AGJAPEIVFON4 (modern compound from Gk. (46777, (19(11)(7% love, OW'. a staying, stopping-place). A conventual establishment of a singular kind, consisting of persons of both sews. founded at Charlyneh, near Bridgewater, England, by Mr. Henry James Prince. formerly a clergyman of the Church of England. The in mates belong to a new religious sect orig inating with Mr. Prince and a Sir. Starkey, also a clergyman, and are sometimes called Lampeter Brethren, from the place where Prince was educated, and where, while a student, he formed a revival society also. Community of goods being insisted upon, the leaders acquired consid erable property, and fitted up in luxurious style a dwelling near Charlyneh. Primp, who was styled Lo•d," affirmed in his publications that he was sinless and was sent to reticent the body, "to conclude the day of grace, and to in troduce the day of judgment." See Hepworth Dixon, Spiritual Wires (London. 1868), and the article by Miss. Edith Sellers in The Xewbery House Magazine (London, NON miber, 1891), re printed in Magazine of Christian Literature (New York, December, 1891).
It would appear that a society similar in its aims and charaeter, though not conventual in its form, existed in England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It was called "The Fam ily of Love." Its founder is generally supposed to have been Heinrich Nikolaus, who was born at Minister, in Westphalia, January 9 or 10. 1501 or 1502, but who lived a considerable time in Holland. He held himself to be greater than _Moses or Christ, for the former only taught men to hope, and the latter to brlicrc, while he first announced the doctrine of lore. He founded his
sect, "The House," or "Family of Love," In Em den, East Friesland, about 1540, and died in 1570. In the reign of Edward VI. the sect ap peared in England. By 157S, they had appar ently increased in numbers considerably, for in that year one John Rogers published a work against them, entitled The Displaying of an Horrible Serie of Grosse and Wicked Hcretigues, naming themselves the Familic of Love, with the Lives of their „I athours, and what Doctrine they teach in Corners (second edition, 1579). In 1580, Queen Elizabeth issued a proclamation for the hunting out and punishing of the "damnable sect." The family of love, "or lust, rather," as old Fuller has it, tried to insinuate themselves into the good graces of King James by present ing a petition casting aspersions on the Puri tans. It had a brief prosperity-, and was revived in the seventeenth century, when it was con founded with the Friends, but quickly died. Its name in New England in the seventeenth century was applied to some dissenters, but there is no evidence that there were any Familists there. Their doctrines seem to have been a species of pseudo-spiritual sentimentalism resulting in gross impurity. C'onsult Thomas, The Family of Lore, "Haverford College Studies," No. 12 (Bos- ton, 1893). See MtcKEas.