of men, and ought to be rejected: that the sacraments are signs of the holy thing, visible forms of the invisible grace; and that it is good for the faithful to use those signs, or visible forms; but that they are not essential to salvation : that there are no other sacraments but baptism and the Lord's supper: that we ought to honour the secular powers by subjection, ready obedience, and paying of tribute.* God, almighty, all-wise, and all-good, who made all things by his goodness; for he formed Adam in his own image and likeness: but that by the envy of the devil sin entered into the world, and that we are sinners in and by Adam.-(2.) That Christ was promised to our fathers who received the law; that so knowing by the law their unrighteousness and insufficiency, they might desire the coming of Christ, to satisfy for their sins, and accomplish WICKLIFFITES, a denothe law by himself.--(3.) That mination which sprang up in Christ was born in the time England in the fourteenth cenappointed by God the Father; tury. They derived their name that is to say, in the time when from John Wickliff, doctor all iniquity abounded, that he and professor of divinity in might shew us grace and mercy the university of Oxford, a as being faithful: that Christ man of an enterprising genius is our life, truth, peace, and and extraordinary learning. righteousness; as also our He began with attacking the pastor, advocate, and priest, jurisdiction of the pope and who died for the salvation of the bishops, and declared that all who believe, and is risen penance had no sort of merit for our justification: that in the sight of God, unless folthere is no mediator and ad- lowed with a reformed life. vocate with God the Father, He was a warm opposer of save Jesus Christ: that after absolution: for he alleged that this life there are only two it belonged to God alone to places, the one for the saved, forgive sins; but instead of and the other for the damned: acting as God's ministers, the that the feasts, the vigils of Romish clergy took upon them saints, the water which they to forgive sins in their own call holy, as also to abstain name. He also taught that from flesh on certain days, external confession was not and the like, but especially necessary to salvation, exthe masses, are the inventions claimed against indulgences, * Perrin's History of the Waldenses, p. 226. Athenian Qracles, vol. i. p, 224, prayers to the saints, the cèlibacy of the clergy, the docs trine of transubstantiation, monastic vows, and other practices in the Romish church. He not only exhorted the laity to study the scriptures, but also translated into English these divine books, in order to render the perusal of them more universal. The followers of Wickliff were also called Lollards.* WILHELMINIANS, a denomination which arose in the thirteenth century; so called from Wilhelmina, a Bohemian woman who resided in the territory of Milan. She persuaded a large number that the holy Ghost was become incarnate in her person for the salvation of a great part of mankind. According to her doctrine none were saved by the blood of Jesus but true and pious christians, while the Jews, Saracens, and unworthy Christians, were to obtain salvation through the holy Spirit which dwelt in her; and that in consequence thereof, all which happened in Christ during his appearance upon earth in the human nature, was to be exactly renewed in her person; or rather in that of the holy Ghost, which was united to her.† netration and acuteness of genius. Zuinglius declaimed against indulgences, the mass, the celibacy of the clergy, and other doctrines of the Roman Catholic church. He differed both from Luther and Calvin in the following point; viz. he supposed only a symbolical or figurative presence of the body and blood of Christ in the eucharist, and represented a pious remembrance of Christ's death, and of the benefits it procured to mankind, as the only fruits which arose from the celebration of the Lord's supper.§ He was also 516. * Mosheim, vol. iii, p. 166. Gilpin's Life of Wickliff, pp. 67-73. t Mosheim, vol. iii. p. 131. Broughton, vol, ii. p. Luther held consubstantiation; and Calvin acknowledged a real, though, spiritual presence of Christ, in the sacrament: so that they all three entertained different sentiments upon this subject. for removing out of the churches, and abolishing in the ceremonies of public worship, many things which Luther was disposed to treat with toleration and indulgence; such as images, altars, wax tapers, the form of exorcism, and private confession. The religious tenets of this denomination were in most other points similar to those of the Lutherans.* See Lutherans. * Mosheim, vol. iv. pp. 66-79. Broughton, vol. ii. p. 519. End of the first part. VIEW OF RELIGIONS. PART THE SECOND. THE HE religions which are not included in the foregoing work, are the pagan, mahometan, jews, and deists. Of these the pagan is the most extensive; and the worship of the GRAND LAMA is the most extensive and splendid mode of paganism. The religion of Lama made considerable progress in early times it was adopted in a large part of the globe. It is professed all over Thibet and Mongalia, is almost universal in Greater and Less Bucharia, and several provinces of Tar-, tary; and has some followers in the kingdom of Cassimere, in India, and is the predominant religion of China.*. The Grand Lama is a name given to the sovereign pontiff, or high priest of the Thibetian Dr. Stiles's Election Sermon, p. 75. Tt He is not only the sovereign pontiff, the vicegerent of the Deity on earth; but the more remote tartars are said to absolutely regard him as the Deity himself, and call him God, the everlasting Father of heaven. They believe him to be immortal, and endowed with all knowledge and virtue. Every year they come up from different parts to worship, and make rich offerings at his shrine. Even the emperor of China, who is a manchou tartar, does not fail in acknowledgments to him in his religious capacity; and actually entertains at a great expense in the palace of Pe kin an inferior lama, deputed as his nuncio from Thibet.* The grand lama, it has been said, is never to be seen but in a secret place of his palace, amidst a great number of lamps, sitting cross-legged on a cushion, and decked all over with gold and precious stones; where at a distance the people prostrate themselves before him, it being not lawful for any so much as to kiss his feet, He returns not the least sign of respect, nor ever speaks even to the greatest princes; but only lays his hand upon their heads, and they are fully persuaded they receive from thence a full forgiveness of all their sins.+ The Sunniasses, or Indian pilgrims, often visit Thibet as a holy place; and the lama always entertains a body of two or three hundred in his pay. Besides his religious influence and authority, the grand lama is possessed of unlimited power throughout his dominions, which are very extensive. The inferior lamás, who form the most numerous, as well as the most powerful body in the state, have the priesthood entirely in their hands; and besides, fill up many monastic orders which are held in great veneration among them. The whole country, like Italy, abounds with priests; and they entirely subsist on the great number of rich presents which are sent them from the utmost extent of Tartary, from the empire of the Great Mogul, and from almost all parts of the Indies. The opinion of those who are reputed the most orthodox among the Thibetians is, that * Guthrie's Geography, (edition printed in 1788) p. 660. Econoiny of Human Life, p. 5. The great lamas seldom shew themselves, the better to maintain the veneration they have inspired for their person and mysteries; but they give audience to ambassadors, and admit princes who come to visit them. Their picture is always in full view, being hung up over the doors of the temple at Patoli. Guthrie, p. 661, |