518 C H R 
policy, Hor fupported by the power, of the world, he 
fought not its favour, nor flirunk from its difpleafure. 
Indead of labouring to increafe the number of his follow¬ 
ers by an infinuating flexibility in his own manners, or 
by a corrupt compliance with their prejudices, he gave 
ofFence by the unaffe&ed plainnefs of the one, and by an 
undifguiled oppofition to the other. He difdained to con¬ 
ciliate the affeCtions of any clafs of men, however digni¬ 
fied by their ftation, or formidable for their power, by 
any bafe or dilhonourable concefiions. Thus did he aCt to 
thofe, whom felf-ccnceit and Ipiritual pride made blind 
to their own vices: but to the meek and contrite iuch 
■was his condefcenfion, that when we compare his gentle- 
nefs, mildnefs, and compaflion, with the aufterity of the 
teachers among whom he lived, we are ftruck with admi¬ 
ration at his amiable and adorable benevolence. The two 
great feCts into which the Jewifn church was divided, car¬ 
ried away the bulk of the people; and though the molt 
implacable hatred exiited between the leaders of the two 
fedts, both of them cordially united in oppofing the gof- 
pel; and each of them were reproved with equal firmnefs 
and feverity, by Jefus Chrilt. His dodtrine was in direCt 
oppofition to the tenets of both; and his example involved 
a conftant reprehenfion of their practices. He refilled with 
equal fuccefs the haughty fcepticifm of the Sadducee, and 
the abjedl luperftition of the Pharifee. Againll the one 
he maintained the dodtrine of a future life; and, in the 
prefence of the other, he expatiated on the folly of pre¬ 
ferring ceremonial obfervances to moral and humane du¬ 
ties of charity and neceflity ; and of attending rather to 
traditional and corrupted dodtrines, than to the written 
and pure laws of God. If computed by the palfovers at 
which lie attended, the minillry of Chrilt was continued 
for three years; during the whole of which “ he went 
about doing good.” At the expiration of that period he 
was violently feized and unjultly accufed by the Jewilh 
rulers, who prevailed on Pilate the Roman governor to 
crucify him. In this procedure it is Angular to obferve, 
how by the very means in which they gratified their own 
refentment, they were adtually inftrumental in accomplilh- 
ing the great $nd of his million, and in eftabliflring his 
veracity as a true prophet. For, he came to die in atone¬ 
ment for mankind, himfelf being innocent and free from 
all fin; and he had predicted the manner by which he 
fhould die, and the chief circumltances which fliould at¬ 
tend his death. The itate of humiliation to which he 
appeared reduced, occafioned in his difciples delertion 
and dilbelief. Eut an event, better attefted than any re¬ 
corded in hiltory, very foon happened, which forced on 
their minds fuch itrong convidtion of our Lord’s divinity, 
that neither dangers nor torments could ever afterwards 
weaken their faith, or prevail on them to deny a fadt, 
which from their own fenfes and perfonal knowledge they 
were infallibly allured to be true. On the third day from 
his death, Christ rofe from the dead : and his relurrec- 
tion was made an objeCt of evident notoriety, by his con¬ 
tinuing with his difciples forty days. He was then taken 
upjinto heaven, in the fight of his difciples: and the 
effect of his afcenfion was made vilible on the day of pen- 
tecoft, i. e. about fifty days after his death. For, the 
apoftles were then enabled to fpeak foreign languages, 
which they never did or could have learnt; and in confe- 
quence of this fupernatural power, St. Peter converted no 
lefs than three thoufand perlons in one day. The liiccefs 
of the gofptl, during the Ihort life-time of Chrilt, under 
ib many contentions, and the violent oppofition of jarring 
interefts, is truly altonilhing; but its more rapid and ex- 
tenfive propagation after his death, is a circumltance that 
excites Hill higher admiration. Deftitute of all human 
advantages, protedted by no earthly authority, afiilted by 
no human art, behold twelve men, poor, and artlefs, and 
illiterate, in the very heart of Jerulalem, triumphing over 
the rulers, who had been the authors of their I, id’s 
death; and in diftant provinces of heatbenifm lurmount- 
ing the fiercelt and molt determined tyranny of the ma- 
C H R 
giftrate, and the fubtleties of the philofopher; over the- 
prejudices of the Gentile, and the bigotry of- the Jew. 
They efcablilhed a religion, which held forth high and re¬ 
vealed truths, fuch as the pridC of man would induce him 
not readily to admit, becaufe he could not perfectly com¬ 
prehend them ; which preached dodtrines pure and fpiri- 
tual, fuch as corrupt nature was prone to oppofe, becaufe 
it Ihrunk from the feverity of their difcipline ; which re¬ 
quired its followers to renounce almoft every opinion they 
had embraced as facred, and every interell they had pur- 
fued as important; which even expofed them to every 
fpecies of danger and infamy; to perfecution unmerited 
and unpitied ; to the gloom of a prifon, and to the pangs 
of death. Hopelefs as this profpedt might appear to the 
view of Ihoit-fighted man, the gofpel yet emerged from 
the obfcurity in which it was likely to be overwhelmed 
by the complicated diftreffes of its friends, and the unre¬ 
lenting cruelty of its foes. It fucceeded in a peculiar de¬ 
gree, and in a peculiar manner ; it derived all its fuccefs, 
and all its progrefs, from the force of truth; and ob¬ 
tained it under circumltances, where falfehood mult have 
been detected, expofed, and crulhed. For a connected 
view of the dodtrine and miracles of Chrilt, fee the article 
TnF.oi.OGy. . 
CHRIST’s-THORN,/. in botany. See Rhamnus Pa- 
LIUR US. 
CHRIST'BURG, a town of Pruflla, in the territory of 
Colm : twelve miles fouth-ealt of Marienburg. 
CHRIST'BURG, or Alt Christburg, a town of 
Pruflla, in the territory of Oberland : four miles fouth- 
welt of Preufchmark. 
CHRIST'CHURCH, a borough town in Hamplhire, 
fituated at the conflux of the Avon and Stour; hence it 
was anciently called Thunambourn. It had its prelent 
name from a collegiate church built here in the time of 
the Welt-Saxons, and firlt called Trinity, but afterwards 
Chriltchurch. This church, though in a itate of decay* 
■ftill furnifhes the antiquarian with many remains of Saxon 
architecture : and even its prefent appearance abundantly 
convinces us, that originally it muft have been a very fine 
building. In the afcent to the altar, there is an effedt pror 
duced by an elevation of many Iteps, which gives much 
grandeur. The Hailing of the old chapel is Itill entire; 
and curious for its workmanlhip and monkilh grotelque 
figures. It is 101 miles from London, about three miles 
from the fea, twelve from Poole, and twelve from Lyming- 
ton. The market is 011 Mondays. It has two fairs, one 
on Thurl’day in Trinity week, and the other on the 17111 
of Odtober. The corporation conlifts of a mayor, a re¬ 
corder, alderman, bailiffs, and a common council. The 
town is pleafantly fituated; and the contrail between the 
agitation of the lea and the ftillnefs of this adjacent place, 
is ltriking to the contemplative traveller. There are fome 
ruins of an ancient caftle. If the Avon were cleared, the 
town might have confiderable trade in articles of coals 
and timber. Attached to the church, and, without doubt, 
originating from the monaftic inffitution, is a free-gram- 
mar-fchool, for twenty-four boys. There is in the town a 
manufactory which employs a number of boys and girls 
in making watch-chains. It is famous for a fine falmon- 
fifnery, and is thought the firlt place in England for knit- 
lilk ftockings. By the liberalfubfcription of leveral gentle¬ 
men here is a Sunday-fchool for 500 boys and girls. 
CHRIST'CHURCH, a townfhip of the American States, 
in Charleftown diftriCt, South Carolina, containing 2954. 
inhabitants. 
To CHRIS'TEN, <v. n. [clijiiptnian, Sax.] To baptize; 
to initiate into Chriftianity by water. To name; to de¬ 
nominate.-^—Where fuch evils as thefe reign, chrijien the 
tiring what you will, it can be no better than a mock 
millennium. Burnet. , 
CHRI3'TEND0M,yi The collective body of Chriftia¬ 
nity; the regions of which the inhabitants profe/s the 
Chriftian religion.—His computation is uni verfally received 
over all cbrjiendom. Holder. 
a CHRISTENING, 
