images, and receive only the cross, to which they pay a great veneration. They affirm that the souls of the saints do not see God till after the day of judgment. They acknowledge but three sacraments; viz. baptism, orders, and the eucharist. They make no use of holy oils in the administration of baptism; but after the ceremony, apoint the infant with an unction, composed of oil and walnuts, without any benediction. They have no knowledge of confirmation or extreme unction, and abhor auricular confession. In the eucharist, they consecrate with little cakes, made of oil and salt; and in stead of wine, make use of water in which raisins have been infused.* CIRCUMCELLIANS, (in latin, Circumcelliones) a branch of the Donatists. They a bounded chiefly in Africa. They had no fixed abode; but rambled up and down,begging, or rather exacting a maintenance from the country people. It was from this wandering course of life they had their name.t COCCEIANS, a denomination which arose in the seventeenth century; so called from John Cocceius, professor of divinity in the university of Leyden. He represented the whole history of the old tes tament as a mirror, which held forth an accurate view of the transactions and events that were to happen in the church under the dispensation of the new testament, and unto the end of the world. He maintained that by far the greatest part of the ancient prophecies foretold Christ's ministry and mediation, and the rise, progress, and revolutions of the church, not only under the figure of persons and transactions, but in a literal manner, and by the very sense of the words used in these predictions; and laid it down as a fundamental rule of interpretation, that the words and phrases of scripture are to be understood in every sense of which they are susceptible, or, in other words, that they signify in effect every thing that they can possibly signify. Cocceius also taught, that the covenant made between God and the jewish nation, by the ministry of Moses, was of the same nature as the new covenant, obtained by the mediation of Jesus Christ. In consequence of this general principle, he maintained that the ten commandments were promulgated by Moses, not as a rule of obedience, but as a representation of the covenant of grace-that when the jews had provoked the Deity by their various transgressions, particularly by the worship of the golden calf, the severe and servile yoke of the ceremonial law was added to the decalogue, as a punishment inflicted on them by the supreme Being in his righteous displeasure-that this yoke, which was painful in itself, became doubly so on account of its typical signification; since it admonished the Israelites from day to day of the imperfection and uncertainty of their state, filled them with anxiety, and was a perpetual proof that they had merited the righteous displeasure of God, and could not expect before the coming of the Messiah the entire remission of their iniquities that indeed good men, even under the Mosaic dispensation, were immediately after death made partakers of everlasting glory; but that they were, nevertheless, during the whole course of their lives, far removed from that firm hope and assurance of salvation, which rejoices the faithful under the dispensation of the gospel-and that their anxiety flowed naturally from this consideration, that their sins, though they remain unpu nished, were not pardoned; because Christ had not as yet offered himself up a sacrifice to the Father, to make an entire atonement for them.* COLARBARSIANS. See Marcosians. COLLEGIATES, a name given to a society of Mennonites in Holland, because they called their religious assemblies colleges. They are also called Rhinstergers.+ See Mennonites. COLLUTHIANS, a denomination which arose in the fourth century; so called from Colluthus, a priest of Alexandria, who taught that God was not the author of the evils and afflictions of this life. COLLYLYRIDIANS, an Arabian sect in the fourth century; so denominated from their idolizing the Virgin Mary, worshipping her as a goddess, and offering to her little cakes.§ CONGREGATIONALISTS, a denomination of protestants, who maintain that each particular church has authority from Christ for exercising government, and enjoying all the ordinances of worship within itself. The platform of church discipline which was drawn up in 1648, and agreed upon * Mosheim, vol. iv, pp. 545–548, † Ibid, vol. v, p. 59. by the elders and messengers predestination, total depraof the churches, assembled in vity, particular redemption, the synod at Cambridge, in effectual grace, and final perNew England, defines a con- severance. This denominagregational church to be, by tion differ from the Indepenthe institution of Christ, a dents in this respect: They part of the militant visible invite councils, which are adchurch, consisting of a com- visory only; but the Indepany of saints by calling, pendents formerly decided all united in one body by a holy difficulties within themselves.† covenant, for the public worship of God, and the mutual edification of one another in the fellowship of the Lord Jesus. According to this platform, such as are admitted members of churches ought to be first examined: for the eunuch of Ethiopia, before his admission, was examined by Philip whether he did believe in Jesus Christ with all his heart. The officers are charged with the keeping of the doors of the church, and therefore are in a special manner to make trial of the fitness of those who enter. The qualifications necessary to be found in all church members, are repentance from sin, and faith in Jesus Christ. The confession of faith which was agreed upon by the synod at their second session, teaches the doctrine of the trinity, of CONONITES, a denomi nation which appeared in the sixth century. They derive their name from Conon, bishop of Tarsus. He taught that the body never lost its form; that its matter alone was subject to corruption and decay, and was to be restored when this mortal shall put on immortality.-In other points they agree with the Philoponists. See Philoponists and Tritheists. COPHTES, christians of Egypt, Nubia, and the adjacent countries. Their sentiments are similar with the Jacobites. See Jacobites : also part the second. CORNARISTS, the disciples of Theodore Cornhert, a sectary in the states of Holland. He wrote at the same time against the Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists. He maintained that every reli Those who are desirous of seeing a particular account of Congregational principles, may consult their Platform of Church Discipline," which the brevity of this work does not admit of inserting at large. + Neal's History of New England, vol. ii. p. 314. Wise's Works, p. 197–243. Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, vol. i. p. 473. Father Simons's Religion of the Eastern Nations, p. 110. gious communion needed reformation; but he added, that no person had a right to engage in accomplishing it without a mission supported by miracles. He was also of opinion, that a person might be a good christian without being a member of any visible church.* AMIANISTS, a deno D mination in the sixth century; so called from Damian, bishop of Alexandria. The opinions maintained by this denomination were similar to those of the Angelites. See Angelites. DANCERS, a denomination which arose at Aix-laChapelle in the year 1373, whence they spread through the district of Liege, Hainault, and other parts of Flanders. It was customary among them for persons of both sexes, publicly, as well as in private, to fall a dancing all of a sudden; and, holding each others hands, to continue their motions with extraordinary violence, till, being almost suffocated, they fell down breathless together. They affirmed, that during these intervals of vehement agitation, they were favoured with wonderful visions. Like the Flagellants, they CORRUPTICOLÆ, a denomination which arose in the sixth century. They derive their name from their maintaining that the body of Christ was corruptible, that the fathers had owned it, and that to deny it was to deny the truth of our Saviour's passion.† wandered about from place to place; had recourse to begging for their sustenance; treated with the utmost contempt both the priesthood and the public rites and worship of the church, and held secret assemblies.§ DAVIDISTS, a denomination in the sixteenth century; so called from David George, a native of Delft, who acquired great reputation by his prudent conversation. He deplored the decline of vital and practical religion, and endeavoured to restore it among his followers; but rejected as mean and useless, the external services of piety. He was charged with asserting, that he was the third David, Son of God; and that he ought to save men by grace, and not by death; and with denying the existence of angels and demons, the authority of the * Encyclopædia, vol. v. p. 435. ↑ Dict. Arts Sciences, vol. i. p. 492. scriptures, and the resurrection of the body.* DESTRUCTIONISTS, a denomination of christians who teach that the final punishment threatened in the gospel to the wicked and impenitent, consists not in an eternal preservation in misery and torment, but in a total extinction of being; and that the sentence of annihilation shall be executed with more or less torment preceding or attending the final period, in proportion to the greater or less guilt of the criminal. to be an everlasting destruction from the power of God, which is equally able to destroy as to preserve. So when our Saviour is fortifying the minds of his disciples against the power of men, by an awe of the far greater power of God, and the punishment of his justice, he expresses himself thus: Fear not them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do ; fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Here he plainly proposes the destruction of the soul (not its endless pain and misery) as the ultimate object of the divine displeasure, and greatest object of our fear. And when he says, These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal, it appears evident, that by that eternal punishment, which is set in opposition to eternal life, is not meant any kind of life, however miserable, but the same which the apostle expresses by everlasting destruction from the sence and power of the Lord. The very term death is most frequently made use of, to signify the end of wicked men in another world, or the final effect of divine justice in their punishment. The wages of sin (saith the apostle) is death, Mosheim, vol, iv. pp. 164,165. Crosby's History of the English Baptists, vol. i. p. 64. Dufresnoy's Chronological Tables, vol. ii. p. 249. The name assumed by this denomination, like those of many others, takes for granted the question in dispute; viz. that the scripture word destruction means annihilation. In strict propriety of speech they should be called Annihilationists. The doctrine is largely maintained in the sermons of Mr. Samuel Bourn of Birmingham: it was held also by Mr. J. N. Scott, Mr. John Taylor of Norwich, and many others. In defence of the system, Mr. Bourn argues as follows: There are many passages of scripture, in which the ultimate punishment to which wicked men shall be adjudged, is defined in the most precise and intelligible terms, pre |