among the Albigenses and Waldenses.

The Baptists subsist under two denominations; the particular or Calvinistical, and the general or Arminian. The former is by far the most numerous. Some of both denominations allow of mixed communion* with Pædobaptists; others disallow it, and allege, that it would be inconsistent in them to admit unbaptized persons, (as others are in their view,) to unite with them in this ordinance.

A few of this denomination observe the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath, apprehending the law which enjoined it not to have been repealed by Christ, or his apostles. See Sabbatarians.

A considerable number of the general Baptists have embraced Arianism, or Socinianism, on account of which several of their ministers and churches, who disapprove of these principles, have, within the last forty years, formed themselves into a distinct connexion, called The New Asso

ciation. The churches in this union keep up a friendly acquaintance in some outward things, with those from whom they are separated; but in things they deem more essential, disclaim any connexion with them; particularly as to changing ministers and the admission of members.

The Baptists in America, and in the East and West Indies, are chiefly Calvinists. But from nearly the first rise of this denomination in America, there have been some who have opposed a number of the principal articles in the Calvinistic creed. This party have increased, and are denominated Free Will Baptists. See Free Willers.

The Baptists in Scotland, having imbibed a considerable part of the principles of Glass and Sandeman, have no connexion with the others. When the English Baptists, however, engaged in a mission to the East, they very liberally contributed towards the translation of the scriptures into the Eastern languages.† See Haldamites.

The different denominations of Baptists all unite in pleading for universal liberty of conscience. See Mennonites, Dunkers, &c.

BARDESANISTES, a denomination in the second century, the followers of Bardesanes, a native of Edessa, and a man of a very acute and penetrating genius.

The sum of his doctrine was as follows:

I. That there is a Supreme God, pure and benevolent, absolutely free from all evil and imperfection; and that there is also a prince of darkness, the fountain of all evil, disorder, and misery.

II. That the Supreme God created the world without any mixture of evil in its composition: he gave existence also to its inhabitants, who came out of his forming hand, pure and incorrupt, endued with subtile ethereal bodies, and spirits of a celestial nature.

III. That, when the prince of darkness had enticed men to sin, then the Supreme God permitted them to fall into sluggish and gross bodies, formed of corrupt matter by the evil principle. He permitted also the depravation and disorder, which this malignant being introduced, both into the natural and moral world; designing, by this permission, to punish the degeneracy and rebellion

of an apostate race. And hence proceeds the perpetual conflict between reason and passion, in the mind of man.

IV. That, on this account, Jesus descended from the upper regions, clothed not with a real, but with a celestial and aërial body, and taught mankind to subdue that body of corruption, which they carry about with them in this mortal life; and by abstinence, fasting, and contemplation, to disengage themselves from the servitude and dominion of that malignant matter, which chained down the soul to low and ignoble pursuits.

V. That those, who submit themselves to the discipline of this Divine Teacher, shall, after the dissolution of this terrestial body, mount up to the mansions of felicity, clothed with ethereal vehicles, or celestial bodies.

This denomination was a branch of the Gnostics.* See Gnostics.

BARLAAMITES, a denomination in the sixteenth cenry, followers of Barlaam, a Neapolitan monk, who was called a heretic for asserting that the light, which surrounded Christ on Mount Tabor, was not an emanation of the divine essence.†

BASILIDIANS, a branch of the Egyptian Gnostics in the second century. They acknow

A. T. SCHROEDER.

1

ledged the existence of one supreme God, perfect in goodness and wisdom, who produced from his own substance seven beings, or aions, of a most excellent nature. Two of these aions, called Dunamis and Sophia, (i. e. power and wisdom,) engendered the angels of the highest order. These angels formed a heaven for their habitation, and brought forth others of a nature somewhat inferiour to their own, to the amount of three hundred and sixty five, under their mighty chief Abraxas.

It may be worthy of remark, that by this sect the word aion, from expressing only the duration of beings, was by a metonymy employed to signify the beings themselves. Thus the supreme Being was called aion; and the angels were distinguished by the title of aions. All this will lead us to the true meaning of that word among the Gnostics. They had formed to themselves the notion of an invisible world, composed of entities, or virtues, proceeding from the Supreme Being, and succeeding each other at certain intervals of time, so as to form an eternal chain, of which our world was the terminating link. To the beings which formed this eternal chain, the Gnostics assigned a certain term of duration, and a certain sphere of action. Their terms of duration were at first

called aions; and themselves were afterwards metonymically distinguished by that title.

These beings, advanced to the government of the world which they had created, fell by degrees from their original purity, and soon manifested the fatal marks of depravity and corruption.* See Gnostics.

BAXTERIANS, so called from the learned and pious Mr. Richard Baxter, who was born in the year 1615. His design was to reconcile Calvin and Arminius. For this purpose he formed a middle. scheme between their systems. He taught that God had elected some, whom he is determined to save, without any foresight of their good works: and that others to whom the gospel is preached have common grace, which if they improve, they shall obtain saving grace, according to the doctrine of Arminius. This denomination own, with Calvin, that the merits of Christ's death are to be applied to believers only; but they also assert that all men are in a state capable of salvation; to support which opinion, this learned author alleges, that it was the nature of all mankind which Christ assumed at his incarnation, and the sins of all mankind were the occasion of his suffering; that therefore it is not to the elect only, but to all mankind, that Christ has commanded his

holy Spirit, or breath of divine love in the triune creature, as in the triune Creator.-(3.) How some angels, and all men, are from God, and what they are in their fallen state. (4.) How the earth, stars, and elements were created, in consequence of the fall of angels.(5.) Whence there is good and evil in all this temporal world; and what is meant by the curse that dwells in it.-(6.) Of the kingdom of Christ, how it is set in opposition to the kingdom of hell.-(7.) How man, through faith in Christ, is able to overcome the kingdom of hell, and thereby obtain eternal salvation. (8.) How and why sin and misery shall only reign for a time, until God shall, in a supernatural way, make fallen man rise to the glory of angels.

The next year Behmen, produced his Three-fold Life of Man according to the three principles. In this work he treats more largely of the state of man in this world:-That he has-1. That immortal spark of life which is common to angels and devils-2. That divine life which forms the difference between both; and 3. The life of this external and visible world. The first and last are common to all men; but the second only belongs to a true Christian.

Behmen wrote several other treatises, but these are the basis of all his other writings. His

conceptions are often clothed under allegorical symbols; and in his latter writings he has frequently adopted chemical phrases, which he borrowed from conversation with learned men. But as to the matter contained in them, he disclaims having borrowed it either from men or books. He died in the year 1624, and his last words were, "Now I go hence into Paradise !"*

Behmen's principles were adopted by the late ingenious and pious Mr. Law, who has clothed them in a more modern dress, and in a less obscure style; for whose sentiments, see article Mystics.

BENEDICTINES, Monks of the order of St. Benedict, who were obliged to perform their devotions seven times a day, and subjected to many privations. They claim the honour of converting the English nation, and of founding the Metropolitan church of Canterbury.

BEREANS, a sect of Protestant Dissenters from the church of Scotland, who take their title from, and profess to follow the example of the ancient Bereans, (Acts xvii. 11.) in building their system of faith and practice upon the scriptures alone, without regard to any human authority whatever.

Mr. Barclay, a Scotch clergyman, was the founder of this denomination. They first as