Nihilists is the name given to a sect of German mystics who flourished in the 14th century, and, according to Ruysbroek, held that neither God nor themselves, heaven nor hell, action nor rest, good nor evil, have any real existence. They denied God and the work of Christ, Scripture, sacraments- everything. God was nothing; they were nothing; the universe was nothing. "Some hold doctrines such as these in secret," adds Ruysbroek, "and conform outwardly for fear. Others make them the pretext for every kind of vice and insolent insubordination." SEE NIHILISM. Sometimes the term Nihilists is used to denote Annihilationists (q.v.).
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More