fifth century. See No. 29, article BIBLE. VANITY, emptiness. It is often applied to the man who wishes you to think more highly of him than what he really deserves; hence the vain man flatters in order to be flattered; is always fond of praise, endeavours to bribe others into a the Nous or Intelligence, which is the only Son, equal to and alone capable of comprehending the Bythos. The sister of Nous they called Aletheia or Truth; and these constituted the first quaternity of Æons, which were the source and original of all the rest; for Nous and Aletheia produced the world and life, and from these two pro- good opinion of himself by his ceeded man and the church. But, complaisance, and sometimes even besides these eight principal Æons, by good offices, though often disthere were twenty-two more; the played with unnecessary ostentalast of which, called Sophia, being tion. The term is likewise apdesirous to arrive at the knowledge plied to this world, as unsatisfacof Bythos, gave herself a great deal of uneasiness, which created in her Anger and Fear, of which was born Matter. But the Horos or Bounder stopped her, preserved her in the Pleroma, and restored her to Perfection. Sophia then produced the Christ and the Holy Spirit, which brought the Æons to their last perfection, and made every one of them contribute their utmost to form a Saviour. Her Enthymese or Thought, dwelling near the Pleroma, perfected by the Christ, produced every thing that is in this world by its diverse pas-ther himself, in his controversy tory, Ecc. i, 2; to lying, Ps. iv, 2; to idols, Deut. xxxii, 21; to whatever disappoints our hopes, Ps. lx, 11. See PRIDE. UBIQUITARIANS, formed from ubique, "every where," in ecclesiastical history, a sect of Lutherans which rose and spread itself in Germany; and whose distinguishing doctrine was, that the body of Jesus Christ is every where, or in every place. Brentius, one of the earliest reformers, is said to have first broached this error in 1560. Lu sions. The Christ sent into it the with Zuinglius, had thrown out Saviour, accompanied with angels, some unguarded expressions that who delivered it from its passi- seemed to imply a belief of the ons without annihilating it: from omnipresence of the body of thence was formed corporeal mat-Christ; but he became sensible ter. And in this manner did they afterwards that this opinion was romance concerning God, nature, and the mysteries of the Christian religion. attended with great difficulties, and particularly that it ought not to be made use of as a proof of Christ's corporal presence in the eucharist. However, after the death of Luther, this absurd hypothesis was renewed, and dressed VATICAN MANUSCRIPT, one of the principal Greek manuscripts now extant. It contained originally the whole Greek Bible. The age of this manuscript is sup-up in a specious and plausible form posed to be no higher than the by Brentius, Chemnitius, and Andræas, who maintained the com- || compounded of awe and love, and munication of the properties of Christ's divinity to his human nature. It is, indeed, obvious that every Lutheran who believes the doctrine of consubstantiation, whatever he may pretend, must be an Ubiquitarian. UBIQUITY, omnipresence; an attribute of the Deity, whereby he is always intimately present to all things. See OMNISCIENCE. UCKEWALLISTS, a sect which derived its denomination from Uke-Walles, a native of Friesland, who published his sentiments in 1637. He entertained a favourable opinion of the eternal state of Judas and the rest of Christ's murderers. His argument was this, that the period of time which extended from the birth of Christ to the descent of the Holy Ghost was a time of deep ignorance, during which the Jews were destitute of divine light; and that, of consequence, the sins and enormities which were committed during this interval were in a great measure excusable, and could not merit the severest displays of the Divine justice. This denomination strictly adhered to the doctrine of the Mennonites. VEDAS, the sacred books of the Hindoos, believed to be revealed by God, and called immortal. They are considered as the fountain of all knowledge, human and divine, and are four in number. The principal part of them is that which explains the duties of man in methodical arrangement. The fourth book contains a system of divine ordinances. See the first volume of the Asiatic Researches. VENERATION, an affection which of all others becomes creatures to bear toward their infinitely perfect Creator. See DEVOTION. VERACITY OF GOD is his truth, or an exact correspondence and conformity between his word and his mind. Moses says, "he is a God of truth." He is true in and of himself; he truly and really exists; he is the true and living God: all his perfections are true and real; truth is essential to him; it is pure and perfect in him; it is the first and original in him; he is the fountain of truth: all his works in creation, providence, and grace, are according to truth. See FAITHFULNESS OF GOD. VERSCHORISTS, a sect that derived its denomination from Jacob Verschoor, a native of Flushing, who in the year 1680, out of a perverse and heterogeneous mixture of the tenets of Cocceius and Spinosa, produced a new form of religion, equally remarkable for its extravagance and impiety. His disciples and followers were called Hebrews, on account of the zeal and assiduity with which they all, without distinction of age or sex, applied themselves to the study of the Hebrew language. Their sentiments were nearly the same as the Hattemists. See HATTEMISTS. VICAR, a priest of a parish, the predial tythes whereof are impropriate or appropriated; that is, belong either to a chapter, religious house, &c., or to a layman who receives them, and only allows the vicar the small tythes, or a convenient salary. VICE, a fault; the opposite to virtue. VIGIL, the eve or day before || in his diocese, to examine into the any solemn feast, because then state of the church. In a divine Christians were wont to watch, fast, and pray in their churches. or spiritual sense, it is taken either for a communication of divine love, or for any calamity afflicting a nation. VIRTUE, a term used in various significations. Some define it to be "living according to nature;" others, " universal benevolence to being." Some, again, place it " in regard to truth; others in "the moral sense." Some place it in " the imitation of God;" others, " in the love of God and our fellow creatures." Some, again, think it consists " in mediocrity," supposing vice to consist in extremes; others have placed it in " a wise regard to our own interest." Dr. Smith refers it to the principle of sympathy; and Paley defines it to be the doing good to mankind, in obedience to the will of God, and for the sake of everlasting happiness. Some of these definitions are certainly objectionable. Perhaps those who place it in the love of God and our fellow-cept of Christ upon the terms of UNBELIEF, the refusing assent to testimony. It is often taken for distrust of God's faithfulness, but more particularly for the discrediting the testimony of God's word concerning his Son, John iii, 18, 19. John xvi, 9. "It includes," says Dr. Guise, "disaffection to God, disregard to his word, prejudices against the Redeemer, readiness to give credit to any other than him, inordinate love to the world, and preferring of the applause of men to the approbation of God."-" Unbelief," says the great Charnock, " is the greatest sin, as it is the fountain of all sin : it was Adam's first sin: it is a sin against the Gospel, against the highest testimony; a refusal to ac creatures may come as near to the the Gospel. It strikes peculiarly truth as any. See Edwards and at God; is the greatest reproach Jameson on Virtue; Grove's and Paley's Moral Phil. ; Cumberland's Law of Nature, cap. 1, § 4; Beattie's Elements of Mor. Science, vol. ii, p. 8, 77; Dr. Watts's Self Love and Virtue Reconciled, 2d vol. of his works, last edition. of him, robs him of his glory, a contradiction to his will, and a contempt of his authority. The causes of unbelief are Satan, ignorance, pride, and sensuality." The danger of it is great: it hardens the heart, fills with presumption, creates impatience, deceives with error, and finally exposes to condemnation, John iii, 18. Charnock's Works, vol. ii, p. 601; Case's Sermons, ser. 2; Bishop Porteus's/ VISION, the supernatural representation of an object to a man when waking, as in a glass which places the visage before him, It was one of the ways in which the Almighty was pleased to reveal | Sermons, vol. i, ser. 2; Dr. Owen's himself to the prophets, Is. i, 1. Is. xxi, 2. VISITATION, the survey or inspection performed by a bishop Reasons of Faith; Hannam's Compendium, vol. ii, p. 26. UNBELIEVERS are of three sorts: 1. Those who having heard the Gospel reject it.-2. Those who verbally assent to it, yet know not to what they assent, or why they believe.-3. They who, whatever knowledge they, may have of certain speculative points of divinity, yet obey not the truth, but live in sin. nihilation shall soon equalize the just and the impious, and for ever confound them both in the dreary mansion of the tomb. What monsters, then, must such be upon the earth!" UNCHANGEABLENESS OF GOD. See FAITHFULNESS and IMMUTABILITY OF GOD. UNCTION, in matters of religion, is used for the character conferred on sacred things by anointing them with oil. Unctions were very frequent among the Hebrews. They anointed both their kings and high priests at the ceremony of their inauguration. They also anointed the sacred vessels of the tabernacle and temple, to sanctify and consecrate them to the service of God. In the ancient Christian church, unction accompanied the ceremonies of baptism and confirmation. Extreme unction, or the anointing persons in the article of death, was also practised by the ancient Christians, in compliance with the precept of St. James, 5 chap. 14th and 15th verses; and this extreme unction the Romish church has advanced to the dignity of a sacrament. The following is a striking description given by Massilon of an unbeliever (Ser. i, vol. iii, Eng. trans.). "He is a man without morals, probity, faith, or character; who owns no rule but his passions, no law but his iniquitous thoughts, no master but his desires, no check but the dread of authority, no God but himself; an unnatural child, since he believes that chance alone hath given him' fathers; a faithless friend, seeing he looks upon men merely as the wretched fruits of a wild and fortuitous concurrence to whom he is connected only by transitory ties; a cruel master, seeing he is convinced that the strongest and the most fortunate have always reason on their side. Who could henceforth place any dependance on such? They no longer fear a God; they no longer respect men; they look forward to nothing after is administered to none but such this life: virtue and vice are mere-as are affected with some mortal ly prejudices of education in their disease, or in a decrepit age. It eyes, and the consequences of po- is refused to impenitent persons, pular credulity. Adulteries, re-as also to criminals. The parts venge, blasphemies, the blackest to be anointed are, the eyes, the treacheries, abominations which we dare not even name, are no longer in their opinion but human prohibitions established through the policy of legislators. According to them, the most horrible crimes or the purest virtues are all equally the same, since an eternal an It ears, the nostrils, the mouth, the hands, the feet, and the reins. The laity are anointed in the palms of the hands, but priests on the back of it, because the palms of their hands have been already consecrated by ordination. The oil with which the sick per son is anointed represents, it is cap. 4, called the Act of Unifor said, the grace of God, which is mity. poured down into the soul; and UNION TO CHRIST, that the prayer used at the time of act of Divine grace by which we are anointing expresses the remission joined to Christ; and is considerof sins thereby granted to the sick ed, 1. As virtual, or that which was person; for the prayer is this; "By this holy unction, and his own most pious mercy, may the Almighty God forgive thee whatever sins thou hast committed by the sight," when the eyes are anointed; by the hearing, when the ears are anointed; and so of the other senses. The passage before mentioned from St. James respecting the anointing with oil has been a source of difficulty to some pious minds; but in order to understand it, it is necessary to observe, that anointing with oil was an ordinance for the miraculous cure of sick persons (Mark vi, 13). But since those extraordinary gifts are ceased, as being no longer necessary for the confirmation of the Gospel, of course there can be no warrant now for using that ceremony. UNDERSTANDING, the faculty of perceiving things distinctly; or that power of the mind by which we arrive at a proper idea or judgment of things. See JUDGMENT, MIND, SOUL. formed from all eternity, Eph. i, 4. -2. Vital, or spiritual, formed in the moment of our regeneration, John xvii, 26. 1st John iv, 13. It is represented in the scripture by the strongest expressions language can admit of, and even compared to the union between the Father and the Son, John xvii, 11, 21, &c. It is also compared to the union of a vine and its branches, John xv, 4, 5. To the union of our food with our bodies, John vi, 56, 57. To the union of the body with the head, Eph. iv, 15, 16. To the conjugal union, Eph. v, 23, 30. To the union of a king and his subjects, Matt. xxv, 34, 40. To a building, 1st Pet. ii, 4, 5. Eph. ii, 21, 22. It is also represented by an identity or sameness of spirit, 1st Cor. vi, 17. By an identity of body, 1st Cor. xii, 12, 27. By an identity of interest, Matt. xxv, 40. John xx, 17. This union must be considered not as a mere mental union only in consort or notion; nor a physical union as between the head and the members; nor as an essential union, or union with the Divine nature; but as a mystical union, Eph. v, 32. Honourable union, 1st John iii, UNIFORMITY, regularity; a similitude or resemblance between the parts of a whole. The word is particularly used for one and 1, 2. Supernatural union, 1st Cor. the same form of public prayers, i, 30. Holy, 1st John iii, 24. Neadministration of sacraments, and other rites, &c., of the church of England, prescribed by the famous stat. 1 Eliz. and 13, 14. Carol. II, VOL. II. cessary, John xv, 4. Inviolable, Rom. viii, 38, 39. Some state it thus: 1. An union of natures, Heb. ii, 11.-2. Of actions, his obedi 3P |