by serious enquiry, impartial examination, desire of instruction, unprejudiced judgment, devotedness of spirit, and uniformity of conduct. The reader will find this subject ably handled in Gurnall's Christian Armour, vol. ii, p. 121 to 148. See HYPOCRISY. SINGING, an ordinance of divine worship, in which we express our joy in God, and gratitude for his mercies. It has always been a branch both of natural and revealed religion, in all ages and periods of time. It was a part of the worship of the Heathens. It was practised by the people of God before the giving of the law of Moses, Exod. xv; also under the ceremonial law. Under the Gospel dispensation it is particularly enjoined, Col. iii, 16. Eph. v, 19. It was practised by Christ and his apostles, Matt. xxvi, 30. and in the earliest times of Christianity. The praises of God may be sung privately in the family, but chiefly in the house of God; and should be attended to with reverence, sincerity, joy, gratitude, and with the understanding, 1st Cor. xiv, 15. It is to be lamented, however, that this ordinance has not that attention paid to it which it deserves. That great divine, Dr. Jonathan Edwards, observes, that, "as it is the command of God that all should sing, so all should make conscience of learning to sing, as it is a thing that cannot be decently performed at all without learning. Those, therefore (where there is no natural inability), who neglect to learn to sing, live in sin, as they neglect what is necessary in order to their attending one of the ordinances of God's worship." We leave those who are wilfully dumb in God's house to consider this pointed remark! Much has been said as to the use of instrumental music in the house of God. On the one side it is observed, that we ought not to object to it, because it assists, devotion; that it was used in the worship of God under the Old Testament; and that the worship of heaven is represented by a delightful union of vocal and instrumental music. But, on the other side, it is remarked, that nothing should be done in or about God's worship without example or precept from the New-Testament; that, instead of aiding devotion, it often tends to draw off the mind from the right object; that it does not accord with the simplicity of Christian worship; that the prac tice of those who lived under the ceremonial dispensation can be no rule for us; that not one text in the New-Testament requires or authorises it by precept or example, by express words, or fair inference; and that the representation of the musical harmony in heaven is merely figurative language, denoting the happiness of the saints. We have not room here to prosecute the arguments on either side; but the reader may refer to p. 211 of the fourth volume of Bishop Beveridge's Thesaurus; Stillingfleet's and Bishop Horne's Sermons on Church Music; No. 630 of the eighth volume of the Spectator; Bishop Horne on the evil consequences which have no foundation in truth. 150th Psalm; Theol. Mag., vol. ii, p. 427, and vol. iv, p. 333, 458; Biblical Mag., vol. ii, p. 35; RidgOf all characters in society, a ley's Body of Div., ques. 155; slanderer is the most odious, and Haweis's Church History, vol. i, the most likely to produce misp. 403; Williams's Historical Essay chief. "His tongue," says the on Church Music, prefixed to Psal- great Massilon," is a devouring modia Evangelica, vol. ii, p. 56; fire, which tarnishes, whatever it Bedford's Temple Music; Lyra touches; which exercises its fury Evangelica; Practical Discourses on the good grain equally as on on Singing in the Worship of God, the chaff; on the profane as on preached at the Friday Evening the sacred; which, wherever it Lecture in Eastcheap, 1708; Dod-passes, leaves only desolation and well's Treatise on the Lawfulness of ruin; digs even into the bowels of Instrumental Music in Holy Duties. the earth; turns into vile ashes SLANDER, according to Dr. what only a moment before had Barrow, is uttering false speeches appeared to us so precious and against our neighbour, to the pre- brilliant; acts with more violence judice of his fame, safety, wel- and danger than ever, in the time fare; and that out of malignity, when it was apparently smothered vanity, rashness, ill-nature, or bad up, and almost extinct; which design. The principal kinds of blackens what it cannot consume, slander are these: 1. Charging and sometimes sparkles and deothers with facts they are not lights before it destroys. It is an guilty of.-2. Affixing scandalous assemblage of iniquity, a secret names and odious characters pride, which discovers to us the which they deserve not.-3. As- mote in our brother's eye, but persing a man's actions with foul hides the beam which is in our names, importing that they pro- own; a mean envy, which, hurt ceed from evil principles, or tend at the talents or prosperity of to bad ends, when it doth not others, makes them the subject of or cannot appear.-4. Perverting its censures, and studies to dim a man's words or acts disadvanta- the splendor of whatever outshines geously by affected misconstruc- itself; a disguised hatred, which tion.-5. Partial or lame repre- sheds in its speeches the hidden sentation of men's discourse or venom of the heart; an unworthy practice, suppressing some part of duplicity, which praises to the the truth, or concealing some cir-face, and tears in pieces behind cumstances which ought to be explained.-6. Instilling sly suggestions which create prejudice in the hearers.-7. Magnifying and aggravating the faults of others. -8. Imputing to our neighbour's practice, judgment, or profession, the back; a shameful levity, which has no command over itself, or words, and often sacrifices both fortune and comfort to the imprudence of an amusing conversation; a deliberate barbarity, which goes to pierce an absent brother; a scandal, where we become a subject of shame and sin to those who listen to us; an injustice, where we ravish from our brother what is dearest to him. It is a restless evil, which disturbs society; spreads dissension through cities and countries; disunites the strictest friendships; is the source of hatred and revenge; fills wherever it enters with disturbances and confusion; and every where is an enemy to peace, comfort, and christian good breeding. Lastly, it is an evil full of deadly poison: whatever flows from it is infected, and poisons whatever it approaches; that even its praises are empoisoned; its applauses malicious; its silence criminal; its gestures, motions, and looks, have all their venom, and spread it each in their way. Still more dreadful is this evil when it is found among those who are the professed disciples of Jesus Christ. Ah! the church formerly held in horror the exhibitions of gladiators, and denied that believers, brought up in the tenderness and benignity of Jesus Christ, could innocently feast their eyes with the blood and death of these unfortunate slaves, or form an harmless recreation of so inhuman a pleasure: but these renew more detestable shows; for they bring upon the stage not infamous wretches devoted to death, but members of Jesus Christ, their brethren; and there they entertain the spectators with wounds which they inflict on persons" who have devoted themselves to God. Barrow's Works, vol. i, ser. 17, 18; Massilon's Sermons, vol. i, ser. 6, English trans.; and article EVIL SPEAKING. SOCINIANS, a sect so called from Faustus Socinus, who died in Poland in 1604. There were two who bore the name Socinus, uncle and nephew, and both disseminated the same doctrine; but it is the nephew who is generally considered as the founder of this sect. They maintain "that Jesus Christ was a mere man, who had no existence before he was conceived by the Virgin Mary; that the Holy Ghost is no distinct person; but that the Father is truly and properly God. They own that the name of God is given in the holy scriptures to Jesus Christ, but contend that it is only a deputed title, which, however, invests him with a great authority over all created beings. They deny the doctrines of satisfaction and imputed righteousness, and say, that Christ only preached the truth to mankind, set before them in himself an example of heroic virtue, and sealed his doctrines with his blood. Original sin and absolute predestination they esteem scholastic chimeras. Some of them likewise maintain the sleep of the soul, which, they say, becomes insensible at death, and is raised again with the body at the resurrection, when the good shall be established in the possession of eternal felicity, while the wicked shall be consigned to a fire that will not torment them eternally, but for a certain duration proportioned to their demerits." There is some difference, however, between ancient and modern Socinians: the latter, indignant at the name Socinian, have ap-mentioned, have been, Haynes in propriated to themselves that of his Scripture Account of the AttriUnitarians, and reject the notions butes and Worship of God, and of of a miraculous conception and the Character and Offices of Jesus the worship of Christ; both which Christ; Dr. Lardner on the Logos; were held by Socinus. Dr. Priest- Priestley's Hist. of early Opinions ley has laboured hard in attempt- and Disquisitions; Lindsay in his ing to defend this doctrine of Historical View of Unitarianism; the Unitarians; but Dr. Horsley, and Belsham's Answer to Wilberbishop of Rochester, has ably re- force. Against the Socinian docfuted the doctor in his Theological trine may be consulted, Dr. Tracts, which are worthy the pe- Horne's Sermon on the Duty of rusal of every Christian, and espe- contending for the Faith; Dr. cially every candidate for the mi- Owen against Biddle; Dr. Hoornnistry. beck's Confutation of Socinianism; Calovius's Ditto; Macgowan's Socinianism brought to the Test; and books under articles ARIANS and JESUS CHRIST. Dr. Price agreed with the Socinians in the main, yet his system was somewhat different. He believed in the pre-existence of Christ, and likewise that he was more than a human being; and took upon him human nature for a higher purpose than merely revealing to mankind the will of God, and instructing them in their duty and in the doctrines of religion. The Socinians flourished greatly in Poland about the year 1551; and J. Siemienius, palatine of Podolia, built purposely for their use the city of Racow. A famous catechism was published, called the Racovian catechism; and their most able writers are known by the title of the Polones Fratres, or Polonian Brethren. Their writings were re-published together, in the year 1656, in one great collection, consisting of six volumes in folio, under the title of Bibliotheca Fratrum. An account of these authors may be seen in Dr. Toulmin's Life of Socinus. Some of the writers on the Socinian doctrine, besides the above SOLIFIDIANS, those who rest on faith alone for salvation, without any connexion with works; or who judge themselves to be Christ's, because they believe they are. SON OF GOD, a term applied in the scriptures not only to magistrates and saints, but more particularly to Jesus Christ. Christ, says bishop Pearson, has a fourfold right to this title. 1. By generation, as begotten of God, Luke i, 35.-2. By commission, as sent by him, John x, 34, 36.-3. By resurrection, as the first born, Acts xiii, 32, 33.-4. By actual possession, as heir of all, Heb. i, 2, 5. But besides these four, many think that he is called the Son of God in such a way and manner as never any other was, is, or can be, because of his own Divine nature, he being the true, proper, and natural Son of God, begotten by him before all worlds, John iii, 16. Rom. viii, 3. 1st John iv, 9. See article GE NERATION ETERNAL, and books there referred to. SORROW, uneasiness or grief, arising from the privation of some good we actually possessed. It is the opposite to joy. Though sorrow may be allowable under a sense of sin, and when involved in troubles, yet we must beware of an extreme. Sorrow, indeed, becomes sinful and excessive when it leads us to slight our mercies; causes us to be insensible to public evils; when it diverts us from duty; so oppresses our bodies as to endanger our lives; sours the spirit with discontent, and makes us inattentive to the precepts of God's word, and advice of our friends. In order to moderate our sorrows, we should consider that we are under the direction of a wise and merciful Being; that he permits no evil to come upon us without a gracious design; that he can make our troubles sources of spiritual advantage; that he might have afflicted us in a far greater degree; that, though he has taken some, yet he has left many other comforts; that he has given many promises of relief; that he has supported thousands in as great troubles as our's; and, finally, that the time is coming when he will wipe away all tears, and give to them that love him a crown of glory that fadeth not away. See RESIGNATION. SOUL, that vital, immaterial, active substance, or principle, in man, whereby he perceives, remembers, reasons, and wills. It is rather to be described as to its operations, than to be defined as to its essence. Various, indeed, have been the opinions of philosophers concerning its substance. The Epicureans thought it a subtile air, composed of atoms, or primitive corpuscles. The Stoics maintained it was a flame, or portion, of heavenly light. The Cartesians make thinking the essence of the soul. Some hold that man is endowed with three kinds of soul, viz. the rational, which is purely spiritual, and infused by the immediate inspiration of God; the irrational or sensitive, which, being common to man and brutes, is supposed to be formed of the elements; and, lastly, the vegetative soul, or principle of growth and nutrition, as the first is of understanding, and the second of animal life. The rational soul is simple, uncompounded, and immaterial, not composed of matter and form; for matter can never think and move of itself as the soul does. In the fourth volume of the Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester, the reader will find a very valuable paper, by Dr. Ferrier, proving, by evidence apparently complete, that every part of the brain has been injured without affecting the act of thought. It will be difficult for any man to peruse this without being convinced that the modern theory of the Materialists is shaken from its very foundation. The immortality of the soul may be argued from its vast capacities, boundless desires, great improvements, dissatisfaction with the present state, and desire of some kind of religion. It is also |