The manner of his ascension. It was from Mount Olivet to heaven, Acts i. 12; not in appearance only, but in reality and truth; visibly and locally; a real motion of his human nature; sudden, swift, glorious, and in a triumphant manner. He was parted from his disciples, while he was solemnly blessing them; and multitudes of angels attended him with shouts of praise, Ps. Ixviii. 17. xlvii. 5, 6.

with justifying faith, is certified by the tures concerning himself, and renew full assurance of faith that his sins are their commission to preach the Gospel, forgiven, and that he shall be everlast-Acts i. 5, 6. Mark xvi. 15. ingly saved by Christ. 7. Saving grace is not allowed, is not imparted, is not granted to all men, by which they may be saved, if they will. 8. No man is able to come to Christ, unless it be given him; and unless the Father draw him; and all men are not drawn by the Father, that they may come to his Son. 9. It is not in the will or power of every man to be saved." What gave occasion to the framing these articles was this:Some persons had distinguished themselves at the university of Cambridge by opposing predestination. Alarmed at the opinions that were vented, the above-him more openly the exercise of his mentioned archbishop, with others, composed these articles, to prevent the belief of a contrary doctrine. These, when completed, were sent down to Cambridge, to which the scholars were strictly enjoined to conform.

ARTOTYRITES, a Christian sect in the primitive church, who celebrated the eucharist with bread and cheese. The word is derived from agros, "bread," and τυρος, "cheese." The Artotyrites admitted women to the priesthood and episcopacy; and Epiphanius tells us that it was a common thing to see seven girls at once enter into their church robed in white, and holding a torch in their hands; where they wept and bewailed the wretchedness of human nature, and the miseries of this life.

ASCENSION OF CHRIST, his visible elevation to heaven. The ascension of Jesus Christ was not only presignified by many Scripture types, but also by many remarkable Scripture prophecies. Ps. xlvii. 5. Ps. cx. 1. Dan. vii. 13, 14. Mic. ii. 13. Ps. lxviii. 18.

rous.

The evidences of his ascension were numeThe disciples saw him ascend, Acts i. 9, 10. Two angels testified that he did ascend, Acts i. 11. Stephen, Paul, and John saw him in his ascended state, Acts vii. 55, 56. Acts ix. Rev. i. The marvellous descent of the Holy Ghost demonstrated it, John xvi. 7. 14. Acts ii. 33. The terrible overthrow and dispersion of the Jewish nation is a standing proof of it, John viii. 21. Matt. xxvi. 64.

The time of his ascension It was forty days after his resurrection. He continued so many days on earth, that he might give many repeated proofs of his resurrection, Acts i. 3; that he might instruct his followers in every thing which pertained to the abolishment of the Jewish ceremonies, Acts i. 3; and that he might open to them the Scrip

The effects or ends of Christ's ascension were, 1. to fulfil the prophecies and types concerning it. 2. To take upon

kingly office. 3. To receive gifts for men both ordinary and extraordinary, Ps. lxviii. 18. 4. To open the way into heaven for his people, Heb. x. 19, 20. 5. To assure the saints of their ascension also, John xiv. 1, 2.

ASCETIC, one who retires from the world for the purpose of devotion and mortification. When the monks came in fashion, this title was bestowed upon them, especially such as lived in solitude. It was also the title of several books of spiritual exercises, as the Ascetics, or devout exercises of St. Basil,

&c.

ASCODROGITES, a denomination which arose about the year 181. They brought into their churches bags or skins filled with new wine, to represent the new bottles filled with new wine, They danced mentioned by Christ. round these bags or skins, and, it is said, intoxicated themselves with the wine.

ASCOODRUTES, a sect, in the second century, who rejected the use of all symbols and sacraments on this principle, that incorporeal things cannot be communicated by things corporeal, nor divine mysteries by any thing visible.

ASSEMBLIES OF THE CLERGY are called convocations synods, councils. The annual meeting of the church of Scotland is called a general assembly. In this assembly his majesty is represented by his commissioner, who dissolves one meeting and calls another in the name of the king, while the moderator does the same in the name of Jesus Christ. See CONVOCATION, PRES

BYTERIANS.

ASSENT, that act of the mind where. by it takes or acknowledges any propo sition to be true or false. There are three degrees of assent:--conjecture, opinion, and belief. Conjecture is but a slight and weak inclination to assent to "the thing proposed, by reason of the

weighty objections that lie against it. Opinion is a more steady and fixed assent, when a man is almost certain. though yet some fear of the contrary remains with him. Belief is a more full and assured assent to the truth. See BELIEF.

ASSURANCE is the firm persuasion we have of the certainty of any thing, or a certain expectation of something future.

before him, these only have ground to expect this privilege."

Some divines have maintained that assurance is included in the very essence of faith, so that a man cannot have faith without assurance; but we must distinguish between assurance and justifying faith. The apostle, indeed, speaks of the full assurance of faith; but then this is a full and firm persuasion of what the Gospel reveals; whereas the asAssurance of the Understanding is a well-surance we are speaking of relates to grounded knowledge of divine things, founded on God's word. Col. ii. 2.-Assurance of Faith does not relate to our personal interest in Christ, but consists in a firm belief of the revelation that God has given us of Christ in his word, with an entire dependance on him. Heb. x. 22.-Assurance of Hope is a firm expectation that God will grant us the complete enjoyment of what he has promised. Heb. vi. 11.

our personal interest in Christ, and is an effect of this faith, and not faith itself. Faith in Christ certainly includes fome idea of assurance; for, except we be assured that he is the Saviour, we shall never go to or rely upon him as such: but faith in Christ does not imply an assurance of our interest in him; for there may be faith long before the assu rance of personal interest commences. The confounding of these ideas has been the cause of presumption on the one hand, and despair on the other. When men have been taught that faith con

them, and been assured that, if they can only believe so, all is well; and that then they are immediately pardoned and justified, the consequence has been, that the bold and self-conceited have soon wrought themselves up to such a persuasion, without any ground for it. to their own deception; whilst the dejected, humble, and poor in spirit, not being able to work themselves to such a pitch of confidence, have concluded, that they have not the faith of God's elect, and must inevitably be lost.

The doctrine of assurance, i. e. the belief that we have an interest in the divine favour, has afforded matter for dispute among divines. Some have assists in believing that Christ died for serted that it is not to be obtained in the present state, allowing that persons may be in a hopeful way to salvation, but that they have no real or absolute assurance of it: but this is clearly refuted by facts as well as by Scripture. That it is to be obtained is evident; for we have reason to believe many persons have actually obtained it. Job xix. 25.|| Ps. xvii. 15 2 Tim. i. 12. The Scrip tures exhort us to obtain it, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Heb vi. 11. 1 Thess. v. 21. The Holy Spirit is said to bear witness of it, Rom. viii. 16. The exercise of the The means to attain assurance are Christian graces is considered as a proof not those of an extraordinary kind, as of it, 1 John iii. 14. 1 John ii. 3. We some people imagine: such as visions, must, however, guard against presump- dreams, voices, &c.; but such as are tion; for a mere persuasion that Christ ordinary; self-examination, humble and is ours is no proof that he is so. We constant prayer, consulting the sacred must have evidence before we can have || oracles, Christian communication, atgenuine assurance. It is necessary to|| tendance on the divine ordinances, and observe also, that it is not a duty im- perseverance in the path of duty; withposed upon all mankind, so that every out which all our assurance is but preone, in whatsoever state he may be, sumption, and our profession but hypoought to be fully persuaded of his salva- crisy. tion. "We do not affirm," says Saurin, "that Christians, of whose sincerity there may be some doubt, have a right to assurance; that backsliders, as such, ought to persuade themselves that they shall be saved; nor do we say that Christians who have arrived to the highest degree of holiness can be persuaded of the certainty of their salvation in every period of their lives; nor, if left to their own efforts, can they enjoy it; but believers supported by the divine aid, who walk in all good conscience

Assurance may be lost for a season through bodily diseases, which depress the spirits, unwatchfulness, falling into sin, manifold temptations, worldly cares, and neglect of private duty. He, therefore, who would wish to enjoy this privilege, let him cultivate communion with God, exercise a watchful spirit against his spiritual enemies, and give himself unreservedly to Him whose he is, and whom he professes to serve. See Saurin's Sermons, vol. iii. ser. 10, Eng. ed.; Case's Sermons, ser. 13; Lambert's Ser

mons on John, ix, 35; Hervey's Theron and Aspasio, dialogue 17; Howe's Works, vol. i. p. 342. 348; Brooks, Burgess, Roberts, Baxter, Palhill, and Davye, on Assurance; Hore. Sol. vol. ii. p. 269.

ASSURITANS, a branch of the Donatists, who held that the Son was inferior to the Father, and the Holy Ghost to the Son. See DONATISTS.

ASTONISHMENT, a kind or degree of wonder introduced by surprise. This emotion always relates to things of the highest importance; to things which appear too vast and extensive for the grasp of intellect, rather than to any thing of an intricate nature. The body marks in a striking manner the singular state of the mind under this emotion. The eyes are firmly fixed, without being directed to any particular object; the character of countenance, which was formed by the habitual in fluence of some predominant affection, is for a time effaced; and a suspension of every other expression, a certain vacuity, strongly notes this state of mind.

5. Atheism contradicts itself. Under the first of these he thus argues:-"I appeal to any man of reason, whether any thing can be more unreasonable than obstinately to impute an effect to chance, which carries in the very face of it all the arguments and characters of a wise design and contrivance. Was ever any considerable work, in which there was required a great variety of parts, and a regular and orderly disposition of those parts, done by chance? Will chance fit means to ends, and that in ten thousand instances, and not fail in any one? How often might a man, after he had jumbled a set of letters in a bag, fling them out upon the ground, before they would fall into an exact poem; yea, or so much as make a good discourse in prose? And may not a little book be as easily made by chance as the great volume of the world? How long might a man be in sprinkling colours upon canvass with a careless hand, before they would happen to make the exact picture of a man? And is a man easier made by chance than his picture? ATHANASIANS, those who profess How long might twenty thousand blind the sentiments held in the Athanasian men, who should be sent out from seCreed. See CREED. veral remote parts of England, wander ATHEIST, one who denies the ex-up and down before they would all meet istence of God:-this is called speculative atheism. Professing to believe in God, and yet acting contrary to this belief, is called practical atheism. Ab-|| surd and irrational as atheism is, it has had its votaries and martyrs. In the seventeenth century, Spinoza, a foreigner, was its noted defender. Lucilio Vanini, a native of Naples, also pub | licly taught atheism in France; and, being convicted of it at Toulouse, was condemned and executed in 1619. It has been questioned, however, whether any man ever seriously adopted such a principle. The pretensions to it have been generally founded on pride or affectation. The open avowal of atheism by several of the leading members of the French convention, seems to have been an extraordinary moral phenome-happily met together, and very fortunon. This, however, as we have seen, was too vague and uncomfortable a principle to last long. Archbishop Tillotson justly observes, that speculative atheism is unreasonable upon five accounts. 1. Because it gives no tolerable account of the existence of the world. -2. It does not give any reasonable ac count of the universal consent of man kind in this apprehension that there is a God.-3. It requires more evidence for things than they are capable of giving.-4. The atheist pretends to know that which no man can know

upon Salisbury plain, and fall into rank and file in the exact order of an army? And, yet, this is much more easy to be imagined than how the innumerable blind parts of matter should rendezvous themselves into a world. A man that sees Henry the Seventh's chapel at Westminster might with as good reason inaintain (yea, with much better, considering the vast difference betwixt that little structure and the huge fabric of the world) that it was never contrived or built by any means, but that the stones did by chance grow into those curious figures into which they seem to have been cut and graven; and that upon a time (as tales usually begin) the materials of that building, the stone, mortar, timber, iron, lead, and glass,

nately ranged themselves into that delicate order in which we see them now, so close compacted, that it must be a very great chance that parts them again. What would the world think of a man that should advance such an opinion as this, and write a book for it? If they would do him right, they ought to look upon him as mad; but yet with a little more reason than any man can have to say, that the world was made by chance. or that the first men grew up out of the earth as plants do now. For, can any thing be more ridiculous, and against

all reason, than to ascribe the produc- -4. God had a mind to make a very tion of men to the first fruitfulness of illustrious display both of his justice and the earth, without so much as one in-of his grace among mankind; on these stance and experiment, in any age or accounts he would not pardon sin withhistory, to countenance so monstrous aout a satisfaction.-5. Man, sinful man, supposition? The thing is, at first sight, is not able to make any satisfaction to so gross and palpable, that no discourse God for his own sins, neither by his about it can make it more apparent.labours, nor by his sufferings, Eph. ii. And yet these shameful beggars of 1, 8, 9.-6. Though man be incapable principles give this precarious account to satisfy for his own violation of the of the original of things; assume to law, yet God would not suffer all manthemselves to be the men of reason, the kind to perish.-7. Because God intendgreat wits of the world, the only cau-ed to make a full display of the terrors tious and wary persons that hate to be imposed upon, that must have convincing evidence for every thing, and can admit of nothing without a clear demonstration of it." See ExISTENCE OF GOD.

of his justice, and his divine resentment for the violation of his law, therefore he appointed his own Son to satisfy for the breach of it, by becoming a proper sacrifice of expiation or atonement, Gal. iii. 10. 13.-8. The Son of God being Some of the principal writers on the immortal, could not sustain all these existence of a Deity have been Newton, penalties of the law which man had Boyle, Cheyne, Locke, Nieuwentyt, Der-broken without taking the mortal naham, Bentley, Ray, Cudworth, Samuelture of man upon him, without assuming and John Clarke, Abernethy, Balguy, Bax-flesh and blood, Heb. ii. 13, 14.-9. The ter, Fenelon, &c. &c. Tillotson's ser-Divine Being having received such ammon on the subject, as quoted above, ple satisfaction for sin by the sufferings has been considered as one of the best of his own Son, can honourably forgive in the English language. See ser. i.his creature man, who was the transvol. 1. gressor. Rom. iii. 25, 26. Nowy that ATONEMENT is the satisfying this doctrine is true, will appear, if we Divine Justice by Jesus Christ giving consider, 1. That an atonement for sin, himself a ransom for us, undergoing the or an effectual method to answer the penalty due to our sins, and thereby re-demands of an offended God, is the first leasing us from that punishment which great blessing guilty man stood in need God might justly inflict upon us. Rom. of, Mic. vi. 6- 7.-2. The very first disv. 11. The Hebrew word signifies coveries of grace which were made to covering, and intimates that our offences man after his fall implied in them someare, by a proper atonement, covered thing of an atonement for sin, and pointfrom the avenging justice of God. Ined to the propitiation Christ has now order to understand the manner where-made, Gen. iii. 15,—3. The train of cein Christ becomes an atonement, "weremonies which were appointed by God should," says Dr. Watts, "consider the in the Jewish church are plain significafollowing propositions, 1. The great Godtions of such an atonement, 2 Cor. iii. having made man, appointed to govern Col. ii. 7, 8, 9. Heb. x.-4. Some of the him by a wise and righteous law, where- ||prophecies confirm and explain the first in glory and honour, life and immortali-promise, and show that Christ was to ty are the designed rewards for perfect die as an atoning sacrifice for the sins obedience; but tribulation and wrath, of men, Dan. ix. 24-26. Is. liii.-5. Our pain and death, are the appointed re- Saviour himself taught us the doctrine compense to those who violate this law, of the atonement for sins by his death, Gen. iii. Rom. ii. 6. 16. Rom. i. 32. Matt. xx 28. John, vi. 51. Luke, xxii. 2. Ail mankind have broken this law, 19.-6. The terrors of soul, the conRom. iii. 23. Rom. v. 12.-3. God, in his sternation and inward agonies which infinite wisdom, did no think fit to par- our blessed Lord sustained a little bedon sinful man, without some compen- fore his death, were a sufficient proof sation for his broken law; for 1, If the that he endured punishments in his soul great Ruler of the world had pardoned which were due to sin, Mark, xiv. 33. the sins of men without any satisfaction, Heb. v. 7.-7. This doctrine is declared, then his laws might have seemed not and confirmed and explained at large, worth the vindicating.-2. Men would by the apostles in their writings, 1 Cor. have been tempted to persist in the xv. 3. Eph. i. 7. 1 John, ii. 2, &c. &c. rebellion, and to repeat their old of--8. This was the doctrine that was fences.-3. His forms of government witnessed to the world by the amazing among his creatures might have ap-gifts of the Holy Ghost, which attended peared as a matter of small importance. the Gospel. [See the Acts of the Apos

ties.] The inferences and uses to be de- | essence of God; as Jehovah, Jah, &c.: rived from this doctrine are these: 1. relative ones are such as agree with How vain are all the labours and pre-him in time, with some respect to his tences of mankind to seek or hope for creatures, as Creator, Governor, Preany better religion than that which is server, Redeemer, &c. But the more contained in the Gospel of Christ. It commonly received distinction of the is here alone that we can find the solid attributes of God, is into communicable and rational principle of reconciliation and incommunicable ones. The comto an offended God, Heb. iv, 14.-2. municable ones are those of which there How strange and unreasonable is the is some resemblance in men; as gooddoctrine of the Popish church, who, ness, holiness, wisdom, &c.: the incomwhile they profess to believe the reli- municable ones are such as there is no gion of Christ, yet introduce many other appearance or shadow of in men; as methods of atonement for sin, besides independence, immutability, immensity, the sufferings of the Son of God. [See and eternity. See those different artiabove.]-3. Here is a solid foundation, cles in this work; and Bates, Charnock, on which the greatest of sinners may Abernethy, and Saurin on the Divine hope for acceptance with God, 1 Tim.Perfections. i. 15.-4. This doctrine should be used ATTRITION. The casuists of the as a powerful motive to excite repent-church of Rome have made a distincance, Acts, v. 31-5. We should use tion between a perfect and imperfect this atonement of Christ as our constant contrition. The latter they call attriway of access to God in all our prayers, tion; which is the lowest degree of Heb. x. 19. 22.-6. Also as a divine repentance, or a sorrow for sin arising guard against sin, Rom. vi. 1. 2. 1 Pet. from a sense of shame, or any temporal i. 15, 19.-7. As an argument of pre-inconvenience attending the commission vailing force to be used in prayer, Rom. of it, or merely from fear of the punishviii. 32.-8. As a spring of love to God, ment due to it, without any resolution and to his Son Jesus Christ, 1 John, iv. to sin no more: in consequence of which 10-9. As a strong persuasive to that doctrine, they teach that, after a wicked love and pity which we should show on and flagitious course of life, a man may all occasions to our fellow creatures, be reconciled to God, and his sins for1 John, iv. 11.-10. It should excite given on his death-bed, by confessing patience and holy joy under afflictions them to the priest with this imperfect and earthly sorrows, Rom. v. 1 to 3. degree of sorrow and repentance. This -11. We should consider it as an invi-distinction was settled by the council of tation to the Lord's supper, where Trent. It might, however, be easily Christ is set forth to us in the memorials shown that the mere sorrow for sin beof his propitiations.-12. As a most effec- cause of its consequences, and not on tual defence against the terrors of dying, account of its evil nature, is no more and as our joyful hope of a blessed re-acceptable to God than hypocrisy itself surrection, 1 Cor. xv. 50,-13. Lastly, as a divine allurement to the upper AVARICE is an immoderate love to world" See Watts' Ser. ser. 34, 35, 36, and desire after riches, attended with 37; Evans on the Atonement; Dr. Owen extreme diffidence of future events, on the Satisfaction of Christ; West's Scrip- || making a person rob himself of the ture Doctrine of the Atonement; Hervey's necessary comforts of life, for fear of Theron and Aspasio, dial. 3; Dr. Magee's diminishing his riches. See COVETOUSDiscourses on the Atonement; Jerram's Let-NESS and MISER. ters on ditto.

can be.

AVERSION, hatred, or dislike.ATTRIBUTES OF GOD are the Dr. Watts and others oppose aversion several qualities or perfections of the to desire. When we look, say they, Divine nature. Some distinguish them upon an object as good, it excites deinto the negative, and positive or affir-sire: but when we look upon an object mative. The negative are such as re-as evil, it awakens what we call avermove from him whatever is imperfect sion or avoidance. But Lord Kaims in creatures: such are infinity, immuta-observes that aversion is opposed to bility, immortality, &c. The positive affection, and not to desire. We have are such as assert some perfection in an affection to one person; we have an God which is in and of himself, and aversion to another: the former diswhich in the creatures, in any measure, poses us to do good, the latter to do ill. is from him. This distinction is now AUDIENTES, an order of catechumostly discarded. Some distinguish mens in the primitive Christian church. them into absolute and relative: abso-They were so called from their being lute ones are such as agree with the admitted to hear sermons and the Scrip