Modern Question, The, is a term used by some to designate a controversy on the doctrine oi sal- vation. The question raised is, "Whether it be the duty of all to whom the Gospel is preached to repent and believe in Christ ?" It is called the Modern ques- tion because it is supposed never to have been agitated before the early part of the last centurj'. The following is an abstract of Dr. Eyland's history of the controversy, which he considers as having originated in Northamp- tonshire, England, in the Baptist churches in which INIr. Davis, of Rothwell, preached ; though it does not appear that the latter took an active part in it. Mr. Maurice, his successor, even strenuously opposed the negative side of the question, which had been maintained hy some of Mr. Davis's admirers, particularly by Jlr. Lewis Wey- man, of Kimbolton, to whom Mr. Maurice wrote a re- ply, which, Mr. Maurice dying beibre it was com- pleted, was published by the celebrated jMr. Bradburj-. This was between 1737 and 1739. Mr. Guttcridge, of Oundle, also took the affirmative side; and in 1743 Islr. Brine the negative; as did also the learned Dr. Gill, though he did not write expressly en the subject. The question thus started agitated the Baptists down to the time of Andrew Fuller, who very ably supported the positive side, viz., that " faith is the duty of all men, al- though, tlyrough the depravity of human nature, men will not believe till regenerated by the Holy Spirit." On the other side it was contended that " faith was not a duty, but a grace," the exercise of which was not re- quired till it was bestowed. Mr. Fuller, holding that it is both, published The Gosj)el u-orthy of all Ac- ceptation, or the Duty of all Men to believe in Jesus
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Christ. " The leading design of this performance (says Mr. Morris) is to prove tliat men are under indispensa- ble obligations to believe whatever (Jod says, and to do whatever he commands; and a Saviour being revealed in the Gospel, the law in effect requires those to whom be is made known to believe in him, seeing it insists upon obedience to the whole will of God; that the ina- bility of man to comply with the divine requirements is wholly of a moral nature, and consists in the prev- alence of an evil disposition, which, being 4:oluntartj, is in the highest degree criminal." On this subject Mr. Fuller was attacked by ]Mr. IJutton, a supralapsarian, on the one hand, and by Mr. Daniel Taylor, an ArmiTiian, on the other; to whom he replied by .1 Defmce of his former tract, and this ended the controversy. The late Mr. Robinson shrewdlj^ remarks that those ministers who will not use applications, lest they should rob the Holy Spirit of the honor of applying the Word, should, for the same reason, not use explications, lest they should de- prive him of the honor of illustrating it. See Kyland, Life of Fuller, p. 6-11 ; Morris, Life of Fuller, ch. ii ; Wilson, Dissenting Churches, ii, 572; Ivimey, English Baptists, iii, 2G2. See Salvation.
Modestus (1), St., an apostle of the Church in Ca- rintliia, flourished in the 8th century. He was one of six whom bishop Yigilius of Salzburg sent to (Jarinthia to preach the glad tidings. Modestus lived but a short time after his arrival in Carinthia, but the success of his mission is manifest in the conversion of the princes of the ct^untry, who are said to have espoused the cause of Christianity at this time. See Carinthia. Modestus is commemorated in the Latin Church as a saint. (2.) An- other Modestus flourished in the 7th centurj' (G1G-G2G) as patriarch of the Church of Jerusalem. He is reputed as the restorer of the holy church at Jerusalem, wliich was destroyed by the Persians under Cliosrocs H in G14.
Modesty (Lat. modestia, from modus, a measure) is sometimes used to denote humility, and sometimes to express chastity. The (ireek word kosmios signities neat, or well arranged. It suggests the idea of simple rlegance. Modesty, therefore, consists in purity of sen- timent and manners, inclining us to abhor the least ap- pearance of vice and indecency, and to fear doing any- thing which will justly incur censure. An excess of modesty is called bashfulness or dithdence, and the want of it impertinence or impudence. There is also a false or vicious modesty, which influences a man to do any- thing that is ill or indiscreet; such as, through fear of offending his companions, he runs into their follies or excesses; or it is a false modesty which restrains a man from doing ^vhat is good or laudable, such as being ashamed to speak of religion, and to be seen in the ex- ercises of piety and devotion. — Buck, Tiieol. Diet. s. v.
Modi or Mode (i. e. courageous, from a root cog- nate Willi the Danish mod, and the German muth, "couragi;") is in northern mytliology the name of a son of Thor, wlio, the legend goes, is to survive the destruc- tion of tlie world at Kagnariick, and in the renovated world will share with Jlogni the possession of their fa- ther's liammer, and engage in the extermination of all strife. See Thorpe, Northern Mythology, vol. i ; Keycs, lidiglon of the Northmen.