See celebrated of the opinions among the moderns concerning this doctrine. THEOPASCHITES, a denomination in the fifth century, which derive their name from the greek of 90s, God, and πάσχω, to suffer. One Peter, surnamed Fullo, was the author of this denomination. He held a doctrine opposite to that of Nesterious; viz. that Christ had but one nature, which was the divine, and consequently that this divine nature suffered.* TRASKITES, a denomination which arose in the year 1634. They derived their name from Mr. John Traske. His opinions were similar to the Sabbatarians.† See Baptists, p. 86. TRIFORMIANI, a denomination which appeared about the year 408; so called from the latin tria forma. They maintained that the divine nature was one and the same in the three persons together, but imperfect in the several persons. TRINITARIANS, a name applied to all who profess to believe the doctrine of the Trinity, in opposition to Arians and Socinians, who are called Unitarians, and Anti-Trinitarians. The following is a brief account of the most Dr. Waterland, Dr. Ab. Taylor, and the rest of the Athanasians, assert three proper, distinct persons, entirely equal to and independent upon each other; yet making but one and the same Being. And though there may appear many things inexplicable in this scheme, yet it is to be charged to the weakness of our understandings, and not to the absurdity of the doctrine itself. See Athanasians. Mr. Baxter seems, as some of the schoolmen did, to have thought the three divine persons to be one and the same God, understanding, willing, and beloved by himself, or wisdom, power, and love; which he thinks illustrated by the three essential formalities, as he calls them, in the soul of man; viz. vital, active power, intellect, and will; and in the sun, motion, light, and heat. Mr. Howe seems to suppose that there are three distinct, eternal spirits, or distinct, intelligent hypostases, each having his own distinct, singular, intelligent nature, united` in such an inexplicable manner, as that, upon account of their perfect harmony, consent and * Mosheim's Eccles, Hist, vol. i, p. 417. Priestley's History of Early Opinions, vol. iv. p. 262. Pagit's Heresiography, p. 135. ‡ Hearne's Ductor Historicus, vol. ii p. 170. affection, to which he adds their mutual self-consciousness, they may be called the One God as properly as different corporeal, sensitive, and intellective natures, united, may be called one man. Dr. Thomas Burnet maintains one self-existent and two dependent Beings; but asserts that the two latter are so united to and inhabited by the former, that, by virtue of that union, divine perfections may be ascribed, and divine worship paid to them. Dr. Wallis thought the distinctions in the Trinity were only modal, which seems to have been Archbishop Tillotson's opinion. Bishop Pearson, with whom Bishop Bull and Dr. Owen also agree, is of opinion that, though God the Father is the fountain of the Deity, the whole divine nature is communicated from the Father to the Son, and from both to the Spirit; yet so as that the Father and Son are not separate, nor separable from the divinity, but do still exist in it, and are most intimately united to it. Some of the arguments which are made use of by the Trinitarians in general, are For an account of Dr. Clarke's and Dr. Watt's sentiments concerning the Trinity, see Pre-Existents. TRITHEISTS, a denomination in the sixth century, whose chief was John Ascusnage, a Syrian philosopher, and at the same time a Monophysite. This man imagined in the Deity three natures, or substances, absolutely equal in all respects, and joined together by no common essence: to which opinion his adversaries gave the name of Tritheism, from the greek of pets, three, and 90s, God. One of the warmest defenders of this doctrine, was John Philoponus, an Alexandrian Philosopher and grammarian of the highest réputation; and hence he was considered by many as the author of this sect, whose members have consequently derived from him the title of Philoponists. * Doddridge's Lectures, pp. 402, 403. Baxter's Works, vol. ii. p. 132. Howe's Works, vol. ii, p. 560. Bull's Sermons, vol. iv. p. 829. Pearson on the Creed, p. 134. Owen on Hebrews, pp. 53, 54. Tillotson's Works. p. 492. Taylor on the Trinity. This denomination was divided into two parties, the Philoponists and the Cononites; but they differed only concerning the doctrine of the resurrection. Philoponus maintained that the form as well as the matter of all bodies was generated and corrupted, and that both therefore were to he restored in the resurrection.* See Cononites, for an account of the tenets of that denomination. TURLUPINS, a denomination which appeared about VA ALENTINIANS, a branch of the Gnostics which sprang up in the second century; so called from their leader Valentinus. Their principles were, generally speaking, the same with the Gnostics, whose name he assumed; yet in many things he entertained opinions peculiar to himself. He placed, for instance, in the pleroma (so the Gnostics called the habitation of the Deity) thirty aions, of which the one half were male, and the other female. To these he added four others, which were of neither sex; viz. Horus, who guarded the borders of the pleroma, Christ, the holy Ghost, and Jesus. The youngest of the aions, the year 1372. Their principal scene was in Savoy and Dauphiny. They taught, that' when a man is arrived at a certain state of perfection, he is freed from all subjection to the divine law. They often went naked, and they allowed of no prayer to God but mental. John Dabantonne was the author of this denomination. Some think they were called Turlupins because they usually abode in places exposed to wolves, lupi. They called themselves the Fraternity of the Poor.t called Sophia, (i. e. wisdom) conceived an ardent desire of comprehending the nature of the supreme Being, and by the force of this propensity brought forth a daughter named Achamoth. Achamoth being exiled from the pleroma, fell down into the rude and undigested mass of matter, to which she gave a certain arrangement; and by the assistance of Jesus, produced the Dimiurge, the Lord and Creator of all things. This Demiurge separated the subtle, or animal matter, from that of the grosser, or more terrestrial kind. Out of the former he created the superior world, or the visible heavens; and out of the latter he formed -Mosheim, vol. i. p. 473. Barclay's Dictionary, article Tritheists. + Broughton, vol, ii. p. 474. Dufresnoy's Chronological Tables, vol. ii. p.243. the inferior world, or this terraqueous globe. He also made man, in whose composition the subtle, and also the grosser matter were both united, and that in equal portions; but Achamoth, the mother of Demiurge, added to these two substances, of which the human race was formed, a spiritual and celestial substance. The creator of this world, according to Valentinus, arrived by degrees to that pitch of arrogance, that he either imagined himself to be God alone, or at least was desirous that mankind should consider him as such. For this purpose he sent forth prophets to the jewish nation to declare his claim to the honour which is due to the supreme Being, and in this also the other angels who preside over the different parts of the universe immediately set themselves to imitate his ambition. To chastise this lawless arrogance of Demiurge, and to illuminate the minds of rational beings with the knowledge of the true and supreme. Deity, Christ appeared upon earth, composed of an animal and spiritual substance, and clothe ed moreover with an aërial body. This Redeemer passed through, the womb of Mary, as the pure water flows through the untainted conduit. Jesus, one of the supreme aions, was substantially united to him when he was baptized by John in the waters of Jordan. The creator of the world, when he perceived the foundations of his empire were shaken by this divine man, caused him to be apprehended and nailed to the cross. But before Christ submitted to this punishment, not only Jesus, the Son of God, but also the rational soul of Christ, ascended up on high; so that only the animal soul and the ethereal body suffered crucifixion. Those who, abandoning the service of false deities, and the worship of the God of the jews, live according to the precepts of Christ, and submit the animal and sensual soul to the discipline of reason shall be truly happy. Their rational and also their sensual soul shall ascend to those glorious seats of bliss which border on the pleroma. And when all the parts of the divine nature, or all souls, are purified thoroughly, and sepa rated from matter, then a raging fire, let loose from its prison, shall spread its flames throughout the universe, and dissolve the frame of this corporeal world.* The Valentinians and all the various denominations of Gnostics built upon the common foundation of the Gnostic philosophy, The denomination of the of Christ's murderers. To Valentinians was divided into many branches.* See Ptolemattes, Secundians, and Heracleonites. VANISTS, so called from Sir Henry Vane, who was appointed governor of New England in the year 1636; and is said to have been at the head of that party in New England who were charged with maintaining Antinomian tenets.+ See Antinomians. UBIQUITARIANS, a denomination which derived their name from their maintaining that the body of Jesus Christ is ubique every where, and in every place. Brentius is said to have first advanced this sentiment about the year 1560. The Ubiquitarians were not quite agreed among themselves; some holding that Jesus Christ, even during his mortal life, was every where, and others dating the ubiquity of his body from the time of his ascension only. UCKEWALLISTS, a sect which derives its denomination from Uke-Walles, a native of Friesland, who published his sentiments in the year 1637. He entertained a favourable opinion of the eternal state of Judas and the rest give an air of plausibility to this sentiment, he invented the following hypothesis: that the period of time which extended from the birth of Christ to the descent of the holy Ghost was a time of deep ignorauce and darkness, during which the jews were void of light, and entirely destitute of divine succour; and that of consequence the sins and enormities which were committed during this interval were in a great measure excusable, and could not merit the severest displays of the divine justice. This denomination strictly adhere to the doctrine and discipline of the primitive. Mennonites. The ceremony of washing the feet of strangers, who come within the reach of their hospitality, they esteem a rite of divine institution.§ VERSCHORISTS, a Dutch ORIS denomination which derived its name from Jacob Verschoor, a native of Flushing, who published his sentiments in the year 1680. The reli gious tenets of this denomination resemble the Hattemists in most points. See Hattemists. UNITARIANS, a name given to the Anti-Trinitarians. ⚫ Mosheim, vol. i. pp. 185-188, + Calamy's Abridgment, vol. i, p. 98, Broughton's Hist. Dict. vol. ii. p. 481. Mosheim, vol. v. pp. 48, 49. Ibid, vol, iv. p. 552. |