a certain festival ā that of the adoration of
the body of CiiKlsT in the consecrated host
ā which she was to begin to celebrate, and
announce to the world. In 1264, while a
priest at Bolsena, who did not believe in
the change of the bread into the body of
Christ, was going through the ceremony
of benediction, chops of blood fell on his
surplice, and when he endeavoured to con-
ceal them in the folds of his garment,
formed bloody images of the host. The
bloody surplice is still shown as a relic at
Civita Vecchia. It was in this year that
Pope Urban published his bull, and it is
with such authority that the Chui'ch of
Home is contented !
CORSXED. (See Ordeal.)
COUNCILS. (See Synod.) General or
cecumcnical councils, or synods, are assem-
blies of bishops from all parts of the Church,
to determine some weighty controversies of
faith or discipline. Of such councils the
Catholic or Universal Church has never
received or approved more than six, al-
though the Romish Church acknowledges
several others. This is one of the many
instances in which the Romish Church is
at variance with the Catholic Church. The
first Cathohc Council is that of Nice, which
was convened by the emperor Constan-
tine, A. D. 325, to terminate the controversy
raised by Arius, presbyter of Alexandria,
who denied the Divinity of the Son of God,
maintaining that he was a creature brought
forth from nothing, and susceptible of vice
and virtue. The council condemned his
doctrine as heretical, and declared the
faith of the Church in that celebrated
creed called the Nicene Creed, which is
repeated by us in the Communion Service,
and v.'hich has, ever since its promulgation,
been received and venerated by the Uni-
versal Church, and even by many sects and
heretics. This council also made several
regulations in matters of discipline. The
second general council was that of Con-
stantinople, assembled by the emperor
Theodosius the Elder, in 381, to appease
the troubles of the East. The heresy of
Macedonius, who blasphemously taught
that the Holy Ghost was a creature, was
herein anathematized, and the Nicene
Creed was brought into its present form by
the addition of some passages concerning
the orthodox doctrine of the incarnation,
and of the real Divinity of the HoLY
Ghost. The third general council was
assembled at Ephesus, a. d. 431, by the
emperor Theodosius the Younger, to de-
termine the controversy raised by Nesto-
rius, bishop of Constantinople, who de-
claimed against the title of Theotokos,
(Mother of God,) which the Church had
long applied to the mother of him who
was both God and man ; and taught that
the Son of man and GoD the "Word were
different persons, connected only by a
moral or apparent union, contrary to the
Scripture, which declared that " the Word
was made flesh and dwelt among us," and
that God purchased the Church " with his
own blood." (Acts xx. 28.) By this coun-
cil the Nestorian heretics were condemned.
The fourth general council was assembled
by the emperor Marcian, in 451, at Chal-
cedon. This council published a confes-
sion, or definition of faith, in vdiich the
doctrine and creed of the three preceding-
Councils of Nice, Constantinople, and
Ephesus, were confirmed, and the orthodox
doctrine of the existence of two perfect
and distinct natures, the Divine and human,
in the "unity of the person of our Loud
Jesus Christ, was clearly defined. Euty-
ches, and Dioscorus bishop of Alexandria,
who maintained that there was only one
nature in our Lord Jesus Christ, after
the incarnation or union of the Divinity
and humanity, were condemned as heretics
by this council. The fifth general council,
commonly called the Second Council of
Constantinople, was convened by the em-
peror Justinian, in 553 ; but it is only to
be viewed as a supplement to the third
general council, being engaged like it in
condemning the Nestorian heresy. The
sixth council, called the Third Council of
Constantinople, was assembled in 680, by
the emperor Constantine Pogonatus. It
stands in the same relation to the fourth
council that the fifth does to the third.
" These are the only councils," says Mr.
Palmer, " which the Universal Church has
ever received and approved as general."
The doctrine of these general councils,
having been approved and acted on by the
whole body of the Catholic Church, and
thus ratified by an universal consent, which
has continued ever since, is irrefragably
true, unalterable, and irreformable ; nor
could any Church forsake or change the
doctrine without ceasing to be Christian.
In the act of the first of Elizabeth ....
the commissioners, in their judgment of
heresies, were enjoined to adhere, in the
COUNSEL.
COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. 2o9
first place, to the authority of the canoni-
cal Scriptures ; secondly, to the decisions
of the first four general councils ; and
thirdly, to the decision of any other general
council, founded on the cxj)ress and 2)Iain
words of Holy Scriptm-e. In this act, one
particular deserves, and demands, very
special attention ; namely, the unqualified
deference paid to the first four general
councils. The latest of these councils sat
and deliberated in the year 451, A point
of time, therefore, is fixed, previously to
which the Chvu'ch of England unreservedly
recognises the guidance of the Catholic
Church, in the interpretation of Christian
verities. ā Bishop Jebb, Appendix to Prac-
tical Sermons.
Provincial councils consist of the metro-
politan and the bishops subject to him.
Diocesan councils are assemblies of the
bishop and his presbyters to enforce canons
made by general or provincial councils,
and to consult and agree upon rules of
discipline for themselves. (For an account
of the Romish councils, see Laternn. For
the authority of councils in the Church of
England, see Hert'sy.)
COUNSEL. Besides the common sig-
nification of the Avord, it is frequently used
in Scripture to signify the designs or pur-
poses of God, or the orders of his provi-
dence. (Acts iv. 28, and Psalm Ixxiii.
24.) It also signifies his will concerning
the way of salvation. (Luke vii. 30 ;
Acts XX. 27.)
This word is also used by the doctors of
the Romish Church, to denote those pre-
cepts which they hold to be binding upon
the faithful, in virtue of an implied direc-
tion or recommendation of our Lord and
his apostles. Thus the celibacy of the
clergy is numbered by them among " evan-
gelical counsels," which, receiving the
acceptance of the Church, they hold, here-
tically, to be equally binding with the com-
mands of canonical Scripture.
COURT CHRISTIAN. The ecclesiasti-
cal courts are so designated. In the Church
of England there are six spiritual courts.
1. The Archdeacon^ Courts which is
the lowest, and is held in such places
where the archdeacon, either by prescrip-
tion or composition, has jurisdiction in
spiritual or ecclesiastical causes within his
archdeaconry. The judge of this court
is called the official of the archdeaconry.
2. The Consistort/ Courts of the arch-
bishops and bishops of every diocese, held
in their cathedral churclies, for trial of all
ecclesiastical causes within the diocese.
The bishop's chancellor or commissary is
the judge.
s 2
3. The Prerogative Court, held at Doc-
tors' Commons, in London, in which all
testaments and last wills are proved, and
administrations upon the estates of in-
testates granted, where the party dies
beyond seas or within his province, leaving
bona notabilia.
4. The Arches Court, (so called because
anciently held in the arched church of
St. Mary, in Cheapside, London,) is that
which has jurisdiction upon appeal in all
ecclesiastical causes, except v>hat belong
to the Prerogative Court. The. judge is
the official principal of the archbishop.
5. The Court of Peculiars, of the arch-
bishop of Canterl)ury, subservient to, and
in connexion w^ith, that of the Arches.
6. The Court of Delegates, so called
because the judges are delegated and sit
in virtue of the king's commission, under
the great seal, pro hac vice, upon appeals
to the king on ecclesiastical matters. The
powers of this court are now in England
transferred to the Judicial Committee of
the Privy Council. It remains in Ireland.
(See Dcleqates, and Appeal.)
COVENANT. A mutual agreement
between two or more parties. (Gen. xxi.
32.) In the Hebrew the word signifies,
1. A disposition, dispensation, institution,
or appointment of God to man. (Hebrews
ix. 16, 17, 20.) 2. The religious dispens-
ation or institution which GoD appointed
to Abraham and the patriarchs. (Acts iii.
25; Luke i. 72; Acts vii. 8.) 3. The
dispensation from Sinai. (Heb. viii. 9;
Gal. iv. 24.) 4. The dispensation of faith
and free justification, of which Christ is
the Mediator, (Heb. vii. 22 ā viii. 6,)
and which is called new in respect of the
old or Sinai covenant, (2 Cor. iii. 6 ; Heb.
viii. 8, 13; ix. 15,) and whence the New
Covenant or Testament became the title
of the books in which this new dispensation
is contained. Into this covenant we are
admitted by union with Christ ; and into
union with Christ all infants, and such
adults as are properly qualified by faith and
repentance, may be admitted in holy bap-
tism. (Gal. iii. 27.) 5. The old dispensa-
tion is used for the books of Moses con-
taining that dispensation by St. Paul. (2
Cor. iii. 14.)
We renew our baptismal covenant in
our confirmation, and in each faithful par-
ticipation of the eucharist.
COVENANT OF REDEMPTION.
This is said to be the mutual stipulation
between the everlasting Father and the
co-eternal Son, relating to the salvation of
our fallen race, previously to any act upon
the part of Christ under the character of
260
COVENANT.
CREDENCE.
Mediator. That there was such a cove-
nant, either tacit or express, we may as-
suredly conclude, from the importance of
the work undertaken by God the Son,
and the awful sacrifice made for its ac-
complishment. All the prophecies which
relate to what was to be done by the
Messiah on the one hand, and the benefits
and rewards which were to be conferred
upon him and his people on the other,
may properly be considered as intimations
of such a covenant. (1 Pet. i. 1 1 . Compare
John xvii. 1ā5, 14 ; vi. 37 ; Tit. i. 2 ;
2 Tim. i. 9; Rev. xiii. 8; Ps. Ixxxix. 19.)
By this covenant, the everlasting Son,
who, with the Fatheh and the Holy Spi-
iiiT, is without beginning, God of God,
Light of light, very God of very God, un-
dertook to become incarnate, to dwell a
certain time upon earth, subject to the law
of human nature ; directing his whole con-
duct while he should continue here, in
such a manner as most effectually to pro-
mote the honour of his Father and the
salvation of his people ; that at length he
would voluntarily deliver himself to suf-
ferings and death, and remain for a time
in the grave ; thereby, in human nature,
offering a satisfaction to the law of perfect
obedience to the will of the Creator, which
human nature had violated, and removing
the obstacle to the operation of Divine
mercy, w^hich Divine justice interposed;
also, that, after his resurrection and as-
cension into heaven, he would employ his
renewed life as the GoD-Man, and his
extensive authority in the mediatorial
kingdom, to the same great purposes which
engaged him to become incarnate. (Ps.
xl. 6ā9; Heb. x. 5-10; Isa. Ixi. 1ā3;
Luke iv. 18 ; Isa. i. 5, 6.) God the
Father, on the other hand, stipulated to
produce a human body for his co-eternal
Son, in the womb of the Virgin ; that he
would strengthen his human nature by
the gifts and graces of the Holy Spikit,
for the extraordinary work before him ;
that he would raise him from the dead, and
elevate his human nature to the right
hand of power ; and that he would accept
the atonement when offered. It is added,
that God the Holy Ghost stipulated to
regenerate, renew, and sanctify those of
mankind, whom GoD the Father gave to
his Son. (Besides the texts given above,
see Isa. vii. 14; xi. 2, &c. ; Hi. 13 ā 15;
liii. 10ā12; Iv. 4, 5; xlix. 1ā12, com-
pared with Luke ii. 32 ; 2 Cor. vi. 2 ; Rev.
vii. 16, 17; Ps. ii. 7ā9; Luke xxii. 29;
John V. 22ā29 ; Heb. xii. 2.)
COVENANT, in ecclesiastical history,
denotes a contract or convention agreed
to by the Scots in 1638, for maintaining
the Presbyterian religion free from inno-
vation. In 1581, the general assembly
of Scotland drew up a confession of faith,
or national covenant, condemning the epis-
copal government of the Christian Church,
under the name of hierarchy. It was
signed by James VL, who was compelled
to enjoin it upon all his subjects. It was
again subscribed in 1590 and 1596 ; and,
in 1638, it was taken wdth an oath on the
part of the subscribers, to maintain reli-
gion in the state it was in in 1580. The
oath annexed to the confession of faith
received the name of Covenarit, and those
who subscribed it w^ere called Covenanters.
(See Confession of Faith, Westminster.)
CREDENCE, or CREDENTIAL. A
table or shelf near the altar, on which the
bread and wine to be used in the eucharist
are placed, previously to consecration,
called in the Greek Church rpcnrtla irpo-
QtakoQ, mensa propositionis. The table of
Prothesis in the Greek Church is placed in
a side vestry; and here many prefatory
prayers and ceremonies are performed,
before the priest goes into the chancel.
The word credence appears to be derived
from the Italian " credenzare,^' to taste
meats and drink before they were offered
to be enjoyed by another ; an ancient court
practice, which was performed by the cup-
bearers and carvers, who for this reason
were also called in German credenzer.
Hence also the credenz-teller ā credence-
plate, on which cup-bearers credeiiced the
wine ; and, in general, a plate on which a
person offers anything to another : credenz-
tisclt, credence-table, a sideboard, an arti-
ficial cupboard with a table for the pur-
pose of arranging in order and keeping
the drinking apparatus therein. (See
Adehmc/'s German Dictionary, w^ord " Cre-
denzenj') This table or shelf is used for
the more convenient observance of the
rubric following the Offertory sentences, in
which it is directed : " And when there is
a communion, the priest shall THEN place
upon the table so much bread and wine as
he shall think sufficient." Where the staff
of the clergy is large, the rubric can be
conveniently observed without this aid.
Archbishop Laud, [Troubles and Try al,ch..
33,) in his chapel at Lambeth, had a cre-
dential, (or side-table,) from which the
elements were fetched, and set reverently
upon the communion table. He defends
this, by saying that both Bishop Andrewes
and some other bishops used it so all their
time, and no exception taken. From the
plan of the chapel of Bishop Andrewes, in
Archbishop Laud's possession, and ad-
CREED.
261
duced as evidence against him by Prynne,
it appears that the credential was placed
on the south side of the communion table,
the vessels for the communion being placed
upon it. There are many credences in
various churches ; among others, in the
collegiate and in St. John's churches,
Manchester, and in the parish church at
Ludlow, where they have been in use from
time immemorial. ā Jehb.
CREED. (See Apostles' Creed, Atha-
nasian Creed, Nicene Creed.) By the word
creed (from credo, I believe) is meant the
substance of the Christian's faith. There
are three creeds recognised by the Catholic
Church, ā the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene
Creed, and the Athana.sian Creed. The
Latin name for creed is symhohun, which
signifies a watchword, or signal in war.
Ludolph of Saxony, in his Life of CiiiiiST,
describes the creeds of the Catholic Church
thus : " There are three symbols, (watch-
words or tokens, such as are used among
soldiers of a garrison, to recognise their
comrades, and to detect insidious in-
truders,) ā the first of the Apostles, the se-
cond of the Nicene Council, the third of
St. Athanasius ; the first for instruction in
the faith, the second for the explanation
of the faith, the third for defence of the
faith." Three in name, but one in fact,
and which, except a man believe faithfully,
he cannot be saved.
The cause of a gradual adoption of a
series of creeds is simply this: the truth
being but one and unvarying, the plain
assertion of it is, in the fii'st instance, all
that is necessary, all that can be done for
it: and this was done by the Apostles'
Creed. Error, on the other hand, is mul-
tiform ; and consequently, as error upon
error continued to rise, correctives un-
thought of before were to be found to
meet the exigency: hence the Nicene
Creed. Again, subsequent to that, new
errors were broached, the old were revived,
clever evasions of the terms of the existing
creeds Avere invented, the vehemence of
opponents was increased ; but all desiring
still, with all their mischievous errors, to
be witliin the pale of the Church, it became
still more imperatively necessary to fence
in the Church from such dangers ; and the
creed called that of St. Athanasius, was
compiled from the logical forms of expres-
sion which prevail in his writings, and those
of similar champions of the catholic faith,
and was very soon adopted ])y the Churcli
as an additional bulwark to preserve that
faith in its original integrity and purity.
Luther calls this creed, '* the Ijulwark of
the Apostles' Creed."
It is a mistake to imagine that creeds
were, at first, intended to teach, in fidl
and explicit terms, all that should be
necessary to be believed by Christians.
They were designed rather for hints and
minutes of the main credcnda, to be re-
cited by catechumens before baptism ; and
they were purposely contrived short, that
they might be the more easily retained
in memory, and take up the less time in
reciting. Creeds, very probably, at first,
were so far from being paraphrases or
explications of the form of baptism, (or of
Scripture texts,) that they went no farther,
or very little farther, than the form itself,
and wanted as much explaining and para-
phrasing, in order to be rightly and dis-
tinctly understood, as any other words or
forms could do. Hence it was that the
catechumens were to be instructed in the
creed, previously to baptism, for many
days together. As heresies gave occasion,
new articles were inserted ; not that they
w^ere originally of greater importance than
any other articles omitted, but the o})po-
sition made to some doctrines rendered it
the more necessary to insist upon an explicit
belief and profession of them. ā WaterlaniTs
Sermons on the Divinity of Christ.
As the apostles had foretold, "false
teachers " crept into the Church, and " pri-
vily brought in damnable heresies, denying
the Lord that bought them," even " the
only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus
Christ." (2 Pet. ii. 1, and Jude 4.) As
these spread their poison, it became neces-
sary to provide an antidote ; for which
purpose it was wisely ordered, that creeds,
or summaries of the Christian faith, should
be drawn up, and published for general
use. ā Waldo.
As to the primitive Churches, their con-
stant way was to enlarge their creeds in
proportion to the growth of heresies, that
so every corruption arising to the faith of
Christ might have an immediate remedy.
The design was to keep up, as strictly as
possible, the whole fabric of the Christian
faith as it stands in Scripture ; and if any
part came to be attacked, they were then
to bend all their cares to succour and re-
lieve that part, in order still to secure the
whole. The sum of Christian practice is
contained in two brief rules, ā to love God,
and to love one's neighbour. But mis-
takes and perverse sentiments may arise ;
to correct and remove which it may be
necessary to enlarge the rule of practice,
and to branch it out into many other
])articulars. ā Waterlundon the Athanasian
Creed.
If our creeds 1)e found fault with for
262
CREED OF POPE PIUS IV.
not being expressed in scriptural terms
only, let them bear the blame who, by an
artful misapplication of Scripture terms at
fii'st, made it necessary for the guardians
of the faith to express the Scripture doc-
trine in other terms, more explicit, and
not so liable to be perverted and abused.
ā Wheotly on the Creeds.
We must ever lament that the misapplied
curiosity of men should have made it at
all necessary to enlarge upon mysterious
doctrines. It might have been fortunate
for the peace and tranquillity of the Chris-
tian Church, if the Apostles' Creed had
been sufficient. But since men will be
" wise above what is written," some remedy
must be found out, which may either
satisfy or restrain their curiosity. And
whoever peruses the several parts of the
Athanasian Creed will find, that, so far from
creating minute inquiries concerning the
doctrine of the Trinity, it is more especially
calculated to discountenance and prevent
them. Sublime truths require modesty
and caution in our expressions ; and what-
ever checks presumption, prepares the
mind for the reception of sound and useful
doctrine. The abuse of Scriptural lan-
guage first occasioned a deviation from it
in creeds, and common candour wdll com-
pel all parties to acknowledge the difficulty
of finding proper words to express so much
as it was intended for us to know, and no
more. ā Croffs Bamp. Lectures.
CREED OF POPE PIUS IV. A suc-
cinct and explicit summary of the doctrine
contained in the canons of the Council of
Trent, is expressed in the creed which was
published by Pius IV. in 1564, in the form
of a bull, and which usvially bears his name.
It is received throughout the whole Roman
Catholic Church ; every person who is ad-
mitted into the Roman Catholic Church
publicly reads and professes his assent to
it. It is by these additional articles to the
Nicene Creed, that the Romish Church
cuts itself ofl' from the Church Catholic,
and becomes heretical.
The tenor of it is as follows : " I, N., be-
lieve and profess, with a firm faith, all and
every one of the things which are con-
tained in the Symbol of Faith, which is
used in the holy Roman Church, viz.
_" I believe in one God the Father Al-
mighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and
of all things visible and invisible ; and in
one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begot-
ten Son of God, Light of light, true God
of true God, begotten, not made, consub-
stantial to the Father, by whom all things
were made ; who for us men, and for our
salvation, came down from heaven, and
was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the
Virgin Mary, and was made man, was
crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate,
suffered, and was buried, and rose again
the thnd day according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven, sits at the right
hand of the Father, and Avill come again
with glory to judge the living and the
dead, of whose kingdom there will be no
end ; and in the Holy Ghost, the Lord
and Life-giver, who proceeds from the
Father and the Son ; who, together Avith
the Father and the Son, is adored and
glorified ; who spoke by the prophets. And
one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the remission of
sins, and I expect the resurrection of the
body, and the life of the w^orld to come.
Amen.
" I most firmly admit and embrace apos-
tolical and ecclesiastical traditions, and all
other constitutions and observances of the
same Church.
" I also admit the sacred Scriptures ac-
cording to the sense which the holy mother
Church has held, and does hold, to whom
it belongs to judge of the true sense and
interpretation of the Holy Scriptures ; nor
will I ever take and interpret them other-
wise than according to the unanimous con-
sent of the Fathers.
" I profess also, that there are truly and
properly seven sacraments of the new laAV,
instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord, and
for the salvation of mankind, though all
are not necessary for every one ; viz. bap-
tism, confirmation, eucharist, penance, ex-
treme unction, order, and matrimony, and
that they confer grace ; and of these, bap-
tism, confirmation, and order cannot be
reiterated without sacrilege.
" I also receive and admit the ceremo-
nies of the Catholic Church, received and
approved in the solemn administration of
all the above-said sacraments.
" I receive and embrace all and every
one of the things which have been defined
and declared in the holy Council of Trent,
concerning original sin and justification.
" I profess likev.'ise, that in the mass is