ened, and we have a perception of the moral "love,") feasts of charity among the ancient excellency of divine things; and, lastly, Christians, when liberal contributions were whether our affections have a holy tendency, made by the rich to the poor. St. Chrysosand produce the hapyy effects of obedience tom gives the following account of this feast, to God, humility in ourselves, and justice to which he derives from the apostolic practice. our fellow creatures. As this is a subject He says," the first Christians had all worthy of close attention, the reader may things in common, as we read in the Acts of consult Lord Kaim's Elements of Criticism, the apostles; but when that equality of posvol ii. p. 517; Edwards on the affections; sessions ceased, as it did even in the aposPike and Haywards' Cases of Conscience:tles time, the Agape or love feast was subWatt's Use and Abuse of the Passions; M'Laurin's Essays, sect. 5 and 6, where this subject is masterly handled.

stituted in the room of it. Upon certain days, after partaking of the Lord's supper, they met at a common feast: the rich bringing AFFLICTION, that which causes a sen- provisions, and the poor, who had nothing, sation of pain. Calamity or distress of any being invited." It was always attended with kind. The afflictions of the saints are re-receiving the holy sacrament; but there is presented in the scripture, as appointed, 1 some difference between the ancient and Thes. iii. 3. Job. v. 6, 7; numerous, Ps. modern interpreters as to the circumstance xxxiv. 19; transient, 2 Cor, iv. 17. Heb. x. of time; viz. whether this feast was held 37; and when sanctified, beneficial, 1 Pet. i. || before or after the communion. St. Chrysos6, Ps. cxix. 67, 71. They wean from the tom is of the latter opinion: the learned Dr. world; work submission; produce humility; Cave of the former. These love-feasts duexcite to diligence; stir up to prayer; and ring the three first centuries, were held in conform us to the divine image. To bear the church without scandal or offence; but them with patience, we should consider our in after-times the heathens began to tax them own unworthiness; the design of God in with impurity. This gave occasion to a resending them; the promises of support under formation of these Agapes. The kiss of chathem; and the real good they are productive rity, with which the ceremony used to end, of. The afflictions of a good man, says an was no longer given between different sexes; elegant writer, never befal without a cause, and it was expressly forbidden to have any nor are sent but upon a proper errand. These beds or couches for the conveniency of those storms are never allowed to rise but in order who should be disposed to eat more at their to dispel some noxiour vapours, and restore ease. Notwithstanding these precautions, salubrity to the moral atmosphere. Who the abuses committed in them became so nothat for the first time beheld the earth in torious, that the holding them (in churches the midst of winter, bound up with frost, or at least) was solemnly condemned at the drenched in floods of rain, or covered with council of Carthage in the year 397. Atsnow would have imagined that Nature, in tempts have been made of late years, to rethis dreary and torpid state, was working to- vive these feasts; but in a different manner wards its own renovation in the spring? Yet from the primitive custom, and, perhaps, we by experience know that those vicissi- with little edification. They are, however, tudes of winter are necessary for fertilizing not very general. the earth; and that under wintry rains and snows lie concealed the seeds of those roses that are to blossom in the spring; of those fruits that are to ripen in the summer; and of the corn and wine which are in harvest to make glad the heart of man. It would be more agreeable to us to be always enter-phers, signifies the duties which a man lies tained with a fair and clear atmosphere, with cloudless skies, and perpetual sunshine, yet in such climates as we have most knowledge of, the earth, were it always to remain in such a state, would refuse to yield its fruits; and, in the midst of our imagined scenes of beauty, the starved inhabitants would perish for want of food. Let us, therefore quietly submit to Providence. Let us conceive this life to be the winter of our existence. Now the rains must fall, and the winds must roar around us; but sheltering ourselves under him who is the "covert from the tempest," let us wait with patience till the storms of life shall terminate in an everlasting calm. Blair's Ser. vol. v. ser. 5: Vincent, Case, and Addington, on Affliction; Willison's Afflicted Man's Companion.

AGAPE, or LoVE FEASTS (from ayaza,"

AGAPETÆ, a name given to certain virgins and widows, who in the ancient church associated themselves with and attended on ecclesiastics, out of a motive of piety and charity. See DEACONESSES.

AGENDA, among divines and philoso

under an obligation to perform: thus we meet with the agenda of a christian, or the duties he ought to perform, in opposition to the credenda, or things he is to believe. It is also applied to the service or office of the church, and to church books compiled by public authority, prescribing the order to be observed and amounts to the same as ritual, formulary, directory, missal, &c.

AGENT, that which acts: opposed to patient, or that which is acted upon.

AGENTS, moral. See MORAL AGENT. AGONETÆ, (from ayvoca, "to be ignorant of,") a sect which appeared about 370. They called in question the omniscence of God; alleging that he knew things past only by memory, and things future only by an uncertain prescience. There arose another sect of the same name in the sixth century who followed Themistius, deacon of A'ex'

andria: They maintained that Christ was ig- || resided. See MANICHEANS and CATHEnorant of certain things, and particularly of RIST. the time of the day of judgment. It is sup- ALBANOIS, a denomination which sprung posed they built their hypothesis on that pas-up in the eighth century, and renewed the sage in Mark xiii. 32. Of that day and greatest part of the Manichean principles. that hour knoweth no man; no, not the an- They also maintained that the world was gels which are in heaven, neither the Son, from eternity. See MANICHEANS. but the Father." The meaning of which, most probably, is, that this was not known to the Messiah himself in his human nature, or by virtue of his unction, as any part of the mysteries he was to reveal; for, considering him as God, he could not be ignorant of any thing

AGNUS DEI, in the church of Rome, a cake of wax, stamped with the figure of a lamb supporting the banner of the cross. The name literally signifies "lamb of God.” These cakes, being consecrated by the pope with grea solemnity, and distributed among the people, are supposed to have great virtues. They cover them with a piece of stuff cut in the form of a heart, and carry them very devoutly in their processions. The Romish priests and religious derive considerable pecuniary advantage from selling them to some and presenting them to others.

ALBIGENSES, a party of reformers about Toulouse and the Albigeois in Languedoc, who sprung up in the twelfth century, and distinguished themselves by their opposition to the church of Rome. They were charged with many errors by the monks of those days; but from these charges they are generally acquitted by the Protestants, who consider them only as the inventions of the Romish church to blacken their character. The Albigenses grew so formidable, that the Catholics agreed upon a holy league or crusade against them. Pope Innocent III, desirous to put a stop to their progress, tirred up the great men of the kingdom to make war upon them. After suffering from their persecutors, they dwindled by little and little, till the time of the reformation; when such of them as were left, fell in with the Vaudois, and conformed to the doctrine of Zuinglius, and the disciples of Geneva. The Albigenses have been frequently confounded with the Waldenses; from whom it is said they differ in many respects, both as being prior to them in point of time, as having their origin in a different country, and as be

AGONISTICI, a name given by Donatus to such of his disciples as he sent to fairs, markets, and other public places, to propagate his doctrine. They were called Agonistici from the Greek ayov, "combat," Decause they were sent, as it were, to fight and subdue the people to their opinions. Seeing charged with divers heresies, particuDONATIST.

AGONYCLITÆ, a sect of Christians in the seventh century, who prayed always standing, as thinking it unlawful to kneel.

AGYNIANI, a sect which appeared about 694. They condemned all use of flesh and marriage as not instituted by God, but introduced at the instigation of the devil.

ALASCANI, a sect of Anti-lutherans in the sixteenth century, whose distinguished tenet, besides their denying baptism, is said to have been this, that the words, "This is my body," in the institution of the eucharist, are not to be understood of the bread, but of the whole action or celebration of the supper.

larly Manicheism, from which the Waldenses were exempt. See WALDENSES.

ALEXANDRIAN MANUSCRIPT, a famous copy of the scriptures, in four volumes quarto. It contains the whole Bible in Greek, including the Old and New Testament, with the Apocrypha, and some smaller pieces, but not quite complete. It is preserved in the British Museum: it was sent as a present to king Charles I. from Cyrillus Lucaris, patriarch of Constantinople, by Sir Thomas Rowe, ambassador from England to the Grand Seignior, about the year 1628. Cyrillus brought it with him from Alexandria, where probably it was written. In a schedule annexed to it, he gives this account:-That ALBANENSES, a denomination which it was written, as tradition informed them, commenced about the year 796. They held, by Thecla, a noble Egyptian lady, about 1300 with the Gnostics and Manicheans, two prin-years ago, not long after the council of Nice. ciples, the one of good and the other of evil. They denied the divinity and, even the humanity of Jesus Christ; asserting that he was not truly man, did not suffer on the cross, die, rise again, nor really ascend into heaven. They rejected the doctrine of the resurrection, affirmed that the general judgment was past, and that hell torments were no other than the evils we feel and suffer in this life. They denied free will, did not admit original sin, and never administered baptism to infants. They held that a man can give the Holy Spirit of himself, and that it is unlawful for a Christian to take an oath. This denomination derived their name from the place where their spiritual ruler

But this high antiquity, and the authority of the tradition to which the patriarch refers, have been disputed; nor are the most accurate biblical writers agreed about its age. Grabe thinks that it might have been written before the end of the fourth century; others are of opinion that it was not written till near the end of the fifth century, or somewhat later. See Dr. Woide's edition of it.

ALKORAN. See KORAN

ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF GOD, is that power or attribute of his nature whereby he is able to communicate as much blessedness to his creatures as he is pleased to make them capable of receiving. As his self-suf ficiency is that whereby he has enough in

himself to denominate him completely blessed, exercise of the duty: 1. That they have noas a God of infinite perfection, so his all-suf- thing to spare; 2. That charity begins at ficiency is that by which he hath enough in home; 3. That charity does not consist in himself to satisfy the most enlarged desires giving money, but in benevolence, love to all of his creatures, and to make them com- mankind, &c. 4. That giving to the poor is pletely blessed. We practically deny this not mentioned in St. Paul's description of perfection, when we are discontented with charity, 1 Cor. xiii.; 5. That they pay the our present condition, and desire more than poor rates; 6. That they employ many poor God has allotted for us, Gen. iii. 5. Prov. xix. || persons; 7. That the poor do not suffer so 3-2. When we seek blessings of what kind much as we imagine; 8. That these people, soever in an indirect way, as though God give them what you will, will never be were not able to bestow them upon us in his thankful; 9. That we are liable to be impoown way, or in the use of lawful means, Gen. || sed upon; 10 That they should apply to xxvii. 35-3. When we use unlawful means their parishes; 11. That giving money ento escape imminent dangers, 1 Sam. xxi. 13. courages idleness; 12. That we have too Gen. xx. and xxvi.-4. When we distrust || many objects of charity at home. O the love his providence, though we had large expe- of money, how fruitful is it in apologies for a rience of his appearing for us in various in- contracted mercenary spirit! In giving of stances, Sam. xxvii. 1. Ps. lxxviii. 19. 2 alms, however, the following rules should be Chron. xvi. 2 Chron. xiv. 9. 13. Josh. vii. 7. observed: first, That they should be given 9.-5 When we doubt of the truth or certain with justice; only our own, to which we accomplishment of the promises, Gen. xviii. have a just right, should be given. 2. With 12. Ps. lxxvii. 74. Is. xlix. 14-6. When cheerfulness, Deut xv. 10. 2 Cor. ix. 7. 3. we decline great services, though called to With simplicity and sincerity, Rom. xii. them by God, under a pretence of our un- Matt. vi. 3. 4. With compassion and affecfitness for them, Jer. i. 6, 8. tion, Is. lviii 10. 1 John iii. 17. 5. Seasonably, Gal. vi. 10. Prov. iv. 27. 6 Bountifully, Deut. xviii. 11. 1 Tim. vi. 18. 7. Prudently, according to every one's need, 1 Tim v 8. Acts iv. 35. See Dr. Barrows' admirable Sermon on Bounty to the Poor, which took up three hours and an half in preaching; Saurin's Ser. vol. iv. Eng. Trans. ser. 9.; Paley's Mor. Phil. ch. 5. vol i.

The consideration of this doctrine should lead us, 1. To seek happiness in God alone, and not in human things, Jer. ii. 13.-2 To commit all our wants and trials to him, 1 Sam. xxx. 6. Heb. x 19. 2 Cor. xii 8 9

3. To be courageous in the midst of danger and opposition, Ps. xxvii. 1-4. To be satisfied with his dispensations, Rom. viii. 286. To persevere in the path of duty, however difficult, Gen. xvii. 1. Ridgley's Body of Div. ques. 17. Saurin's Ser. ser. 5. vol. i.; Barrow's Works vol. ii. ser 11.

ALOGIANS, a sect of ancient heretics who denied that Jesus Christ was the Logos, and consequently rejected the Gospel of St. John. The word is compounded of the privative a and λoyos ; q. d. without logos, or word. They made their appearance toward the close of the second century.

ALMARICIANS, a denomination that arose in the thirteenth century. They de rived their origin from Almaric, professor of logic and theology at Paris His adversaries ALTAR, a kind of table or raised place charged him with having taught that everywhereon the ancient sacrifices were offered. Christian was obliged to believe himself a 2. The table, in Christian churches, where member of Jesus Christ, and that without the Lord's supper is administered. Altars this belief none could be saved. His followers are, doubtless, of great antiquity; some asserted that the power of the Father had suppose they were as early as Adam; but continued only during the Mosaic dispensa- there is no mention made of them till after tion, that of the Son twelve hundred years the flood, When Noah built one, and offered after his entrance upon earth; and that burnt offerings on it. The Jews had two in the thirteenth century the age of the altars in and about their temple; 1. the alHoly spirit commenced, in which the sacra- tar of burnt offerings; 2. the altar of inments and all external worship were to be cense; some also call the table for shew abolished; and that every one was to be saved bread an altar, but improperly, Exod. xx. by the internal operations of the Holy Spirit 24, 25. 1 Kings xviii. 30. Exod. xxv. xxvii. alone, without any external act of religion. and xxx. Heb. ix. ALMONER, a person employed by another, in the distribution of charity. In its primitive sense it denoted an officer in religious houses, to whom belonged the management and distribution of the alms of the house.

AMAURITES; the followers of Amauri,

a clergyman of Bonne, in the thirteenth century. He acknowledged the divine Three, to whom he attributed the empire of the world. But according to him, religion had three epochas, which bore a similitude to ALMS, what is given gratuitously for the re-the reign of the three persons in the Trinity. lief of the poor, and in repairing the churches. That alms giving is a duty is every way evident from the variety of passages which enjoin it in the sacred scriptures. It is observable, however, what a number of excuses are made by those who are not found in the

The reign of God had existed as long as the law of Moses. The reign of the Son would not always last. A time would come when the sacraments should cease, and then the religion of the Holy Ghost would begin, when men would render a spiritual worship

to the Supreme Being. This reign Amauri AMSDORFIANS, a sect, in the sixteenth thought would succeed to the Christian reli- century, who took their name from Amsgion, as the Christian had succeeded to thatdorf, their leader. They maintained that of Moses. good works were not only unprofitable, but were obstacles to salvation.

AMAZEMENT, a term sometimes employed to express our wonder; but it is ra- AMYRALDISM, a name given by some ther to be considered as a medium between writers to the doctrine of universal grace, wonder and astonishment. It is manifestly as explained and asserted by Amyraldus or borrowed from the extensive and complica- Moses Amyrault, and others, his followers, ted intricacies of a labyrinth, in which there among the reformed in France, towards the are endless mazes, without the discovery of middle of the seventeenth century. This a clue. Hence an idea is conveyed of more doctrine principally consisted of the followthan simple wonder; the mind is lost ining particulars, viz. that God desires the wonder. See WONDER. happiness of all men, and none are excluded AMBITION, a desire of excelling, or at by a divine decree; that none can obtain least of being thought to excel, our neigh-salvation without faith in Christ; that God bours in any thing. It is generally used in refuses to none the power of believing, a bad sense for an immoderate or illegal though he does not grant to all his assistance pursuit of power or honour. See PRAISE. that they may improve this power to saving AMEDIANS, a congregation of religious purposes; and that they may perish through in Italy; so called from their professing their own fault. Those who embraced this themselves amantes Deum, “lovers of God;" doctrine were called Universalists; though or rather amati Deo," beloved of God" it is evident they rendered grace universal They wore a grey habit and wooden shoes, in words but partial in reality, See CAMEhad no breeches, and girt themselves with RONITES. a cord. They had twenty-eight convents, and were united by pope Pius V. partly with the Bistercian order, and partly with that of the Soccolanti, or wooden shoe wear

ers.

sider as never having been baptized before, although they have undergone what they term the ceremony of sprinkling in their infancy.

ANABAPTISTS, those who maintain that baptism ought always to be performed by immersion. The word is compounded of ava, "new," and Bass, "a Baptist," AMEN, a Hebrew word, which, when in their infancy, ought to be baptized anew. signifying that those who have been baptized prefixed to an assertion, signifies assuredly, It is a word which has been indiscriminately certainly, or emphatically so it is; but whch applied to Christians of very different prinit concludes a prayer, so be it, or so let it be, ciples and practices. The English and is its manifest import. In the former case Dutch Baptists do not consider the word as it is assertive, or assures of a truth or a at all applicable to their sect; because fact; and is an asservation, and is pro-those persons whom they baptize they conperly translated, verily, John iii. 3. In the latter case it is petitionary, and, as it were, epitomises all the requests with which it stands connected, Numb. v. 22. Rev. xxii. 20. This emphatical term was not used among the Hebrews by detached individuals only, but on certain occasions, by an assembly at large, Deut. xxvii. 14, 20. It was adopted. also, in the public worship of the primitive churches, as appears by that passege, 1 Cor. xiv. 26, and was continued a.mong the Christians in following times; yea, such was the extreme into which many run, that Jerome informs us, in his time, that, at the conclusion of every public prayer, the united amen of the people sounded like the fall of water, or the noise of thunder. Nor is the practice of some professors in our own time to be commended, who, with a low though, audible voice, add their amen to almost every sentence as This sect was soon joined by great numit proceeds from the lips of him who is bers, whose characters and capacities were praying. As this has a tendency to inter- very different. Their progress was rapide rupt the devotion of those that are near for, in a very short space of time, their disthem, and may disconcert the thoughts of courses, visions, and predictions, excited great him who leads the worship, it would be bet-commotions in a great part of Europe. The ter omitted, and a mental amen is sufficient. The term, as used at the end of our prayers, suggests that we should pray with understanding, faith, fervour, and expectation. See Mr. Booth's Amen to social Prayer. AMMONIANS, See NEW PLATONICS.

C

The Anabaptists of Germany, besides their notions concerning baptism, depended much upon certain ideas which they entertained concerning a perfect church establishment, pure in its members, and free from the institutions of human policy. The most prudent part of them considered it possible, by human industry and vigilance, to purify the church; and seeing the attempts of Luther to be successful, they hoped that the period was arrived in which the church was to be restored to this purity. Others, not satisfied with Luther's plan of reformation, undertook a more perfect plan, or, more properly, a visionary enterprise, to found a new church entirely spiritual and divine.

most pernicious faction of all those which composed this motley multitude, was that which pretended that the founders of this new and perfect church were under a divine sition by the power of working miracles. impulse, and were armed against all oppo

was this faction, that, in the year 1521, be-prime movers. That a great part was Ana gan their fanatical work under the guidance baptists, seems indisputable; at the sam of Munzer, Stubner, Storick, &c. These time it appears from history, that a grea men taught, that, among Christians, who had part also were Roman catholics, and a sti the precepts of the gospel to direct, and the || greater part of those who had scarcely an Spirit of God to guide them, the office of religious principles at all. Indeed, when w magistracy was not only unnecessary, but an read of the vast numbers that were com unlawful encroachment on their spiritual cerned in these insurrections, of whom it liberty; that the distinctions occasioned by reported that 100,000 fell by the sword, birth, rank, or wealth, should be abolished; appears reasonable to conclude that the that all Christians, throwing their posses- were not all Anabaptists. sions into one stock, should live together in that state of equality which becomes members of the same family; that as neither the laws of nature, nor the precepts of the New Testament, had prohibited polygamy, they should use the same liberty as the patriarchs did in this respect.

It is but justice to observe also that th Baptists in England and Holland are to b considered in a different light from thes above-mentioned: they profess an equa aversion to all principles of rebellion on th one hand, and to enthusiasm on the other See Robertson's Hist. of Charles V.: En Brit. vol. i. p. 644; and articles BAPTIST and MENNONITES.

They employed, at first, the various arts of persuasion, in order to propagate their doctrines; and related a number of visions ANALOGY OF FAITH, is the propor and revelations, with which they pretended tion that the doctrines of the Gospel bear t to have been favoured from above; but, each other, or the close connection betwee when they found that this would not avail, the truths of revealed religion, Rom. xii. and that the ministry of Luther and other This is considered as a grand rule for under reformers was detrimental to their cause, || standing the true sense of scripture. It i they then madly attempted to propagate evident that the Almighty doth not act with their sentiments by force of arms. Munzer out a design in the system of Christianity an and his associates, in the year 1525, put more than he does in the works of nature themselves at the head of a numerous army, Now this design must be uniform; for as i and declared war against all laws, govern- the system of the universe every part is pro ments, and magistrates of every kind, under portioned to the whole, and made subservi the chimerical pretext, that Christ himself eat to it, so in the system of the Gospel al was now to take the reigns of all goverment the various truths, doctrines, declarations into his hands: but this seditious crowd was precepts, and promises, must correspon routed and dispersed by the elector of Sax-with and tend to the end designed. For in my and other princes, and Munzer, their stance, supposing the glory of God in th leader, put to death. salvation of man by free grace be the gran Many of his followers, however, survived, design; then whatever doctrine, assertion and propagated their opinions through Ger- or hypothesis, agree not with this, it is to b many, Switzerland and Holland. In 1533 a considered as false.-Great care, however party of them settled at Munster; under two must be taken in making use of this method leaders of the names of Matthias and Bock- that the enquirer previously understand th holdt. Having made themselves masters of whole scheme, and that he harbour not the city, they deposed the magistrates, con- predilection for a part; without atten fiscated the estates of such as had escaped, tion to this we shall be liable to error. I and deposited the wealth in a public trea- we come to the scriptures with any precon sury for common use. They made prepa- ceived opinions, and are more desircus t rations for the defence of the city; invited put that sense upon the text which quad the Anabaptists in the low countries to as- rates with our sentiments rather than th semble at Munster, which they called Mount truth, it becomes then the analogy of ou Sion, that from thence they might reduce all faith, rather than that of the whole system the nations of the earth under their domin-This was the source of the error of the Jew ion, Matthias was soon cut off by the bishop of Munster's army, and was succeeded by Brockholdt, who was proclaimed by a special designation of heaven, as the pretended king of Sion, and invested with legislative powers like those of Moses. The city of Munster however was taken, after a long siege, and Brockholdt punished with death. It must be acknowledged that the true rise of the insurrections of this period ought not to be attributed to religious opinions. The first insurgents groaned under severe oppressions, and took up arms in defence of their civil liberties; and of these commotions the Anabaptists seem rather to have availed themselves, than to have been the

in our Saviour's time. They searched th scriptures; but, such were their favourit opinions, that they could not, or would not discover that the sacred volume testified o Christ And the reason was evident, fo their great rule of interpretation was wha they might call the analogy of faith; i. e the system of the Pharisean scribes, the doctrine then in vogue, and in the profound veneration of which they had been educated Perhaps there is hardly any sect but wha has more or less been guilty in this repect It may, however, be of use to the serious and candid enquirer; for as some texts may seem to contradict each other, and difficul ties present themselves, by keeping the