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Held or being before light; -- a word applied to assemblies of Christians, in ancient times of persecution, held before light in the morning. "Antelucan worship." De Quincey.

Of or in the Christian church or era, anterior to the first council of Nice, held a. d. 325; as, antenicene faith.

que; to make old in such a degree as to put out of use; hence, to make void, or abrogate. Christianity might reasonably introduce new laws, and antiquate or abrogate old one. Sir M. Hale.

One of a sect which opposes the observance of the Christian Sabbath.

Specif.: Certain writings which are received by some Christians as an authentic part of the Holy Scriptures, but are rejected by others.

defense of a faith, a cause, or an institution; especially, one who argues in defense of Christianity.

To defend. [Obs.] The Christians . . . were apologized by Plinie. Dr. G. Benson.

, or of what may be liable to disapprobation; justification; as, Tertullian's Apology for Christianity. It is not my intention to make an apology for my poem; some will think it needs no excuse, and others will receive none. Dryden.

ciples, or party; esp., the renunciation of a religious faith; as, Julian's apostasy from Christianity.

The missionary who first plants the Christian faith in any part of the world; also, one who initiates any great moral reform, or first advocates any important belief; one who has extraordinary success as a missionary or reformer; as, Dionysius of Corinth is called the apostle of France, John Eliot the apostle to the In…

r Brief. -- Apostolic canons, a collection of rules and precepts relating to the duty of Christians, and particularly to the ceremonies and discipline of the church in the second and third centuries. -- Apostolic church, the Christian church; -- so called on account of its apostolic foundation, doctrine, and order. T…

One of a sect of ancient Christians, who, in supposed imitation of the first believers, renounced all their possessions.

One of a sect of Christian in the primitive church who used water instead of wine in the Lord's Supper.

rraign you for want of knowledge. Dryden. It is not arrogance, but timidity, of which the Christian body should now be arraigned by the world. I. Taylor.

ve utterance to. Luther articulated himself upon a process that hand already begun in the Christian church. Bibliotheca Sacra. To . . . articulate the dumb, deep want of the people. Carlyle.

modern religious sect, which originated in Persia in 1843, being a mixture of Mohammedan, Christian, Jewish and Parsee elements.

med the title of Bab-ed-Din (Per., Gate of the Faith). Babism is a mixture of Mohammedan, Christian, Jewish, and Parsi elements. This doctrine forbids concubinage and polygamy, and frees women from many of the degradations imposed upon them among the orthodox Mohammedans. Mendicancy, the use of intoxicating liquors and…

Pertaining to baptism; as, baptismal vows. Baptismal name, the Christian name, which is given at baptism.

One of a denomination of Christians who deny the validity of infant baptism and of sprinkling, and maintain that baptism should be administered to believers alone, and should be by immersion. See Anabaptist.

Cruelty; ferociousness; inhumanity. Treating Christians with a barbarity which would have shocked the very Moslem. Macaulay.