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tles, likewise, laid hands on those upon | gard to these impulses, as notifications of whom they bestowed the Holy Ghost. The the divine will." See ENTHUSIASM. PROpriests observed the same custom when any VIDENCE. one was received in their body. And the IMPURITY, want of that regard to deApostles themselves underwent the imposi-cency, chastity, or holiness, which our duty requires. Impurity, in the law of Moses, is any legal defilement. Of these there were several sorts: some were voluntary, as the touching a dead body, or any creature that was esteemed unclean; or any animal that died of itself; or touching things holy by one who was not clean, or was not a priest; the touching one who had a leprosy, one who had a gonorrhea, or who was polluted by a dead carcass, &c. Sometimes these impurities were involuntary; as when any one inadvertently touched bones, or a sepulchre, or any thing polluted; or fell into such diseases as pollute, as the leprosy, &c.

tion of hands afresh every time they entered upon any new design. In the ancient church, imposition of hands was even practised on persons when they married, which || custom the Abyssinians still observe. Maurice's Dial. on Soc. Relig. p. 163, 168. Watts' Rational Foundation of a Christian Ch. p. 31. Turner on Church Governmeni, p. 70. King's Primitive Christ. Ch. p. 49.

IMPOSTORS RELIGIOUS, are such as pretend to an extraordinary commission from heaven, and who terrify the people with false denunciations of judgments Too many of these have abounded in almost all ages. They are punishable in the temporal courts with fine, imprisonment, and corporeal punishment. See FALSE MESSIAHS. IMPOTENCY, or IMPOTENCE, is considered as natural and moral. Natural is the want of some physical principle necessary to an action, or where a being is absolutely defective, or not free and at liberty to act. Moral impotency imports a great difficulty, as a strong habit to the contrary; a violent passion; or the like.

IMPROPRIATION, a parsonage or ecclesiastical living, the profits of which are in the hands of a layman; in which case it stands distinguished from appropriation, which is where the profits of a benefice are in the hands of a bishop, college, &c. though the terms are now used promiscuously.

The beds, clothes, and moveables which had touched any thing unclean, contracted also a kind of impurity, and in some cases Communicated it to others.

These legal pollutions were generally removed by bathing, and lasted no longer than the evening. The person polluted plunged over head in the water; and either had his clothes on when he did so, or washed himself and his clothes separately. Other pollutions continued seven days; as, that which was contracted by touching a dead body. Some impurities lasted forty or fifty days; as, that of women who were lately delivered, who were unclean forty days after the birth of a boy, and fifty after the birth of a girl. Others, again lasted till the person was cured.

Many of these pollutions were expiated IMPULSE, an influence, idea, or motive by sacrifices, and others by a certain water acting upon the mind. We must be care- or lye made with the ashes of a red heifer, ful how we are guided by impulses in reli- || sacrificed on the great day of expiation, gion. "There are many," as one observes, When the leper was cured, he went to the who frequently feel singular impressions temple, and offered a sacrifice of two birds, upon their minds, and are inclined to pay a one of which was killed, and the other set very strict regard unto them. Yea, some at liberty. He who had touched a dead carry this point so far, as to make it almost || body, or had been present at a funeral, was the only rule of their judgment, and will not to be purified with the water of expiation, determine any thing until they find it in and this upon pain of death. The woman their hearts to do it, as their phrase is. who had been delivered, offered a turtle and Others take it for granted, that the divine || a lamb for her expiation; or if she was mind is notified to them by sweet or power-poor, two turtles or two young pigeons. ful impressions of some passages of sacred writ. There are others who are determined by visionary manifestations, or by the impressions made in dreams, and the interpretations they put upon them. All these things being of the same general nature, may very justly be considered together; and it is a matter of doubt with many how far these things are to be regarded, or attended to by us; and how we may distinguish any divine impressions of this kind from the delusions of the tempter, or of our own evil hearts. But, whoever makes any of these things his rule and standard, he forsakes the divine IMPUTATION is the attributing any word; and nothing tends more to make per- matter, quality, or character, whether good sons unhappy in themselves, unsteady in their or evil, to any person as his own. It may conduct, or more dangerously deluded in refer to what was originally his, antecedenttheir practice, than paying a random re-lly to such imputation; or to what was not

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These impurities, which the law of Moses has expressed with the greatest accuracy and care, were only figures of other more important impurities, such as the sins and iniquities committed against God, or faults committed against cur neighbour. The saints and prophets of the Old Testament were sensible of this; and our Saviour in the Gospel, has strongly inculcated, that they are not outward and corporeal pollutions which render us unacceptable to God, but such inward pollutions as infect the soul, and are violations of justice, truth, and charity.

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or the mystery by which Jesus Christ the Eternal Word, was made man, in order to accomplish the work of our salvation. See NATIVITY, and Meldrum on the Incarna- ' tion.

INCEST, the crime of criminal and un

antecedently his, but becomes so by virtue of such imputation only, Sam. xix 19. Ps. cvi. 31. The imputation that respects our justification before God is of the latter kind, and may be defined thus: it is God's gracious donation of the righteousness of Christ to believers, and his acceptance of their per-natural commerce with a person within the sons as righteous on the account thereof degrees forbidden by the law. By the rules Their sins being imputed to him, and his f the church, incest was formerly very abs obedience being imputed to them, they are, surdly extended even to the seventh dein virtue hereof, both accepted as righteous gree; but is now restricted to the third or before God, Rom. iv. 6, 7. Rom. v. 18, fourth Most nations look on incest with 19 2. Cor. v. 21. See RIGHTEOUSNESS. horror; Persia and Egypt excepted. In SIN. Dickinson's Letters, p. 156. Her the history of the ancient kings of those vey's Theron und Aspasio, vol. ii. p. 43. Countries we meet with instances of broDoddridge's Works, vol. iv. p. 562. Watts' thers marrying their own sisters, because Works, vol. iii. p. 532. they thought it too mean to join in alliance INABILITY, want of power sufficient with their own subjects, and still more so for the performance of any particular ac- to marry into any foreign family, Vortigern, tion or design, It has been divided into na- || king of South Britain, equalled or rather tural and moral. We are said to be natu- excelled, them in wickedness, by marrying rally unable to do a thing when we cannot his own daughter. The queen of Portugal do it if we wish, because of some impeding was married to her uncle; and the prince defect or obstacle that is extrinsic to the of Brazil, the son of that incestuous marwill, either in the understanding, constitu- riage, is wedded to his aunt. But they had tion of the body, or external objects. Mo- dispensations for these unnatural marriages ral inability consists not in any of these from his holiness. In order," says one, things, but either in the want of inclination, "to preserve chastity in families, and be or the strength of a contrary inclination; tween persons of different sexes brought up or the want of sufficient motives in view to and living together in a state of unreserved induce and excite the act of the will, or the intimacy, it is necessary, by every method strength of apparent motives to the contra-possible, to inculcate an abhorrence of inry For the sake of illustration, we will here present the reader with a few examples of both

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Natural.

Cain could not have killed Abel, if Cain had been the weakest, and Abel aware of him.

Jacob could not rejoice in Joseph's exaltation before he beard of it.

The woman mentioned in 2 K ngs vi. 29, could not kill her neighbour's son and eat him, when he was hid, and she could not find him.

Hazael could not have smothered Benhadad, if he bad not been suffered to eu ter his chamber.

Mural

Cain could not have killed Abel, if Cain had feared God, and loved his brother.

Potiphar's wife could not rejoice in it, if she continued under it.

Had that woman been a very affectionate mother, she could not have killed her own son in a time of plenty, as she did in a time of famine.

If a dutiful affectionate son had been waiting on Benhadad in Hazael's stead, he could not have smothered him, as Hazael did.

cestuous conjunctions; which abhorrence can only be upheld by the absolute reprobation of all commerce of the sexes between near relations. Upon this principle the marriage, as well as other cohabitation of brothers and sisters of lineal kindred, and of all who usually live in the same family, may be said to be forbidden by the law of nature. Restrictions which extend to remoter degrees of kindred than what this reason makes it necessary to prohibit from intermarriage, are founded in the authority of the positive law, which ordains them, and can only be justified by their tendency to diffuse wealth, to connect families, or to promote some political advantage.

"The Levitical law, which is received in this country, and from which the rule of the Roman law differs very little, prohibits marriage between relations within three degrees of kindred; computing the generations not from, but through the common an. cestor, and accounting affinity the same as consanguinity. The issue, however, of such marriages are not bastardized, unless the parents be divorced during their lifetime." Paley's Mor. Phil. p. 316, vol. i.

These are a few instances from which we may clearly learn the distinction of natural and moral inability. It must not, however, be forgotten, that meral inability or disinclination is no excuse for our omission of duty, though want of natural faculties or necessary means would. That God may command, though man has not a present moral ability to perform, is evident, if we Consider, 1. That man once had a power to do whatsoever God would command him, he had a power to cleave to God.-2. INCEST SPIRITUAL, an ideal crime, That God did not deprive man of his abili- committed between two persons who have ty.-3. Therefore God's right of command- a spiritual alliance, by means of baptism or ing, and man's obligation of returning and confirmation. This ridiculous fancy was cleaving to God, remains firm See LIBER- made use of as an instrument of great tyTY; and Theol. Misc. vol. ii. p. 488. Ed-ranny in times when the power of the pope wards on the Will Charnock's Works, vol. ii. p 187. Watts on Liberty, p. 4.

INCARNATION, the act whereby the Son of God assumed the human nature;

was unlimited, even queens being sometimes divorced upon this pretence. Incest Spiritual is also undersond of a vicar, or other beneficiary, who enjoys both the mother and

obe whereof depends upon the collation of the other. Such spiritual incest renders both the one and the other of these benefices va

cast.

the daughter; that is, holds two benefices, || If God were corporeal, he could not be present in any part of the world where body is; yet his presence is necessary for the support and motion of body.-3. A body Cannot be in two places at the same time; INCLINATION is the disposition or yet he is every where, and fills heaven and propensity of the mind to any particular ob- ear h4. A body is to be seen and felt, ject or action; or a kind of bias upon na- but God is invisible and impalpable, John ture, by the force of which it is carried to-i. 18. Charnock's Works, vol. i. p. 117. wards certain actions previously to the ex- Doddridge's Lect lect. 47. Gill's Body ercise of thought and reasoning about the of Div. vol. i. p. 45. 8vo. nature and consequences of them. Inclinations are of two kinds, natural or acquired. 1. Natural are such as we often see in chiåren, who from their earliest years, differing tenet was, that the body of Jesus Christ in their tempers and dispositions. In one you see the dawnings of a liberal diffusive soul; another gives us cause to fear he will be altogether as narrow and sordid Of one we may say he is naturally revengeful; of another that he is patient and forgiving. -2. Acquired inclinations are such as are superinduced by custom, which are called habits; and these are either good or evil. See HABIT.

INCORRUPTIBLES, or INCORRUPTIBILES, the name of a sect which sprang out of the Eutychians. Their distinguish

was incorruptible; by which they meant, that after and from the time wherein he was formed in the womb of his mother, he was not susceptible of any change or altera, tion; not even of any natural or innocent passion, as of hunger, thirst, &c. so that he ate without occasion before his death, as well as after his resurrection.

INCREDULITY, the withholding our assent to any proposition, notwithstanding arguments sufficient to demand assent. See Duncan Forbes' piece, entitled Reflections on the Sources of Incredulity with regard to Religion, and Casaubon on Credulity and Incredulity.

INCOMPREHENSIBILITY OF GOD. This is a relative term, and indicates a relation between an object and a facuity; between God and a created understanding; so that the meaning of it is this, that no created understanding can comprehend God; INDEPENDENCY OF GOD is his exthat is, have a perfect and exact knowledge istence in and of himself, without dependof him, such a knowledge as is adequate to ing on any other. "His being and perfec the perfection of the object, Job xi. 7. Is. tions," as Dr. Ridgley observes, (Body of xl. God is incomprehensible, 1. As to the Div. qu. 7.) "are underived, and not comnature of his essence. 2. The excellency of municated to him, as all finite perfections his attributes. 3. The depth of his coun- are by him to the creature. This attribute sels. 4. The works of his providence. 5. of independency belongs to all his perfecThe dispensation of his grace, Eph iii. 8. tions. 1. He is independent as to his knowJob. xxxvii. 25. Rom xi. The incompre- ledge. He doth not receive ideas from hensibility of God follows, 1. From his be any object out of himself, as intelligent ing a spirit endued with perfections greatly creatures do. This is elegantly described superior to our own.-2. There may be by the prophet, Is. xl. 13, 14.-2. He is in(for any thing we certainly know) attributes dependent in power. As he receives and perfections in God of which we have strength from no one, so he doth not act not the least idea.-3. In those perfections dependently on the will of the creature, of the Divine nature of which we have Job, xxxvi. 3-3. He is independent as to some idea, there are many things to us in- his holiness, hating sin necessarily, and not explicable, and with which, the more deep-barely depending on some reasons out of ly and attentively we think of them, the himself inducing him thereto; for it is es more we find our thoughts swallowed up: sential to the Divine nature to be infinitely such as his self-existence, eternity, omnipre- opposite to sin, and therefore to be indepen sence, &c. This should learn us, therefore, dently holy.-4. He is independent as to his 1. To admire and reverence the Divine Bebounty and goodness. He communicates ing, Zech. ix. 17. Neh. ix. 5-2. To be humble and modest, Ps viii. 1. 4. Eccl. v. 2, 3. Job xxxvii. 19.-3. To be serious in our addresses, and sincere in our behaviour towards him. Caryl on Job xxvii. 25. Tillotson's Sermons, sermon 156. Abernethy's Sermons, vol. ii. No. 6, 7. Doddridge's Lect. lec. 59.

INCONTINENCY, not abstaining from unlawful desires. See CONTINENCY.

INCORPOREALITY OF GOD, is his being without a body. That God is incorporeal is evident; for, 1, Materiality is incompatible with self-existence, and God being self-existent, must be incorporeal.-2. ||

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blessings not by constraint, but according to his sovereign will. Thus he gave being to the world, and all things therein, which was the first instance of bounty and goodness; and this not by constraint, but by his free will; for his pleasure they are and were created.' In like manner, whatever instan→ ces of mercy he extends to miserable creatures, he acts independently, and not by force. He shews mercy because it is his pleasure to do so, Rom. ix. 18. That God is independent, let it farther be consi dered, 1. That all things depend on his pow er which brought them into and preserves them in being. If, therefore, all things de

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INDEPENDENTS, a sect of Protestants, so called from their maintaining, that each congregation of Christians which meet in one house for public worship, is a complete church; has sufficient power to act and perform every thing relating to religious government within itself; and is in no respect subject or accountable to other churches..

IND

among themselves in sentiments, views, and
wise: that large body, composed of per-
measures. But the case was quite other-
nions, and intentions, and unanimous in no-
Sous of different ranks, characters and opi-
thing but their antipathy to the established
church, was all of a sudden divided into a
variety of sects.
Of these the most fa-

pend on God, then it would be absurdity to say that God depends on any thing, for this would be to suppose the cause and the effect to be mutually dependent on and derived from each other, which infers a contradiction.-2. If God be infinitely above the highest creatures, he cannot depend on any of them, for dependence argues inferiority, Is. xl. 15. 17.-3. If God depend on any creature, he does not exist necessarily; and year-1581, by Robert Brown, a man insinumous was that which was formed about the if so, then he might not have been for ating in his manners, but unsteady and inthe same will by which he is supposed to consistent in his views and notions of men exist, might have determined that he should and things. Brown was for dividing the not have existed, which is altogether incon- whole body of the faithful into separate sosistent with the idea of a God. From God's cieties or congregations; and maintained being independent, we infer, 1. That we ought to conclude that the creature cannot contained in an ordinary place of worship that such a number of persons as could be lay any obligation on him, or do any thing ought to be considered as a church, and enthat may tend to make him more happy joy all the rights and privileges that are than he is in himself, Rom. xi. 35. Job competent to an ecclesiastical community. xxii. 2, 3.-2. If independency be a divine These small societies he pronounced indeperfection, then let it not in any instance, or pendent, juro divino, and entirely exempt by any consequence, be attributed to the from the jurisdiction of the bishop, in whose creature; let us conclude that all our springs || hands the court had placed the reigns of a are in him; and that all we enjoy and hope spiritual government; and also from that of for is from him, who is the author and presbyteries and synods, which the Puritans finisher of our faith, and the fountain of all regarded as the supreme visible sources of our blessedness. given an account of the general opinions ecclesiastical authority. But as we have and discipline of the Brownists, we need not enumerate them here, but must beg the reader to refer to that article. The zeal with which Brown and his associates maintained and propagated his notions, was, in a high degree, intemperate and extravagant, Though the Episcopalians contend that broken off with those religious societies He affirmed that all communion was to be there is not a shadow of the independent that were founded upon a different plan discipline to be found either in the Bible or from his; and treated more especially the the primitive church, the Ind pendents, on church of England as a spurious church, the contrary, believe that it is most clearly whose ministers were unlawfully ordained; to be deduced from the practice of the apos-whose discipline was popish and antichristles in planting the first churches. See tian; and whose sacraments and institutions CHURCH CONGREGATIONAL, and EPIS- were destitute of all efficacy and virtue. COPACY. The Independents, however, His followers not being able to endure the were not distinguished as a body till the time severe treatment which they met with from of queen Elizabeth. The hierarchy established by that princess in the churches of for its mildness and indulgence, retired into an administration that was not distinguished her dominions, the vestments worn by the the Netherlands, and founded churches at clergy in the celebration of divine worship, Middlebourg, Amsterdam, and Leyden. the book of Common Prayer, and above all,Their founder, however, returned into Enthe sign of the cross used in the administra- gland, renounced his principles of separation of baptism, were very offensive to ma-tion, and took orders in the established ny of her subjects, who, during the perse-church. The Puritan exiles whom he thus cutions of the former reign, had taken re-abandoned, disagreed among themselves, fuge among the Protestants of Germany and Geneva. These men thought that the church of England resembled in too many particulars the antichristian church of Rome: they therefore called perpetually for a more thorough reformation, and a pu rer worship. From this circumstance they were stigmatized with the general name of Puritans, as the followers of Novatian had been in the ancient church. See NovATIANS. Elizabeth was not disposed to comply with their demands; and it is difficult to say what might have been the issue of the contest, had the Puritans been united

were split into parties, and their affairs de-
clined from day to day. This engaged the
wiser part of them to mitigate the severity
of their founder's plan, and to soften the
rigour of his uncharitable decisions.

bringing about this reformation was one of
The person who had the chief merit of
their pastors, of the name of Robinson; a
man who had much of the solemn piety of
the times, and no inconsiderable portion
of learning. This well-meaning reformer,
perceiving the defects that reigned in the
discipline of Brown, and in the spirit and
temper of his followers, employed his zeal

and diligence in correcting them, and in the Brownists in keeping on foot a regular new modelling the society in such a man-ministry in their communities; for, while ner, as to render it less odious to his adver- the latter allowed promiscuously, all ranks saries, and less liable to the just censure of and orders of men to teach in public, the those true Christians who look upon cha-independents' had, and still have a certain rity as the end of the commandments.number of ministers, chosen respectively Hitherto the sect had been called Brown- by the congregations where they are fixed; ists; but Robinson having in his apology nor is it common for any person among affirmed, that all Christian congregations them to speak in public before he has subwere so many independent religious socie-mitted to a proper examination of his capaties, that had a right to be governed by city and talents, and been approved of by their own laws, independent of any farther the heads of the congregation. or foreign jurisdiction, the sect was hence- From 1642, the Independents are very forth called Independents, of which the frequently mentioned in the English annals. apologist was considered as the founder. The charge alleged against them by Rapin The first independent or congregational || (in his history of England, vol ii. p. 514. church in England, was established by a folio ed.) that they could not so much as Mr. Jacob, in the year 1616. Mr. Jacob, endure ordinary ministers in the church, who had fled from the persecution of &c. is groundless. He was led to this misbishop Bancroft, going to Holland, and hav- take by confounding the Independents with ing imparted his design of setting up a the Brownists. Other charges, no less unseparate congregation, like those in Hol- justifiable, have been urged against the Indeland, to the most learned Puritans of those pendents by this celebrated historian, and times, it was not condemned as unlawful, others. Rapin says, that they abhorred considering there was no prospect of a na- monarchy, and approved of a republican tional reformation. Mr. Jacob, therefore, government: this might have been true having summoned several of his friends with regard to many persons among them, together, and having obtained their con- in common with other sects; but it does not sent to unite in church fellowship for en- appear, from any of their public writings, joying the ordinances of Christ in the that republican principles formed their dispurest manner, they laid the foundation of tinguishing characteristic; on the contrary, the first independent church in England in in a public memorial, drawn up by them in the following way. Having observed a day 1647, they declare that they do not disapof solemn fasting and prayer for a blessing prove of any form of civil government, upon their undertaking, towards the close but do freely acknowledge, that a kingly of the solemnity, each of them made an government, bounded by just and wholesome open confession of their faith in Christ: laws, is allowed by God, and also a good and then, standing together, they joined accommodation unto men. The Indepenhands, and solemnly covenanted with each dents, however, have been generally ranked other in the presence of Almighty God, to || among the regicides, and charged with the walk together in all God's ways and or- death of Charles 1. Whether this fact be dinances, according as he had already re-admitted or denied, no conclusion can be vealed or should farther make known to fairly drawn from the. greater prevalence them. Mr Jacob was then chosen pastor of republican principles, or from violent proby the suffrage of the brotherhood; and ceedings at that period, that can effect the others were appointed to the office of distinguished tenets and conduct of the Indeacons, with fasting and prayer, and im-dependents in our times. It is certain, that position of hands

the present Independents are steady friends The Independents were much more com- to a limited monarchy. Rapin is farther mendable than the Brownists: they sur- mistaken, when he represents the religious passed them both in the moderation of principles of the English Independents as their sentiments, and in the order of their contrary to those of all the rest of the world. discipline. They did not, like Brown, pour It appears from two confessions of faith, one forth bitter and uncharitable invectives composed by Robinson in behalf of the Enagainst the churches, which were govern-glish Independents in Holland, and published by rules entirely different from theirs, nor pronounce them, on that account, unworthy of the Christian name. On the contrary, though they considered their own form of ecclesiastical government as of divine institution, and as originally introdu- || ced by the authority of the apostles, nay, by the apostles themselves, they had yet candour and charity enough to acknowledge, that true religion and solid piety might flourish in those communities which were under the jurisdiction of bishops, or the governments of synods and presbyteries. They were also much more attentive than

ed at Leyden in 1619, entitled Apologia pro Exulibus Anglis, qui Brownista vulgo appellanter; and another drawn up in London in 1658, by the principal members of this community, entitled, "A declaration of the Faith and Order owned and practised by the Congregational Churches in England, agreed upon and consented unto by their Elders and Messengers, in their meeting, at the Savoy, Oct. 12, 1658," as well as from other writings of the Independents, that they differed from the rest of the reformed in no single point of any consequence, except that lof ecclesiastical government; and their re

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