reign of God had existed as long as the like the fall of water, or the noise of law of Moses. The reign of the Son thunder. Nor is the practice of some would not always last. A time would professors in our own time to be comcome when the sacraments should cease, mended, who, with a low though audiand then the religion of the Holy Ghost ble voice, add their amen to almost evewould begin, when men would render ary sentence, as it proceeds from the lips spiritual worship to the Supreme Being. This reign Amauri thought would succeed to the Christian religion, as the Christian had succeeded to that of Mo-concert the thoughts of him who leads ses. AMAZEMENT, a term sometimes employed to express our wonder; but it is rather to be considered as a medium between wonder and astonishment. It is manifestly borrowed from the extensive and complicated intricacies of a labyrinth, in which there are endless mazes, without the discovery of a clue. Hence an idea is conveyed of more than simple wonder; the mind is lost in wonder. See WONDER. AMBITION, a desire of excelling, or at least of being thought to excel, our neighbours in any thing. It is generally used in a bad sense for an immoderate or illegal pursuit of power or honour. See PRAISE. of him who is praying. As this has a the worship, it would be better omitted, NICS. AMSDORFIANS, a sect, in the sixteenth century, who took their name from Amsdorf, their leader. They maintained that good works were not only unprofitable, but were obstacles to salvation. AMYRALDISM, a name given by some writers to the doctrine of universal grace, as explained and asserted by Amyraldus or Moses Amyrault, and others, his followers, among the reformed in France, towards the middle of the seventeenth century. This doctrine principally consisted of the following AMEDIANS, a congregation of religious in Italy; so called from their professing themselves amantes Deum, lovers of God;" or rather amata Deo, "beloved of God." They wore a grey habit and wooden shoes, had no breech-particulars, viz. that God desires the es, and girt themselves with a cord. They had twenty-eight convents, and were united by Pope Pius V. partly with the Bistercian order, and partly with that of the Socolanti, or wooden shoe wearers. happiness of all men, and none are excluded by a divine decree; that none can obtain salvation without faith in Christ; that God refuses to none the power of believing, though he does not grant to all his assistance that they may improve this power to saving purposes; and that they may perish through their own fault. Those who embraced this doctrine were called Universalists; though it is evident they rendered grace universal in words, but partial in reality. See CAMERONITES. AMEN, a Hebrew word, which, when prefixed to an assertion, signifies assuredly, certainly, or emphatically, so it is; but when it concludes a prayer, so be it, or so let it be, is its manifest import. In the former case, it is assertive, or assures of a truth or a fact; and is an asseveration, and is properly translated ANABAPTISTS, those who mainverily, John iii. 3. In the latter case it tain that baptism ought always to be is petitionary, and, as it were, epitomises performed by immersion. The word is all the requests with which it stands compounded of ava, "new," and BATTISTS, connected, Numb. v. 25. Rev. xxii. 20." a Baptist." signifying that those who This emphatical term was not used among the Hebrews by detached individuals only, but on certain occasions, by an assembly at large. Deut. xxvii. 14, 20. It was adopted also, in the public worship of the primitive churches, as appears by that passage, 1 Cor. xiv. 16, and was continued among the Christians in following times; yea, such was the extreme into which many run, that Jerome informs us, that, in his time, at the conclusion of every public prayer, the united amen of the people sounded have been baptized in their infancy, ought to be baptized anew. It is a word which has been indiscriminately applied to Christians of very different principles and practices. The English and Dutch Baptists do not consider the word as at all applicable to their sect; because those persons whom they baptize they consider as never having been baptized before, although they have undergone what they term the ceremony of sprinkling in their infancy. The Anabaptists of Germany, besides their notions concerning baptism, de- || pended much upon certain ideas which they entertained concerning a perfect church establishment, pure in its members, and free from the institutions of human policy. The most prudent part of them considered it possible, by human industry and vigilance, to purify the church; and seeing the attempts of Luther to be successful, they hoped that the period was arrived in which the church was to be restored to this purity. Others, not satisfied with Luther's plan of reformation, undertook a more perfect plan, or more properly, a visionary enterprize, to found a new church entirely spiritual and divine. governments, and magistrates of every kind, under the chimerical pretext, that Christ himself was now to take the reins of all government into his hands: but this seditious crowd was routed and dispersed by the elector of Saxony and other princes, and Munzer, their leader, put to death. made preparations for the defence of the city; invited the Anabaptists in the low countries to assemble at Munster, which they called Mount Sion, that from thence they might reduce all the nations of the earth under their dominion. Matthias was soon cut off by the bishop of Munster's army, and was succeeded by Bockholdt, who was proclaimed by a special designation of heaven, as the pretended king of Sion, and invested with legislative powers like those of Moses. The city of Munster, however, was taken, after a long siege, and Bockholdt was punished with death. Many of his followers, however, survived, and propagated their opinions through Germany, Switzerland, and Holland. In 1533, a party of them settled at Munster, under two leaders of the names of Matthias and Bockholdt. Having made themselves masters of the city, they deposed the magistrates, confiscated the estates of such as had escaThis sect was soon joined by great ped, and deposited the wealth in a pubnumbers, whose characters and capaci-lic treasury for common use. They ties were very different. Their progress was rapid; for in a very short space of time, their discourses, visions, and predictions, excited great commotions in a great part of Europe. The most pernicious faction of all those which composed this motley multitude, was that which pretended that the founders of this new and perfect church were under a divine impulse, and were armed against all opposition by the power of working miracles. It was this faction, that, in the year 1521, began their fanatical work under the guidance of Munzer, Stubner, Storick, &c. These men taught, that, among Christians, who had It must be acknowledged that the true the precepts of the gospel to direct, and || rise of the insurrections of this period the Spirit of God to guide them, the of || ought not to be attributed to religious fice of magistracy was not only unneces- opinions. The first insurgents groaned sary, but an unlawful encroachment on under severe oppressions, and took up their spiritual liberty; that the distinc-arms in defence of their civil liberties; tions occasioned by birth, rank, or wealth should be abolished; that all Christians, throwing their possessions into one stock, should live together in that state of equality which becomes members of the same family; that, as neither the laws of nature, nor the precepts of the New Testament, had prohibited polygamy, they should use the same liberty as the patriarchs did in this respect. They employed, at first, the various arts of persuasion, in order to propagate their doctrines, and related a number of visions and revelations, with which they pretended to have been favoured from above: but, when they found that this would not avail, and that the ministry of Luther and other reformers was detrimental to their cause, they then madly attempted to propagate their sentiments by force of arms. Munzer and his associates, in the year 1525 put themselves at the head of a numerous army, and declared war against all laws, and of these commotions the Aanabaptists seem rather to have availed themselves, than to have been the prime movers. That a great part were Anabaptists, seems indisputable; at the same time it appears from history, that a great part also were Roman catholics, and a still greater part of those who had scarcely any religious principles at all. Indeed, when we read of the vast numbers that were concerned in these insurrections, of whom it is reported that 100,000 fell by the sword, it appears reasonable to conclude that they were || not all Anabaptists. It is but justice to observe also, that the Baptists in England and Holland are to be considered in a different light from those above-mentioned: they profess an equal aversion to all principles of rebellion on the one hand, and to enthusiasm on the other. See Robertson's Hist. of Charles V; Enc. Brit. vol. i. p. 644; and articles BAPTISTS and MEN.. NONITES. ANA 21 our readers to bishop Butler's excellent ANACHORETS, or ANCHORITES, ANALOGY OF FAITH, is the proportion that the doctrines of the gospel bear to each other, or the close connexion between the truths of revealed religion, Rom. xii. 6. This is considered as a grand rule for understanding the true sense of scripture. It is evident that the Almighty doth not act without a design in the system of Christianity any more than he does in the works of nature. Now this design must be uniform; for as in the system of the universe every part is proportioned to the whole, and made subservient to it, so in the system of the Gospel all the various truths, doctrines, declarations, precepts, and promises, must correspond with and tend to the end designed. For instance, supposing the glory of God in the salvation of man by free grace be the grand design; then, whatever doctrine, assertion, or hypothesis, agree not with this, it is to be cor.sidered as false.-Great care, however, must be taken in making ANATHEMA, imports whatever is use of this method, that the enquirer previously understand the whole scheme, and that he harbour not a predilection set apart, separated, or divided; but is only for a part; without attention to this most usually meant to express the cutwe shall be liable to error. If we come ting off of a person from the communion to the scriptures with any pre-conceived of the faithful. It was practised in the opinions, and are more desirous to put primitive church against notorious offenthat sense upon the text which quad- ders. Several councils also have prorates with our sentiments rather than nounced anathemas against such as they the truth, it becomes then the analogy thought corrupted the purity of the of our faith, rather than that of the faith. Anathema Maranatha, mentionwhole system. This was the source of ed by Paul, (1 Cor. xiv. 22.) imports that the error of the Jews, in our Saviour's he who loves not the Lord Jesus will be time. They searched the scriptures; accursed at his coming. Anathema sigbut, such were their favourite opinions, nifies a thing devoted to destruction, and that they could not, or would not disco- Maranatha is a Syriac word, signifying ver that the sacred volume testified of the Lord comes. It is probable in this Christ. And the reason was evident, passage there is an allusion to the form for their great rule of interpretation of the Jews, who when unable to inflict was what they might call the analogy so great a punishment as the crime deof faith; i. e. the system of the Phari-served, devoted the culprit to the imsean scribes, the doctrine then in vogue, mediate vindictive retribution of divine and in the profound veneration of which vengeance, both in this life and in a futhey had been educated. Perhaps there ture state. is hardly any sect but what has more or less been guilty in this respect. It may, however, be of use to the serious and candid enquirer; for, as some texts may seem to contradict each other, and difficulties present themselves, by keeping the analogy of faith in view, he will the more easily resolve those difficulties, and collect the true sense of the sacred oracles. What "the aphorisms of Hippocrates are to a physician, the axioms in geometry to a mathematician, the adjudged cases in law to a counsellor, or the maxims of war to a general, such is the analogy of faith to a Christian." Of the analogy of religion to the constitution and course of nature, we must refer ANDRONA, a term used for that part in churches which was destined for the men. Anciently it was the custom for the men and women to have separate apartments in places of worship, where they performed their devotions asunder, which method is still religiously observed in the Greek church. ANGEL, a spiritual intelligent substance, the first in rank and dignity among created beings. The word angel (ayy) is Greek, and signifies a messenger. The Hebrew word who signifies the same. Angels, therefore in the proper signification of the word, do not import the nature of any being, but only the office to which they are appointed, especially by way of message or inter- pure spirits divested of all matter, or course between God and his creatures. united to some thin bodies, or corporeal Hence the word is used differently in vehicles, has been a controversy of long various parts of the scripture, and signi- standing: the more general opinion is, fies, !. Human messengers, or agents that they are substances entirely spirifor others, 2 Sam. ii. 5. "David sent tual, though they can at any time asMessengers (Heb. angels) to Jabesh | sume bodies, and appear in human Gilead, Prov. xiii. 17. Mark i. 2. James shape, Gen. xviii. and xix. Gen. xxxii. ii. 25.-2. Officers of the churches, Matt. xxviii. Luke i. &c. The scripwhether prophets or ordinary minis- tures represent them as endued with ters, Hag. i. 13. Rev. i. 20.-3. Jesus extraordinary wisdom and power, 2 Christ, Mal iii. 1. Isa Ixiii. 9.-4. Some Sam. xiv. 20. Ps. ciii. 20; holy and readd the dispensations of God's provi- gular in their inclinations; zealous in dence, either beneficial or calamitous, their employ, and completely happy in Gen. xxiv. 7. Ps. xxxiv. 7. Acts xii. 23. their minds, Job xxxviii. 7. Heb. i. 7. 1 Sam. xiv. 14; but I must confess, that, Matt. xviii. 10. Their number seems to though I do not at all see the impro- | be great, Ps. lxviii. 17. Heb xii. 22; and priety of considering the providences of perhaps have distinct orders, Col. i. 16, God as his angels or messengers for 17. 1 Pet. iii. 22. 1 Thess iv. 16 Dan. x. good or for evil, yet the passages gene- 13. They are delighted with the grand rally adduced under this head do not scheme of redemption, and the converprove to me that the providences of | sion of sinners to God, Luke ii. 12 1 Pet. God are meant in distinction from cre-i 12. Luke xv. 10. They not only worated angels.-5. Created intelligences. ship God, and execute his commands at both good and bad, Heb. i. 14. Jude 6. large, but are attendant on the saints of the subject of the present article.-As God while here below, Ps. xci. 11, 12. to the time when the angels were crea- Heb. i. 13. Luke xvi. 22. Some conjected, much has been said by the learned. ture that every good man has his parSome wonder that Moses, in his account || ticular guardian angel, Matt. xviii. 10. of the creation, should pass over this in Acts xii. 15; but this is easier to be supsilence. Others suppose that he did this posed than to be proved. nor is it a because of the proneness of the Gentile matter of consequence to know. "What world, and even the Jews, to idolatry; need we dispute," says Henry, "whether but a better reason has been assigned by every particular saint has a guardian others, viz. that this first history was angel, when we are sure he has a guard purposely and principally written for in- of angels about him?" They will gather formation concerning the visible world; the elect in the last day, attend the final the invisible, of which we know but in judgment, Matt. xxv. 31. Rev. xiv. 18. part, being reserved for a better life. Matt. xiii. 39, and live for ever in the Some think that the idea of God's not world of glory, Luke xx. 36. creating them before this world was made, is very contracted. To suppose, say they, that no creatures whatever, neither angels nor other worlds, had been created previous to the creation of our world, is to suppose that a Being of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, had remained totally inactive from all eternity, and had permitted the infinity of space to continue a perfect vacuum till within these 6000 years; that such an idea only tends to discredit revelation, instead of serving it. On the other hand it is alleged, that they must have been created within the six days; because it is said, that within this space God made heaven and earth, and all things that are therein. It is, however, a needless speculation, and we dare not indulge a spirit of conjecture. It is our happiness to know that they are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who are heirs of salvation. As to the nature of these beings, we are told that they are spirits; but whether Although the angels were originally created perfect, yet they were mutable : some of them sinned, and kept not their first estate; and so, of the most blessed and glorious, became the most vile and miserable of all God's creatures. They were expelled the regions of light, and with heaven lost their heavenly disposition, and fell into a settled rancour against God, and malice against men. What their offence was is difficult to determine, the scripture being silent about it. Some think envy, others unbelief, but most suppose it was pride. As to the time of their fall, we are certain it could not be before the sixth day of the creation, because on that day it is said, "God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good;" but that it was not long after, is very probable, as it must have preceded the fall of our first parents. The number of the fallen angel's seems to be great, and, like the holy angels, perhaps have various orders among them, Matt, xii. 24. Eph. ANG ii. 2. Eph. vi. 12. Col. ii. 15. Rev. xii. 7. Their constant employ is not only doing evil themselves, but endeavouring by all arts to seduce and pervert mankind, 1 Pet. v. 8. Job i. 6. It is supposed they will be restrained during the millennium, Rev. xx. 2, but afterwards again, for a short time, deceive the nations, Rev. xx.8, and then be finally punished, Matt. XXV.41. The authors who have written on this subject have been very numerous; we shall only refer to a few: Reynolds's Enquiry into the State and Economy of the Angelical World; Doddridge's Lect. p. 10. lect. 210 to 214; Milton's Paradise Lost; Bp. Newton's Works, vol. p. 538, 568; Shepherd of Angels; Gilpin on Temptation; Casmanni Angelographia; Gill and Ridgeley's Bodies of Divinity. iii. ANGELICS, an ancient sect, supposed by some to have got this appellation from their excessive veneration of angels, and by others from maintaining that the world was created by angels. 23 ANGELITES, a sect in the reign of the emperor Anastasius, about the year 494, so called from Angelium, a place in the city of Alexandria where they held their first meetings. They were called likewise Severites, from Severus, who was the head of their sect; as also Theodosians, from one Theodosius, whom they made pope at Alexandria. They held that the persons of the trinity are not the same; that none of them exists of himself, and of his own nature; but that there is a common God or Deity existing in them all, and that each is God by a participation of this Deity. ANGER, a violent passion of the mind, arising from the receipt, or supposed receipt, of any injury, with a present purpose of revenge. All anger is by no means sinful; it was designed by the Author of our nature for self-defence; nor is it altogether a selfish passion, since it is excited by injuries offered to others as well as ourselves, and sometimes prompts us to reclaim offenders from sin and danger, Eph. iv. 26; but it becomes sinful when conceived upon trivial occasions or inadequate provocations; when it breaks forth into outrageous actions; vents itself in reviling language, or is concealed in our thoughts to the degree of hatred. To suppress this passion the following reflections of arch-deacon Paley, may not be unsuitable: "We should consider the possibility of mistaking the motives from which the conduct that offends us pro ceeded; how often our offences have been the effect of inadvertency, when they were construed into indications of |