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fifth century. See No. 29, article BIBLE.

VANITY, emptiness. It is of ten applied to the man who wishes you to think more highly of him than what he really deserves; hence the vain man flatters in order to be flattered; is always fond of praise, endeavours to bribe others into a good opinion of himself by his complaisance, and sometimes even by good offices, though often displayed with unnecessary ostentation. The term is likewise applied to this world, as unsatisfactory, Ecc. i, 2; to lying, Ps. iv, 2; to idols, Deut. xxxii, 21; to whatever disappoints our hopes, Ps. lx, 11. See PRIde.

the Nous or Intelligence, which is the only Son, equal to and alone capable of comprehending the Bythos. The sister of Nous they called Aletheia or Truth; and these constituted the first quaternity of Eons, which were the source and original of all the rest; for Nous and Aletheia produced the world and life, and from these two proceeded man and the church. But, besides these eight principal Æons, there were twenty-two more; the last of which, called Sophia, being desirous to arrive at the knowledge of Bythos, gave herself a great deal of uneasiness, which created in her Anger and Fear, of which was born Matter. But the Horos or Bounder stopped her, preserved her in the Pleroma, and restored her to Perfection. Sophia then produced the Christ and the Holy Spirit, which brought the Eons to their last perfection, and made every one of them contribute their utmost to form a Saviour. Her Enthymese or Thought, dwelling near the Pleroma, perfected by the Christ, produced every thing that is in this world by its diverse pas-ther himself, in his controversy sions. The Christ sent into it the Saviour, accompanied with angels, who delivered it from its passions without annihilating it: from thence was formed corporeal matter. And in this manner did they romance concerning God, nature, and the mysteries of the Christian religion.

UBIQUITARIANS, formed from ubique, "every where," in ecclesiastical history, a sect of Lutherans which rose and spread itself in Germany; and whose distinguishing doctrine was, that the body of Jesus Christ is every where, or in every place.

Brentius, one of the earliest reformers, is said to have first broached this error in 1560. Lu

with Zuinglius, had thrown out some unguarded expressions that seemed to imply a belief of the omnipresence of the body of Christ; but he became sensible afterwards that this opinion was attended with great difficulties, and particularly that it ought not to be made use of as a proof of Christ's corporal presence in the

VATICAN MANUSCRIPT, one of the principal Greek manu-eucharist. However, after the scripts now extant. It contained originally the whole Greek Bible. The age of this manuscript is supposed to be no higher than the

death of Luther, this absurd hypothesis was renewed, and dressed up in a specious and plausible form by Brentius, Chemnitius, and An

dræas, who maintained the com- compounded of awe and love, and munication of the properties of which of all others becomes creaChrist's divinity to his human na-tures to bear toward their infinitely It is, indeed, obvious that perfect Creator. See DEVOTION. every Lutheran who believes the doctrine of consubstantiation, whatever he may pretend, must be an Ubiquitarian.

UBIQUITY, omnipresence; an attribute of the Deity, whereby he is always intimately present to all things. See OMNISCIENCE.

VERACITY OF GOD is his truth, or an exact correspondence and conformity between his word and his mind. Moses says, "he is a God of truth." He is true in and of himself; he truly and really exists; he is the true and living God: all his perfections are true UCKEWALLISTS, a sect and real; truth is essential to him; which derived its denomination it is pure and perfect in him; it from Uke-Walles, a native of is the first and original in him; he Friesland, who published his sen- is the fountain of truth: all his timents in 1637. He entertained works in creation, providence, and a favourable opinion of the eter-grace, are according to truth. See nal state of Judas and the rest of FAITHFULNESS of God. Christ's murderers. His argument was this, that the period of time which extended from the birth of Christ to the descent of the Holy Ghost was a time of deep ignorance, during which the Jews were destitute of divine light; 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 adhered to the doctrine of the Mennonites.

VERSCHORISTS, a sect that derived its denomination from Jacob Verschoor, a native of Flushing, who in the year 1680, out of a perverse and heterogeneous mix; ture of the tenets of Cocceius and

Spinosa, produced a new form of religion, equally remarkable for its extravagance and impiety. His disciples and followers were called Hebrews, on account of the zeal and assiduity with which they all, without distinction of age or sex, applied themselves to the study of the Hebrew language. Their sentiments were nearly the same as the Hattemists. See HATTEMISTS.

VEDAS, the sacred books of the Hindoos, believed to be revealed by God, and called immortal. They are considered as the foun- VICAR, a priest of a parish, tain of all knowledge, human and the predial tythes whereof are imdivine, and are four in number.propriate or appropriated; that is, The principal part of them is that which explains the duties of man in methodical arrangement. The fourth book contains a system of divine ordinances. See the first volume of the Asiatic Researches. VENERATION, an affection "virtue.

belong either to a chapter, religious house, &c., or to a layman who receives them, and only allows the vicar the small tythes, or a convenient salary.

VICE, a fault; the opposite to

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VIGIL, the eve or day before || in his diocese, to examine into the state of the church. In a divine or spiritual sense, it is taken either for a communication of divine love, or for any calamity afflicting a nation.

any solemn feast, because then Christians were wont to watch, fast, and pray in their churches. VIRTUE, a term used in various significations. Some define it to be "living according to na- UNBELIEF, the refusing asture;" others, "universal benevo- sent to testimony. It is often taken lence to being." Some, again, place for distrust of God's faithfulness, it "in regard to truth; others in but more particularly for the dis"the moral sense." Some place crediting the testimony of God's it in the imitation of God;" word concerning his Son, John iii, others," in the love of God and 18, 19. John xvi, 9. "It includes," our fellow creatures." Some, again, says Dr. Guise, "disaffection to think it consists " in mediocrity," God, disregard to his word, presupposing vice to consist in ex- judices against the Redeemer, reatremes; others have placed it in diness to give credit to any other a wise regard to our own in- than him, inordinate love to the terest." Dr. Smith refers it to the world, and preferring of the apprinciple of sympathy; and Paley plause of men to the approbation defines it to be the doing good to of God."-" Unbelief," says the mankind, in obedience to the will great Charnock, "is the greatest of God, and for the sake of ever- sin, as it is the fountain of all sin : lasting happiness. Some of these it was Adam's first sin: it is a sin definitions are certainly objection- against the Gospel, against the able. Perhaps those who place it highest testimony; a refusal to acin the love of God and our fellow-cept of Christ upon the terms of creatures may come as near to the the Gospel. It strikès peculiarly truth as any. See Edwards and at God; is the greatest reproach Jameson on Virtue; Grove's and of him, robs him of his glory, a Paley's Moral Phil.; Cumberland's contradiction to his will, and a Law of Nature, cap. 1, § 4; Beat- contempt of his authority. The tie's Elements of Mor. Science, vol. causes of unbelief are Satan, ignoii, p. 8, 77 ; Dr. Watts's Self Love rance, pride, and sensuality." The and Virtue Reconciled, 2d vol. of danger of it is great: it hardens the his works, last edition. heart, fills with presumption, creVISION, the supernatural re-ates impatience, deceives with erpresentation of an object to a man when waking, as in a glass which places the visage before him. It was one of the ways in which the Almighty was pleased to reveal himself to the prophets, Is. i, 1. Is. xxi, 2.

VISITATION, the survey or inspection performed by a bishop

ror, and finally exposes to condemnation, John iii, 18. Charnock's Works, vol. ii, p. 601; Case's Sermons, ser. 2; Bishop Porteus's/ Sermons, vol. i, ser. 2; Dr. Owen's Reasons of Faith; Hannam's Compendium, vol. ii, p. 26.

UNBELIEVERS are of three sorts: 1. Those who having heard

the Gospel reject it.-2. Those who verbally assent to it, yet know not to what they assent, or why they believe.-3. They who, whatever knowledge they, may have of certain speculative points of divinity, yet obey not the truth, but live in sin.

nihilation shall soon equalize the just and the impious, and for ever confound them both in the dreary mansion of the tomb. What monsters, then, must such be upon the earth!"

UNCHANGEABLENESS OF GOD. See FAITHFULNESS and IMMUTABILITY OF GOD.

The following is a striking description given by Massilon of an UNCTION, in matters of reliunbeliever (Ser. i, vol. iii, Eng. gion, is used for the character contrans.). "He is a man without ferred on sacred things by anointmorals, probity, faith, or charac-ing them with oil. Unctions were ter; who owns no rule but his pas- very frequent among the Hebrews. sions, no law but his iniquitous They anointed both their kings and thoughts, no master but his de-high priests at the ceremony of sires, no check but the dread of their inauguration. They also authority, no God but himself; anointed the sacred vessels of the an unnatural child, since he be- tabernacle and temple, to sanctify lieves that chance alone hath given and consecrate them to the service him fathers; a faithless friend, see- of God. In the ancient Christian ing he looks upon men merely as church, unction accompanied the the wretched fruits of a wild and ceremonies of baptism and confortuitous concurrence to whom firmation. Extreme unction, or he is connected only by transitory the anointing persons in the artities; a cruel master, seeing he is cle of death, was also practised convinced that the strongest and by the ancient Christians, in comthe most fortunate have always pliance with the precept of St. reason on their side. Who could James, 5 chap. 14th and 15th henceforth place any dependance verses; and this extreme unction on such? They no longer fear a the Romish church has advanced God; they no longer respect men; to the dignity of a sacrament. they look forward to nothing after is administered to none but such this life: virtue and vice are mere-as are affected with some mortal ly prejudices of education in their disease, or in a decrepit ag It eyes, and the consequences of po- is refused to impenitent persons, pular credulity. Adulteries, re- as also to criminals. The parts venge, blaspheinies, the blackest to be anointed are, the eyes, the treacheries, abominations which ears, the nostrils, the mouth, the we dare not even name, are no hands, the feet, and the reins. longer in their opinion but human The laity are anointed in the palms prohibitions established through of the hands, but priests on the the policy of legislators. According back of it, because the palms of to them, the most horrible crimes their hands have been already conor the purest virtues are all equal-secrated by crdination. ly the same, since an eternal an- The oil with which the sick

It

per

cap. 4, called the Act of Unifor mity.

UNION TO CHRIST, that act of Divine grace by which we are joined to Christ; and is consider

son is anointed represents, it is said, the grace of God, which is poured down into the soul; and the prayer used at the time of anointing expresses the remission of sins thereby granted to the sicked, 1. As virtual, or that which was person; for the prayer is this; formed from all eternity, Eph. i, 4. "By this holy unction, and his own most pious mercy, may the Almighty God forgive thee whatever sins thou hast committed by the sight," when the eyes are anointed; by the hearing, when the ears are anointed; and so of the other senses.

The passage before mentioned from St. James respecting the anointing with oil has been a source of difficulty to some pious minds; but in order to understand it, it is necessary to observe, that anointing with oil was an ordinance for the miraculous cure of sick persons (Mark vi, 13). But since those extraordinary gifts are ceased, as being no longer necessary for the confirmation of the Gospel, of course there can be no warrant now for using that ceremony.

2. Vital, or spiritual, formed in the moment of our regeneration, John xvii, 26. 1st John iv, 13. It is represented in the scripture by the strongest expressions language can admit of, and even compared to the union between the Father and the Son, John xvii, 11, 21, &c. It is also compared to the union of a vine and its branches, John xv, 4, 5. To the union of our food with our bodies, John vi, 56, 57. To the union of the body with the head, Eph. iv, 15, 16. To the conjugal union, Eph. v, 23, 30. To the union of a king and his subjects, Matt. xxv, 34, 40. To a building, 1st Pet. ii, 4, 5. Eph. ii, 21, 22. It is also represented by an identity or sameness of spirit, 1st Cor. vi, 17. By an identity of body, 1st Cor. xii, 12, 27. By an identity of interest, Matt. xxv, 40. John xx, 17. This

UNDERSTANDING, the faculty of perceiving things distinct-union must be considered not as a ly; or that power of the mind by which we arrive at a proper idea or judgment of things. See JUDGMENT, MIND, SOUL.

UNIFORMITY, regularity; a similitude or resemblance between the parts of a whole. The word is particularly used for one and the same form of public prayers, administration of sacraments, and other rites, &c., of the church of England, prescribed by the famous stat. 1 Eliz. and 13, 14. Carol. II, VOL. II. 3 P

mere mental union only in consort or notion; nor a physical union as between the head and the members; nor as an essential union, or union with the Divine nature; but as a mystical union, Eph. v, 32. Honourable union, 1st John iii, 1, 2. Supernatural union, 1st Cor. i, 30. Holy, 1st John iii, 24. Necessary, John xv, 4. Inviolable, Rom. viii, 38, 39. Some state it thus: 1. An union of natures, Heh. ii, 11.-2. Of actions, his obedi

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