was at the head of the sect.
These sectaries made no alteration in the
creed. They only held that the Holy
Si'iiiiT made Montanus his organ for de-
livering a more perfect form of discipline
than that which was delivered by the
apostles. They refused communion for
ever to those who were guilty of notorious
crimes, and believed that the bishops had
no authority to reconcile them. They held
it unlawful to fly in time of persecution.
They condemned second marriages, allowed
the dissolution of marriage, and observed
three Lents.
The Montanists became separated into
two branches, one of which were the dis-
ciples of Proclus, and the other of ^schines.
The latter are charged Avith following the
heterodoxy of Praxeas and Sabelhus con-
cerning the Trinity. The celebrated Ter-
tullian was a Montanist.
MONUMENT. The memorial placed
over the body of a Christian, after his
burial in consecrated ground.
The earliest monuments in England
which have come down to us are, periiaps,
not older than the Norman Conquest ; and
the most ancient is the simplest form. A
stone coffin is covered with a single stone
slab, which is also the only recipient of what-
ever device may be designed to commemo-
rate the tenant of the narrow dwelling over
which it closes. So early as the middle of
the ninth century, (840,) Kenneth, king of
Scotland, made an ordinance that such cof-
fins should be adorned with the sign of the
cross, in token of sanctity, on which no one
was on any account to tread ; and, per-
haps, there were none but purely religious
emblems employed for some generations
after this time. The sign of the cross still
continued for centuries the most usual
ornament of tombs, but by-and-by it be-
came associated Avith others which were
most of them intended to designate the pro-
fession of him whose dust they honoured.
Hence we have the crosier and mitre, with
perhaps a chalice and paten, upon the
tomb of an ecclesiastic, of an abbot, or a
bishop ; the knight has a sword, and his
shield at first plain, but afterwards charged
with his arms on his tomb. Sometimes an
approach to religious allegory is discovered
on monuments even of these very early
ages, such as, for instance, the cross or
crosier stuck into the mouth of a serpent
or cockatrice, indicating the victory of the
cross and of the Church over the devil.
These, and the like devices, occurring
before any attempt at the human figure
was made, are in a low relief, or indented
outline.
By-and-by the human figure was added,
recumbent, and arrayed in the dress of the
individual commemorated ; and this figure
soon rose from low relief to an effigy in
full proportions. The knight and the ec-
clesiastic are now discovered so perfectly
attired according to their order and de-
gree, that the antiquary gathers his know-
ledge of costume from these venerable
remains. Some affecting lessons of mor-
tality are noAV forcibly incidcated by cir-
cumstances introduced into the sepulchre ;
for instance, the figure of the deceased
appears nearly reduced to a skeleton, and
laid in a shroud ; a few instances occur in
which the corpse thus represented is below
a representation of the living person. An-
MONUMENT.
MORALITIES.
517
other interesting intimation of the charac-
ter of the deceased a])pears in the crossed
legs of those who had vo^ved a pilgrimage
to tlie Holy Land ; and the lion is fre-
quently found, as Avell as the serpent, at
the feet of the recumbent hg\u-e, ])erha]is
in allusion to the words of the i)salmist,
'* Thou shalt tread u])on the lion and ad-
der : the young lion and the dragon shalt
thou tramjile under thy feet."
All this time the tomb has been gradu-
ally increasing in height and in general
splendour, the sides are adorned â– with
figures in several compartments, which
run into niches or ])anels, according to the
advance of architectural design, and at last
they are surmounted with an arch, low at
first and little decorated, but afterwards
very elaborately wrought into a rich ca-
nopy, lieligious allegories become more
complex on the sides of the tomb, and we
have instances of some which have since
been borrowed by artists of name, and
perhaps accounted new by many ; for in-
stance, it is not rare to see a representa-
tion of the soul of the dying conveyed to
heaven by angels, Avhile the corpse lies
upon the litter, and this was a design
chosen for the cenotaph of the Princess
Charlotte. The relatives of the deceased
are sometimes represented by many small
statues in the niches ; or armorial bearings
are introduced, sj)aring at first, and often,
as on the tomb of Lionell Lord Wells, in
Methley church, supported on the breasts
of angels. Angels also frequently support
the head of the recumbent figure, and at
the feet are sometimes one or more priests
with an open book in their hands. The
space in the wall behind the tomb and be-
neath the canopy allows of allegorical de-
vices, sometimes in fresco, sometimes in
mosaic. But what most demands atten-
tion are the recumbent figures themselves,
generally with both hands raised in the
attitude of prayer ; or, if they be bi.shops,
with the right hand as if giving a blessing.
The effigies of the man and his wife ap-
pear always on the same tomb, lying side
by side, and in the same pious attitude ; a
frequently recurring sight, Avhich inspired
the lines of Piers Plowman : —
" lti\\)Q\)tB in tfjcv co«is>ancc clatr for tfjc
nonce,
aUc it ftcmcb scnutrs iiaacvctr opon cvtfic,
:;an"ti loticlo latjlcs yiuvoucjtjt Irycu by ijcv
sitjcs."
And surely there is a beauty and pro-
priety in tliat character of monuments for
Christian men in Christian churches, which
could suggest the words,
"^\\e it 0cmcti scputcs psncvcli cpon
riH)r,"
far greater than we recognise in the vain-
glorious boastings of success in secular
l)ursuits, ])erha])s even in sinful inidcr-
takings, which cumber clun-ch walls. It
is a holier thought to remember what was
sacred in the Christian man ; who, im-
perfect as he may have been, was yet, as
lie was a Christian, in some sense a saint,
and to embody it in some pious attitude
upon his tomb, than to forget everything
that is Christian, and to celebrate oiily the
secular or the vicious.
Gorgeous as some of these tombs are,
they did not satisfy the splendour of that
age, and the canojiy swells into an actual
chape!, sometimes in tlie body of the larger
church, as that of William of Wykeham,
in Winchester, and those of Cardinal
Beaufort, and Bishops Waynflete and Fox,
in the same cathedral. Sometimes the
chapel is a building complete in itself, as
that of the Beauchamps, at St. Mary's
church, AVarwick, and that of Henry VII.
at ^^"estminster.
IMOPvALlTIES, MYSTEIUES, and
MIRACLES. A kind of theatrical re-
presentations, Avhich were made by the
monks, friars, and other ecclesiastics of the
middle ages, the vehicle of instruction to
the jjcople. Their general character was
the same, but the mirachs may be distin-
guished as those which represented the
miracles wrought by the holy confessors,
and the sufferings by which the persever-
ance of the martyrs was manifested ; of
which kind the first specified by name is
a scenic representation of the legend of
St. Catherine. The moralities were certain
allegorical representations of virtues or
vices, ahvays so contrived as to make
virtue seem desirable, and vice ridiculous
and deformed. The vu/steries were repre-
sentations often of gi-eat length, and re-
quiring several days' performance, of the
Scripture narrative, or of several parts of
it, as, for instance, the descent of Ciikist
into hell. Of these mysteries two complete
scries have lately been published from an-
cient manuscripts, tJie Tuirnlvj/ Jfi/sfcries^
performed by the monks of "Woodchurch,
near Wakefield, and tlie different leading
companies of that town ; and the Coventry
Mysteries, performed with like help of the
trades in Coventry, by the Grey Friars of
that ancient city. Both of these collections
begin with the creation, and carry on the
' story in different jiageants or scenes until
the judgment-day.
It will not be supposed that these plays
are free from the deformities of every
518
MORAVIANS.
MORMONISTS.
other kind of literature of the times to
which they are referred ; nor that the per-
formance of them was without a great deal
more of the coarseness of an unrefined
age than would be tolerated now : neither
need it be concealed that the theology
therein embodied was sometimes rather
Popish than Catholic.
On the whole it may fairly be said, that
these miracles, tnysterics, and tnoralities,
were wholesome for the times ; and that
though they afterwards degenerated into
actual abuses, yet that they are not to be
condemned without measure and without
mercy.
Their history and character are interest-
ing, not only as giving a fair picture of the
character of remote ages, but also because
they seem to be the original from which
arose stage plays and oratorios.
As a specimen of these old moralities
see in Dodsley's collection of Old Plays—
God's Promises, by Bale, bishop of Ossory,
which cbamatizes the leading events of
the Sacred History. It was printed in 1538.
MOllAVIAXS, or UNITED BRE-
THREN. A sect generally said to have
arisen under Nicholas Lev.is, count of
Zinzendorf, a German nobleman of the
last century, and thus called because the
first converts to the system were some
Moravian families. According to the so-
ciety's own account, however, they derive
their origin from the Greek Church in the
ninth century, when, by the instrument-
ality of Methodius and Cyrillus, two
Greek monks, the lungs of Bulgaria and
Moravia, being converted to the faith,
were, together with their subjects, united
in communion with the Greek Church.
Methodius was their first bishop, and for
their use Cyrillus translated the Scriptures
into the Sclavonian language.
It is sometimes supposed that because
the Moravians have bishops, they are less
to be blamed than other dissenting sects.
But, to say nothing of the doubt that
exists with respect to the validity of their
orders, an episcopal church may be, as the
Moravians and Romanists of this country
are, in a state of schism. And the very
fact that the difi"erence between them and
the Church is not great, if this be so, makes
the sin of their schism, in not conforming,
yet greater.
Though the Brethren acknowledge no
other standard of truth than the s'acred
Scriptures, they in general profess to ad-
here to the Augsburg Confession of Faith.
Both in their Summary of Christian Doc-
trine, which is used for the instruction of
their children, and in their general in-
structions and sermons, they teach the
doctrine of the Trinity ; and in their
prayers, hymns, and litanies address the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the
same manner as is done in other Christian
Churches ; yet they chiefly direct their
hearers to Jesus Christ, as the appointed
channel of the Deity, in whom God is
known and made manifest unto man.
They dwell upon what he has done and
sufl"ered, and upon the glorious descriptions
given of him as an Almighty Saviour.
They recommend love to him, as the con-
straining principle of the Christian's con-
duct ; and their general manner is more
by beseeching men to be reconciled to GoD,
than by alarming them with the terrors
of the law, and the threatenings against
the impenitent, which they, however, do
not fail occasionally to set before their
hearers. They avoid, as much as possible,
everything that would lead to controversy ;
and "though they strongly insist upon sal-
vation by grace alone through faith, yet
they will not enter into any explanation,
or give any decided opinion, concerning
particular election. They have, therefore,
been considered by high Calvinists as lean-
ing to Arminianism, and by others as Cal-
vinists ; but they themselves decline the
adoption of either name, and conceive that
the gospel may be preached by both. They
profess to believe that the Idngdom of
Christ is not confined to any party, com-
munity, or church ; and they consider
themselves, though closely united in one
body or visible Church, as spiritually joined
in the bond of Christian love to all who
are taught of God, and belong to the uni-
versal Church of Christ, however much
they may difier in forms, which they deem
non-essentials.
See Crantz's History of the Brethren ;
Spcmgenheufs Exposition of Christian Doc-
trine ; Hatio Disci])lince Unit. Fratrum, by
Loretz, &c.
MORMONISTS, or LATTER DAY
SAINTS. The Census Report published in
1854, gives the following account of these
enthusiasts. Although, in origin, the Mor-
mon movement is not English, but Ameri-
can, yet, as the new creed, by the mission-
ary zeal of its disciples, has extended into
England, and is making some not incon-
siderable progress with the poorer classes
of our countrymen, it seems desirable to
give, as far as the inadequate materials
permit, some brief description of a sect,
the history of whose opinions, sufierings,
and achievements, shows, perhaps, the
most remarkable religious movement that
has happened since the days of Mahomet.
MORMONISTS, OR LATTER DAY SAINTS.
H9
Joseph Smith, the pro]ihet of the new
belief, was horn in humble life in 1805, at
Sharon in the state of Vermont, from
whence in 1815 he removed with his
parents to Palmyra, New York. AVhen
about 15 years old, Ijcinf^^ troubled by con-
victions of his spiritual dan<;er, and ])er-
plexed by the multitude of mutually hos-
tile sects, he saw, he says, M'hile pray in p^
in a grove, a vision of " two personap^es,"
who informed him that his sins were par-
doned, and that all existinc^ sects were
almost equally erroneous. This vision was
repeated three years afterwards, in 1823,
when an anp^el, he reports, informed him
that the American Indians were a remnant
of the Israelites, and that certain records,
written by the Jewisli prophets and con-
taining history and prophecy, had, when
the Indians fell into depravity, been buried
in the earth at a spot Avliich the angel in-
dicated. Smith was further told, that he
had been selected as the instrument by
which these valuable records should be
brought to light ; the revelations they
contained being necessary for the restor-
ation of that purity of creed and worship
from which all the modern churches had
alike departed.
Accordingly, upon the 22nd of Septem-
ber, 1823, Smith, the story runs, discovered
in the side of a hill, about four miles from
Palmyra in Ontario County, a stone box,
just covered by the earth, in which was
deposited the " Record," — a collection of
thin plates of gold, held together by three
golden rings. Part of this golden book
was sealed, but the portion open to inspec-
tion was engraven thickly with " lleformed
Egyptian " characters. Together with the
book he found two crystal lenses " set in
the two rims of a bow," apparently re-
sembling an enormous pair of spectacles ;
this instrument he said was the Urim and
Thummim used by ancient seers.
The simple inspection of these treasures
was the whole extent of Smith's achieve-
ments on his first discovery of them ; he
was not permitted by the angel to remove
them until four years afterwards, on the
22nd of September, 1827. During the in-
terval he received occasional instruction
from his sui)ernatural visitant.
The news of his discovery attracted such
attention, and procured him so much ob-
loquy, that, according to the narrative of
his biographers, he was exposed to per-
sonal violence, and was obliged to fly to
Pennsylvania, carrying his golden ])lates
concealed in a baiTel of beans. When
thus in some security, lie, by the aid of
the Urim and Thummim, set to work upon
tlie translation of the unsealed portion,
which, when complete, com])osed a bidky
volume, which he called the " Book of
Mormon " — *' Mormon " meaning, he ex-
plained, 7nore (jood, from " ???o/-," a con-
traction for more, and " nion,''* Egyptian
for (/ood. " Mormon," too, was the name of
a supposed pro])het living in the fourth or
fifth century, who, after tlie principal por-
tion of the American Israelites had fallen
in battle, and the whole of them become
degenerate, engraved on ])lates a sum-
mary of their history and prophecies.
These plates, his son, Moroni, in the trou-
blous times which followed, hid for safety
in a hill then called Cumora, about the
year A. D. 420.
Mormons defend the authenticity of this
recital, by asserting the improbability that
Smith, an illiterate person, could invent
it, and, unaided, write so large and pecu-
liar a volume. To the objection that the
golden plates are not i)roduced, they give
Smith's own reply to the applications made
to him by his disciples for a view — that
such an exhibition of them is ])rohil)ited
by special revelation. Nevertheless, in
further proof of Smith's veracity, three
" witnesses were found to testify that they
liad actually seen the plates, an angel hav-
ing shown them ; and a similar testimony
was borne by eight other " witnesses," —
four of those belonging to a family named
Whitmer, and three being the two brothers
and the father of Smith. The utmost that
Smith did towards allowing access by in-
different parties to the plates, Avas to give
to one of his inquiring followers a copy
upon paper of a portion of the plates in
the original hieroglyphics, viz. the "_ Re-
formed Egyptian." This Avas submitted
by the yet unsatisfied disciple to I'rofessor
Anthon of Ncav York, Avho, hoAvever, did
not recognise the characters as those of
any ancient language knoAvn to him. The
Mormon advocates appear to think these
evidences irresistible. — Upon the other
hand, it is asserted, by opjwnents of the
:Mormons, that about tlie years 1809-12, a
person of the name of Solomon Sjiaulding,
Avho had been a clergyman, conceived and
executed the design of Avriting a religious
tale, the scenes and narrative of Avhich
should be constructed on tlie theory that
the American Indians Avere the lost ten
tribes of Israel. This work, Avhen finished,
he entitled " 7V/e Ma)inscn)>f found/' and
the purport of the fiction was, to trace the
progress of the tribes from Jerusalem to
America, and then describe their subse-
quent adventures in the latter country, —
" Mormon" and his son " Moroni" being
520
MORMONISTS, OR LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
prominent characters, and Nephi, Lehi,
and the Lamanites (names frequently oc-
currino^ in the Book of Mormon) being
also mentioned. The MS. of this pro-
duction, it is further stated, found its way
into the hands of one Sidney Kigdon, who
was intimately connected with Smith from
the commencement of his career.
The " Book of Mormon " was succeeded
by a " Book of Doctrine and Covenants,"
being a collection of the special revelations
made to Smith and his associates upon all
points connected with the course and wel-
fare of the Church. This was continually
enlarged as further revelations, consequent
upon the varying fortunes and require-
ments of the body, were received. Amongst
these was one by which the " Aaronic
Priesthood" was revived — another by
which baptism by immersion was com-
manded — a third for the institution of
" Apostles " — and others for the temporal
regulation of the Church from time to
time. In these productions the peculiar
phraseology of the sacred Scriptures w^as
profusely imitated.
It appears that at the end of about three
years after Smith's announcement of him-
self as a prophet, about thirty persons were
convinced of the reality of his pretensions,
and from this time forward converts ra-
pidly increased. Smith removed to Kirt-
land in Ohio, and set up a mill, a store,
and a bank.
It was not without opposition that this
progress M'as effected. As appears to be
usual upon the rise of new religious sects,
the ^Mormons were accused of holding
many outrageous and immoral doctrines,
and, amongst them, that of a community
of wives. The popular hostility was often
violently manifested, and the " saints " Avere
subjected to much ill-treatment. Smith
himself, in 1832, was tarred and feathered
by a midnight mob ; and, in the folloAving
year, the whole of the ]\Iormons in Mis-
souri (amounting to above a thousand
persons) were expelled from Independence,
Jackson County, which had been de-
scribed by Smith as the Zion apjiointed by
revelation for the resting-place of the
" saints." They removed to Clay County,
where, in 1837, they were joined by the
prophet himself, whose bank in Kirtland
had failed. Meantime, the prejudice against
the Mormons followed them to their new
habitation, and, in 1838, after several san-
guinary outbreaks, Jose])h Smith and his
brother Hyrum were imprisoned, and the
whole community of Mormons were ex-
pelled from their possessions in Missouri.
They took refuge in the neighbouring state
of Illinois. Here, in 1839, their prophet, who
had managed to escape from prison, joined
them. They now numbered 15,000 souls.
In Illinois, they chose the village of
Commerce as their residence, which soon be-
came converted into a considerable town, of
Mhich the " prophet" Avas appointed mayor.
This town they called Nauvoo, or " Beauti-
ful," according to the language of the
Book of ]Mormon. A body of militia,
called the Xauvoo Legion, was established
—Smith being " General." In 1841, a
" revelation " ordered the constniction of
a splendid temple, towards which object all
the ]Mormons were to contribute a full tithe
of their possessions. It is said that they
expended on this structure nearly a million
of dollars.
In Nauvoo, the Mormons seem to have
increased and prospered greatly : the town
extended fast ; the temple gradually rose ;
and the prophet was the absolute head
of a comparatively poAverful community,
which hardly recognised the ordinary laws
of the state.' In 1843 he became a candi-
date for the presidency, and put forth a
statement of his views. In 1844, however,
occurred the final catastrophe of his life.
A Nauvoo paper, having printed certain
scandal of him, was, by order of the coun-
cil of the town, suppressed, and its office
razed ; on which, the editors retired to
Carthage, and obtained a warrant against
Smith and his brother. This warrant
Smith refused to recognise : the county
force prepared to execute it ; and the
" saints " prepared their city for defence.
To save the town, however, Smith surren-
dered on the promise of protection from
the governor. This ])romise proved of
little value ; for, on the 27th of June, 1844,
a mob broke into Carthage prison, and
Joseph and Hyrum Smith were shot.
Upon the prophet's death there were two
competitors for the vacant supremacy —
Sidney Bigdon and Brigham Young. The
former was the earliest associate of Smith,
and professed to be acquainted with " all
his secrets;" but, as the prominent advo-
cate of the "Spiritual Wife" doctrine, he
was looked upon with disfavour as the
virtual author of much of the suspicion
and hostility with Avhich the Mormons
were regarded. Brigham Young succeeded
therefore to the post of " prophet," (which
he still retains,) and liigdon was expelled
from the community. An interval of
j scarcely interrupted progress followed,
' during which the temple was completed ;
but in 1845 the troubles were renewed:
perpetual conflicts, in which blood was
I shed, occurred, and the city of Nauvoo
MORMONISTS, OR I ATTER DAY SAINTS.
621
itself was regularly besieged. At length the
Mormons, conscious of their inability alone
to cope with their antagonists, and seeing
that no conhdence could be reposed upon
the law for their protection, undertook
(since nothing less would satisfy their
enemies) that they would altogether quit
the State — commencing their departure in
the spring of 1846.
This time it was no mere temporary,
neighbouring refuge which the jNIormons
sought. The elders of the church, aware
of the hostility to Avhich it would be con-
stantly exposed in any portion of the popu-
lated States, resolved, with equal policy
and daring, to escape entirely from the
settled territory, and to seek far oft', beyond
the llocky Mountains, some secluded and
unoccupied retreat in which they could,
secure from molestation, build their earthly
"Zion,*' and, by gathering thither from all
quarters of the world the converts to their
faith, become a thriving and a powerful
community, too potent to be further in-
terfered with. This remarkable pilgrimage,