&c. As to its external evidence,||tended for universal benefit. It it is easily seen by the characters is a common objection to it, that of the men who composed it, the hitherto it has been confined to miracles wrought, its success, the few, and therefore could not come fulfilment of its predictions, &c. from God, who is so benevolent; [See SCRIPTURE.]-5. The con- but this mode of arguing will tents of revelation are agreeable equally hold against the permisto reason. It is true there are sion of sin, the inequalities of some things above the reach of Providence, the dreadful evils and reason; but a revelation contain-miseries of mankind which God ing such things is no contradic-could have prevented. It must be tion, as long as it is not against farther observed, that none deserve reason; for if every thing be re-a revelation; that men have dejected which cannot be exactly spised and abused the early revelacomprehended, we must become tions he gave to his people. This unbelievers at once of almost every revelation, we have reason to bething around us. The doctrines, lieve, shall be made known to the institutions, the threatenings, mankind. Already it is spreading the precepts, the promises, of the its genuine influence. In the cold Bible, are every way reasonable. regions of the North, in the burnThe matter, form, and exhibition ing regions of the South, the Bible of revelation are consonant with begins to be known; and, from the reason.-6. The revelation con- predictions it contains, we believe tained in our Bible is perfectly the glorious sun of revelation shall credible. It is an address to the shine and illuminate the whole reason, judgment, and affections globe.-9. The effects of revelaof men. The Old Testament a- tion which have already taken bounds with the finest specimens place in the world have been asof history, sublimity, and interest-tonishing. In proportion as the ing scenes of Providence. The Bible has been known, arts and facts of the New Testament are sciences have been cultivated, supported by undoubted evidence peace and liberty have been diffrom enemies and friends. The at- fused, civil and moral obligation testations to the early existence of have been attended to. Nations Christianity are numerous from have emerged from ignorance and Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenæus, Jus-barbarity, whole communities have tin Martyr, and Tatian, who were been morally reformed, unnatural Christians; and by Tacitus, Sue- practices abolished, and wise laws ton, Serenus, Pliny, &c., who were instituted. Its spiritual effects Heathens. [See CHRISTIANITY.] have been wonderful. Kings and -7. The revelations contained in peasants, conquerors and philosoour Bible are divinely inspired. The phers, the wise and the ignorant, matter, the manner, the scope, the the rich and the poor, have been predictions, miracles, preservation, brought to the foot of the cross; &c., &c., all prove this. [See IN-yea, millions have been enlightSPIRATION.]-8. Revelation is in- ened, improved, reformed, and

made happy by its influences. Let||reverend; private clergymen, reany one deny this, and he must verend. In France, before the be an hardened, ignorant infidel, revolution, their bishops, archindeed. Great is the truth, and bishops, and abbots, were all alike, must prevail. See Dr. Leland's most reverend. In Scotland, the Necessity of Revelation. "This clergy individually are, reverend; work," says Mr. Ryland, "has a synod is, very reverend; and the had no answer, and I am per-general assembly is, venerable. suaded it never will meet with a The Dissenters, aiso, in England, solid confutation.". Halyburton have the title of reverend; though against the Deists; Leland's View some of them suppose the term of Deistical Writers; Brown's implies too much to be given to Compendium of Natural and Re- a mere creature, and that of God vealed Religion; Stilling fleet's Ori- only it may be said with propriety gines Sacra, one of the ablest de-"holy and reverend is his name,” fences, it is said, of revealed reli- Psalm cxi, 4. gion ever written. Delany's Revelation examined with Candour; Arch. Campbell on Revelation; Ellis on Divine Things; Gale's Court of the Gentiles.

REVENGE means the return of injury for injury, or the infliction of pain on another in consequence of an injury received from him, farther than the just ends of reparation or punishment require. It has been observed, that revenge differs materially from resentment, which rises in the mind immediately on being injured; but revenge is a cool and deliberate wickedness, and is often executed years after the offence is given. It is forbidden by the scriptures, and is unbecoming the character and spirit of a peaceful follower of Jesus Christ.

REVERENCE, awful regard; an act of obeisance; a submissive and humble deportment. LORD'S NAME TAKEN IN VAIN.

See

RIGHTEOUSNESS, justice, holiness. The righteousness of God is the absolute and essential perfections of his nature; sometimes it is put for his justice. The righteousness of Christ denotes not only his absolute perfections, but is taken for his perfect obedience to the law, and suffering the penalty thereof in our stead. The righ teousness of the law is that obedience which the law requires. The righteousness of faith is the righteousness of Christ as received by faith. The saints have a threefold righteousness. 1. The righteousness of their persons, as in Christ, his merit being imputed to them, REVEREND, venerable; de- and they accepted on the account serving awe and respect. It is a thereof, 2d Cor. v, 21. Eph. v, title of respect given to ecclesias-27. Isaiah xlv, 24.-2. The righ tics. The religious abroad are call-teousness of their principles being ed reverend fathers; and abbesses, derived from, and formed accordprioresses, &c., reverend mothers. ing to the rule of right, Psalm In England, bishops are right cxix, 11.-3. The righteousness of reverend, and archbishops most their lives, produced by the sancti

fying influence of the Holy Spirit, || metical philosophers, who arose, without which no man shall see as it has been said, or at least bethe Lord, Heb. xii, 14. 1st Cor. came first taken notice of, in Gervi, 11. See IMPUTATION, JUs- many, in the beginning of the fourTIFICATION, SANCTIFICATION; teenth century. They bound themDickinson's Letters, let. 12; Wi-selves together by a solemn secret, therspoon's Essay on imputed Righ-which they all swore inviolably to teousness; Hervey's Theron and preserve; and obliged themselves, Aspasio; Dr. Owen on Justifica- at their admission into the order, tion; Watts's Works, p. 532. vol. to a strict observance of certain esiii, oct. ed; Jenks on Submission to the righteousness of God.

tablished rules. They pretended to know all sciences, and chiefly RITE, a solemn act of religion; medicine; whereof they published an external ceremony. [See CE- themselves the restorers. They REMONY.] For the rites of the pretended to be masters of abunJews; see Lowman's Hebrew Ritu- dance of important secrets, and, al; Spencer de Heb. Leg.; Durell among others, that of the philosoon the Mosaic Institution; Bishop pher's stone; all of which they afLaw's Theory of Religion, p. 89, firmed to have received by tradi6th ed.; Godwin's Moses and Aa- tion from the ancient Egyptians, ron; Edwards's Survey of all Reli-Chaldeans, the Magi, and Gymgions, vol. i, ch, 8.; Fenning's nosophists. They have been distinJewish Antiquities. guished by several names, accom

RITUAL, a book directing the modated to the several branches order and manner to be observed in of their doctrine; because they performing divine service in a par-pretend to protract the period of ticular church, diocese, or the like. human life by means of certain ROGEREENS, so called from nostrums, and even to restore John Rogers, their chief leader. youth. They were called ImmorThey appeared in New England tales, as they pretended to know about 1677. The principal distin- all things. They have been called guishing tenet of this denomination Illuminati; and, because they have was, that worship performed the made no appearance for several first day of the week was a species years, unless the sect of Illumiof idolatry which they ought to op-nated which lately started up on pose. In consequence of this, they the Continent derives its origin used a variety of measures to dis- from them, they have been called turb those who were assembled for the Invisible Brothers. Their sopublic worship on the Lord's day.ciety is frequently signed by the ROMISH CHURCH. See letters F. R. C., which some among CHURCH and POPERY. them interpret Fratres Roris Cocti; it being pretended that the matter of the philosopher's stone is dew concocted, exalted, &c.

ROSARY, a bunch or string of beads on which the Roman Catholics count their prayers.

ROSICRUCIANS, a name assumed by a sect or cabal of her

RUSSIAN CHURCH. See GREEK CHURCH.

S

SABBATARIANS, those who thwaite, in 1740.

See Evans's

Christian World; and books under next article.

total cessation from work, in commemoration of God's resting on the seventh day; and likewise in memorial of the redemption of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.

keep the seventh day as the sab-Sketch of the Denominations of the bath. They are to be found princpally, if not wholly, among the baptists. They object to the rea- SABBATH, in the Hebrew lansons which are generally alleged guage, signifies rest, and is the sefor keeping the first day; and as-venth day of the week: a day apsert, that the change from the se-pointed for religious duties, and a venth to the first was effected by Constantine on his conversion to Christianity. The three following propositions contain a summary of their principles as to this article of the sabbath, by which they stand Concerning the time when the distinguished. 1. That God hath sabbath was first instituted there required the observation of the se- have been different opinions. Some venth, or last day of every week, have maintained that the sanctifito be observed by mankind uni- cation of the seventh day menversally for the weekly sabbath.- tioned in Gen. ii, is only there 2. That this command of God is spoken of diens, or by an perpetually binding on man till ticipation; and is to be understood time shall be no more.-And, 3. of the sabbath afterwards enjoined That this sacred rest of the se- in the wilderness; and that the venth day sabbath is not (by Di-historian, writing after it was invine authority) changed from the seventh and last to the first day of the week, or that the scripture doth no where require the observation of any other day of the week for the weekly sabbath, but the seventh day only. They hold, in common with other Christians, the distinguishing doc-sanctification of the seventh day trines of Christianity. There are amongst the primeval transactwo congregations of the Sabbata- tions, if such sanctification had rians in London; one among the not taken place until 2500 years general Baptists, meeting in Mill afterwards.-2. That, considering Yard; the other among the parti- Adam was restored to favour cular Baptists, in Cripplegate. through a Mediator, and a reliThere are, also, a few to be found gious service instituted, which in different parts of the kingdom, man was required to observe, in and some it is said, in America. testimony not only of his dependA tract, in support of this doc-ence on the Creator, but also of his trine, was published by Mr. Corn-faith and hope in the promise,

stituted, there gives the reason of its institution; and this is supposed to be the case, as it is never mentioned during the patriarchal age. But against this sentiment it is urged, 1. That it cannot be easily supposed that the inspired penman would have mentioned the

it seems reasonable that an in-apostle gives to the Christians stitution so grand and solemn, and plainly allude to their religious so necessary to the observance of ssemblies on the first day.-7. this service, should be then ex- Pliny bears witness of the first istent.-3. That it is no proo:day of the week being kept as a against its existence because it is festival, in honour of the resurrecnot mentioned in the patriarchal tion of Christ; and the primitive age, no more than it is against its Christians kept it in the most soexistence from Moses to the end lemn manner. of David's reign. which was near These arguments, however, are 440 years. 4. That the sabbath not satisfactory to some, and it was mentioned as a well known must be confessed that there is no solemnity before the promulgation law in the New Testament conof the law, Exodus xvi, 23. For cerning the first day. However, the manner in which the Jews I look upon it as not so much the kept it, and the awful conse-precise time that is universally quences of neglecting it, we refer binding, as that one day out of the reader to the Old Testament, seven is to be regarded. "As it is Lev. xxvi, 34, 35. Neh. xiii, 16, impossible," says Dr. Doddridge, 18. Jer. xvii, 21. Ezek. xx, 16, 17. certainly to determine which is Numb. xv, 32 to 36. the seventh day from the creation; Under the Christian dispensa-and as, in consequence of the tion the sabbath is altered from spherical form of the earth, and the seventh to the first day of the the absurdity of the scheme which week. The arguments for the supposes it one great plain, the change are these: 1. As the se-change of place will necessarily venth day was observed by the occasion some alteration in the Jewish church in memory of the time of the beginning and ending rest of God after the works of of any day in question, it being the creation, and their deliver- always at the same time, someance from Pharaoh's tyranny, so where or other, sun-rising and the first day of the week has al-sun-setting, noon and midnight, it ways been observed by the Chris-seems very unreasonable to lay tian church in memory of Christ's such a stress upon the particular resurrection.-2 Christ made re-day as some do. It seems abunpeated visits to his disciples on dantly sufficient that there be six that day.-3. It is called the days of labour and one of religious Lord's day, Rev. i, 10.-4. On rest, which there will be upon the this day the apostles were assem-Christian and the Jewish scheme.' bled, when the Holy Ghost came As the Sabbath is of Divine indown so visibly upon them, tostitution, so it is to be kept holy qualify them for the conversion unto the Lord. Numerous have of the world.-5. On this day we been the days appointed by men find St. Paul preaching at Troas, for religious services; but these when the disciples came to break are not binding because of human bread.-6. The directions the institution. Not so the sabbath. VOL. II. 3 E