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encouragement to carnal security || the Latin concluding that the and presumptious sin. To which word hypostasis signified subit is answered, that this doctrine, stance or essence, thought that like many others, may be abused to assert that there were three by hypocrites, but cannot be so divine hypostases was to say that by those who are truly serious, there were three Gods. On the it being the very nature of grace other hand, the Greek church to lead to righteousness, Tit. ii, thought that the word person did 10, 12. Their knowledge leads not sufficiently guard against the to veneration; their love animates Sabellian notion of the same into duty; their faith purifies the dividual Being sustaining three heart; their gratitude excites to relations; whereupon each part obedience; yea, all their princi- of the church was ready to brand ples have a tendency to set be- the other with heresy, till by a fore them the evil of sin, and free and mutual conference in a the beauty of holiness. See Whit-synod at Alexandria, A. D. 362, by and Gill on the Five Points; Cole on the Sov. of God; Doddridge's Lectures, lec. 179; Turretini Comp. Theologia, loc. 14. p. 156; Oeconomia Witsii, lib. iii, c. 13; Toplady's Works, p. 476, vol. v; Ridgley's Body of Div., qu.

79.

p. 140; Doddridge's Lec., lec. 159; Gill on the Trinity, p. 93; Watts's Works, vol. v, p. 48, 208; Gill's Body of Div. vol. i, p. 205, 8vo.: Edwards's Hist. of Red., p. 51, note; Hora Sol., vol. ii, p. 20.

they made it appear that it was but a mere contention about the grammatical sense of a word; and then it was allowed by men of temper on both sides, that either of the two words might be indifferently used. See Marci Medulla, 1. 5, § 3; Ridgley's Div., PERSON, an individual sub-qu. 11; Hurrion on the Spirit, stance of a rational intelligent nature. Some have been offended at the term persons as applied to the Trinity as unwarrantable. The term person, when applied to Deity, is certainly used in a sense somewhat different from that in which we apply it to one PERSUASION, the act of another; but when it is consider-influencing the judgment and pased that the Greek words 'Yosisions by arguments or motives. and Пgory, to which it an- It is different from conviction. swers, are in the New Testament Conviction affects the understandapplied to the Father and Son, Heb. i, 3. 2d Cor. iv, 6. and that no single term, at least, can be found more suitable, it can hardly be condemned as unscriptural and improper. There have been warm debates between the Greek and Latin churches about the words hypostasis and persona; VOL. II.

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ing only; persuasion the will and the practice. It may be considered as an assent to a proposition not sufficiently proved. It is more extensively used than conviction, which last is founded on demonstration natural or supernatural. But all things of which we may be persuaded are not capable of

demonstration. See Blair's Rhe-|| churches for the service of God,

toric, vol. ii, p. 174.

who will accept of a sincere worship 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, as instruments of superstition, deserved the same fate.-4. That the real body and blood of Christ were not exhibited in the eucharist, but were merely represented in that ordinance.-5. That the oblations, prayers, and good works of the

PETER-PENCE was an annual tribute of one penny paid at Rome out of every family at the feast of St. Peter. This, Ina, the Saxon king, when he went in pilgrimage to Rome, about the year 740, gave to the pope partly as alms, and partly in recompence of a house erected in Rome for English pilgrims. It continued to be paid generally until the time of king Henry VIII, when it was enacted, that henceforth no per-living, could be in no respect adsons shall pay any pensions, Peter-pence, or other impositions to the use of the bishop and see of Rome.

sion. See PRAYER.

vantageous to the dead. The founder of this sect, after a laborious ministry of twenty years, was burnt in the year 1130 by an enraged populace set on by the clergy, whose traffic was in danger from the enterprising spirit of this new reformer.

PETROJOANNITES, were followers of Peter John, or Peter Joannis, i. e. Peter the son of John, who flourished in the twelfth century. His doctrine was not

PETITION, according to Dr. Watts, is the fourth part of prayer, and includes a desire of deliverance from evil, and a request of good things to be bestowed. On both these accounts petitions are to be offered up to God not only for ourselves, but for our fellowcreatures also. This part of prayer is frequently called interces-known till after his death, when his body was taken out of his PETROBRUSSIANS, a sect grave, and burnt. His opinions founded about the year 1110 in were, that he alone had the knowLanguedoc and Provence, by Pe-ledge of the true sense wherein ter de Bruys, who made the most the apostles preached the Gospel; laudable attempts to reform the that the reasonable soul is not the abuses and to remove the super-form of man; that there is no stitions that disfigured the beau- grace infused by baptism; and that tiful simplicity of the Gospel; Jesus Christ was pierced with a though not without a mixture of lance on the cross before he exfanaticism. The following tenetspired. were held by him and his disci- PHARISEES, a famous sect ples: 1. That no persons whate- of the Jews who distinguished ver were to be baptized before themselves by their zeal for the they were come to the full use tradition of the elders, which they of their reason.-2. That it was derived from the same fountain idle superstition to build with the written word itself; pre

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to Josephus, this resurrection of theirs was no more than a Pythagorean resurrection, that is, of the soul only, by its transmigration into another body, and being born anew with it. From this resur

were notoriously wicked, being of opinion that the souls of such persons were transmitted into a state of everlasting woe. As to lesser crimes, they held they were pnnished in the bodies which the souls of those who committed them were next sent into.

tending that both were delivered to Moses from Mount Sinai, and were therefore both of equal authority. From their rigorous observance of these traditions, they looked upon themselves as more holy than other men, and there-rection they excluded all who fore separated themselves from those whom they thought sinners or profane, so as not to eat or drink with them; and hence from the Hebrew word pharis, which signifies "to separate," they had the name of Pharisees, or Separatists. This sect was one of the most ancient and most considerable Josephus, however, either misamong the Jews, but its original took the faith of his countrymen, is not very well known; however, or, which is more probable, wilit was in great repute in the time fully misrepresented it, to render of our Saviour, and most pro- their opinions more respected by bably had its original at the same the Roman philosophers, whom he time with the traditions. appears to have, on every occaThe extraordinary pretences of sion, been desirous to please. The the Pharisees to righteousness Pharisees had many pagan notions drew after them the common peo-respecting the soul; but Bishop ple, who held them in the highest Bull, in his Harmonia Apostolica, esteem and veneration. Our Sa- has clearly proved that they held viour frequently, however, charges a resurrection of the body, and them with hypocrisy, and making that they supposed a certain bone the law of God of no effect through to remain uncorrupted, to furnish their traditions, Matt. ix, 12. Matt. the matter of which the resurxv, 1, 6. Matt. xxiii, 13, 33. rection body was to be formed. Luke xi, 39, 52. Several of these They did not, however, believe traditions are particularly men- that all mankind were to be raised tioned in the Gospel; but they from the dead. A resurrection had a vast number more, which was the privilege of the children may be seen in the Talmud, the of Abraham alone, who were all whole subject whereof is to dictate to rise on Mount Zion; their unand explain those traditions which corruptible bones, wherever they this sect imposed to be believed might be buried, being carried to and observed. that mountain below the surface The Pharisees, contrary to the of the earth. The state of future opinion of the Sadducees, held a felicity in which the Pharisees beresurrection from the dead, and lieved was very gross: they imathe existence of angels and spirits,gined that men in the next world, Acts xxiii, Ch. viii. But, according as well as in the present, were to eat

and drink, and enjoy the pleasures || devoted to traditions, or the oral of love, each being re-united to law, as their ancestors were. his former wife. Hence the Sad- PHILADELPHIAN SOCIducees, who believed in no resur-ETY, a sect or society of the serection, and supposed our Saviour venteenth century; so called from to teach it as a Pharisee, very an English female, whose name shrewdly urged the difficulty of was Jane Leadley. She embraced, disposing of the woman who had it is said, the same views and the in this world been the wife of se- same kind of religion as Madam ven husbands. Had the resurrec- Bourignon (see BOURIGNONtion of Christianity been the pha- ISTS). She was of opinion that risaical resurrection, this difficulty all dissensions among Christians would have been insurmountable; would cease, and the kingdom of and accordingly we find the peo- the Redeemer become, even here ple, and even some of the Phari- below, a glorious scene of charity, sees themselves, struck with the concord, and felicity, if those who manner in which our Saviour bear the name of Jesus, without removed it. regarding the forms of doctrine or discipline that distinguish particular communions would all join in committing their souls to the care

structed, governed, and formed by his Divine impulse and suggestions. Nav, she went still farther, and declared, in the name of the Lord, that this desirable event would actually come to pass, and that she had a Divine commission to proclaim the approach of this glorious communion of saints, who were to be gathered in one visible universal church or kingdom before the dissolution of this earthly globe. This prediction she delivered with a peculiar degree of confidence, from a notion that her Philadelphian Society was the

This sect seems to have had some confused notions, probably derived from the Chaldeans and Persians, respecting the pre-exis-of the internal guide, to be intence of souls; and hence it was that Christ's disciples asked him concerning the blind man, John ix, 2. "Who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" And when the disciples told Christ that some said he was Elias, Jeremias, or one of the prophets, Matt. xvi, 14. the meaning can only be, that they thought he was come into the world with the soul of Elias, Jeremias, or some other of the old prophets transmigrated into him. With the Essenes they held absolute predestination, and with the Sadducees freewill; but how they reconciled these seem-true kingdom of Christ, in which ingly incompatible doctrines is alone the Divine Spirit resided and no were sufficiently explained. reigned. She believed, it is said, The sect of the Pharisees was not the doctrine of the final restoraextinguished by the ruin of the tion of all intelligent beings to perJewish commonwealth. The great-fection and happiness. est part of the modern Jews are PHILANTHROPY, still of this sect, being as much pounded of p, and avopamos, which

com

signify the love of mankind. It dif- || the Christian religion. He found,

fers from benevolence only in this; however, that associates would be that benevolence extends to every necessary; and from the numebeing that has life and sense, and rous tribe of his admirers and disis of course susceptible of pain and ciples he chose D'Alembert and pleasure; whereas philanthropy Diderot as the most proper percannot comprehend more than the sons to co-operate with him in his human race. It differs from friend- designs. But Voltaire was not saship, as this affection subsists only tisfied with their aid alone. He between a few individuals, whilst contrived to embark in the same philanthropy comprehends the cause Frederic II, king of Pruswhole human species. It is a calm sia, who wished to be thought a sentiment, which perhaps hardly philosopher, and who, of course, ever rises to the warmth of affec- deemed it expedient to talk and tion, and certainly not to the heat write against a religion which he of passion. had never studied, and into the PHILIPPISTS, a sect or party evidence of which he had probaamong the Lutherans, the follow-bly never designed to enquire. ers of Philip Melancthon. He had This royal adept was one of the strenuously opposed the Ubiquists most zealous of Voltaire's coadwho arose in his time; and the jutors, till he discovered that the dispute growing still hotter after Philosophists were waging war his death, the university of Wit-with the throne as well as with temberg, who espoused Melanc- the altar. This, indeed, was not thon's opinion, were called by the originally Voltaire's intention. He Flacians, who attacked it, Philip-was vain; he loved to be caressed pists.

by the great; and, in one word, he was, from natural disposition, an aristocrat, and an admirer of royalty. But when he found that almost every sovereign but Frederic disapproved of his impious projects, as soon as he perceived their issue, he determined to oppose all the governments on earth rather than forfeit the glory with which he had flattered himself of vanquishing Christ and his apostles in the field of controversy.

PHILOSOPHISTS, a name given to several persons in France, who entered into a combination to overturn the religion of Jesus, and eradicate from the human heart every religious sentiment. The man more particularly to whom this idea first occurred was Voltaire, who being weary (as he said himself) of hearing people repeat that twelve men were sufficient to establish Christianity, resolved to prove that one might be sufficient He now set himself, with D'Ato overturn it. Full of this pro-lembert and Diderot, to excite ject, he swore before the year 1730 universal discontent with the esto dedicate his life to its accom-tablished order of things. For this plishment; and, for some time, he flattered himself that he should enjoy alone the glory of destroying

purpose they formed secret societies, assumed new names, and employed an enigmatical language.

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