See

church of England, they are or-||judaism and christianity together; dered to be read for example of and, fourthly, of those who volife and instruction of manners, luntarily relapsed into paganism. though it doth not apply them to Apostacy may be further consiestablish any doctrine. Other re-dered as, 1, original, in which we formed churches do not so much have all participated, Rom. iii, as make even this use of them. 23;-2, national, when a kingSee Prideaux's Connexion's, vol. i, dom relinquishes the profession of p. 36-42: Lee's Dissert. on Es-christianity ;-3, personal, when dras; Dick on Inspiration, p. 344. an individual backslides from APOLLINARIANS were an-God, Heb. x, 38;-4, final, when cient heretics, who denied the pro-men are given up to judicial hardper humanity of Christ, and main-ness of heart, as Judas. tained that the body which he as- BACKSLIDING. sumed was endowed with a sen- APOSTLE, properly signifies sitive and not a rational soul; but a messenger or person sent by anothat the divine nature supplied the ther upon some business. It is place of the intellectual principle particularly applied to them whom in man. This sect derived its our Saviour deputed to preach.name from Apollinaris, bishop of 2. Apostle, in the Greek liturgy, Laodicea. Their doctrine was is used for a book containing the first condemned by a council at epistles of St. Paul, printed in the Alexandria in 362, and after order wherein they are to be read wards in a more formal manner by in churches through the course of a council at Rome in 375, and the year.-3. The appellation was by another council in 378, which also given to the ordinary traveldeposed Apollinaris from his bi-ling ministers of the church, Rom. shopric. This, with other laws xvi, 7. Phil. ii, 25, though in our enacted against them, reduced translation the last is rendered them to a very small number; so messenger.-4. It is likewise givthat at last they dwindled away. en to those persons who first plant

CREED.

APOSTACY, a forsaking ored the christian faith in any place. renouncing our religion, either by Thus Dionysius of Corinth is callan open declaration in words, ored the Apostle of France, Xavier a virtual declaration of it by our the Apostle of the Indies, &c. actions. The primitive christian APOSTLES' CREED. See church distinguished several kinds of apostacy; the first, of those APOSTOLATE, in a general who went entirely from christia- sense, is used for mission; but it nity to judaism; the second, of more properly denotes the dignity those who complied so far with or office of an apostle of Christ. the Jews, as to communicate with It is also used in ancient writers them in many of their unlawful for the office of a bishop. But as practices, without making a for-the title apostolicus has been apmal profession of their religion; propriated to the pope, so that thirdly, of those who mingled of apostolate became at length

restrained to the sole dignity of church alone; though some of the the popedom. popes, and St. Gregory the Great, APOSTOLIC, apostolical;not contented to hold the title by something that relates to the apos-this tenure, began at length to intles, or descends from them. Thus sist that it belonged to them by we say the apostolical age, apostoli-another and peculiar right, as cal doctrine, apostolical character, being the successors of St. Peter. constitutions, traditions, &c. The country of Rheims, in 1049, APOSTOLIC, in the primitive declared that the pope was the church, was an appellation given sole apostolical primate of the to all such churches as were found-universal church. And hence a ed by the apostles; and even to great number of apostolicals; aposthe bishops of those churches, as tolical see, apostolical nuncio, aposbeing the reputed successors of the tolical notary, apostolical brief, apostles. These were confined to apostolical chamber, apostolical four, viz. Rome, Alexandria, An-vicar, &c. tioch, and Jerusalem. In after

APOSTOLICAL CONSTItimes, the other churches assumed TUTIONS, a collection of reguthe same quality, on account, lations attributed to the apostles, principally, of the conformity of and supposed to have been collecttheir doctrine with that of the ed by St. Clement, whose name churches which were apostolical they likewise bear. It is the geneby foundation, and because all ral opinion, however, that they are bishops held themselves successors spurious, and that St. Clement of the apostles, or acted in their had no hand in them. They apdioceses with the authority of peared first in the fourth century, apostles. but have been much changed and

The first time the term aposto-corrupted since. There are so lical is attributed to bishops, as many things in them different such, is in a letter of Clovis to the from and even contrary to the gecouncil of Orleans, held in 511, nius and design of the New Testathough that king does not there ment writers, that no wise man expressly denominate them aposto- would believe, without the most lical, but (apostolica seda dignissimi) convincing and irresistible proof, highly worthy of the apostolical that both could come from the see. In 581, Guntram calls the same hand. Grabe's Answer to bishops, met at the council of Whiston; Saurin's Ser. vol. ii, p. Macon, apostolical pontiffs, apos-185; Lardner's Cred. vol. viii, p. tolici pontifices. 11, ch. ult.; Doddridge's Lect. lec.

In progress of time, the bishop 119. of Rome growing in power above APOSTOLIC FATHERS, an the rest, and the three patriarchates appellation usually given to the of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jeru-writers of the first century, who salem, falling into the hands of the employed their pens in the cause Saracens, the title apostolical was of christianity. Of these writers, restrained to the pope and his Cotelerius, and after him Le Clerc,

have published a collection in two determines any agent to approve volumes, accompanied both with his own action, is its apparent tentheir own annotations, and the re-dency to his private happiness ; marks of other learned men. See and even the approbation of anoalso the general epistles of the ther's action flows from no other apostolic fathers by abp. Wake. cause but an opinion of its tendency APOSTOLICI, or APOSTO-to the happiness of the approver, LICS, a name assumed by different either immediately or remotely. sects on account of their pretend-Others resolve approbation into a ing to imitate the practice of the moral sense, or a principle of beapostles. nevolence, by which we are determined to approve every kind affecAPOTACTITE, an ancient tion either in ourselves or others, sect, who affected to follow the ex-and all publicly useful actions amples of the apostles, and re-which we imagine to flow from nounced all their effects and pos- such affections, without any view sessions. It does not appear that therein to our own private hapthey held any errors at first; but afterwards they taught that the renouncing of all riches was not only a matter of counsel and advice, but of precept and necessity.

piness.

But may we not add, that a true christian's approbation arises from his perception of the will of God? See OBLIGATION.

APPROPRIATION, the an

proper and

APPLICATION, is used for the act whereby our Saviour transfers or makes over to us what he nexing a benefice to the had earned or purchased by his perpetual use of some religious holy life and death. Accordingly house. It is a term also often used it is by this application of the merits in the religious world as referring of Christ that we are to be justified to that act of the mind by which we and entitled to grace and glory. apply the blessings of the gospel Application is also used for that to ourselves. This appropriation part of a sermon in which the is real when we are enabled to preacher brings home or applies believe in, feel, and obey the truth; the truth of religion to the con-but merely nominal and delusive sciences of his hearers. See SER- when there are no fruits of righteousness and true holiness. See ASSURANCE.

MON...

APPROBATION, a state or disposition of the mind, wherein. AQUARIANS, those who conwe put a value upon, or become secrated water in the eucharist inpleased with, some person or thing. stead of wine. Another branch of Moralists are divided on the prin- them approved of wine at the ciple of approbation, or the motive sacrament, when received in the which determines us to approve evening; they likewise mixed waor disapprove. The Epicureanster with the wine.

will have it to be only self-interest: ARABICI, erroneous Chrisaccording to them, that which tians, in the third century, who

thought that the soul and body by pope Gregory about the year died together, and rose again. It 622. is said that Origen convinced them of their error, and that they then abjured it.

ARCHDEACON, a priest invested with authority or jurisdiction over the clergy and laity, next to the bishop, either through the There are sixty in England, who whole diocese, or only a part of it.

ARCHANGEL, according to some divines, means an angel occupying the eighth rank in the celestial hierarchy; but others, not visit every two years in three, when without reason, reckon it a' title they inquire into the reparations only applicable to our Saviour. and moveables belonging to church Compare Jude ix, with Dan. xii, es; reform abuses; suspend; excommunicate; in some places 1. 1st Thess. iv, 16. prove wills; and induct all clerks ARCHBISHOP, the chief or into benefices within their respecmetropolitan bishop, who has seve-tive jurisdictions.

ral suffragans under him. Arch- ARCHONTICS, a sect about bishops were not known in the the year 160 or 203. Among East till about the year 320; and many other extravagant notions, though there were some soon after they held that the world was crethis who had the title, yet that ated by archangels; they also dewas only a personal honour, by nied the resurrection of the body. which the bishops of considerable ARCH-PRESBYTER, or

cities were distinguished. It was ARCH-PRIEST, a priest established not till of late that archbishops in some dioceses with a superiority became metropolitans, and had over the rest. He was anciently suffragans under them. The eccle-chosen out of the college of pressiastical government of England byters, at the pleasure of the is divided into two provinces, viz. bishop. The arch-presbyters Canterbury and York. The first were much of the same nature archbishop of Canterbury was with our deans in cathedral Austin, appointed by king Ethel-churches.

bert, on his conversion to chris- ARRHABONARII, a sect tianity, about the year 598. His who held that the eucharist is grace of Canterbury is the first neither the real flesh or blood of peer of England, and the next to Christ, nor yet the sign of them, the royal family, having prece-but only the pledge or earnest dence of all dukes, and all great thereof.

officers of the crown. It is his ARIANS, followers of Arius, a privilege, by custom, to crown the presbyter of the church of Alex. kings and queens of this kingdom.andria, about 315, who maintainThe archbishop of York has pre-ed that the Son of God was totally cedence of all dukes not of the and essentially distinct from the royal blood, and of all officers of Father; that he was the first and state except the lord high chan- noblest of those beings whom God cellor. The first archbishop of had created-the instrument, by York was Paulinus, appointed whose subordinate operation he

VOL. I.

G

formed the universe; and, there-very evening, it is said, Arius died fore, inferior to the Father both as his friends were conducting in nature and dignity: also, that him in triumph to the great church the Holy Ghost was not God, but of Constantinople. Arius, pressed created by the power of the Son. by a natural want, stepped aside, The Arians owned that the Son but expired on the spot, his bowels was the Word; but denied that gushing out. The Arian party, Word to have been eternal. They however, found a protector in held that Christ had nothing of Constantius, who succeeded his man in him but the flesh, to which father in the East. They underthe 70s, or word, was joined, went various revolutions and perwhich was the same as the soul in secutions under succeeding empeus.—The Arians were first con-rors; till, at length, Theodosius demned and anathematized by a the Great exerted every effort to council at Alexandria, in 320, un-suppress them. Their doctrine der Alexander, bishop of that city, was carried, in the fifth century, inwho accused Arius of impiety, and to Africa, under the Vandals; and caused him to be expelled from into Asia under the Goths.-Italy, the communion of the church; Gaul, and Spain, were also deeply and afterwards by 380 fathers in infected with it; and towards the the general council of Nice, as-commencement of the sixth censembled by Constantine, in 325.tury, it was triumphant in many His doctrine, however, was not parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe : extinguished; on the contrary, it but it sunk, almost at once, when became the reigning religion, es- the Vandals were driven out of pecially in the East. Arius was Africa, and the Goths out of Italy, recalled from banishment by Con-by the arms of Justinian. Howstantine in two or three years after ever, it revived again in Italy, the council of Nice, and the laws under the protection of the Lomthat had been enacted against him bards, in the seventh century, were repealed. Notwithstanding and was not extinguished till this, Athanasius, then bishop of about the end of the eighth. Alexandria, refused to admit him Arianism was again revived in and his followers to communion. the West by Servetus, in 1531, This so enraged them, that, by for which he suffered death. After their interest at court, they pro- this the doctrine got footing in cured that prelate to be deposed Geneva, and in Poland; but at and banished; but the church of length degenerated in a great Alexandria still refusing to admit measure into Socinianism. ErasArius into their communion, the mus, it is thought, aimed at reemperor sent for him to Constan- viving it, in his commentaries on tinople; where, upon delivering the New Testament; and the in a fresh confession of his faith in learned Grotius seems to lean that terms less offensive, the emperor way. Mr. Whiston was one of commanded him to be received the first divines who revived this into their communion; but that controversy in the eighteenth cen