their churches. They are a branch of the Cophts. *ACACIANS, two ancient sects, the one followers of Acacius, an Arian Bishop of Casarea: the other named after Acacius, Patriarch of Constantinople, who favoured the Eutychians.t *ACADEMICS, an ancient Philosophical sect, which taught in a grove near Athens, sacred to Academus, who was one of their heroes. They were originally the disciples of Socrates and Plato; but in after times neglected the plain and useful truths which they had taught, and devoted themselves to the most abstruse and incomprehensible studies: they have been confounded, by Mr. Hume and others, with the Sceptics.+ ACEPHALI, [headless,] a branch of the Eutychians, who had been deserted by their chief. ADAMITES, a denomination in the second century, who asserted, that since their redemption by the death of Christ they were as innocent as Adam before the fall, and are accused of praying naked in their assemblies. It was renewed in the fifteenth century by one Picard, a native of Flanders.§ ADESSENARIANS, [from Adesse, to be present,] a branch of the Sacramentarians, believ ed the literal presence of Christ's body in the elements of the eucharist, though in a different manner from the Romanists. ADIAPHORISTS, those moderate Lutherans who followed Melancthon, and subscribed the interim. See Lutherans. ADOPTIANI, a sect, who in the eighth century, taught that Jesus Christ was not the natural, but adopted Son of God. AERIANS, a denomination which arose about the year 342. They were so called from one Aerius, a monk, and Semi-Arian. He opposed episcopacy, prayers for the dead, stated fasts and feasts, &c. AETIANS, a branch of Arians in the fourth century, who are said to have maintained that faith without works was sufficient to salvation; and that no sin, however grievous, would be imputed to the faithful; and they pretended to immediate revelations.** AFGHANS, a people in India, inhabiting a province of Cabul, or Cabulistan, who boast of being descended from Saul, the first king of Israel. They say that their great ancestor was raised from the rank of a shepherd, not for any † Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, vol. i. p. 10. Ency. Brit. Ency. Perthens. § Mosheim, vol. i. p. 418. Broughton's Hist. Library, vol. i. P. 49. Dict. of Arts and Scien. vol. i. p. 49. 1 Mosheim, vol. i. p. 314. Broughton, vol. i. p. 24. ** princely qualities which he possessed, but because his stature was exactly equal to the length of a rod given by the angel Gabriel to the prophet Samuel, as the measure of royal stature. This story is supposed to be one of the fictions which Mahomet borrowed from the the latter rabbins. Sir William Jones, however, though he gave no credit to this fable, seems to have had no doubt but that the Afghans are descendants of Israel carried off in the captivity of the ten tribes. This great man strongly recommended an inquiry into the language, literature, and history of the Afghans. "We learn," said he, "from Esdras, that the ten tribes, after a wandering journey, came to a country, called Arsareth, where we may suppose they settled. Now the best Persian historians affirm, that the Afghans are descended from the Jews; and they have among themselves traditions of the same import. It is even asserted that their families are distinguished by the names of Jewish tribes, though since their conversion to Islamism they have studiously concealed their origin. The language they use has a manifest resemblance to the Chaldaic, and a considerable district under their dominions is called Hazareth, which might p. 336. easily have been changed from Arsareth."* AGNOETÆ, [unknowing,] a denomination of the fourth century, followers of Theophronius, the Cappadocian, who called in question the omniscience of God; alleging that he knew things past only by memory, and future only by an uncertain prescience. Another sect of the same name arose about the year 535, who followed the sentiments of Themistius, deacon of Alexandria, who, from Mark xiii. 32, denied that Christ, in any sense, knew the day of judgment.t *AGONISTICI, a name given to certain followers of Donatus, who used to attend the public markets, fairs, &c. to contend in favour of his principles. They were properly itinerant Polemics; and are sometimes called Circuitores, Circelliones, &c. AGYNIANS, a small sect about the end of the seventh century. They condemned the use of certain meats, and marriage, whence their name. ALBANENSES, and ALBANOIS were petty sects of the eighth century, the probable remains of the Gnostics and Mancheans, which see. ALBIGENSES, so called from their first residence in Albi and Albigeois. A denomination remarkable for their oppo Asiatic Researches, vol. ii. p. 76, and Works of Sir William Jones vol. i. sition to the discipline and ceremonies of the church of Rome. Their opinions were similar to the Waldenses, which see. his time the reign of the Holy Spirit commenced, in which the sacraments and all external worship were to be abolished.† ALOGIANS, a denomination in Asia Minor in the second century; so called because they denied the divine λóys, or word, and the writings of St. John, attributing them to Cerinthus. But Dr. Lardner denies the existence of such a sect, as not being mentioned by any contemporary writer.‡ ALLENITES, the disciples of Henry Allen, of Nova Scotia, who began to propagate his doctrines in that country about the year 1778, and died in 1783, during which time he made many proselytes, and at his death left a considerable party behind him, though now much declined. He published several treatises and sermons, in which he declares, that the souls of all the human race are a emanations, or rather parts of the one great Spirit; that they were all present in Eden, and were actually in the first transgression. He supposes that our first parents in innocency were pure spirits, and that the material world was not then made; but that in consequence of the fall, that mankind might not sink into utter destruction, the world was produced, and men clothed with material bodies; and that all the human race will, in their turn, be invested with such bodies, and in them enjoy a state of probation for immortal happiness.* ALMARICIANS, the followers of Almaric, professor of logic and theology at Paris, in the fifteenth century. He opposed the worship of saints and images; and his enemies charged him with maintaining that in *AMERICAN SECT, New, congregation lately arisen in Pennsylvania, among the Welsh emigrants to that country under the auspices of the late Rev. M. J. Rees, who died at Somerset, in that state, in 1804. Their tenets are comprised in the following articles of their religious constitution. The convention shall be called the Christian Church, and never by any other name. Jesus Christ is the only head: believers in him, the only members and the New Testament, the only rule of the fraternity. In mental matters, each member shall enjoy his own sentiments, and freely discuss every subject: but in discipline, a strict conformity with the precepts of Christ is required. Every distant society shall have the same power of admitting members, electing officers, &c. Delegates from the different congre Manuscript from a clergyman in Nova Scotia, 1783. + Mosheim, vol. ii. p. 120, &c. Broughton, vol. i. p. 33. § Lardner's Heretics, p 446 gations shall meet from time to time, to consult the general interest. At every meeting for religious worship, collections shall be made for the poor, and the promulgation of the gospel among the Heathen.* AMMONIANS, so called from Ammonius Saccas, who taught with the highest applause in the Alexandrian school, about the conclusion of the second century. This learned man at tempted a general reconciliation of all sects, whether philosophical or religious; his creed was therefore a mixture of Christianity and oriental Philosophy, in which he was deeply skilled. With regard to moral discipline, Ammonius permitted the people to live according to the law of their country, and the dictates of nature: but a more sublime rule was laid down for the wise. They were to raise above all terrestrial things, by the towering efforts of holy contemplation, those souls, whose origin was celestial and divine. They were ordered to extenuate, by hunger, thirst, and other mortifications, the sluggish body, which restrains the liberty of the immortal spirit, that in this life they might enjoy communion with the supreme Being, and ascend af ter death, active and unincumbered to the universal Parent, to live in his presence forever. * Evans' Sketch of all Religions. AMSDORFIANS, the followers of Amsdorf, a kind of Antinomians in the sixteenth century, who are said to have maintained that good works were not only unprofitable, but even opposite and pernicious to salvation. *ANABAPTISTS, (re-baptizers,) a sect which arose in the time of Luther's Reformation in Germany, and excited various insurrections, under pretence of erecting the kingdom of Christ on earth.§ See Fifth Monarchy Men. It is but justice to remark, that this sect agreed scarcely in any thing with the modern Baptists, except in the circumstances of rejecting infant baptism, and practising immersion. See Baptists. *ANCHORITES, (or Anchorets,) Hermits: certain primitive monks who chose the solitude of caves and deserts to avoid the temptations of the world. ANGELITES, a denomination which sprung up about the year 494; so called from Angelium, in Alexandria, where they held, their first meetings. They were called likewise from different leaders, Serverites, Damianists and Theodosians. They denied that either of the persons of the Trinity were self-existent; but taught there is a common Deity existing in them all; and that each is God † Mosheim, vol. i. p. 137-144. § Scotch Theolog. Dict. by a participation of this Deity.* ANOMEANS, a name by which the pure Arians were distinguished in the fourth century, from the Semi-Arians. The word is taken from 'Avó0105, different, dissimilar. See Arians. while Luther was eagerly employed in censuring and refuting the popish doctors, who mixed the law and gospel together, and represented eternal happiness as the fruit of legal obedience, a new teacher arose, whose name was John Agricola, a native of Isleben, and an ANTHROPOMORPHITES, eminent doctor in the Lutheran a sect in the tenth century; so denominated from Avepas Ανθρωπος man, and Mopon shape: because they maintained that the Deity was clothed with a human form, and seated like an earthly monarch upon a throne of state; and that his angelic ministers were beings arrayed in white garments, and furnished with natural wings. They take every thing spoken of God in scripture in a literal sense, particularly when it is said that God made man after his own image.t *ANTIBURGHERS, dissenters from the Church of Scotland, chiefly in matters of church government; and from the Burgher Seceders, in refusing the Burgess oath. See Burghers and Seceders.§ ANTINOMIANS. They derive their name from av agains, and voos law, as being against the moral law; not merely as a covenant of life, but also as a rule of conduct to believers. church. His fame began to spread in the year 1538, when from the doctrine of Luther now mentioned, he took occasion to advance sentiments which drew upon him the animadversion of that reformer. The doctrine of Agricola is said to be in itself obscure, and is thought to have been misrepresented by Luther, who wrote against him with acrimony, and first styled him and his followers Antinomians. Agricola defended himself, and complained that opinions were imputed to him, which he did not hold. The writings of Dr. Crisp, in the seventeenth century, have been generally considered as favourable to Antinomianism, though he acknowledges, that "in respect to the rule of righteousness, or the matter of obedience, we are under the law still; or else (as he adds) we are lawless, to live every man as seems good in his own eyes, which no true Christian dares so much as to think." The In the sixteenth century, following sentiments, however, * Broughton, vol. i. p. 49. Broughton, vol. i. p. 55. § Scotch Theolog. Dict. † Ibid. p. 51. Mosheim, vol. ii. p. 227. Mosheim, vol. iv. p. 321. |