lecture 197; Chandler's Sermons scripture respecting this day. Te

call it Sunday, is to set our wisdom before the wisdom of God, and to give that glory to a Pagan idol which is due to him alone. The ancient Saxons called it by

worshipped the Sun; and shall Christians keep up the memory of that which was highly displeasing to God, by calling the Sabbath by that name rather than by either of those he hath appointed? It is, indeed, called Sunday, only be cause it is customary; but this, say they, will not justify men in doing that which is contrary to the example and command of God, in his word.

against Popery, p. 34-37; and article ORDINATION. SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. To form an idea of Christ's suf ferings, we should consider the poverty of his birth; the reproach this name, because upon it they of his character; the pains of his body; the power of his enemies; the desertion of his friends; the weight of his people's sins; the slow, ignominious, and painful nature of his death; and the hidings of his Father's face. All these rendered his sufferings extremely severe; yet some heretics said, that the sufferings of Christ were only in appearance, and not real: but, as bishop Pearson observes, "If hunger and thirst; if revilings Others observe, that, although and contempt; if sorrows and it was originally called Sunday by agonies; if stripes and buffetings; the Heathens, yet it may very if condemnation and crucifixion, properly retain that name among be suffering, Jesus suffered. If Christians, because it is dedicatthe infirmities of our nature; if the ed to the honour of the true light, weight of our sins; if the malice which lighteth every man that of man; if the machinations of cometh into the world, of Him Satan; if the hand of God, could who is styled by the Prophet make him suffer, our Saviour suf- "the Sun of Righteousness," and fered. If the annals of time; if who on this day arose from the the writings of the apostles; if the dead. But although it was in the death of his martyrs; if the con- primitive times indifferently called fession of Gentiles; if the scoffs the Lord's Day, or Sunday, yet of the Jews, be testimonies, Jesus i was never denominated the Sabsuffered." For the end of Christ's bath; a name constantly approsuffering, see DEATH OF CHRIST. priated to Saturday, or the seSUNDAY, or the LORD'S DAY, venth day, both by sacred and a solemn festival observed by ecclesiastical writers. See SABChristians on the first day of every BATH. week, in memory of our Saviour's resurrection. See SABBATH.

It has been contended whether Sunday is a name that ought to be used by Christians. The words Sabbath and Lord's Day, sav some, are the only names mentioned in

SUPEREROGATION, what a man does beyond his duty, or more than he is commanded to do. The Romanists stand up strenuously for works of supererogation, and maintain that the observance of evangelical councils is such. By

superstes, asurvivor, it is evidently derived from it; and different at

means hereof a stock of merit is laid up, which the church has the disposal of, and which she distri-tempts have been made to trace

butes in indulgences to such as need.

their connexion in signification, but without any degree of certainty It is generally defined to be, the observance of unnecessary and uncommanded rites and practices in religion; reverence of objects not fit for worship; too great nicety, fears, or scrupulousness; or extravagant devotion; or religion wrong directed or conducted. The word may be applied to the idolatry of the Heathens, the traditions of the Jews, the unscrip

This absurd doctrine was first invented towards the close of the twelfth century, and modified and embellished by St. Thomas in the thirteenth: according to which, it was pretended that there actually existed an immense treasure of merit, composed of the pious deeds and virtuous actions which the saints had performed beyond what was necessary for their own salvation, and which were, there-tural rites of the Catholics; to the fore, applicable to the benefit of dependance placed by many on others; that the guardian and dis- baptism, the Lord's supper, and penser of this precious treasure other ceremonies. It may be exwas the Roman pontiff; and that, tended to those who, without any of consequence, he was empower-evidence, believe that prophecies ed to assign to such as he thought are still uttered, or miracles are proper a portion of this inex-performed. It is also applied to haustible source of merit, suitable those who believe in witchcraft, to their respective guilt, and suffi- magic, omens, &c. cient to deliver them from the nishment due to their crimes. SUPERINTENDENT, an

pu

Superstition, says Claude, usually springs either, 1. From servile fear, which makes people believe

ecclesiastical superior in several re-that God is always wrathful, and formed churches where episcopacy invents means to appease him.-2. is not admitted, particularly among Or from a natural inclination we the Lutherans in Germany, and all have to idolatry, which makes the Calvinists in some other places men think they see some ray of the The superintendent is similar to a Divinity in extraordinary creabishop, only his power is some-tures, and on this account worship what more restrained than that of them.-Or, 3. From hypocrisy, our diocesan bishops. He is the which makes men willing to dischief pastor, and has the direction charge their obligations to God of all the inferior pastors within by grimace, and by zeal for exhis district or diocese. ternal services.-Or, 4. From preSUPERSTITION is a word sumption, which makes men serve that has been used so indefinitely, God after their own fancies. that it is difficult to determine its Claude's Essay on the Composition precise meaning. From its resem-of a Ser., vol. ii, p. 499 and 29; blance in sound to the Latin word Saurin's Ser., vol. v, p. 49, Eng.

edit.; Gregory's Essays, essay iii. SUPRALAPSARIANS, persons who hold that God, without any regard to the good or evil works of men, has resolved, by an eternal decree supra lapsum, antecedently to any knowledge of the fall of Adam, and independently of it, to save some and reject others; or, in other words, that God intended to glorify his justice in the condemnation of some, as well as his mercy in the salvation" of others; and, for that purpose, decreed that Adam should necessarily fall.

ther subordinate to their eternal happiness, or ultimate, which is more properly the end, the glory of God; and if both are put together it is a state of everlasting communion with God, for the glorifying of the riches of his grace. The decree of the means includes the decree to create men to permit them to fall, to recover them out of it through redemption by Christ, to sanctify them by the grace of the Spirit and completely save them; and which are not to be reckoned as materially many decrees, but as making one formal Dr. Gill gives us the following decree; or they are not to be conaccount of Supralapsarianism.-sidered as subordinate, but as coThe question which he proposes to ordinate means, and as making up discuss is, "Whether men were one entire complete medium: for considered in the mind of God in it is not to be supposed that God the decree of election as fallen or decreed to create man, that he unfailen, as in the corrupt mass might permit him to fall, in order through the fall, or in the pure to redeem, sanctify, and save him; mass of creatureship previous to it, but he decreed all this that he and as to be created?" There are might glorify his grace, mercy, and some who think that the latter, so justice. And in this way of conconsidered, were the objects of sidering the decrees of God, they election in the Divine mind. These think that they sufficiently obviate are called Supralapsarians, though and remove the slanderous calumof these, some are of opinion that ny cast upon them with respect to man was considered as to be cre- the other branch of predestination, ated or creatable, and others as which leaves men in the same state created but not fallen. The for- when others are chosen, and that mer seems best, that, of the vast for the glory of God. Which number of individuals which came calumny is, that, according to up in the divine mind whom his them, God made man to damn power could create, those whom him; whereas, according to their he meant to bring into being he real sentiments, God decreed to designed to glorifyhimself by them make man, and made man neither in some way or other. The de- to damn him nor save him, but cree of election respecting any part for his own glory, which end is of thein may be distinguished into answered in them some way or the decree of the end and the de- other.-Again; they argue that the cree of the means. The decree end is first in view before the means, of the end respecting some is ei-and the decree of the end is, in

1

We desire to be informed, in the next place, say they, how it can be conceived that a determination to damn millions of mea can contribute to the glory of God? We easily conceive, that it is for the glory of divine justice to punish guilty men: but to resolve to damn men without the consideration of sin, to create them that they might sin, to determine that they should sin in order to their destruction, is what seems to us more likely to tarnish the glory of God than to display it.

order of nature, before the decree than his own interest, we deny the of the means; and what is first in proposition, and affirm that God intention, is last in execution. Now, created men for their own happias the glory of God is last in exe-ness, and in order to have subjects cution, it must be first in intention, upon whom he might bestow fawherefore men must be considered vours. in the decree of the end as not yet created and fallen; since the creation and permission of sin belong to the decree of the means, which in order of nature is after the decree of the end. And they add to this, that if God first decreed to create man, and suffer him to fall, and then out of the fall chose some to grace and glory, he must decree to create man without an end, which is to make God to do what no wise man would; for when a man is about to do any thing, he proposes an end, and then contrives and fixes on ways and means to bring about that end. They think also that this way of conceiving and speaking of these things best expresses the sove-thor of sin? In the general scheme reignty of God in them, as declared in the 9th ch. Romans, where he is said to will such and such things, for no other reason but because he wills them.

The opponents of this doctrine consider, however, that it is attended with insuperable difliculties. We demand, say they, an explanation of what they mean by this principle, "God hath made all things for his own glory." If they mean that justice requires a creature to devote himself to the worship and glorifying of his Creator, we grant it; if they mean that the attributes of God are displayed in all his works, we grant this too: but if the proposition be intended to affirm that God had no other view in creating men, so to speak,

Again; we demand how, according to this hypothesis, it can be conceived that God is not the au

of our churches, God only permits men to sin, and it is the abuse of liberty that plunges man inte misery: even this principle, all lenified as it seems, is yet subject to a great number of difficulties; but in this scheme, God wills sin to produce the end he proposed in creating the world, and it was necessary that men should sin: God created them for that. If this be not to make God the author of sin, we must renounce the most distinct and clear ideas.

Again; we require them to reconcile this system with many express declarations of scripture, which inform us that God would have all men to be saved. How doth it agree with such pressing intreaties, such cutting reproofs,