C H R 
C H R 
\ 
CHRIS'TENING,/. The cetemonyof thefirft initiation 
into Chriftianity. See Baptism. —The day of the chriften- 
ing being come, the honfe was filled with gofiips. Arbulh. 
CHRIS' I IAN,/ f CbriJIianus, Lat.] A profeffor of the 
religion of Chrift.—We CbriJUans have certainly the beft 
and the holieft, the wife!! and moft reafonable, religion in 
the world. Tillotfo?i .—The name of Chriftian, was firlt given 
at Antioch, in the year 42, to fuch as believed in Chrift, 
as we read in the Afts: till that time they were called 
difciples. 
CHRIS'TIAN, adj. Profefiing the religion of Chrift: 
I’ll not be made a foft and dull-ey’d fool, 
To (hake the head, relent, and figh, and yield 
To Chriftian intercefibrs. Shakefpeare. 
Moft Chriftian King, was one of the titles of the late kings 
of France. The French antiquaries trace the origin of 
this appellation up to Gregory the Great, who, writing a 
letter to Charles Martel, occafionally gave him that title, 
which his fucceifors afterwards retained. 
CHR.IS'TJAN-NAME,/ The name given at the font, 
diftinft from the gentilitious name, or furname. 
CHRISTIA'NA, a poft-town of the American States, 
in Newcafile county, Delaware, fituated on a navigable 
creek of its name, twelve miles from Elkton, nine fouth- 
weft of Wilmington, and thirty-feven fouth-weft of Phi¬ 
ladelphia. The" town ftands on a declivity, which com¬ 
mands a pleafant prolpeft of the country towards the De¬ 
laware. It carries on a brilk trade with Philadelphia in 
flour. It was built by the Swedes in 1640, and thus called 
after their queen Chriftina. 
CHRISTIA'NA RA'DIN. See Astragalus._ 
CIIRISTIA'NIA, a city and feaport of Norway', in the 
government of Agerhuus, fituated in a bay or gulf, about 
twenty-five miles from the fea. It is elteemed the capital 
of the kingdom, becauie the lupreme court of judicature 
is held here. It is divided into three parts, the city and 
fuburbs, the fortrefs of Agerhuus, and the old town of 
Opfio, or Anflo : the city and luburbsoontain xioohoufes, 
and Opfio 400 ; the number of inhabitants is eftimated at 
9000. Opfio w’as burnt in 1624, and the city, on being 
rebuilt, obtained the name of Chriftiania. It is the fee of 
a bifliop, who is metropolitan of Norway. It has an ex¬ 
cellent harbour ; the principal exports are, tar, foap, iron, 
copper, planks, and deals. The environs of Chriftiania 
not yielding planks fufiicient for exportation, the greateft 
part of the timber is brought from the more inland parts; 
The trees are hewn in the forefts, and floated down the 
rivers and catarafts. Saw-mills are ufed for the purpofe 
of cutting the planks; but muft be privileged, and can 
only cut a certain quantity. The proprietors are bound 
to declare on oath, that they have not exceeded that 
quantity; and if they do, the privilege is taken away, 
and the faw-mill deltroyed. There are 136 privileged 
faw-mills at Chriftiania, of which 100 belong to the fa¬ 
mily of the Ankers. The quantity of planks permitted 
to be cut, amounts to 20,000,000 ftandard deals, twelve 
feet long, and one inch and a quarter thick. Lat. 59. 55. 
N. Ion. 10.50. E. Ferro. 
CHRIS'TIANISM,/. \chriftianiftnv.s, Lat.] The Chrif¬ 
tian religion. The nations profelling Chriftianity. 
CHRISTIA'NITY, /. [from chriftiaiiitas, Latin, of 
Greek.] A true belief in, and fervent practice 
of, the doftrines and precepts of Chrift; a diipenfation 
calculated to raife the dignity of human nature, and pro¬ 
mote the happinefs of mankind. This happinefs is the 
natural refult of Chriftianity, by the exercile of love and 
gratitude towards God, and refignation to his providence, 
by humanity, integrity, and good will towards men ; and 
by the due government of our appetites and pafiions. 
Social happinefs again proceeds from the'members of lo- 
ciety entertaining a diiinterefted regard for the public 
welfare; being actively induftrious each in his proper 
fphere of exertion, and being ltriftly juft and faithful, and 
generoufly benevolent in their mutual intercourfe. The 
5*9 
tenor of the gofpel inculcates thefe virtues; it feems 
everywhere, through the whole of the Chriftian code, to 
have been the great defign of its divine Author to infpire 
mankind with mild, benevolent, and peaceful, difpofi- 
tions, and to form them to courteous manners. Chrifti¬ 
anity again reprefents the Deity and his attributes in the 
faireft light; even fo as to render our ideas of his nature, 
and the manner in which he exerts his power, confident 
with the moft correft principles, of morality. 
The ritual obfervances which Chriftianity enjoins, are 
few in number, eafy to perform, decent, expreflive, and 
edifying. This ritual inculcates no duties but what are 
founded on the principles of human nature, and On the 
relation in which men ftand to God, their Creator, Re¬ 
deemer, and Sanctifier; and it prefcribes accurate rules 
for the regulation of Jheir conduft. The afliftance of the 
Spirit of God is promil'ed in this facred volume to thofe 
who aflidftoufiy labour to difcharge the duties which it 
enjoins ; and it exhibits a ftriking example of fpotlefs 
purity, which we may fafely venture to imitate. The 
gofpel teaches that worldly affliftions are incident to both 
good and bad men ; a doftrine highly conducive to vir¬ 
tue, which confoles us in diltrefs, prevents defpair, and 
encourages us to perfilt firmly in our integrity under every 
difficulty and trial. Chriftianity reprelents all men as 
children of the fame God, and heirs of the fame falvation, 
and levels all dillinftions of countries and dates, of rich 
and poor, as infignificant in the fight of Him, who, with¬ 
out refpeft of perfons, rewards or punifhes with impartial 
juftice, according to the merits or demerits of his crea¬ 
tures. This doftrine is highly favourable to virtue, as it 
tends to humble the proud, and to communicate dignity 
of fentiment to the lowly ; to render princes and inferior 
magiftrates moderate and juft, gentle and condefcending, 
to their inferiqrs. The Chriftian difpenfhtion, to pre¬ 
vent a perleverance in immorality, oilers pardon for the 
paft, provided the offender forfak.es his vicious practices, 
with a firm refolution to aft; virtuoully in future. The 
fanftions of the gofpel have a natural tendency to exalt 
the mind above the paltry purfuits of this world, and to 
render the Chriftian incorruptible by wealth, honours, or 
pleafures. The true Chriftian not only abftains from 
injuftice towards others, but even forgives thofe injuries 
which he himfelf fuffers, knowing that he cannot other- 
wife hope for forgivenefs from God. Such are the pre¬ 
cepts, fuch the fpirit, and fuch the general tendency, of 
the gofpel. Even thofe who refufed to give credit to its 
doftrines and hiftory, have yet acknowledged the excel¬ 
lence of its precepts ; and allowed that the gofpel of 
Chrift is one continued leftbn of the ftrifteft morality, of 
juftice, benevolence, truth, and univerfal charity. 
The miraculous propagation and final eftabli’ihment of 
Chriftianity, the triumphs it has obtained over obftacles 
the moft formidable, and the efFefts it has pfoduced 
among!! mankind, are viable indications of the hand of 
Providence, by which, it has been fupported and fuftained. 
Nor is it lefs deferving of our furprife and altoniftiment, 
that the enmity of the Jews, the chofen people of the co¬ 
venant, fhould be fo long and fo obftinately perfifted in, 
again!! the doftrines of Chrift, under pretence that they 
abrogate the original law, and render null the word of 
God contained in the Old Teftament. But this aflertion 
is wholly unfounded, fince it is eafy to fhew, even from 
the words of Chrift, a perfeft coincidence between the 
Old Teftament and the New, in all the fundamental points 
of the Chriftian religion. It will here be fufficient to ob- 
ferve, that the gofpel in no refpeft runs counter to tire 
law, fo as to render the one inconfiftent with the other. 
Each was brought forward in its natural order, and each 
is interwoven with the other in the moft perfect agree¬ 
ment. The ceremonial law, though vacated by the gof¬ 
pel, yet was not abolifhed till its own purpofes were fujjy 
anfwered : but the moral duties of the law are enforced 
by the gofpel with additional fanftions, and illuftrated 
with additional evidence. Its doftrines are confirmed, 
and 
