In the Nestorian contro fifth century; so called from Nestorius, bishop of Constan- versy, the contending parties tinople. They maintain that the union of Christ's divinity with his humanity, is a union of will, operation, and benevolence; for the divine Word is perfect in his nature and person. The human nature, united to him is likewise a perfect humanity in its nature and person; neither of them is changed, or undergoes any alteration. Therefore there are two persons in Jesus Christ, and two natures, united by one operation and will. They supposed that, as there were two distinct natures in Christ, the divine and human, it was only the human nature which suffered. They considered Jesus as having been a mere man, till the Spirit of God came upon him at his baptism; and also that he was a mere man in his suffering and death. Nestorius asserted, that, though the Virgin Mary was the mother of Jesus Christ as a man, yet she was not the mother of God; because no human creature could impart that to another which she did not possess herself. seem to have been all of one opinion, as to the doctrine of the trinity, in opposition to the Arians; and to have held the consubstantiality, co-eternity, and natural co-equality of the three divine persons, or hypostases. The generality of the christians in the Levant are called Nestorians.* NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH, a society who embrace the tenets of Baron Swedenborg, and have lately begun to form themselves into a separate communion under this name. For an account of their distinguishing sentiments, see Swedenborgeans. NICOLAITANS, a denomination in the first century; so called from Nicolas, one of the first seven deacons of Jerusalem. They made no difference between ordinary meats and those offered to idols, allowed a community of wives, and indulged themselves in all sensual pleasures without restraint.† NOETIANS, a denomination which arose in the third century, followers of Noetus, The opinions of Nestorius were early spread through the East, where they still continue to flourish. See Gregory's History of the Christian Church, vol. i. p. 217. Priestley's History of Early Opinions, vol. iv. p. 252, Jortin's Remarks on Ecclesiastical History, vol. iv. p. 278. Memoirs of Literature, vol. v p. 137. Bailey's Dictionary vol. ii. + Dupin's Church History, vol, i. p, 30. Broughton's Hist. Lib. vol. ii. p.179, who pretended that he was another Moses sent by God, and that his brother was a new Aaron. He affirmed that the supreme God, whom he called the Father, and considered as absolutely indivisible, united himself to the man Christ, whom he called the Son, and was born and cru cified with him. From this opinion Noetus and his followers were distinguished by the title of Patripassians; i. e. persons who believe that the supreme Father of the universe, and not any other divine person, had expiated the guilt of the human race.* NOVATIANS, a denomination in the third century. They derive their name from their founders Novat and Novation; the first a priest of the church of Carthage, the other of that of Rome. This denomination laid it down for a fundamental tenet, that the church of Christ ought to be pure, and free from every stain; and that the PHITES, a denomination which appeared in the second century, whose leader was called Euphrates. They derive their name from sinner who had once fallen into any offence could not again become a member of it, though they did not refuse him the hopes of eternal life. Hence they looked upon every society which re-admitted those to their communion who, after baptism, had fallen into heinous crimes, as unworthy the title of a christian church. They separated from the church of Rome, because they admitted to communion those who had fallen off in time of persecution, which opinion they founded on Heb. vi. 6. They obliged such as came over to them from the general body of christians to submit to baptism a second time, as a necessary preparation for entering into their society. This denomination also condemned second marriages, and denied communion for ever to such as, after baptism, married a second time. They assumed to themselves the title of Cathari, i. e. the pure.† their maintaining the following tenet; viz. that the serpent by which our first parents were deceived, was either Christ himself or Sophia, concealed Broughton, vol. ii. p. 172. Mosheim's Eccles. Hist. vol. i. Broughton's Hist. Lib. vol. ii, * Mosheim, vol. i. pp. 246, 247. Formey's Eccles, Hist. vol. i. p. 64. pp. 250, 251, History of Religion, vol. iv, p. 173. under the form of that animal. In consequence of this opinion they offered a subordinate kind of divine worship to a certain number of serpents, which they nourished and esteemed sacred. It is said they kept a live serpent in a kind of cage. At certain times they opened the door and called the serpent. The animal came out, and, mounting upon the table, twined itself about some loaves of bread. This bread they broke and distributed among the company, who all kissed the serpent. This they called their eucharist. Their other opinions were similar with the rest of the Egyptian Gnostics.* See Gnostics. ORIGENISTS, a denomination which appeared in the third century, who derived their opinions from the writings of Origen, a presbyter of Alexandria, and a man of vast and uncommon abilities, who interpreted the divine truths of religion according to the tenor of the Platonic philosophy. He alleged that the source of many evils lies in adhering to the literal and external part of scripture; and that the true meaning of the sacred writers was to be sought in a mysterions and hidden sense, arising from the nature of things themselves. The principal tenets ascrib→ ed to Origen, together with a few of the reasons made use of in their defence, are comprehended in the following summary: 1. That there is a pre-existent state of human souls. For the nature of the soul is such as to make her capable of existing eternally, backward as well as forward; because her spiritual essence, as such, makes it impossible that she should, either through age or violence, be dissolved: so that nothing is wanting to her existence but the good pleasure of him from whom all things proceed. And if, according to the Platonic scheme, we assign the production of all things to the exuberant fulness of life in the Deity, which, through the blessed necessity of his communicative nature, empties itself into all possibilities of being, as into so many capable receptacles, we must suppose her existence in a sense necessary, and in a degree co-eternal with God. 2. That souls were condemned to animate mortal bodies, in order to expiate faults they had committed in a pre-existent state: for we may be assured, from the infinite goodness of their Creator, that they were at first Broughton, vol. ii. p, 191, Mosheim, vol. i. pp. 189–190. joined to the purest matter,* and placed in those regions of the universe which were most suitable to the purity of essence they then possessed. For that the souls of men are an order of essentially incorporate spirits, their deep immersion into terrestrial matter, the modification of all their operations by it, and the heavenly body promised in the gospel, as the highest perfection of our renewed nature, clearly evince. There fore if our souls existed before they appeared inhabitants of the earth, they were placed in a purer element, and enjoyed far greater degrees of happiness. And certainly he, whose overflowing goodness brought them into existence, would not deprive them of their felicity, till, by their mutability, they rendered themselves less pure in the whole extent of their powers, and became disposed for the susception of such a degree of corporeal life as was exactly answerable to their present disposition of spirit. Hence it was necessary that they should become ter restrial men. 3. That the soul of Christ was united to the Word before the incarnation. For the scriptures teach us that the soul of the Messiah was created before the beginning of the world. (Phil. ii. 5—7.) This text must be understood of Christ's human soul, because it is unusual to pro-pound the Deity as an example of humility in scripture. Though the humanity of Christ was so God-like, he emptied himself of this fulness of life and glory, to take upon him the form of a servant. - It was this Messiah who conversed with the patriarchs under a human form it was he who appeared to Moses upon the holy mount: it was he who spoke to the prophets under a visible appearance: and it is he who will at last come in triumph upon the clouds, to restore the universe to its primitive splendour and felicity. 4. That at the resurrection we shall be clothed with ethereal bodies. For the elements of our terrestrial compositions are such as almost fatally entangle us in vice, passion,.. and misery. The purer the vehicle the soul is united with.. the more perfect is her life and operations. Besides, the supreme Goodness who made all things assures us he made *Origen supposed that our souls, being incorporeal and invisible, always stand in need of bodies suitable to the nature of the places where they exist. t See this subject more fully illustrated in Dr. Watts's Glory of Christ. all things best at first; and thing analogous to this in the intellectual system: and since the spirits created by God are emanations and streams from his own abyss of being, and as self-existent power must needs subject all beings to itself, the Deity could not but impress upon her intimate natures and substances a central tendency towards himself, an essential principle of re union to their great original. 5. That, after long periods of time, the damned shall be released from their torments, and restored to a new state of probation. For the Deity has such reserves in his gracious providence as will vindicate his sovereign goodness and wisdom from all disparagement. Expiatory pains are a part of his adorable plan: for this sharper kind of favour has a righteous place in such creatures as are by nature mutable. Though sin has extinguished, or silenced the divine life, yet it has not destroyed the faculties of reason and understanding, consideration and memory, which will serve the life which is most powerful. If, therefore, the vigorous attraction of the sensual nature be abated by a ceaseless pain, these powers may resume the seeds of a better life and nature. As in the material system there is a gravitation of the less bodies towards the greater, there must of necessity be some*Mosheim's Eccles. Hist. vol. i. p. 219, 225. Cudworth's Intellectual System, vol. ii. p. 818. The Phoenix, vol. i. pp. 16-57. Cheyne's Phi losiphical Principles of Religion, pp. 47-84, Travels of Cyrus, pp. 235, 238, 6. That the earth after its conflagration shall become ha❤ bitable again, and be the mansion of men and other ani mals, and that in eternal vicissitudes. For it is thus expresssed in Isaiah: Behold, I make new heavens, and a new earth, &c.; and in Heb. i. 10-12, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed, &c. Where there is only a change the substance is not destroyed, this change being only as that of a garment worn out and decaying. The fashion of the world passes away like a turning scene, to exhibit a fresh and new representation of things; and if only the present dress and appearance of things go off, the substance is supposed to remain entire.* ÖSIANDRIANS, a deno |