eat, was forbidden be7. Man is necessarily

"that Adam was forbidden to 66 cause it was in itself bad. "mortal, Jesus Christ included, as well as other animals. "S. All the damned, even the demons, may be restored "and become happy. 9. God cannot make a reason"able creature impeccable, or free from a liability to sin. "It was an honor to the age and to the country, says Priestley, "to produce such sentiments as these; but it 66 was but a sudden blaze in the midst of much thick “darkness, and, as far as appears, was soon extinguished t."

66

XI. "In the year 1411, a sect was disA. D. 1400,"covered in Flanders, and more especially to 1412. "at Brussels, which owed its origin to an "illiterate man, whose name was Ægidius "Cantor, and to William of Hildenissen, a Carmelite "monk, and whose members were distinguished by the "title of Men of Understanding. There were many "things" says Mosheim, "reprehensible in the doctrine "of this sect, which seemed to be chiefly derived from "the theology of the Mystics. For they pretended to "be honored with celestial visions, denied that any "could arrive at a perfect knowledge of the holy scriptures, without the extraordinary succors of a divine "illumination; declared the approach of a new revela"tion from heaven, more complete and perfect than "the gospel of Christ; maintained that the resurrection "was already accomplished in the person of Jesus, and "that no other resurrection was to be expected; af"firmed that the inward man was not defiled by the "outward actions, whatever they were; that the pains of "hell were to have an end, and that, not only all man"kind, but even the devils themselves, were to return

66

t Priestley's Hist, of the Christian Church, Period xx. Sect, xii. pp. 498. 499. See also Du Pin's Eccl. Hist. Vol. xii, ch. viii. p, 115.

"to God, and be made partakers of eternal felicity. "This sect seems to have been a branch of that of The "Brethren and Sisters of the Free Spirit; since they "declared that a new dispensation of grace and spiritual "liberty was to be promulgated to mortals by the Holy "Ghost. It must, however, be acknowledged, on the "other hand, that their absurdities were mingled with "several opinions which showed that they were not "totally void of understanding; for they maintained, "among other things, 1. that Christ alone had merited "eternal life and felicity for the human race, and that "therefore, men could not acquire this inestimable privilege by their own actions alone; 2. that the "priests, to whom the people confessed their transgres"sions, had not the power of absolving them, but that "it was Christ alone in whom this authority was vested; “and 3. that voluntary penance and mortification were “not necessary to salvation. These propositions how66 ever, and some others, were declared heretical by "Peter D'Ailly, bishop of Cambray, who obliged Wil"liar of Hildenissen to abjure them, and who opposed "with the greatest vehemence and success the progress "of this sect Such is Mosheim's account, which is the most particular I have seen.

ર

to 1494.

יים

XII. John Picus, earl of Mirandola and A. D. 1480, Concordia, a distinguished scholar in Italy, alarmed the church, about this period, by advancing some opinions which properly come under our notice, From infancy he had evinced a remarkable quickness of mind and a prodigious memory. At the age of fourteen, he studied law at Bologne ; and afterwards spent seven years in visiting the most famous Universities of France and Italy, and in conversing with the learned of those countries. He then went

■ Mosheim's Eccl, Hist, Cent. xv. Part ii. ch. v. 4.

to Rome; and in A. D. 1486, when he was only twenty one years old, he published, in this city, nine hundred propositions upon various subjects in the several branches of theology, magic, the cabalistic art, and philosophy, and engaged to maintain them in public disputation, according to a custom of those times. These propositions were, for the most part, either of a metaphysical kind, or of a character merely verbal; but among them were the following, of a more important nature : "Jesus Christ did not descend into hell in per66 son, but only in effect; Infinite pain is not due even to mortal sin; because sin is finite, and therefore "merits but finite punishment; Neither crosses nor "images ought to be adored; There is more reason to "believe that Origen was saved, than that he was "damned &c." But instead of a controversy which he had challenged, he soon found that other means were likely to be employed in refuting him. His enemies sounded the alarm of heresy; the Pope appointed commissioners to examine his publications; and, to his dismay, they at length brought in a judgment censuring the foregoing propositions, together with nine others, some of which seemed to disagree with the doctrine of transubstantiation. Upon this, Picus wrote an Apology, and by means of metaphysical subtleties, explained away the heretical character of the obnoxious propositions, and humbly submitted himself to the Holy See. As to his former statement concerning the demerit of sin, he now endeavored to reconcile it with the doctrine of endless misery. After all, the Pope forbade the reading of his books; and sometime afterwards, when Picus had retired from Rome, he cited him to appear before the dread tribunal of the Church. But while this was yet pending, he obtained an absolution from the Pontiff, in the year 1493. After this he devoted himself wholly to the study of the scriptures and to controversial writ

ings, resigned his earldom, and distributed all his goods among the poor. He died at Florence, A. D. 1494, aged only twenty nine years.

A. D. 1490, to 1498.

XIII. In the year 1498, a Spanish prelate by the name of Peter D'Aranda, was degraded and condemned to perpetual imprisonment in the castle of St. Angelo at Rome, on being convicted, it is said, of Judaism. He was bishop of Calahorra in Old Castile, near the river Ebro; and he held the office of Master of the Sacred Palace. He is said to have taught that the Jewish religion acknowledged but one principle, while the christian recognized three: alluding probably to the doctrine of the Trinity. "In his prayers he said Glory "to the Father, without adding, to the Son, or to the Holy Ghost. He said that indulgences were of no “avail, but were invented for the profit that was drawn "from them; that there was neither purgatory nor hell, "but only paradise. He observed no fasts, and said "mass after dinner. From his saying mass, or receiving "the Lord's supper, it is evident he was not a Jew, "but probably a Unitarian Christian w.”

ઃઃ

▾ Dn Pin's Eccl. Hist. vol. xiii. ch. 4, p. 95, 96.

W

Priestley's Hist. of the Christian Church, Period xxi. Sect. vii. p. 86,

ADVERTISEMENT.

To complete the work begun in this volume, there

O

will be put to press, in the course of a few months,

"THE MODERN HISTORY OF UNIVERSALISM: from the Era of the Reformation, to the Present Time. By THOMAS WHITTEMORE, Pastor of the First Universalist Church and Society in Cambridge." In 1 vol. to match with this.

Both volumes, the ANCIENT and the MODERN, will present a continued History of Universalism, from the time of the Apostles, to the present day.

1