This denomination had the utmost aversion to the doctrine and discipline of the church of Rome.* of Samosata, bishop of Anti och. He taught that the Son and the holy Ghost exist in God in the same manner as PASSALORYNCHITES, the faculties of reason and a branch of the Montanists. They held, that, in order to be saved, it was necessary to observe a perpetual silence; wherefore they kept their finger constantly upon their mouth, and dared not open it even to say their prayers. Their name is derived from the greek waσσaños, a nail, and pi, a nostril; because when they carried their finger to their mouth, they touched their nose.t PATRICIANS, a denomination which arose in the second century; so called from Patricius their leader. Their distinguishing tenet was, that the substance of the flesh is not the work of God, but of the devil; on which account they bore such hatred to their own bodies as sometimes to kill themselves. PATRIPASSIANS. See Noetians and Monarchians. PAULIANS, or PAULIANISTS, a denomination which appeared in the third century; so called from Paul activity do in man-that Christ was born of a mere man; but that the reason, or wisdom, of the Father descended into him, and by him wrought miracles upon earth, and instructed the nations— and finally, that, on account of this union of the divine Word with the man Jesus, Christ might, though improperly, be called God.§ PAULICIANS, a denomination formed in the seventh century by two brothers, Paul and John, inhabitants of Jerusalem, from the former of whom they derive their name. to The tenets attributed this sect are as follow :—(1.) That the inferior and visible world is not the production of the supreme Being.-(2.) That the evil principle was engendered by darkness and fire, not self-originated and eternal.-(3.) That, though Christ was the Son of Mary, yet he brought from heaven his human nature.-(4.) That Christ was clothed with an † Broughton, vol. ii. p. 224. Mosheim, vol. ii, p. 456. Bailey's Dictionary, vol. ii, They considered eternal matter as the source of all evil, and believed that this matter, endued from all eternity with life and motion, had produced an active principle, which is the fountain of vice, misery, and disorder, and is the author of all material subtances, while God is the Creator and the Father of spirits. ethereal, celestial, and impassible body, and did not really expire on the cross: hence they refused to pay religious homage to the cross.-(5.) That the bread and wine which Christ is said to have administered to his disciples at his last supper, only signifies the divine discourses and exhortations of the Saviour, which are a spiritual food and nourishment to the soul, and fill it with repose, satisfaction, and delight: hence they refused to celebrate the institution of the Lord's supper.--(6.) They rejected the books of the old testament, and looked upon its writers as inspired by the creator of the world, and not by the supreme God. They received all the books of the new testament, except the istles of St. Peter, which they rejected for reasons unknown to us. of life; and also Notarii. For the arguments this de- PEDOBAPTISTS, so called from the greek of maidos, and Barlors. This denomination are distinguished by their adherence to infant baptism, which they perform by affusion, or sprinkling. It seems to be a name common to several religious denominations. It includes Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Sandemanians, and others. They all profess to believe that baptism is to be administered to believers and their children, and that the infants of visible christians belong to the visible church of Christ. In support of infant baptism they use the following argu This denomination had not, like the Manicheans, an ecclesiastical government administered by bishops, priests, and deacons. They had no sacred order of men, distinguished by their manner of life, their habit, or any other circumstance, from the rest of the assembly; nor had councils, synods, or such like institutions, any place in their religious policy. They had certain doctors, whom they called Sunecdemi; i, e. companions in the journey ments:Mosheim, vol, ii. p. 175, 176, That the visible church is one and the same visible body, both under the law and gospel. It appears that the visible church of Christ now, is the same visible body continued from Abraham for the gentiles are grafted into the same stock from which the unbelieving jews were broken off. And thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree. (Rom. xi. 17.) That the gentiles should be fellow-heirs of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. Matt. xxi. 43. Eph. ii. The covenant made with Abraham was the covenant of grace for Abraham is the father of all believers in Christ. They are all blessed with faithful Abraham; they are all his children. God preached before the gospel unto Abraham, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ. Believers, being the seed of Abraham, are under the same covenant, and entitled to the same privileges, which they may justly claim for their infants. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, und to all that are afar off; even as many as the Lord our God shall call, Acts ii. 39. Baptism is now used in the room of circumcision. For (1.) Circumcision was appointed to be the token of the covenant of grace it was a sign and seal of the righteousness of faith. The same thing is signified by christian baptism.-(2.) Circumcision was appointed to be the sacred symbol of initiation into the visible church. So baptism is a seal of initiation into the visible church.-(3.) The same inward grace is signified both by circumcision and baptism. Circumcision and baptism are substantially a sign of one and the same thing. To be a jew inwardly, by being circumcised with the circumcision of the heart, and to be a christian inwardly, by being washed with the washing of regeneration, is one and the same thing. Baptism is called the circumcision of Christ. Infant baptism was the approved practice of the apostles. For the scriptures give us an account of the baptism of house. holds, and those no doubt contained children. The jailor and his household were baptized, so also was Lydia and her household; and St. Paul tells us he baptized the household of Stephanas. The Pedobaptists practise baptism by affusion, or sprinkling, which, they assert, is scriptural, from the import of the original word, which, say they, signifies washing, and is used in scripture for washing things which were not dipped in water. (Luke xi. 38. Matt. vii. 4.) The influences of the Spirit, represented in baptism, are often expressed by pouring, or sprinkling; as the renewing of the holy Ghost, which he has poured out, or shed, on us abundantly. The Pedobaptists suppose that sprinkling was the practice of the apostles, because such great numbers were converted and baptized, where the circumstances, shortness of time, and situation of place, rendered it unlikely that they were baptized by immersion. They do not, however, deny the validity, but only the necessity, of baptizing by plunging. Among the denomination of Pedobaptists, there are some who assert that the baptism of Christ by John is not an example of christian imitation. They say, Christ was not baptized to manifest his repentance; neither did he submit to baptism as an example to the jewish nation; nor was his baptism a token of being washed from sin They say his baptism was a conformity to the law of priestly consecrations; for it answered to the washing of the high priest at his admission to the priesthood. The things signified by the holy garments and holy crown of Aaron, were accomplished at the baptism of Christ. The holy anointing of Aaron was fulfilled when Christ received baptism. They attempt to prove that the baptism of John was not christian baptism. For (1.) The grand design of John's baptism was the discovery, or manifestation of Christ; but christian baptism is used for different purposes.-(2.) John's baptism began and ended under the legal dispensation. The gospel kingdom did not begin till Christ rose from the dead. John's baptism was completed before the death of Christ, and consequently fell short of new testament times; for where a testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.-(3.) The holy Trinity was not named in John's baptism. This is plain, because there is an account that some were baptized by John, and yet had not heard of the holy Ghost. (Acts xix. 2, 5.) The consequence is, John's baptism was not christian baptism.* Parsons's * Clarke's Scripture Ground of the Baptism of Infants. Infant Baptism Vindicated. Bostwick's Vindication of Infant Baptism. Lathrop's Sprinkling a Scripture Mode. Cleveland on Infant Baptism. Fish's Japheth Dwelling in the Tents of Shem, Lewis's Covenant Interest of the Children of Believers. Towgood's Baptism of Infants a Reasonable Service. Strong's Demonstration of Infant Baptism. Glass's Dissertation on Infant Baptism. Allen's Essay on Outward Christian Baptism. Fish's and Crane's Baptism of Jesus Christ not to be imitated by christians. PELAGIANS, a denomination which arose in the fifth century; so called from Pelagius, a monk, who looked upon the doctrines which were commonly received concerning the original corruption of human nature, and the necessity of divine grace to enlighten the understanding and purify the heart, as prejudicial to the progress of holiness and virtue, and tending to establish mankind in a presumptuous and fatal security. He maintained the following doctrines:-(1.) That the sins of our first parents were imputed to them only, and not to their posterity; and that we derive no corruption from their fall, but are born as pure and unspotted as Adam when he came out of the forming hand of his Creator. -(2.) That mankind, therefore, are capable of repentance and amendment, and of arriving to the highest degrees of piety and virtue, by the use of their natural faculties and powers; that, indeed, external grace is necessary to excite their endeavours, but that they have no need of the internal succours of the divine Spirit. -(3.) That Adam was by nature mortal, and whether he had sinned or not would certainly have died.-(4.) That the grace of God is given 1 in proportion to our merits.(5.) That mankind may arrive at a state of perfection in this life.-(6.) That the law qualified men for the kingdom of heaven, and was founded upon equal promises with the gospel.* PEPUZIANS. See Mon tanists. PETROBRUSSIANS, denomination which was formed about the year 1110 in Languedoc and Provence, by Peter de Bruys, who taught the following doctrines :-(1.) That no persons whatever were to be baptized before they came to the full use of their reason. —(2.) That it was an idle superstition to build churches for the service of God, who will accept of a sincere wor ship wherever it is offered; and that therefore such churches as had already been erected were to be pulled down and destroyed.-(3.) That the crucifixes deserved the same fate. -(4.) That the real body and blood of Christ were not exhibited in the eucharist, but were only represented in that holy ordinance by their figures and symbols. (5.) That the oblations, prayers, and good works of the living, could be in no respect advantageous to the dead.† ✦ Mosheim, vol. i, p. 412. Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, vol, iii. p. 2378 Mosheim, vol. ii. pp. 446, 447. |