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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 re-, spect, by which means they think

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.

which Christ and his disciples had || 19. Deut. xxxiv, 6. 2d Kings xiii, honoured with their presence; that, 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 emp-they honour God, who, they say, ty: 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. Bartholo- RELIEF, a species of Dissenmew, Cyprian, Pantaleon, and ters in Scotland, whose only dif others, which they shew at this day|ference from the Scotch established with so much ostentation. But church is the choosing their own 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

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 all" who adhered to the constitution of the church of Scotland, as exhibited in her creeds, canons, confessions, and forms of worship." They are unwilling, it is said, to be reckoned seceders. Their licentiates are educated under the established church professors, whose certificates they acknowledge. Many of their people receive the Lord's supper with equal readiness in the established church as in their own. The relief synod consists of about sixty congregations, and about 36,000 persons. RELIGION is a Latin word, derived, according to Cicero, from relegere," to re-consider;" but, according to Servius and most modern grammarians, from religare, "to bind fast." If the Ciceronian etymology be the true one, the word religion will denote the diligent study of whatever pertains to the worship of God; but, according to the other derivation, it denotes that obligation which we feel on our minds from the relation in which we stand to some superior Power. The word is sometimes used as synonymous with sect; but, in a practical sense, it is generally considered as the same with godliness, or a life devoted to the worship and fear of God. [See GODLINESS.] The foundation of all religion rests on the belief of the existence of God. As we have, however, already considered the evidences of the Divine existence, they need not be enumerated again in this place: the reader will find them un-ralists among them were so blinded, der the article EXISTENCE OF as to be guilty of, and actually to God. countenance the greatest vices.

Religion has been divided inte natural and revealed. By natural religion is meant that knowledge, veneration, and love of God, and the practice of those duties to him, our fellow-creatures, and ourselves, which are discoverable by the right exercise of our rational faculties, from considering the nature and perfections of God, and our relation to him and to one another. By revealed religion is understood that discovery which he has made to us of his mind and will in the holy scriptures. As it respects natural religion,some doubt whether, properly speaking, there can be any such thing; since, through the fall, reason is so depraved, that man without revelation is under the greatest darkness and misery, as may be easily seen by considering the history of those nations who are destitute of it, and who are given up to barbarism, ignorance, cruelty, and evils of every kind. So far as this, however, may be observed, that the light of nature can give us no proper ideas of God, nor inform us what worship will be acceptable to him. It does not tell us how man became a fallen sinful creature, as he is, nor how he can be recovered. affords us no intelligence as to the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, and a future state of happiness and misery. The apostle, indeed, observes, that the Gentiles have the law written on their hearts, and are a law unto themselves; yet the greatest mo

It

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 of degree probable that the parents God." of mankind received all their theo- The religions which exist in logical 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 places. See also, as connected by the immediate inspiration of with this article, the articles INeach individual. We, indeed, ad- SPIRATION, REVELATION, and mit many propositions as certainly THEOLOGY, and books there retrue, upon the sole authority of commended. the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and we receive these scriptures with gratitude as the lively oracles of God; but it is self-evident that we could not do either the one or the other, were we not convinced by natural means that God exists; that he is a being of goodness, justice, and power; and that he inspired with divine wisdom the penmen of these sacred volumes. 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 written revelation, may be called natural theology, and are of the utmost importance, as being to us the first principles of all religion.

RELIGIOUS, in a general sense, something that relates to religion. It is also used for a person engaged by solemn vows to the monastic life; or a person shut up in a monastery, to lead a life of devotion and austerity under some rule or institution. The male religious are called monks and friars; the females, nuns and

canonesses.

an enemy to godliness. He believed that Christ as a Mediator was so united to mankind, that his actions were theirs, his obedience and sufferings theirs; and,

Saviour of the world, under that condemnation of conscience which 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

mately every knee shall bow, and
every tongue confess that in the
Lord they have righteousness and
strength; and thus every enemy
shall be subdued to the kingdom
and glory of the Great Mediator.
A Mr. Murray belonging to this
society emigrated to America, and
preached these sentiments at Bos-
ton and elsewhere. Mr. Relly
published several works, the prin-
cipal of which were, "Union."
"The trial of Spirits." "Chris-
tian Liberty." "One Baptism."
"The Salt of Sacrifice." "An-
tichrist resisted."
"Letters on
Universal Salvation." "The Che-
rubimical Mystery."

consequently, that he has as fully restored the whole human race to the divine favour, 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 Windmill-tion and tenderness; that ultistreet, Moorfields, London; where there are different brethren who speak. They are not observers of ordinances, such as water-baptism and the sacrament; professing to believe only in one baptism, which they call an immersion of the mind or conscience into truth by the teaching of the Spirit of God; and by the same Spirit they are enabled to feed on Christ as the bread of life, professing that in and with Jesus they possess all things. They inculcate and maintain good works for necessary purposes; but contend, that the principal and only works which ought to be attended to, is the doing real good without religious ostentation; that to relieve the miseries and distresses of mankind according to our ability, is doing more real REMONSTRANTS, a title good than the superstitious observ-given to the Arminians, by reason ance of religious ceremonies. In of the remonstrance which, in 1610, general they appear to believe that they made to the states of Holland there will be a resurrection to life, against the sentence of the synod and a resurrection to condemna- of Dort, which condemned them tion; that believers only will be as heretics. Episcopius and Groamong the former, who as first tius were at the head of the Refruits, and kings and priests, will monstrants, whose principles were have part in the first resurrection, first openly patronised in England and shall reign with Christ in his by archbishop Laud. In Holland, kingdom of the millennium; that the Calvinists presented an address unbelievers who are after raised, in opposition to the remonstrance must wait the manifestation of the of the Arminians, and called it a

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

counter-remonstrance. MINIANS and DORT.

See AR- repentance are distinguished thus: 1. A legal repentance flows only from a sense of danger and fear of wrath; but an evangelical repentance is a true mourning for sin, and an earnest desire of deli

most produce only a partial and external reformation, but an evangelical is a total change of heart and life.

REMORSE, uneasiness occasioned by a consciousness of guilt. When it is blended with the fear of punishment, and arises to despair, it constitutes the supreme wretch-verance from it.—2. A legal reedness of the mind. pentance flows from unbelief, but REPENTANCE, in general, is evangelical is always the fruit and sorrow for any thing past. In consequence of a saving faith.— theology it signifies that sorrow 3. A legal repentance flows from for sin which produces newness of an aversion to God and to his life. The Greek word most fre- holy law, but an evangelical from quently used in the New Testa- love to both.-4. A legal repenment for repentance is lavora,tance ordinarily flows from diswhich properly denotes an after couragement and despondency, thought, or the soul recollecting but evangelical from encouraging its own actings; and that in such hope.-5. A legal repentance is 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 (μlaμλoa), which signifies anxiety or uneasiness upon the consideration of what is done. There are, however, various kinds of repentance; as, 1. A natural repentance, or what is merely the effect of natural conscience.-2. A national repentance, such as the Jews in Babylon were called unto; to which temporal blessings were promised, Ezek. xviii, 30.-3. An external repentance, or an outward humiliation for sin, as in the case of Ahab.-4. A hypocritical repentance, as represented in Ephraim, Hos. vii, 16.-5. A legal repentance, which is a mere work of the law, and the effect of convictions of sin by it, which in time wear off, and come to nothing.-6. An evangelical repen-ence, Zech. xii, 10. The necessity tance, which consists in conviction of sin; sorrow for it; confession of it; hatred to it; and renunciation of it. A legal and evangelical

The author of true repentance is God, Acts v, 31. The subjects of it are sinners, since none but those who have sinned can repent. The means of repentance are the Word, and the ministers of it; yet sometimes consideration, sanctified afflictions, conversation, &c., have been the instruments of repentance. The blessings connected with repentance are, pardon, peace, and everlasting life, Acts i, 18. The time of repentance is the present life, Isaiah lv, 6. Eccl. ix, 10. The evidences of repentance are, faith, humility, prayer, and obedi

of repentance appears evident from the evil of sin; the misery it involves us in here; the commands given us to repent in God's word

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