eager and desirous of it. The next degree were the audientes, so called from their being admitted to hear sermons and the Scriptures read in the church, but were not allowed to partake of the prayers. The third sort of catechumens were the genu flectentes, so called because they received imposition of hands kneeling. The fourth order was the competentes et electi; denoting the immediate candidates for baptism, or such as were appointed to be baptized the next approaching festival; before which, strict examination was made into their proficiency, under the several stages of catechetical exercises.

After examination, they were exercised for twenty days together, and were obliged to fasting and confession. Some days before baptism they went veiled; and it was customary to touch their ears, saying, Ephatha, i. e. Be opened; as also to anoint their eyes with clay: both ceremonies being in imitation of our Savour's practice, and intended to signify to the catechumens their condition both before and after their admission into the Christian church.

CATHARISTS, a sect that spread much in the Latin church in the twelfth century. Their religion resembled the doctrine of the Manichæans and Gnostics [see those articles.] They supposed that matter was the source of evil; that Christ was not clothed with a real body; that baptism and the Lord's supper were useless institutions; with a variety of other strange notions.

tion of catholic, being a characteristic to distinguish itself from all sects, who, though they had party names, sometimes sheltered themselves under the name of Christians. The Romish church now distinguished itself by catholic in opposition to all who have separated from her communion, and whom she considers as heretics and schismatics, and herself only as the true and Christian church. In the strict sense of the word, there is no catholic church in being; that is, no universal Christian communion.

CELESTINS, a religious order in the thirteenth century; so called from their founder, Peter de Meuron, afterwards raised to the pontificate under the name of Celestine V. The Celestins rose two hours after midnight to say matins; ate no flesh, except when sick; and often fasted. Their habit consisted of a white gown, a capuche, a black scapulary, and shirts of serge.

CELIBACY, the state of unmarried persons. Celibate, or celibacy, is a word chiefly used in speaking of the single life of the popish clergy, or the obligation they are under to abstain from marriage. The church of Rome imposes an universal celibacy on all her clergy, from the pope to the lowest deacon and subdeacon. The advocates for this usage pretend that a vow of perpetual celibacy was required in the ancient church as a condition of ordination, even from the earliest apostolic ages. But the contrary is evident from numerous examCATHEDRAL, the chief church of ples of bishops and archbishops who a diocese; a church wherein is a bi-lived in a state of matrimony, without shop's see. The word comes from abg any prejudice to their ordination or their chair:" the name seems to have taken function. Neither our Lord nor his aposits rise from the manner of sitting in the tles laid the least restraint upon the conancient churches or assemblies of pri- nubial union: on the contrary, the Scripvate Christians. In these the council,tures speak of it as honourable in all, i. e. the elders and priests, were called Presbyterium; at their head was the bishop, who held the place of chairman, Cathedralis or Cathedraticus; and the presbyters, who sat on either side, also called by the ancient fathers Assessores Episcoporum. The episcopal authority did not reside in the bishop alone, but in all the presbyters, whereof the bishop was president. A cathedral, therefore, originally was different from what it is now; the Christians, till the time of Constantine, having no liberty to build any temple. By their churches they only meant assemblies; and by cathedrals, nothing more than consistories.

CATHOLIC, denotes any thing that is universal or general. The rise of heresies induced the primitive Christian church to assume to itself the appella

without the least restriction as to persons. Heb. xiii. 4. Matt. xix. 10, 12. 1 Cor. vii. 2, 9. St. Paul even assigns forbidding to marry as characteristic of the apostacy of the latter times, 1 Tim. iv. 3. The fathers, without making any distinction between clergy and laity, asserted the lawfulness of the marriage of all Christians. Marriage was not forbidden to bishops in the Eastern church till the close of the seventh century. Celibacy was not imposed on the Western clergy in general till the end of the eleventh century, though attempts had been made long before. Superstitious zeal for a sanctimonious appearance in the clergy seems to have promoted it at first; and crafty policy, armed with power, no doubt rivetted this clog on the sacerdotal order in later

L

periods of the church. Pope Gregory || 1646, M. Ponce published a history of VII. appears in this business to have had ancient ceremonies, tracing the rise, a view to separate the clergy as much growth, and introduction of each rite as possible from all other interests, and into the church, and its gradual adto bring them into a total dependence vancement to superstition. Many of upon his authority; to the end that all them were borrowed from Judaism, but temporal power might in a high degree more from paganism. Dr. Middleton be subjugated to the papal jurisdiction. has given a fine discourse on the conForbidding to marry, therefore, has formity between the pagan and popish evidently the mark of the beast upon ceremonics, which he exemplifies in the it. See MARRIAGE. use of incense, holy water, lamps and CEMETERY, a place set apart for candles before the shrines of saints, vothe burial of the dead. Anciently, none tive gifts round the shrines of the dewere buried in churches or church-ceased, &c. In fact, the altars, images, yards; it was even unlawful to inter in crosses, processions, miracles, and lecities, and the cemeteries were without gends, nay, even the very hierarchy, the walls. Among the primitive Chris- || pontificate, religious orders, &c. of the tians these were held in great venera- present Romans, he shows, are all cotion. It even appears from Eusebius pied from their heathen ancestors. An and Tertullian, that in the early ages ample and magnificent representation they assembled for divine worship in in figures of the religious ceremonies the cemeteries. Valerian seems to have and customs of all nations in the world, confiscated the cemeteries and other designed by Picart, is added, with hisplaces of divine worship; but they were torical explanations, and many curious restored again by Gallienus. As the dissertations. martyrs were buried in these places, the Christians chose them for building churches on, when Constantine established their religion; and hence some derive the rule which still obtains in the church of Rome, never to consecrate an altar without putting under it the relics of some saint.

It has been a question, whether we ought to use such rites and ceremonies which are merely of human appointment. On one side it has been observed that we ought not. Christ alone is King in his church: he hath instituted such ordinances and forms of worship as he hath judged fit and necessary; and to CENSURE, the act of judging and add to them seems, at least, to carry in blaming others for their faults. Faith-it an imputation on his wisdom and aufulness in reproving another differs from thority, and hath this unanswerable obcensoriousness: the former arises from jection to it, that it opens the door to a love to truth, and respect for the per- thousand innovations (as the history of son; the latter is a disposition that loves the church of Rome hath sufficiently to find fault. However just censure may shown,) which are not only indifferent be where there is blame, yet a censo-in themselves, but highly absurd, and rious spirit or rash judging must be avoided. It is usurping the authority and judgment of God. It is unjust, uncharitable, mischievous, productive of unhappiness to ourselves, and often the cause of disorder and confusion in society. See RASH JUDGING.

extremely detrimental to religion. That the ceremonies were numerous under the Old Testament dispensation is no argument; for, say they. 1. We respect Jewish ceremonies, because they were appointed of God; and we reject human ceremonies, because God hath not apCERDONIANS, a sect, in the first pointed them.-2. The Jewish ceremo century, who espoused most of the opi- nics were established by the universal nions of Simon Magus and the Mani- consent of the nation; human ceremochæans. They asserted two principles,nies are not so.-3. The former were fit good and bad. The first they called the Father of Jesus Christ; the latter the Creator of the world. They denied the incarnation and the resurrection, and rejected the books of the Old Tes

tament.

and proper for the purposes for which they were appointed; but the latter are often the contrary.-4. The institutor of the Jewish ceremonies provided for the expense of it; but no provision is made by God to support human ceremonies, or what he has not appointed.

CEREMONY, an assemblage of several actions, forms, and circumstances, These arguments seem very powerserving to render a thing magnificent ful; but on the other side it has been oband solemn. Applied to religious ser-served, that the desire of reducing relivices, it signifies the external rites and manner wherein the ministers of religion perform their sacred functions. In

gious worship to the greatest possible simplicity, however rational it may appcar in itself, and abstractedly consider

ted the genealogy. They discarded the epistles of St. Paul, because that apostle held circumcision abolished.

CHALDEE PARAPHRASE, in the rabbinical style, is called Targum. There are three Chaldee paraphrases in Walton's Polyglot: viz. 1. of Onkelos;-2. of Jonathan, son of Uziel;-3. of Jerusalem. See BIBLE, sect. 19, and TARGUM.

CHALICE, the cup used to administer the wine in the sacrament, and by the Roman catholics in the mass. The use of the chalice, or communicating in both kinds, is by the church of Rome denied to the laity, who communicate only in one kind, the clergy alone being allowed the privilege of communicating in both kinds; in direct opposition to our Saviour's words-"Drink ye all of it."

ed, will be considerably moderated in such as bestow a moment's attention upon the imperfection and infirmities of human nature in its present state. Mankind, generally speaking, have too little elevation of mind to be much affected with those forms and methods of worship in which there is nothing striking to the outward senses. The great difficulty here lies in determining the length which it is prudent to go in the accommodation of religious ceremonies to human infirmity; and the grand point is, to fix a medium in which a due regard may be shown to the senses and imagination, without violating the dictates of right reason, or tarnishing the purity of true religion. It has been said, that the Romish church has gone too far in its condescension to the infirmities of mankind; and this is what the ablest de- CHANCE, a term we apply to events fenders of its motley worship have alle- to denote that they happen without any ged in its behalf. But this observation is necessary or foreknown cause. When not just; the church of Rome has not so we say a thing happens by chance, we much accommodated itself to human mean no more than that its cause is unweakness, as it has abused that weak-known to us, and not, as some vainly ness, by taking occasion from it to esta-imagine, that chance itself can be the blish an endless variety of ridiculous cause of any thing. "The case of the ceremonies, destructive of true religion, painter," say's Chambers, "who, unable and only adapted to promote the riches to express the foam at the mouth of and despotism of the clergy, and to the horse he had painted, threw his keep the multitude still hood-winked in sponge in despair at the picce, and by their ignorance and superstition. How chance did that which he could not do far a just antipathy to the church pup-before by design, is an eminent instance pet-shows of the Papists has unjustly of what is called chance. Yet it is obdriven some Protestant churches into vious all we here mean by chance, is, the opposite extreme, is a matter that that the painter was not aware of the certainly deserves a serious considera- || effect, or that he did not throw the tion. See Dr. Stennett's Ser. on Con- sponge with such a view: not but that formity to the World; Robinson's Ser-he actually did every thing necessary to mon on Ceremonies; Booth's Essay on produce the effect; insomuch that, conthe Kingdom of Christ; Mosheim's Ec-sidering the direction wherein he threw clesiastical History; with Muc Laine's Note, vol. i. p. 203, quarto edit. Jones's Works, vol. 4. p. 267.

the sponge, together with its form and specific gravity, the colours wherewith it was smeared, and the distance of the hand from the piece, it was impossible, on the present system of things, that the effect should not fellow."-The word, as it is often used by the unthinking, is vague and indeterminate-a mere name for nothing.

CERINTHIANS, ancient heretics, who denied the deity of Jesus Christ; so named from Cerinthus. They believed that he was a mere man, the son of Joseph and Mary; but that in his baptism a celestial virtue descended on him in the form of a dove; by means whereof CHANCELLOR, a lay officer under he was consecrated by the Holy Spirit, a bishop, who is judge of his court. In made Christ, and wrought so many mi- the first ages of the church the bishops racles; that, as he received it from hea- had those officers, who were called ven, it quitted him after his passion, and church lawyers, and were bred up in returned to the place whence it came; the knowledge of the civil and canon so that Jesus, whom they called a pure law: their business was to assist the man, really died, and rose again; but bishop in his diccese.-We read of no that Christ, who was distinguished from chancellors till Henry the Second's Jesus, did not suffer at all. It was part-time; but that the king requiring the ly to refute this sect that St. John wrote attendance of the bishops in his councils, his Gospel. They received the Gospel it was thought necessary to substitute of St. Matthew, to countenance their chancellors in their room for the desdoctrine of circumcision; but they omit-patch of business.

CHANT is used for the vocal music of churches. In church history we meet with divers kinds of these; as, 1. Chant Ambrosian, established by St. Ambrose; -2. Chant Gregorian, introduced by pope Gregory the Great, who established schools of chanters, and corrected the church music. This, at first, was called the Roman song; afterwards the plain song; as the choir and people sing in unison.

CHAOS, the mass of matter supposed to be in confusion before it was divided by the Almighty into its proper classes and elements. It does not appear who first asserted the notion of a chaos. Moses, the earliest of all writers, derives the origin of this world from a confusion of matter, dark, void, deep, without form, which he calls TOHU BOHU; which is precisely the chaos of the Greek and barbarian philosophers. Moses goes no farther than the chaos, nor tells us whence it took its origin, or whence its confused state; and where Moses stops, there precisely do all the rest.

CHAPLAIN, a person who performs divine service in a chapel, or is retained in the service of some family to perform divine service.

As to the origin of chaplains, some say the shrines of relics were anciently covered with a kind of tent, cape, or capella, i. e. little cape; and that hence the priests who had the care of them were called chaplains. In time, these relics were reposited in a little church, either contiguous to a larger, or separate from it; and the name capella, which was given to the cover, was also given to the place where it was lodged; and hence the priest who superintended it came to be called capel||lanus, or chaplain.

According to a statute of Henry VIII. the persons vested with a power of retaining chaplains, together with the number each is allowed to qualify, are as follow: an archbishop eight; a duke or bishop six; marquis or earl five; viscount four; baron, knight of the garter, or lord chancellor, three: a duchess, marchioness, countess, baroness, the treasurer or comptroller of the king's house, clerk of the closet, the king's secretary, dean of the chapel, almoner, and master of the rolls, each of them two; chief justice of the king's bench, and ward of the cinque ports, each one. All these chaplains may purchase a license or dispensation, and take two benefices, with cure of souls. A chaplain must be retained by letters testimonial under hand and seal, for it is not sufficient that he serve as chaplain in the family.

CHAPEL, a place of worship.There are various kinds of chapels in Britain. 1. Domestic chapels, built by noblemen or gentlemen for private worship in their families.-2. Free chapels, such as are founded by kings of England. They are free from all episcopal jurisdiction, and only to be visited by the founder and his successors, which is done by the lord chancellor: yet the king may license any subject to build and endow a chapel, and by letters patent exempt it from the visitation of the ordinary.-3. Chapels in universities belonging to particular universities.4. Chapels of ease, built for the ease of one or more parishioners that dwell too far from the church, and are served by inferior curates, provided for at the charge of the rector, or of such as have benefit by it, as the composition or custom is.-5. Parochial chapels, which differ from parish churches only in name: they are generally small, and the inhabitants within the district few. If there be a presentation ad ecclesiam instead of capellam, and an admission and institution upon it, it is no longer a chapel, but a church for themselves and families.6. Chapels which adjoin to and are part of the church: such were formerly built by honourable persons as burying places.-7. The places of worship belong-siastics belonging to a cathedral or coling to the Calvinistic and Arminian Methodists are also generally called chapels, though they are licensed in no other way than the meetings of the Protestant Dissenters.

In England there are forty-eight chaplains to the king, who wait four each month, preach in the chapel, read the service to the family, and to the king in his private oratory, and say grace in the absence of the clerk of the closet. While in waiting, they have a table and attendance, but no salary. In Scotland, the king has six chaplains with a salary of 501. each; three of them having in addition the deanery of the chapel royal divided between them, making up above 100l. to each. Their only duty at present is to say prayers at the election of peers for Scotland to sit in parliament.

CHAPLET, a certain instrument of piety made use of by the papists. It is a string of beads, by which they measure or count the number of their prayers.

CHAPTER, a community of eccle

legiate church. The chief or head of the chapter is the dean; the body consists of canons or prebendaries. The chapter has now no longer a place in the administration of the diocese during

the life of the Bishop; but succeeds to the whole episcopal jurisdiction during the vacancy of the see.

in the magistrate, equity and patience in the judge, moderation in the sovereign, and loyalty in the subject. In parents it is care and attention; in children it is reverence and submission. In a word, it is the soul of social life. It is the sun that enlivens and cheers the abodes of men; not a meteor which occasionally glares, but a luminary, which in its orderly and regular course dispenses a benignant influence." See Barrow's Works, vol. i. ser. 27, 28. Blair's Ser. vol. iv. ser. 2; Scott's Ser. ser. 14; Tillotson's Ser. ser. 158; Paley's Mor. Phil. vol. i. p. 231; and articles BENEVOLENCE, LOVE.

CHARM, a kind of spell, supposed by the ignorant to have an irresistible influence, by means of the concurrence of some infernal power, both on the minds, lives, and properties of those whom it has for its object.

CHARGE: 1. a sermon preached by the bishop to his clergy-2. Among the Dissenters, it is a sermon preached to a minister at his ordination, generally by some aged or respectable preacher. CHARITY, one of the three grand theological graces, consisting in the love of God and our neighbour, or the habit or disposition of loving God with all our heart, and our neighbour as ourselves. “Charity,” says an able writer, "consists not in speculative ideas of general benevolence floating in the head, and leaving the heart, as speculations often do, untouched and cold: neither is it confined to that indolent good nature which makes us rest satisfied with being free from inveterate malice, or ill will to our fellow creatures, without prompting us to be of service to any. True charity "Certain vain ceremonies," says Dr. is an active principle. It is not proper- Doddridge, "which are commonly callly a single virtue; but a disposition resi-ed charms, and seem to have no efficacy ding in the heart as a fountain; whence at all for producing the effects proposed all the virtues of benignity, candour, for- by them, are to be avoided; seeing if bearance, generosity, compassion, and li- there be indeed any real efficacy in them, berality flow as so many native streams. it is generally probable they owe it to From general good will to all, it extends some bad cause; for one can hardly its influence particularly to those with imagine that God should permit good whom we stand in nearest connexion, angels in any extraordinary manner to and who are directly within the sphere interpose, or should immediately exert of our good offices. From the country his own miraculous power on trifling or community to which we belong, it occasions, and upon the performance of descends to the smaller associates of such idle tricks as are generally made neighbourhood, relations, and friends; the condition of receiving such benefits." and spreads itself over the whole circle CHASTITY, purity from fleshly lust. of social and domestic life. I mean not In men it is termed continence. See that it imports a promiscuous undistin- CONTINENCE: There is a chastity of guishing affection which gives every speech, behaviour, and imagination, as man an equal title to our love. Charity, well as of body. Grove gives us the folif we should endeavour to carry it so far, lowing rules for the conservation of would be rendered an impracticable vir- chastity.-1. To keep ourselves fully tue, and would resolve itself into mere employed in labours either of the body words, without affecting the heart. True or the mind: idleness is frequently the charity attempts not to shut our eyes to introduction to sensuality.-2. To guard the distinction between good and bad the senses, and avoid every thing which men; nor to warm our hearts equally may be an incentive to lust. Does the to those who befriend and those who free use of some meats and drinks make injure us. It reserves our esteem for the body ungovernable? Does reading good men, and our complacency for our certain books debauch the imagination friends. Towards our enemies, it in- and inflame the passions? Do temptaspires forgiveness and humanity. It tions often enter by the sight? Have breathes universal candour and liberali- public plays, dancings, effeminate muty of sentiment. It forms gentleness of sic, idle songs, loose habits, and the like, temper, and dictates affability of man- the same effect? He who resolves upon ners. It prompts corresponding sym-chastity cannot be ignorant what his dupathies with them who rejoice, and them who weep. It teaches us to slight and despise no man. Charity is the comforter of the afflicted, the protector of the oppressed, the reconcifer of differences, the intercessor for offenders. It is faithfulness in the friend, public spirit

ty is in all these and such like cases.3. To implore the Divine Spirit, which is a spirit of purity; and by the utmost regard to his presence and operations to endeavour to retain him with us. Grove's Moral Philos. p. 2. sec. 6.

CHAZINZARIANS; a sect which