presence in the eucharist. However, after the death of Luther, this absurd hypothesis was renewed, and dressed up in a precious and plausible form by Brentius, Chemnitius, and Andreas, who maintained the communication of the properties of Christ's divinity to his human nature. It is, indeed, obvious that every Lutheran who believes the doctrine of consubstantiation, whatever he may pretend, must be an Ubiquitarian. principal ons 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 ons 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 divers UCKEWALLISTS, a sect which passions. The Christ sent into it the Sa- derived its denomination from Ukeviour, accompanied with angels, who de- Walles, a native of Friesland, who publivered it from its passions without anni-lished his sentiments in 1637. He enhilating it: from thence was formed corporeal matter. And in this manner did they romance concerning God, nature, and the mysteries of the Christian religion. VATICAN MANUSCRIPT, one of the principal Greek manuscripts now extant. It contained originally the whole Greek Bible. The age of this manuscript is supposed to be no higher than the fifth century. See No. 29, article BIBLE. VANITY, emptiness. It is often 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. 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. Luther himself, in his controversy 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 corporeal UBIQUITY, omnipresence; an attribute of the Deity, whereby he is always intimately present to all things. See OMNISCIENCE. tertained a favourable opinion of the eternal state of Judas and the rest of 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. VEDAS, the sacred books of the Hindoos, believed to be revealed by God, and called immortal. They are considered as the fountain of all knowledge, human and divine, and are four in number. 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 compounded of awe and love, and which of || all others becomes creatures to bear toward their infinitely perfect Creator. See DEVOTION. 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 and real; truth is essential to him; it is pure and perfect in him; it is the first and original in him; he is the fountain of truth: all his works in creation, providence, and grace, are according to truth. See FAITHFULNESS OF GOD. VERSCHORISTS, a sect that de rived its denomination from Jacob Verschoor, a native of Flushing, who in the year 1680, out of a perverse and heterogeneous mixture 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. VICE, a fault; the opposite to virtue. VIGIL, the eve or day before any solemn feast, because then Christians were wont to watch, fast, and pray in their churches. it is taken either for a communication of divine love, or for any calamity affecting a nation. UNBELIEF, the refusing assent to testimony. It is often taken for distrust of God's faithfulness, but more particularly for the discrediting the testimony of God's word concerning his Son, John, iii. 18, 19. John, xvi. 9. "It includes," says Dr. Guise, "dissaffection to God, disregard to his word, prejudices against the Redeemer, readiness to give credit to any other than him, inordinate love to the world, and preferVICAR, a priest of a parish, the pre- ring of the applause of men to the apdial tythes whereof are impropriate or probation of God."-" Unbelief," says appropriated; that is, belong either to a the great Charnock, "is the greatest chapter, religious house, &c. or to a lay- sin, as it is the fountain of all sin: it was man, who receives them, and only al- Adam's first sin: it is a sin against the lows the vicar the small tythes, or a || Gospel, against the highest testimony; convenient salary. a refusal to accept of Christ upon the terms of the Gospel. It strikes peculiarly at God; is the greatest reproach of him, robs him of his glory, a contradiction to his will, and a contempt of his authority." The causes of unbelief are VIRTUE, a term used in various sig- Satan, ignorance, pride, and sensuality. nifications. Some define it to be "living The danger of it is great; it hardens the according to nature;" others, "“univer-heart, fills with presumption, creates sal benevolence to being." Some, again, place it "in regard to truth;" others in "the moral sense." Some place it in "the imitation of God;" others, "in the love of God and our fellow-creatures." Some, again, think it consists "in mediocrity," supposing vice to consist in extremes; others have placed it in" a wise regard to our own interest." Dr. Smith refers it to the principle of sympathy; and Paley defines it to be the doing good to mankind, in obedience to the will of God, and for the sake of everlasting happiness. Some of these definitions are certainly objectionable. Perhaps those who place it in the love of God and our fellow-creatures may come as near to the truth as any. See Edwards and Jameson on Virtue; Grove's and Paley's Moral Phil. Cumberland's Law of Nature, cap. 1. $4; Beattie's Elements of Moral Science, vol. ii. p. 8, 77; Dr. Watts's Self Love and Virtue Reconciled, 2d vol. of his work, last edition. VISION, the supernatural representation 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 in his diocese, to examine into the state of the church. In a divine or spiritual sense, impatience, deceives with error, and finally exposes to condemnation, John, iii. 11. 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; Churchill's Essay on Unbelief. 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. "The following is a striking description given by Masilon of an unbeliever (Ser. i. vol. iii. Eng. trans.) "He is a man without morals, probity, faith, or character; who owns no rule but his passions, no law but his iniquitous thoughts, no mas er but his desires, no check but the dread of authority, no God but himself; an unnatural child, since he believes that chance alone hath given him fathers; a faithless friend, seeing he looks upon men merely as the wretched fruits of a wild and fortuitous concurrence, to whom he is connected or.ly by transitory ties; a cruel master, seeing he is convinced that the strongest and the most fortunate have always reason on their side. Who could henceforth place any dependence on such? They no longer fear a God; they no longer respect men; they look forward to nothing after this life: virtue and vice are merely prejudices of education in their eyes, and the consequences of popular credulity. Adulteries, revenge, blasphemies, the blackest treacheries, abominations which we dare not even name, are no longer in their opinion but human prohibitions established through the policy of legislators. According to them the most horrible crimes or the purest virtues are all equally the same, since an eternal annihilation 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. UNCTION, in matters of religion, is used for the character conferred on sacred things by anointing them with oil. Unctions were very frequent among the Hebrews. They anointed both their kings and high priests at the ceremony of their inauguration. They also anointed the sacred vessels of the tabernacle and temple, to sanctify and consecrate them to the service of God. In the ancient Christian church, unction accompanied the ceremonies of baptism and confirmation. Extreme unction, or the anointing persons in the article of death, was also practised by the ancient Christians, in compliance with the precept of St. James, chap. v. 14, 15; and this extreme unction the Romish church has advanced to the dignity of a sacrament. It is administered to none but such as are affected with some mortal disease, or in a decrepit age. It is refused to impenitent persons, as also to criminals. The parts to be anointed are, the eyes, the ears, the nostrils, the mouth, the hands, the feet, and the reins. The laity are anointed in the palms of the hands, but priests on the back of it, because the palms of their hands have been already consecrated by ordination. The oil with which the sick person 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 sick person: for the prayer is this-" 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 is no warrant now for using that ceremony. UNDERSTANDING, the faculty of perceiving things distinctly; 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. cap. 4. called the Act of Uniformity. UNION TO CHRIST, that act of divine grace by which we are joined to Christ; and is considered, 1, As virtual, or that which was formed from all eternity, Eph. i. 4.—2. Vital, or spiritual, formed in the moment of our regeneration, John, xvii. 26, 1 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, 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5, Eph. ii. 21, 22. It is also represented by an identity or sameness of spirit, 1 Cor. vi. 17. By an identity of body, 1 Cor. xii. 12, 27. By an identity of interest, Matt. xxv. 40. John, xx. 17. This union must be considered not as a mere mental union only in comfort 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, 1 John, iii. 1, 2. Supernatural union, 1 Cor. i, 30, Holy, i John, iii. 24. Necessary, John. xv. 4. Inviolable, Rom. vií 38, 39. Some state it thus: 1. An union of natures, Heb. ii. 11-2 Of actions, his obedience being imputed to us, and our sins reckoned to him, 2 Cor. v. 21.-3. Oflife, Col. iii. 4 ་་་ 4. Of sentiment, 2 Cor. v. 17.-5. Of in- mediatorial kingdom to the Father, alt terest, Matt. xxv. 34, &c.-6. Of affec- shall be brought to a participation of tion, 2 Cor. v. 14.-7. Of residence. John, the benefits of his death, in their restoxvii. 24. The advantages of it are ration to holiness and happiness. They knowledge, Eph. i. 18. Fellowship teach, that the wicked will receive a 1 Cor. i. 9. Security, John, xv. Felicity punishment apportioned to their crimes; 1 Pet. i. 8. Spirituality, John, xv. 8. and that punishment itself is a mediatorial indeed, all the rich communications of work, and founded upon mercy; that it spiritual blessings here and hereafter, is a mean of humbling, subduing, and Col. i. 22. The evidences of union to finally reconciling the sinner to God. Christ are, light in the understanding, They suppose that the words eternal, 1 Pet. ii. 9. Affection to him, John, xiv. everlasting &c. as they sometimes apply 21. Frequent communion with him, to the things which have ended, so they 1 John, i. 3. Delight in his word, ordi- cannot apply to endless misery. They nances, and people, Psal. xxvii. 4. Psal. say, this doctrine is the most consonant cxix. Submission to his will, and con- to the perfections of the Deity, most formity to his image, 1 John, ii. 5. Dick-worthy of the character of Christ, and inson's Letters, let. 17, Flavel's Method of Grace, ser. 2; Polhill on Union; Brown's Compend. b. 5. ch. 1. UNION HYPOSTATICAL, is the union of the human nature of Christ with the divine, constituting two natures in one person. Not consubstantially, as the three persons in the Godhead; nor physically, as soul and body united in one person; nor mystically, as is between Christ and believers but so as that the manhood subsists in the second person, yet without making confusion both making but one person. It was miraculous, Luke, i. 34, 35. Complete and real: Christ took a real human body and soul, and not in appearance. Inseparable, Heb. vii. 25. For the reasons of this union, see article MEDIATOR. UNITARIANS. those who confine the glory and attributes of divinity to the Father, and not allowing it to the Son or Holy Spirit. They are the same as the Socinians. See SOCINIANS. UNITED BRETHREN. See MoRAVIANS. UNITY OF GOD, a term made use of to denote that there is but one God or self-existent Being. The unity of God is argued from his necessary existence, self-sufficiency, perfection, independence, and omnipotence; from the unity of design in the works of nature; and from here being no necessity of having more gods than one: but the Scriptures set it beyond all doubt Deut. vi. 4. Psalm 1xxxvi. 10. Isa. xliii. 10. Mark, xii. 29. John, xvii. 3. Rom. iii. 30. 1 Cor. viii. 4, 6. 1 Tim. ii. 5. See POLYTHEISM; Abernethy on the At tributes of God, vol. i. ser. 5; Wilkins's|| Natural Religion, p. 113, 114; Howe's Works, vol. i. p. 72, 73; Gill's Divinity, vol. i. 8vo. edit. p. 183; Ridgley's Div. question 8. UNIVERSALISTS, those who suppose that, as Christ died for all, so, before he shall have delivered up his that the Scriptures cannot be reconciled upon any other plan. They teach their followers ardent love to God; and peace, meekness, candour, and universal love to men, they observe, are the natural result of these views. The sentiments of the Universalists were embraced by Origen in the 3d century, and in more modern times by Chevalier Ramsay, Dr. Cheyne, Mr. Hartley, and others. But one of the greatest advocates for this doctrine was Dr. Chauncy. His arguments are these: 1. Christ died not for a select number of men only, but for mankind universally, and without exception or limitation, for the sacred Scriptures are singularly emphatical in expressing this truth, 1 Thes. v. 10. 1 Cor. xv. 3. Rom. v. 6. 1 Pet. iii. 18. John, i. 29. John, iii. 16, 17. 1 John, ii. 2. Heb. ii. 9.-2. It is the purpose of God according to his good pleasure that mankind universally, in consequence of the death of his Son Jesus Christ, shall certainly and finally be saved, Rom. v. 12, &c. Rom. vii. 1924. Col. i. 19, 20 Eph. iv. 10. Eph. i. 9, 10. 2 Tim. i. 4.-3. As a mean, in order to men's being made meet for salvation, God will sooner or later, in this state or another, reduce them all under a willing and obedient subjection to his moral government, 1 John, in. 8. John, i. 29. Matt. i. 21. Psalm, viii. 5, 6. Heb. ii. 6, 9. Phil. ii. 9-11. 1 Cor. xv. 24— 29.-4. The Scripture language concerning the reduced or restored, in consequence of the mediatory interposition of Jesus Christ, is such as leads us into the thought, that it is comprehensive of mankind universally, Rev. v. 13. The opponents, however, of Dr. Chauncy, and this doctrine, observe, on the contrary side, that the sacred Scriptures expressly declare that the punishment of the finally impenitent shall be eternal, Matt. xvii. 8. Matt. xxv. 41, 46. Mark, ix. 43. Rev. xiv. 11. 2 Thes. i. 9. Eph. ii. 17. Jude, 13. Rev. ix. 3. The title of Unive: salists distinguishes This doctrine of universal salvation, UNPARDONABLE SIN. See SIN, $8. VOW, a solemn and religious pro- URIM AND THUMMIM (light and specting the Urim and Thummim, and URSULINES, an order of nuns, At first, these religious did not live in USURY, the gain taken for the loan |