reign of God had existed as long as the Jaw 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 thought would succeed to the Christian religion, as the Christian had succeeded to that of Mo ses AMAZEMENT, a term sometimes employed to express our wonder; but it is rather to be considered as a medium between wonder and astonishment. It is manifestly borrowed from the extensive and complicated intricacies of a labyrinth, in which there are endless mazes without the discovery of a clue. Hence an idea is conveyed of more than simple wonder; the mind is lost in wonder. See WONDER. AMBITION, a desire of excelling, or at least of being thought to excel, our neighbours in any thing. It is generally used in a bad sense for an immoderate or illegal pursuit of power or honour. See PRAISE. AMEDIANS, a congregation of religious in Italy; so called from their professing themselves amantes Deum, lovers of God;" or rather amati Deo, "beloved of God." They wore a gray habit ad wo den shoes, had no breech es, and girt themselves with 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 Socolanti, or wooden shoe wearers. AMEN, a Hebrew word, which, when prefixed to an assertion, signifies assuredly, certainly, or emphatically, so it is; but when it concludes a prayer, so be it, or so let it be, is its manifest import. In the former case. it is assertive, or assures of a truth or a fact; and is an asseveration, and is properly 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 passage, 1 Cor. xiv. 16, and was continued among 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 low though audible voice, add their amen to almost every sentence, as it proceeds from the lips of him who is praying. As this has a tendency to interrupt the devotion of those that are near them, and may disconcert the thoughts of him who leads the worship, it would be better omitted, and a mental amen is sufficient. 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. The AMMONIANS. See NEW PLATO NICS. AMSDORFIANS, a sect, in the sixteenth century, who took their name from Amsdorf, their leader. They maintained, that good works were not only unprofitable, but were obstacles to salvation. AMYRALDISM, a name given by some writers to the doctrine of universal grace, as explained and asserted by Amyraldus, or Moses Amyrault, and others, his followers, among the reformed in France, towards the middle of the seventeenth century. This doctrine principally consisted of the following particulars, viz. that God desires the happiness of all men, and none are excluded by a divine decree; that none can obtain salvation without faith in Christ; that God refuses to none the power of believing, though he does not grant to all his assistance that they may improve this power to saving purposes; and that they may perish through their own fault. Those who embraced this doctrine were called Universalists; though it is evident they rendered grace universul in words, but partial in reality. See CAMERONITES. ANABAPTISTS, those who maintain that baptism ought always to be performed by immersion. The word is compounded of ava, "new," and Bradioane, " a Baptist," signifying that those who have been baptized in their infancy, ought to be baptized anew. It is a word which has been indiscriminately applied to Christians of very different principles and practices. The English and Dutch Baptists do not consider the word as at all applicable to their sect; because those persons whom they baptize they consider as never having been baptized before, although they have undergone what they term the ceremony of sprinkling in their infancy. The Anabaptists of Germany, besides governments, and magistrates of every kind, under the chimerical pretext that Christ himself was now to take the reins of all government into his hands: but this seditious crowd was routed and dispersed by the elector of Saxony and other princes, and Munzer, their leader, put to death. their notions concerning baptism, de- | pended 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 plantled at Munster, under two leaders of of reformation, undertook a more perfect plan, or more properly, a visionary enterprise, to found a new church entirely spiritual and divine. Many of his followers, however, survived, and propagated their opinions through Germany, Switzerland, and Holland. In 1533, a party of them set the names of Matthias and Bockholdt. Having made themselves masters of the city, they deposed the magistrates, confiscated the estates of such as had esca which they called Mount Sion, that from thence they might reduce all the nations of the earth under their dominion. Matthias was soon cut off by the bishop of Munster's army, and was succeeded by Bockholdt, 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 seige, and Bockholdt punished with death. This sect was soon joined by great||ped, and deposited the wealth in a pubnumbers, whose characters and capaci lic treasury for common use. They ties were very different. Their progress made preparations for the defence of was rapid; for, in a very short space of the city; invited the Anabaptists in the time, their discourses, visions, and pre-low countries to assemble at Munster, dictions, excited great commotions in a great part of Europe. The most per nicious 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 impulse, and were armed against all opposition by the power of working miracles. It was this faction that, in the year 1521, began their fanatical work under the guidance of Munzer, Stubner, Storick, &c. These men taught, that, among Christiaus, who had It must be acknowledged that the true the precepts of the gospel to direct, and, rise of the insurrections of this period the Spirit of God to guide them, the of- ought not to be attributed to religious fice of magistracy was not only unneces- opinions. The first insurgents groaned sary, pet an unlawful encroachment on under severe oppressions, and took up their spiritual liberty; that the distinc- arms in defence of their civil liberties; tions occasioned by birth, rank. orand of these commotions the Anabapwealth, should be abolished; that altists seem rather to have availed themChristians, throwing their possessions 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 pre cepts of the New Testament, had prohibited polygamy, they should use the same liberty as the patriarchs did in this respect. selves, than to have been the prime movers. That a great part were Anabaptists. seems indisputable; at the same time is appears from history, that a great part also were Roman catholics, and a still greater part of those who had scarcely any religious principles at all. Indeed, when we read of the vast numbers that were concerned in these inThey employed, at first, the various surrections, of whom it is reported that arts of persuasion, in order to propa 100,000 fell by the sword, it appears gate their doctrines; and related a num-reasonable to conclude that they were ber of visions and revelations, with which not all Anabaptists. they pretended to have been favoured from above; but, when they found that this would not avail, and that the ministry of Luther and other reformers was detrimental to their cause, they then madly attempted to propagate their sentiments by force of arms. Munzer and his associates, in the year 1525, put themselves at the head of a numerous army, and declared war against all laws, || It is but justice to observe also, that the Baptists in England and Holland are to be considered in a different light from those above mentioned: they profess an equal aversion to all principles of rebellion on the one hand, and to enthusiasm on the other See Robertson's Hist. of Charles V. Enc. Brit. vol. i. p. 644; and articles BAPTISTS and MENNONITĖS. our readers to bishop Butler's excellent treatise on that subject. ANACHORETS, or ANCHORITES, a sort of monks in the primitive church, who retired from the society of mankind into some desert, with a view to avoid the temptations of the world, and to be more at leisure for prayer, meditation, &c. Such were Paul, Anthony, and Hilarion, the first founders of monastic life in Egypt and Palestine. ANALOGY OF FAITH, is the proportion that the doctrines of the gospel bear to each other, or the close connexion between the truths of revealed religion, Rom. xii. 6. This is considered as a grand rule for understanding the true sense of scripture. It is evident that the Almighty doth not act without a design in the system of Christianity any more than he does in the works of nature. Now this design must be uniform; for as in the system of the universe ANAGOGICAL, signifies mvsterievery part is proportioned to the whole ous, transporting; and is used to exand made subservient to it, so in the sys-press whatever elevates the mind, not tem of the Gospel all the various truths, only to the knowledge of divine things, doctrines, declarations precepts, and but of divine things in the next life. The promises, must correspond with, and word is seldom used, but with regard to tend to the end designed. For instance, the different senses of scripture. The supposing the glory of God in the sal- anagogical sense is, when the sacred vation of man by free grace be the grand text is explained with regard to eternal design: then whatever doctrine, asser-lite, the point which Christians should tion, or hypothesis, agree not with this. have in view; for example, the rest of it is to be considered as false.-Great the sabbath, in the anagogical sense, care, however, must be taken in making signifies the repose of everlasting hapuse of this method, that the inquirer prepiness. viously understand the whole scheme, ANATHEMA, imports whatever is and that he harbour not a predeliction set apart, separated, or divided; but is enly for a part; without attention to this most usually meant to express the cutwe shall be liable to error. If we come tog ff of a person from the communion the scriptures with any pre-conceived of the faithful. It was practised in the opinions, and are more desirous to put primitive church against notorious ofthat sense upon the text which quad- fenders. Several councils also have prorates with our sentiments rather than nounced anathemas against such as they the truth, it becomes then the analogy thought corrupted the purity of the of our faith, rather than that of the faith, Anathema Meranatha, mentionwhole system. This was the source of ed by Paul, (1 Cor. xiv: 22.) imports that the error of the Jews. in our Saviour's he who loves not the Lord Jesus will be time. They searched the scriptures; accursed at his coming. Anathema sigbut, such were their favourite opinions, nifies a thing devoted to destruction, and that they could not, or would not disco- Maranatha is a Syriac word, signifying ver that the sacred volume testified of the Lord comes. It is probable in this Christ. And the reason was evident, passage there is an allusion to the form for their great rule of interpretation of the Jews, who when unable to inflict was what they might call the analogy so great a punishment as the crime deof faith; i. e. the system of the Phariserved devoted the culprit to the imsean scribes, the doctrine then in vegue, mediate vindictive retribution of divine and in the profound veneration of which vengeance, both in this life and in a futhey had been educated. Perhaps there is hardly any sect but what has more or ANDRONA, a term used for that less been guilty in this respect. It may, part in churches which was destined for however be of use to the serious and the men. Anciently it was the custom candid inquirer; for as some texts may for the men and women to have sepaseem to contradict each other, and dif-rate apartments in places of worship, ficulties present themselves, by keeping where they performed their devotions the analogy of faith in view, he will the asunder, which method is still religiousmore easily resolve those difficulties, ly observed in the Greek church. and collect the true sense of the sacred ANGEL, a spiritual intelligent sub. oracles. What "the aphorisms of Hipstance, the first in rank and dignity pocrates are to a physician, the axioms among created beings. The word angel in geometry to a mathematician, the (e) is Greek, and signifies a mesadjudged cases in law to a counsellor, or senger. The Hebrew word 782 signi the maxims of war to a general, such is fies the same. Angels, therefore, in the the analogy of faith to a Christian." Of proper signification of the word, do not the analogy of religion to the constitu- import the nature of any being, but only tion and course of nature, we must refer "the cffice to which they are appointed ture state. especially by way of message or intercourse between God and his creatures. Hence the word is used differently in various parts of the scripture, and sig nifies, 1. Human messengers, or agents for others 2 Sam. ii. 5. “ David sent Messengers (Heb. angels) to Jabesh Gilead, Prov. xiii. 17 Mark i. 2. James ii. 25-2. Officers of the churches, whether prophets or ordinary ministers, Hag. i. 13. Rev. i. 20-3. Jesus Christ, Mal. iii 1. Isa. Ixiii. 9.-4. Some add the dispensations of God's providence, either beneficial or calamitous, Gen. xxiv. 7. Ps xxxiv. 7. Acts xii. 23. 1 Sam. xiv 14; but I must confess, that, though I do not at all see the impropriety of considering the providences of God as his angels or messengers for good or for evil, yet the passages gene rally adduced under this head do not prove to me that the providences of God are meant in distinction from created angels-5. Created intelligences, both good an bad, Heb. i. 14. Jude 6, the subject of the present article.-As to the time when the angels were created, much has been said by the learned Some wonder that Moses, in his account of the creation, should pass over this in silence. Others suppose that he did this because of the proneness of the Gentile .world, and even the Jews, to idolatry;|| but a better reason has been assigned by others, viz. that this first history was purposely and principally written for information concerning the visible world; the invisible, of which we know but in part, being reserved for a better life Some think that the idea of God's not creating them before this world was made, is very contracted. To suppose, say they, that no creatures whatever, neither angels nor other worlds, had been created previous to the creation of our world, is to suppose that a Being of infinite power, wisdom, and good ness, had remained totally inactive from all eternity and had permitted the in finity of space to continue a perfect vacuum till within these 6000 years; that such an idea only tends to discredit revelation, instead of serving it. On the other hand it is alleged, that they must have been created within the six days; because it is said, that within this space God made heaven and earth, and all things that are therein It is, however, a needless speculation, and we dare not indulge a spirit of conjecture. It is our happiness to know that they are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who are heirs of Salvation. As to the nature of these beings, we are told that they are spirits; but whether pure spirits divested of all matter, or united in some thin bodies, or corporeal vehicles, has been a controversy of long standing: the more general opinion is, that they are substances entirely spiritual, though they can at any time assume bodies, and appear in human shape, Gen. xviii. and 'x:x. Gen. xxxii. Matt. xxviii. Luke i. &c. The scriptures represent them as endued with extraordinaay_wisdom and power, 2 Sam. xiv. 20. Ps. ciii. 20; holy, and regular in their inclinations; zealous in their employ, and completely happy in their minds, Job xxxviii. 7. Heb. i. 7. Matt. xviii. 10. Their number seems to be great, P's. lxviii. 17. Heb. xii. 22; and perhaps have distinct orders, Col. i. 16, 17. 1 Pet. iii. 22. 1 Thes. iv. 16. Dan x. 13. They are delighted with the grand scheme of redemption, and the conversion of sinners to God. Luke ii. 12. 1 Pet. i. 12. Luke xv. 10. They not only worship God, and execute his commands at large, but are attendant on the saints of God while here below, Ps. xci. 11, 12. Heb. i. 13. Luke xvi. 22. Some conjecture that every good man has his particular guardian angel, Matt. xviii. 10. Acts xii. 15; but this is easier to be supposed than to be proved; nor is it a matter of consequence to know. "What need we dispute." says Heary, "whether every particular saint has a guardian angel, when we are sure he has a guard of angels about him?" They will gather the elect in the last day, attend the final judgment, Matt. xxv. 31. Rev. xiv. 18. Matt. xiii. 39, and live for ever in the world of glory, Luke xx 56. Although the angels were originally created perfect, yet they were mutable: some of them sinned, and kept not their first estate; and so of the most blessed and glorious, became the most vile and miserable of all God's creatures. They were expelled the regions of light, and with heaven lost their heavenly dispo sition, and fell into a settled rancour against God, and malice against men. What their offence was is difficult to de termine, the scripture being silent about it. Some think envy, others unbelief; but most suppose it was pride. As to the time of their fall, we are cer tain it could not be before the sixth day of the creation, because on that day it is said, "God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good;" but that it was not long after is very probable, as it must have preceded the fall of our first parents. The number of the fallen angels seems to be great, and like the holy angels, perhaps have various orders among them, Matt. xii. 24. Eph. ii. 2. Eph vi. 12. Col. ii. 15. Rev. xii 7. || they were construed into indications of Their constant employ is not only doing malice; the inducement which prompted evil themselves, but endeavouring by all our adversary to act as he did, and how arts to seduce and pervert mankind, 1 powerfully the same inducement has, at Pet. v. 8. Job i. 6. It is supposed they one time or other, operated upon ourwill be restrained during the millennium, selves; that he is suffering, perhaps, unRev xx. 2, but afterwards again, for ader a contrition, which he is ashamed, short time, deceive the nations, Rev. xx or wants opportunity to confess; and 8, and then be finally punished, Matt.how ungenerous it is to triumph by coldxxv. 41. The authors who have written ness or insult over a spirit already humon this subject have been very numerous; bled in secret; that the returns of kindwe shall only refer to a few; Reynolds'sness are sweet, and that there is neither Inquiry into the State and Economy of honour, nor virtue, nor use, in re-isting the Angelical world; Doddridge's Lect. them; for some persons think themp. 10. lect. 210 to 214; Milton's Para- selves bound to cherish and keep alive dise Lost; Bp Newton's Works, vol. their indignation, when they find it dyiii p. 58, 568; Shepherd of Angels;ing away of itself. We may remember Gilpin on Temptation; Casmanni An that others have their passions, their gelographia; Gill and Ridgeley's Bo-prejudices, their favourite aims, their dies of Divinity. fears, their cautions, their interests, ANGELICS, an ancient sect, suppo- their sudden impulses, their varieties of sed by some to have got this appellation | from their excessive veneration of an gels, and by others from maintaining that the world was created by angels. apprehension, as well as we : we may recollect what hath sometimes passed in our own minds when we have got on the wrong side of a quarrel, and imagine the ANGELITES, a sect in the reign of same to be passing in our adversary's the emperor Anastasius, about the year mind now: when we became sensi494; so called from Anglium, a placeble of our misbehaviour, what palliain the city of Alexandria where theytions we perceived in it, and expected held their first meetings. They were others to perceive; how we were affectcalled, likewise Severitcs, from Severused by the kindness, and felt the supewho was the head of their sect; as also riority of a generous reception, and reaTheodosians, from one Theodosius, dy forgiveness; how persecution revi whom they made pope at Al xandria ved our spirits with our enmity, and They held that the persons of the tri-seemed to justify the conduct in ournity are not the same; that none of selves, which we before blamed. Add to them exists of himself, and of his own this the indecency of extravagant annature; but that there is a commonger; how it renders us while it lasts, the God or Deity existing in them all, and scorn and sport of all about us, of which that each is God by a participation of it leaves us, when it ceases, sensible and this Deity. ashamed; the inconveniences and irreANGER, a violent passion of thetrievable misconduct into which our irmind, arising upon the receipt, or suprascibility has sometimes betrayed us; posed receipt, of any injury, with a pre-the friendships it has lost us; the dissent purpose of revenge. All anger istresses and embarrassments in which by no means sinful; it was designed by we have been involved by it; and the the Author of our nature for self-de-rep ntance which, on one account or fence: nor is it altogether a selfish pas other, it always costs us. But the reflecsion, since it is excited by injuries offer-tion, calculated above all others to allay ed to others as well as ourselves. and that haughtiness of temper which is sometimes prompts us to reclaim offen-ever finding out provocations, and which ders from sin and danger, Eph. iv. 26; renders anger so impetuous, is that but it becomes sinful when conceived which the Gospel proposes; namely, upon trivial occasions or inadequate that we ourselves are, or shortly shall provocations; when it breaks forth into be, supplicants for mercy and pardon at outrageous actions; vents itself in revi- the judgment seat of God. Imagine our ling language, or is concealed in our secret sins all disclosed and brought to thoughts to the degree of hatred.. Tolight; imagine us thus humbled and exsuppress this passion, the following re-posed; trembling under the hand of flections of arch-deacon Paley, may not God: casting ourselves on his compasbe unsuitable: "We should consider thesion; crying out for mercy; imagine possibility of mistaking the motives from which the conduct that offends us pro ceeded; how often our offences have been the effect of inadvertency, when such a creature to talk of satisfaction and revenge; refusing to be entreated, disdaining to forgive; extreme to mark and to resent what is done amiss; ima |