his windows to induce his creditors to believe that he is abroad.-6. Lies of omission, as when an author wilfully omits what ought to be related: and may we not add,-7. That all equivocation and mental reservation come under the guilt of lying. The evil and injustice of lying appear, 1. From its being a breach of the natural and universal right of mankind to truth in the intercourse of speech.-2. From its being a violation of God's sacred law, Phil. iv. 8. Lev. xix. 11. Col. iii. 9.-3. The fa of those symbols or creeds which were for whoever seriously addresses his disonce deemed almost infallible rules of course to another, tacitly promises to faith and practice, and of declaring their speak the truth, because he knows that dissent in the manner they judge the the truth is expected." There are vamost expedient. Mosheim attributes rious kinds of lies. 1. The pernicious lie, this change in their sentiments to the uttered for the hurt or disadvantage of maxims which they generally adopted, our neighbour.-2. The officious lie, that Christians were accountable to God uttered for our own or our neighbour's alone for their religious opinions; and advantage.-3. The ludicrous and jothat no individual could be justly pun- cose lie, uttered by way of jest, and only ished by the magistrate for his erro- for mirth's sake in common converse.neous opinions, while he conducted him- || 4. Pious frauds as they are improperly self like a virtuous and obedient subject, called, pretended inspirations, forged and made no attempts to disturb the books, counterfeit miracles, are species peace and order of civil society. In of lies.-5. Lies of the conduct, for a lie Sweden the Lutheran church is epis- may be told in gestures as well as in copal in Norway the same. In Den-words; as when a tradesman shuts up mark, under the name of superintendent, all episcopal authority is retained; whilst through Germany the superior power is vested in a consistory, over which there is a president, with a distinction of rank and privileges, and a subordination of inferior clergy to their superiors, different from the parity of Presbyterianism. Mosheim's Eccles. History; Life of Luther: Hawies's Ch. Hist. vol. ii. p. 454; Enc. Brit. Robertson's Hist. of Charles V. vol. ii. p. 42; Luther on the Galatians. LUXURY, a disposition of mind ad-culty of speech was bestowed as an indicted to pleasure, riot, and superfluities. strument of knowledge, not of deceit; Luxury implies a giving one's self up to communicate our thoughts, not to to pleasure; voluptuousness, an induf- hide them.-4. It is esteemed a regence in the same to excess. Luxury proach of so heinous and hateful a namay be farther considered as consisting ture for a man to be called a liar, that in 1. Vain and useless expenses.-2. In sometimes the life and blood of the slana parade beyond what people can afford. || derer have paid for it.-5. It has a ten3. In affecting to be above our own dency to dissolve all society, and to inrank.-4. In living in a splendour that dispose the mind to religious impressions. does not agree with the public good. In-6. The punishment of it is considera order to avoid it, we should consider ble: the loss of credit, the hatred of that it is ridiculous, troublesome, sinful, those whom we have deceived, and an and ruinous. Robinson's Claude, vol. i. eternal separation from God in the p. 382; Ferguson on Society, part. vi. world to come, Rev. xxi. 8. Rev. xxii. 15. Psalm ci. 7. See EQUIVOCATION.LYING, speaking falsehoods wilfully, Grove's Mor. Phil. vol. i. ch. 11; Pawith an intent to deceive. Thus, by ley's Moral Phil. vol. i. ch. 15; DodGrove, "A lie is an affirmation or de-dridge's Lect. lect. 68; Watts's Serm. nial by words, or any other signs to vol. i. ser. 22; Evans's Serm. vol. ii. which a certain determinate meaning is ser. 13; South's Serm. vol. i. ser. 12; affixed, of something contrary to our Dr. Lamont's Serm. vol. i. ser. 11 and real thoughts and intentions." Thus, by 12. Paley, "a lie is a breach of promise; sec. 2. M. MACARIANS, the followers of Macarius, an Egyptian monk, who was distinguished towards the close of the fourth century for his sanctity and vir tue. In his writings there are some superstitious tenets, and also certain opinions that seem tainted with Origenism. The name has been also applied S s to those who adopted the sentiments of Macarius, a native of Ireland, who about the close of the ninth century, propagated in France the tenet afterwards maintained by Averrhoes, that one individual intelligence or soul performed the spiritual and rational functions in all the human race. MACEDONIANS, the followers of Macedonius, bishop of Constantinople, who, through the influence of the Eunomians, was deposed by the council of Constantinople in 360, and sent into exile. He considered the Holy Ghost as a divine energy diffused throughout the universe, and not as a person distinct from the Father and the Son. The sect of the Macedonians was crushed before it had arrived at its full maturity, by the council assembled by Theodosius in 381, at Constantinople. See SEMI ARIANS. MACHIAVELIANISM, the doctrine or principles of Machiavel, as laid down in his treatise entitled The Prince, and which consists in doing any thing to compass a design, without any regard to the peace or welfare of subjects, the dictates of honesty and honour, or the precepts of religion. This work has been translated into many languages, and wrote against by many authors, though the world is not agreed as to the motives of the writer; some thinking he meant to recommend tyrannical maxims; others, that he only delineated them to excite abhorrence. MAGI, or MAGIANS, an ancient religious sect of Persia and other eastern countries, who, abominating the adoration of images, worshipped God only by fire, in which they were directly opposite to the Sabians. See SABIANS. The Magi believed that there were two principles, one the cause of all good, and the other the cause of all evil; in which opinion they were followed by the sect of the Manichees. See MANICHEES. They called the good principle Jazden, and Ormuzd, and the evil principle Ahraman or Aherman. The former was by the Greeks called Oromasdes, and the latter Arimanius. The reason of their worshipping fire was, because they looked upon it as the truest symbol of Oromasdes, or the good god; as darkness was of Arimanius, or the evil god. In all their temples they had fire continually burning upon their altars, and in their own private houses. The religion of the Magi fell into disgrace on the death of those ringleaders of that sect who had usurped the sovereignty after the death of Cambyses; and the slaughter that was made of the chief men among them sunk it so low, that Sabianism every where prevailed against it; Darius and most of his followers on that occasion going over to it. But the affection which the people had for the religion of their forefathers not being easily to be rooted out, the famous impostor Zoroaster, some *ages after, undertook to revive and reform it. MAGDALEN, religious of St. a denomination given to divers communities The chief reformation this pretended of nuns, consisting generally of penitent prophet made in the Magian religion courtezans; sometimes also called Mag- was in the first principle of it; for he dalanettes. They were established at introduced a god superior both to OroMentz in 1542; at Paris in 1492; at Na-masdes and Arimanius. Dr. Prideaux ples in 1324; at Rouen and Bordeaux in 1618. In each of these monasteries there were three kinds of persons and congregations; the first consisted of those who were admitted to make vows, and those bear the name of St. Magdalen; the congregation of St. Martha was the second, and was composed of those whom it was not thought proper to admit to vows finally; the congregation of St. Lazarus was composed of such as were detained by force. The religious of St. Magdalen at Rome were established by Pope Leo X. Clement VIII. settled a revenue on them; and farther appointed, that the effects of all public prostitutes dying intestate should fall to them; and that the testaments of the rest should be invalid, unless they bequeathed a portion of their effects, which was to be at least a fifth part of them. is of opinion that Zoroaster took the hint of this alteration in their theology from the prophet Isarah, who brings ih God, saying to Cyrus king of Persia, I am the Lord, and there is none else: I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace and create evil, ch. xlv. 7. In short, Zoroaster held that there was one supreme independent Being, and under him two principles, or angels; one the angel of light or good, and the other the angel of evil or darkness; that there is a perpetual struggle between them, which shall last to the end of the world; that then the angel of darkness and his disciples shall go into a world of their own, where they shall be punished in everlasting darkness; and the angel of light and his disciples shall also go into a world of their own, where they shall be rewarded in everlasting light. Zoroaster was the first who built firetemples; the Magians before his time performing their devotion on the tops of hills and in the open air, by which means they were exposed to the inconvenience of rain and tempests, which often extinguished their sacred fires. To procure the greater veneration for these sacred fires, he pretended to have received fire from heaven, which he placed on the altar of the first fire-temple he erected, which was that of Ais, in Media, from whence they say it was propagated to all the rest. The Mar gian priests kept their sacred fire with the greatest diligence, watching it day and night, and never suffering it to be extinguished. They fed it only with wood stript of the bark, and they never blowed it with their breath or with bellows, for fear of polluting it; to do either of these was death by their law. The Magian religion as reformed by Zoroaster, seems in many things to be built upon the plan of the Jewish. The Jews had their sacred fire which came down from heaven upon the altar of burnt offerings, which they never suffered to go out, and with which all their sacrifices and oblations were made. Zoroaster, in like manner, pretended to have brought his holy fire from heaven; and as the Jews had a Shekinah of the divine presence among them, resting over the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies, Zoroaster likewise told his Magians to look upon the sacred fire in their temples as a Shekinah, in which God especially dwelt. From these and some other instances of analogy between the Jewish and the Magian religion, Prideaux infers that Zoroaster had been first educated and brought up in the Jewish religion. The priests of the Magi were the most skilful mathematicians and philosophers of the age in which they lived, insomuch that a learned man and a Magian became equivalent terms. This proceeded so far, that the vulgar, looking on their knowledge to be more than natural, imagined they were inspired by some supernatural power. And hence those who practised wicked and diabolical arts, taking upon themselves the name of Magians, drew on it that ill signification which the word Magician now bears among us. The Magian priests were all of one tribe; as among the Jews, none but the son of a priest was capable of bearing that office among them. The royal family among the Persians, as long as this sect subsisted, was always of the sacerdotal tribe. They were divided into three orders; the inferior clergy, the superintendents, or bishops, and the archimagus, or arch-priest. Zoroaster had the address to bring over Darius to his new-reformed religion, notwithstanding the strongest opposition of the Sabians; and from that time it became the national religion of all that country, and so continued for many ages after, till it was supplanted by that of Mahomet. Zoroaster composed a book containing the principles of the Magian religion. It is called ondavesta, and by contraction Zend. See ZEND. MAGIC, a science which teaches to produce surprising and extraordinary effects; a correspondence with bad spirits, by means of which a person is able to perform surprising things. This was strictly forbidden by the law of God, on pain of death, Lev. xix. 31. MAGISTER DISCIPLINE, or MASTER OF DISCIPLINE, the appellation of a certain ecclesiastical officer in the ancient Christian church. It was a custom in some places, particularly in Spain, in the time of the Gothic kings, about the end of the fifth century, for parents to dedicate their children very young to the service of the church. For this purpose they were taken into the bishop's family, and educated under him by some grave and discreet person whom the bishop deputed for that purpose, and set over them, by the name of Presbyter or Magister Disciplinæ, whose chief business it was to inspect their behaviour, and instruct them in the rules and discipline of the church. MAGNANIMITY, greatness of soul; a disposition of mind exerted in contemning dangers and difficulties, in scorning temptations, and despising earthly pomp and splendour. Cic. de offic. lec. i. ch. 20; Grove's Moral Phil. p. 268, vol. ii. See articles COURAGE, FORTITUDE, in this work; Steel's Christian Hero; Watts on Self-Murder. MAHOMETANISM, the system of religion formed and propagated by Mahomet, and still adhered to by his followers. It is professed by the Turks and Persians, by several nations among the Africans, and many among the East Indians. Mahomet was born in the reign of Anushirwan the Just, emperor of Persia, about the end of the sixth century of the Christian era. He came into the world under some disadvantages. His father Abd'allah was a younger son of Abd'almotalleb, and dying very young, and in his father's life-time, left his widow and an infant son in very mean cir cumstances, his whole subsistence consisting but of five camels and one Ethiopian she slave. Abd'almotalleb was therefore obliged to take care of his grandchild Mahomet; which he not only did during his life, but at his death enjoined his eldest son Abu Taleb, who was brother to Abd'allah by the same mother, to provide for him for the future; which he very affectionately did, and instructed him in the business of a merchant, which he followed; and to that end he took him into Syria, when he was but thirteen. He afterwards recommended him to Khadijah, a noble and rich widow, for her factor; in whose service he behaved himself so well, that by making him her husband, she soon raised him to an equality with the richest in Mecca. After he began by this advantageous match to live at his ease, it was, that he formed the scheme of establishing a new religion, or, as he expressed it, of replanting the only true and ancient one professed by Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and all the prophets, by destroying the gross idolatry into which the generality of his countrymen had fallen, and weeding out the corruptions and superstitions which the latter Jews and Christians had, as he thought, introduced into their religion, and reducing it to its original purity, which consisted chiefly in the worship of one God. Before he made any attempt abroad, he rightly judged that it was necessary for him to begin with the conversion of his own household. Having, therefore, retired with his family, as he had done several times before, to a cave in mount Hara, he there opened the secret of his mission to his wife Khadijah; and acquainted her, that the angel Gabriel had just before appeared to him, and told him that he was appointed the apostle of God: he also repeated to her a passage which he pretended had been revealed to him by the ministry of the angel, with those other circumstances of this first appearance which are related by the Mahometan writers. Khadijah received the news with great joy, swearing by Him in whose hands her soul was, that she trusted he would be the prophet of his nation; and immediately communicated what she had heard to her cousin Warakah Ebn Nawfal, who, being Christian, could write in the Hebrew character, and was tolerably well versed in the Scriptures; and he readily came into her opinion, assuring her that the same angel who had formerly appeared unto Moses was now sent to Mahomet. The first overture the prophet made was in the month of Ramadan, in the fortieth year of his. age, which is therefore usually called the year of his mission. Encouraged by so good a beginning, he resolved to proceed, and try for some time what he could do by private persuasion, not daring to hazard the whole affair by exposing it too suddenly to the public. He soon made proselytes of those under his own roof, viz. his wife Khadijah, his servant Zeid Ebn Haretha, to whom he gave his freedom on that occasion (which afterwards became a rule to his followers,) and his cousin and pupil Ali, the son of Abu Taleb, though then very young: but this last, making no account of the other two, used to style himself the first of believers. The next person Mahomet ap|| plied to was Abd’allah Ebn Abi Kohafa, surnamed Abu Becr, a man of great authority among the Koreish, and one whose interest he well knew would be of great service to him; as it soon appeared; for Abu Becr, being gained over, prevailed also on Othman Ebn Affan, Abd'alraham Ebn Awf, Saad Ebn Abbi Wakkus, At Zobeir al Awam, and Telha Ebn Obeid'allah, all principal men of Mecca, to follow his example. These men were six chief companions, who, with a few more, were converted in the space of three years: at the end of which Mahomet having as he hoped, a sufficient interest to support him, made his mission no longer a secret, but gave out that God had commanded him to admonish his near relations; and in order to do it with more convenience and prospect of success, he directed Ali to prepare an entertainment and invited the sons and descendants of Abd'almotalleb, intending then to open his mind to them.-This was done, and about forty of them came; but Abu Laheb, one of his uncles, making the company break up before Mahomet had an opportunity of speaking, obliged him to give them a second invitation the next day; and when they were come, he made them the following speech: "I know no man in all Arabia who can offer his kindred a more exellent thing than I now do to you; I offer you happiness both in this life, and in that which is to come: God Almighty hath commanded me to call you unto him. Who, therefore, among you will be assistant to me herein, and become my brother and my vicegerent?" All of them hesitating and declining the matter, Ali at length rose up, and declared that he would be his assistant, and ve writers unanimously attest, even professed the Mahometan religion. In the sixth year of his mission, Ma hemently threatened those who should oppose him. Mahomet upon this embraced Ali with great demonstrations of affection, and desired all who were pre-homet had the pleasure of seeing his sent to hearken to and obey him as his deputy; at which the company broke out into a great laughter, telling Abu Taleb that he must now pay obedience to his son. party strengthened by the conversion of his uncle Hamza, a man of great valour and merit; and of Omar Ebn al Kattab, a person highly esteemed, and once a violent opposer of the prophet. As persecution generally advances rather than obstructs the spreading of a religion, Islamism made so great a progress among the Arab tribes, that the Koreish, to suppress it effectually if possible, in the seventh year of Mahomet's mission, made a solemn league or covenant against the Hashemites, and the family of Abd'almotalleb, engaging themselves to contract no marriages with any of them, and to have no communication with them; and to give it the greater sanction, reduced it into writing, and laid it up in the Caaba. Upon this the tribe became divided into two factions; and the family of Hasham all repaired to Abu Taleb, as their head; except only Abd'al Uzza, surnamed Abu Laheb, who, out of inveterate hatred to his nephew and his doctrine, went over to the opposite party, whose chief was Abu Sosian Ebn Harb, of the family of Ommeya. This repulse, however, was so far from discouraging Mahomet, that he began to preach in public to the people, who heard him with some patience, till he came to upbraid them with the idolatry, obstinacy, and perverseness of themselves and their fathers; which so highly provoked them, that they declared themselves his enemies; and would soon have procured his ruin, had 'he not been protected by Abu Taleb. The chief of the Koreish warmly solicited this person to desert his nephew, making frequent remonstrances against the innovations he was attempting: which proving ineffectual, they at length threatened him with an open rupture if he did not prevail on Mahomet to desist. At this Abu Taleb was so far moved, that he earnestly dissuaded his nephew from pursuing the affair any farther, representing the great danger that he and his friends must otherwise run. But Mahomet was not to be in- The families continued thus at vatimidated; telling his uncle plainly, that ||riance for three years; but in the tenth if they set the sun against him on his year of his mission, Mahomet told his right hand, and the moon on his left, he uncle Abu Taleb, that God had maniwould not leave his enterprise: and festly showed his disapprobation of the Abu Taleb, seeing him so firmly re-league which the Koreish had made solved to proceed, used no farther arguments, but promised to stand by him against all his enemies. deliver his nephew up to them; but, in case it were true, he insisted that they ought to lay aside their animosity, and annul the league they had made against the Hashemites. To this they acquiesced; and, going to inspect the writing, to their great astonishment found it to be as Abu Taleb had said; and the league was thereupon declared void. against them by sending a worm to eat out every word of the instrument except the name of God. Of this accident The Koreish, finding they could pre- Mahomet had probably some private vail neither by fair words nor menaces, notice; for Abu Taleb went immediately tried what they could do by force and to the Koreish, and acquainted them ill treatment; using Mahomet's follow-with it; offering, if it proved false, to ers so very injuriously, that it was not safe for them to continue at Mecca any longer; whereupon Mahomet gave leave to such of them as had no friends to protect them to seek for refuge elsewhere. And accordingly, in the fifth year of the prophet's mission, sixteen of them, four of whom were women, fled into Ethiopia; and among them Othman Ebn Affan, and his wife Ra- In the same year Abu Taleb died at kiah, Mahomet's daughter. This was the age of above fourscore; and it is the the first flight; but afterwards several general opinion that he died an infidel; others followed them, retiring, one af- though others say, that when he was at ter another, to the number of eighty- the point of death he embraced Mahothree men, and eighteen women, be- metanism, and produce some passages sides children. These refugees were out of his poetical compositions to conkindly received by the Najashi, or king firm their assertion. About a month, of Ethiopia, who refused to deliver or, as some write, three days after the them up to those whom the Koreish death of this great benefactor and pasent to demand them, and, as the Arabtron, Mahomet had the additional mor |