Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση

STANTIATION.

re

a tenet of the Lutheran church,||stances. It implies, however, that with regard to the manner of the our desires of worldly good be change made in the bread and wine moderate; that we do not inin the eucharist. The divines of dulge unnecessary care, or use unthat profession maintain that, after lawful efforts to better ourselves; consecration, the body and blood but that we acquiesce with and of our Saviour are substantially make the best of our condition, present, together with the sub-whatever it be. Contentment stance of the bread and wine, arises not from a man's outward which is called consubstantiation, condition, but from his inward or impanation. See TRANSUB-disposition, and is the genuine offspring of humility, attended with CONTEMPLATION, studi-a fixed habitual sense of God's ous thought on any subject; con- particular providence, the tinued attention. "Monks and collection of past mercies, and a mystics consider contemplation as just estimate of the true nature of the highest degree of moral excel-all earthly things. Motives to lence; and with them a silent contentment arise from the conspectator is a divine man:" but sideration of the rectitude of the it is evident we are not placed Divine government, Ps. xcvii, 1, here only to think. There is 2. the benignity of the Divine prosomething to be done as well as to vidence, Ps. cxlv. the greatness of contemplate. There are duties the Divine promises, 2d Pet. i, 4. to be performed, offices to be dis-our own unworthiness, Gen. xxxii, charged; and, if we wish to be 10. the punishments we deserve, happy in ourselves and useful to Lam. iii, 39, 40. the reward others, we must be active as well which contentment itself brings as thoughtful. with it, 1st Tim. vi, 6. the speedy CONTENTMENT is a dis-termination of all our troubles position of mind in which our de- here, and the prospect of eternal sires are confined to what we en- felicity in a future state, Rom. v, joy, without murmuring at our lot, 2. Barrow's Works, vol. iii, ser. or wishing ardently for more. It 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; Burroughs on Constands opposed to envy, James iii, tentment; Watson's Art of ditto; 16. to avarice, Heb. xiii, 5. to Hale's Cont. p. 59; Mason's Chrispride and ambition, Prov. xiii, 10. tian Morals, vol. i, ser. 2. to anxiety of mind, Matt. vi, 25, CONTINENCY is that moral 34. to murmurings and repinings, virtue by which we restrain con1st Cor. x, 10. Contentment cupiscence. There is this disdoes not imply unconcern about tinction between chastity and conour welfare, or that we should tinence :-Chastity requires no efnot have a sense of any thing fort, because it may result from uneasy or distressing; nor does constitution; whereas continency it give any countenance to idle- appears to be the consequence of ness, or prevent diligent endea- a victory gained over ourselves. yours to improve our circum-The term is most usually applied

to men; as chastity is to women.||make a party in the election of See CHASTITY. an abbot. The term conventicle CONTINGENT, any thing is said by some to have been first that happens without a fore-known applied in England to the schools cause; commonly called acci-of Wickliffe, and has been since dental. An event not come to used in a way of reproach for those pass is said to be contingent, assemblies which dissent from the which either may or may not be established church.

:

what is already done, is said to By 22 Car. II, cap. 1, it is enhave been contingent, if it might acted, That if any persons of the or might not have been. What is age of sixteen years, subjects of contingent or casual to us is not so this kingdom, shall be present at with God. As effects stand relat-any conventicle where there are ed to a second cause, they are five or more assembled, they shall many times contingent; but as be fined five shillings for the first they stand related to the first cause, offence, and ten shillings for the they are acts of God's counsel, second and persons preaching, and directed by his wisdom. incur a penalty of twenty pounds.

CONTRITE: this word sig-Also suffering a meeting to be nifies beaten or bruised, as with held in a house is twenty pounds hard blows, or an heavy burden; penalty: justices of peace have and so in scripture language im-power to enter such houses, and ports one whose heart is broken seize persons assembled; and if and wounded for sin, in oppo-they neglect their duty, they forsition to the heart of stone, feit 100%. And if any constable, Is. lxvi, 2. Ps. li, 17. Ps. lvii, &c. know of such proceedings, 15. and do not inform a justice of

The evidences of a broken and peace or chief magistrate, he contrite spirit are, 1. Deep con-shall forfeit 5. But the first of viction of the evil of sin.-2. Hu-William and Mary, cap. 18, ormiliation under a sense of it, Job dains that Protestant Dissenxlii, 5, 6.-3. Pungent sorrow for ters shall be exempted from it, Zec. xii, 10.-4. Ingenuous these penalties; though if they confession of it, 1st John, i, 9.-meet in a house with the doors 5. Prayer for deliverence from it, locked, barred, or bolted, such Ps. li, 10. Luke xviii, 13.-6. Dissenters shall have no benefit Susceptibility of good impressions, from the 1st of William and Mary. Ezek. xi, 19. Officers of the government, &c.

CONTROVERSIAL DIVI-present at any conventicle at NITY. See DISPUTATION. which there shall be ten persons,

CONVENT. See ABBEY, if the royal family be not prayed MONASTERY, MONK. for in express words, shall forfeit CONVENTICLE, a diminu-401. and be disabled, Stat. 10. tive of convent, denoting properly Anne, cap. 2.

a cabal, or secret assembly of a

CONVERSATION, or dis

part of the monks of a convent, to course, signifies an interlocution be

tween two or more persons, with||versation being a kind of common this distinction, that conversation is property.-13. In speaking of used for any general intercourse absent people, the infallible rule is, of sentiments whatever, whereas a to say no more than we should say discourse means a conversation if they were present. "I resolve," limited to some particular sub-said bishop Beveridge, "never to ject. speak of a man's virtues to his

To render conversation at all face, nor of his faults behind his times agreeable, the following back." A golden rule! the obrules have been laid down, 1. The servation of which would at once parties should meet together with banish flattery and defamation from a determined resolution to please the world.

and to be pleased.-2. No one CONVERSION, a change should be eager to interrupt others, from one state to another. Conor be uneasy at being interrupted. version may be, 1. Merely exter-3. All should have leave tonal, or that which consists only in speak in turn.-4. Inattention an outward reformation.-2. Docshould be carefully avoided.-5.trinal, or a change of sentiments. Private concerns should never be-3. Saving, which consists in the mentioned, unless particularly in-renovation of the heart and life, or quired into, and even then as a turning from the power of sin briefly as possible.-6. Each per-and Satan unto God, Acts xxvi, son should, as far as propriety 18. and is produced by the influwill admit, be afforded an oppor-ence of Divine grace on the soul. tunity of discoursing on the sub-4. Sometimes it is put for resject with which he is best ac-toration, as in the case of Peter, quainted.-7. Stories should be Luke xxii, 32. The instrumental avoided, unless short, pointed, cause of conversion is usually and quite à propos.-8. Eeach per- the ministry of the word; though son should speak often, but not sometimes it is produced by readlong. Haranguing in private com-ing, by serious and appropriate pany is insupportable.-9. If the conversation, sanctified afflictions, majority of the company be natu- &c. Conversion, says the great rally silent or reserved, the con- Charnock, is to be distinguished versation will flag, unless it be of- from regeneration thus." Reten renewed by one who can start generation is a spiritual change; new subjects.-10. It is improper conversion is a spiritual motion: to laugh at one's own wit and hu- in regeneration there is a powmour; this should be left to the er conferred; conversion is the company.-11. When the conver-exercise of this power in resation is flowing in a serious and generation there is given us a useful channel, never interrupt it principle to turn; conversion is by an ill-timed jest.-12. It is at our actual turning. In the coall times extremely indelicate to venant, God's putting his Spirit whisper to one's next neighbour into us is distinguished from our this is in some degree a fraud, con-walking in his statutes from the

first step we take in the way of ||house, without orders, and not alGod, and is set down as the cause lowed to sing in the choir. of our motion, Ezek. xxxvi, 27. In CONVICTION, in general, is renewing us, God gives us a pow-the assurance of the truth of any er; in converting us, he excites that proposition. In a religious sense, power. Men are naturally dead, it is the first degree of repentance, and have a stone upon them: re-and implies an affecting sense that generation is a rolling away the we are guilty before God; that we stone from the heart, and a raising can do nothing of ourselves to to newness of life; and then con- gain his forfeited favour; that we version is as natural to a regene-deserve and are exposed to the rate man as motion is to a lively wrath of God; that sin is very odibody. A principle of activity ous and hateful, yea, the greatest will produce action. In regenera-of evils. There is a natural contion, man is wholly passive; inviction which arises from natural conversion, he is active. The conscience, fear of punishment, first reviving us is wholly the act moral suasion, or alarming proof God, without any concurrence vidences, but which is not of a of the creature; but after we are permanent nature. Saving conrevived we do actively and volun-viction is the work of the Spirit, tarily live in his sight. Regenera- as the cause; though the law, the tion is the motion of God in the conscience, the gospel, or affliccreature; conversion is the mo-tion, may be the means, John xvi, tion of the creature to God, by 8, 9. Convictions of sin differ virtue of that first principle: from very much in their degree in difthis principle all the acts of ferent persons. It has been obbelieving, repenting, mortifying, served that those who suffer the quickening, do spring. In all most agonizing sensations are such these a man is active; in the other as never before enjoyed the exhe is merely passive." Conver-ternal call of the gospel, or were sion evidences itself by ardent not favoured with the tuition of love to God, Ps. lxxiii, 25, delight religious parents, but have nein his people, John xiii, 35, at- glected or notoriously abused the tendance on his ordinances, Ps. means of grace. To these, conxxvii, 4, confidence in his pro-viction is often sudden, and promises, Ps. ix, 10, abhorrence of duces that horror and shame self, and renunciation of the which are not soon overcome; world, Job xlii, 5. Jas. iv, 4, sub-whereas those who have sat unmission to his authority, and uni-der the gospel from their infancy form obedience to his word, Matt. have not had such alarming convii, 20. See CALLING, REGENE-victions, because they have already some notion of these things, CONVERT, a person who is and have so much acquaintance converted. In a monastic sense, with the gospel as administers converts are lay friars, or brothers immediate comfort. As it is admitted for the service of the not, therefore, the constant me

RATION.

thod of the Spirit to convince in sented by their proctors; consist one way, it is improper for any ing of all the deans and archdeato distress themselves because cons; of one proctor for every they are not, or have not been chapter, and two for the clergy, tormented almost to despair: they of every diocese-in all, one hunshould be rather thankful that the dred and forty-three divines, viz. Spirit of God has dealt tenderly twenty-two deans, fifty-three archwith them, and opened to them deacons, twenty-four prebendaries, the source of consolation. It is and forty-four proctors of the dionecessary however to observe, that, cesan clergy. The lower house in order to repentance and con-chooses its prolocutor, who is to version to God, there must be take care that the members atreal and lasting conviction, which, tend, to collect their debates and though it may not be the same votes, and to carry their resoluin degree, is the same in nature.tions to the upper house. The Evangelical conviction differs from convocation is summoned by the legal conviction thus: legal arises king's writ, directed to the archfrom a consideration of God's bishop of each province, requiring justice, power, or omniscience; him to summon all bishops, deans, evangelical from God's goodness archdeacons, &c. The power of and holiness, and from a disaffec-the convocation is limited by a station to sin legal conviction still tute of Henry VIII. They are not conceits there is some remaining to make any canons, or ecclegood; but evangelical is sensiblesiastical laws, without the king's there is no good at all; legal licence ; nor, when permitted, wishes freedom from pain; evan-can they put them in execution gelical from sin legal hardens but under several restrictions. the heart; evangelical softens it: They have the examining and legal is only temporary; evange-censuring all heretical and chislical lasting. matical books and persons, &c.; CONVOCATION, an assem-but there lies an appeal to the bly of persons for the worship of king in chancery, or to his deleGod, Lev. xxiii. Numb. xxviii. gates. The clergy in convocaExod. xii, 16. An assembly of tion, and their servants, have the the clergy for consultation upon same privileges as members of matters ecclesiastical. parliament. In 1665, the convo

As the parliament consists of cation of the clergy gave up the two distinct houses, so does this privilege of taxing themselves to convocation. The one called the the house of commons, in conupper house, where the archbishops sideration of their being allowed to and bishops sit severally by them-vote at the election of members selves; the other the lower house, for that house. Since that period where all the rest of the clergy they have been seldom allowed to are represented by their deputies. do any business; and are general-The inferior clergy are repre-ly prorogued from time to time till

« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »