It is to be remarked that the relation between Secu- larism and the Positivism of Comte (((. v.) is such as to warrant the statement that Secularism is merely the French Positivism translated into English.
See I'ositivismus v. Secularismns, etc., in Neiie Eran- f/el. Kirchenzeitung, 1863, Nos, 19 and 20; Buchanan, Faith in God and Modem A theism Compared (Lond. 1857, 2 vols.; The Theoi-y of Semlurism in ii, 223-291, also pul)lished separately); Chrisfiaii Examiner for "Sow 1859. — Ilerzog, Reul-Encyklop. s. v. See Secularists.
SECULARISTS
502
SEDER OLAM
Secularists, the name assumed by a sect of mod- em unbelievers to express their fundamental tenet that the duties and interests connected with the world which we see around us are those with which alone we have any concern. The Secularists are atheists, so far as they consider the existence of a personal God an open question, for belief in which no sufficient proofs are ad- duced. They are pantheists, so far as they consider nature to be the only (Jod whose existence can be at all demonstrated. Another essential article of their creed is that "science is the providence of men, and that ab- solute spiritual dependence may involve material de- struction." Science they define to be " those method- ized agencies which are at our command ; that system- atized knowledge which enables us to use the powers of nature for human benefit." The doctrine, then, of the Secularists is that if men properly use the powers of nature which are within tiieir reach, they have no need to resort to prayer, with the view of seeking as- sistance from heaven. On the subject of morality they maintain that '• there exist, independently of Script- ure authority, guarantees of morals in human nature, intelligence, and utility." The facts and doctrines of Christianity are, of course, denied by them. Although the Secularists profess to be independent thinkers, their principles are in reality nothing more or less than the echo of rationalism and positivism among the less edu- cated classes of thoughtful men. See Blunt, Did. of Sects, s. V. ; Garilner, Faiths of the World, s. v.
Secularization, of persons belonging to religions orders in the Koman Catholic Church, is a term which ilenotes the severing of the vows which bind to poverty and monastic obedience. Permission to this end can proceed only from the papal chair, and is but rarely granted. The persons affected thereby are clergymen in the higher orders of the ministry, who are thus trans- ferred to the secular clergy, and permitted to live out- side of their monasteries (clerici seculai-es) ; and nuns, and the lay brothers and sisters of suppressed convents, ■who have taken the vows of their orders upon them, and are by this act restored to the world, though salvo voto castitutis. Secularization diflFers from laicizim/, or entire dissolution of the rule imposed by the order, in that the latter absolves from the vow of chastity and makes marriage valid. — Wetzer u. Welte, Kirchen-Lex. s. v.
Seculars. In the early Christian Church there existed a distinction between the clergy and laity, the latter being called not only laj-men, but also jinoriKoi, "seculars" (Chrysostom, //ow. 3, in Laz. ; Horn. 2o in Bom. ; Horn. 35 in 1 Cor. xiu ; Theodoret, Com. in 1 Cor. xiv, 16). See Riddle, Christian Antiquities, p. 191.
Secundians, a (inostic sect of the 2d century, owning for their leader Secundus, " who was born," says Hippolylus, "aljout tlie same time as Ptolemi^us," and thus was contemporary with the immediate followers of V'alentinus. lren;eus represents the Secundians as a branch of the Valentinian school {llivres. i, 11, 2); but, although they emanated from that school (Hippolytus, Refit, vi, 32, 33), they introduced a principle so distinct as to render Secundus more properly a rival than the disciple of Valeiitinus. Secundus placed at the head of his /Eons, whom he appears to have considered as real sul)stan(;es or persons, two ]>rinciples. Light and Dark- ness. "He divitles the Ogdoad into a pair of Tetrads, a right hand and a left Tetrad, one Light and the otlier Darkness" (Tertullian, A dr. Valent. 38). This admission of the jjrinciple of dualism constitutes an essential dif- ference between the Secundians and the Valentinians. It is evidently borrowed from the Oriental philosophy, and brings the Secinidians so far nearer the Manichav ans. Accordingly, Dorner classes as a<llKTents of the dualism whose chara<-ter was ]iredominantly physical, the Ophites, Saturnilus, Secundus, and subse(|uently the Jlauichieans; as adherents of pantheistic Monism, Valentiiuis and his widespread school, especially llerac-
leon his contemporary, Ptolemasus, and Marcus (Person of Christ, i, append, p. 448). There is also mentioned as a distinction between the Valentinians and Secundus that the latter did not derive the power Acharnoth from anv one of the thirty iEons, but from the fruits which issued out of their substance (Tertullian, nt sup.). He invented tirst four more /Eons, and then four in ad- dition (Pseudo-TertuUian, xiii). The Secundians were Doceta;. Augustine {theres. xii) and Auctor Praedesti- nati (xii) charge them with gross immorality. The latter adds that they were condemned by Diodorus, bishop of Crete. — Blunt, Diet, of Sects, s. v.
Secundinus, the name of two persons in the early Christian CInirch.
1. A Manichiean of Africa, who wrote against Augus- tine because of his departure from that heresy. Augus- tine replied to him, under date of about A.D. 405, in the tract Contra Secundinum Manichceum, lib. i, showing why he had embraced orthodox views, and confuting the Manichwans from the letter of his opponent (Migne, Patruli)(/ie, xlii. Op. A u^/ust. p. 578).