Mo'li (\fooX(, Vulg. Mokolt), given (1 Esdr. viii. 47) instead of Maiili (q. v.), the son of Levi (Ezra viii. 18).
Mo'lid (Heb. .l/(-W, n-^r-S, her/etter; Sept. Mw- Xt/o v. r. MwXa^, MwXi'i", and M(U)}X\ the last named of the two sons of Abishur, of the trilie of Judah, by Abiliail (1 Chron. ii, 20). B.C. long after 1612.
Molieres, JosKiMi Bhivat dk.. a French philosoph- ical wrilcr of some note, was l)orn at Tarascon in 1677. He liccaine a member of the Congregation of the Ora- tory; but, having embraced the ])liili)sii]ibical doctrines of Malel)rauche, he quitted the society after the death of Malebranche to devote himself wholly to jihysics and mathematics. He was made professor of philosophy at the royal college, and became a zealous advocate of the Cartesian views. He died May 12. 1742. His works range within the departments of mathematics, physical science, and philosophy. In the last-named field he published Philosophical Lectures (Paris, 1732, 4 vols.
8vo). See Saveriens, Nisf. des Philosophes Modernes, vi, 217 sq. ; Revue Chrelietine, 1869, p. 725.
Molin, Lairest, a Swedish theologian, who flour- ished towards the close of the 17th century as a pro- fessor at Upsala, was born in 1657, and died Sept. 19, 1724. He published De Cluvihus I 'eteritm (Upsala, 1 684, 4to): — /A' Orifpne Lucorum (ibid. 1689): — a transla- tion of the Bible in the .Swedish language (Stockholm, 1710, 12mo).
Molina, Antonio de, a Spanish theologian, was born at Villa-Xueva-de-los-Infantes, Castile, about the middle of the 16th century. He became a member of the Order of the Augustines, among whom he taught theology, and was promoted to the posititm of superior. The desire to lead a still more retired life led him to forsake his official connection, and take refuge in a small convent at Mirafiores, where he died, Sept. 21, 1612. He wrote many works which have a considerable repu- tation ; among others, Instruccion de sacerdotes (Barcelo- na and i^Iadrid). This book had already passed through seven editions when it was translated into Latin by P. Nicolas Jassenboy (Anvers, 1618, 8vo). Tliere existed also a French (1639), an English (1652), and an Italian version •.—Exercicios e.ipirituules de las exctlencias pro- vcrho (Burgos, 1615, 4to; jNIadrid, 1653) ; also translated into Italian.— Hoefer, Xouv. Biog. Generale, s. v.
Molina, Luis, a distinguished Spanish theologian, was born at Cuenc^a, in New Castile, in 153.5. In 1.553 he entere<l the Order of the Society of .Jesus, studied at Coimbra, and afterwards served for twenty years as professor of theology in the L'niversity of Evora, in Portugal. He died at jVladrid, Oct. 12, 1601. In his writings, which treat especially of grace and free-will, he propounded a system of doctrine which has since been called Molinism, after him. It was while writing a commentary on Tliomas Aquinas (published at Cuen- (ja, 1593, 2 vols, fol.) that he was led to attempt the old Pelagian Controversy by a conciliation of free-will in man with the divine foreknowledge, and with predesti- nation, and he finally advocated his system in his De liberi arbitrii concordia cum gratien donis, Divina Prw- scientia, Providentia, Prccdestinatione, et Reprobatione (Lisbon, 1588, 4to). This book, dedicated to the grand Inquisition of Portugal, at once gave rise to a violent controversy. Molina rejects the sufficiency of grace, asserting that grace is sometimes sufficient, sometimes insufficient, according as the will is co-operating with or resisting it. According to his theorj-, the efficacy of grace is the residt of the consent of the human will; not that this consent gives it any strength, but because this consent is requisite in order that grace should be efficient. He therefore says that man requires grace in order to do good, but that God never fails to grant this grace to those who ask it with fervor; he also asserts that man has it in his power to answer or not to the calling of grace. These opinions, which had found many followers, wore first attacked by the Spanish Do- minicans as being of a Pelagianizing tendency, while they themselves were firmly attached to tlie doctrine of Thomas Aquinas, and came hence to be named Thomists (q. v.). The innovation was afterwards at- tacked also l>y the Calvinists as opposing the theology of Augustine, and also by the Jansenists. Indeed, so much o])position had been encountered by the Moli- niits, as the propagators of this peculiar doctrine were called, tliat it was thought wise in 1594 to liring the matter to the consideration of pope Clement VIII, who enjoined silence on both parties, and pnmiised to com- mit the decision of the dispute to a congregation of the- ologians. U]ioii this the Dominicans used their influ- ence witli Pliilii) II to induce tlie jiope to reopen the question at once; and, the king's persuasion prevailing, the pope in 1597 organized for that special pur]iose a congregation called De Aurilivt. consisting of a presi- dent, cardinal Malnici, the bishop of Trent, of three other bishops, and seven theologians of different frater-
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