the Arminians, and others with those Mennonites who are called Galenists: for neither of these sects requires its members very explicitly to declare their religious belief. It is also said, that not a few of these dispersed people are members of the society who bear the name of Collegiants. Being thus situated, they have not all been able to retain that form of religion which their fathers transmitted to them. Accordingly, both the learned, and the unlearned, without restraint, explain variously those doctrines which distinguish them from other sects: yet they all agree in denying the divine Trinity, and the divinity and atonement of our Saviour'.

§ 6. Kindred with the Socinians, are the Arians, some of whom obtained celebrity in this century, as authors, such as Christopher Sand, father and son, and John Biddle'; and like

it may be presumed without temerity, that its votaries are rather increased than diminished, in the present; but those divines who have abandoned the Athanasian hypothesis, concerning the Trinity of persons in the Godhead, have more generally gone into the Arian and Semi-Arian notions of that inexplicable subject, than into those of the Socinians, who deny that Jesus Christ existed before his appearance in the human nature. The famous John Biddle, after having maintained both in public and private during the reign of Charles I. and the protectorship of Cromwell, the Unitarian system, erected an independent congregation in London, which is the only British church we have heard of, in which all the peculiar doctrines of Socinianism were inculcated." Macl.]

This is evident from many proofs, and among others, from the example of Samuel Crell, the most learned man among the Socinians a few years since; who although he sustained the office of a teacher among them, yet deviated in many respects from the doctrines of Socinus and of the Racovian Catechism; nor did he wish to be called a Socinian, but an Artemonite. See Journal Littéraire, tom. xvii. pt. i. p. 150, and my own remarks on this man, in my Syntagma Diss. ad sanctiores Disciplinas pertinentium, p. 352. Unschuldige Nachrichten, 1750. p. 942. Nou

reau Dictionnaire Hist. Crit. tom. ii. pt. ii. p. 88, &c.

Of both the Sands, Arnold, [Kirchen- und Ketzerhistorie, vol. ii. book xvii, ch. xiii. § 25. p. 176, &c.] and others give account. Respecting Biddle, see Noureau Dictionnaire Hist. Crit. tom. i. pt. ii. p. 288, &c. [Sandius the elder was of Creuzeberg in Prussia, studied law, and filled various offices at Königsberg; but was deprived in 1668, because he would not renounce Arianism. After this he lived in retirement, and wrote only some vindications and apologies. Yet he aided his son in the composition of his works; and outliving him, published some of them after his death. The son called himself Christopher Christopheri Sandius; and wrote, besides his Biblioth. Antitrinitariorum, his Nucleus Historiæ Ecclesiast. on the first four centuries, in which he attempts to prove, that the early fathers before the council of Nice held Arian sentiments; and that Athanasius was the first that broached the common belief among Christians respecting the Trinity. He also wrote Interpretationes Paradoxas Quatuor Evangeliorum; de Origine Anima; Problema Paradoxum de Spiritu Sancto; and (under the name of Herm. Cingallus), Scriptura Trinitatis Revelatrix. The son died in 1680, (aged 40) and the father in 1686. Schl. See also concerning the younger Sand,

wise some of those comprehended under the general appellation of Antitrinitarians, or Unitarians. For this [latter] name is applied to various sorts of persons, who agree in this only, that they will not admit of any real distinction in the divine nature. The name of Arians is likewise given to all those in general, who represent our Saviour to be inferior to God the Father. And as this may be done in various ways, it is manifest that this word, as now used, must have various significations; and that all who are now called Arians, do not agree with the ancient Arians; nor do they all hold one and the same sentiment.

CHAPTER VIII.

HISTORY OF SOME MINOR SECTS.

§. 1, 2. The Collegiants.-§ 3. The Labadists.-§ 4. Bourignon and Poiret.§ 5. The Philadephian Society.

§ 1. Ir will be proper here to give some account of certain sects which could not be conveniently noticed in the history of

Rees' Cyclopædia, art. Sandius.—John Biddle was born in 1615, educated at Oxford, became master of a free school, in Gloucester, 1641. Here he soon became suspected of heresy; and from the year 1644, till his death in 1662, he passed a large part of his time in various prisons and in exile. Whenever he was at liberty he wrote and preached in favour of his sentiments; which caused him to be frequently apprehended, and to undergo a criminal prosecution. In the year 1651 he published two catechisms; in which, Mr. Neal says, he maintained, 1. "That God is confined to a certain place. 2. That he has a bodily shape. 3. That he has passions. 4. That he is neither omnipotent nor unchangeable. 5. That we are not to believe three persons in the Godhead. 6. That Jesus Christ has not the nature

of God, but only a divine lordship. 7. That he was not a priest while upon earth. 8. That there is no deity in the Holy Ghost." According to Dr. Toulmin, these are not formal propositions, but only questions in his catechisms, to which he subjoins texts of scripture by way of answer. Thus, the first proposition is this question; "Is not God, according to the current of the scripture, in a certain place, namely in heaven?" The answer consists of twenty-nine passages of Scripture, which represent God, as "looking from heaven," as "our Father who art in heaven," &c. See Neal's Hist. of the Puritans, vol. iv. p. 157, &c. ed. Boston, 1817. Toulmin's Review of the Life, Character, and Writings of Mr. John Biddle. Brook's Lives of the Puritans, vol. iii. p. 411, &c. Rees' Cyclopædia, art. Biddle. Tr.]

the larger communities, but which, for various reasons, should not be passed over in total silence. While the Arminian disputes in Holland were most warm, in the year 1619, arose that class of people who hold sacred conventions twice a year at Rheinsburg in Holland, not far from Leyden, and who are known by the name of Collegiants. The institution originated from three brothers, by the name of Koddeus, or van der Kodde; namely, John James, Hadrian, and Gisbert; obscure men, in rural life, but according to report, pious, well acquainted with their bibles, and opposed to religious controversies. They were joined by one Anthony Cornelius, who was also an illiterate and obscure man. The descendants and followers of these men acquired the name of Collegiants, from the circumstance that they called their assemblies Colleges. All persons may be admitted into the society, who merely account the bible a divine book, and endeavour to live according to its precepts; whatever may be their opinions respecting God and the Christian religion. The brethren, who are considerably numerous in most of the cities and villages of Holland, Friesland, and West Friesland, assemble twice a week, namely on Sundays and Wednesdays; and, after singing a hymn, and offering a prayer, they take up some passage of the New Testament, which they illustrate and explain. With the exception of females, whom they do not allow to speak in public, all persons, of whatever rank or order, are at liberty to bring forward their thoughts, and offer them to the consideration of the brethren: and all are at liberty to oppose, modestly and soberly, whatever the brethren advance. They have printed lists of the texts of scripture which are to be discussed at their several meetings, so that each person may examine the passages at home, and come prepared to speak. Twice a year, the brethren assemble at Rheinsberg, where they have spacious buildings, destined for the education of orphan children, and for the reception of strangers; and there spend four days together, in listening to exhortations to holiness and love, and in celebrating the Lord's supper. Here also, such as wish it, are baptized; but it is in the ancient manner, immersing the whole body in water. The brethren of Friesland, at the present day, assemble once a year, at Leeuwarden, and there observe the holy supper; because

Rheinsburg is too distant for them conveniently to go thither. In short, by the Collegiants, we are to understand a very large society of persons of every sect and rank, who assume the name of christians, but entertain different views of Christ; and which is kept together neither by rulers and teachers, nor by ecclesiastical laws, nor by a formula of faith, nor lastly, by any set of rites, but solely by the desire of improvement in scriptural knowledge and piety'.

§ 2. In such an association, which allows all its members to think as they please, and which has no formula of faith, dissensions and controversies cannot easily arise. Yet, in the year 1672, there was no little dispute between John and Paul Breitenburg, merchants of Rotterdam, and Abraham Lemmermann and Francis Cuiper, merchants of Amsterdam. John Breitenburg, (or Bredenburg, as he is generally called,) had established a peculiar sort of College, in which he expounded the religion of reason and nature. This was disapproved of by Lemmermann and Cuiper, who wished to have reason excluded from bination with religion. The dispute grew warmer, as Bredenburg diverged towards the opinions of Spinoza, and defended them, and yet wished to be regarded as a christian'. Some

1 See the Dissertation sur les Usages de ceux qu'on appelle en Hollande Collégiens et Rhinobourgeois; which is in the splendid work, Cérémonies religieuses de tous les Peuples du Monde, tom. iv. p. 333, &c. Also a book published by the Collegiants themselves, entitled, De Oorspronck, Natuur. Handelwize en Oogmerk der zo genaamde Rynburgsche Vergadering, Amst. 1736, 4to.

2 John Bredenburg and Francis Cuiper, are well known to have been among the followers and the adversaries of Spinoza; but what sort of men they were has been unknown generally. Bredenburg, a Collegiant and a merchant of Rotterdam, openly taught the doctrine of Spinoza, and demonstrated its accordance with reason, mathematically. At the same time, he not only professed to be a christian, but actually explained, recommended, and defended christianity in the meetings of the Collegiants, and declared it to be of divine origin. This man of a sin

any com

gular genius reconciled these two contradictory things, by maintaining that reason was opposed to religion; but yet, that we ought to believe in the religion contained in the New Testament scriptures against the most evident and the most conclusive mathematical demonstrations. He must, therefore, have believed in a twofold truth, theological and mathematical; and have held that to be false in theology, which is true in philosophy. The best account of Bredenburg is given by the learned Jew, Isaac Orobio, in his Certamen philosophicum propugnatæ Veritatis divinæ et naturalis adversus Jo. Bredenburgi principia, ex quibus quod religio rationi repugnat, demonstrare nititur. This book, which contains Bredenburg's demonstrations of the doctrines of Spinoza, was first published, Amsterd. 1703, 8vo. and then, Brussels, 1731, 4to. Bredenburg's adversary, Francis Cuiper, rendered his name famous, by his Arcana Atheismi detecta,

other minor contests arose at the same time. The result of the whole was, that the Collegiants, in 1686, were split into two opposing sects, and held their conventions in separate edifices at Rheinsburg. But on the death of the authors of these discords, near the beginning of the next century, the schism began to heal, and the Collegiants returned to their former union and harmony'.

§ 3. John Labadie, a Frenchman, eloquent, and a man of genius, was first a Jesuit; being dismissed from their society, he joined the Reformed, and sustained the office of a preacher with reputation, in France, Switzerland, and Holland. He at length set up a new sect, which resided first at Middleburg, in Zealand, and then at Amsterdam; and afterwards, in 1670, established itself at Hervorden, a town in Westphalia, under the patronage of Elizabeth, princess Palatine, the abbess of Hervorden; and being driven from that place, it removed to Altona, in 1672; and on the death of its founder in 1674, retired to the castle of Wiewert, in West Friesland: but it has long since become extinct. This sect was joined not only by several men of considerable learning, but also by that Minerva of the seventeenth century, the very learned lady of Utrecht, Anna Maria Schurmann. This little community did not wish to be thought to differ from the Reformed, in regard to religious opinions and doctrines, so much as in manners and rules of discipline. For its lawgiver exhibited a rigorous and austere model of sanctity for the imitation of his followers; and conceived, that not only the invisible church, but also the visible, ought to be a community of sanctified persons, earnestly striving after perfection in holiness. Several of his tracts are extant, which show him to have possessed a lively and ardent mind, but not well disciplined and polished; and as persons of such a character are easily betrayed by their natural temperament into errors and faults, I am not sure whether those wit

written in opposition to Bredenburg. Cuiper was a bookseller of Amsterdam, and published among other things, the Bibliotheca Fratrum Polonorum seu Unitariorum. Those acquainted with literary history, know that Cuiper, on account of that very book above mentioned, which he wrote

against Bredenburg, became suspected of Spinozism; notwithstanding he was a Collegiant, and a strenuous defender of Christianity, and of the harmony of reason with religion.

3 Besides those already named, see Simon Fred. Raes, Nachrichten com Zustande der Mennoniten, p. 267, &c.