Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/602

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566 ANTINOMIANS renders less active any of the drug which may remain in the stomach. Subsequent inflamma- tion is to be treated on general principles. IMTINOMIAJfS (Gr. avri, against, and v<5/zo f , law), those who reject the moral law as not binding upon Christians. Some go farther and affirm that a child of God cannot sin ; that the moral law is abrogated as a rule of life ; and that good works hinder salvation. Wesley de- fines antinomianism to be " the doctrine which makes void the law through faith." Antino- mianism in a modified form early showed itself in the Christian church, as appears by the Epistle of James, and later in the writings of Augustine, by whom it was opposed. Its full development is due to John Agricola (1492- 1566), one of the early coadjutors of Luther. He maintained that the moral law was super- seded by the gospel ; that the law is binding only upon unbelievers, but as soon as a man exercises faith in Christ, he comes under a new moral economy with which the law has no pos- sible relations ; that the law is not in any way instrumental in bringing men to the benefits of the new dispensation, but that faith and re- pentance are to be secured only by the preach- ing of the gospel. He affirmed that these con- clusions followed as necessary consequences from the doctrines taught by Luther, and that he and Melanchthon were inconsistent in not admitting them. The controversy between Luther and Agricola became violent. It was partially reconciled at a conference at Torgau (1527), when after a sharp debate Agricola retracted his doctrines ; but, according to Me- lanchthon, " he was not convinced, but over- borne." In 1537 Agricola, being then established at Wittenberg, put forth anonymously a series of theses on 'the nature of repentance and its re- lations to faith, in which his former views were more strongly expressed : " Art thou steeped in sin, an adulterer or a thief, if thou believest, thou art in salvation. All who follow Moses must go to the devil: to the gallows with Moses." Luther replied in a series of disputa- tions, in which Agricola, who had in the mean time acknowledged the authorship of the the- ses, was at first treated tenderly ; but after- ward Luther used harsh language, classing Agricola with the Anabaptist fanatics. In 1540 Agricola again retracted, and was reconciled with Luther. The controversy was however carried on by others in Germany. Antino- mianism appeared in England during the protec- torate of Cromwell, some of the sectaries main- taining that "as the elect cannot fall from grace nor forfeit the divine favor, any wicked actions which they may commit are not really sinful ; and that, consequently, they have no need to confess their sins or to break them off by repentance." In the 17th century antino- mianism again made its appearance in England, its supporters maintaining that it was a logical consequence from the doctrines taught by Cal- vin. It reappeared in the 18th century to a considerable extent among the followers of ANTIOOH Wesley. It was earnestly opposed by Wesley and John Fletcher, the latter of whom wrote "Checks to Antinomianism," probably the ablest of his works. In America antinomian- ism properly so called has never been main- tained except by isolated individuals, although it is sometimes used by polemics as a term of reproach. Among the prominent writers in English who have opposed antinomianism are John Wesley, John Fletcher, Robert Hall, and Andrew Fuller. ANTDfOUS, a beautiful Bithynian youth, the favorite of the emperor Hadrian, accompanied that prince on his journey through Egypt, and was drowned in the Nile A. D. 132. Accord- ing to Dion Cassius, he drowned himself under the following circumstances : The oracle at Besa had informed the emperor that a great danger which was threatening him could only be averted by the immolation of the person whom he loved most fondly. The youth, hearing this, threw himself into the Nile as a voluntary sac- rifice. To perpetuate his memory, Hadrian built near Besa the magnificent city of Antino- opolis or Antinoe 1 in Middle Egypt, and caused a newly observed star to be called by his name. Antinous was deified, mysteries in his honor were celebrated at Mantinea, and statues of him erected throughout the Roman world. A YIIOI II (anc. Antiochia; Turk. Antakia or AntaTcieK), a city of Syria, was the most mag- nificent of 16 cities of the same name built by Seleucus Nicator, about 300 B. 0., in memory of his father Antiochus. It was distinguished by the appellation Epidaphnes, which it received from the neighboring grove of Daphne, con- taining a magnificent temple of Apollo. (Sea DAPHNE.) Antioch was advantageously situ- ated, in communication with all the trade of the Mediterranean, and conveniently approached by caravans from the east. It was the flourishing capital of the Seleucid empire, and subsequent- ly the favorite residence of wealthy Romans. In the time of Chrysostom its free population was computed at 200,000, and the Christian church, which had been established here soon after the martyrdom of Stephen, then number- ed 100,000. The inhabitants were distinguish- ed both for their intellectual and their luxuri- ous character. A high Greek civilization was mingled with various Asiatic elements ; a pas- sionate love of frivolous amusements was close- ly associated with a strong tendency to meta- physics and a solemn faith in astrology. To their addiction to scurrilous wit and the in- vention of nicknames may be attributed the appellation "Christians" first given in this city to the followers of Jesus Christ. For 600 years Antioch deserved the title which Pliny gave it of "queen of the East." About 145 B. 0. tens of thousands of the inhabitants, who had revolted against Demetrius II. and be- sieged hun in his palace, perished in a bloody struggle with the Jewish force sent for his res- cue by Jonathan, one of the Maccabees. In A. D. 115 Antioch was almost utterly ruined by an