especially by way of message or inter- pure spirits divested of all matter, or course between God and his creatures. united to some thin bodies, or corporeal Hence the word is used differently in vehicles, has been a controversy of long various parts of the scripture, and sig- || standing: the more general opinion is, nifies, 1. Human messengers, or agents that they are substances entirely spifor others, 2 Sam. ii. 5." David sent ritual, though they can at any time asMessengers (Heb. angels) to Jabesh sume bodies, and appear in human Gilead, Prov. xiii. 17. Mark i. 2. James shape, Gen. xviii. and xix, Gen. xxxii. ii. 25.-2. Officers of the churches, Matt. xxviii. Luke i. &c. The scripwhether prophets or ordinary minis- tures represent them as endued with ters, Hag. i. 13. Rev. i. 20.-3. Jesus extraordinary wisdom and power, 2 Christ, Mal. iii. 1. Isa. lxiii. 9.-4. Some Sam. xiv. 20. Ps. ciii. 20; holy, and readd the dispensations of God's provi- gular in their inclinations; zealous in dence, either beneficial or calamitous, their employ, and completely happy in Gen. xxiv. 7. Ps. xxxiv. 7. Acts xii. 23. their minds, Job xxxviii. 7. Heb. i. 7. 1 Sam. xiv. 14; but I must confess, that, Matt. xviii. 10. Their number seems to though I do not at all see the impro- be great, Ps. Ixviii. 17. Heb. xii. 22; and priety of considering the providences of perhaps have distinct orders, Col. i. 16, God as his angels or messengers for 17. 1 Pet. iii. 22. 1 Thes. iv. 16. Dan. x. good or for evil, yet the passages gene- 13. They are delighted with the grand rally adduced under this head do not scheme of redemption, and the converprove to me that the providences of sion of sinners to God, Luke ii. 12. 1 Pet. God are meant in distinction from crea- i. 12. Luke xv. 10. They not only worted angels.-5. Created intelligences, ship God, and execute his commands at both good and bad, Heb. i. 14. Jude 6, large, but are attendant on the saints of the subject of the present article.-As God while here below, Ps. xci. 11, 12. to the time when the angels were crea- Heb. i. 13. Luke xvi. 22. Some conjected, much has been said by the learned. ture that every good man has his partiSome wonder that Moses, in his account oular guardian angel, Matt. xviii. 10. of the creation, should pass over this in Acts xii. 15; but this is easier to be supsilence. Others suppose that he did this posed than to be proved; nor is it a because of the proneness of the Gentile matter of consequence to know. "What world, and even the Jews, to idolatry; need we dispute," says Henry," whether but a better reason has been assigned by every particular saint has a guardian others, viz. that this first history was angel, when we are sure he has a guard purposely and principally written for in- of angels about him?" They will gather formation concerning the visible world; the elect in the last day, attend the final the invisible, of which we know but in judgment, Matt. xxv. 31. Rev. xiv. 18. part, being reserved for a better life. Matt. xiii. 39, and live for ever in the Some think that the idea of God's not world of glory, Luke xx. 36. creating them before this world was made, is very contracted. To suppose, say they, that no creatures whatever, neither angels nor other worlds, had been created previous to the creation of our world, is to suppose that a Being of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, had remained totally inactive from all eternity, and had permitted the in- | finity of space to continue a perfect vacuum till within these 6000 years; that such an idea only tends to discredit revelation, instead of serving it. On the other hand it is alleged, that they must have been created within the six days; because it is said, that within this space God made heaven and earth, and all things that are therein. It is, however, a needless speculation, and we dare not indulge a spirit of conjecture. It is our happiness to know that they are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who are heirs of salvation. As to the nature of these beings, we are told that they are spirits; but whether

Although the angels were originally created perfect, yet they were mutable: some of them sinned, and kept not their first estate; and so, of the most blessed and glorious, became the most vile and miserable of all God's creatures. They were expelled the regions of light, and with heaven lost their heavenly disposition, and fell into a settled rancour against God, and malice against men. What their offence was is difficult to determine, the scripture being silent about it Some think envy, others unbelief; but most suppose it was pride. As to the time of their fall, we are certain it could not be before the sixth day of the creation, because on that day it is said, " God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good;" but that it was not long after, is very probable, as it must have preceded the fall of our first parents. The number of the fallen angels seems to be great, and, like the holy angels, perhaps have various orders among them, Matt. xii. 24. Eph.

ii. 2. Eph. vi. 12. Col. ii. 15. Rev. xii. 7. Their constant employ is not only doing evil themselves, but endeavoaring by all arts to seduce and pervert mankind, 1 Pet. v. 8. Job i. 6. It is supposed they will be restrained during the millennium, Rev. xx. 2, but afterwards again, for a short time, deceive the nations, Rev. xx. 8, and then be finally punished, Matt. xxv.41. The authors who have written on this subject have been very numerous; we shall only refer to a few: Reynolds's Enquiry into the State and Economy of the Angelical World; Doddridge's Lect. p. 10. lect. 210 to 214; Milton's Paradise Lost; Bp. Newton's Works, vol ii. p. 938, 568; Shepherd of Angels; Gilpin on Temptation; Casmanni Angelographia; Gill and Ridgeley's Bodies of Divinity.

ANGELICS, an ancient sect, supposed by some to have got this appellation from their excessive veneration of angels, and by others from maintaining that the world was created by angels.

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ANGELITES, a sect in the reign of the emperor Anastasius, about the year 494; so called from Angelium, a place in the city of Alexandria where they held their first meetings. They were called likewise Severites, from Severus, || who was the head of their sect; as also Theodosians, from one Theodosius, whom they made pope at Alexandria. They held that the persons of the trinity are not the same; that none of them exists of himself, and of his own nature; but that there is a common God or Deity existing in them all, and that each is God by a participation of this Deity.

they were construed into indications of malice; the inducement which prompted our adversary to act as he did, and how powerfully the same inducement has, at one time or other, operated upon ourselves; that he is suffering, perhaps, under a contrition, which he is ashamed, or wants opportunity to confess; and how ungenerous it is to triumph by coldness or insult over a spirit already humbled in secret; that the returns of kindness are sweet, and that there is neither honour, nor virtue, nor use. in resisting them; for some persons think themselves bound to cherish and keep alive their indignation, when they find it dying away of itself. We may remember that others have their passions, their prejudices, their favourite aims, their fears, their cautions, their interests, their sudden impulses, their varieties of apprehension, as well as we: we may recollect what hath sometimes passed in our own minds, when we have got on the wrong side of a quarrel, and imagine the same to be passing in our adversary's mind now: when we became sensible of our misbehaviour, what palliations we perceived in it, and expected others to perceive; how we were affected by the kindness, and felt the superiority of a generous reception, and ready forgiveness; how persecution revived our spirits with our enmity, and seemed to justify the conduct in ourselves, which we before blamed. Add to this the indecency of extravagant anger; how it renders us while it lasts, the scorn and sport of all about us, of which it leaves us, when it ceases, sensible and ashamed; the inconventences and irretrievable misconduct into which our ir|| rascibility has sometimes betrayed us; the friendships it has lost us; the distresses and embarrassments in which we have been involved by it; and the repentance which, on one account or other, it always costs us. But the reflection, calculated above all others to allay that haughtiness of temper which is ever finding out provocations, and which renders anger so impetuous, is, that which the Gospel proposes; namely, that we ourselves are, or shortly shall be, supplicants for mercy and pardon at the judgment seat of God. Imagine our secret sins all disclosed and brought to light; imagine us thus humbled and ex

ANGER, a violent passion of the mind. arising upon the receipt, or supposed receipt, of any injury, with a present purpose of revenge. All anger is by no means sinful; it was designed by the Author of our nature for self-defence nor is it altogether a selfish pas- || sion, since it is excited by injuries offered to others as well as ourselves, and sometimes prompts us to reclaim offenders from sin and danger, Eph. iv. 26; but it becomes sinful when conceived upon trivial occasions or inadequate provocations; when it breaks forth into outrageous actions; vents itself in reviling language, or is concealed in our thoughts to the degree of hatred. To suppress this passion, the following re-posed; trembling under the hand of flections of arch-deacon Paley, may not be unsuitable: "We should consider the possibility of mistaking the motives from which the conduct that offends us proceeded; how often our offences have been the effect of inadvertency, when

God: casting ourselves on his compassion; crying out for mercy; imagine such a creature to talk of satisfaction and revenge; refusing to be entreated, disdaining to forgive; extreme to mark and to resent what is done amiss; ima

gine, I say, this, and you can hardly feign to yourself an instance of more impious and unnatural arrogance." Paley's Mor. Phil. ch. 7. vol. i.; Fawcet's excellent Treatise on Anger; Seed's Posth. Serm. ser. 11.

ANGER OF GOD. See WRATH. ANGLO-CALVINISTS, a name given by some writers to the members of the church of England, as agreeing with the other Calvinists in most points, excepting church government.

particular solemnity. Anthems were first introduced in the reformed service of the English church. in the beginning of the reign of queen Elizabeth. ANTHROPOMORPHITES, a sect of ancient herctics, who, taking every thing spoken of God in the scripture in a literal sense, particularly that passage of Genesis in which it is said, God made man after his own image," maintained that God had a human shape.

but anthropopathy only of human affections and passions, as joy grief. We have frequent instances of the use of these figures in holy scripture.

ANTHROPOPATHY, a figure, exANNIHILATION, the act of redu- pression, or discourse, whereby some cing any created being into nothing. The passion is attributed to God which prosentiments of mankind have differed perly belongs only to man. Anthropowidely as to the possibility and impos-pathy is frequently used promiscuously sibility of annihilation. According to with anthropology; yet in strictness some, nothing is so difficult: it requires they ought to be distinguished, as the the infinite power of God to effect it: genus from the species. Anthropology according to others, nothing so easy. may be understood of any thing human Existence, say they, is a state of vio-attributed to God, as eyes, hands, &c. lence; all things are continually endeavouring to return to their primitive nothing: it requires no power at all; it will do it itself: nay, more, it requires an infinite power to prevent it. With respect to human beings, it appears probable from reason; but it is confirmed by scripture that they will not be annihilated, but exist in a future state, Matt. x. 28. Ecc. xii. 7. John v. 24. 1 Thes. v. 10. Matt. xxv. 34, 41. Luke xvi. 22, 28. Luke xx. 37, 38. 1 Cor. xv. See 158, &c. vol. 1. Massilon's Ser. Eng. Trans. No. 129, Guardian; Blair's Ser. vol. i. p. 461; and articles DESTRUCTIONISTS, RESURRECTION, SOUL.

ANNUNCIATION, the tidings brought by the angel Gabriel to the virgin Mary of the incarnation of Christ. It is also used to denote a festival kept by the church on the 25th of March, in commemoration of these tidings.

ANOMOEANS, the name by which the pure Arians were called in the fourth century, in contradistinction to the Semi-arians. The word is formed from the Greek arouous, different. See ARIANS and SEMI-ARIANS.

ANTEDILUVIANS, a general name for all mankind who lived before the flood, including the whole human race | from the creation to the deluge. For the history of the Antediluvians, see Book of Genesis, Whiston's Josephus, Cockburn's Treatise on the Deluge, and article DELUGE.

ANTIBURGHERS, a numerous and respectable body of dissenters from the church of Scotland, who differ from the established church chiefly in matters of church government; and who differ, also, from the Burgher seceders, with whom they were originally united, chiefly, if not solely, respecting the lawfulness of taking the Burgess oath. For an account of their origin and principles, see SECEDERS.

ANTICHRIST, an adversary to Jesus Christ. There have been various opinions concerning the Antichrist mentioned in the Scripture, 1 John ii. 18. Some have held that the Jews are to be reputed as Antichrist; others Caligula ; others Mahomet; others Simon Magus; others infidelity; and others, that the devil himself is the Antichrist. Most authors agree, however, that it applies to the church of Rome. Grotius, Hammond, Bossuet, and others, supposed Rome pagan to be designed; but Rome Christian seems more evident, for John "saw the beast rise up out of the sea," Rev. xiii. 1. Now, as heathen Rome had risen and been established long before his time, this could not refer to the Roman empire then subsisting, but to a form of government afterwards to arise. As, therefore, none did arise, after Rome was broken to pieces by the barbarians, but that of the papal power, it must be considered as applying to that. The

ANTHEM, a church song performed in cathedral service by choristers who sung alternately. It was used to denote both psalms and hymns, when perform-descriptions also, of the beast as the ed in this manner; but, at present, anthem is used in a more confined sense, being applied to certain passages taken out of the scriptures, and adapted to a

great apostacy, the man of sin, the mystery of iniquity, and the son of perdition, will apply only to Christian Rome. See Daniel vii. 2 Thess. ii. and

epoch agrees best with the time when, according to prophecy, he was to be revealed. The rise of Antichrist was to be preceded by the dissolution of the Roman empire, the establishment of a different form of government in Italy, and the division of the empire into ten kingdoms; all these events taking place, make it very probable that the year 606 was the time of his rise. Nor have the events of the last century made it less probable. The power of the pope was never so much shaken as within a few years: "his dominion is, in a great measure, taken from him ;" and every thing seems to be going on gradually to terminate his authority; so that, by the time this 1260 years shall be concluded, we may suppose that Antichrist shall be finally destroyed.

As to the cruelties of Antichrist, the persecutions that have been carried on, and the miseries to which mankind have been subject, by the power of the beast, the reader may consult the articles INQUISITION and PERSECUTION. In this we have to rejoice, that, however various, the opinions of the learned may be as to the time when Antichrist rose, it is evident to all that he is fast declining, and will certainly fall, Rev. xviii. 1, 5. What means the Almighty may farther use, the exact time when, and the manner how, all shall be accomplished, we must leave to him who ordereth all things after the counsel of his own will. See Bp. Newton on the Prophecies; Simpson's Key to ditto; Moseley's Ser. on Fall of Babylon; Ward's three Discourses on Prophecy, and books under that article.

Rev. xiii. Besides, the time allowed for the continuance of the beast will not apply to heathen Rome; for power was given to the beast for 1260 years, whereas heathen Rome did not last 400 years after this prophecy was delivered. Authors have differed as to the time when Antichrist arose. Some suppose that his reign did not commence till he became a temporal prince, in the year 756, when Pepin wrested the exarchate of Ravenna from the Lombards, and made it over to the pope and his successors. Others think that it was in 727, when Rome and the Roman dukedom came from the Greeks to the Roman pontiff Mede dates his rise in the year 456; but others, and I think with the greatest reason, place it in the year 606. Now, it is generally agreed that the reign of Antichrist is 1260 years; consequently, if his rise is not to be reckoned till he was possessed of secular authority, then his fall must be when this power is taken away. According to the first opinion, he must have possessed his temporal power till the year 2016; according to the second, he must have possessed it till the year 1987. If his rise began, according to Mede, in 456, then he must have fallen in 1716. Now that these dates were wrong, circumstances have proved; the first and second being too late, and the third too early. As these hypothesis, therefore, must fall to the ground, it remains for us to consider why the last mentioned is the more probable. It was about the year 606 that pope Boniface || III. by flattering Phocas, the emperor of Constantinople, one of the worst of tyrants, procured for himself the title of Úniversal Bishop. The bishops of Rome ANTIDORON, a name given by the and Constantinople had long been strug-Greeks to the consecrated bread; out of gling for this honour; at last, it was de- which the middle part, marked with the cided in favour of the bishop of Rome; cross, wherein the consecration resides, and from this time he was raised above being taken away by the priest, the reall others, and his supremacy establish- mainder is distributed after mass to the ed by imperial authority: it was now, poor. also, that the most profound ignorance, debauchery, and superstition, reigned. From this time the popes exerted all their power in promoting the idolatrous worship of images, saints, reliques, and angels. The church was truly deplorable; all the clergy were given up to the most flagrant and abominable acts of licentiousness. Places of worship resembled the temples of heathens more than the churches of Christians; in fine, nothing could exceed the avarice, pride, and vanity of all the bishops, presbyters, deacons, and even the cloistered monks! All this fully answered the description St. Paul gave of Antichrist, 2 Thess. ii. It is necessary also to observe, that this

ANTINOMIANS, those who maintain that the law is of no use or obligation under the Gospel dispensation, or who hold doctrines that clearly supersede the necessity of good works. The Antinomians took their origin from John Agricola, about the year 1538, who taught that the law is no way necessary under the Gospel; that good works do not promote our salvation, nor ill ones hinder it; that repentance is not to be preached from the decalogue, but only from the Gospel. This sect sprang up in England during the protectorate of Cromwell, and extended their system of libertinism much farther than Agricola did. Some of them it is said, main

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