a

man possessed of the real spirit of | 11. This doctrine is the subject religion, and who feels the true of one of the most perplexing conimport of what he preaches. Antroversies that has occurred among air of affected devotion infallibly mankind; it is not, however, as destroys the efficacy of all that the some think, a novel doctrine. The preacher can say, however just and opinion, that whatever occurs in important it may be. On the other the world at large, or in the lot hand, he must avoid every appear- of private individuals, is the reance of mirth or raillery, or of sult of a previous and unalterthat cold unfeeling manner which able arrangement by that supreme is so apt to freeze the heart of his Power which presides over Nahearers. The body should in ge-ture, has always been held by neral be erect, and in a natural many of the vulgar, and has and easy attitude. The perpetual been believed by speculative men. movement or contortion of the The ancient stoics, Zeno and body has a ridiculous effect in the Chrysippus, whom the Jewish Espulpit, and makes the figure of a senes seem to have followed, aspreacher and harlequin too serted the existence of a Deity, similar: on the other hand, he that, acting wisely but necessarily, ought not to remain constantly contrived the general system of the upright and motionless like a world; from which, by a series of speaking statue. The motions of causes, whatever is now done in the hands give a strong expression it unavoidably results. Mahomet to a discourse; but they should fintroduced into his Koran the be decent, grave, noble, and ex- doctrine of absolute predestination pressive. The preacher who is in- of the course of human affairs. cessantly in action, who is perpe He represented life and death, tually clasping his hands, or who prosperity and adversity, and every menaces with a clenched fist, or event that befalls a man in this counts his arguments on his fin-world, as the result of a previous gers, will only excite mirth among determination of the one God who his auditory. In a word, decla- rules over all. Augustine and the mation is an art that the sacred whole of the earliest reformers, orator should study with assiduity. but especially Calvin, favoured this The design of a sermon is to con- doctrine. It was generally asserted, vince, to affect, and to persuade. and publicly owned in most of the The voice, the countenance, and confessions of faith of the reformed the action, which are to produce churches, and particularly in the the triple effect, are therefore ob- church of England; and to this jects to which the preacher should we may add, that it was maintained particularly apply himself." See by a great number of divines in the SERMON.

two last centuries.

DECREES OF GOD are his As to the nature of these desettled purposes, whereby he fore-crees, it must be observed that ordains whatsoever comes to pass, they are not the result of delibeDan. iv, 24. Acts xv, 18. Eph. i, ration, or the Almighty's debating

DEC

matters within himself, reasoning things, as well as of our conduct in his own mind about the expe- at large, Rom. xi, 34.-7. Lastly, diency or inexpediency of things, they are effectual; for as he is inas creatures do; nor are they finitely wise to plan, so he is inmerely ideas of things future, but finitely powerful to perform: his settled determinations founded on council shall stand, and he will do his sovereign will and pleasure, all his pleasure, Is. xlvi, 10. Is. xl, 14. They are to be considered as eternal: this is evident; 1. Admiration. This doctrine should teach us, for if God be eternal, consequently his work is perfect, for all his ways "He is the rock, his purposes must be of equal du-are judgment; a God of truth, ration with himself: to suppose and without iniquity; just and otherwise, would be to suppose right is he," Deut. xxxii, 4.-2. that there was a time when he Reverence. "Who would not fear was undetermined and mutable; thee, O King of nations? for to whereas no new determinations thee doth it appertain," Jer. x, 7. or after thoughts can arise in his -3. Humility. mind, Job xxiii, 13, 14.-2. They the riches, both of the wisdom "O the depth of are free, without any compulsion, and knowledge of God!-how unand not excited by any motive searchable are his judgments, and out of himself, Rom. ix, 15.-3. his ways past finding out!" Rom. They are infinitely wise, displaying xi, 33.-4. Submission. "For he his glory, and promoting the ge- doeth according to his will in the neral good, Rom. xi, 33.-4. They armies of heaven, and among the are immutable, for this is the result inhabitants of the earth; and none of his being infinitely perfect; for can stay his hand, or say unto him, if there were the least change in What doest thou?" Dan. iv, 35.God's understanding, it would be 5. Desire for heaven. "What I do, an instance of imperfection, Mal. thou knowest not now; but thou iii, 6.-5. They are extensive or shalt know hereafter," John xiii, 7. universal, relating to all creatures See NECESSITY, PREDESTINATION. and things in heaven, earth, and hell, Eph. i, 11. Prov. xvi, 4. laws made by them to regulate the DECREES of Councils are the -6. They are secret, or at least doctrine and policy of the church. cannot be known till he be pleas- Thus the acts of the christian ed to discover them. It is there-council at Jerusalem are called, fore presumption for any to at- Acts xvi, 4. tempt to enter into or judge of DECRETAL, a letter of a pope, his secret purpose, or to decide determining some point or question upon what he has not revealed, in the ecclesiastical law. The deDeut. xxix, 29. Nor is an un- cretals compose the second part known or supposed decree at any of the canon law. The first getime to be the rule of our conduct. nuine one, acknowledged by all His revealed will alone must be the learned as such, is a letter of considered as the rule by which Pope Siricius, written in the year we are to judge of the event of 883, to Himerus, bishop of Tar

4

ragona, in Spain, concerning some VII. But the pope, on Henry's disorders which had crept into the suppressing the houses of religion, churches of Spain. Gratian pub- at the time of the reformation, not lished a collection of decretals, only deprived him of his title, but containing all the ordinances made deposed him from his crown also; by the popes till the year 1150. though, in the 35th year of his Gregory IX, in 1227, following reign, his title, &c. was confirmed the example of Theodosius and by parliament, and has continued Justinian, formed a constitution to be used by all his successors. of his own, collecting into one Chamberlayne says, the title bebody all the decisions and all the longed to the kings of England becauses which served to advance fore that time, and for proof hereof the papal power; which collection appeals to several charters granted of decretals was called the Penta- to the University of Oxford: so teuch, because it contained five that pope Leo's bull was only a rebooks. novation of an ancient right.

DEDICATION, a religious DEGRADATION Ecclesiasceremony, whereby any person, or tical, is the deprivation of a thing, is solemnly consecrated, or priest of his dignity. We have set apart to the service of God an instance of it in the eighth and the purposes of religion. century at Constantinople, in the

The use of dedications is very person of the patriarch Constanancient, both among the wor- tine, who was made to go out of shippers of the true God, and the church backwards, stripped among the heathens. In the scrip- of his pallium, and anathematized. ture we meet with dedications of In our own country, Cranmer was the tabernacle, altars, &c. Un- degraded by order of the bloody der christianity dedication is only queen Mary. They dressed him applied to a church, and is pro- in episcopal robes, made only of perly the consecration thereof. canvass; put the mitre on his head, See CONSECRATION.

and the pastoral staff in his hand,

DEFENCE. See SELF-DE- and in this attire shewed him to

FENCE.

the people, and then stripped him DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, piece by piece. (Fidei Defensor) a peculiar title DEISTS, a class of people whose belonging to the king of England; distinguishing character it is, not as Catholicus to the king of Spain, to profess any particular form or and Christianissimus to the king of system of religion; but only to France. These titles were given acknowledge the existence of a by the popes of Rome. That of God, and to follow the light and Fidei Defensor was first conferred law of Nature, rejecting revelaby Leo X, on king Henry VIII, tion and opposing christianity. The for writing against Martin Luther; name of deists seems to have been and the bull, for it bears date first assumed, as the denomination quinto idus, October 1521. It was of a party, about the middle of afterwards confirmed by Clement the 16th century, by some gen

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tlemen in France and Italy, who be required to be assented to ог were desirous of thus disguising believed but what their reason their opposition to christianity by clearly conceives. The distina more honourable appellation guishing character of modern deists than that of atheists. Viret, an is, that they discard all pretences eminent reformer, mentions cer- to revelation as the effects of imtain persons, in his epistle dedica- posture or enthusiasm. They protory, prefixed to the 2d volume of fess a regard for natural religion, his Instruction Chretienne, publish- though they are far from being ed in 1653, who called themselves agreed in their notions concerning by a new name, that of deists. it.

These, he tells us, professed to be- They are classed by some of lieve in God, but shewed no re- their own writers into mortal and gard to Jesus Christ, and consider-immortal deists; the latter aced the doctrine of the apostles and knowledging a future state; and evangelists as fables and dreams. the former denying it, or repreHe adds, that they laughed at all senting it as very uncertain. Dr. religion, though they outwardly Clarke distinguishes four sorts of conformed to the religion of those deists. 1. Those who pretend to with whom they lived, or whom believe the existence of an eternal, they wished to please, or feared to infinite, independent, intelligent offend. Some, he observed, pro- Being, who made the world, withfessed to believe the immortality out concerning himself in the goof the soul; others denied both vernment of it.-2. Those who this doctrine and that of provi- believe the being and natural prodence. Many of them were con-vidence of God, but deny the difsidered as persons of acute and ference of actions as morally good subtle genius, and took pains in or evil, resolving it into the arbidisseminating their notions. The trary constitution of human laws; deists hold, that, considering the and therefore they suppose that multiplicity of religions, the nu- God takes no notice of them. merous pretences to revelation, With respect to both these classes, and the precarious arguments ge- he observes that their opinions nerally advanced in proof thereof, can consistently terminate in nothe best and surest way is to re- thing but downright atheism.-3. turn to the simplicity of Nature, Those who, having right appreand the belief of one God; which hensions concerning the nature, is the only truth agreed to by all attributes, and all-governing pronations. They complain, that vidence of God, seem also to have the freedom of thinking and rea- some notion of his moral perfecsoning is oppressed under the yoke tions; though they consider them of religion: and that the minds as transcendent, and such in naof men are tyrannized over, by ture and degree, that we can form the necessity imposed on them of no true judgment, nor argue with believing inconceivable mysteries: any certainty concerning them: and contend, that nothing should but they deny the immortality of human souls; alleging that men will pardon them.-5. That there perish at death, and that the pre- are rewards for good men and pusent life is the whole of human ex-nishments for bad men, both here istence.-4. Those who believe the and hereafter. Our own age has existence, perfections, and provi-produced a number of advodence of God, the obligations of cates in the same cause; and hownatural religion, and a state of fever they may have differed among future retribution, on the evidence themselves, they have been agreed of the light of Nature, without a in their attempts of invalidating divine revelation; such as these, the evidence and authority of dihe says, are the only true deists; vine revelation. We might menbut their principles, he appre-tion Hobes, Blount, Toland, Colhends, should lead them to em-lins, Woolston, Tindal, Morgan, brace christianity; and therefore Chubb, lord Bolingbroke, Hume, he concludes that there is now no Gibbon, Paine, and some add consistent scheme of deism in the lord Shaftesbury to the number. world. The first deistical writer Among foreigners, Voltaire, Rousof any note that appeared in this seau, Condorcet, and many other country was Herbert, baron of celebrated French authors, have Cherbury. He lived and wrote rendered themselves conspicuous in the seventeenth century. His by their deistical writings. " But," book De Veritate was first pub-as one observes, " the friends of lished at Paris in 1624. This, christianity have no reason to retogether with his book De Causis gret the free and unreserved disErrorum, and his treatise De Re-cussion which their religion has ligione Laici, were afterwards pub- undergone. Objections have been lished in London. His celebrated stated and urged in their full work De Religione Gentilium was force, and as fully answered; arpublished at Amsterdam in 1663 guments and raillery have been in 4to, and in 1700 in 8vo; and repelled; and the controversy bean English translation of it was tween christians and deists has published at London in 1705. As called forth a great number of he was one of the first that formed excellent writers, who have illusdeism into a system, and asserted trated both the doctrines and evithe sufficiency, universality, and dences of christianity in a manabsolute perfection of natural re- ner that will ever reflect honour ligion, with a view to discard all on their names, and be of lasting extraordinary revelation as useless service to the cause of genuine reand needless, we shall subjoin the ligion, and the best interests of five fundamental articles of this mankind." See articles CHRISuniversal religion. They are these: TIANITY, INFIDELITY, INSPIRA1. That there is one supreme TION, and SCRIPTURE, in this God.-2. That he is chiefly to be work. Leland's View of Deistical worshipped.-3. That piety and Writers; Sermons at Boyle's Lecvirtue are the principal part of his ture; Halyburton's Natural Reliworship. 4. That we must repent gion insufficient; Leslie's Short Meof our sins; and if we do so, Godthod with the Deists; Bishop Wat