advantages; it conciliates the proud, and softens the severe, averts envy from excellence, and censure from miscarriage.

some parallel place of Scripture. In dividing the text, the minister is to regard the order of the matter more than that of the words: he is not to burden the memory of his audience with too many divisions, nor perplex their understanding with logical phrases and terms of arts he is not to start unne

DIGGERS, a denomination which sprung up in Germany, in the fifteenth century; so called because they dug their assemblies under ground in caves and forests. They derided the church,||cessary objections; and he is to be very its ministers and sacraments.

sparing in citations from ecclesiastical or other human writers, ancient or modern, &c. The Directory recommends the use of the Lord's Prayer, as the most

DILIGENCE, Christian, is constancy in the performance of all those duties enjoined us in God's sacred word It includes activity and vigour-watch-perfect model of devotion; it forbids fulness against intruding objects-firmness and resolution-patience and perseverance. The shortness of our time, the importance of our work; the pleasure which arises from discharging duty; the uncertainty of the time of our dissolution; the conciousness we do not labour in vain; together with the example of Christ and all good men, should excite us to the most unwearied diligence in the cause of God, of truth, and

our own souls.

DIMISSORY LETTER, a letter given by a bishop to a candidate for holy orders, having a title in his diocese, directed to some other bishop, and giving leave for the bearer to be ordained by him.

DIOCESE, the circuit of every bishop's jurisdiction. It is formed from the Greek Sonnois, government.

private or lay persons to administer baptism, and enjoins it to be performed in the face of the congregation it orders the communion table at the Lord's supper to be so placed, that the communicants may sit about it It also orders, that the sabbath be kept with the greatest strictness, both publicly and privately that marriage be solemnized by a lawful minister of the word, who is to give counsel to, and pray for the parties that the sick be visited by the minister under whose charge they are; the dead to be buried without any prayers or religious ceremonies; that days of fasting are to be observed when the judgments of God are abroad, or when Some important blessings are desired; that days of thanksgiving for mercies received be also observed, and, lastly, that singing of Psalms together in the DIRECTORY, a kind of regulation congregation is the duty of Christians. for the performance of religious wor-In an appendix to this Directory it is ship, drawn up by the assembly of di- ordered, that all festivals, vulgarly callvines in England, at the instance of the ed holy days, are to be abolished that parliament, in 1644. It was designed tono day is to be kept but the Lord's day; supply the place of the Liturgy, or Book of Common Prayer, the use of which they had abolished. It consisted of some general heads, which were to be managed and filled up at discretion; for it prescribed no form of prayer, or circumstances of external worship, nor obliged the people to any responses, ex cepting Amen. The substance of it is as follows:-It forbids all salutations and civil ceremony in the churches;the reading the scriptures in the congregation is declared to be part of the pastoral office; all the canonical books of the old and New Testament (but not of the Apocrypha) are to be publicly read in the vulgar tongue: how large a portion is to be read at once, is left to the minister, who has likewise the liberty of expounding, when he judges it necessary. It prescribes heads for the prayer before sermon; it delivers rules for preaching the word; the introduc-ry tion to the text must be short and clear, drawn from the words or context, or

and that as no place is capable of any holiness under pretence of consecration, so neither is it subject to pollution by any superstition formerly used; and therefore it is held requisite, that the places of public worship now used should still be continued and employed. Should the reader be desirous of perusing this Directory at large, he may find it at the end of Neale's History of the Puritans.

DISCIPLE, a scholar or one who attends the lectures, and professes the tenets of another. A disciple of Christ is one who believes his doctrines, imbibes his spirit, and follows his example. See CHRISTIAN.

DISCIPLINE, Church, consists in putting church laws in execution, and inflicting the penalties enjoined. See CHURCH.

DISCIPLINE, Book of, in the histoof the church of Scotland, is a common order drawn up by the assembly of ministers in 1650, for the reformation

and uniformity to be observed in the dis-had he passed only for a plan man. cipline and policy of the Church. In this Discretion is the perfection of reason, book the government of the church by and a guide to us in all the duties of life; prelates is set aside; kirk sessions are cunning is a kind of instinct, that only established; the superstitious observa- looks out after our immediate interest tion of fast days and saint days is con- and welfare. Discretion is only found in demned, and other regulations for the men of strong sense and good undergovernment of the church are deter- standings; cunning is cften to be met mined. This book was approved by the with in brutes themselves, and in perprivy council, and is called the first sons who are but the fewest removes book of discipline. from them. In short, cunning is only the mimic of discretion, and may pass upon weak men, in the same manner as vivacity is often mistaken for wit, and gra

DISCONTENT, uneasiness at our present state.

DISDAIN, contempt, as unworthy of one's choice. It is distinguished from haughtiness thus: Haughtiness is founded on the high opinion we have of ourselves; disdain on the low opinion we have of others.

DISINTERESTED LOVE. See

SELF-LOVE.

Man never appears in a worse light than when he gives way to this disposi-vity for wisdom." See PRUDENCE. tion. It is at once the strongest proof of his pride, ignorance, unbelief, and rebellion against God. Let such remember, that discontent is a reflection on God's government; that it cannot alter the state of things, or make them better; that it is the source of the greatest misery; that it is an absolute violation of God's law, Heb. xiii. 5; and that God DISPENSATION, the act of dealhas often punished it with the most sig-ing out any thing. The two different nal judgments, Numb. xi. Ps. cvii. methods of revealing the truths of the CONTENTMENT. Gospel before and after Christ's death are called the Old and New Testament Dispensation. The dealing of God with his creatures in his providence is called a dispensation. The state of supernatural or revealed theology may also be divided into six dispensations. 1. From the fall of Adam to the flood-2. From Noah to the giving the law.-3. From that time to the time of David and the prophets.-4. From David to the Babylonish captivity.-5. The period from that, to the time of Christ, finishes the Old Testament dispensation.-6. From Christ to the end of time, the Gospel dispensation. The superiority of the last dispensation, as Dr. Watts observes, appears, if we consider that it contains the fairest and fullest representation of the moral law; and which is more particu

See DISCRETION, prudent behaviour, arising from a knowledge of and acting agreeable to the difference of things "There are," says Addison, No. 225, Spect. "many more shining qualities in the mind of man, but there is none so useful as discretion: it is this, indeed, which gives a value to all the rest; which sets them at work in their proper times and places, and turns them to the advantage of the person who is pos- || sessed of them. Without it, learning is pedantry, and wit impertinence; virtue itself looks like weakness: the best parts only qualify a man to be more sprightly in errors, and active to his own prejudice.

"Discretion is a very different thing from cunning: cunning is only an accomplishment of little, mean, ungener-larly explained here than in any of the ous minds. Discretion points out the noblest ends to us, and pursues the most proper and laudable methods of attaining them; cunning has only private selfish aims, and sticks at nothing which may make them succeed. Discretion has large and extended views, and, like a well formed eye, commands a whole horizon; cunning is a kind of shortsightedness that discovers the minutest objects which are near at hand, but not able to discern things at a distance. Discretion, the more it is discovered, gives a greater authority to the person who possesses it; cunning, when it is once detected, loses its force, and makes a man incapable of bringing about even those events which he might have done,

former dispensations.-2. In this dispensation the Gospel or covenant of grace is revealed more perfectly and plainly than ever before; not in obscure expressions, in types and carnal metaphors, but in its own proper form and language.-3. The rites and ceremonies under this dispensation are preferable to those in former times, and that in this respect: they are fewer, clearer, and much more easy.-4. The Son of God, who was the real mediator through all former dispensations, has condescended to become the visible mediator of this dispensation.-5. This dispensation is not confined to one family, or to one nation, or to a few ages of men, but it spreads through all the nations of the

earth, and reaches to the end of time.6. The encouragements and persuasive helps which Christianity gives us to fulfil the duties of the covenant, are much superior to those which were enjoyed under any of the former dispensations. Watts's Works, vol. i. ser. 47. 8vo. Gill's Body of Div. Introd. Robinson's Sermons, p. 147. Ridgley's Div. qu. 35.

book of Job, and Paul's epistles, espe cially. The ministry of our Lord was a perpetual controversy, and the apostles came at truth by much disputing, Acts xv. 7. xvii. 17. xix. 8. To attend, however, to religious controversy with advantage, the following rules should be observed; 1. The question should be cleared from all doubtful terms and DISPERSION of mankind was oc- needless additions.-2. The precise point casioned by the confusion of tongues at of enquiry should be fixed.-3. That the the overthrow of Babel, Gen. xi. 9. As object aimed at be truth, and not the to the manner of the dispersion of the mere love of victory.-4. Beware of posterity of Noah from the plain of Shi- || a dogmatical spirit, and a supposition nar, it was undoubtedly conducted with that you are always right.-5. Let a the utmost regularity and order. The strict rein be kept on the passions when sacred historian informs us, that they you are hard pushed. Vide Robinson's were divided in their lands: every one, Claude, p. 245, vol. ii; Watts on the according to his tongue, according to his Mind, chap. 10.; Beattie on Truth, 347, family, and according to his nation, Gen. &c.; Locke on the Understanding, chap. x. 5, 20, 31. The ends of this dispersion 10. vol. iii. were to populate the earth, to prevent idolatry, and to display the divine wisdom and power. See CONFUSION OF TONGUES.

DISPOSITION, that temper of mind, which any person possesses.

DISSENTERS, those who separate from the established church. The number of dissenters in this kingdom is very considerable. They are divided into several parties; the chief of which are the Presbyterians, Independents, Baptists, Quakers, and Methodists. See those articles, as also NONCONFORMISTS and PURITANS.

In every man, says lord Kaims, there is something original that serves to distinguish him from others, that tends to form a character, and to make him DISSIDENTS, a denomination apmeek or fiery, candid or deceitful, reso-plied in Poland to those of the Luthelute or timorous, cheerful or morose. ran, Calvinistic, and Greek profession. This original bent, termed disposition, The king of Poland engages by the must be distinghished from a principle: pacta conventa to tolerate them in the the latter signifying a law of human free exercise of their religion, but they nature makes part of the common na- have often had reason to complain of ture of man; the former makes part of the violation of these promises. the nature of this or that man.

DISSIMULATION, the act of disDISPUTATION, Religious, is the sembling. It has been distinguished agitation of any religious question, in from simulation thus: Simulation is order to obtain clear and adequate ideas making a thing appear which does not of it. The propriety of religious dispu- exist; dissimulation is keeping that tation or controversial divinity has been which exists from appearing. Moralists a matter of doubt with many. Some art-have observed that all dissimulation is fully decry it, in order to destroy free inquiry. Some hate it, because they do not like to be contradicted. Others declaim against it, to save themselves the disgrace of exposing their ignorance, or the labour of examining and defending their own theses. There are others who avoid it, not because they are convinced of the impropriety of the thing itself, but because of the evil temper with which it is generally conducted.

The propriety of it, however, will appear, if we consider that every article of religion is denied by some, and cannot well be believed without examination, by any. Religion empowers us to investigate, debate, and controvert each article, in order to ascertain the evidence of its truth. The divine writings, many of them, are controversial; the

not hypocrisy. A vicious man, who endeavours to throw a veil over his bad conduct, that he may escape the notice of men, is not in the strictest sense of the word a hypocrite, since a man is no more obliged to proclaim his secret vices than any other of his secrets. The hypocrite is one who dissembles for a bad end, and hides the snare that he may be more sure of his prey; and, not content with a negative virtue, or not appearing the ill man he is, makes a show of positive virtue, and appears the man he is not. See HYPOCRISY.

DISSOLUTION, death, or the separation of the body and soul. The dissolution of the world is an awful event, which we have reason to believe, both from the Old Testament and the New, will certainly take place. 1. It is

،،

not an incredible thing, since nothing of whom the prophet calls, in the same a material nature is formed for perpe-place, Menachesch, which the Vulgate tual duration.-2. It will doubtless bend generality of interpreters render under the direction of the Supreme Be- Augur.-3. Those who in the same ing, as its creation was.-3. The soul of place are called Mecascheph, which man will remain unhurt amidst this the Septuagint and Vulgate translate general desolation.-4. It will be an in- a man given to ill practices.”—4. troduction to a greater and nobler sys- Those whom in the same chapter, ver. tem in the government of God, 2 Pet. 11. he calls Hhober.-5. Those who iii. 13.-5. The consideration of it ought|| consult the spirits, called Python.-6. to have a great influence on us while in Witches, or magicians, called Judroni. the present state. 2 Pet. iii. 11, 12. See ||—7. Necromancers, who consult the CONFLAGRATION. dead.-8. Such as consult staves, Hosea, iv. 12 called by some Rhabdomancy.9. Hepatoscopy, or the consideration of the liver.

DIVERSION, something that unbends the mind, by turning it off from care. It seems to be something lighter than amusement, and less forcible than Different kinds of divination which pleasure. It is an old simile, and a very have passed for sciences. we have had : just one, that a bow kept always bent 1. Aeromancy, divining by the airwill grow feeble, and lose its force. The 2. Astrology, by the heavens.-3. Aualternate succession of business and di- gury, by the fight and singing of birds, version preserve the body and soul in &c.-4. Chiromancy by inspecting the the happiest temper. Diversions must, hand.-5. Geomancy, by observing of however, be lawful and good. The cracks or clefts in the earth.-6. Haplay-house, the gaming-table, the mas-ruspicy, by inspecting the bowels of aniquerade, and midnight assemblies, must mals. -7. Horoscopy, a branch of astrobe considered as inimical to the mo-logy, marking the position of the heavens rals and true happiness of man. The most rational diversions are conversation, reading, singing, music, riding, &c. They must be moderate as to the time spent in them, and expense of them. seasonable, when we have (as Cicero observes) dispatched our serious and important affairs. See Grove's Regulation of Diversions; Watts's Improvement of the Mind, vol. ii. sec. 9. Blair's Sermons, vol. ii. p. 17. Burder's_Sermon on Amusements; Friend's Evening Amusements.

DIVINATION, is a conjecture or surmise formed concerning some future event from something which is sup posed to be a presage of it; but between which there is no real connection, only what the imagination of the diviner is pleased to assign in order to deceive.

when a man is born.-8. Hydromancy, by water.-9. Phisiognomy, by the countenance. (This, however, is considered by some as of a different nature, and worthy of being rescued from the rubbish of superstition, and placed among the useful sciences. Lavater has written a celebrated treatise on it.)10. Pyromancy, a divination made by fire. Thus we see what arts have been practised to deceive, and how designing men have made use of all the four elements to impose upon weak minds.

DIVINE, something relating to God. The word is also used figuratively for any thing that is excellent, extraordinary, and that seems to go beyond the power of nature and the capacity of man. It also signifies a minister, or clergyman. See MINISTER.

DIVINI CY, the science of theology. See THEOLOGY.

DIVISIONS, ECCLESIASTICAL. See SCHISM.

Divination of all kinds being the offspring of credulity, nursed by imposture, and strengthened by superstition, was necessarily an occult science, retained in the hands of the priests and priest- DIVORCE, is the dissolution of maresses, the magi, the soothsayers, the riage, or separation of man and wife. augurs, the visionaries, the priests of the Divorce a mensa et thoro, i e. from bed oracles, the false prophets, and other and board.-in this case the wife has a like professors, till the coming of Jesus suitable maintenance allowed her out of Christ, when the light of the Gospel her husband's effects. Divorce a vindissipated much of this darkness. The culo matrimonii, i. e. from the bonds of vogue for these pretended sciences and matrimony, is strictly and properly diarts is nearly past, at least in the en- vorce. This happens either in conselightened parts of the world. There quence of criminality, as in the case of are nine different kinds of divination adultery, or through some essential immentioned in Scripture. These are, 1. | pediment; as consanguinity, or affinity Those whom Moses calls Meonen of within the degrees forbidden, pre-conAnan, a cloud, Deut. xviii. 10.2. Those / tract, impotency, &c. of which impedi

ments.

ments the canon law allows no less sent us with a copious fund of evangelic than 14. In these cases the woman truth, which, though it has not the form receives again only what she brought. of a regular system, yet its parts are Sentences which release the parties a such, that, when united, make the most vinculo matrimonii, on account of im- complete body of doctrine that we can puberty, frigidity, consanguinity within possibly have. Every Christian, but the prohibited degrees, prior marriage, divines especially, should make this or want of the requisite consent of pa- their study, because all the various docrents or guardians, are not properly trines should be insisted on in public, dissolutions of the marriage contract, and explained to the people. It is not, but judicial declarations that there ne- however, as some suppose, to fill up ver was any marriage; such impedi- every part of a minister's sermon, but ment subsisting at the time as rendered considered as the basis upon which the the celebration of the marriage rite a practical part is to be built. Some of mere nullity. And the rite itself con- the divines in the last century overtains an exception of these impedi-charged their discourses with doctrine, especially Dr. Owen and Dr. Goodwin. The law of Moses, says Dr. Paley, It was common in that day to make for reasons of local expediency, per-thirty or forty remarks before the immitted the Jewish husband to put away mediate consideration of the text, each his wife; but whether for every cause, of which was just introduced, and which, or for what cause, appears to have been if enlarged on, would have afforded controverted amongst the interpreters matter enough for a whole sermon. A of those times. Christ, the precepts of wise preacher will join doctrine and whose religion were calculated for more practice together. general use and observation, revokes his Doctrines, though abused by some, permission as given to the Jews for yet, properly considered, will influence their hardness of heart, and promulges the heart and life. Thus the idea of a law which was thenceforward to God's sovereignty excites submission; confine divorces to the single cause of his power and justice promote fear, his adultery in the wife, Matt. xix. 9. In-holiness, humility and purity; his goodferior causes may justify the separation of husband and wife, although they will not authorize such a dissolution of the marriage contract as would leave either at liberty to marry again; for it is that liberty in which the danger and mis-in chief of divorces principally consist. The law of this country, in conformity to our Saviour's injunction, confines the dissolution of the marriage contract to the single case of adultery in the wife; and a divorce even in that case can only be brought about by an act of parliament, founded upon a previous sentiment in the spiritual court, and a verdict against the adulterer at common law; which proceedings taken together, compose as complete an investigation of the complaint as a cause can receive. See Paley's Mor. and Pol. Philosophy, p. 273; Doddridge's Lectures, lect. 73. DOCETÆ, the followers of Julius Cassianus, one of the Valentinian sect, towards the close of the second century. They believed and taught that the actions and sufferings of Jesus Christ were not in reality, but only in appear

ance.

"DOCTRINE, the principles or positions of any sect or master. As the doctrines of the Bible are the first principles and the foundation of religion, they should be carefully examined and well understood. The Scriptures pre

ness, a ground of hope; his love excites joy; the obscurity of his providence requires patience; his faithfulness, confidence, &c.

DOMINICANS, a religious order; some places called Jacobins, and in others Predicants, or preaching friars. The Dominicans take their name from their founder, Dominic de Guzman, a Spaniard, born in 1170, at Calaroga, in Old Castile: he was first canon and archdeacon of Ossuna; and afterwards preached with great zeal and vehemence against the Albigenses in Languedoc, where he laid the first foundation of his order. It was approved of in 1215 by Innocent III. and confirmed in 1216, by a bull of Honorius III. under the title of St. Augustin; to which Dominic added several austere precepts and observances, obliging the brethren to take a vow of absolute poverty, and also the title of preaching friars, because public instruction was the main end of their institution, and to abandon entirely all their revenues and possessions. The first convent was founded at Thoulouse, by the bishop thereof and Simon de Montfort. Two years afterwards they had another at Paris, near the bishop's house; and some time after, a third in the Rue St. Jaques (St. James's street,) whence the denomination of Jacobins. Just before his death, U