and their relics are to be had in veneration.* For we have instances in scripture of honours and veneration paid to the angels by the servants of God. (Josh. v. 14, 15.) God has promised to his saints power over all nations: (Rev. ii. 26, 27.) therefore all nations ought to honour the saints, as having received from God this kingly power over them. In Rev. v. 8, the elders are said to have golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints. See also Rev. viii. 4. Zech. i. 12. 8. That the images of Christ, of the blessed Virgin, the mother of God, and of other saints, ought to be retained in churches; and honour and veneration ought to be given unto them. For the images of cherubims were allowed in the temple therefore images should be placed in churches, and had in veneration. 9. That the power of indulgences was left by Christ to the church, and that the use of them is very beneficial to christian people ; according to Matt. xvi. 19: I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. By an indulgence, the catholics say, they apply the merit of Christ's life and death to their souls, and through his, those of the holy saints and martyrs. The church of Rome receives the Apostle's creed, the Nicene, and Athanasian creeds. They receive and profess all other things delivered, defined, and declared by the canons, and general councils, and particularly by the council of Trent.§ The following ceremonies, and many others too tedious to enumerate, are practised by the church of Rome in their religious worship :-(1.) *The catholics say they do not give divine, but only relative honour, to the highest angel or saint. + The council of Trent ordains that all the honour which is given to images should be referred to the originals which are represented by them. The catholics say they do not mean by indulgences leave to commit sin, nor pardon for sins to come; but only releasing, by the power of the keys committed to the church, the debt of temporal punishment which may remain due upon account of our sins, after the sins themselves, as to the guilt and eternal punishment,, have been already remitted by repentance and confession, An indulgence is granted by none but the higher powers of the church; as, the bishops and the supreme head, the pope. A convocation of Roman Catholic cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and divines, who assembled at Trent, by virtue of a bull from the pope, a. D. 1516. This was the last general council called in opposition to the doctrines of Luther and Calvin. They make use of the sign of (5.) They keep a number of lamps and wax candles continually burning before the shrines and images of the saints.-(6.) They make use of incense, and have lighted candles upon the altar at the celebration of mass.-(7.) The practice of washing the poors' feet is solemnized on holy Thursday by all the princes of the Romish religion in Europe. The church of Rome ob serves a variety of holy days, as the festivals of Christ and his apostles, the festivals of the saints, &c. The church of Rome grants a jubilee; i. e. a general indulgence, every twenty-fifth year, and oftener upon emergent occasions.* For an account of the extent and present state of the Roman Catholic religion, see Part the Second. PARMENIANITES. See Donatists. PASAGINIANS, a denomination which arose in the twelfth century, known also by the name of The Circumcised. Their distinguishing tenets were as follow:-(1.) That the observation of the law of Moses, in every thing, except the offering of sacrifices, was obligatory upon christians. In consequence of which they circumcised their followers, abstained from those meats, the use of which was prohibited under the Mosaic economy, and celebrated the jewish sabbath.-(2.) That Christ was no more than the first and purest creature of God. A jubilee is a solemn indulgence, with certain privileges not granted on other occasions, and extends to the whole church." Pope Pius's Creed. Bossuet's Exposition of the Catholic Creed, pp. 62-107. Challoner's True Principles of a Catholic, p. 8. Gother's Papist Misrepresented and Represented, p. 22. Grounds of the Catholic Doctrine, pp. 10-34. Explication of the Sacrifice of the Mass, pp. 22-35. Roman Catholic Principles, p. 5. Brent's Council of Trent, p. 806. Bingham's Works, vol. i. p. 153. Walche's History of the Popes, p. 24. Robertson's History of Charles the Fifth, This denomination had the utmost aversion to the doctrine and discipline of the church of Rome.* of Samosata, bishop of Antioch. He taught that the Son and the holy Ghost exist in God in the same manner as PASSALORYNCHITES, the faculties of reason and a branch of the Montanists. They held, that, in order to be saved, it was necessary to observe a perpetual silence; wherefore they kept their finger constantly upon their mouth, and dared not open it even to say their prayers. Their name is derived from the greek aσσaños, a nail, and pv, a nostril; because when they carried their finger to their mouth, they touched their nose.t PATRICIANS, a denomination which arose in the second century; so called from Patricius their leader. Their distinguishing tenet was, that the substance of the flesh is not the work of God, but of the devil; on which account they bore such hatred to their own bodies as sometimes to kill themselves.‡ PATRIPASSIANS. See Noetians and Monarchians. PAULIANS, or PAULIANISTS, a denomination which appeared in the third century; so called from Paul activity do in man—that Christ was born of a mere man; but that the reason, or wisdom, of the Father descended into him, and by him, wrought miracles upon earth, and instructed the nationsand finally, that, on account of this union of the divine Word with the man Jesus, Christ might, though improperly, be called God.§ PAULICIANS, a denomination formed in the seventh century by two brothers, Paul and John, inhabitants of Jerusalem, from the former of whom they derive their name. The tenets attributed to this sect are as follow :—(1.) That the inferior and visible world is not the production of the supreme Being.-(2.) That the evil principle was engendered by darkness and fire, not self-originated and eternal.-(3.) That, though Christ was the Son of Mary, yet he brought from heaven his human nature.—(4.) That Christ was clothed with an * Mosheim, vol, ii. p. 456. † Broughton, vol. ii. p, 224, They considered eternal matter as the source of all evil, and believed that this matter, endued from all eternity with life and motion, had produced an active principle, which is the fountain of vice, misery, and dis order, and is the author of all material subtances, while God is the Creator and the Father of spirits. ethereal, celestial, and impassible body, and did not really expire on the cross: hence they refused to pay religious homage to the cross.-(5.) That the bread and wine which Christ is said to have administered to his disciples at his last supper, only signifies the divine discourses and exhortations of the Saviour, which are a spiritual food and nourishment to the soul, and fill it with repose, satisfaction, and delight: hence they refused to celebrate the institution of the Lord's supper.--(6.) They rejected the books of the old testament, and looked upon its writers as inspired by the creator of the world, and not by the supreme God. They received all the books of the new testament, except the epistles of St. Peter, which they rejected for reasons unknown to us. This denomination had not, like the Manicheans, an ecclesiastical government administered by bishops, priests, and deacons. They had no sacred order of men, distinguished by their manner of life, their habit, or any other circumstance, from the rest of the assembly; nor had councils, synods, or such like institutions, any place in their religious policy. They had certain doctors, whom they called Sunecdemi; ì. e. companions in the journey of life; and also Notarii. Among these there reigned a perfect equality; and they had no peculiar rights, privileges, nor any external mark of dignity to distinguish them from the people. The only singularity which attended their promotion to the rank of doctors was, that they changed their lay-names for scripture ones, as if there had been something peculiarly venerable in the names of holy men whose lives and actions are recorded in the sacred writings. For the arguments this denomination make use of to support their doctrine of two principles, see Manicheans.* PEDOBAPTISTS, so called from the greek of raides, and Barhorns. This denomination are distinguished by their adherence to infant baptism, which they perform by affusion, or sprinkling. It seems to be a name common to several religious denominations. It includes Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Sandemanians, and others. They all profess to believe that baptism is to be administered to believers and their children, and that the infants of visible christians belong to the visible church of Christ. In support of infant baptism they use the following arguments: * Mosheim, vol. ii. p. 175, 176. That the visible church is one and the same visible body, both under the law and gospel. It appears that the visible church of Christ now, is the same visible body continued from Abraham: for the gentiles are grafted into the same stock from which the unbelieving jews were broken off. And thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree. (Rom. xi. 17.) That the gentiles should be fellow-heirs of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. Matt. xxi. 43. Eph. ii. The covenant made with Abraham was the covenant of grace for Abraham is the father of all believers in Christ. They are all blessed with faithful Abraham; they are all his children. God preached before the gospel unto Abraham, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ. Believers, being the seed of Abraham, are under the same covenant, and entitled to the same privileges, which they may justly claim for their infants. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, und to all that are afar off; even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Acts ii. 39. Baptism is now used in the room of circumcision. For (1.) Circumcision was appointed to be the token of the covenant of grace: it was a sign and seal of the righteousness of faith. The same thing is signified by christian baptism.-(2.) Čircumcision was appointed to be the sacred symbol of initiation into the visible church. So baptism is a seal of initiation into the visible church.-(3.) The same inward grace is signified both by circumcision and baptism. Circumcision and baptism are substantially a sign of one and the same thing. To be a jew inwardly, by being circumcised with the circumcision of the heart, and to be a christian inwardly, by being washed with the washing of regeneration, is one and the same thing. Baptism is called the circumcision of Christ. Infant baptism was the approved practice of the apostles. For the scriptures give us an account of the baptism of house. holds, and those' no doubt contained children. The jailor and his household were baptized, so also was Lydia and her household; and St. Paul tells us he baptized the household of Stephanas. The Pedobaptists practise baptism by affusion, or sprinkling, which, they assert, is scriptural, from the import of 1 |