had provoked the Deity by their various transgressions, particularly by the worship of the golden calf, the severe and servile yoke of the ceremonial law was added to the decalogue, as a punishment inflicted on them by the supreme Being in his righteous displeasure that this yoke, which was painful in itself, became doubly so on account of its typical signification; since it admonished the Israelites from day to day of the imperfection and un-, certainty of their state, filled them with anxiety, and was a perpetual proof that they had merited the righteous displeasure of God, and could not expect before the coming of the Messiah the entire remission of their iniquitiesthat indeed good men, even under the Mosaic dispensation, were immediately after death made partakers of everlasting glory; but that they were, nevertheless, during the whole course of their lives, far removed from that firm hope and assurance of salvation, which rejoices the faithful under the dispensation of the gospel-and that their anxiety flowed naturally from this consideration, that their sins, though they remain unpu nished, were not pardoned; because Christ had not as yet offered himself up a sacrifice. to the Father, to make an entire atonement for them.* COLARBARSIANS. See Marcosians. COLLEGIATES, a name given to a society of Mennouites in Holland, because they called their religious assemblies colleges. They are also called Rhinstergers.† See Mennonites. COLLUTHIANS, a denomination which arose in the fourth century; so called from Colluthus, a priest of Alexandria, who taught that God was not the author of the evils and afflictions of this life.t COLLYLYRIDIANS, an Arabian sect in the fourth century; so denominated from their idolizing the Virgin Mary, worshipping her as a goddess, and offering to her little cakes.§ CONGREGATIONALISTS, a denomination of protestants, who maintain that each particular church has authority from Christ for exercising government, and enjoying all the ordinances of worship within itself. The platform of church discipline which was drawn up in 1648, and agreed upon * Mosheim, vol. iv, pp. 545–548. † Ibid, vol. v. p. 59. Collier's Historical Dictionary. Broughton, vol. i, p. 264, History of Religion, vol. iv by the elders and messengers of the churches, assembled in the synod at Cambridge, in New England, defines a congregational church to be, by the institution of Christ, a part of the militant visible church, consisting of a company of saints by calling, united in one body by a holy covenant, for the public worship of God, and the mutual edification of one another in the fellowship of the Lord Jesus. According to this platform, such as are admitted members of churches ought to be first examined for the eunuch of Ethiopia, before his admission, was examined by Philip whether he did believe in Jesus Christ with all his heart. The officers are charged with the keeping of the doors of the church, and therefore are in a special manner to make trial of the fitness of those who enter. The qualifications necessary to be found in all church members, are repentance from sin, and faith in Jesus Christ. The confession of faith which was agreed upon by the synod at their second session, teaches the doctrine of the trinity, of - predestination, total depravity, particular redemption, effectual grace, and final perseverance. This denomination differ from the Independents in this respect: They invite councils, which are advisory only; but the Independents formerly decided all difficulties within themselves.+ CONONITES, a denomination which appeared in the sixth century. They derive their name from Conon, bishop of Tarsus. He taught that the body never lost its form; that its matter alone was subject to corruption and decay, and was to be restored when this mortal shall put on immortality.-In other points they agree with the Philoponists. See Philoponists and Tritheists. COPHTES, christians of Egypt, Nubia, and the adjacent countries. Their sentiments are similar with the Jacobites. See Jacobites: also part the second. CORNARISTS, the disciples of Theodore Cornhert, a sectary in the states of Holland. He wrote at the same time against the Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists. He maintained that every reli Those who are desirous of seeing a particular account of Congregational principles, may consult their Platform of Church Discipline," which the brevity of this work does not admit of inserting at large. Neal's History of New England, vol. ii. p.314. Wise's Works, p. 197-243. Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, vol. i. p. 473. Father Simons's Religion of the Eastern Nations, p. 110. gious communion needed reformation; but he added, that no person had a right to engage in accomplishing it with out a mission supported by miracles. He was also of opinion, that a person might be a good christian without being a member of any visible church.* D AMIANISTS, a denomination in the sixth century; so called from Damian, bishop of Alexandria. The opinions maintained by this denomination were similar to those of the Angelites. See Angelites. CORRUPTICOLÆ, a denomination which arose in the sixth century. They derive their name from their maintaining that the body of Christ was corruptible, that the fathers had owned it, and that to deny it was to deny the truth of our Saviour's pas sion.† wandered about from place to place; had recourse to begging for their sustenance; treated with the utmost contempt both the priesthood and the public rites and worship of the church, and held secret assemblies.§ DAVIDISTS, a denomination in the sixteenth century; so called from David George, a native of Delft, who acquired great reputa DANCERS, a denomination which arose at Aix-laChapelle in the year 1373, whence they spread through the district of Liege, Hainault, and other parts of Flanders. tion by his prudent conversaIt was customary among them tion. He deplored the defor persons of both sexes, pub-cline of vital and practical licly, as well as in private, to religion, and endeavoured to fall a dancing all of a sud- restore it among his followers; den; and, holding each others but rejected as mean and usehands, to continue their mo- less, the external services of tions with extraordinary vio- piety. He was charged with lence, till, being almost suffo- asserting that he was the cated, they fell down breath- third David, Son of God; less together. They affirmed, and that he ought to save that during these intervals of men by grace, and not by vehement agitation, they were death; and with denying the favoured with wonderful visi- existence of angels and deons. Like the Flagellants, they mons, the authority of the • Encyclopædia, vol. v. p. 435. ↑ Dict. Arts Sciences, vol. i. p. 492. Mosheim, vol. i. p. 473. § Ibid, vol. iii. pp. 206, 207. scriptures, and the resurrection of the body.* DESTRUCTIONISTS, a denomination of christians who teach that the final punishment threatened in the gospel to the wicked and impenitent, consists not in an eternal preservation in misery and torment, but in a total extinction of being; and that the sentence of annihilation shall be executed with more or less torment preceding or attending the final period, in proportion to the greater or less guilt of the criminal. to be an everlasting destruction from the power of God, which is equally able to destroy as to preserve. So when our Saviour is fortifying the minds of his disciples against the power of men, by an awe of the far greater power of God, and the punishment of his justice, he expresses himself thus: Fear not them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do ; fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Here he plainly proposes the destruction of the soul (not its endless pain and misery) as the ultimate object of the divine displeasure, and greatest object of our fear, And when he says, These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal, it appears evident, that by that eternal punishment, which is set in opposition to eternal life, is not meant any kind of life, however miserable, but the same which the apostle expresses by everlasting destruction from the presence and power of the Lord. The very term death is most frequently made use of, to signify the end of wicked men in another world, or the final effect of divine justice in their punishment. The wages of sin (saith the apostle) is death, Mosheim, vol. iv. pp. 161,165. Crosby's History of the English Baptists, vol. i. p. 64. Dufresnoy's Chronological Tables, vol. ii. p. 249. The name assumed by this denomination, like those of many others, takes for granted the question in dispute; viz. that the scripture word destruction means annihilation. In strict propriety of speech they should be called Annihilationists. The doctrine is largely maintained in the sermons of Mr. Samuel Bourn of Birmingham: it was held also by Mr. J. N. Scott, Mr. John Taylor of Norwich, and many others. In defence of the system, Mr. Bourn argues as follows: There are many passages of scripture, in which the ultimate punishment to which wicked men shall be adjudged, is defined in the most precise and intelligible terms, but eternal life is the gift of ye cursed, into everlasting fire, God through Jesus Christ our Lord. See also Rom. viii. 6. To imagine that by the term death is meant an eternal life, though in a condition of extreme misery, seems, according to him, to be confounding all propriety and meaning of words. Death, when applied to the end of wicked men in a future state, he says, properly denotes a total extinction of life and being. It may contribute, he adds, to fix this meaning, if we observe that the state to which temporal death reduces men, is usually termed by our Saviour and his apostles sleep, because from this death the soul shall be raised to life again; but from the other, which is fully and properly death, and of which the former is but an image or shadow, there is no recovery: it is an eternal death, an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power. He next proceeds to the figures by which the eternal punishment of wicked men is described, and finds them perfectly agreeing to establish the same doctrine. One figure, or comparison, often used, is that of combustible materials thrown into a fire, which will consequently be entirely consumed, if the fire be not quenched. Depart from me, prepared for the devil and his angels. The meaning is, a total irrevocable destruction. For as the tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire, and is destroyed; as the useless chaff, when separated from the good grain, is set on fire, and if the fire be not quenched, is consumed; so, he thinks, it plainly appears that the image of unquenchable, or everlasting fire, is not intended to signify the degree or duration of torment, but the absolute certainty of destruction beyond all possibility of a recovery. So the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are said to have suffered the vengeance of an eternal fire; that is, they were so effectually consumed or destroyed, that they could' never be rebuilt: the phrase eternal fire signifying the irrevocable destruction of those cities, not the degree or duration of the misery of the inhabitants who perished. The images of the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is not quenched, used in Mark ix. 43, are set in opposition to entering into life, and intended to denote a period of life and existence. Our Saviour expressly assigns different degrees of future misery, in proportion to men's respective degrees of |