PREFACE BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR.

THE numerous and extensive editions of Buck's Theological Dictionary published both in England and in this country since its first appearance, together with the continued and increasing demand, sufficiently attest the estimate in which the work is held by the Christian public. The judgment, industry, candour, and impartiality evinced by the Author in the selection and compilation of the articles, embracing, as they do, the wide field of Theology, didactic and polemic, Ecclesiastical Polity, Church History, Moral and Metaphysical Philosophy, and Biblical Literature, together with a copious list of references to the most valuable authorities in each department, are universally acknowledged. So far as the merit of sterling utility can entitle any book to favourable acceptance, the Dictionary of Mr. Buck presents claims which will not be contested. As a theological and ecclesiastical manual, embodying a vast amount of useful information in a moderate compass, and clearly and judiciously arranged, it would not be easy to designate its superior.

Yet while this tribute of deserved commendation is readily bestowed, it must still be admitted, that the work hitherto has not been altogether adapted to the circumstances of our own country, or the wants of the present day. Considered in this view the Theological Dictionary labours under manifold defects, which it would be as easy to specify as it is obvious to perceive. As might have been expected, its local bearings and allusions are to the state of things in England, and not in this country. But a work of this nature is needed, which shall be suited to the state of religious opinion in the Christian community of the United States. Moreover, since the first publication of Mr. Buck's work, great changes have occurred in the religious world; great advances have been made in theological as well as in natural science; a fresh impulse has been given to the investigation of revealed truth; new sects, especially in our own country, have risen up, and with them new controversies, or new forms of old ones; the ever varying field of religious discussion, while it has been contracted in some of its limits, has been widened in others; besides which, nearly every department treated in the Theological Dictionary has been enriched with new treasures from the writings of modern divines, to which the reader will look in vain for any references in the previous editions. While therefore the active spirit of progress and improvement is urging its way in the province of Theological inquiry as well as every other, while modern researches are shedding light upon numberless points of Christian and Jewish antiquities, upon Ecclesiastical institutions, and Biblical criticism, it is doubtless desirable that a Theological Dictionary should be prepared, fitted to meet, in some good degree, the exigences of the present period.

With this view the present edition of Buck has been undertaken. In the prosecution of the plan, the steady aim has been to increase the amount of new and valuable matter, at the same time that the accession should not swell the size, nor enhance the price of the volume. The whole work therefore has undergone a careful revision— Some few articles of trivial moment have been expunged to make way for others of more consequence-Several have been abridged-Several in whole or in part re-written: But the principal feature of the present edition is the addition of a large mass of new matter under the following heads: ABYSS, ACCOMMODATION of Scripture, ANNIHILATION, ANTICHRIST, ANTICHRISTIANISM, ATONEMENT, CHURCH, COMMENTARY, CONGREGATIONALISTS, EPISCOPALIAN, GLASSITES, NEW INDEPENDENTS, NEOLOGY, PRESBYTERIANS, UNITARIANS, besides many others, which will be pointed out to the reader, wherever they occur, by the letter B. being annexed to them. Notices of all or nearly all the existing religious denominations in the United States are given, accompanied with historical sketches and ecclesiastical statistics. In this department of the work the Editor acknowledges his obligations to the very valuable Quarterly Register and Journal of the American Education Society, for Feb. 1830, by means of which, and from other sources, he has been enabled to bring down the records of the various denominations to the commencement of the present year.

In the earnest hope that the attempted improvements of the present edition may be found to be a benefit, and not a bar, to its general reception, it is submitted to the candour of the public.

A

THEOLOGICAL DICTIONARY.

ABBEY

A.

ABBOT

ABBA, a Syriac word of Hebrew origin, sig- state became poor, for the lands which these refying Father. It is more particularly used in gulars possessed could never revert to the lords the Syriac, Coptic, and Ethiopic churches, as a who gave them. These places were wholly title given to the bishops. The bishops them- abolished by Henry VIII. He first appointed` selves bestowed the title Abba more eminently on visitors to inspect into the lives of the monks and the bishop of Alexandria, which occasioned the nuns, which were found in some places very dispeople to give him the title of Baba, or Papa; orderly; upon which the abbots, perceiving their that is, Grandfather: a title which he bore before dissolution unavoidable, were induced to resign the bishop of Rome. It is a Jewish title of honour their houses to the king, who by that means begiven to certain Rabbins called Tanaites: it is came invested with the abbey lands: these were also used by some writers of the middle age for the afterwards granted to different persons, whose superior of a monastery. Saint Mark and Saint descendants enjoy them at this day: they were Paul use this word in their Greek, Mark xiv. 36. then valued at 2,853,000l. per annum; an imRom. viii. 15. Gal. vi. 6. because it was then mense sum in those days. Though the supprescommonly known in the synagogues and the sion of these houses, considered in a religious and primitive assemblies of the Christians. It is political light, was a great benefit to the nation, thought by Selden, Witsius, Doddridge, and yet it must be owned, that at the time they flouothers, that Saint Paul alluded to a law among rished, they were not entirely useless. Abbeys the Jews which forbade servants or slaves to call were then the repositories as well as the seminatheir master Abba, or Father; and that theries of learning: many valuable books and naapostle meant to convey the idea that those who tional records have been preserved in their librabelieved in Christ were no longer slaves to sin;ries; the only places wherein they could have but, being brought into a state of holy freedom, might consequently address God as their Father. ABBE, the same with ABBOT, which see. Also the name of curious popular characters in France; who are persons who have not yet obtainal any precise or fixed settlement in church or state, but most heartily wish for and would accept of either, just as it may happen. In the meanwhile their privileges are many. In college, they are the instructors of youth, and in private famihes the tutors of young gentlemen.

been safely lodged in those turbulent times. Indeed the historians of this country are chiefly beholden to the monks for the knowledge they have of former national events. Thus a kind Providence overruled even the institutions of superstition for good. See MONASTERY.

ABBOT, the chief ruler of a monastery or abbey. At first they were laymen, and subject to the bishop and ordinary pastors. Their monasteries being remote from cities, and built in the farthest solitudes, they had no share in ecclesiastical affairs; but, there being among them several persons of learning, they were called out of their deserts by the bishops, and fixed in the suburbs of the cities; and at length in the cities themselves. From that time they degenerated, and, learning to be ambitious, aspired to be independent of the bishops, which occasioned some severe laws to be made against them. At length, however, the abbots carried their point, and obtained the title of lord, with other badges of the episco

ABBESS, the superior of an abbey or convent of nuns. The abbess has the same rights and authority over her nuns that the abbots regular have over their monks. The sex, indeed, does not allow her to perform the spiritual functions annexed to the priesthood, wherewith the abbot is usually invested; but there are instances of some abbesses who have a right, or rather a privilege, to commission a priest to act for them. They have even a kind of episcopal jurisdiction, as well as some abbots who are exempted from the visi-pate, particularly the mitre. Hence arose new lation of their diocesan.

ABBEY, a monastery, governed by a superior under the title of Abbot or Abbess. Monasteries were at first nothing more than religious houses, whither persons retired from the bustle of the world to spend their time in solitude and devotion; but they soon degenerated from their original insutution, and procured large privileges, exemptions and riches. They prevailed greatly in Britain before the Reformation, particularly in England: and as they increased in riches, so the

distinctions among them. Those were termed mitred abbots who were privileged to wear the mitre, and exercise episcopal authority within their respective precincts, being exempted from the jurisdiction of the bishop. Others were called crosiered abbots, from their bearing the crosier, or pastoral staff. Others were styled ecumenical or universal abbots, in imitation of the patriarch of Constantinople; while others were termned cardinal abbots from their superiority over all other abbots. At present, in the Roman Catho

are forgiven through the merits of Jesus Christ; and that those who remain in unbelief are in a state of condemnation. Any idea of authority given to fallible, uninspired men, to absolve sinners, different from this, is unscriptural; nor can I see much utility in the terms ministerial or declaratire absolution, as adopted by some divines, since absolution is wholly the prerogative of God; and the terms abovementioned may, to say the least, have no good influence on the minds of the ignorant and superstitious.

lic countries, the chief distinctions are those of regular and commendatory. The former take the vow and wear the habit of their order; whereas the latter are seculars, though they are obliged by their bulls to take orders when of proper age. ABELIANS, or ABELONIANS, a sect which arose in the diocese of Hippo in Africa, and is supposed to have begun in the reign of Arcadius, and ended in that of Theodosius. Indeed, it was not calculated for being of any long continuance. They regulated marriage after the example of Abel, who, they pretended, was married, but ABSTEMII, a name given to such persons as lived in a state of continence: they therefore al- could not partake of the cup of the eucharist, on lowed each man to marry one woman, but en-account of their natural aversion to wine. joined them to live in the same state. To keep ABSTINENCE, in a general sense, is the up the sect, when a man and woman entered into act of refraining from something which we have this society, they adopted a boy and a girl, who a propension to or find pleasure in. It is more were to inherit their goods, and to marry upon particularly used for fasting or forbearing from the same terms of not having children, but of necessary food. Among the Jews, various kinds adopting two of different sexes. of abstinence were ordained by their law. Among the primitive Christians, some denied themselves the use of such meats as were prohibited by that law; others looked upon this abstinence with contempt; as to which Paul gives his opinion, Romans xiv. 1, 3. The council of Jerusalem, which was held by the apostles, enjoined the Christian converts to abstain from meats strangled, from blood, from fornication, and from idolatry. Acts xv. Upon this passage Dr. Doddridge observes, "that though neither things sacrificed to idols, nor the flesh of strangled animals, nor

ABESTA, the name of one of the sacred books of the Persian Magi, which they ascribe to their great founder, Zoroaster. The Abesta is a commentary on two others of their religious books called Zend and Pazend; the three together including the whole system of the Ignicola, or worshippers of fire.

ABILITY. See INABILITY.

ABLUTION, a ceremony in use among the ancients, and still practised in several parts of the world. It consisted in washing the body, which was always done before sacrificing, or even en-blood, have or can have any moral evil in them, tering their houses. Ablutions appear to be as old as any ceremonies, and external worship itself. Moses enjoined them, the heathens adopted them, and Mahomet and his followers have continued them. The Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Jews, all had them. The ancient Christians had their ablutions before communion, which the Romish church still retain before their mass, and sometimes after. The Syrians, Copts, &c. have their solemn washings on Good Friday: the Turks also have their ablutions, their Ghast, their Wodou, Aman, &c.

which should make the eating of them absolutely and universally unlawful; yet they were forbid. den to the Gentile converts, because the Jews had such an aversion to them, that they could not converse freely with any who used them. This is plainly the reason which James assigns in the very next words, the 21st verse, and it is abundantly sufficient. This reason is now ceased, and the obligation to abstain from eating these things ceases with it. But were we in like circumstances again, Christian charity would surely require us to lay ourselves under the same restraint."ABSOLUTION signifies acquittal. It is The spiritual monarchy of the western world taken also for that act whereby the priest declares introduced another sort of abstinence, which the sins of such as are penitent remitted. The may be called ritual, and consists in abstaining Romanists hold absolution a part of the sacra- from particular meats at certain times and seament of penance; and the council of Trent and sons, the rules of which are called rogations. If that of Florence declare the form or essence of I mistake not, the impropriety of this kind of abthe sacrament to lie in the words of absolution, stinence is clearly pointed out in 1 Tim. iv. 3."I absolve thee of thy sins." According to this, In England, abstinence from flesh has been enno one can receive absolution without the privity, joined by statute, even since the Reformation; consent, and declaration of the priest; except, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays, on vigils, therefore, the priest be willing, God himself can- and on all days commonly called fish days. The not pardon any man. This is a doctrine as blas-like injunctions were renewed under queen Elizaphemous as it is ridiculous. The chief passage on which they ground their power of absolution is that in John xx. 23: "Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." But this is not to the purpose; since this was a special commission to the apostles themselves, and the first ABYSS, from the Greek Burros, composed preachers of the Gospel, and most probably re- of a priv. and Burros, Ion. for Buses, signifies proferred to the power he gave them of discerning perly without a bottom. In the English version spirits. By virtue of this power, Peter struck of the Scriptures it is rendered by the deep, the Ananias and Sapphira dead, and Paul struck great deep, and the bottomless pit. Though Elymas blind. But, supposing the passage in primarily used in reference to a vast and unfaquestion to apply to the successors of the apostles, thomed mass of waters, it is also applied to proand to ministers in general, it can only import found depths, cavities, and recesses in general, that their office is to preach pardon to the peni-whether in the earth or in the sea. As the tent, assuring those who believe that their sins tombs and cemeteries in the East consisted of

beth; but at the same time it was declared, that this was done not out of motives of religion, as if there were any difference in meats, but in favour of the consumption of fish, and to multiply the number of fishermen and mariners, as well as to spare the stock of sheep. See FASTING.

ABYSSINIAN CHURCH

|

ACCOMMODATION

spacious subterranean vaults or gloomy caverns, feared, however, that there is little beside the round the sides of which were cells to receive the name of Christianity among them. Should the dead bodies, the term was employed to denote the reader be desirous to know more of this sect, he grave, or the common receptacle of the dead, may consult Father Lobo's Voyage to Abyssinia; Rom. x. 7. In the symbolical language of the Bruce's Travels; Ludolph's History of Ethiobook of Revelation, its import is somewhat dif-pia; and Dict. of Arts and Sciences, vol. i. p. 15. ferent. In ch. ix. 1-3, at the sounding of the ACADEMICS, a denomination given to the fifth trumpet, "a star fell from heaven unto the cultivators of a species of philosophy originally earth; and to him was given the key of the bot- derived from Socrates, and afterwards illustomless pit, (literally, of the well of the abyss,) trated and enforced by Plato. The contradictory and he opened the bottomless pit; and there systems which had been successively urged upon arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a the world, were become so numerous, that, from great furnace, and there came out of the smoke a view of the variety and uncertainty of human locusts upon the earth." On this passage an opinions, many were led to believe that truth lay eminent expositor of prophecy observes, "The beyond the reach of our comprehension. The poetic machinery of this vision is taken from the consequence of this conclusion was absolute scepsacred oracular caves of the ancient Pagans, ticism: hence the existence of God, the immorwhich were often thought to communicate with tality of the soul, the preferableness of virtue to the sea or the great abyss, and which were es-vice, were all held as uncertain. This sect, with pecially valued when (like that at Delphi) they that of the Epicureans, were the two chief that emitted an intoxicating vapour; it is used, there- were in vogue at the time of Christ's appearance, fore, with singular propriety in foretelling the rise and were embraced and supported by persons of of a religious imposture." This symbol, accord-high rank and wealth. A consideration of the ingly is interpreted by the best expositors, of the principles of these two sects [see EPICUREANS] rise of the Mahometan delusion in the com- will lead us to form an idea of the deplorable state mencement of the 7th century, and as having a of the world at the time of Christ's birth; and the special allusion to Mahomet's retiring to the cave necessity there was of some divine teacher to conof Hera for the purpose of fabricating his im- vey to the mind true and certain principles of reposture. Although the phrase bottomless pit is ligion and wisdom. Jesus Christ, therefore, is in popular usage employed as of the same import with great propriety called the Day Spring from with hell, yet there is no place in the Scriptures on high, the Sun of Righteousness, that arose upwhere it can be clearly shown to be synonymous on a benighted world to dispel the clouds of ignowith the places of future torment of the wicked.rance and crror, and discover to lost man the Faber's Sacred Calendar of Prophecy; Daubuz on the Revelation; Schleusner's Gr. Lexicon.-B.

path of happiness and heaven. But, as we do not meant to enlarge much upon these and some other sects, which belong rather to philosophy than theology, we shall refer the reader to Budaus's Introduction to the History of Philosophy; Stanley's Lires; Brucker's History of Philosophy; or (which is more modern) Enfield's Abridgment.

ABYSSINIAN CHURCH, that which is established in the empire of Abyssinia. They are a branch of the Copts, with whom they agree in admitting only one nature in Jesus Christ, and rejecting the council of Chalcedon; whence they are also called Monophysites and Eutychians, which see. The Abyssinian church is governed by ACCLAMATIONS, ecclesiastical, were a bishop, styled Abuna. They have canons also, shouts of joy which the people expressed by way and monks. The emperor has a kind of supre- of approbation of their preachers. It hardly macy in ecclesiastical matters. The Abyssinians seems credible to us that practices of this kind have at divers times expressed an inclination to should ever have found their way into the church be reconciled to the see of Rome; but rather where all ought to be reverence and solemnity. from interested views than any other motive. Yet so it was in the fourth century. The people They practice circumcision on females as well as were not only permitted, but sometimes even exmals. They eat no meats prohibited by the law horted, by the preacher himself, to approve his taof Moses. They observe both Saturday and lents by clapping of hands, and loud acclamations Sunday sabbaths. Women are obliged to the of praise. The usual words they made use of legal purifications. Brothers marry their brother's were, "Orthodox," "Third apostle," &c. These wives, &c. On the other hand, they celebrate acclamations being carried to excess, and often the Epiphany with peculiar festivity; have four misplaced, were frequently prohibited by the anLents; pray for the dead; and invoke angels. cient doctors, and at length abrogated. Even as Images in painting they venerate; but abhor all late, however, as the seventeenth and eighteenth those in relievo, except the cross. They admit centuries, we find practices that were not very the apocryphal books and the canons of the apos-decorous; such as loud humming, frequent groanties, as well as the apostolical constitutions, foring, strange gestures of the body, &c. See argenuine. They allow of divorce, which is easily ticles DANCERS, SHAKERS. granted among them, and by the civil judge; nor o their civil laws prohibit polygamy. They bave, at least, as many miracles and legends of sunts as the Romish church. They hold that the soul of man is not created; because, say they, God finished all his works on the sixth day. Thus we see that the doctrines and ritual of this Bect form a strange compound of Judaism and Christianity, ignorance and superstition. Some, indeed, have been at a loss to know whether they are most Christians or Jews; it is to be

ACCOMMODATION of SCRIPTURE, is the application of it not to its literal meaning, but to something analogous to it. Thus a prophecy is said to be fulfilled properly when a thing foretold comes to pass; and by way of accommo dation, when an event happens to any place or people similar to what fell out some time before to another. Thus the words of Isaiah, spoken to those of his own time, are said to be fulfilled in those who lived in our Saviour's, "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy,," &c. which same