in ourselves or municate; in some places prove others, and all publicly useful actions which induct all clerks into benefices w we imagine to flow from such affections, respective jurisdictions, without any view therein to our own private ⚫happiness.

by archangels; they also denied rection of the body.

ARCHONTICS, a sect about 160 or 203. Among many other ex But may we not add, that a true Chris-notions, they held that the world w tian's approbation arises from his perception of the will of God? See OBLIGATION. APPROPRIATION, the annexing a benefice to the proper and perpetual use of some religious house. It is a term also often used in the religious world as referring to that act of the mind by which we apply the blessings of the Gospel to ourselves. This approbation is real when we are enabled to believe in, feel, and obey the truth; but merely nominal and delusive when there are no fruits of righteousness and true holiness. See ASSURANCE.

AQUARIANS, those who consecrated water in the eucharist instead of wine. Another branch of them approved of wine at the sacrament, when received in the evening they likewise mixed water with the wine. ÁRABICI, erroneous Christians, in the third century, who thought that the soul and body died together, and rose again. It is said that Origen convinced them of their error, and that they then abjured it.

ARCHANGEL, according to some divines means an angel occupying the eighth rank in the celestial hierarchy; but others, not without reason, reckon it a title only applicable to our Saviour. Compare Jude 9. with Dan. xii. 1, 1 Thess. iv. 16.

ARCH-PRESBYTER, or ARCE a priest established in some dioce superiority over the rest. He was chosen out of the college of pres the pleasure of the bishop. T presbyters were much of the sa with our deans in cathedral churc ARRHABONARII, a sect who the eucharist is neither the real blood of Christ nor yet the sign of only the pledge or earnest thereof.

ARIANS, followers of Arius, a of the church of Alexandria, about maintained that the Son of God w and essentially distinct from the that he was the first and noblest beings whom God had created-th ment, by whose subordinate oper formed the universe; and, therefore to the Father both in nature and also, that the Holy Ghost was not created by the power of the Son. Th owned that the Son was the W denied that Word to have been They held that Christ had nothin in him but the flesh, to which the word, was joined, which was the san ARCHBISHOP, the chief or metropolitan soul in us.-The Arians were first bishop, who has several suffragans under him. ed and anathematised by a council Archbishops were not known in the East till andria, in 320, under Alexander, about the year 320; and though there were that city, who accused Arius of imp some soon after this who had the title, yet caused him to be expelled from t that was only a personal honour, by which munion of the church; and after the bishops of considerable cities were dis- 380 fathers in the general council tinguished. It was not till of late that arch-assembled by constantine, in 325. bishops became metropolitans, and had suf- trine, however, was not extinguis fragans under them. The ecclesiastical the contrary, it became the reigning government of England is divided into two especially in the East. Arius was provinces, viz. Canterbury and York. The from banishment by Constantine i first Archbishop of Canterbury was Austin, three years after the council of Nice appointed by king Ethelbert, on his conver-laws that had been enacted agai sion to Christianity, about the year 598. His were repealed. Notwithstanding thi grace of Canterbury is the first peer of Eng-nasius, then bishop of Alexandria, r land, and the next to the royal family, admit him and his followers to com having precedence of all dukes, and all great This so enraged them, that, by their officers of the crown. It is his privilege, by at court, they procured that prela custom to crown the kings and queens of deposed and banished; but the c this kingdom. The archbishop of York has Alexandria still refusing to admit A precedence of all dukes not of the royal their communion, the emperor sent blood, and of all officers of state except the to Constantinople; where, upon de lord high chancellor. The first archbishop in a fresh confession of his faith i of York was Paulinus, appointed by popeless offensive, the Emperor comman Gregory about the year 622.

ARCHDEACON, a priest invested with authority or jurisdiction over the clergy and laity, next to the bishop, either through the

to be received into their communi that very evening, it is said, Arius his friends were conducting him in to the great church of Constantinople

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