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of the ancient Gnostics, so called hending the Lutheran, the second from Carpocrates, who in the se- the Calvinist, and the third the cond century revived and improv- Romish casuist. ed upon the errors of Simon Magus, Menender, Saturninus, and other Gnostics. See GNOSTICS.

CASUISTRY, the doctrine and science of conscience and its cases, with the rules and princiCARTHUSIANS, a religious ples of resolving the same; drawn order founded A. D. 1080, by one partly from natural reason or equiBrudo; so called from the desert ty, and partly from the authority Chartreux, the place of their in-of scripture, the canon law, counstitution. The rule is extreme-cils, fathers, &c. To casuistry ly severe. They must not go out belongs the decision of all difficulof their cells, except to church ties arising about what a man may without leave of their superior ; lawfully do or not do ; what is sin nor speak to any person without or not sin; what things a man is leave. They must not keep any obliged to do in order to discharge meat or drink till next day : their his duty, and what he may let beds are of straw covered with alone without breach of it.

a felt; their clothing two hair Some suppose that all books cloths, two cowls, two pair of of casuistry are as useless as they hose, and a cloak; all coarse. In are tiresome. One who is really the refectory they must keep their anxious to do his duty must be eyes on the dish, their hands on very weak, it is said, if he can the table, their attention to the imagine that he has much occareader, and their hearts fixed on sion for them; and with regard God. Women must not come into their churches.

to one who is negligent of it, the style of those writings is not such as is likely to awaken him to more

CASUALTY, an event that is not foreseen or intended. See attention. The frivolous accuCONTINGENCY.

racy which casuists attempt to inCASUIST, one that studies and troduce into subjects which do settles cases of conscience. It is not admit of it, almost necessarily said that Escobar has made a col- betray them into dangerous erlection of the opinions of all the rors; and at the same time render casuists before him. M. Le Feore, their works dry and disagreeable, preceptor of Louis XIII, called abounding in abstruse and metathe books of the casuists the art physical distinctions, but incapaof quibbling with God; which ble of exciting in the heart any does not seem far from truth, by of those emotions which it is the reason of the multitude of distinc- principal use of books of morality tions and subtleties they abound to produce.

with. Mayer has published a On the other hand, I think it bibliotheca of casuists, containing may be observed, that, though an account of all the writers on these remarks may apply to some, cases of conscience, ranged under they cannot apply to all books of three heads; the first compre-casuistry. It must be acknow

1.

dedged that nice distinctions, me-land are more capable of knowtaphysical reasoning, and abstruse ledge by instruction than by the terms, cannot be of much service exercise of their own reasoning to the generality, because there powers, they should certainly be are so few who can enter into taught. This agrees both with them; yet, when we consider how the voice of nature and the dicmuch light is thrown upon a sub-tates of revelation, Deut. vi, 7. ject by the force of good reason- Prov. xxii, 6. Eph. vi, 4. The ing, by viewing a case in all its propriety of this being granted, it bearings, by properly considering may next be observed, that, in all the objections that may be order to facilitate their knowmade to it, and by examining it in ledge, short summaries of relievery point of view; it we con- gion extracted from the Bible, sider also how little some men are in the way of question and answer, accustomed to think, and yet at may be of considerable use. the same time possess that ten-Hereby, says Dr. Watts, the prin derness of conscience which makes ciples of christianity are reduced them fearful of doing wrong; we into short sentences, and easier to must conclude that such works as be understood by children. 2. these, when properly executed, Hereby these principles are not may certainly be of considerable only thrown into a just and easy advantage. The reader may con-method, but every part is natusult Ames's Power and Cases of rally introduced by a proper quesConscience; Bishop Taylor's Duc- tion; and the rehersal of the antor Dubitantium; Dr. Saunder-swer is made far easier to a child son's De Obligatione Conscientiæ; than it would be if the child were Pike and Hayward's Cases; and required to repeat the whole Saurin's Christian Casuistry, in scheme of religion.-3. This way 4th vol. of his Sermons, p. 265, of teaching has something famiEnglish edition. liar and delightful in it, because CATECHISING, instructing it looks more like conversation and by asking questions and correcting dialogue.-4. The very curiosithe Answers. Catechising is an ty of the young mind is awakenexcellent mean of informing the ed by the question to know what mind, engaging the attention, and the answer will be; and the child affecting the heart, and is an im-will take pleasure in learning the portant duty incumbent on all answer by heart, to improve its who have children under their own knowledge. See next arcare. Children should not be suf- ticle. fered to grow up without instruc- CATECHISM, a form of intion, under the pretence that the struction by means of questions and choice of religion ought to be answers. There have been various perfectly free, and not biassed catechisms published by different by the influence and authority of authors, but many of them have parents, or the power of educa- been but ill suited to convey intion. As they have capacities, struction to juvenile minds. Ca

techisms for children should be charge is to instruct by questions, so framed as not to puzzle and or to question the uninstructed confound, but to let the beams concerning religion. of Divine light into their minds by The catechists of the ancient degrees. They should be accom-churches were usually ministers, modated as far as possible to the and distinct from the bishops and weakness of their understandings; presbyters; and had their catechufor mere learning sentences by mena, or auditories, apart. But rote, without comprehending the they did not constitute any distinct meaning, will be but of little use. order of the clergy, being chosen In this way they will know no-out of any order. The bishop thing but words: it will prove a himself sometimes performed the laborious task, and not a pleasure;office; at other times, presbyters, confirm them in a bad habit of readers, or deacons. It was his dealing in sounds instead of ideas; business to expose the folly of the and, after all, perhaps create in pagan superstition; to remove them an aversion to religion it-prejudices and answer objections; self. Dr. Watts advises that to discourse on behalf of the chrisdifferent catechisms should betian doctrines; and to give incomposed for different ages and struction to those who had not capacities; the questions and an-sufficient knowledge to qualify swers should be short, plain, and them for baptism.

easy; scholastic terms, and logical CATECHUMENS, the lowdistinctions, should be avoided; est order of christians in the pri the most practical points of reli-mitive church. They had some title gion should be inserted; and one to the common name of christians, or more well chosen text of scrip-being a degree above pagans and ture should be added to support heretics, though not consummated almost every answer, and to prove by baptism. They were admitthe several parts of it. The doc-ted to the state of catechumens tor has admirably exemplified his by the imposition of hands, and own rules in the catechism he has the sign of the cross. The chilcomposed for children at three or dren of believing parents were adfour years old; that for children at mitted catechumens as soon as seven or eight; his assembly's ca-ever they were capable of instructechism, proper for youth at twelve tion; but at what age those of or fourteen; his preservative from heathen parents might be admitthe sins and follies of childhood:ted is not so clear. As to the his catechism of scripture names; time of their continuance in this and his historical, catechism.-state, there were no general rules These are superior to any I know, fixed about it; but the practice and which I cannot but ardently varied according to the difference recommend to parents, and all of times and places, and the readithose who have the care and in-ness and proficiency of the catestruction of children. chumens themselves. There were CATECHIST, one whose four orders or degrees of cate

chumens. The first were those body; that baptism and the Lord's instructed privately without the supper were useless institutions; church, and kept at a distance, for with a variety of other strange nosome time, from the privilege of tions.

The

entering the church, to make CATHEDRAL, the chief them the more eager and desirous church of a diocese: a church of it. The next degree were the wherein is a bishop's see. audientes, so called from their be- word comes from xapa, “chair:" ing admitted to hear sermons and the name seems to have taken its the scriptures read in the church, rise from the manner of sitting in but were not allowed to partake the ancient churches or assemblies of the prayers. The third sort of of private christians. In these the catechumens were the genuflecten-council, i. e. the elders and priests, tes, so called because they receiv- were called Presbyterum; at their ed imposition of hands kneeling. head was the bishop, who held the The fourth order was the compe-place of chairman, Cathredalis or tentes et electi; denoting the imme-Cathredaticus; and the presbyters diate candidates for baptism, or who sat on either side, also called such as were appointed to be bap-by the ancient fathers Assessores tized the next approaching festi- Episcoporum. The episcopal auval; before which, strict exami-thority did not reside in the bishop nation was made into their profi-alone, but in all the presbyters, ciency, under the several stages of whereof the bishop was president. catechetical exercises. A cathedral, therefore, originally

After examination, they were was different from what it is now; exercised for twenty days togethe christians, till the time of Conther, and were obliged to fasting stantine, having no liberty to build and confession. Some days before any temple. By their churches baptism they went veiled; and it they only meant assemblies; and was customary to touch their ears, by cathedrals, nothing more than saying, Ephatha, i. e. Be opened; consistories.

as also to anoint their eyes with CATHOLIC, denotes any thing clay both ceremonies being in that is universal or general. The imitation of our Saviour's prac-rise of heresies induced the pritice, and intended to signify to the mitive christian church to assume catechumens their condition both to itself the appellation of catholic, before and after their admission being a characteristic to distinguish into the christian church. itself from all sects, who, though

CATHARISTS, a sect that they had party names, sometimes spread much in the Latin church sheltered themselves under the in the twelfth century. Their reli- name of christians. The Romish gion resembled the doctrine of the church now distinguishes itself by Manichæans and Gnostics [see catholic, in opposition to all who those articles.] They supposed that have separated from her commumatter was the source of evil; that nion, and whom she considers as Christ was not clothed with a real heretics and schismatics; and herVOL. I.

self only as the true and christianmarry as characteristic of the apo church. In the strict sense of the stacy of the latter times, 1st Tim. word, there is no catholic church iv, 3. The fathers, without makin being; that is, no universal ing any distinction between clergy christian communion. and laity, asserted the lawfulness CELESTINS, a religious or-ot the marriage of all christians. der in the thirteenth century; so Marriage was not forbidden to bicalled from their founder, Peter shops in the Eastern church till De Meuron, afterwards raised to the close of the seventh century. the pontificate under the name of Celibacy was not imposed on the Celestine V. The Celestins rose Western clergy in general till the two hours after midnight to say end of the eleventh century, though matins; ate no flesh, except when attempts had been made long besick; and often fasted. Their ha-fore. Superstitious zeal for a sancbit consisted of a white gown, atimonious appearance in the clercapuche, a black scapulary, and gy seems to have promoted it at shirts of serge. first; and crafty policy armed with

CELIBACY, the state of un-power, no doubt, rivetted this clog married persons. Celibate, or celi-on the sacerdotal order in later bacy, is a word chiefly used in periods of the church. Pope Grespeaking of the single life of the gory VII, appears in this business popish clergy, or the obligation to have had a view to separate the they are under to abstain from clergy as much as possible from marriage. The church of Rome all other interests, and to bring. imposes an universal celibacy on them into a total dependence upall her clergy, from the pope to on his authority; to the end that the lowest deacon and subdeacon.all temporal power might in a high The advocates for this usage pre-degree be subjugated to the papal tend that a vow of perpetual celi-jurisdiction. Forbidding to marbacy was required in the ancient ry, therefore, has evidently the church as a condition of ordination, mark of the beast upon it. See even from the earliest apostolic MARRIAGE.

ages. But the contrary is evident, CEMETERY, a place set apart from numerous examples of bi-for the burial of the dead. Ancientshops and archbishops who lived ly, none were buried in churches in a state of matrimony, without or churchyards it was even unany prejudice to their ordination lawful to inter in cities, and the or their function. Neither our cemeteries were without the walls. Lord nor his apostles laid the Among the primitive christians least restraint upon the connubial these were held in great veneraunion on the contrary, the scrip- tion. It even appears from Eusetures speak of it as honourable in bius and Tertullian, that in the all, without the least restriction as early ages they assembled for dito persons, Heb. xiii, 4. Matt. vine worship in the cemeteries. xix, 10, 12. 1st Cor. vii, 2, 9. St. Valerian seems to have confiscatPaul even assigns forbidding toed the cemeteries and other places

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