CHR
( 2I 4 )
C El
The Name Chrifliau was firft given at Antioch, to fuch as bdiev'd in Chrift, as we read "in the Alls : Till that time they were call'd Difciples.
Christians of St. John, a Sect of Chrijbians, very numerous in ffalfara and the neighbouring Towns.
They formerly inhabited along the River Jordan, where St. John baptiz/d5 and 'twas thence they had their Name. But after the Mahometans became Mailers of Palejline, they retir'd into Mefopotamia and Cbaldea.
They hold an Anniverfary Feall of five Days ; during which, they all go to their Bifliops, who baptize them with the Baptifm of St. John : Their Baptifm is alfo per- form'd in Rivers, and that only on Sundays.
They have no Notion of the third Peribn in the Tri- nity ; nor have they any Canonical Books, but abundance full of Charms, &c. Their Bi/hopricks defcend by Inhe- ritance, as our Eltates do - ? tho they have the Ceremony of an Election.
Christians of S. Thomas, or San Thotttas, a Seel: of antient Chriflians, found in the Eajl-Iudies ; when the Eu- ropeans touch'd at the Port of Calecut ; who pretend to be defcended from thofe S. Thomas converted in the Indies: whence the Name.
The Natives call 'em, by way of Contempt, ffazdre- ans 5 their more honourable Appellation is Mappuley.
Some learned Men in Europe fay, 'twas. not St. 'Thomas the Apoftle that converted that Country, but another St. Thomas : others fay, 'twas a Nefiorian Merchant, call'd Thomas. 'Tis certain they are Nejlorians, and have been lb a long time ; infomuch, that Chriitians of St. Thomas, is now efteem'd by many a Name of a Sect.
They have a Patriarch, who refides at Mofoul.
The Pope has made fcvcral Attempts to reduce 'em un- der his Obedience, but to no purpofe.
CHRISTMAS, the Feait of the Nativity of Jefus Chrift. See Feast, Nativity, &c.
It appears from S. Chryfojlam, that in the primitive Times, Chrijlmas and Epiphany were celebrated as one and the fame Feaft : That Father obferves, it was but a little while that Chrifimas had been celebrated at Anticch on the 1 5th of 'December, as a diftinct Feaft ; and that the Ufe thereof came from the Weft. He adds, that the Ar- menians made but one Feaft of them, as low as the Xllth Century. See Epiphany.
CHRISTOLYTES, a Sect of Hereticks mentkm'd by Damafcenus ; fo call'd, becaufe they deftroy'd Chrift : maintaining, that he defcended into Hell, Body and Soul $ and that he left both there j afcending to Heaven with his Divinity alone.
The Word comes from the Greek yjxls, and hva, I re- fohe.
CHROMA, in Rhetoric, a Colour, or fair Pretence. See Colour.
The Word is Greek yjauct, which literally denotes Colour.
Chroma, in Mufick. See Chromatic.
CHROMATIC, in the antient Mufick, the fecond of the Genera, or Kinds, into which the Confonant Intervals were fubdivided into their concinnous Parts. Sec Genus.
The other two Kinds were, the Enharmonic, and the Diatonic. See Enharmonic, and Diatonic.
The Chromatic abounds in Semitones : It had its Name, either by reafon the Greeks raark'd it with the Character of Colour, which they call yj^wi ; or, as <P. \Parran fays, becaufe the Chromatic Kind is a Medium between the other two, as Colour is between black and white : or be- caufe the Chromatic Kind varies and embellifh.es theDia- tonic Kind, by its Semitones j which have the fame Effect in Mufick, with the Variety of Colours in Painting.
Arifloxenus divides the Chromatic Genus into three Spe- cies ; the Molle, Hemiolio7i, and Tonicum. Ptolemy into Molle or Antiquum, and Intenj urn. See Species.
Thefe Species were alfo cali'd Chroai, or Colours of the Genera : the Molle expreffes a Progreffion by fmall Inter- vals, the Intenfum by greater.
The Chromatic and Enharmonic Kinds, only contain the fmalleft of the Diatonic Degrees ; fo as they have the fame proportion to the Diatonic, as Fractions have to In- tegers.
Boetit/s, and after him 'Larlin, attribute the Invention of the Chromatic Genus to Timotheus a Milefian, in the Time of Alexander the Great. The Spartans banifh'd it their City, by reafon of its foftnefs.
Mr. Malcolm obferves, that we are at a lofs for what ufe the Antients could make of thefe Divisions, and Subdivi- fions into Genera and Species. All acknowledg'd the Dia- tonic to be the true Melody 5 the others feem only humorous Irregularities, calculated to pleafe the Fancy by their novelty and oddnefs 5 and were befides fo very difficulty that few, if any, are laid to have ever practis'd them accurately. See
MUSICK.
Chromatic is us'd, in Painting, for the Colouring 5 which makes the third Part of the Art of Painting. See Colour- ings.
CHRONIC, CHRONICAL, in Medicine, is apply'd to a flow, or inveterate Difeafe, which lairs a long time - as the Gout, Hemorrhoids, Fijlula, Dropfy, AJlhma, & c> See Disease.
Chronic Difeafes ftand in oppofition to acute Difeafes which are fpeedy, and hailen to a Cnfis5 as Fevers, Small- 'Pox, &c. See Acute.
Chronic Difeafes are ufually owing either to fomc natural Defect in the Conttitution j or to an irregular manner of living. The Word comes from the Greek yj'av©-, Tunc.
Molt of the Chronical Difeafes, fays Dr. Cheyne, the Infirmities of old Age, and the fhort Periods of the Lives of Euglijbmen, are owing to Repletion : This is evident hence, that Evacuation of one kind or another, is nine Parts in ten of their Remedy. See Repletion, and Eva- cuation.
The Sources of Chronical Difrempers, fays the fame Au- thor, are, 1. Vifcidity in the Juices, or the overlargends of their conftiruent Particles 5 which not being fuvficientiy broken by the concoctive Powers, flop, or retard the Cir- culation. Or, 2. Too great abundance of Jharp acrimoni- ous Salts 5 whereby the Juices thcmfelves are render'd fo corrofivc, as to burit or wear out the Solids. Or, 5. A Re- laxation, or want of a due Force and Springinefs of the So- lids themfelves.
An Exccfs in the Quantity of our Meat and Drink begets the firft; the bad Condition of the fame Foods the fecond; and both together, with want of due Exercife, the third. See Food, Exercise, &c.
CHRONICLE, CHRONICON, a Hiftory digefted in order of Time; tho the Term is feldom us'd but for old Hiftories, as Hollinfaed's Chronicle, Stow's Chronicle, ckc. Sec History, %£c.
CHRONOGRAM, a kind of Verfe, the figurative, or numeral Letters thereof, being join'd together, make up the Year of our Lord, t£c
The Word is compos'd of Xf°' J '©"» Time, and y^a^a*, Letter.
CHRONOLOGY, the Art of meafuring and difiin- guifhing Time ; or the Doctrine of Epochas, &c. See Time, Epocha, &c.
Sturmhts divides Chronology into five diftinct Branches, viz. Metaphyfical, Phyfical, Political, Historical, and Ec- clefiaitical 5 according to the various Relations, or Habi- tudes wherein Time is confider'd ; viz. as in it felf, as con- nected and fubje&ed to the Affections, States, and Alte- rations of natural Things j as accommodated to Civil TJiesj as match'd with Events that pafs in the World ; and par- ticularly, as it relates to the Celebration of Eajier. See Hour, Day, Week, Month, Year, Calendar, Cy- cle, Period, Epact, Easter, $£>c.
There is more difficulty in Chronology than every one is aware of: It requires not only the Knowledge of Attrono- my and Geography, and confequently that of Arithmetic, Geometry, and Trigonometry, both plain and fpherica! j but ajfo a world of Application to the antient Monuments. Its ufe is very great : 'tis call'd one of the Eyes of Hitlo- ry ; and ferves good Purpofes in Theology.
The Word is compounded of the Greek %?«'©-, Time, and h.oyQ-, Difcourfe. -
The more eminent Writers on Chronclcgy, among the Antients, arc Julius Africanus in the Hid Century ; 'Dio- nyfius Exiguus, Eufcbius, and Cyril.
Among the Moderns, Sede, Fuvccius, Mercatcr, I.ili- m, Clavius, Scaliger, Vieta, c Peta<vtus, Cajjini, Munfter, Catvifius, Hardomn, Capellus, Ujber, Marjbam, Hefoicus, Strauchius, I. Voffius, and Scveridge.
CHRONOMETER, a general Name for any Infiru- ment us'd in the meafuring of Time: In this Scnfe, Clocks, Watches, Dials, \£>c. are Chronometers.
Tho there are fome Instruments peculiarly call'd by the Name Chronometer ; particularly one defcrib'd by M. Sau- veur, in his ^Principles of Acoufiics.
The Word is compos'd of^e?^, Time, and ?#?£?*, men- fura, Meafure.
CHRYSALIS, a Term us'd by the modern Writers of Natural Hiflory of Infects, in the fame Senfe with Nym- pha. See Nympha.
The Word fcems to imply a peculiar yellow, or golden Colour, ufual in the Nympha ; from the Greek XV 'o"£ - ^ Gold: but this is purely accidental, and is not found in all Nymphs.
Some confine the Word to the Nympha of Butterflies and Moths.
GHRYSARGYRUM, a Tribute formerly levy'd on Courtefans, and other Perfons of evil Life.
TiOzi mus fays, that Conftantine firft fet it on foot ; tho there appear fome Traces of it in the Life of Caligula by Suetonius ; and that of Alexander by Lampridim. Eva- grins fays, Couf.a?itine found it eilabiifh'd, and had fome Thoughts of abolifhing it. ■»
It was paid every four Years : Some fay, all petty Tra- ders were liable to it. It was aboUfh'd by Anajiajius.
