FOURTH AMERICAN, FROM THE THIRD LONDON EDITION, WITH ADDITIONS.

ALSO,

An Account of the Cumberland Presbyterians in the United States.

PHILADELPHIA:

PRINTED FOR W. W. WOODWARD,

No. 52, CORNER OF CHESNUT AND SECOND STREETS.

A. Griggs & K. Dickinson, Printers.

District of Pennsylvania, to wit : BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the fifteenth day of February, in the thirty-eighth year of the Independence of the United States of America, A. D. 1814. WILLIAM W. WOODWARD, of the said district, hath deposited in this office the Title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following to wit:

“ A Theological Dictionary, containing definitions of all religious terms; a comprehen“ sive view of every article in the system of Divinity, an impartial account of all the prin

cipal Denominations which have subsisted in the religious world, from the birth of Christ “ to the present day : Together with an accurate statement of the most remarkable trans" actions and events recorded in Ecclesiastical History. By Charles Buck,-two vol“ umes in one. Fourth American, from the third London Edition, with additions. Also “ an account of the Cumberland Presbyterians in the United States.”

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, “An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such copios during the times therein mentioned.” And also to the Act, entitled, “ An Act supplementary to An Act, entitled “ An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned,” and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints."

D. CALDWELL, Clerk of the District of Pennsylvania.

PREFACE.

KNOWLEDGE, in a great measure, forms the true dignity and happiness of man : It is that by which he holds an honourable rank in the scale of being, and by which he is rendered capable of adding to the filicity of his followcreatures. Every attempt, therefore, to enlarge its boundaries, and facilitate its acquisition, must be considered as worthy of our attention and regard. The present work is designed to promote these valuable and important ends.

The plan of conveying knowledge by dictionaries has been long established, and well received in the republic of letters. A dictionary, however, of a religious and ecclesiastical nature was still a desideratum in the religious world; for although we have had dictionaries which explained scripture terms, yet it is evident these could not ernbrace the history of the church since the sacred canon was concluded, nor explain the numerous terms which have been used ; nor, indeed, point out the various sects and deDominations which have subsisted since that time. I do not mean, by these remarks, to depreciate the valuable works above referred to : I am sensible of their excellencies, and I have no wish to undervalue them in order to exalt my own. This work, however, is of a different nature, as the reader will easily see, if he take the trouble to compare and examine.

There may, doubtless, be defects in this publication which may have escaped my attention : but whoever considers the various books that must have been consulted ; the discriminations that were necessary to be made ; the patient investigation required ; and the toil of selecting, transcribing, and composing, must be convinced that it has been attended with no small difficulty. The advantages, however, which my own mind derived from the work, and the probability of its being useful to others, greatly encouraged me in its prosecution. Besides, to be active, to be useful, to do something for the good of mankind, I have always considered as the honour of an intelligent being. It is not the student, wrapped up in metaphysical subtilties; it is not the recluse living in perpetual solitude ; it is not the miser who is continually amassing wealth, that can be considered as the greatest ornaments or the greatest blessings to human society :--It is rather the useful than the shining talent that is to be coveted.

Perhaps it may be said, the work is tinctured too much with my own sentiments, and that the theology is too antiquated to please the liberal, philosophizing, and refined age. In answer to this, I observe, that I could do no other, as an honest man, than communicate what I believed to be the truth. It is.a false liberality to acquiesce with every man's opinion, to fall in with every man's scheme, to trife with error, or imagine there is no difference between one sentiment and another; yet, notwithstanding this declaration, I trust the features of bigotry are not easily discernible in this work ; and that, while I have endeavoured to carry the torch of Truth in my hand, I have not forgotten to walk in the path of Candour.