MOLINOS, MIGUEL DE (1640-96). A Spanish mystic. and leading representative of the doctrines of Quietism. Ile was born at Pataeina in Aragon of noble parents, and pursued a course of theological studies at Pamplona and Coimbra, from which tmive•sits' he received the degree of doctor of divinity. Having been or dained priest, he acquired a high reputation as a director of conscience and a master of the spiritual life. He gent in 1669 to Rome, where he made the same impression and won the friend ship of many distinguished people. Ile declined all preferment, and decided himself entirely to the direction of souls. In 1675 he published an asectical treatise in Spanish. under the name of The Spiritua/ Guide, which had a wide popu larity and was translated into many languages (into English ten years later; reprinted at Glasgow, 1885). llis leading principle was that of habitual abstraction of the mind from sensible objects, with a view to gain, by passive contem plation, not only a realization of God's so perfect a communion with Him as to end in absorption into Ilk essence. The dan
gers of his doctrine (for an examination of which its subsequent history, see QuIETISM Were pointed Mit by not a few, among them the distinguished Jesuit Sefoteri; hut so great was the popularity of )Iolinos that no decisive steps were taken until, in 1685, lie was cited before the holy Office and submitted to close imprison ment and examination. The Inquisition finally condemned eighty-six propositions extracted from his writings, and in a decree, which was con firmed a. few months later by a bull of Pope Innocent N I., required him publicly to abjure them, and sentenced him to imprisonment for life. Ile underwent public penance and was milted to absolution, but was detained until his death in 1696. Consult: Bigelow, .11o/inos the Quietist (New York, 1882) ; Shorthouse, Golden ,Thoughts from. the Spiritual Guide of Al ()linos (London, 1883).