which represents the blood of Christ, but of water only.

We have fewer accounts of what they thought or did with respect to baptism; but it seems that some of them at least disused it: and it is said that some abstained from the eucharist and from prayer.

The greatest part of this denomination adopted rules of life which were full of austerity, recommending a strict and rigorous abstinence; and prescribed the most severe bodily mortifications, from a notion that they had a happy influence in purifying and enlarging the mind, and in disposing it for the contemplation of celestial things. That some of the Gnostics, in consequence of making no account of the body, might think that there was neither good nor evil in any thing relating to it, and therefore suppose themselves at liberty to indulge in any sensual excesses, is not impossible; though it is more probable that every thing of this nature would be greatly exaggerated by the enemies of this denomination.*

The Egyptian Gnostics are distinguished from the Asiatic

by the following difference in their religious system.

1. That, besides the existence of a Deity, they maintained that also of an eternal matter, endued with life and motion; yet they did not acknowledge an eternal principle of darkness, or the evil principle of the Persians.

2. They supposed that our blessed Saviour was a compound of two persons; of the Man Jesus, and of Christ the Son of God: that the divine nature entered into the Man Jesus when he was baptized by John in the river Jordan, and departed from him when he was seized by the jews.

3. They attributed to Christ a real, not an imaginary body.

4. Their discipline, with respect to life and manners, was much less severe than that of the Asiatic sect.

Both these branches of the Gnostics were subdivided into various denominations.+ See Antitactes, Ascodrutes, Bardesanistes, Basilidians, Bogomiles, Carpocratians, Cerdonians, Cerinthians, Marcosians, Ophites, Saturnians, Simonians, and Valentinians.

GORTONIANS, a denomination which sprang from

* See Lardner's Works, vol. ix. ; in which be shews that the opinions of most ancient sects have been misrepresented.

+ Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, vol. i. pp. 69-109. Priestley's Ecclesiastical History, vol. i. pp. 51-185. History of early opinions, vol, i. p. 120. Percival's Dissertations.

the Antinomians, and made great disturbance in New England in the year 1643. Samuel Gorton was the leader of this denomination he was charged with maintaining the sentiments of the Antinomians and Familists.*

GREEK CHURCH. In the eighth century there arose a difference between the eastern and western churches, which was carried on with great vehemence during the ninth century; and in the eleventh century a total separation took place. At that time the patriarch Michael Cerularius, who was desirous to be freed from the papal authority, published an invective against the Latin church, and accused its members of maintaining various errors. Pope Leo the ninth retorted the charge, and sent legates from Rome to Constantinople. The Greek patriarch refused to see them; upon which they excommunicated him and his adherents publicly in the church of St. Sophia, A. D. 1054. The Greek patriarch excommunicated those legates, with all their adherents and followers,

in a public council; and procured an order of the emperor for burning the act of excommunication which they had pronounced against the Greeks. This rupture has never been healed; and at this day a very considerable part of the world profess the religion of the Greek, or eastern church.-The Nicene and Athanasian creeds are the symbols of faith in this church.

The principal points which distinguish the Greek church from the Latin, are as follow:

(1.) They maintain that the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father only, and not from the Father and Son.-(2.) They disown the authority of the pope, and deny that the church of Rome is the true catholic church.†—(3.) They do not affect the character of infallibility.-(4.) They utterly disallow works of supererogation, indulgences, and dispensations.-(5.) They admit of prayers and services for the dead, as an ancient and pious custom; and even pray for the remission of their sins: but they will not allow the doctrine of purgatory, or

* Hutchinson's History, vol. i. p 117.

The eastern church attach no idea of personal sanctity or infallibility to the patriarch of Constantinople, their supreme head, although he bears the style of the thirteenth apostle.

The Greeks, and all the eastern nations in general, are of opinion that departed souls will not be immediately and perfectly happy; but that the first paradise will be a state of repose, and the next of eternal felicity.

determine any thing dogmatically, concerning the state of departed souls.-(6.) They sometimes defer the baptism of their children till they are three, four, five, or ten years of age.*(7.) The chism, or baptismal unction, immediately follows the immersion of baptism. The priest anoints the person baptized in the principal parts of the body, with an ointment consecrated with many curious circumstances for that purpose by a bishop: this chrism is called the unction with ointment. Extreme unction is called the consecration with holy oil. This chrism is a mystery peculiar to the Greek communion, and holds the place of confirmation in that of the Roman: it is styled the seal of the gift of the holy Ghost.(8.) They insist that the sa

crament of the Lord's supper ought to be administered in both kinds:† and they give the sacrament to children immediately after baptism (9.) They exclude confirmation and extreme unction out of the seven sacraments.

(10.) They deny auricular confession to be a divine precept, and say it is only a positive institution of the church. Confession and absolution constitute this mystery § in the Greek church, in which penance does not make a necessary part.-(11.) They do not pay any religious homage to the eucharist.-(12.) They administer the communion to the laity both in sickness and health.-(13.) They do not admit of images in bass-relief, or embossed work; but use painting and sculpture in silver. (14.) They permit their

This is the custom of the Georgians, who are a part of the Greek church, The Greeks perform baptisin by dipping the person three times under water distinctly, in the name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost.

The napkin which is spread upon the holy table must be consecrated by a bishop, and have some small particles of the relics of a martyr mixed in the web, without which the eucharist cannot be administered.

The last sacrament of the Greek church, is that of the holy oil, or euchalaion, which is not confined to persons in the last extremity, like the extreme unction of the Roman church; but is administered, required, to devout persons upon the slightest malady. Seven priests are required to administer this sacrament regularly, and it cannot be administered at all by less than three. After the oil is solemnly consecrated, each priest, in his turn, anoints the sick person, and prays for his recovery.

Sacraments are called mysteries in the Greek church. By the Greeks, a mystery is defined to be a ceremony, or act, appointed by God, in which he giveth, or signifieth his grace; and of the seven which they celebrate, four are to be received by all christians; viz. baptism, the baptismal unction, the eucharist, and confession. None of the other are considered as obligatory upon all. See Supplement to the Encyclopædia, vol, i, p. 487.

şecular clergy to marry once; but never twice, unless they renounce their function, and become laymen.*--(15.) They condemn all fourth marriages. The invocation of saints, and transubstantiation, are alike received by the Greek and Latin churches. They observe a number of holidays, and keep four fasts in the year more solemn than the rest; of which the fast in lent, before easter, is the chief.

permission of the emperor, he administers justice, and takes cognizance of civil cases among the members of his communion. The other patriarchs are of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria, who are nominated by the patriarch of Constantinople. Besides the power of nominating the other three patriarchs, and all episcopal dignitaries, the patriarch of Constantinople enjoys a most extensive jurisdiction; comprising the churches of Anatolia, Greece, Wallachia, Moldavia, and the islands of the Archipelago.For the administration of ecclesiastical affairs, a synod, convened monthly, is composed of the heads of the church resident in Constantinople. In this assembly the patriarch of Constantinople presides with those of Antioch and Jerusalem, and twelve archbishops.

The service of the Greek church is too long and complicated to be particularly described in this work: the greatest part consists in psalms and hymns.-Five orders of priesthood belong to the Greek church; viz. bishops, priests, deacons, sub-deacons, and readers; which last includes singers, &c. The episcopal order is distinguished by the titles of metropolitan, archbishops, and bishops. The head of the Greek church, the patriarch of Constantinople is elected by twelve bishops, who reside nearest that famous capital; but the right of confirming this election belongs only to the Turkish emperor. The power of this prelate is very extensive. He not only calls councils by his own authority to decide controversies and direct the affairs of the church, but, with the trine and worship with the *Their regular, or monastic clergy, are never allowed to marry.

X

In regard to discipline and worship, the Greek church has the same division of the clergy into regular and secular, the same spiritual jurisdiction of bishops and their officials, the same distinction of ranks and offices with the church of Rome.

There is a branch of the Greek church that, though joined in communion of doc