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be a sinner; and it will be no longer his fault, if it be supposed that he is so necessarily.

3. If man cannot be free from sin, it is either from the necessity of his nature, or by the free choice of his will, that he sins. If it be from the necessity of his nature, he is no longer culpable, in fact he does not sin; if it be by the free choice of his own will, he may then avoid sin all his life.

See Dictionn. des Hérésies.

No. 2.

(WESLEY.)

One of the favorite doctrines of Wesley, in which Whitefield did not acquiesce, was that of perfection. The following are extracts from the writings of Wesley and Fletcher.

"Q. What is implied in being a perfect Christian? "A. The loving the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our mind, and soul, and strength. Deut. vi. 5. xxx. 6. Ezek. xxxvi. 25. 29.

66

Q. Does this imply that all inward sin is taken

away?

"A. Without doubt; or how could he be said to be saved from all his uncleanness.

Q. What commands are there to this effect? "A. Matt. v. 48. Be ye perfect, &c. Matt. xxii. 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &c. But if the love of God fill all the heart, there can be no sin there."

Mr. Wesley said, "To explain myself a little farther on this head: 1. Not only sin, properly so called, that is, a voluntary trangression of a known law; but sin, improperly so called, that is, an involuntary transgression of a divine law, known or un

known, needs the atoning blood. 2. I believe there is no such perfection in this life as excludes these involuntary transgressions, which I apprehend to be naturally consequent on the ignorance and mistakes inseparable from mortality. 3. Therefore, sinless perfection is a phrase I never use, lest I should seem to contradict myself. 4. I believe a person filled with the love of God is still liable to these involun

tary transgressions. 5. Such transgressions you may call sins, if you please: I do not."

See Mr. Wesley's Plain Account of Christian Perfection, p. 60. See also Wesley's and Fletcher's Works; Benson's Apology for the Methodists; and Myles's Chronological History of the Methodists.

MATTHEW vi. 7.

"When ye pray, use not vain repetitions."
(PURITANS.)

The Puritans said, they objected to some things in the public Liturgy established by law; as the frequent repetition of the Lord's Prayer; the interruption of the prayers by the frequent responses of the people, which in some places seem to be little better than vain repetitions.

Neal's History of the Puritans.

MATTHEW vi. 32.

"Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." A sect of the second century contended, that prayer was unnecessary; grounding their doctrine on this passage.

See Dictionn. des Hérésies, Art, Cyrenaiques.

MATTHEW vii. 7.

"Seek and ye shall find."

(SEEKERS AND RANTERS.)

The Seekers derive their name from their maintaining, that the true Church, Ministry, Scriptures, and Ordinances were lost, for which they were seeking.

They taught that the Scriptures are uncertain; that present miracles are necessary to faith; that our ministry is without authority, and our worship and ordinances unnecessary or vain.

The Ranters, who arose about the same period, (17th century) held opinions nearly similar.

See Calamy's Abridgment of Baxter's History.

MATTHEW viii. 28.

"Two possessed with devils."

(UNITARIANISM.)

"Two who had demons; i. e. Two madmen."

Note to the Unitarian Version.

MATTHEW viii. 32.

"They went into the herd of swine."

(UNITARIANISM.)

"i. e. The insanity passed into the herd of swine."

Note to the Unitarian Version.

In the Table of Controversies affixed to the Roman Catholic Version, this text and Acts xix. 12, are given as authorities for the veneration of relics. (See Mr. Butler's note Heb. xi. 21. No. 2.)

MATTHEW x. 2.

"Twelve Apostles."
(MANICHEANS.)

The general assembly of the Manicheans was headed by a president, who represented Jesus Christ; there were joined to him twelve rulers, or masters, who were designed to represent the twelve Apostles, and these were followed by seventy bishops, the images of the seventy disciples of our Lord. These bishops had presbyters and deacons under them, and all the members of these religious orders were chosen out of the class of the elect.

See this amply proved in the work entitled "Commentarii de rebus Christianorum ante Constantinum magnum.”

MATTHEW x. 8.

"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils.” (SHAKERS.)

The Shakers believe that they have power to heal the sick, to raise the dead, and to cast out devils.

This they say is performed by the preaching of the word of God, when it is attended with the divine power, the wonderful energy and operation of the Holy Spirit, which performs those things by healing the broken-hearted, raising up those who are dead in trespasses and sins to a life of holiness and righteousness, which causes the devils to be cast out.

This sect was instituted in the year 1774; Ann Lee, whom they styled the " Elect Lady," was the head of the party. She went to America in 1774.

In the account these people give of themselves, says Mr. Evans, they mention the Quakers in the time of Oliver Cromwell, and the French prophets of a later date, as being the first who had a peculiar testimony from the Lord to deliver the Christian world. But they complain, that the former degenerated, "losing that desire of love and power with which they first set out," and the latter being of short continuance, their " extraordinary communications" have long ago ceased.

"In their meetings," Mr. Adam remarks, "the Shakers have praying, preaching, singing, and dancing, the men in one apartment, the women in another. They vary their exercises of devotion. Their heavy dancing, as it is called, is performed by a perpetual springing from the house-floor, about four inches up and down, both in the men's and women's apartment, moving about with extraordinary transport, singing sometimes one at a time, and sometimes more. They sometimes clap their hands and leap so high as to strike the joists above their heads. This elevation affects the nerves, so that they have intervals of shuddering, as if they were in a violent fit of the ague. They even throw off their outside garments in these exercises, and spend