which Christ and his disciples had|| 19. Deut. xxxiv, 6. 2d Kings xiii, honoured with their presence; that, 21. 2d Kings xxiii, 16, 17, 18. Isaiah xi, 10. Matt. xi, 20, 21, 22. Acts v, 12, 15. Acts xix, 11, 12.

The Roman Catholics in Great Britain do not acknowledge any worship to be due to relics, but merely a high veneration and respect, by which means they think they honour God, who, they say, has often wrought very extraordinary miracles by them. But, however proper this veneration and respect may be, its abuse has been so great and so general, as fully to warrant the rejection of them altogether.

Relics are forbidden to be used or brought into England by several statutes; and justices of peace are empowered to search houses for popish books and relics, which, when found, are to be defaced, and burnt, &c. 3 Jac. I, cap. 26.

with the bones and other sacred remains of the first heralds of the Gospel, they might comfort dejected minds, calm trembling consciences, save sinking states, and defend their inhabitants from all sorts of calamities. Nor did these pious travellers return home empty: the craft, dexterity, and knavery of the Greeks, found a rich prey in the stupid credulity of the Latin relic-hunters, and made a profitable commerce of this new devotion. The latter paid considerable sums for legs and arms, skulls and jaw-bones (several of which were Pagan, and some not human), and other things that were supposed to have belonged to the primitive worthies of the Christian church; and thus the Latin churches came to the possession of those celebrated relics of St. Mark, St. James, St. Bartholomew, Cyprian, Pantaleon, and others, which they shew at this day with so much ostentation. But there were many, who, unable to procure for themselves these spiritual treasures by voyages and prayers, had recourse to violence and theft; for all sorts of means, and all sorts of attempts, in a cause of this nature, were considered, when successful, as pious and acceptable to the Supreme Being. Besides the arguments from anti-ed there to a congregation who quity, to which the Papists refer were attached to him, and vehein vindication of their worship of mently opposed the law of patronrelics, of which the reader may age. Being excluded from the form some judgment from this ar- communion of the church, he, ticle, Bellarmine appeals to scrip- with two or three other ministers, ture in support of it; and cites the constituted themselves into a presfollowing passages, viz. Exod. xiii,bytery, called the Presbytery of

RELIEF, a species of Dissenters in Scotland, whose only dif ference from the Scotch established church is the choosing their own pastors. They were separated from the church in the year 1752, occasioned by Mr. Thomas Gillespie being deposed for refusing to assist at the admission of a minister to a parish who were unwilling to receive him. When Mr. Gillespie was deprived of his parish, he removed to Dunfermline, and preach

Relief; willing to afford relief to Religion has been divided into all" who adhered to the consti- natural and revealed. By natural tution of the church of Scotland, religion is meant that knowledge, as exhibited in her creeds, canons, veneration, and love of God, and confessions, and forms of wor- the practice of those duties to ship." They are unwilling, it is him, our fellow-creatures, and oursaid, to be reckoned seceders. selves, which are discoverable by Their licentiates are educated un-the right exercise of our rationder the established church profes-al faculties, from considering the sors, whose certificates they ac- nature and perfections of God, knowledge. Many of their peo- and our relation to him and to ple receive the Lord's supper with one another. By revealed religion equal readiness in the established is understood that discovery which church as in their own. The re- he has made to us of his mind lief synod consists of about sixty and will in the holy scriptures. As congregations, and about 36,000 it respects natural religion, some persons. doubt whether, properly speaking, RELIGION is a Latin word, there can be any such thing; derived, according to Cicero, from since, through the fall, reason is relegere," to re-consider;" but, so depraved, that man without according to Servius and most mo-revelation is under the greatest der grammarians, from religare, darkness and misery, as may be "to bind fast." If the Ciceronian easily seen by considering the hisetymology be the true one, the tory of those nations who are word religion will denote the dili-destitute of it, and who are given gent study of whatever pertains to up to barbarism, ignorance, cruthe worship of God; but, accord-elty, and evils of every kind. ing to the other derivation, it de-So far as this, however, may be notes that obligation which we feel observed, that the light of nature on our minds from the relation in can give us no proper ideas of which we stand to some superior God, nor inform us what worship Power. The word is sometimes will be acceptable to him. It does used as synonymous with sect; not tell us how man became a but, in a practical sense, it is ge-fallen sinful creature, as he is, nerally considered as the same or how he can be recovered. It with godliness, or a life devoted affords us no intelligence as to the to the worship and fear of God. immortality of the soul, the resur[See GODLINESS.] The founda-rection of the body, and a future tion of all religion rests on the be-state of happiness and misery. The lief of the existence of God. As apostle, indeed, observes, that the we have, however, already consi-Gentiles have the law written on dered the evidences of the Divine their hearts, and are a law unto existence, they need not be enume-themselves; yet the greatest morated again in this place: the read-ralists among them were so blinded, er will find them under the article as to be guilty of, and actually to EXISTENCE OF GOD. countenance the greatest vices.

places. See also, as connected with this article, the articles INSPIRATION, REVELATION, and THEOLOGY, and books there recommended.

Such a system, therefore, it is sup- || Natural theology, in this sense of posed, can hardly be said to be re- the word, is the foundation of the ligious which leaves man in such Christian revelation; for, without uncertainty, ignorance, and im- a previous knowledge of it, we piety. See REVELATION.] On could have no evidence that the the other side it is observed, scriptures of the Old and New "that, though it is in the highest Testaments are indeed the word degree probable that the parents of God." of mankind received all their the- The religions which exist in ological knowledge by supernatural the world have been generally dimeans, it is yet obvious that some vided into four, the Pagan, the parts of that knowledge must have Jewish, the Mahometan, and the been capable of a proof purely Christian; to which articles the rational, otherwise not a single re-reader is referred. The various ligious truth could have been con- duties of the Christian religion. veyed through the succeeding ge- also are stated in their different nerations of the human race but by the immediate inspiration of each individual. We, indeed, admit many propositions as certainly true, upon the sole authority of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, RELIGIOUS, in a general and we receive these scriptures sense, something that relates to with gratitude as the lively oracles religion. It is also used for a of God; but it is self-evident that person engaged by semn vows we could not do either the one to the monastic life; or a person or the other, were we not con- shut up in a monastery, to lead a vinced by natural means that God life of devotion and austerity unexists; that he is a being of good-der some rule or institution. The ness, justice, and power; and that male religious are called monks he inspired with divine wisdom and friars; the females, nuns and the penmen of these sacred vo- canonesses. lumes. Now, though it is very RELLYANISTS, or RELLY AN possible that no man, or body of UNIVERSALISTS, the followers of men, left to themselves from in- Mr. James Relly. He first comfancy in a desert world, would menced his ministerial character ever have made a theological dis- in connexion with Mr. Whitefield, covery, yet, whatever propositions and was received with great popurelating to the being and attri- larity. Upon a change of his butes of the First Cause, and duty views, he encountered reproach, of man, can be demonstrated by and was pronounced by many as human reason, independent of an enemy to godliness. He bewritten revelation, may be called lieved that Christ as a Mediator natural theology, and are of the was so united to mankind, that utmost importance, as being to us his actions were theirs, his obethe first principles of all religion. dience and sufferings theirs ; and,

a mind in darkness and wrath must necessarily feel; that believers, called kings and priests, will be made the medium of communication to their condemned brethren ; and like Joseph to his brethren, though he spoke roughly to them, in reality overflowed with affec

consequently, that he has as fully Saviour of the world, under that restored the whole human race to condemnation of conscience which the divine favor, as if all had obeyed and suffered in their own persons; and upon this persuasion he preached a finished salvation, called by the apostle Jude, "the common salvation." Many of his followers are removed to the world of spirits, but a branch still survives, and meets at the chapel in Wind- tion and tenderness; that ultimatemill street, Moorfields, London; ly every knee shall bow, and evewhere there are different brethren ry tongue confess that in the Lord who speak. They are not observers they have righteousness and of ordinances, such as water bap-strength; and thus every enemy tism and the sacrament; professing shall be subdued to the kingdom to believe only in one baptism, and glory of the Great Mediator. which they call an immersion of the A Mr. Murray belonging to this mind or conscience into truth by society emigrated to America, and the teaching of the Spirit of God; preached these sentiments at Bosand by the same Spirit they are ton and elsewhere. Mr. Relly enabled to feed on Christ as the published several works, the prinbread of life, professing that in cipal of which were, "Union." and with Jesus they possess all" The trial of Spirits." "Christhings. They inculcate and main-tian Liberty." "One Baptism." tain good works for necessary pur-" The Salt of Sacrifice." "Anposes; but contend, that the prin- tichrist resisted." "Letters on cipal and only works which ought Universal Salvation." "The Cheto be attended to, is the doing real rubimical Mystery." good without religious ostentation; that to relieve the miseries and distresses of mankind according to our ability, is doing more real good than the superstitious observance of religious ceremonies. In general they appear to believe that there will be a resurrection to life, and a resurrection to condemnation; that believers only will be among the former, who as first fruits, and kings and priests, will have part in the first resurrection, and shall reign with Christ in his kingdom of the millennium; that unbelievers who are after raised, must wait the manifestation of the

See

REMEDIAL LAW. LAW; and article JUSTIFICATION, p. 455, vol. i.

REMONSTRANTS, a title given to the Arminians, by reason of the remonstrance which, in 1610, they made to the states of Holland against the sentence of the synod of Dort, which condemned them as heretics. Episcopius and Grotius were at the head of the Remonstrants, whose principles were first openly patronised in England by archbishop Laud. In Holland, the Calvinists presented an address in opposition to the remonstrance of the Arminians, and called it a

counter-remonstrance. See AR-repentance are distinguished thus: MINIANS and DORT. 1. A legal repentance flows only REMORSE, uneasiness occa- from a sense of danger and fear sioned by a consciousness of guilt. of wrath; but an evangelical reWhen it is blended with the fear of pentance is a true mourning for punishment, and arises to despair, sin, and an earnest desire of deliit constitutes the supreme wretch-verance from it.-2. A legal reedness of the mind.

pentance flows from unbelief, but evangelical is always the fruit and consequence of a saving faith.3. A legal repentance flows from an aversion to God and to his holy law, but an evangelical from love to both.-4. A legal repentance ordinarily flows from discouragement and despondency, but evangelical from encouraging hope.-5. A legal repentance is

REPENTANCE, in general, is sorrow for any thing past. In theology it signifies that sorrow for sin which produces newness of life. The Greek word most frequently used in the New Testament for repentance is a which properly denotes an after thought, or the soul recollecting its own actings; and that in such a manner as to produce sorrow temporary, but evangelical is the in the review, and a desire of daily exercise of the true Christian. amendment. Another word also-6. A legal repentance does at is used (s), which signifies most produce only a partial and anxiety or uneasiness upon the con- external reformation, but an evansideration of what is done. There gelical is a total change of heart are, however, various kinds of re- and life. pentance; as, 1. A natural repen- The author of true repentance tance, or what is merely the effect is God, Acts v, 31. The subjects of of natural conscience.-2. A na- it are sinners, since none but those tional repentance, such as the who have sinned can repent. The Jews in Babylon were called unto; means of repentance are the Word, to which temporal blessings were and the ministers of it; yet somepromised, Ezek. xviii, 30.-3. An times consideration, sanctified afexternal repentance, or an outward flictions, conversation, &c., have humiliation for sin, as in the been the instruments of repencase of Ahab.-4. A hypocritical tance. The blessings connected repentance, as represented in E- with repentance are, pardon, peace, phraim, Hos. vi, 16.-5. A legal and everlasting life, Acts i, 18. repentance, which is a mere work The time of repentance is the preof the law, and the effect of con- sent life, Isaiah Iv, 6. Eccl. ix, 10. victions of sin by it, which in The evidences of repentance are, time wear off, and come to no- faith, humility, prayer, and obedithing.-6. An evangelical repen-ence, Zech. xii, 10. The necessity tance, which consists in conviction of repentance appears evident from of sin; sorrow for it; confession the evil of sin; the misery it inof it; hatred to it; and renunciation volves us in here; the commands of it. A legal and evangelical given us to repent in God's word;