religious sentiments made a great the bounds and measures prenoise in the year 1687, and were scribed by reason, justice, and declared unsound by several learn- charity, modesty, and sobriety. ed men, especially Bossuet, who It is of such importance, that we opposed them in the year 1697. find it enjoined in the sacred Hence arose a controversy be-scripture; and we are commandtween the prelate last mentioneded to study and pursue it with the and Fenelon, archbishop of Cam- greatest diligence and care, 1st bray, who seemed disposed to fa- Thess. iv, 11. The great Dr. vour the system of Guyon, and Barrow has two admirable serwho, in 1697, published a book mons on this subject in the first containing several of her tenets. volume of his Works. He justly Fenelon's book, by means of Bos- observes, 1. That quietness is suet, was condemned in the year just and equal.-2. It indicates 1699, by Innocent XII; and the humility, modesty, and sobriety of sentence of condemnation was read mind.-3. It is beneficial to the by Fenelon himself at Cambray, world, preserving the general order who exhorted the people to respect of things.-4. It preserves concord and obey the papal decree. Not- and amity.-5. It begets tranquilwithstanding this seeming acquies-lity and peace.-6. It is a decent cence, the archbishop persisted to the end of his days in the sentiments, which, in obedience to the order of the pope, he retracted and condemned in a public manner.

and lovely thing, indicating a good disposition, and producing good effects.-7. It adorneth any profession, bringing credit and respect thereto.-8. It is a safe practice, keeping us from needless incumbrances and hazards; whereas, pragmaticalness, interfering with the business and concern of others, often raises dissensions, involves in guilt, injures others, shews our vanity and pride, and exposes to continual trouble and danger.

A sect similar to this appeared at Mount Athos, in Thessaly, near the end of the fourteenth century, called Hesychasts, meaning the same with Quietists. They were a branch of the Mystics, or those more perfect monks, who, by long and intense contemplation, endeavoured to arrive at a tranquillity of mind free from every degree of tumult and perturbation. QUIETNESS, in a moral sense, is opposed to disorderly motion, to turbulency, to contention, to pragmatical curiosity, to all such exorbitant behaviour, whereby the right of others is infringed, their peace disturbed, their just interest or welfare any ways pre-ses, as having been a prophetess, judiced. It is a calm, steady, re- &c. They added, that Philip the gular way of proceeding within Deacon had four daughters, who

QUINTILIANS, a sect that appeared in Phrygia, about 189; thus called from their prophetess Quintilia. In this sect the women were admitted to perform the sacerdotal and episcopal functions. They attributed extraordinary gifts to Eve for having first eaten of the tree of knowledge; told great things of Mary, the sister of Mo

were all prophetesses, and were of || Quintilians were at first looked uptheir sect. In these assemblies it on as folly and madness; but, as was usual to see the virgins enter- they appeared to gain ground, the ing in white robes, personating council of Laodicea, in 320, conprophetesses. The errors of the demned it.

ers.

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RANTERS, a denomination | though it must not be considered which arose in the year 1645. as a perfect standard by which all They set up the light of nature un- the mysteries of religion must be der the name of Christ in men. measured before they are received With regard to the church, scrip- by faith." In things," says Dr. ture, ministry, &c., their senti- Watts, "which are plainly and exments were the same as the Seek-pressly asserted in scripture, and See SEEKERS. that in a sense which contradicts RASHNESS consists in under- not other parts of scripture, or taking an action, or pronouncing natural light, our reason must suban opinion, without a due examin-mit, and believe the thing, though ation of the grounds, motives, or it cannot find the modus or manarguments, that ought first to be ner of its being: so in the docweighed. trines of the Trinity and Incarnation, which are above the reach of our reason in this present state. But we cannot, nor must we, be led to take the words of scripture in such a sense as expressly and evidently contradicts all sense and reason, as transubstantiation: for the two great lights of God, reason and revelation, never contradict each other, though one be superior to the other.

REALISTS, a term made use of to denote those Trinitarians who are the most orthodox in opposition to the Socinian and Sabellian schemes. It was also the name of a sect of school philosophers, formed in opposition to the Nominalists. The former believed that universals are realities, and have an actual existence out of the mind; while the latter contended that they exist only in the mind, and are only ideas.

"Therefore reason has a great deal to do in religion, viz. to find REASON, a faculty or power out the rule (of faith), to comof the mind, whereby it draws just pare the parts of this rule with conclusions from true and clear one another, to explain the one principles. Many attempts have by the other, to give the grambeen made to prove reason inimi-matical and logical sense of the cal to revelation; but nothing can expressions, and to exclude selfbe more evident than that it is of contradictory interpretations, as considerable use in knowing, dis- well as interpretations contrary to tinguishing, proving, and defend-reason. But it is not to set itself ing the mysteries of revelation; al-up as a judge of those truths ex

The

pressed therein, which are asserted blessings of reconciliation are parby a superior and infallible Dicta-don, peace, friendship, confidence, tor, God himself; but reason re- holiness, and eternal life. quires and commands even the judicious Guyse gives us an admisubjection of all its own powers to rable note on this doctrine, which a truth thus divinely assisted; for I shall here transcribe. "When it is as possible and as proper that the scripture speaks of reconciliaGod should propose doctrines to tion by Christ, or by his cross, blood, our understanding which it cannot or death, it is commonly expressed comprehend, as duties to our by God's reconciling us to himself, practice which we cannot see the and not by his being reconciled to reason of; for he is equally supe-us; the reason of which seems to rior to our understanding and will, be, because God is the offended and he puts the obedience of both party, and we are the offenders, to a trial." See RELIGION and who, as such, have need to be reREVELATION, and books there conciled to him and the price of recommended; also, Porteus's Ser- reconciliation, by the blood of mons, ser. 5, vol. i; Jenyns's In- Christ, is paid to him, and not to ternal Evidence, p. 122; Ryland's us. Grotius observes, that, in Contemplations, vol. i, p. 83; Theo-heathen authors, men's being relogical Miscellany, vol. ii, p. 533; an Essay on the Use and Abuse of Reason in Matters of Religion, by Witsius, and translated by Carter; Dr. Watts's Strength and Weakness of Human Reason.

conciled to their gods is always understood to signify appeasing the anger of their gods. Condemned rebels may be said to be reconciled to their sovereign, when he, on one consideration or another, pardons RECLUSE, among the Papists, them; though, perhaps, they still a person shut up in a small cell of remain rebels in their hearts against an hermitage or monastery, and him. And when our Lord ordercut off not only from all conversa-ed the offending to go and be recontion with the world, but even with ciled to his offended brother, Matt. the house. This is a kind of volun- v, 23, 24. the plain meaning is, tary imprisonment from a motive that he should go and try to ap either of devotion or penance. pease his anger, obtain his forgiveRECONCILIATION, the re-ness, and regain his favour and storing to favour or friendship those friendship, by humbling himself to who were at variance. It is more particularly used in reference to the doctrine of the atonement. Thus God is said to reconcile us to himself by Jesus Christ, 2d Cor. v, 18. Our state by nature is that of enmity, dissatisfaction, and disobedience. But by the sufferings and merit of Christ we are reconciled and brought near to God.

The

him, asking his pardon, or satisfying him for any injury that he might have done him. In like manner, God's reconciling us to himself by the cross of Christ does not signify, as the Socinians contend, our being reconciled by conversion to a religious turn in our hearts to God, but it is a reconciliation that results from God's

(Rom. v, 11) by faith, after the offence that sin had given him, and the breach it had made upon the original friendship between him and them?" See articles ATONEMENT, MEDIATOR, and PROPITIATION; Grot. de Satisf., cap.

graciously providing and accept- what can reconciliation by the ing an atonement for us, that he death, blood, or cross of Christ might not inflict the punishment mean, but that the law and justice upon us which we deserved, and of God were thereby satisfied, and the law condemned us to, but all obstructions, on his part, to might be at peace with us, and peace and friendship towards sinreceive us into favour on Christ's ners are removed, that he might account. For this reconciliation, not pursue his righteous demands by the cross of Christ, is in a way upon them, according to the holy of atonement or satisfaction to resentments of his nature and will, Divine justice for sin; and, with and the threatenings of his law, respect hereunto, we are said to for their sins; but might mercibe reconciled to God by the death || fully forgive them, and take them of his Son while we were enemies, into a state of favour with himwhich is of much the same import self, upon their receiving the atonewith Christ's dying for the ungod-ment, or (alaλayn) reconciliation ly, and while we were yet sinners, Rom. v. 6, 8, 10. And our being reconciled to God, by approving and accepting of his method of reconciliation by Jesus Christ, and, on that encouragement, turning to him, is distinguished from his reconciling us to himself, and not im-7; Dr. Owen's Answer to Bidputing our trespasses to us, on account of Christ's having been made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, 2d Cor. v, 18, 21. This is called Christ's making reconciliation for iniquity, and making reconciliation for the sins of the people, Dan. ix. 24. Heb. ii, 17. and answers to the ceremonial and typical reconcilia-ing those that are evil. tion which was made by the blood RECTOR, a term applied to of the sacrifices under the law, to several persons whose offices are make atonement and reconciliation very different, as, 1. The rector of for Israel, 2d Chron. xxix, 24. a parish is a clergyman that has Ezek. xlv, 15, 17. and which was the charge and care of a parish, frequently styled making atonement and possesses all the tithes, &c.for sin, and an atonement for their 2. The same name is also given to souls. Now as al: the legal sacri- || the chief elective officer in several fices of atonement, and the truly foreign universities, and also to expiatory sacrifices of Christ, were the head master of large schools. offered not to the offenders, but -3. Rector is also used in several to God, to reconcile him to them, convents for the superior officer

dle's Catechism; Guyse's Note on Coloss. i, 20; Charnock's Works, vol. ii, p. 241; John Reynolds on Reconciliation.

RECTITUDE, or UPRIGHTNESS, is the choosing and pursuing those things which the mind, upon due enquiry and attention, clearly perceives to be good, and avoid