Mozdarians, a heretical sect of the Mohamme- dans, followers of Isa ebn-Sobeih al-Mozdar, who held it
MOZETTA VI G
MUCKER
possible for God to be a liar and unjust, pronounced as infidels those who took upon themselves the adminis- tration of public affairs, and condemned all who did not embrace his opinions as guilty of infidelity. See Broughton, Biblwlh. llistorico-Sacra, ii, 14G.
Mozetta, the technical term for a tippet worn by cardinals over a mantlet, or short cloak, showing only a chain of a breast-cross. At Pisa in summer a red mo- zetta is worn over a rochet ; at Catania the mozetta of black cloth is worn over the rochet; at Syracuse the mozetta is violet, as at Malta, where it is used with a rochet and cope ; at Ratisbon it is of red silk. — Walcott, Sac. A rclmol. s. v.
Mozier, Joskph, an American sculptor, noted for his contributions to sacred art, was born in Burlington, Yt., Aug. 22, 1812. He removed to New York in 1831, and was engaged in mercantile pursuits till 1845, when he retired from business, and shortly after visited Eu- rope. Having devoted several years to the study of sculpture in Florence, he went to liome, where he long resided. He died in Switzerland in October, 1870. His principal works on sacred and ethical subjects are stat- ues of Truth and Silence, in possession of the New York Mercantile Library Association; Rebecca at the Well; Esther; a group illustrating the parable oUhe Prodir/al Son ; and Jephlhah's Daughter. See The American Cy- clopcEcUa, s. v.
Mozzi, Luigi, a learned Italian ecclesiastic, Avas born at Bergamo ]May, 26, 1746. Of a patrician family, he was admitted (1763) into the Society of Jesus. He was professor at the college of the Nobili at Milan when (1773) that order was dissolved by pope Clement XIY. Returning to Bergamo, he was charged with the exam- ination of candidates for lioly orders, and became canon and archpriest. The piety and zeal which he mani- fested against the Jansenists in Italy gave him high re- pute; he was called to Rome, nominated apostolic mis- sionary, and member of the Acadc my degli Arcadi. In 1804 he joined his confreres in the kingdom of Naples; but the Jesuits were again soon dispersed, and Mozzi found a refuge at the villa of the marquis Scotti, situ- ated in the environs of Milan, where he died, June 24, 1813. Of the numerous writings left by him, his most important refer to the Jansenist controversy. Thus he wrote, Jansenism by Daylight, or the Idea of Jansenism (A'enice, 1781, 2 vols. 8vo) '-.—Brief History of the Schism of the Xew Church of Utrecht (TcTTSiTa.lTHh.'Hvo; (Jhcnt, 1829, 8vo) -.—The Fifty Reaso7isvhy the Catholic Church shoidd be Preferred (Bassano, 1789). He published also The Plans of the Unbelievers to Ruin Reliyion, as Re- vealed in the Woi'ks of Frederick, King of Prussia (3d ed. Assissi, 1791, 8vo) : — Historical and Chronological A bridgment of the most important Decrees of the Holy See regarding Brianiwi, Jansenism, and Quesnellism. — Hoefcr, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s. v.
Mozzi, Marco Antonio, an Italian literateur, was Ijorii at Flurcncc, January 17, 1678; studied law and theology there, and at the same time devoted much attention to poetry and music. His skill on the man- doline procured for him frecpient invitations to the ilucal court of Tuscany. In 1700 he received a canonicate in his native city, and two years afterwards a position as lecturer on Tuscan literature. He was elected a mem- ber of the Academy de la Crusca, and became its arch- consul. As a renowned jireaeher he delivered before the court in 1701 the funeral sermon on Charles II, king of Spain, and in 1703 did the like on archbishop Leon Strozzi before the metropolitan chapter. We possess of him, Sonetti sopi-a i nomi dati at alcune dame Fioren- tine dalla principessa Violanta (Florence, 1705) : — Isto- ria di S. Cresci et de! santi martyri suoi compagni, come pure delta chiesa del medesimo .laiilo posia in Volcara di Mugelto (Florence, 1710, fol., with illustrations): — JHs- corsi sacri (Florence, 1717): — ]'ita di Lorenzo Bellini. in the Vile ikgli A rcadi; Orazione funtrale del abate A.
M. Salvini, in the Prose Toscane of Salvini. — Iloefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s. v.
Mucianus, or Mutianus, surnamed Scholas- Ticus, an early ecclesiastic of some note, flourished near the middle of the 6th centurj' A.D. He is cele- brated as the translator of the 34 homilies of St. Chrj-- sostom on the ICpistle to the Hebrews, a task performed at the request of Cassiodorus, by whom he is called " vir disertissimus." This translation is still in existence; it was published for the first time at Cologne in 1530 (8vo), and has been inserted in the Latin editions of the works of St. Chrysostom, though in the Gra;co-Latin editions the translation bj' Ilervet is generally pre- ferred. He had previously furnished also a Latin trans- lation of Gaudentius's Treatise on Music. See Fabrici- us, Biblioth. GrcBca, viii, 558, 559 ; Cassiodorus, Divin. Lect. 8.
Mucker, a German epithet applied to Christian sects who make much outward display of piety, has come to be applied especially to a class of modern A d- amites (q. v.) who arose at Kiinigsberg, F>ast Prussia, about 1830. Their origin is attributed to the theosoph Johann Heinrich Schiinherr (born at Memel in 1771, died at Konigsberg in 1826), who held dualistic and Gnostic views concerning the origin of the universe, teaching that it was caused by the mingling of two primordial beings of a spiritual and sensuous nature as Eloahs. But Schonherr was himself too good a man to stand accused of having caused the formation of a sect so fanatic and immoral as the Muckers. In trutli, the pbilosopliic fancy of this pious but eccentric student was taken hold of by two Konigsberg Lutheran clergymen named Diestel and Ebel (q. v.), who, after making pro- fession of the exclusive kind of Christianity, gathered a circle of like-minded fanatics, and introduced shameless mysteries under the color of pietism. They elevated j sexual connection into an act of worship, and designated it as the chief means of the sanctification of the flesh by which the paradisaic state was to be restored. Women of high standing in the community, some of noble birth, belonged to the ^Mucker circle. Three of them lived in EbeFs house, and were popularly regarded as his wives. Dixon {Spiritual Wives) tells us that Eljel held one to represent to him the princijile of light {Licht-Xatur), the second the principle of darkness {Finsltrniss-Natur'), and the third the principle of union (Umfissung). The last only was his legal wife ; but it was discovered dur- ing a public trial of Ebel for the offence of immorality that she only held a subordinate place in his extraor- dinary household. This and like odious, licentious ex- cesses were practiced by the Muckers generally, espe- cially in their religious meetings, and the scandal con- cerning them became so great in Kiinigsberg that a garden which they Avere wont to frecpient acquired the name of the Seraphs' Grove. The subject was brought before the courts in 1839, and the residt, in 1842, was that lilbel and Diestel were degraded from their oflices ; but upon appeal the higher court reversed the decision, and discharged the case for want of clear proof against the accused ; and it is even alleged by some who have examined the whole evidence produced that the deci- sions of the first court did not proceed upon a calm ju- dicial inquiry, but were dictated by strong prejudice against the accused on account of their religious views and peculiar eccentricities; and. in particidar, that the evidence gives no sujiport whatever to the charge of licentiousness (comp. Kanitz, Aufkliirung nach Acten, Quellen, etc., fir Welt v. Kirchengesch. [Basle and Lud- wigsburg, 1862]). Jlr. Dixon has directed attention to the similarity of the IMucker movement with that of the Princeites (q. v.) in England, and that of the Bil>le Communists or Perfectionists ((j. v.) in this couutrj-, popularly known as Oneida Communists; all of which took place about the same time and in connection with revival excitement, although it may almost be regarded as certain that the originators of these movements had