century; and they made their appearance in England at the beginning of the seventeenth century. These and a great many more of less note are mentioned in the writings of Florimundus Raymundus de Origine Heres.

CALVINISTS

Were so denominated from John Calvin, one of the reformers in the sixteenth century. But there were professors of this description in the Christian church at a very early period, about the year 380, who were called Predestinati. And in the ninth century the followers of the German monk, Godescalus, were called after these first professors, Predestinarians. They taught that God, who must necessarily know all things before he created man, decreed those things which should come to pass; and that to deny this would be to allow that there was a power superior to him, by whom these things were ordained; therefore they held that his purposes and decrees were eternal, as nothing future can be predicated concerning him.

Calvin taught that God predestinated a certain number to eternal life before the foundation of the world, independently of any merit in themselves.

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That his grace which operates in them irresistibly, against the power of their own will, forces them to accept the terms of salvation by Christ: this they call irresistible grace.

The principal tenets of Calvinism have been called, the five points, viz. Predestination, original sin, particular redemption, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints. But there is no necessity for these distinctions; there is no difference between particular redemption, irresistible grace, the perseverance of the saints, and predestination; for predestination comprehends them all. Whoever are predestinated are also particularly redeemed, are to have irresistible grace, and must of necessity persewere to the end. So that these five points, which were so called by the Synod of Dort, are properly resolved into two points, viz. predestination and original sin.

They hold that all who were not thus elected before the foundation of the world, God has been pleased to reject, and that in his eternal council he separated them from the elect vessels of mercy, as monuments of his wrath, to satisfy his offended justice.

Others of the Calvinists have been more moderate, and have held that God was always as a tender father, reconciled to man; but that man, who loved

darkness rather than light, because his deeds were evil, was not reconciled to God. And in proof of this they quote 2nd Cor. v. 18." And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ." And again, ver. 20. "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

Calvin condemned the doctrines and practice of the church of Rome, respecting the invocation of saints, the worship of images, purgatory, confession, prayers for the dead.

PRESBYTERIANS

Also believe in election and reprobation. They are so called from Пperßúrepos, an elder; because they hold that the first Christian churches were governed by presbyters and elders, which kind of government they have adopted. They believe that the authority to preach and minister is given by the imposition of the hands of the presbytery, who are the general body of the ministers in an assembly, all possessing equal powers, equal offices, and equal honors; consequently, that a presbyter is the highest

order in the church of Christ. They pray standing, after the manner of the Agoniclytæ in the eighth century.

As there are several sects who profess to be Unitarians, it becomes necessary to make a distinction, not only with regard to some particulars of their opinions, but also with respect to the name of the founder, or reviver of such opinions, whose name has been chosen to point out their own

seet.

ARIAN UNITARIANS.

They are so named from Arius, a priest of Alexandria, who published his opinions at the beginning of the fourth century; which so disturbed the church that a grand council was convened at Nice, of nearly all the bishops of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Arians hold the following opinions:

They deny the existence of three persons in the divine nature, and maintain that the soul which animated the body of Christ, was a pre-existent spirit, superior to the highest cherubim and seraphim, but that he was not produced out of the substance of the Father; created, not begotten.

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They therefore reject the worship of Christ, deny that his death was a satisfaction for the sins of men, and that man is to be saved by his own works and merit. They admit that this great spirit is the Logos, or medium by whom God created all things, but yet a creature produced out of nothing, the maker of angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, powers, the whole hierarchy of heaven, and all material nature. Thus that he is the passive instrument of the infinite Jehovah, and under him the supreme administrator of the divine providence. That by him was given the divine dispensations, the communications to the patriarchs and prophets; and that he appeared to Moses, to Abraham, to his chosen people, and led the Hebrews through the wilderness, as the representative of the supreme Jehovah, agreeably to that declaration, behold mine angel shall go before thee.

SOCINIAN UNITARIANS.

The reviver of the Unitarian doctrines in Europe was Faustus Socinus, an inhabitant of Sienna in Tuscany; and his followers have been called after