Encyclopaedia Britannica; Or A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and ...

Choeringe

collected together, and printed in 6 vols. folio. He Chopine died at Paris in 1606.

CHOERINÆ, in antiquity, a kind of sea-shells, with which the ancient Greeks used to give their sufChopine. frage, or vote.

CHOIR, that part of the church or cathedral where choristers sing divine service; it is separated from the chancel where the communion is celebrated, and also from the nave of the church where the people are placed the patron is said to be obliged to repair the choir of the church. It was in the time of Constantine that the choir was separated from the nave. In the 12th century they began to enclose it with walls; but the ancient ballustrades have been since restored, out of a view to the beauty of architecture.

CHOIR, in nunneries, is a large hall adjoining to the body of the church, separated by a grate, where the nuns sing the office.

CHOISI, FRANCIS TIMOLEON DE, dean of the cathedral of Bayeux, and one of the forty of the French academy, was born at Paris in 1644. In the early part of his life he was much distinguished by his frivolous manners, and particularly by appearing even at court in a female dress. In 1685 he was sent with the chevalier de Chaumont to the king of Siam, and was ordained priest in the Indies by the apostolical vicar. He wrote a great number of works, in a polite, florid, and easy style; the principal of which are, 1. Four Dialogues on the Immortality of the Soul, &c. 2. Account of a voyage to Siam. 3. An Ecclesiastical History, in II vols. 4to. 4. Life of David, with an Interpretation of the Psalms. 5. Life of Solomon, &c. 5. Life of Solomon, &c. He died at Paris in 1724.

CHOLEDOCHUS, in Anatomy, a term applied to a canal or duct, called also ductus communis; formed of the union of the porus biliarus and ductus cysticus. The word comes from xoan, choler: and dixouai, I receive, or contain.

The choledochus ductus, passing obliquely to the lower end of the duodenum, serves to convey the bile from the liver to the intestines. See ANATOMY Index.

CHOLER. See BILE.

CHOLERA MORBUS, a sudden eruption or overflowing of the bile or bilious matters both upwards and downwards. See MEDICINE Index.

CHOMER, or OMER. See CORUS. CHONDRILLA. See BOTANY Index. CHONDROPTERYGII, in Ichthyology, a term formerly applied to the order of fishes now called amphibia nantes by Linnæus. See AMPHIBIA.

CHOP-CHURCH, or CHURCH-CHOPPER, a name, or rather a nick-name, given to parsons who make a practice of exchanging benefices. See PERMUTATION. Chop-church occurs in an ancient statute as a lawful trade or occupation; and some of the judges say a good addition. Brook holds, that it was no occupation, but a thing permissible by law.

it was

CHOPIN, or CHOPINE, a liquid measure used both in Scotland and France, and equal to half their pint. See PINT and MEASURE.

CHOPINE, RENE, a famous civilian born at Bailleul in Anjou in 1537. He was advocate in the parliament of Paris, where he pleaded for a long time with great reputation. He at last shut himself up in his closet, and composed many works, which have been

CHORAL, signifies any person that, by virtue of Chord. any of the orders of the clergy, was in ancient times admitted to sit and serve God in the choir.

Dugdale, in his history of St Paul's church, says, that there were with the chorus formerly six vicars choral belonging to that church.

CHORASSAN, or KHORASSAN, a province of Persia, adjoining to Usbec Tartary. This was the ancient Bactria, and the birth-place of Kouli-Khan.

CHORAX, or CHARAX. See CHARACENE. CHORAZIM, or CHORAZIN, (Luke, Matthew), a town of Galilee, whose wretched incredulity Christ deplores; now desolate, at two miles distance from Ca

pernaum.

CHORD, or CORD, primarily denotes a slender rope or cordage The word is formed of the Latin, * See Corchorda, and that from the Greek, xogon, a gut, whereof dage. strings may be made.

CHORD, in Geometry, a right line drawn from one part of an arch of a circle to another. Hence, CHORD of an Arch, is a right line joining the extremes of that arch.

CHORD, in Music, the union of two or more sounds uttered at the same time, and forming together an entire harmony.

The natural harmony produced by the resonance of a sounding body, is composed of three different sounds, without reckoning their octaves; which form among themselves the most agreeable and perfect chord that can possibly be heard: for which reason they are called, on account of their excellence, perfect chords. Hence, in order to render that harmony complete, it is necessary that each chord should at least consist of three sounds. The trio is likewise found by musicians to include the perfection of harmony; whether because in this all the chords, and each in its full perfection, are used; or, because upon such occasions as render it improper to use them all, and each in its integrity, arts have been successfully practised to deceive the ear, and to give it contrary persuasion, by deluding it with the principal sounds of each chord, in such a manner as to render it forgetful of the other sounds necessary to their completion. Yet the octave of the principal sound produces new relations, and new consonances, by the completion of the intervals: they commonly add this octave, to have the assemblage of all the consonances in one and the same chord; (see CONSONANCE). Moreover, the addition of the dissonance (see DISCORD), producing a fourth sound superadded to the perfect chord, it becomes indispensably necessary, if we would render the chord full, that we should include a fourth part to express this dissonance. Thus, the series of chords can neither be complete nor connected but by means of four. parts.

Chords are divided into perfect and imperfect. The perfect chord is that which we have lately described; which is composed of the fundamental sound below, of its third, its fifth, and its octave: they are likewise subdivided into major and minor, according as the thirds which enter into their composition are flat or sharp: (See INTERVAL). Some authors likewise give

this order, the harmony will be ruined, even though the Cho same chords are preserved.

3. In a word, the chords are rendered still more harmonious by being approximated and only divided by the smallest practicable intervals, which are more suitable to the capacity of the ear than such as are remote. This is what we call contracting the harmony; an art which few composers have skill and abilities enough to put in practice. The limits in the natural compass of voices, afford an additional reason for lessening the distance of the intervals, which compose the harmony of the chorus, as much as possible. We may affirm, that a chorus is improperly composed, when the distance between the chords increases; when those who perform the different parts are obliged to scream when the voices rise above their natural extent, and are so remotely distant one from the other, that the perception of harmonical relations between them is lost.

Chords. the name of perfect to all chords, even to dissonances, whose fundamental sounds are below. Imperfect chords are those in which the sixth, instead of the fifth, prevails, and in general all those whose lowest are not their fundamental sounds. These denominations, which had been given before the fundamental bass was known, are now most unhappily applied: those of chords direct and reversed are much more suitable in the same

sense.

Chords are once more divided into consonances and dissonances. The chords denominated consonances, are the perfect chord, and its derivatives; every other chord is a dissonance.

A table of both, according to the system of M. Rameau, may be seen in Rousseau's Musical Dictionary, vol. i. p. 27.

After the table to which our readers have been remitted, Rousseau adds the following observations, which are at the same time so just and so important, that we should be very sorry if they escape the reader's atten

tion.

At the words harmony, fundamental bass, composition, &c. he promises to treat concerning the manner of using all the chords to form regular harmony; and only adds, in this place, the subsequent reflections.

1. It is a capital error to imagine, that the methods of inverting the same chord are in all cases equally eligible for the harmony and for the expression. There is not one of these different arrangements but had its proper character. Every one feels the contrast between the softness of the false fifth, and the grating sound of the tritone, though the one of these intervals is produced by a method of inverting the other. With the seventh diminished, and the second redundant, the case is the same with the interval of the second in general use, and the seventh. Who does not feel how much more vocal and sonorous the fifth appears when compared with the fourth? The chord of the great sixth, and that of the lesser sixth minor, are two forms of the same fundamental chord: but how much less is the one harmonious than the other? On the contrary, the chord of the lesser sixth major is much more pleasing and cheerful than that of the false fifth. And only to mention the most simple of all chords, reflect on the majesty of the perfect chord, the sweetness of that which is called the chord of the sixth, and the insipidity of that which is composed of a sixth and a fourth: all of them, however, composed of the same sounds. In general, the redundant intervals, the sharps on the higher part, are proper by their severity to express violent emotions of mind, such as anger and the rougher passions. On the contrary, flats in the higher parts, and diminished intervals, form a plaintive harmony, which melts the heart. There are a multitude of similar observations, of which, when a musician knows how to avail himself, he may command at will the affections of those who hear him.

2. The choice of simple intervals is scarcely of less importance than that of the chords, with regard to the stations in which they ought to be placed. It is, for instance, in the lower parts that the fifth and octave should be used in preference; in the upper parts, the third and sixth are more proper. If you transpose 3

We say likewise, that an instrument is in concord when the intervals between its fixed sounds are what they ought to be; we say in this sense, that the chords of an instrument are true or false, that it preserves or does not preserve its chords. The same form of speaking is used for two voices which sing together, or for two sounds which are heard at the same time, whether in unison or in parts.

CHORDS, or CORDS of Musical Instruments, are strings, by the vibration of which the sensation of sound is excited, and by the divisions of which the several degrees of tone are determined.

CHORDEE, in Medicine and Surgery, a symptom attending a gonorrhoea, consisting in a violent pain under the frenum, and along the duct of the urethra, during the erection of the penis, which is incurvated downwards. These erections are frequent and involuntary.

CHOREA SANCTI VITI. See VITUS's Dance, MEDICINE Index.

CHOREPISCOPUS, an officer in the ancient church, about whose function the learned are much divided. The word comes from xwgos, a region, or little country, and exoxoxes, a bishop or overseer.

The Chorepiscopi were suffragan or local bishops, holding a middle rank between bishops and presbyters, and delegated to exercise episcopal jurisdiction within certain districts, when the boundaries of particular churches, over which separate bishops presided, were considerably enlarged. It is not certain when this office was first introduced; some trace it to the close of the first century: others tell us, that chorepiscopi were not known in the east till the beginning of the fourth century; and in the west about the year 439. They ceased both in the east and west in the tenth century.

CHOREPISCOPUS is also the name of a dignity still subsisting in some cathedrals, particularly in Germany; signifying the same with chori episcopus, or "bishop of the choir." The word, in this sense, does not come from xogos, place, but xogos, choir, &c. In the church of Cologne, &c. the first chanter is called chorepiscopus.

CHOREUS, Xogos, a foot in the ancient poetry, more commonly called trochæus. See TROCHEE. CHORIAMBUS, in ancient poetry, a foot con

sisting

Chori

CHORION, in Anatomy, the exterior membrane which invests the foetus in the uterus. See FOETUS. CHOROBATA, or CHOROBATES, a kind of waterlevel among the ancients, of the figure of the letter T, according to Vitruvius's description.

CHOROGRAPHY, the art of making a map of any country or province.

Chorography differs from geography, as the description of a particular country differs from that of the whole earth; and from topography, as the description of a country is different from that of a town or district. See the articles GEOGRAPHY, TOPOGRAPHY, and MAP.

CHOROIDES, or CHOROEIDES, in Anatomy, a term applied to several parts of the body, bearing some resemblance to the chorion. The word is formed from xogov, chorion, and udos, likeness.

CHOROIDES is particularly used for the inner membrane which immediately invests the brain; so called as being intermingled with a great number of bloodvessels, like the chorion: but more usually denominated the pia mater or meninx tenuis.

Plexus or Lacis CHOROIDES, is a knot of veins and arteries in the anterior ventricle of the brain, woven out of the branches of the carotid.

CHOROIDES is also applied to the inner and posterior tunic of the eye, immediately under the sclerotica. It is soft, thin, and black and its inner or concave surface is very smooth and polished. It has its name from its being interspersed with vessels.

CHORUS, in dramatic poetry, one or more persons present on the stage during the representation, and supposed to be by-standers without any share in the action.

Tragedy in its origin was no more than a single chorus, who trode the stage alone, and without any actors, singing dithyrambics or hymns in honour of Bacchus. Thespis, to relieve the chorus, added an actor, who rehearsed the adventures of some of their heroes; and Æschylus, finding a single person too dry an entertainment, added a second, at the same time reducing the singing of the chorus, to make more room for the recitation. But when once tragedy began to be formed, the recitative, which at first was intended only as an accessary part to give the chorus a breathing time, became a principal part of the tragedy. At length, however, the chorus became inserted and incorporated into the action: sometimes it was to speak; and then their chief, whom they called coryphæus, spoke in behalf of the rest: the singing was performed by the whole company; so that when the coryphæus struck into a song, the chorus immediately joined him.

The chorus sometimes also joined the actors, in the course of the representation, with their plaints and lamentations on account of any unhappy accidents that hefel them; but the proper function, and that for which it seemed chiefly retained, was to show the intervals of the acts: while the actors were behind the scenes, the chorus engaged the spectators; their songs usually turned on what was exhibited, and were not to conVOL. VI. Part I.

J-1}

Chous.

tain any thing but what was suited to the subject, and Chorus had a natural connection with it; so that the chorus concurred with the actors for advancing the action. In the modern tragedies the chorus is laid aside, and the fiddles supply its place. M. Dacier looks on this retrenchment as of ill consequence, and thinks it robs tragedy of a great deal of its lustre; he therefore judges it necessary to re-establish it, not only on account of the regularity of the piece, but also to correct, by prudent and virtuous reflections, any extravagancies that might fall from the mouths of the actors when under any violent passion.

M. Dacier observed also, that there was a chorus, or grex, in the ancient comedy: but this is suppressed in the new comedy, because it was used to reprove vices by attacking particular persons; as the chorus of the tragedy was laid aside to give the greater probability to those kinds of intrigue which require secrecy.

CHORUS, in Music, is when, at certain periods of a song, the whole company are to join the singer in repeating certain couplets or verses.

CHOSE (Fr.), "a thing;" used in the common law with divers epithets; as chose local, chose transitory, and chose in action. Chose local is such a thing as is annexed to a place, as a mill and the like; chose transitory is that thing which is moveable, and may be taken away, or carried from place to place; and chose in action is a thing incorporeal, and only a right, as an obligation for debt, annuity, &c. And generally all causes of suit for any debt, duty, or wrong, are to be accounted choses in action: and it seems, chose in action may be also called chose in suspense ; because it hath no real existence or being, nor can properly be said to be in our possession.

CHOSROES I. the Great, king of Persia after his father Cabades, A. D. 532. He made peace with the Romans; but broke it the third year, and forced Justinian to a disadvantageous peace. Afterwards, he was so swelled with his victories, as to bid the emperor's ambassador follow him for audience to Cæsarea; but Tiberius sent an army under Justinian, who made himself master of the country, and put Chosroes to death in 586.

CHOSROES II. His subjects put his father Hormisdas in prison, and the son upon the throne of Persia. He used his father tenderly at first; but afterwards caused him to be put to death. This, together with his killing some of the nobility, obliged him to fly: he gave his horse the bridle, which carried him into a town of the Romans, where Mauricius the emperor received him kindly, and sent an army under Narses which set him again upon the throne. He took Jerusalem; after this he made himself master of Libya and Egypt, and carried Carthage. Heraclius sued for peace; which was offered him on condition, That he and his subjects should deny Jesus Christ: Hereupon Heraclius attacked him with success, and put him to flight. His own son pursued him, and he was starved in prison in 627.

CHOUGH, in Ornithology, the trivial name of a species of CORVUS. See ORNITHOLOGY Index.

CHOUS, in the eastern military orders, the title of the messengers of the divan Janisaries. There are several degrees of honour in this post. When a H person

Chous

person is first advanced to it, he is called a kuchuk, or #1 little chous; after this he is advanced to be the alloy Chrism. chous, that is, the messenger of ceremonies; and from this, having passed through the office of petelma, or procurator of the effects of the body, he is advanced to be the bas chous.

CHOWDER-BEER, a provincial phrase of Devonshire, denoting a cheap and easily prepared drink, highly commended for preventing the scurvy in long voyages, or for the cure of it where it may have been contracted. It is prepared in the following manner: Take twelve gallons of water, in which put three pounds and a half of black spruce boil it for three hours, and having taken out the fir or spruce, mix with the liquor seven pounds of melasses, and just boil it up; strain it through a sieve, and when milk-warm put to it about four spoonfuls of yeast to work it. In two or three days stop the bung of the cask and in five or six days, when fine, bottle it for drinking. Two gallons of melasses are sufficient for a hogshead of liquor; but if melasses cannot be procured, treacle or coarse sugar will answer the purpose.

CHREMNITZ, the principal of the mine towns in Upper Hungary, situated about 68 miles north-east of Presburg, and subject to the house of Austria. E. Long. 19. N. Lat. 48. 45.

CHRENECRUDA, a term occurring in writers of the middle ages, and expressing a custom of those times; but its signification is doubtful. It is mentioned in Lege Salica, tit. 61. which says, he who kills a man, and hath not wherewithal to satisfy the law or pay the fine, makes oath that he hath delivered up every thing he was possessed of; the truth of which must be confirmed by the oaths of 12 other persons. Then he invites his next relations by the father's side to pay off the remainder of the fine, having first made over to them all his effects by the following ceremony. He goes into his house, and taking in his hand a small quantity of dust from each of the four corners, he returns to the door, and with his face inwards throws the dust with his left hand over his shoulders upon his nearest of kin. Which done, he strips to his shirt; and coming out with a pole in his hand, jumps over the hedge. His relations, whether one or several, are upon this obliged to pay off the composition for the murder. And if these (or any one of them) are not able to pay iterum super illum chrenecruda, qui pauperior est, jactat, et ille totam legem componat. Whence it appears, that chrenecruda jactare, is the same with throwing the dust gathered from the four corners of the house. Goldastus and Spelman translate it viridem herbam, "green grass," from the German gruen kraut, or from the Dutch groen, "green," and gruid, "grass.' Wendelinus is of a contrary opinion, who thinks that by this word denotari purificationis approbationem, from chrein, "pure, chaste, clean;" and keuren," to prove;" so that it must refer to the oaths of the twelve jurors. Be this as it will, King Childebert reformed this law by a decree, chap. 15. both because it savoured of Pagan ceremonies, and because several persons were thereby obliged to make over all their effects: De chrenecruda lex quam paganorum tempore observabant, deinceps nunquam valeat, quia per ipsam cecidet multorum potestas.

CHRISM (from xe,

I anoint), oil consecrated by

Chr

the bishop, and used in the Romish and Greek churches, Chr in the administration of baptism, confirmation, ordina- D tion, and extreme unction, which is prepared on holy Thursday with much ceremony. In Spain it was an ciently the custom for the bishop to take one-third of a sol for the chrism distributed to each church, on account of the balsam that entered its composition.

Du Cange observes, that there are two kinds of chrism; the one prepared of oil and balsam, used in baptism, confirmation, and ordination; the other of oil alone, consecrated by the bishop, used auciently for the catechumens, and still in extreme unction. The Maronites, before their reconciliation with Rome, besides oil and balsam, used musk, saffron, cinnamon, roses, white frankincense, and several other drugs mentioned by Rynaldus, in 1541, with the doses of each. The Jesuit Dandini, who went to Mount Libanus in quality of the pope's nuncio, ordained, in a synod held there in 1596, that chrism for the future should be made only of two ingredients, oil and balsam; the one representing the human nature of Jesus Christ, the other his divine nature. The action of imposing the chrism is called chrismation: this the generality of the Romish divines hold to be the next matter of the sacra ment of confirmation.

The chrismation in baptism is performed by the priest; that in confirmation by the bishop; that in ordination, &c. is more usually styled unction.

CHRISM Pence, CHRISMATIS Denarii, or CHRISMALES Denarii, a tribute anciently paid to the bishop by the parish clergy, for their chrism, consecrated at Easter for the ensuing year: this was afterwards condemned as simoniacal.

CHRISOM, a white garment put upon a child by the priest immediately after baptism, accompanied with this devout prayer; "Take this white vesture as a token of the innocency which, by God's grace in this holy sacrament of baptism is given unto thee, and for a sign whereby thou art admonished, so long as thou livest, to give thyself to innocence of living, that after this transitory life thou mayest be partaker of life everlasting. Amen."

From this circumstance the white garment got the name of chrisom, which, after being worn a few days, was delivered to the priest as a sacred deposit, to be produced in future as an evidence against the person, should he be so impious as to renounce his baptismal engagements. This ceremony continued in use for a considerable time after the reformation in the church of England, which required the mother of the child, when churched, to offer the chrisom and other customary oblations. On pronouncing the above mentioned prayer, the priest anointed the head of the infant, saying, Almighty God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath regenerated thee by water and the Holy Ghost, and hath given unto thee the remission of all thy sins, vouchsafe to anoint thee with the unction of his Holy Spirit, and bring thee to the inheritance of everlasting life. Amen."

CHRIST, an appellation synonymous with Messiah, usually added to Jesus: and, together therewith, denominating the Saviour of the world. See CHRISTIANITY and MESSIAH.

Christ gly, by way of antonomasis, to denote a person sent from God, as an anointed prophet, king, or priest.

Christia nity.

Origin of the word.

By what name the apostles were first

ed.

Order of CHRIST, a military order, founded by Dionysius I. king of Portugal, to animate his nobles against the Moors. The arms of this order are gules, patriarchal cross charged with another cross argent: they had their residence at first at Castromarin; afterwards they removed to the city of Thomar, as being nearer to the Moors of Andalusia and Estremadura.

CHRIST is also the name of a military order in Livonia, instituted in 1205 by Albert bishop of Riga. The end of this institution was to defend the new Christians who were converted every day in Livonia, but were persecuted by the heathens. They wore on their cloaks a sword with a cross over it, whence they were also denominated brothers of the sword.

CHRIST-Burgh, a town of Poland, near the lake Drausen, and about three Polish miles from Marienburgh.

CHRIST-Church, a borough town of Hampshire, 30 miles south-west of Winchester, near the sea-coast. W. Long. 2. N. Lat. 50. 40. It sends two members to parliament.

CHRIST-Thorn. See RHAMNUS, BOTANY Index. CHRISTIAN. See CHRISTIANITY and CHRIS

TIANS.

Most CHRISTIAN King, one of the titles of the former kings of France.

The French antiquarians trace the origin of this appellation up to Gregory the Great, who, writing a letter to Charles Martel, occasionally gave him that title, which his successors retained.

CHRISTIAN Religion, that instituted by Jesus Christ. See CHRISTIANITY.

CHRISTIANITY, the religion of Christians. The word is analogically derived, as other abstracts from their concretes, from the adjective Christian. This again is derived from the name Xers, Christus, from the word xew, I anoint. Christ is called the anointed, from a custom which extensively prevailed in antiquity, and was originally said to be of divine institution, of anointing persons in the sacerdotal or regal character, as a public signal of their consecration to their important offices, and as a testimony that heaven itself was the guarantee of that relation which then commenced between the persons thus consecrated and their subordinates.

The disciples of Jesus, after the death of their teacher, had for some time been called Nazarenes, from Nazareth in Galilee, where he dwelt; which afterwards distinguish became the designation of a particular sect. They, who adopted the principles and professed the religion which he taught, were first distinguished by the name of Christians at Antioch. That profession, and those doctrines, we now proceed to delineate with as much perspicuity as the limits of our plan will admit, yet with the conciseness which a work so multiform and extensive requires.

Delineation of Christian

ity.

When a Christian is interrogated concerning the nature and foundation of his faith and practice, his ultimate reference, his last appeal, is to the facts, the doctrines, and the injunctions, contained in the books of the Old and New Testament. From these, therefore, and from these alone, must every fair account, or the materials of which it is composed, be extracted

or reduced. Other formularies, or confessions of faith, Christiamay, according to the Christian, deserve more or less nity. attention, as they are more or less immediately contained or implied in the scriptures. But whatever is not actually expressed in, or reduced by fair and necessary consequence from, these writings, must be regarded as merely human; and can have no other title to our assent and observation than what they derive from their conformity with the scriptures, with the dictates and feelings of a reformed and cultivated mind, or with those measures which are found expedient and useful in human life. But as those books, from whence the Christian investigates his principles of belief and rules of conduct, have been variously interpreted by different professors and commentators, these diversities have given birth to a multiplicity of different sects. It cannot, therefore, be expected, that any one who undertakes to give an account of Christianity, should comprehend all the writings and opinions which have been propagated and exhibited by historical, systematical, or polemical authors. These, if at all contained in such a work as this, should be ranged under their proper articles, whether scientifical, controversial, or biographical. It is our present business, if possible, to confine ourselves to a detail of such facts and doctrines as, in the strict and primitive sense of the word, are catholic, or, in other expressions, .to such as uniformly have been, and still are, recognized and admitted by the whole body of Christians.

We have already said that these, or at least the Account of greatest number of them, appeal to the scriptures of Christianithe Old and New Testament as the ultimate standard, deducible. ty whence the only infallible rule of faith and manners. If you ask them, by what authority these books claim an absolute right to determine the consciences and understandings of men with regard to what they should believe and what they should do? They will answer you, that all scripture, whether for doctrine, correction, or reproof, was given by immediate inspiration from God.

If again you interrogate them how those books, The nature which they call Scripture, are authenticated? they re- of its evi. ply, that the evidences by which the Old and New dences. Testament are proved to be the Word of God, are either external or internal. The external may again be divided into direct or collateral. The direct evidences are such as arise from the nature, consistency, and probability, of the facts; and from the simplicity, uniformity, competency, and fidelity, of the testimonies by which they are supported. The collateral events are either the same occurrences supported by Heathen testimonies, or others which concur with and corroborate the history of Christianity. Its internal evidence arises either from its exact conformity with the character of God, from its aptitude to the frame and circumstances of man, or from those supernatural convictions and assistances which are impressed on the mind by the immediate operation of the divine Spirit. These can only be mentioned in a cursory manner in a detail so concise as the present.

Such facts as are related in the history of his reli- How Chrisgion, the Christian asserts to be not only consistent tianity is each with itself, but likewise one with another. Hence supported it is, that, by a series of antecedents and consequen. by facts. ces, they corroborate each other, and form a chain H 2 which

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