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sider that it is ridiculous, trouble- fully omits what ought to be relasome, sinful, and ruinous. Robin-ted; and may we not add,-7. son's Claude, vol. i, p. 382; Fer-That all equivocation and mental guson on Society, part vi, sec. 2. reservation come under the guilt

LYING, speaking falsehoods of lying. The evil and injustice wilfully, with an intent to deceive. of lying appear, 1. From its beThus, by Grove, "A lie is an afing a breach of the natural and firmation or denial by words, or universal right of mankind to truth any other signs to which a certain in the intercourse of speech.-2. determinate meaning is affixed, From its being a violation of God's of something contrary to our real sacred law, Phil. iv. 8. Lev. xix, thoughts and intentions." Thus, 11. Col. iii, 9.-3. The faculty of by Paley, "A lie is a breach of speech was bestowed as an instrupromise; for, whoever seriously ment of knowledge, not of deceit ; addresses his discourse to ano- to communicate our thoughts, not ther, tacitly promises to speak the to hide them.-4. It is esteemed truth, because he knows that the a reproach of so heinous and hate-. truth is expected." There are va- ful a nature for a man to be called rious kinds of lies. 1. The perni-a liar, that sometimes the life and cious lie, uttered for the hurt or disadvantage of our neighbour.2. The officious lie, uttered for our own or our neighbour's advantage.-3. The ludicrous and jocose lie, uttered by way of jest, and only for mirth's sake in common converse.-4. Pious frauds, as they are improperly called, pretended inspirations, forged books, counterfeit miracles, are a species of lies.-5. Lies of the conduct, for a lie may be told in gestures as well as in words; as when a tradesman shuts up his windows to induce his creditors to believe that he is abroad.-6. Lies of omission, as when an author wil

blood of the slanderer have paid for it.-5. It has a tendency to dissolve all society, and to indispose the mind to religious impressions.-6. The punishment of it is considerable; the loss of credit, the hatred of those whom we have deceived, and an eternal separation from God in the world to come, Rev. xxi, 8. Rev. xxii, 15. Psalm ci, 7. See EQUIVOCATION. Grove's Moral Phil., vol. i, ch. 11; Paley's Moral Phil., vol. i, ch. 15; Doddridge's Lect.,lect.68; Watts's Serm., vol. i, ser. 22; Evans's Serm., vol. ii, ser. 13; South's Serm., vol. i, ser. 12.

M.

MACARIANS, the followers, of Macarius, an Egyptian monk, who was distinguished towards the close of the fourth century for his

sanctity and virtue. In his writings there are some superstitious tenets, and also certain opinions that seem tainted with Origenism.

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The name has been also applied to, generally of penitent courtezans; those who adopted the sentiments sometimes also called Magdalaof Macarius, a native of Ireland, nettes. They were established at who, about the close of the ninth Mentz in 1452; at Paris in 1492; century, propagated in France the "at Naples in 1324; at Rouen and tenet afterwards maintained by Bourdeaux in 1618. In each of Averrhoes, that one individual these monasteries there were three intelligence or soul performed the kinds of persons and congregaspiritual and rational functions in tions: the first consisted of those all the human race. who were admitted to make vows, and those bore the name of St. Magdalen; the congregation of St. Martha was the second, and was composed of those whom it was not thought proper to admit to vows finally; the congregation of St. Lazarus was composed of such as were detained by force. The religious of St. Magdalen at Rome were established by pope Leo X.

MACEDONIANS, the followers of Macedonius, bishop of Constantinople, who, through the influence of the Eunomians, was deposed by the council of Constantinople in 360, and sent into exile. He considered the Holy Ghost as a Divine energy diffused throughout the universe, and not as a person distinct from the Father and the Son. The sect of Macedonians | Clement VIII settled a revenue on was crushed before it had arrived at its full maturity by the council assembled by Theodosius in 381 at Constantinople. See SEMIARI

ANS.

them; and farther appointed, that the effects of all public prostitutes dying intestate should fall to them; and that the testaments of the rest should be invalid, unless they bequeathed a portion of their effects, which was to be at least a fifth part of them.

MAGI, or MAGIANS, an ancient religious sect of Persia and other eastern countries, who, abominating the adoration of images,

MACHIAVELIANISM, the doctrine or principles of Machiavel, as laid down in his treatise entitled The Prince, and which consists in doing any thing to compass a design, without any regard to the peace or welfare of subjects, the dictates of honesty and hon-worshipped God only by fire, in our, or the precepts of religion. which they were directly opposite This work has been translated in- to the Sabians. See SABIANS. The to many languages, and wrote Magi believed that there were against by many authors, though two principles, one the cause of the world is not agreed as to the all good, and the other the cause motives of the writer; some think-of all evil; in which opinion they ing he meant to recommend tyran- were followed by the sect of the nical maxims; others, that he on- Manichees. See MANICHEES. ly delineated them to excite abhor- They called the good principle Fazdan and Ormuzd, and the evil principle Ahraman or Aherman. The former was by the Greeks called Oromasdes, and the latter

rence.

MAGDALEN, religious of St., a denomination given to divers communities of nuns, consisting

Arimanius. The reason of their perpetual struggle between them worshipping fire was, because they which shall last to the end of the looked upon it as the truest sym-world; that then the angel of darkbol of Oromasdes,or the good God; as darkness was of Arimanius, or the evil God. In all their temples they had fire continually burning upon the altars, and in their own private houses.

ness and his disciples shall go into a world of their own, where they shall be punished in everlasting darkness; and the angel of light and his disciples shall also go into a world of their own, where they shall be rewarded in everlasting light.

Zoroaster was the first who built fire-temples; the Magians before his time performing their devotion on the tops of hills and in the open air, by which means they were exposed to the inconvenience of rain and tempests, which often extinguished their sacred fires.

To

The religion of the Magi fell into disgrace on the death of those ringleaders of that sect who had usurped the sovereignty after the death of Cambyses; and the slaughter that was made of the chief men among them sunk it so low, that Sabianism every where prevailed against it; Darius and most of his followers on that occa-procure the greater veneration for sion going over to it. But the af-these sacred fires, he pretended to fection which the people had for have received fire from heaven, the religion of their forefathers not which he placed on the altar of the being easily to be rooted out, the first fire-temple he erected, which famous impostor Zoroaster, some was that at Xis, in Media, from ages after, undertook to revive and whence they say it was propagated to all the rest. The Magian priests

reform it.

The chief reformation this pre-kept their sacred fire with the tended prophet made in the Ma- greatest diligence, watching it day gian religion was in the first prin- and night, and never suffering it ciple of it; for he introduced a god to be extinguished. They fed it superior both to Oromasdes and only with wood stript of the bark, Arimanius, Dr. Prideaux is of and they never blowed it with their opinion, that Zoroaster took the breath or with bellows, for fear of hint of this alteration in their the- polluting it: to do either of these ology from the prophet Isaiah, was death by their law. The Mawho brings in God, saying to Cy- gian religion, as reformed by Zorus, king of Persia, I am the Lord, roaster, seems in many things to and there is none else; I form the be built upon the plan of the Jewlight, and create darkness; I make ish. The Jews had their sacred peace, and create evil, ch. xlv. 7. fire which came down from heaven In short Zoroaster held that there upon the altar of burnt offerings, was one supreme independent Be- which they never suffered to go ing, and under him two principals, out, and with which all their sacrior angels; one the angel of light, fices and oblations were made. Zoor good, and the other the angel of roaster, in like manner, pretended evil, or darkness; that there is a to have brought his holy fire from

heaven; and as the Jews had a came the national religion of all Shekinah of the Divine presence that country, and so continued for among them, resting over the mer-many ages after, till it was supplancy seat in the Holy of Holies, Zo-ted by that of Mahomet. Zoroasroaster likewise taught his Magi- ter composed a book containing ans to look upon the sacred fire in the principles of the Magian relitheir temples as a Shekinah, in gion. It is called Zendavesta, and which God especially dwelt. From by contraction Zend. See ZEND. these and some other instances of analogy between the Jewish and Magian religion, Prideaux infers that Zoroaster had been first educated and brought up in the Jewish religion.

MAGIC, a science which teaches to produce surprising and extraordinary effects; a correspondence with bad spirits, by means of which a person is able to perform surprising things. This was strictly forbidden by the law of God, on pain of death, Lev. xix, 31. See WITCHCRAFT.

The priests of the Magi were the most skilful mathematicians and philosophers of the ages in which they lived, insomuch that a MAGISTER DISCIPLINE, learned man and a Magian became or MASTER OF DISCIPLINE, the equivalent terms. This proceeded appellation of a certain ecclesiastiso far, that the vulgar, looking on cal officer in the ancient Christian their knowledge to be more than church. It was a custom in some natural, imagined they were inspi-places, particularly in Spain, in the red by some supernatural power. time of the Gothic kings, about the And hence those who practised end of the fifth century, for parents wicked and diabolical arts, taking to dedicate their children very upon themselves the name of Ma-young to the service of the church. gians, drew on it that ill significa- For this purpose they were taken tion which the word Magician now bears among us.

into the bishop's family, and edu cated under him by some grave The Magian priests were all of and discreet person whom the bione tribe; as among the Jews, shop deputed for that purpose, and none but the son of a priest was set over them, by the name of capable of bearing that office among Presbyter, or Magister Disciplinæ, them. The royal family among the whose chief business it was to inPersians, as long as this sect sub-spect their behaviour, and instruct sisted, was always of the sacerdo- them in the rules and discipline of tal tribe. They were divided into the church. three orders; the inferior clergy, the superintendant, or bishop, and the archimagus or arch-priest.

Zoroaster had the address to bring over Darius to his new-reformed religion, notwithstanding the strongest opposition of the Sabians; and from that time it be

MAGNANIMITY, greatness of soul; a disposition of mind exerted in contemning dangers and difficulties,in scorning temptations, and despising earthly pomp and splendour. Cic. de Offic., lec. i, ch. 20; Grove's Moral Phil., p. 268, vol. ii. See articles COURAGE,

FORTITUDE, in this work; Steele's was, that he formed the scheme of Christian Hero; Watts on Self-establishing a new religion, or, as murder. he expressed it, of replanting the

MAHOMETANISM, the sys-only true and ancient one profes

tem of religion formed and propagated by Mahomet, and still adhered to by his followers. It is professed by the Turks and Persians, by several nations among the Africans, and many among the East Indians.

Mahomet was born in the reign of Anushirwan the Just, emperor of Persia, about the end of the sixth century of the Christian era. He came into the world under some disadvantages. His father Abd'allah was a younger son of Abd'almotalleb; and dying very young, and in his father's lifetime, left his widow and infant son in very mean circumstances, circumstances, his whole substance consisting but of five camels and one Ethiopian she slave. Abd'almotalleb was therefore obliged to take care of his grandchild Mahomet; which he not only did during his life, but at his death enjoined his eldest son Abu Taleb, who was brother to Abd'allah by the same mother, to provide for him for the future; which he very affectionately did, and instructed him in the business of a merchant, which he followed; and to that end he took him into Syria, when he was but thirteen. He afterwards recommended him to Khadijah, a noble and rich widow, for her factor; in whose service he behaved himself so well, that by making him her husband she soon raised him to an equality with the richest in Mecca. After he began by this advantageous match to live at his ease, it

sed by Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and all the prophets, by destroying the gross idolatry into which the generality of his countrymen had fallen, and weeding out the corruptions and superstitions which the latter Jews and Christians had, as he thought, introduced into their religion, and reducing it to its originally purity, which consisted chiefly in the worship of one only God.

Before he made any attempt abroad, he rightly judged that it was necessary for him to begin with the conversion of his own household. Having, therefore, retired with his family, as he had done several times before, to a cave in mount Hara, he there opened the secret of his mission to his wife Khadijah; and acquainted her, that the Angel Gabriel had just before appeared to him, and told him that he was appointed the apostle of God: he also repeated to her a passage which he pretended had been revealed to him by the ministry of the angel, with those other circumstances of this first appearance which are related by the Mahometan writers. Khadijah received the news with great joy, swearing by Him in whose hands her soul was that she trusted he would be the prophet of his nation; and immediately communicated what she had heard to her cousin Warakah Ebn Nawfal, who, being a Christian, could write in the Hebrew character, and was tolerably well versed in

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