738 NET 
quells beyond Mount Imaus, and introduced the Chriftian 
religion into Tartary properly fo called, and efpecially 
into that country called Karit, bordering on the northern 
part of China. The prince of that country, whom the 
Neftorians converted to the Chriftian faith, alTuined, ac¬ 
cording to the vulgar tradition, the name of John after 
his baptifm, to which he added the furname of Prejbyter , 
from a principle of modefty; whence it is faid his fucceflors 
were each of them called Prejier John until the time of 
Gengis Khan. But. Molheim obferves, that the famous 
Prefter John did not begin to reign in that part of Alia 
before the conclulion of the eleventh century. The 
Neftorians formed fo confiderable a body of Chriftians, 
that the miftionaries of Rome were induftrious in their 
endeavours to reduce them under the papal yoke. Inno¬ 
cent IV. in 1246, and Nicolas IV. in 1278, ufed their 
utmoft efforts for this purpofe, but without fuccefs. Till 
the time of pope Julius III. the Neftorians acknowledged 
but one patriarch, who refided firft at Bagdad, and after¬ 
wards at Moufulj but, a divifion arifing among them, in 
1551 the patriarchate became divided, at leaft for a time, 
and a new patriarch was confecrated by that pope, whofe 
fucceflors fixed their refidence in the city of Ormus in the 
mountainous part of Perfia, where they ftill continue, 
diftinguilhed by the name of Simeon; and fo far down as 
thelaft century, thefe patriarchs perfevered in their com¬ 
munion with the chqrch of Rome, but feem at prefent to 
have withdrawn themfelves from it. The great Neftorian 
pontiffs, who form the oppofite party, and look with a 
hoftile eye on this little patriarch, have fince the year 
1559 been diftinguilhed by the general denomination of 
Elias, and refide conftantly in the city of Mouful. Their 
fpiritual dominion is very extenfive, takes in a great part 
of Afia, and comprehends alfo within its circuit the Ara¬ 
bian Neftorians, and alfo the Chriftians of St. Thomas, 
who dwell along the coaft of Malabar. It is obferved, to 
the halting honour of the Neftorians, that of all the 
Chriftian focieties eftablilhed in the Eaft, they have been 
the molt careful and fuccefsful in avoiding a multitude of 
fuperftitious opinions and practices that have infedted the 
Greek and Latin churches. About the middle of the 
feventeenth century, the Romilh miffionaries gained over 
to their communion a (mail number of Neftorians, whom 
they formed into a congregation,or church; the patriarchs 
or bifhops of which refide in the city of Amida, or Di- 
arbekir, and all affume the denomination of Jofeph. 
Neverthelefs the Neftorians in general perfevere to our 
own times in their refufal to enter into the communion 
of the Romilh church, notwithftanding the earneft en¬ 
treaties and alluring offers that have been made by the 
pope’s legate to conquer their inflexible conftancy. Mojh. 
Eccl. Hijl. 
NESTO'SA, a town of Spain, in the province of Bifcay: 
twenty-one miles weft-fouth-weft of Bilbao. 
NES'TVED, a town of Denmark, in the ifland of Zea¬ 
land, on the river Nes, near the fouth coaft. The river 
divides the'town into two unequal parts, which are called 
Great and Little Neftved, and then runs into the Baltic. 
This gives the inhabitants an opportunity of carrying on 
fome little trade. Here are two parifh-churches. There 
were l’everal convents in this town ; and a piece of money 
is ftill extant which was coined here. It is twenty-two 
miles eaft-fouth-eaft of Corfoer, and thirty-eight fouth- 
weft of Copenhagen. Lat. 55.15.N. Ion. 11.51.E. 
NES'TUM, the ancient name of a town in Sicily, now 
called Noto. 
NES'TUS, or Nes'sus, in ancient geography, now Nejlo, 
a fmall river of Thrace, riling on Mount Rhodope, and 
falling into the vEgean Sea above the ifland of Thafos. 
It was for fome time the boundary of Macedonia on the 
eaft, in the more extenfive power of that kingdom. 
NES'TY, a town of Nepaul: eighteen miles north- 
north-eaft of Nogarcot. 
NET, / [Sax. from the Germ, neten, to fow. Screnins.'] 
A texture woven with large interftices or mefhes, ufed 
NET 
commonly as a fnare for animals. See Eird-catching, 
vol. iii.—Impatience entangles us like the fluttering of a 
bird in a net, but cannot at all eafe our trouble. Taylor's 
Holy Living. 
Poor bird ! thou’dfl never fear the net nor lime. 
The pitfall nor the gin. Shakefpeare's Macbeth. 
Any thing made wdth interftitial vacuities.—He made nets 
of chequered work for the chapiters upon the top of the 
pillars, x Kings, vii. 17. 
The vegetative tribes. 
Wrapt in a filmy net, and clad with leaves. Thomfon. 
To NET, v. n. To knit a net; to knot.—Ideal vilits I 
often pay you, fee you polling round your fylvan walks, 
or fitting netting in your parlour, and thinking of your 
abfent friends. A. Seward's Letters. 
NET, adj. [from netto, Ital.] Pure; clear; genuine: 
Her bread all naked, as nett ivory 
Without adorne of gold and filver bright 
Wherewith the craftefman wonts it beautify. 
Of her dew honour was defpoyled quight. Spencer. 
Clear; denoting the total of a receipt of falary or income 
after certain dedudlions.—The net revenues of the crown, 
at the abdication of K. James, without any tax on land, 
&c. amounted to fomewhat more than two millions. 
Bolinglrohe on Parties. —Clear; denoting the weight of 
any commodity, after allowances have been made for tare 
and tret. 
To NET, v. a. To hring as clear produce. 
NET'-WORK, f. Any thing reticulated or decufiated 
at equal diftances, with interftices between the inter- 
fedlions.—A large cavity in the finciput was filled with 
ribbons, lace, and embroidery, wrought together in a 
curious piece of net-work. Addijbn's Spectator. —Whoever 
contemplates with becoming attention this curious and 
wonderful net-work of veins, mud be tranfported with 
admiration. Blackmore. 
Nor any (kill’d in workmanlhip embofs’d; 
Nor any {kill’d in loops of fingering fine; 
Might in their diverfe cunning ever dare 
With this fo curious net-work to compare. Spencer. 
NE'THAN, a river of Scotland, which rifes near Lef- 
mahagow, in Lanerklhire, and runs into the Clyde about 
five miles below Lanerk. 
NETHANI'AH, [Heb. the gift of God.] A man’s name. 
NETHE, a river of Brabant, which runs into the 
Dyle fix miles north-wed of Malines.—A fmaller river, 
called the Little Nethe, unites with the Nethe at Liere.— 
The T wo Nethes gave name to a department of France, now 
annexed to the kingdom of the Netherlands, and compofed 
of the marquifate of Antwerp and lordlhip of Malines. 
NETHE'NUS, (Matthias), a learned German proteft- 
ant divine, was born in the duchy of Juliers, in the year 
1618. He officiated fome time as minifter at Cleves; and 
in the year 1646, accepted an invitation to become pro- 
felfor of divinity at the univerfity of Utrecht. Afterwards 
he removed to occupy the theological chair, and to dif- 
charge the functions of pallor, at Herborn, where he died 
in 1686, abbut fixty-eight years of age. Fie was the 
author of various well-written works on theological and 
controverlial topics: but we are only furnilhed with the 
fubjedts of his treatife “ De Interpretatione Scripturae,” 
1675,4to. and of another piece “ DeTranfubftantiatione.” 
Gen. Biog. 
NETH'ER, adj. [neo^ep Saxon ; nedcr, Dutch. It 
has the form of a comparative; but is never ufed in ex- 
prefled, but only in implied, companion; for we fay the 
nether part, but never fay this part is nether than that; nor 
is any pofitive in ufe, though it feems comprifed in the 
word beneath. Nether is not now much in ufe.] Lower; 
not upper.—No man dial flake the nether or the upper 
millftone to pledge; for he taketh a mail’s life to pledge. 
Bent. xxiv. 6. 
1 A beauteous 
