FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 659
FREEKE
by offering to defend certain theses. A debate en- sued in lo23. In the progress of it it became appar- ent that this circle of friends had deeply imbibed the spirit and sentiments of the illustrious Wessel. The liberty -ivhich they enjoyed in the expression of their views was greatly due to the extraordinary influence of Frederiks. He laid Groningen under still further obligations to him \iy bequcatliing to the St. ^lartin's church his library, yolumes of which are still found on the shelyes of the University Library of that place. He died in 1525. He left a son, wlio was a civilian, and who rendered himself ver)-^ useful by his hospital- itj' and readiness to assist those who were persecuted for their faith. See Glasius, Godgeleerd Kedtrland, biz. 472 en very. ; Ypeij and Dermont, Gcschiedenis der Nederlandsche Ilervormde Kcrk, 1 Deel, biz. GO (Breda, 1819). (J. P.W.)
Free Church of Scotland. See Scotland, Free Church of.
Free Congregations {Freie Gemeinden), an or- ganization of advanced German Rationalists and op- ponents of Christianity who have formally seceded from the state churches. They arose out of the so- ciety of Protestant Friends (^I'rotestantische Freunde), or, as they were called hy their opponents. Friends of Light (Lichffretmde). The fii st impulse to the organ- ization of Protestant Friends was given by pastor IThlich, who, on June 21), 1841, presided at Gnadau. in the Prussian province of Saxony, at a meeting of 16 theologians and school-teachers. A second meeting, held at Ilalle on the 20th of September, 1841, was at- tended b}' 5G Friends of Prussia, Saxony, and Anhalt, and agreed upon nine fundamental articles. The thii-d meeting, held in Leipsic in 1842, counted about 200 participants, ministers and laymen; the seventh, held in Coethen in 1844, about 150 ministers and 500 laymen. In 1845 the Prussian government deposed two of the leaders of the movement, Uhlicli and Dr. Itupp, from their positions as ministers of the State Church. Both at once established Free Congrega- tions, Uhlicli at Magdeburg and Rupp at Kiinigsberg. The former, within a few months, numbered 7000 mem- bers. Other congregations were soon after established in Halle (by Wislicenus), in Nordhausen (by E. Bal- zer), in Marburg (by prof. Bayrhofer). In 1847, the first Conference of Free Congregations took place at Nordhausen, to which also the German Catholics (q. A'.) were invited. The revolution of 1848 gave to the Free Congregations greater liberty, and consequently a considerable increase of members. At the second Conference, held at Halberstadt in 1849, the way was prepared for a union with the German Catholics; and bj' the third Conference, held in May, 1850 (it was opened at Leipsic, but, when some members were or- dered out of the city, adjourned to Coethen), the union was consummated. At this Conference tiie Apostles' Creed was formally rejected, and the creed of the new organization summarized in the formula " I believe in God and his eternal kingdom as it has been introduced into the world by .Jesus Ciu-ist." "With regard to bap- tism, the Lord's Supper, and all forms of divine wor- ship, full liberty was given to individual congrega- tions. After the overthrow of the free political con- stitutions established in Germany in 1848, the Free Congregations were in most German states again sub- jected to ver}' oppressive laws. In Saxony they were altogether suppressed. In Bavaria, the baptisms per- formed I)}' tlieir ministers were declared invalid. At the same time, dissensions broke out among the con- gregations themselves. Some leaders, like Dr. Rupp, desired to retain the name Christian, and to be regard- ed as Cliristians ; but the majority wished to drop the name Christian, and even declared against the belief in a personal God. In 18C8 the Union of Free Con- gregations numbered in Germany 121 congregations, with 25,000 members ; and six periodicals advocated
their views. Among the Germans of the United States, the Union (^Btmd) of Free Congregations embraces hve congregations, viz. Philadelphia (since 1852) ; St. Louis (1850) ; Sauk Co., Wis. (three branches) ; Dane Co., Wis. ; Hoboken (1865). A periodical is published in Philadelphia. The Union acts hand in hand with the "Alliance of Freethinkers" (a German society in New York), and a number of " Free Men's Associa- tions" in different parts of the countr}'. Similar Free Societies exist in France, Italy, Belgium, and Holland. — See Zschiesche, Die protestant. Freunde (Altenburg, 1846); Hayni, A'mis unstrer rdiij. Beiceguur/ (ISil) ; Nijjpold, Handbuch der neuesten Kirchengesch. (2d edit. Elborfeld, 1868); Schem, American Eccles. Almanac for 1868 (N. Y. 1868). (A. J. S.)
Freedom (nu,'2H, chuphskah', manumission, Lev. xix, 20; entire!}' different from TroXirda, citizenship, Acts xxii, 28; "commonwealth," i. e. jwliti/, Eph. ii, 12). Strangers resident in Palestine had the fullest protection of the law, ecpialh' with the native Hebrews (Lev. xxiv, 22 ; Numb, sv, 15 ; Deut. i, 16 ; xxiv, 17) ; the law of usury was the only exception (Deut. xxiii, 20). The advantage the Hebrew had over the Gentile was strictly spiritual, in his being a member of the ec- clesiastical as well as the civil community of Jehovah, But even to this spiritual jirivilege Gentiles were ad- mitted under certain restrictions (Deut. xxiii, 1-9 ; 1 Sam. xxi, 7 ; 2 Sam. xi, 13). The Ammonites and Moabites were excluded from the citizenship of the theocracy, and the persons mentioned in Deut. xxiii, 1-6. See Foreigner. The Mosaic code points out the several cases in which the servants of the Hebrews were to receive their freedom (Exod. xxi, 2-4, 7, 8 ; Lev. XXV, 39-41, 47-55 ; Deut. xv, 12-17). See Slave. There were various modes whereby the freedom of Rome could be attained bj' foreigners, such as by mer- it or favor, by money (Acts xxii, 28), or by family. The ingenuiis or freeman came directly by birth to free- dom and to citizenship. The Uberdnus or freedman was a manumitted slave, and his children were de- nominated lihc7tini, i. e. freedmen or freedmen's sons. See Libertine. ' Among the Greeks and Romans the freedmen had not equal rights with the freemen or those of free birth. The Roman citizen could not be legally scourged ; neither could he be bound, or be ex- amined by question or torture, to extort a confession from him. If, in anj' of tiie provinces, he deemed him- self and his cause to be treated by tlie president with dishonor and injustice, he could, by appeal, remove it to Rome to the determination of the emperor (Acts xvi, 87-39; xxi, 39; xxii, 25; xxv, 11, 12). Christians are represented as inheriting the rights of spiritual citizenship by being members of the commonwealth or community of Jehovah (Eph. ii, 12; Phil, iii, 20). See Citizenship. The Christian slave is the Lord's freedman, and a partaker of all the privileges of the children of God ; and the Christian freeman is the servant of Christ (1 Cor. vi, 22 ; Rom. yi, 20-22). Paul acknowledges that freedom is worthy of being eagerly embraced; but the freedom whicli he esteemed most important in its consequences was that which is given through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. vii, 21-23). The Jews, under the Mosaic law, are represented as in a state of servitude, and Christians as in a state of free- dom (John viii, 31-36 ; Gal. iv, 22-31). See Slavery.