and that such transgressions may be often as involuntary as the actions of a madman. (6.) That the person who takes an oath, or enters into a contract, may, to elude the force of the one and obligation of the other, add to the form of the words that express them, certain mental additions and tacit reservations. This entire society is composed of four sorts of members; viz. novices, scholars, spiritual and temporal coadjutors, and professed members. Beside the three ordinary vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, which are common to all the monastic tribes, the professed members are obliged to take a fourth, by which they solemnly bind themselves to go without deliberation or delay, wherever the pope shall think fit to send them they are governed by a general, who has four assistants. The inferiors of this order are required to consider their chief as infallible, entirely to renounce their own will in all things, and abandon themselves blindly to his conduct.* ILLUMINATI, i. e. the Enlightened, a denomination which appeared in Spain about the year 1575. They were charged with maintaining that mental prayer and contemplation had so intimately united them to God, that they were arrived to such a state of perfection, as to stand in no need of good works, or the sacra ments of the church, and that they might commit the grossest crimes without sin. After the suppression of the Illuminati in Spain, there appeared appeared a denomination in France which took the same name. They maintained that one Anthony Buckuet had a system of belief and practice revealed to him which exceeded every thing christianity had yet been acquainted with: that by this method persons might in a short time arrive at the same degrees of perfec tion and glory to which the saints and the blessed Virgin have attained; and this improvement might be carried on till our actions became divine, and our minds wholly given up to the influence of the Almighty. They said further, that none of the doctors of the church knew any thing *It is enjoined upon the Jesuits that they should use nothing, nor frequent any thing long enough to be attached to it; that their beds should not stand a week together in one part of their cells; that even their books of prayer should be frequently changed, lest the mind become occupied by other affections than those with which they wish it to be filled. Mosheim, vol. iii. p. 465. vol. iv. pp. 354, 355. History of Don Ignatius. Broughton, vol. i, p. 512. Critical Review, vol. lv. p. 309. of religion; that Paul and Peter were well meaning men, but knew nothing of devotion; that the whole church lay in darkness and unbelief; that every one was at liberty to follow the suggestions of his conscience; that God regarded nothing but himself; and that within ten years their doctrine would be received all over the world: then there would be no more occasion for priests, monks, and other such religious distinctions.* INDEPENDENTS, a denomination of protestants in England and Holland. They derive their name from their maintaining that every particular congregation of christions has an entire and complete power of jurisdiction over its members, to be exercised by the elders of each church within itself, without being subject to the authority of bishops, synods, presbyteries, or any ecclesiastical assembly composed of the deputies from different churches. This denomination appear ed in England in the year 1616. John Robinson, a Norfolk divine, was considered as their founder. He possessed sincere piety, and no inconsiderable share of learning, Perceiving defects in the denomination of the Brownists, to which he belonged, he em ployed his zeal and diligence, in correcting them, and in new modelling the society, in such a manner as to render it less odious to its adversaries. The doctrine of the Independents was similar to the Brownists; but they did not, like Brown, pour forth invectives against the churches which were governed by rules entirely different from theirs, nor pronounce them on that account unworthy the christian name. On the contrary, though they considered their own form of ecclesiastical government as of divine institution, and as originally introduced by the authority of the apostles, nay, by the apostles themselves; yet they acknowledged that true religion might flourish in those communities which were under the jurisdiction of bishops, or the government of synods and presbyteries. They were also much more attentive than the Brownists in keeping a regular ministry in their communities; for while, the latter allowed promiscuously all ranks and orders of men to teach in public, the Independents had, and still have ministers, chosen respectively by the congregations where they are fixed:. nor is any person among them permitted to speak in public, before he have submitted to a *Broughton, vol. i, pp, 523, 524. proper examination of his capacity and talents, and been approved of by the heads of the congregation. [Their grounds of separaration from the established church were, however, different from those of the other puritans. Many of them objected chiefly to its rites, ceremonies, vestments, or forms, or to the persons who were to govern it, while yet they were disposed to arm the magistrate in support of the truth, and regretted and complained that they could not on these accounts conform to it. But Robinson and his companions not only rejected the appointments of the church on these heads, but denied its authority to enact them; contending that a single congregation of christians was a church, and was independent of all legislation, save that of Christ; standing in need of no such provision or establishment as the state can bestow, and incapable of soliciting or receiving it. Hence they sought not to reform the church, but inculcated upon christians the duty of forsaking it. They admitted there were many godly men in its communion, and that it was reformed from the grossest errors of the man, of sin; but that it wanted what was essential to a true church of Jesus Christ.] In support of their scheme of congregational churches this denomination observe, that the word εκκλησια, which we translate church, is always used in scripture to signify either a single congregation, or the place where a single congregation meets. Thus that unlawful assembly at Ephesus, brought together against Paul by the craftsmen, is called a church. (Acts xix. 29-41.) The word, however, is generally applied to a more sacred use; but still it signifies either the holy assembling, or the place in which it assembles. The whole body of the disciples at Corinth is called the church, and spoken of as coming together into one place. (1 Cor. xiv. 23.) The whole nation of Israel is indeed called a church; but it was no more than a single congregation, for it had but one place of public worship; viz. first the tabernacle, and afterwards the temple. The catholic church of Christ, his holy nation and kingdom, is likewise a single congregation, having one place of worship; viz. heaven, where all the members assemble by faith, and hold communion, and in which they will in fact be one glorious assembly. We find it called the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, INVISIBLES, a name of distinction given to the disciples of Osiander, Flacius, Illyricus, Swenkfeld, &c., because they denied the perpetual visibility of the church.t JOACHIMITES, a denomination which appeared about the commencement of the thirteenth century; so called from Joachim, abbot of Sora, in Calabria. He foretold the destruction of the church of Rome, and the promulgation of a new and more perfect gospel, in the age of the holy Ghost, by a set of poor and austere ministers, whom God was to raise up and employ for that purpose. For he divided the world into three ages, relative to the three dispensations of religion which were to succeed each other. The two imperfect ages; viz. the age of the old testament, which was that of the Father; and the age of the new, which was under the administration of the Son, were, according to his predictions, now past; and the third age, even that of the holy Ghost, was at hand.‡ ISBRANIKI, a denomination which appeared in Russia about the year 1666, and assumed this name, which signifies the multitude of the elect. But they were called by their adversaries Rolskolsnika, or the seditious faction, They professed a rigorous zeal for the letter of the holy scriptures. They maintained that there is no subordination of rank among the faithful, and that a christian may kill himself for the love of Christ.§ JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS, The first rise of this denomination is placed under the reign of Adrian. For when this emperor had at length razed Jerusalem, entirely destroyed its very foundations, and enacted laws of the severest kind against the whole body of the jewish people, the greatest part of the christians who lived in Palestine, to prevent their being *Mosheim, vol. iv. p. 526. Neal's History of the Puritans, vol. iii. p. 142, Goodwin's Works, vol. iv. p. 71. Encyclopædia, vol. ix. p. 170. t Collier's Historical Dictionary. Mosheim, vol. iij. p. 66, § Ibid, vol. iv. p. 406. tive dignity, authority, and lustre. confounded with the jews, abandoned entirely the Mosaic rites, and chose a bishop, named Mark, a foreigner by nation, The body of Judaizing and an alien from the com- Christians, which set Christ monwealth of Israel. Those and Moses upon an equal who were strongly attached foot in point of authority, to the Mosaic rites separated were afterwards divided into from their brethren, and found two sects, extremely different ed at Pera, a country of Pa- both in their rites and opilestine, and in the neighbour- nions, and distinguished by ing parts, particular assem- the names of Nazarenes and blies, in which the law of Ebionites.* See Ebionites and Moses maintained its primi- Nazarenes. a party which separated from the Quakers, in Pennsylvania, in the year 1691. They were headed by the famous George Keith, from whom they derived their name. Those who persisted in their separation after their leader deserted them, practised baptism, and received the Lord's supper. This party were also called Quaker Baptists, because they retained the language, dress, and manners, of the Quakers.† KNIPPERDOLINGS, a denomination in the sixteenth century; so called from Bertrand Knipperdoling, who taught that the righteous before the day of judgment shall KEITHIANS, have a monarchy on earth, and the wicked be destroyed: that men are not justified by their faith in Christ Jesus: that there is no original sin : that infants ought not to be baptized, and that immersion is the only mode of baptism: that every one has authority to preach and administer the sacraments: that men are not obliged to pay respect to magistrates: that all things ought to be in common: and that it is lawful to marry many wives. KTISTOLATRÆ, a branch of the Monophysites, which maintained that the body of Christ, before his resurrection, was corruptible.§ * Mosheim, vol. i. p. 171. Edwards's History of the American Baptists, pp. 55–60. Mosheim, vol. i. pp. 471, 472. |