to our own time; and M. Grégoire mentions a musician of this sect who came to Paris so lately as in 1808.-[H. Adams's Hist. of Jews, pp. 316, 528. Grégoire's Hist. tom ii. pp. 309-313.]

ZABÆANS, or ZABIANS, or SABIANS. The Sabians mentioned in Scripture were evidently a nation, or perhaps a wandering horde, such as fell upon Job's cattle (Job i. 15); men of stature (Isa. xliv. 14); a people afar off (Joel iii. 8). But we speak here of the Zabians as a sect, probably the first corrupters of the patriarchal religion; and so called (as is believed) from Tsabim, the hosts, i. e. of heaven; namely, the sun, moon, and stars, to whom they rendered worship; first immediately, and afterwards through the medium of images; this particularly distinguished them from the Magi, whose idolatry was confined to the solar orb, and its earthly representative, the fire. If the above derivation be right, the Zabeans were originally Chaldeans, though afterwards the same sect arose in Arabia. Their attachment to the heavenly bodies led them, not only to astronomy, but to astrology, its degenerate daughter, which was for many ages the favourite study of the Oriental nations. On this subject we shall insert the substance of an ingenious paper, written by the Rev. James Townley.

"The Zabians were the antient worshippers of the hosts of heaven. Lactantius considers Ham as their founder, one of whose grandsons was named Seba, (or Zaba) and from whom Arabia Felix was called Sabæ. See Job i. 15. xxxi. 26-28. Maimonides says, Abram was educated among the Zabii-who " filled the world with their pestiferous sentiments."

"Maimonides, also, says they taught that the stars were inferior deities, and the sun the Great God.'-That the other five planets were gods, but the sun and moon gods of a superior order.' They were also Ignicola, or worshippers of fire, whence Ur received its name. To these powers they dedicated images-of gold to the sun, of silver to the moon, and of inferior metals to the stars. For these they afterwards built temples, and dedicated trees to them.

"From hence, according to the same author, arose astrology and magic, which were practised also by the Chaldeans and other antient nations. They maintained the eternity of the world; and consequently did not believe the Mosaic account, that Adam was the first man: they honoured him, however, as the Apostle of

the Moon. Noah, they say, was imprisone for refusing to worship images. The considered goats as sacred animals, worshipped demons under that form. "Their idolatrous and superstr practices were-dangerous, as the sacrite of wild beasts-cruel, as passing the dren through the fire also loaths frivolous, and obscene. Many of t rites are also said to have been magic

"The descendants of these aut idolaters are the Guebres, or Parsa Persia and Hindostan; the modern of Mount Lebanon; and, perhaps Mendai Jehai, or Christians of St.

[Paper on the Antient Zabu, by Js. Townley. Wesleyan Mag. Aug. Also Classical Journ. June, 1816, p..

Mr. Townley, as above cited, co the modern Guebres, or Parsees, scendants of these antient ido whereas the learned Dr. Hyde denie they were idolaters at all, and consi the true Sabiism as the Patriarcha gion, before it was corrupted by id

The following account of the Zubians, or Sabians, is from Mr. T new Edition of Calmet's Dictionary,

"This religion is one of the the which Mahomet gave his protection a kind of approbation in bis (chap. 2.) These three religios Judaism, Christianity, and Sabiis cording to Houssain Vaez, in his fe Paraphrase on the Koran, the have several observances derived Judaism, Christianity, and Mabe ism. They honour angels with are worship; they read the Psalms of they pray turning towards the so sometimes towards the north. think they hold the principles Sadducees.

says

10

They have a book,' M.A belot (Bibl. Orient. Art. Sabi)," they ascribe to Adam; it is their faith, written in characters whe very particular; but the lang almost entirely Chaldean. They John the Baptist, whose disciples profess to be. They practise whence some travellers give the name of Christians of St. JohnMendeans.]

"Ben Schunah, a Persian authe the Sabians Sirians, or Syrians cording to him, they are descenc the most antient nation of the wo

use, even to this day, at least books, the language of Adam children; and they have derives

ligion and their law from Seth and noch, whose books they pretend to ve, containing moral instructions, remmending the practice of virtue, and e abhorrence of vice. They pray to od seven times a day with intense plication. They fast during the whole urse of a moon, from sun-rise to sunwithout eating or drinking. This t always concludes at the summer uinox.

"They honour the temple of Mecca, d have great respect for the pyramids Egypt; for they think that Sabi, son of on or Enoch, is buried under the third them. But their chief pilgrimage is to place near Haram (the antient Charræ, Haran,) in Mesopotamia, where, as ne think, Abraham was born; and tainly from hence he departed with family for the land of Canaan. Some ist that the Sabians respect this place, cause of Sabi, the son of Mari, who d in Abraham's time; from whom y derive their origin, and perhaps ir religion, with more probability, than In Sabi, son of Enoch, who lived before deluge."

In the new volume of Fragments », appended to his new edition, Mr. lor has some very curious extracts a the Desátir, a collection from the sian sages, by which it evidently aprs, that their worship was not paid to heavenly bodies themselves, but to sublime intelligences, supposed to init and direct them. The heavy ing stars are many; and each has an lligence-a soul and a body. And in manner, every distinct division of the ens and planets hath its intelligence its soul." New ed. vol. ii. p. 5. ACCHEANS, disciples of Zaccheus, tive of Palestine, who about the year retired to a mountain near the city of isalem, and there performed his devoin secret; conceiving that prayer only agreeable to God when pered secretly and in silence. This had but few disciples, and the sect me soon extinct.-[Broughton's Dict.] ANZALIANS, the adherents of Zan5, a Monophysite of the 6th or 7th See Jacobites.

ury. EALOTS, or ZELOTS, the followers das of Galilee, who (like many others) nitted all manner of excesses, under

357

pretence of zeal for God and his law. They were the remains of the Galileans, (or Gaulonites) which see above; and strenuously affirmed it would dishonour God if they were to submit to any earthly potentate, especially a heathen. — [Han. Adam's Hist. of the Jews, p. 70-from Josephus.]

ZÉTETICS, (Enquirers) a Society of Freethinkers, who have assumed this name. In November, 1822, a Society of this denomination was detected in Cordiner's Hall, Edinburgh, and dispersed by the magistrates and police, on the Sunday afternoon, when they were numerously assembled. It appears that they used to meet every Sunday to discuss Theo-philosophical questions, and formed a small library, in which were found the writings of Paine, Carlile, and Ld. Byron, with others of the same character, which too plainly marks the object of their association. It is understood that societies of the same character exist in London, and various other parts of England. [Philan. Gazette, 1822, p. 389.]

ZUINGLIANS, the followers of Ulric Zuinglius, the Reformer of Switzerland, who received the doctor's cap at Basil, in 1501. Possessing an uncommon share of penetration, and acuteness of genius, he declaimed severely against indulgences, the mass, the celibacy of the clergy, and other doctrines of the Roman church. He differed from Luther, in admitting only a figurative presence of the body and blood of Christ in the eucharist; and simply considered it as a pious remembrance of Christ's death, and of the benefits it procured to mankind. He denied that either of the sacraments confers grace, and was for removing out of the churches many things which Luther was disposed to treat with toleration and indulgence; such as pictures, altars, wax tapers, &c.

Zuinglius was of a moderate and peaceful temper; but it has been urged to his reproach that he was slain in battle. The fact is, however, that he was sent by the Senate as chaplain to the army, and much against his own wishes.

The religious tenets of this denomination were, in most other points, similar to those of the_Lutherans.-[E. Middleton's Biograph. Evan. vol i. pp. 99-113. Hess's Life of Zuingle, translated by Miss Aikin, 1812.]

ACC

ABECEDARIANS, p. 29. As a set-off to the remarks of Mr. Bell, and other Catholics, on the ignorance of the early Anabaptists and other sectaries, it has been remarked that Pope Gregory XII. was so illiterate, that he was called, in ridicule, Alphabetarius (the A B C Doctor); and the clergy of those times (cent. xiv.) were generally illiterate. [Martyr. and Bio. Dict. p. 280.]

-

*ACCOMMODATIONISTS, page 33. About fifty years ago, Dr. Semler, professor of divinity at Halle, began to lecture and publish on the subject of interpretation, in a manner that excited the attention of the whole German empire; and the grand principle, by which he explained away whatever he did not think proper to believe, was, that which has been called accommodation. He maintained that our Saviour and his Apostles often admitted representations and doctrines into their instructions, which were calculated merely for the purpose of persuading the Jews, being accommodated to their prejudices; but which were not intended to be a general directory of sentiment. In this way, whatever was inconsistent with his own views he called accommodation, and thus at once expunged it from the list of Christian doctrines. Semler's original genius and great learning, soon gave currency to his works in Germany; and since his time a host of writers (many of them men of exalted talents and most extensive erudition) have arisen, who have examined, explained, modified, and defended this doctrine of accommodation. But the more recent shape of exegesis in Germany is, to solve all the miraculous

ADA

facts related in the Bible, by con tions which are affirmed to be draw the idiom and the ignorance of an in general, and in particular of the writers themselves. Thus, with the account of the Creation and F. man is merely a poetical philos speculation of some ingenious persu the origin of the world, and of en in regard to the offering up Abraham, he says, "The Godhead not have required of Abraham so be a crime; and there can be no justi palliation, or excuse for this pre command of the Divinity:" and plains it by a dream, which Abrah regarded as a Divine admonition Adam's R. W. vol. ii. p. 375-6, N.

of Ista

alte

It must be very obvious, howeve this is a very dangerous system of pretation. If we are to judge of th of history by what we think ought been said or done, of what use are records? But if we apply this Scriptures, and resolve into dre vision whatever we cannot explan factorily to our views of what the Being ought to say or do, there is to the authority of Scripture As the Creation has been turne allegory, so the Flood, the Exod all the facts of Scripture, plained as dreams. Let all due be paid to the style and manners age and country of the antient but never let us rest the truth on what we think they ought to ha [See Horne's Introd. 3d Ed. p. 803.]

ADAMITES, MODERN, P.

mar

akewell, a recent traveller of respectality, mentions a sect of this nature on e western end of the lake of Brentz, in e Canton of Berne. He calls them very simple-hearted, honest people, ameless in every thing except the exvagance of their religious opinions. ey maintain that public worship can ly be acceptably performed, when the dy is divested of all its garments, which, ing signs of the existence of sin and ime in the world, and introduced after fall of man, ought not to be worn en we more immediately approach the sence of the Deity in prayer. The rnese government has endeavoured to press this sect by the mildest means, in vain they still meet secretly. en they are discovered they are taken the hospital for insane people, and are ted with much tenderness, and pastors appointed to convince them of the ors of their opinions." Still, however, sect remains stationary in number.— kewell's Travels in the Tarentaise. >ted Liter. Gaz. No. 342, p. 504.] See ards and Shakers.

TIANS, p. 34. That Ærius was not the e person with Ætius, notwithstanding r names were similar, and they lived the same time, is very clear. The her was a Monk-Presbyter, as Mom calls him, of Sebastia, in Pontus; latter a goldsmith, of Syria; but apng to study, he became a most subtle utant, procured ordination, and bee first deacon, and afterwards Bishop Antioch. Of this latter Dr. Lardner tions, that having a dispute with a ichæan bishop, he so completely d him, that the former died with in seven days after. [Lard. Cred. vol. vi. p. 70. Of Ærius, see viii. pp. 285, 323.] FGHANS, or AFFGHANS, ibid. Bethe circumstances mentioned above, own history and belief, as also the f of the Persians and Mahommearound them, coincide with their ted Israelitish descent. An intelliAfghan, who was lately at Seramremarked that his countrymen were ni Israel, but not Yuhodi;" i. e. chilof Israel, but not of Judah, or Jews. Chamberlain, a resident missionary, letter, dated 23d April, 1814, says, -ery great number of the Afghans are putably the descendants of Abraham, language (the Pushtoo) comprising ater number of Hebrew words than ther in India." To all this may be

added, that according to Pomponius Mela, and other antient geographers, Media was only a hundred leagues distant from the frontier of modern Afghanistan. "In the provinces of Cashmire and Afghanistan," says Dr. Buchanan, "some of the Jews submitted to great sacrifices rather than change their religion, and they remain Jews to this day; but the greater number yielded in the course of ages to the power of the reigning religion. Their countenance, their language, their names, their rites and observances, and their history, all conspire to establish the fact."

"The Jewish Repository," for 1815, (p. 317, &c.) contains the translation (by H. Vansittart, Esq.) of a Persian abridgment of an Account of the descent of the Afghans from the Jews. Mr. Elphinstone, however, and many others, dispute the fact; and the truth may be, that a part only of this people are of Jewish extract.[See R. Adam's R. W. vol. ii. pp. 427-430. N. E.]

Dr. Buchanan says, "the Afghan nations extend on both sides of the Indus, and inhabit the mountainous region, commencing in Western Persia. They differ in language, customs, religion, and countenance, and have little knowledge of each other. Some tribes have the countenance of the Persian, and some of the Hindoo, and some tribes are evidently of Jewish extraction; but it is probable, that the proportion which is of Jewish descent is not great."-[Buchanan's Christian Researches, 3d Ed. pp. 224-5.]

In the article inserted above, Dict. p. 34, col. 2, line 7 from the bottom, for 'statue,' read stature.'

AGNOITES, (p. 35) line 5, for Armenians,' read Arminians.'

6

AMMONIANS, p. 37, col. 2, line 10 from thebottom, for raise,' readrise.' ANTINOMIANS, p. 41, col. 1, line 8 from the bottom, for Huntingdon,' read 'Huntington.'

ANTIPÆDOBAPTISTS, (p. 42,) line 12, dele the word " Baptist."

APOLOGIES, (p. 43,)line 20, for 'Lurinensis,' read Lirinensis.'

APOTACTICS, (p. 44,) line 8, for Celicia,' read 'Cilicia.'

ARISTOTELIANS, p. 46. Under this article it might have been remarked, that some of the Rabbins have claimed Aristotle as a Jew, and charged him with stealing his philosophy from the writings of Solomon, of which they suppose he found a Greek version in the library of Alexandria: if so, it is obvious that he

was not only guilty of theft, but murder; for he has destroyed the vitality of his principles by omitting the fear of God and a future judgment. [See Fabricii Bibl. Gr. vol. ii. pp. 162, 173.]

ASSEMBLY of DIVINES, p. 52. In the list of names, line 11, for Seldon,' read Selden:' and see some addition to this article under Westminster Assembly. The Editor having mentioned a "Commentary" by certain members of this Assembly, takes this opportunity to subjoin their names; viz. Dr. Gouge, Messrs. Gataker, Downame, Ley, Reading, Taylor, Pemerton, and Dr. Featley. He is not able to ascertain the part each took, but has seen Isaiah, and the three other greater prophets, attributed to the very learned Mr. Gattaker.-[See preface to the 2d edition of the Annotations, A. D. 1651.]

ATHEISTS, p. 54, line 10, for Durham,' read Derham.'

AUTO DE, (55) read Auto da.'.

BACULARIANS, p. 55, col. 2, line 5, read, On the subject of baptism they differed,' &c.

BARKERS, p. 58, col. 2, line 1, for Jerkers, read Shakers.

* BATTAS, or BETTAS, are antient Pagan inhabitants of the interior of Sumatra, whose language, manners, and customs, are said to differ from all others. Mr. Prince, British Resident at Natal, in that island, drew up an account of the religious notions of this people, of which the following is an abstract. They do not worship images, but they believe that "Dee Battah assee assee, the Creator and Father of all, appointed three brothers as his agents to instruct mankind. 1. Bataragouron, the god of justice: "a measure filled to the brim, a just balance, and an upright judgment, are his." 2. Seeree Padah, the god of mercy, who feeds the hungry, heals the sick, &c. 3. Mahalabhoolan, who quarrelled with his brothers, and set up principles directly opposite to both, and is in fact the evil one." The Battas, when they commit crimes, ac knowledge they have prayed to this demon, and seldom pray to any other. Their moral conduct is indeed represented as most detestable, and they are charged with being cannibals. They are also very superstitious, and every village has its soothsayer, by whose direction they keep a feast for the dead, and worship the shades of their departed ancestors. [Mission. Register, 1822, pp. 530, 531.]

BENI-ISRAEL, Sons of Israel. Afghans above.

BISHOPS, p. 64, for 'Episcopa read Episcopoi.'

BOHEMIAN, p. 66, line 17, for trem,' read fratrum.—Also p. 68. BOUDHISTS, p. 66. Compare articles Fo and Singhalese, where addi information will be found, both cur and important.

CABIRI, p. 70. See also a lez "Dissertation on the Mysteries Cabiri," by the Rev. G. S. Faber, 8vo. 1813. Mr. Faber's hypothes that all the gods of the heathen originally men, who were deitied death, and having taken up dence in the heavenly bodies, thos. became objects of idolatry. CAMISARS, p. 78, line 10, for read Emms.'

a

their

CARMATHITES, add to the rence" in the Supplement." CHASIDIM, p. 83, or HASIDIN, difference is only in the pronunciat letter).—Of this sect a more recent probably a more correct accoun appeared in the Missionary Jour Mr. Jos. Wolff, a converted Jev has lately visited his brethren Mediterranean. "The other sect the Pharisees] are the Hasidim, ritual Jews, who say that outward monies are of no use at all; and attend rather to the spirit. To their doctrine they quote Jer. XI 34. The author of this sect was Bual-Shem, [the same whom M. GR and Mrs. Adams call Balschem] w 70 years ago in Poland. They har excommunicated by many rabbies. are well inclined to the reading Gospel. They were struck when them that Christians prove the ment of the ceremonial law by the texts from which they themselves its insufficiency." According to Mr. they agree with the Pharisees in be the metempsychosis-predestinatic infallibility of the Sanhedrim—the ence of two principles (good and man- purgatory-the restoration' things-the necessity of an inq against heretics-and the coming Messiahs, the first to die in bat second to conquer and reign.-. Register, 1823, pp. 232-3.]

* CHOITUNYU, followers Hindoo sect, the disciples of a mendicant of the last century.