continued persecution from all quarters, until the reign of Alexander. In 1801 two senators were sent to review the affairs of the government in the Ukraine. They were the first who represented this people to the emperour in a true light. They were prior to this, scattered in different provinces. The emperour gave them permission to settle at a place called Molishnia Vodi. Here they formed two settlements in 1804.* DULCINISTS, the followers of Dulcinus of Lombardy, ⚫ in the fourteenth century; who, after predicting the downfal of the Pope, took arms to fulfil his own prophecy, and perished miserably in the attempt. He joined the Apostolics and became a leader in their sect before he founded one of own.t his DUNKERS, a denomination which took its rise in the year 1724. It was founded by Conrad Peysel, a German, who, weary of the world, retired to an agreeable solitude within fifty miles of Philadelphia, for the more free exercise of religious contemplation. Curiosity attracted followers, and his simple and engaging manners made them proselytes. They soon settled a little colony, called Euphrata, in allusion to the Hebrews, who used to sing psalms on the border of the riv er Euphrates. They are said to derive their name from baptizing by immersion, which they perform thrice. And as they presented themselves to the ordinance in a peculiar manner, bowing forward, (perhaps kneeling in the water, as an act of worship,) they were in ridicule called Tumblers. This is the more probable, as it appears their baptism was accompanied with the laying on of hands and prayer while in the water. Their habit seems peculiar to themselves, consisting of a long tunic, or coat, reaching down to their feet, with a sash, or girdle, round the waist, and a cap, or hood, hanging from the shoulders, like the dress of the Dominican friars. The men do not shave the head or beard. The men and women have separate habitations and distinct governments. For these purposes, they have erected two large wooden buildings, one of which is occupied by the brethren, the other by the sisters of the society; and in each of them there is a banqueting-room, and an apartment for public wórship: for the brethren and sisters do not meet together even at their devotions. They live chiefly upon roots and other vegetables; the rules of their society not allowing them flesh, except on particular occasions, * For farther particulars respecting the Duhobortsi, see Pinkerton's Present state of the Greek church in Russia, p. 250, 251, 252, &c. See also Christian Disciple for Feb. 1817. † Mosheim, vol. iii. p. 9!. when they hold what they call a love-feast; at which time the brethren and sisters dine together in a large apartment, and eat mutton, but no other meat. In each of their little cells they have a bench fixed, to serve the purpose of a bed, and a small block of wood for a pillow. The Dunkers allow of no intercourse between the bthren and sisters, not even by marriage. The principal tenet of the Dunkers appears to be this: That future happiness is only to be attained by penance and outward mortifications in this life; and that as Jesus Christ by his meritorious sufferings became the redeemer of mankind in general, so,-each individual of the human race, by a life of abstinence and restraint, should work out his own salvation. They are charged with holding the doctrine of supererogation they deny the eternity of future punishments, and believe that the souls of the just are employed to preach the gospel to those who have had no revelation in this life. They suppose the Jewish sabbath, sabbatical year, and year of jubilee, are typical of certain periods after the general judgment, in which the souls of those who are so far humbled as to acknowledge God and Christ, are received to felicity; while those who continue ob stinate are reserved in torments until the grand period typified by the jubilee arrives, in which all shall be made eventually happy. They also deny the imputation of Adam's sin to his posterity. So that they are general baptists and universalists. But they disclaim violence even in cases of self-defence, and suffer themselves to be defrauded or wronged rather than go to law; on which accounts they have been called the harmless Dunkers. Their church government and discipline are the same with those of the English Baptists, except that every brother is allowed to speak in the congregation; and their best speaker is usually ordained to be their minister. They have deacons and deaconesses from among their ancient widows and exhorters, who are all licensed to use their gifts statedly.* *DURSIANS or Duruzians, a fierce people inhabiting the wilds of mount Libanus, and in the eleventh century engaged in the holy war. There is evidence, that they embraced the general profession of Cristianity; but their peculiar tenets were kept so secret, that they cannot now be ascertained with certainty: it is probable however that they were Manicheans.t Caspipina's Lett. p. 70-72. Review of North America, vol. i. p. 225. Adams' Religious world displayed,' and Winchester's Dialogues. † Mosheim, vol. iv. p. 270. E EBIONITES, a denomina- and rejected a part of the scrip tion in the first and second centuries; so called from their leader Ebion, or from their poverty, which Ebion signifies in Hebrew. They believed the divine mission of Christ, and, it is said, his participation of a divine nature; yet they regarded him as a man, born of Joseph and Mary, according to the ordinary course of nature. They asserted, that the ceremonial law, instituted by Moses, was not only obligatory upon the Jews, but also upon all others, and that the observance of it was essential to salvation. They observed both the Jewish sabbath and the Lord's day; and in celebrating the eucharist made use of unleavened bread. They abstained from the flesh of animals, and even from milk. They rejected the old testament, and in the new testament received only the gospel of St. Matthew, and a book which they styled, "The gospel according to the Hebrews." Some ancient writers distinguish two kinds of Ebionites; -the one, usually called Nazarenes, and only Judaizing Christians, who mingled the institutions of Moses with those of Christ (See Nazarenes) and the other, Unitarians, who denied the divinity of Jesus, * tures.* ECLECTICS, a name given to certain ancient philosophers, who endeavoured to form a system of opinions by selecting from every sect those doctrines, which seemed to approach nearest to the truth. Hence their denomination, derived from exλiya, "I choose," may be considered as referring either to "one who chooses," or one which may be chosen. The eclectic philosophy was in a flourishing state at Alexandria, when our Saviour was upon earth. Its founders wished to be considered as chiefly followers of Plato, whose philosophy they made the foundation of their system. But they did not scruple to join with his doctrines, whatever they thought conformable to reason in the tenets of other philosophers. Potamon, a Platonist, appears to have been the projector of this plan. The eclectic system was brought to perfection by Ammonius Saccas, who blended Christianity with his philosophy, and founded the sect of the Ammonians, or New Platonists, in the second century. See Ammonians. The moral doctrine of the Alexandrian school was as follows:-The mind of man, originally a portion of the divine Mosheim, vol. i. p. 173, 174. Hearne's Ductor Historicus, vol. ii. pp. 74. Priestley's Enquiry, &c. Being, having fallen into a state of darkness and defilement by its union with the body, is to be gradually emancipated from the chains of matter, and rise by contemplation to the knowledge and vision of God. The end of philosophy, therefore, is the liberation of the soul from its corporeal imprisonment. For this purpose the Eclectic philosophy recommends abstinence, with other voluntary mortifications, and religious exercises. In the infancy of the Alexandrian school, not a few of the professors of Christianity were led, by the pretensions of the Eclectic sect, to imagine that a coalition might, with great advantage, be formed between its system and that of Christianity. This union appeared the more desirable, when several philosophers of this sect became converts to the christian faith. The consequence was, that pagan ideas and opinions were by degrees mixed with the pure and simple doctrines of the gospel.* . EFFRONTES, sectaries, so called from shaving their foreheads till they bled, (which they called the baptism of blood,) and then anointing them with oil; using no other baptism, and deying the person and deity of the Holy Ghost.t EGYPTIANS, ancient, one of the most renowned of the early nations, who, like the Babylonians, originally wor shipped the sun, and afterwards inferiour deities, which they esteemed emanations from it. "They were refined in their superstitions above all nations in the world; and conferred the names and titles of their deities upon vegetables and animals of every species; and not only upon these, but also upon the parts of the human body, and the very passions of the mind. Whatever they deemed salutary, or of great value, they distinguished by the title of sacred, and dedicated it to some god. They had many emblematical personages, set off with the heads of various animals, to represent particular virtues and affections, as well as to denote the various attributes of their gods."‡ Thus they "worshipped the creature more than the Creator;" and were given up to idolatry beyond other countries, becoming the source of superstition to all the eastern nations. They paid particular honours to the serpent and crocodile, and to the Ibis, as a most useful animal. Apis was worshipped in the form of an ox or cow, and Osiris as a goat; and the souls of their superiour deities were supposed to reside in the stars or planets. Some have taken great pains to prove that their idols had originally a reference to the scripture history, and particularly to the patriarch Joseph.§ Mosheim, vol. i. p. 37, 171. * Enfield's Philos. Edinburgh Ency. + Ross' View of all Religions, p. 233. Bellamy's Hist. of all Religions, p. 21, &c. Bryant's Analysis, vol. i. p. 333. EICETÆ, a sect in the year 680, who affirmed that, in order to make prayer acceptable to God, it should be performed with agitations both of mind and body.* See Dancers. ELCESAITES, the followers of Elxai (or Elcesia,) a sectary of the second century, whether Jew or Christian is uncertain; but he held the doctrine of two principles, and other points of Manicheanism. He was succeeded by Saturninus.t ENCRATITES, or ContiTIT nents, a sect in the second or third century, who condemned marriage; forbade the eating of flesh, or the drinking of wine; rejected all the comforts and conveniences of life, and practised great mortification of the body. They appear to have been a branch of the Manicheans.+ ENERGICI, sectaries in the sixteenth century, charged with holding that the eucharist was the energy and virtue of Jesus Christ; not his body, nor a mere representation thereof. ENGLISH CHURCH. The church of England is Episcopal, and boasts a regular succession of bishops, from the times of the apostles, conveyed to them by the church of Rome. See Episcopalians. The reformation was introduced into England during the reign of Henry VIII, who up Dufresnoy's Chronological Tables, † Mosheim, vol. i. p. 216, new ed. History of Religion, vol. iv. on his altercation with the Pope, took the management of ecclesiastical affairs into his own hands, and styled himself the supreme head of the church, which title has since been given to the English monarchs. Under the king, the church of England is governed by two archbishops and twenty four bishops. The various grades among the clergy are styled, deans, archdeacons, rectors, vicars, &c. The liturgy was introduced in the reign of Edward VI, and re-established in that of Elizabeth, with some few alterations. During the reign of this queen, the thirty nine articles were also established. It has been generally held by most, if not all Calvinists, both in and out of the establishment, that the doctrinal articles of the English church are Calvinistic. This opinion, however, has been warmly controverted by others, who interpret them in favour of Arminianism. The former opinion has been defended by Dr. Scott, Mr. Toplady, Dr. Haweis, Sir R. Hill, and more recently by Mr. Overton. The latter has been as strenuously maintained by Dr. Kipling, Mr. Daubeny, and the present bishop of Lincoln; and the dispute has never run higher upon the subject, than it has done of late years. "Each party," says Mr. Adam, "seem to understand the articles exclusive vol. i. p. 213. + Mosheim, vol. i. 180. |