that their purpose was to level all distinctions, to abrogate magistracy, and to remove all subordination among mankind; and to restore that primitive liberty, that natural equality, which were the inestimable privileges of the first mortals.*

CAROLOSTADIANS, so called from Carolostadt, a colleague of Luther. He denied the real presence in the eucharist, and declaimed against human learning.t

CARPOCRATIANS, a denomination which arose towards the middle of the second century; so called from Carpocrates, whose philosophical tenets agreed in general with those of the Egyptian Gnostics. He acknowledged the existence of a supreme God, and of the aions derived from him by successive generations. He maintained the eternity of a corrupt matter, and the creation of the world from thence by angelic powers, as also the divine origin of souls unhappily imprisoned in mortal bodies, &c. He asserted that Jesus was born of Joseph and Mary, according to the ordinary course of nature, and was distinguished

from the rest of mankind by nothing but his superior fortitude and greatness of soul. It is said he held that lusts and passions, being implanted in our nature by God himself, were consequently void of guilt, and had nothing in them criminal; and not only allowed his disciples full liberty to sin, but recommended to them a vicious course of life, as a matter both of obligation and necessity; asserting that eternal salvation was only attainable by those who had committed all sorts of crimes, and had daringly filled up the measure of iniquity.§ He also taught that all things should be possessed in common. See Gnostics.

CATAPHRYGIANS. See

Montanists.

CATHARISTS, a branch of the Manicheans in the twelfth century. This denomination agreed in the following points of doctrine; viz. That matter was the source of all evil-that the creator of this world was a being distinct from the supreme Deity

that Christ was not clothed with a real body, neither could be properly said to have been born, or to have seen death—

production of the evil principle-that baptism and the Lord's supper were useless institutions and that human souls, endued with reason, were shut up by an unhappy fate in the dungeons of mortal bodies, whence only they could be delivered by fasting, mortification, and continence of every kind. Hence they exhorted all who embraced their doctrine to a rigorous abstinence from animal food, wine, and wedlock; and recommended to them in the most pathetic terms the most severe acts of austerity and mortification.

This denomination treated all the books of the old testament with the utmost contempt, but expressed a high veneration for the new, particularly for the four evangelists."

CERDONIANS, a branch of the Gnostics in the second century, which derive their name from Cerdo. They are also called Marcionites, from Marcion, who propagated his doctrines with astonishing suc cess throughout the world.

The sentiments taught by this denomination were as follow:-That there are two principles, the one perfectly good, and the other perfectly evil: and between these there

deity, neither perfectly good nor perfectly evil, but of a mixed nature; and so far just and powerful, as to administer rewards and inflict punishments. This middle deity is the creator of this inferior world, and the god and legislator of the jewish nation. He wages perpetual war with the evil principle: and both the one and the other aspire to the place of the supreme Being, and ambitiously attempt subjecting to their authority all the inhabitants of the world.

The jews are the subjects. of that powerful genius who formed the globe. The other nations, who worship a variety of gods, are under the empire of the evil principle. Both these conflicting powers exercise oppressions upon rational and immortal souls, and keep them in a tedious and miserable captivity. Therefore the supreme God, in order to terminate this war, and to deliver from their bondage those souls whose origin is celestial and divine, sent to the jews a being most like to himself, even his Son Jesus Christ, clothed with a certain shadowy resemblance of a body, that thus he might be visible to mortal eyes. The commission of this celestial

messenger was to destroy the empire both of the evil principle, and of the author of this world, and to bring back wandering souls to God. On this account he was attacked with inexpressible fury by the prince of darkness, and by the god of the jews, but without effect; since, having a body only in appearance, he was thereby rendered incapable of suffering. Those who follow the sacred directions of the celestial conductor, mortify the body by fasting and austerities, call off their minds from the allurements of sense, and, renouncing the precepts of the god of the jews and of the prince of darkness, turn their eyes towards the supreme Being, shall after death ascend to the mansions of felicity and perfection.

This denomination denied the resurrection of the dead: they rejected all the old testament, and received only part of Luke's gospel, and ten of Paul's epistles, in the new.* See Gnostics.

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CERINTHIANS, a denomination which arose in the first century; so called from Cerinthus, who taught that the creator of the world, whom he considered also as the sovereign and law-giver of the jewish people, was a being endowed with the greatest vir

tues, and derived his birth from the supreme God—that this being fell by degrees from his native virtue and his' primitive dignity-that the supreme God, in consequence of this, determined to destroy his empire, and sent upon earth for this purpose one of the ever-happy and glorious aions, whose name was Christthat this Christ chose for his habitation the person of Jesus, a man of the most illustrious sanctity and justice, the son of Joseph and Mary; and descending in the form of a dove, entered into him while he was receiving the baptism of John in the waters of Jordan-that Jesus, after his union with Christ, opposed himself with vigour to the god of the jews, and was by his instigation seized and crucified by the hebrew chiefsthat when Jesus was taken captive, Christ ascended up on high, so that the man Jesus alone was subjected to the pains of an ignominious death.

Cerinthus required of his followers that they should worship the Father of Christ, even the supreme God, in conjunction with the Son; that they should abandon the lawgiver of the jews, whom he looked upon as the creator of the world; that they should retain a part of the law giver

P

him three hundred and thirtysix thousand demons, and made the earth so fertile, that it was but to sow in the morning and reap at night; and that the same angel taught Adam all the necessary sci

ences.

In reference to the life to come, it is said, they believe that when any one lies at the point of death, three hundred and sixty demons come and carry his soul to a place full of serpents, dogs, lions, tygers, and devils. If it be the soul of a wicked man, they tear it in pieces; but, being the soul of a just man, it creeps under the bellies of those creatures into the presence of God, who sits in his seat of majesty to judge the world; and that there are angels also, who weigh the souls of men in a balance, who, being thought worthy, are admitted immediately into glory.

They have no canonical books, but a number full of charms, &c. Their chief festivals are three: one in the winter, which lasts three days, in memory of our first parents and the creation of the world;

the other in the month of August, which is called the feast of St. John; the third, which lasts five days, in June, during which time they are all re-baptized.

In the eucharist, they make use of meal, or flour kneaded, with wine and oil. They add oil to signify the benefit we receive by the sacrament, and put us in mind of our love to God and our neighbour. The words of their consecration are certain long prayers, which they make to praise and thank God, at the same time blessing the bread and wine. After all the ceremonies are ended, the priest takes the bread; and having eaten some of it, distributes the rest to the people.

These christians reside in Persia and Barsora.*

CHRISTIANS OF ST. THOMAS, a denomination in the peninsula of India, on this side the gulph. They are called Christians of St. Thomas, because that apostle preached the gospel and suffered martyrdom in that peninsula; and for whom those christians have a peculiar veneration. They admit of no