upon the 25th of February, (as the common
almanack-makers boldly and eiToneously
set it,) but upon the 24th of February for
ever, whether it be Leap-year or not, as
the calendar in the liturgy, confirmed by
act of uniformitv, appoints and enjoins."

MAUNDY THUPSDAY. The Thurs-
day before Easter, being the day on which
our Lord instituted the holy sacrament
of his body and blood. The name of
]\Iaundy, Maunday, or jSIandate, {Dies
3Iatidati,) is said to have allusion to the
mandate or new commandment which, on
this day, Christ gave to his disciples, that
they should love one another, as he had
loved them. It has also been su])posed by
others, that the name arose from the
mamuh, or baskets of gifts, which, at this
time, it was an ancient custom for Chris-
tians to present one to another, in token of
that mutual afiection which our Lord so
tenderly urged, at this period of his suffer-
ings, and as a remembrancer of that " in-
estimable gift" of Christ, to be our spi-
ritual food in the sacrament of his body
and blood. Says a writer of the age of
AYickliff, " Christ made his maundy and
said. Take, eat," &c.

On this day it was customary for bishops,
sovereigns, and nobles, to wash the feet of
the poor, a ceremony still observed in
many places abroad. In the Hierurgice
Anglicana (p. 282, 283) is given an account
of the ceremonial observed by Queen Eliza-
beth. King James II. is said to have
been the last of our sovereigns who ])er-
formed it. It is still the custom on Maun-
dy Thursday for the Lord Almoner to
distribute certain royal donations to the
poor in the lloyal Chapel at AVliitehall.
This service consists of appropriate psalms,
lessons, anthems, and special prayers. It
is performed with great solemnity. For
the full particulars see Stephens's edition
of the Common Prayer Book.

MAY, TAVENTY-NINTH OF. (See
Forms of Prai/cr.)

MEANS OF GPACE. (See Ordin-
ances and Sacraments.) The sacraments
and other ordinances of the Church,
through which grace is conveyed to souls
prepared by faith and penitence to receive
it.



492



MEDIATOR.



MELETIANS.



MEDIATOR. (See Jesus, Lord, Christ,
Messiah.) A person Avho intervenes be-
tween two parties at variance. Thus our
blessed Loud and Saviour Jesus Christ
is the Mediator between God and man.

This appears from 1 Tim. ii. o, " For
there is one God, and one Mediator be-
tween God and men, the man Christ
Jesus." When Me call him a _]SIediator,
we call him so, not only as he is our lle-
deemer, but also as he is our Intercessor.
" For, if any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the right-
eous." (1 Johnii. 1.) — Archdeacon Welch-
man. It is to be remembered, however,
that by a mediator here the Church means,
not barely an intercessor or transactor of
business between two parties, in which
sense Moses was a mediator between GoD
and the Israelites with respect to the cere-
monial law ; but such a mediator, inter-
cessor, and transactor, as can plead the
merit of his own blood, offered up in man's
stead, to reconcile an offended God to
sinful man. In this sense Christ is the
only mediator between GoD and man,
being both God and man. — Dr. Bennet.

It has been already proved that Christ
partook both of the Divine and human
nature : and St. Paul expressly says,
" There is one mediator," &c. Christ is
represented, both in the Old and New
Testament, as the only redeemer of man-
kind, as the only sacrifice for the sins of
the whole world. His merits will extend
to all who lived before and after the pro-
mulgation of the gospel. "As in Adam
all die, so in Christ shall all be made
alive." (1 Cor. xv. 22.) " He is the Lamb
which was slain from the foundation of the
world." (Rev. xiii. 8.) — Bp. Tomline.

MELCHITES. The name which is
given to the Syriac, Egyptian, and other
Christians of the Levant ; who, though not
Greeks, follow the doctrines and ceremo-
nies of the Greek Church, and submit to
the decisions of the Coinicil of Chalcedon.
The term 31elchites is borrowed from the
Hebrew or SjTiac word Melee, which sig-
nifies kimj. So that Melchites is as much
as to say Royalists, and is a term of re-
proach, given to the orthodox by the
Eutychians, or Jacobites, on account of
their implicit submission to the edicts of
the emperors, for the publication and re-
ception of the above-mentioned council.

The Melchites, excepting some fcAv
points of little or no importance, which
relate only to their ceremonies and eccle-
siastical discipline, are in every respect
professed Greeks. They have translations,
in the Arabian language, of the Greek



rituals; but their versions are for the
most part very incorrect. In general, the
Christians of the Levant are so far from
being just and correct in their translations
of the Greek authors, that they imagine
they have a right to make them speak ac-
cording to their own sentiments. This is
evident in the Arabic canons of the Coun-
cil of Nice, in which the Melchites find
sufHcient arguments to justify their no-
tions against those of the Jacobites ; and
the Jacobites, on the other hand, by the
very same canons, vindicate their tenets
against those of the Melchites.

The Melchites are governed by a parti-
cular patriarch, who resides at Damascus,
and assumes the title of Patriarch of An-
tioch. The great difficulty they meet with
in finding such mhiisters as can read Greek,
is said to be the true reason why they ce-
lebrate mass in the Arabian language :
and even those who are acquainted with
the Greek tongue, yet read the Epistle and
Gospel in Arabic.

The monks among the Melchites follow
the rule of St. Basil, the common rule of
all the Greek monks. They have four fine
convents, distant about a day's journey
from Damascus. They never go out of the
cloister.

MELETIANS. There were in the
fourth century two schisms called 3Ieletian.

1 . The Meletians of Egypt had their name
from Meletius, a bishop of Lycopolis, the
second of the Egyptian sees in dignity. It
has been most commonly supposed that
Meletius sacrificed to the heathen gods in
a persecution about the year 301, or per-
haps in the last general persecution a few
years later. But there seems to be reason
for supposing that the occasion of his
schism was of an opposite kind — that he
objected to the lenity with Avhich Peter,
bishop of Alexandria, treated those who
had lapsed in the persecution ; and this
explanation agrees better with the charac-
ter of the sect, who rejected all from their
connnunion, who in time of persecution
fell from Christ, though they afterwards
repented. Meletius proceeded to ordain
bishops, and at one time had nearly thirty
of these in his commvmion. He was pro-
hibited for ever to ordain by the" Council
of Nice, but his followers were admitted
to communion without re-ordination. He
submitted to this at first, but afterwards
resumed his practice of schismatical ordin-
ations. The Arians attempted to draw
the Meletians into a connexion with them,
on the ground of their common enmity to
the orthodox bishops of Alexandria ; and
thus the schismatics whose original differ-



MENAION.



MENNONITES.



493



ence with the Church had heen limited to
questions of discipline, became infected
with heresy.

2. The Meletians of Antiochwere so called
from Meletius, -svho in 360 was a])pointed
to the bishopric of that city. Althoup^h
he owed his appointment to the Arians, he
soon showed that he was orthodox ; where-
upon he was deposed and banished. lie
afterwards recovered his see, but the ad-
herents of Eustathius, Avho had been de-
posed by the Arians many years before,
refused to communicate with him ; and
Lucifer, bishop of Caghari, by ordaining
Paulinus in opposition to him, contributed
to exasperate the differences of the ortho-
dox. The schism of Antioch was not
finally healed until the year 415.

MENAION. The name which the
Greeks give to the twelve volumes of their
Church Service. These volumes ansAver to
the twelve months in the year, each vo-
lume taking in a month. In this book is
contained the offices for the saints of every
day, methodically digested.

From the ^lenaion is drawn the Meno-
hr/ium, (Menology,) or Greek calendar, in
which the lives of the saints in short, or
their names only, are cited. The Menaion,
therefore, of the Greek answers to the
Breviary of the Latins, and the Menology
to the Martyrology. (See Breviary and
Miirtiirolofiy.)

MENDICANTS, or BEGGING
FEIARS. There are several orders of
monks or friars, in Popish countries, who,
having no income or revenues, are sup-
ported by the charitable contributions of
others. These, from their manner of life,
are called Mendicants.

This sort of friars began in the thirteenth
century, when Dominic de Guzman, with
nine more of his companions, founded the
order of Preaching Friars, called from
their founder Dominicans. The other
three Mendicant orders are, the Francis-
cans, Augustines, and Carmelites.

These monks gave great disturbance to
the secular clergy, by pretending to a right
of taking confessions and granting abso-
lution, without asking leave of the parochial
priests, or even the bishops themselves.
Pope Innocent IV. restrained this licence,
and prohibited the Mendicants to confess
the faithful without leave of the cure.
Alexander IV. restored this privilege to
them. And Martin IV., to accommodate
the dispute, granted them a permission to
receive confessions, upon condition that
the penitents, who applied to them, should
confess once a year to their proper pastor.
However, this expedient falling short of



full satisfaction, Boniface VIII. ordered
that the superiors of religious houses
should make a])plication to the bisho])s,
for their permission to such friars as should
be commissioned by their respective abbots
to administer the sacrament of penance.
And upon the foot of this constitution the
matter now rests.

IMENGllELIANS. Christians of the
Greek religion, converted by Cyrillus and
^Methodius, They baptize not their children
till the eighth year, and enter not into the
Church (the men especially) till the sixtieth
(others say the fortieth) year, but hear Di-
vine service standing without the temple.
^ MENNONITES. A sect of Anabap-
tists in Holland, so denominated from one
Mcnnon Simonis of Frisia, Avho lived in
the sixteenth century. The Protestants,
as well as the Pomanists, confuted them.
INIr. Stoupp explains their doctrine thus :
Mennon is not the first of the Anabaptists ;
but having rejected the enthusiasms and
revelations of the first Anabaptists and
their opinions, concerning the new king-
dom of Jesus Christ, he set up other
tenets, which his followers hold to this
time. They believe that the New Testa-
ment is the only rule of our faith ; that
the terms Person and Trinity are not to
be used in speaking of the P\\TnEii, Son,
and Holy Ghost ; that the first men were
not created just ; that there is no original
sin ; that Jesus Christ had not his fiesh
from the substance of his mother Mary,
but from the essence of his Father ; that
it is not lawful for Christians to swear, or
exercise any office of magistracy, nor use
the sword to punish evil-doers, nor to
wage war upon any terms ; that a Chris-
tian may attain to the height of perfection
in this life ; that the ministers of the gos-
pel ought not to receive any salary ; that
children are not to be baptized ; that the
souls of men after death rest in an un-
known })lace.

In the mean time these Mennonites
broke into several divisions, for very in-
considerable reasons ; many among them
embraced the opinions of the Socinians, or
rather of the Arians, touching the 1 )eity of
Christ ; and they were all for moderation
in religion, not thinking that they might
lawfully debar from their assemblies any
man leading a pious life, and that owned
the Scri])tures for the word of God. These
were called Galenites. and borrowed their
name from a physician of Amsterdam,
called Galen. Some of them in Holland
are called Collegiates, because they meet
privately, and every one in their assembly
hath the liberty to speak, to expound the



494



MESSALIANS.



METHODISTS.



Scriptures, to pray, and to sing : they that
are truly CoUegiates are Trinitarians:
they never receive the communion in their
college, but they meet twice a year, from
all parts of Holland, at llhinsburg, a vil-
lage about two leagues from Leyden ;
there they receive the sacrament. The
first that 'sits at table may distribute it to
the rest ; and all sects are admitted, even
the lloman Catholics, if they would come.

MESSALIANS, or MASSALIANS. So
called from a Chaldee word, which signi-
fies to pray, as does the Greek evxofJiai,
from which these sectaries had also the
name of Euchites, because they prayed
continiuilly, and held nothing necessary
to salvation but prayer : they rejected
preaching and the sacraments : they held
that the supreme God was visible ; and
that Satan was to be worshipped that he
might do no hurt : they pretended to cast
out devils ; and rejected almsgiving. This
heresy prevailed under Valentinian and
Yalens, about A. D. 370.

MESSIAH signifies the anointed. (See
Christ, Jesus, and Lord.) It is the title
given by way of eminence to our blessed
Saviour, meaning in Hebrew the same as
Christ in Greek, and it alludes to the
authority he possesses to assume the cha-
racters of prophet, priest, and king, and so
of the Saviour of the world.

Christ the Messiah (" anointed ") was
promised by God, (Gen. iii. 15 ; xxi. 12,)
and foretold bv the prophets, (Gen. xlix.
10 ; 1 Sam. ii. 10 and 35 ; Ps. ii. 2 ; xlv.
7 ; Micah v. 2, with John vii. 42 ; Mai. iii.
1,) as the " redeemer " of Israel, (Job xix.
25; Isa. lix. 20; Luke xxiv. 21,) and
" the desire of all nations" (Haggai ii. 7).
He who was born in the days of Herod, of
a pure virgin, and called " Jesus," accord-
ing to prophecy, (Luke i. 31,) is that
" Messiah," " the Christ," (John i. 41 ;
Acts ii. 36,) as he declares himself to be,
(John X. 24, 25,) whose coming was then
expected (Matt. ii. 1, 2 ; John iv. 25, 29,
42). Who was " anointed," not with any
material and typifying " oil," as were those
who preceded him — his types — but with
" the Spirit of GoD," (Matt. iii. 16 ; John
i. 32, 33,) " the Spirit of the Lord," as pro-
mised, (Isa. xi. 2 ; xlii. 1 ; Matt. xii. 18,)
a spiritual unction — " the oil of gladness,
above his fellows" (Ps. xlv. 7); and thus
was he consecrated to the three offices,
divided in others, being the great Prophet
predicted, (Deut. xviii. 15, 18,) and ac-
knowledged, (John vi. 14; vii. 40,) the
eternal High Priest, (Ps. ex. 4 ; Heb. viii.
1 ; x. 12, 14,) and universal King (Gen.
xHx. 10; Num. xxiv. 17 ; Ps. ii. 6 ; Han.



vii. 14 ; Zech. xiv. 9 ; Matt. xxv. 34 ; Rev.
xi. 15.) And this Spirit he received as the
head, (Heb. i. 9,) and conveys to the mem-
bers of his body (2 Cor. i. 21 ; 1 John
ii. 20).

MESSIANIC. A term invented by
modern critics, to signify those Psalms or
other portions of Scripture which specially
relate to or personify the Messiah.

METHODISTS, POPISH. Polemical
doctors, who arose in France about the
middle of the seventeenth century, in
opposition to the Huguenots, or French
Protestants.

METHODISTS. This is the distinc-
tive appellation of the folloAvers of the late
Mr. John Wesley, who was born in 1703,
and died in 1791.

Under the general term of" Methodists"
are comprehended two principal and several
subordinate sections, having totally distinct
ecclesiastical organizations. The two grand
sections differ from each other upon points
of doctrine ; one professing Arminian, and
the other Calvinistic, sentiments. The
former are the followers of John Wesley,
and from him are called " Wesleyan Me-
thodists ; " — the latter were originated by
the labours of George Whitfield, but their
founder's name is not perpetuated in their
title, which is generally that of " Calvin-
istic Methodists." Each of the two grand
sections is divided into several smaller
sections, differing from each other upon
points of Church c/overnment and discipline :
the Wesleyan Methodists comprise the
" Original Connexion," the *' New Con-
nexion," the " Primitive Methodists," and
the " Wesleyan Association " — the Calvin-
istic 3Iethodists comprise the body bearing
that specific name, and also the churches
belonging to what is known as " The Count-
ess of Huntingdon's Connexion."

the original connexion.

As at present settled, the form of Church
government somewhat resembles that of
the Scottish Presbyterian Churches in the
order of the courts, in the relation they
bear to each other, and in their respective
constitutions and functions. The diff'er-
ence is in the greater degree of authority
in spiritual matters exercised by the
Wesleyan ministers, who preside in their
courts not as mere chairmen or moderators,
but as pastors. This is said by them to
secure an equitable balance of power
between the two parties, lay and clerical,
in these courts, and thus to provide against
abuse on either side. How far this is
the case will be more clearly seen by a
description of these various courts, tracing



METHODISTS.



495



them upwards from the lowest to the
highest, — from the Class to the Conference.

The Classes were the very first of the
arrangements introduced by Mr. Wesley.
They consist, in general, of about 12
persons ; each class having its appointed
"leader," (an experienced Christian lay-
man, nominated by the superintendent
of a circuit, and appointed by a leaders'
meeting,) whose duty is to meet his class
once every week — converse with each class
member, hear from him a statement of his
spiritual condition, and give appropriate
counsel. Every member of a class, except
in cases of extreme poverty, is expected to
contribute at least a penny per week to-
wards the funds of the society. Out of the
proceeds of this contribution, assisted by
other funds, the stipends of the ministers
are paid. The system of class meetings
is justly considered the very life of Me-
thodism.

The pubhc worship of these societies is
conducted in each circuit by two descriptions
of preachers, one clerical, the other lay.
The clerics are separated entirely to the
work of the ministry — are members of, or
in connexion with, or received as pro-
bationers by, the Conference — and are
supported by funds raised for that purpose
in the classes and congregations. From
one to four of these, called " itinerant
preachers," are appointed annually for not
exceeding three years in immediate succes-
sion to the same circuit. Their ministry is
not confined to any particular chapel in the
circuit, but they act interchangeably from
place to place, seldom preaching in the
same place more than one Sunday with-
out a change, which is effected according
to a plan generally re-made every quarter.
Of itinerant preachers there are at present
about 915 in Great Britain. The lay, or
" local " preachers, as they are denominated,
follow secular callings, like other of their
fellow subjects, and preach on the sabbaths
at the places appointed for them in the
above-mentioned plan ; as great an interval
being observed between their appointments
to the same place as can be conveniently
arranged.

The public services of Methodists present
a combination of the forms of the Church
of England with the usual practice of
Dissenting Churches. In the larger chapels,
the Church Liturgy is used ; and, in all,
the sacrament is administered according
to the Church of England rubi*ic. Inde-
pendently of sabbath worship, love feasts
are occasionally celebrated ; and a mid-
night meeting, on the last day of each year,
is held as a solemn " watch nig-ht, for



the purpose of impressing on the mind
a sense of the brevity and rapid flight of
time.

At present there are 428 circuits in
Great Britain. Besides ])reaching in the
various chapels in their respective circuits,
the itinerant preachers administer the sa-
craments of baptism and the Lord's sup-
per. One or other of them, according to
an arrangement amongst themselves, meets
every class in his circuit once in every
quarter, personally converses Avith every
member, and distributes to all such as
have throughout the past three months
walked orderly a tickef, which authenti-
cates their membership. One of the min-
isters in every circuit is called the *' super-
intendent," whose duties, in addition to
his ordinary labours as a travelling preach-
er, are, to see that the Methodist disci-
pline is properly maintained, — to admit
candidates into membership, (subject to a
veto by a leaders' meeting,) — and to ex-
pel from the society any member whom a
leaders' meeting shall pronounce guilty of
any particular offence. Appeal, however,
lies from his decision to a District meet-
ing, and ultimately to the Conference.
There is also a " circuit steward," whose
duty is to receive from the society stewards
the contributions of class members, and to
superintend their application for the pur-
poses of the circuit.

The Conference, the highest Wesleyan
court, is composed exclusively of ministers.
It derives its authority from a deed of
declaration, executed by Mr. Wesley in
1784, by which it was provided that, after
the decease of himself and his brother
Charles, 100 persons, named in the deed,
*' being preachers and expounders of God's
holy word, under the care and in con-
nexion with the said John Wesley," should
exercise the authority which Wesley him-
self possessed, to appoint preachers to the
â–  various chapels. Vacancies in the " hun-
dred " were to be filled up by the re-
mainder at an annual Conference. In
pursuance of this deed, a Conference of
100 ministers meets yearly in July, with
the addition of the representatives selected
by the district meetings, and such other
ministers as are appointed or permitted to
attend by the district committees. The
custom is, for all these ministers to share
in the proceedings and to vote ; though
all the decisions thus arrived at must be
sanctioned by the legal " hundred," ere
they can have binding force. The Con-
ference must sit for at least five days, but
not beyond three weeks. Its principal
transactions are, to examine the moral and



496



METHODISTS.



ministerial character of every preacher —
to receive candidates on trial — to admit
ministers into tlie connexion — and to ap-
point ministers to particular circuits or
stiitions. Independently of its functions
under this deed poll, the Conference ex-
ercises a general superintendence over the
various institutions of the body; including
the appointment of various committees, as,
(1.) The Committee of Privileges for guard-
ing the interests of the AVesleyan Con-
nexion ; (2.) The Committee for the man-
agement of Missions ; (3.) The Committee
for the management of Schools for edu-
cating the children of Wesleyan minis-
ters ; (4.) The General Book Committee
(for superintending the publication and
sale of "NVesleyan v^orks) ; (5.) The Chapel
Building Committee (without whose pre-
vious consent in writing no chapel, whether
large or small, is to be erected, purchased,
or enlarged) ; (6.) The Chapel Kelief Com-
mittee ; (7.) The Contingent Fund Com-
mittee; (8.) The Committee of the Aux-
iliary Fund for worn-out ministers and
ministers' widoAvs ; and the committees for
the various schools, theological institu-
tions, Szc.

The Conference has also assumed to it-
self the power of making new^ laws for the
government of the Connexion : provided
that, if any circuit meeting disapprove
such law% it is not to be enforced in that
circuit for the space of one year. Any
circuit has the power of memorializing
Conference on behalf of any change con-
sidered desirable, provided the June quar-
terly meeting should so determine.

The doctrines held by the Wesleyans



are substantially accordant with the Arti-
cles of the Established Church, interpreted
in their Arminian sense. In this they
follow Mr. Wesley rather than Arminius ;
for although the writings of the latter are
received with high respect, the first four
vohmies of "Wesley's Sermons, and his
Notes on the Ncav Testament, (Avhich they
hold to be " neither Calvinistic on the one
hand nor Pelagian on the other,") are re-
ferred to as the standard of their ortho-
doxy. The continued influence of their
founder is manifested by the general ad-
herence of the body to his opinions on the
subject of attainment to Christian perfec-