deliver the celestial spirit from the bondage of the mortal body*.

Madame Guyon and the renowned Fénélon have been distinguished among the modern Quietists. The former underwent a long imprisonment for her success in making converts to the way of contemplation and prayer, known by the name of Quietism. She spent her latter years in mystical rèveries; covering her tables, ceilings, and every thing that would receive them, with the sallies of a visionary imagination.

MATTHEW xxiii. 8. 10.

“Be not ye called Rabbi―neither be ye called Masters."

(QUAKERS.)

The Quakers object to the application of the titles of Master and Mistress, to those who do not stand in this relation to them: the same remark applies to any title.

"We apprehend," says Mr. Gurney, "that our heavenly guide, whose spirit is expressly denominated, the Spirit of Truth,' and whose will is directly opposed to all unrighteous vanities, of whatsoever magnitude and description they may be, has taught us in our communications one with another, and with our fellow-men, to abstain from the use of these various complimentary fictions. The substitution of a plain mode of expression, in the place of one so nearly universal, has, indeed, the effect of rendering us singular; and the singularity which is

* See the Pratum Spirituale of Moschus; the Lausiac Hist. of Palladius; as also Sulpitius Severus Dial. I.

thus occasioned, and which sometimes entails upon us ridicule and contempt, is often, in no slight degree, mortifying to the natural inclinations, especially to those of the young and tender minds. Nevertheless, we are persuaded, that this is one of the particulars of conduct in which, however trifling the subject may appear to some persons, a duty is laid upon us to deny ourselves, patiently to endure the cross, and faithfully to bear our testimony against the customs prevalent in the world at large. It is plain, according to our view of the subject, that the common mode of speech from which we have thus been led to abstain, is at variance with certain acknowledged and important principles in the divine law. Such a phraseology may very fairly be deemed objectionable; first, because it is intended to flatter the pride of man; and secondly, because it is inconsistent with truth." See Gurney's Observations on the Religious Peculiarities of the Society of Friends.

No. 1.

MATTHEW Xxiv. 24.

"False Christs, and false apostles."

(APOLLONIUS TYANEUS.)

It is a thing highly probable, if not unquestionable, that Apollonius Tyanæus, shortly after the publication of the Gospel to the world, was a person made choice of by the policy, and assisted by the powers of the kingdom of darkness, for the doing of some things extraordinary; merely out of design, to derogate from the miracles of our Saviour Christ, and to enable Paganism the better to bear up against the assaults of Christianity. For amongst

the many writers of this philosopher's life, some, and particularly Philostratus, seem to have had no other aim in this their whole undertaking, than only to dress up Apollonius in such a garb and manner, as might make him best seem to be a fit corrival with our Saviour Christ, both in respect of sanctity and miracles. Eunapius, therefore, telling us, that he mistitled his book, and that instead of 'Amoλλwvíov Bios, "the life of Apollonius," he should have called it, Θεοῦ εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἐπιδημίαν, "the coming down and converse of God with men;" for as much as this Apollonius, saith he, was not a bare philosopher, or man, ἀλλά τι Θεῶν καὶ ἀνθρώπου μέσον, but a certain middle thing betwixt the gods and men. And that this was the use commonly made by the Pagans of this history of Apollonius, viz. to set him up in way of opposition and rivalry to our Saviour Christ, appears sundry ways.

Cudworth, book i. c. 4. p. 266.

No. 2.

(FALSE CHRISTS.)

In almost every age of Christianity, there have been impostors or fanatics, who have assumed the title of Messiah.

In the twelfth century alone, Mr. Gregory mentions the following instances. "In 1137, the Persians were disturbed by a Jew, who called himself the Messiah, and collected together a formidable army of his countrymen. The Persian monarch submitted to a treaty with this religious usurper ; he paid him a sum of money on the condition of disbanding his soldiers, but afterwards seized and beheaded him, and compelled the Jews to refund

"

the money he had given to their Messiah, which reduced them to beggary, and even to the necessity of selling their children. In the following year, a false Christ appeared in France; he was put to death, and many Jews suffered at the same time under the accusation, real or imaginary, of sacrificing a male Christian child once a year. About the year 1157, an impostor, under the title of Messiah, incited the Jews to revolt at Corduba, and this unfortunate event occasioned the destruction of almost all the Jews in Spain. In 1167, another false prophet appeared in Arabia, who pretended to be the forerunner of the Messiah. When search was made for him, he was soon deserted by his followers, and being questioned by the Arabian king, he replied, that he was indeed a prophet sent from God. The king requiring a sign in confirmation of his mission, the unfortunate fanatic desired him to cut off his head, and asserted, that he should, presently, see him restored to life. His request was complied with; the event, however, by no means corresponded with the professions of the prophet, and the Arabian Jews were condemned to pay a heavy fine. In 1174, a magician and false Christ occasioned great trouble to the Jews in Persia; and in two years after, another arose in Moldavia, called David Almusser. He pretended that he could make himself invincible; but he was taken, and a heavy fine laid upon the Jews."

Gregory's History of the Christian Church.

MATTHEW Xxiv. 31.

"His Angels."

(UNITARIANISM.)

"Or, messengers, Apostles, and first preachers of the Gospel. Mark xiii. 27. Simpson."

Note to the Unitarian Version.

No. 1.

MATTHEW xxiv. 36.

"Knoweth no man, but my Father only."

(ROMAN CATHOLICS AND ARIANS.)

This passage was the subject of a long dispute between the Roman Catholics and Arians, the latter concluded from it, that Jesus Christ is not God.

No. 2.

(AGNOETE, OR NESCIENTS.)

In the sixth century, some of the Corrupticolæ, (for so they were called who looked upon the body of Christ to be corruptible) particularly Themistius, a deacon of Alexandria, and Theodosius, a bishop of that city, maintained, that Christ's divine nature knew all things, but some things were concealed from his human; on this account they were called Agnoetæ or Nescients.

Jo. Bapt. Cotelerius, ad Monumenta Ecclesiæ Græcæ, tom. iii. p. 641. Mich. le Quien, ad Damascenum de Hæresibus, tom, i. p. 17. Forbes Instruc. Historico Theolog. 1. 3. c. 19. p. 119. Photius Biblioth. Cod. 230. p. 882.