sect in Russia, which sprang up about the year 1770. They do not
rebaptize those who join them from the Greek church, but insist on the
necessity of their having the mystery of the chrism or unction again
administered to them. They are very numerous in Moscow.

TAO-SE, OR TAOU-TSZE.

The name of a famous sect among the Chinese, who owe their rise to
_Laou-tsze Lao Kian_, or _Laokium_, a philosopher, who lived, if we may
credit his disciples, about five hundred years before Christ. He professed
to restore the religion of _Tao_, (_Taou_,) or Reason. Some of his
writings are still extant, and are full of maxims and sentiments of virtue
and morality. Among others, this sentence is often repeated in them:
"_Tao_ hath produced one, one hath produced two, two have produced three,
and three have produced all things."

The morality of this philosopher and his disciples is not unlike that of
the Epicureans, consisting in a tranquillity of mind, free from all
vehement desires and passions. But as this tranquillity would be disturbed
by thoughts of death, they boast of a liquor that has the power of
rendering them immortal. They are addicted to chemistry, alchemy, and
magic, and are persuaded that, by the assistance of demons, whom they
invoke, they can obtain all that they desire. The hope of avoiding death
prevailed upon a great number of mandarins to study this diabolical art,
and certain credulous and superstitious emperors brought it greatly into
vogue.

The doctrine of this sect, concerning the formation of the world,
according to Dr. Milne, much resembles that of the Epicureans. If they do
not maintain the eternity of matter, on the other hand, they do not deny
it; but, in analogy with the favorite science of alchemy, they represent
the first pair as drawn out of the boiling mouth of an "immense crucible,"
by a celestial being. The Platonic notion of an _anima mundi_, or soul of
the world, is very common; and hence it is that the heavens are considered
the body of this imaginary being, the wind its breath, the lights of
heaven as proceeding from its eyes, the watery fluids as its spittle and
tears.

QUIETISTS.

The disciples of Michael de Molinos, a Spanish priest, who flourished in
the seventeenth century, and wrote a book called "The Spiritual Guide."
They argue thus:--"The apostle tells us, that 'the Spirit makes
intercession for,' or _in_ 'us.' Now, if the Spirit pray in us, we must
resign ours