others was made by several mi- eth sinners to repent of sin, and nisters, in 1692, against Dr. Wil-receive Christ by a true operative. liams's Gospel Truth Stated, &c. faith, promising that thereupon "To supply the room of the mo- they shall be united to him, justiral law, vacated by him, he turns fied by his righteousness, pardonthe Gospel into a new law, in ed, and adopted; and that, persekeeping of which we shall be jus-vering in faith and true holiness, tified for the sake of Christ's they shall be finally saved: also righteousness, making qualifica-threatening that if any shall die tions and acts of ours a disposing impenitent, unbelieving, ungodly, subordinate righteousness, where- rejecters of his grace, they shall by we become capable of being perish without relief, and endure justified by Christ's righteous-sorer punishments than if these offers had not been made to them? ness." To this among other things he-2. Hath the Gospel a sanction, answers, "The difference is not, i. e. doth Christ therein enforce 1. Whether the Gospel be a new his commands of faith, repentlaw in the Socinian, Popish, or ance, and perseverance, by the Arminian sense? This I deny. foresaid promises and threatenNor, 2. Is faith, or any otherings, as motives to our obedience? grace or act of ours, any atone-Both these I affirm, and they dement for sin, satisfaction to jus- ny; saying the gospel in the largest tice, meriting qualification, or any sense is an absolute promise withpart of that righteousness for out precepts and conditions, and which we are justified at God our a Gospel threat is a bull.-3. Do Creator's bar. This I deny in the Gospel promises of benefits to places innumerable. Nor, 3. Whe-certain graces, and its threats that ther the gospel be a law more new than is implied in the first promise to fallen Adam, proposed to Cain, and obeyed by Abel, to the differencing him from his unbelieving brother? This I deny. 4. Nor whether the gospel be a law that It does not appear to have been allows sin, when it accepts such a question in this controversy, graces as true, though short of whether God in his word comperfection, to be the conditions mands sinners to repent and beof our personal interest in the believe in Christ, nor whether he nefits purchased by Christ? This promises life to believers, and I deny. 5. Nor whether the gos-threatens death to unbelievers; pel be a law, the promises where-but whether it be the Gospel unof entitle the performers of its conditions to the benefits as of debt? This I deny. "The difference is, 1. Is the Gospel a law in this sense; viz. God in Christ thereby command-ll those benefits shall be withheld, and the contrary evils inflicted for the neglect of such graces, render those graces the condition of our personal title to those benefits?This they deny, and I affirm," &c. der the form of a new law that thus commands or threatens, or the moral law on its behalf, and whether its promises to believing render such believing a condition of the things promised. In ano that it was not, however, an union of nature or of person, but only of will and affection (Nestorius, however, it is said, denied the last position); that Christ was therefore to be carefully distinguished from God, who dwelt in him as in his temple; and that Mary was to be called the mother of Christ, and not the mother of God. One of the chief promoters of the Nestorian cause was Barsu D. 435. Such was his zeal and success, that the Nestorians who still remain in Chaldea, Persia, Assyria, and the adjacent countries, consider him alone as their parent and founder. By him Pherozes, the Persian monarch, was persuaded to expel those Christians who adopted the opinions of the Greeks, and to admit the Nestorians in their place, putting them in possession of the principal seat of ecclesiastical authority in Persia, the see of Selucia, which the patriarch of the Nestorians has always filled even down to our time. Barsumas also erected a school at Nisibis, from which proceeded those Nestorian doctors ther controversy, however, which arose about forty years afterwards amongst the same description of people, it became a question, whether God did by his word (call it law or Gospel) command unregenerate sinners to repent and believe in Christ, or do anything also which is spiritually good. Of those who took the affirmative side of this question, one party attempted to maintain it on the ground of the Gospel being a new law, consist-mas, created bishop of Nisibis, A. ing of commands, promises, and threatenings, the terms or conditions of which were repentance, faith, and sincere obedience. But those who first engaged in the controversy, though they allowed the encouragement to repent and believe to arise merely from the grace of the Gospel, yet considered the formal obligation to do so as arising merely from the moral law, which, requiring supreme love to God, requires acquiescence in any revelation which he shall at any time make known. Witsius's Irenicum; Edwards on the Will, p. 220; Williams's Gospel Truth; Chauncey's Neonomianism unmasked; Adams's View of Religions. NESTORIANS, the follow-who in the fifth and sixth centuers of Nestorius, the bishop of Constantinople, who lived in the fifth century. They believed that in Christ there were not only two natures, but two persons, or no-torians in Chaldea, whence they Társ; of which the one was divine, even the eternal word; and the other, which was human, was the man Jesus; that these two persons had only one aspect; that the union between the Son of God and the son of man was formed in the moment of the virgin's conception, and was never to be dissolved; ries spread abroad their tenets through Egypt, Syria, Arabia, India, Tartary, and China. In the tenth century, the Nes are sometimes called Chaldeans, extended their spiritual conquests beyond Mount Imaus, and introduced the Christian religion into Tartary properly so called, and especially into that country called Karit, bordering on the northern part of China. The prince of that country, whom the Nestorians converted to the Christian faith || denomination of Elias, and reside constantly in the city of Mousul. Their spiritual dominion assumed, according to the vulgar tradition, the name of John after his baptism, to which he add-is very extensive, takes in a great part of Asia, and comprehends also within its circuit the Arabian Nestorians, and also the Christians of St. Thomas, who dwell along the coast of Malabar. It is observed, to the lasting honour of the Nestorians, that of all the Christian societies established in the East, thay have been the most careful and successful in avoiding a multitude of superstitious opinions and practices that have infected the Greek and Latin churches. About the middle of the seventeenth century, the Romish missionaries gained over to their communion a small number of Nestorians, whom they formed into a congregation or church; the patriarchs or bishops of which reside in the city of Amida, or Diarbeker, and all assume the denomination of Joseph. Nevertheless, the Nestorians in general persevere to our own times in their refusal to enter into the communion of the Romish church, notwithstanding the earnest entreaties and alluring offers that have been made by the pope's legate to conquer their inflexible constancy. NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH. See SWEDENBORGIANS. ed the sirname of Presbyter, from NEW PLATONICS, or AMMONIANS, so called from Ammonius Saccas, who taught with the highest applause in the Alexandrian school, about the conclusion of the second century. This learned man attempted a general reconciliation of all sects, whether philosophical or religious. He main tained that the great principles || serted that his project was agreeof all philosophical and religious able to the intentions of Jesus truth were to be found equally in Christ, whom he acknowledged all sects, and that they differed to be a most excellent man, the from each other only in their me- || friend of God; and affirmed that thod of expressing them, in some his sole view in descending on opinions of little or no impor-earth was to set bounds to the tance; and that by a proper inter-reigning superstition, to remove pretation of their respective senti-the errors which had crept into ments they might easily be united in one body. the religion of all nations, but not to abolish the ancient theology from which they were derived. Taking these principles for granted. Ammonius associated the sentiments of the Egyptians with the doctrines of Plato; and to finish this conciliatory scheme, he so interpreted the doctrines of the other philosophical and religious sects, by art, invention, and allegory, that they seemed to bear some semblance to the Egyptian and Platonic systems. With regard to moral discipline, Ammonius permitted the people to live according to the law of their country and the dictates of nature; but a more sublime rule was laid down for the wise. They Ammonius supposed that true philosophy derived its origin and its consistence from the eastern nations, that it was taught to the Egyptians by Hermes, that it was brought from them to the Greeks, and preserved in its original purity by Plato, who was the best interpreter of Hermes and the other oriental sages. He maintained that all the different religions which prevailed in the world were in their original integrity conform able to this ancient philosophy; but it unfortunately happened that the symbols and fictions under which, according to the eastern manner, the ancients delivered their precepts and doctrines, were in pro-were to raise above all terrestrial cess of time erroneously understood both by priests and people, in a literal sense; that in consequence of this, the invisible beings and demons whom the Supreme Deity had placed in the different parts of the universe as the ministers of his providence, were by the suggestions of superstition converted into gods, and worshipped with a multiplicity of vain ce-cend after death, active and uninremonies. He therefore insisted cumbered, to the universal Parent, that all the religions of all nations to live in his presence for ever. should be restored to their primitive standard: viz. The ancient philosophy of the east: and he as things, by the towering efforts of holy contemplation, those souls whose origin was celestial and divine. They were ordered to extenuate by hunger, thirst, and other mortifications, the sluggish body, which restrains the liberty of the immortal spirit, that in this life they might enjoy communion with the Supreme Being, and as NEW TESTAMENT. See INSPIIRATION and SCRIPTURE. NICENE CREED. See CREED. science; as Presbyterians, Independents, Baptists, &c.-3. Internal Nonconformists, or unprincipled clergymen, who applaud and propagate doctrines quite incon-, sistent with several of those articles they promised on oath to defend. The word is generally used in reference to those ministers who were ejected from their liv. NICOLAITANS, heretics ||land may be considered of three who assumed this name from Ni-sorts. 1. Such as absent themselves cholas of Antioch; who, being a from divine worship in the estab Gentile by birth, first embraced lished church through total irreliJudaism and then Christianity;gion, and attend the service of no when his zeal and devotion recom- other persuasion.-2. Such as abmended him to the church of Je-sent themselves on the plea of con rusalem, by whom he was chosen one of the first deacons. Many of the primitive writers believed that Nicholas was rather the occasion than the author of the infamous practices of those who assumed his name, who were expressly condemned by the Spirit of God himself, Rev. ii, 6. And, indeed, their opinions and actions were highly extravagant and criminal.ings by the act of Uniformity, in They allowed a community of wives, and made no distinction between ordinary meats and those offered to idols. According to Eusebius, they subsisted but a short time; but Tertullian says, that they only changed their name, and that their heresies passed into the sect of the Cainites. 1662. The number of these was about two thousand. However some affect to treat these men with indifference, and suppose that their consciences were more tender than they need be, it must be remembered, that they were men of extensive learning, great abilities, and pious conduct, as NOETIANS, Christian here-ever appeared. Mr. Locke, if his tics in the third century, followers opinion has any weight, calls them of Noetius, a philosopher of Ephe-"worthy, learned, pious, orthodox sus, who pretended that he was divines, who did not throw themanother Moses sent by God, and selves out of service, but were for that his brother was a new Aaron. cibly ejected." Mr. Bogue thus His heresy consisted in affirming draws their character: "As to their that there was but one person in public ministrations," he says, the Godhead; and that the Word" they were orthodox, experimen and the Holy Spirit were but ex-tal, serious, affectionate, regular, ternal denominations given to God || faithful, able, and popular preachin consequence of different opera-ers. As to their moral qualities, tions; that, as Creator, he is called they were devout and holy; faithFather; as incarnate, Son; and as ful to Christ and the souls of men; descending on the apostles, Holy wise and prudent; of great liberGhost. ality and kindness; and strenuous NONCONFORMISTS, those advocates for liberty, civil and rewho refuse to join the established ligious. As to their intellectual quachurch. Nonconformists in Eng-lities, they were learned, eminent, VOL. II. Cc |