and the precarious arguments generally, advanced in proof thereof, the best and surest way is to return to the simplicity of nature, and the belief of one God; which is the only truth agreed to by all nations. They complain, that the freedom of thinking and reasoning is op-|| pressed under the yoke of religion, and that the minds of men are tyrannized over, by the necessity imposed on them of believing inconceivable mysteries; and contend that nothing should be required to be assented to or believed but what their reason clearly conceives. The distinguishing character of modern deists is, that they discard all pretences to revelation as the effects of imposture or enthusiasm. They profess a regard for natural religion, though they are far from being agreed in their notions concerning it. sins; and if we do so, God will pardon them.-5. That there are rewards for good men and punishments for bad men, both here and hereafter. A number of advocates have appeared in the same cause; and however they may have differed among themselves, they have been agreed in their attempts of invalidating the evidence and authority of divine revelation. We might mention Hobbes, Blount, Toland, Collins, Woolston, Tindal, Morgan, Chubb, lord Bolingbroke, Hume, Gibbon, Paine, and some add lord Shaftesbury to the number. Among foreigners, Voltaire, Rous writer of any note that appeared in this country was Herbert, baron of Cherbury. He lived and wrote in the seventeenth century. His book De Veritate was first published at Paris in 1624. This, together with his book De Causis Errorum, and his treatise De Religione Laici, were afterwards published in London. His celebrated work De Religione Gentilium was published at Amsterdam in 1663 in 4to., and in 1700 in 8vo. ; and an English translation of it was published at London in 1705. As he was one of the first that formed deism into a system, and asserted the sufficiency, universality, and absolute perfection of natural religion, with a view to discard all extraordinary revelation as useless and needless, we shall subjoin the five fundamental articles of this universal religion. They are these: 1. There is one They are classed by some of their own supreme God.-2. That he is chiefly to writers into mortal and immortal de- be worshipped.-3. That piety and vir⚫ists; the latter acknowledging a future || tue are the principal part of his worstate; and the former denying it, or re-ship.-4. That we must repent of our presenting it as very uncertain. Dr. Clarke distinguishes four sorts of deists. 1. Those who pretend to believe the existence of an eternal, infinite, independent, intelligent Being, who made the world, without concerning himself in the government of it.-2. Those who believe the being and natural providence of God, but deny the difference of actions as morally good or evil, resolving it into the arbitrary constitution of human laws; and therefore they suppose that God takes no notice of them. With respect to both these classes, he observes that their opinions can consistently terminate in nothing but down-seau, Condorcet, and many other celeright atheism.-3. Those who, having right apprehensions concerning the nature, attributes, and all governing providence of God, seem also to have some notion of his moral perfections; though they consider them as transcendent, and such in nature and degree, that we can form no true judgment, nor argue with any certainty concerning them: but they deny the immortality of human souls; alleging that men perish at death, and that the present life is the whole of human existence.-4. Those who believe the existence, perfections, and providence of God, the obligations of natural religion, and a state of future retribution, on the evidence of the light of Nature, without a divine revelation; such as these, he says, are the only true deists: but their principles, he apprehends, should lead them to embrace Christianity; and therefore he concludes that there is now no consistent scheme of deism in the world. The first deistical as brated French authors, have rendered themselves conspicuous by their deistical writings. "But," as one observes, "the friends of Christianity have no reason to regret the free and unreserved discussion which their religion has undergone. Objections have been stated and urged in their full force, and fully answered; arguments and raillery have been repelled: and the controversy between Christians and deists has called forth a great number of excellent writers, who have illustrated both the doctrines and evidences of Christianity in a manner that will ever reflect honour on their names, and be of lasting service to the cause of genuine religion, and the best interests of mankind.” || See articles CHRISTIANITY, INFIDELITY, INSPIRATION and SCRIPTURE, in this work. Leland's View of Deistical Writers; Sermons at Boyle's Lecture; Ha|| lyburton's Natural Religion insufficient; Leslie's Short Method with the Deists; earth; unless perhaps they had been retained there by a miracle; in that case, Moses, no doubt, would have re Bishop Watson's Apology for the Bible; dences of Christianity. DEITY OF CHRIST. CHRIST. See JESUS waters of the Red Sea, &c. It may also be observed, that in regions far remote from the Euphrates and Tigris, viz. DELUGE, the flood which over. Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, flowed and destroyed the earth. This England, &c. there are frequently found flood makes one of the most considerable in places many scores of leagues from epochas in chronology. Its history is the sea, and even in the tops of high given by Moses, Gen. vi. and vii. Its mountains, whole trees sunk deep under time is fixed by the best chronologers to ground, as also teeth and bones of anithe year from the creation 1656, an-mals, fishes entire, sea shells, ears of swering to the year before Christ 2293. || corn, &c. petrefied; which the best naFrom this flood, the state of the world turalists are agreed could never have is divided into diluvian and antedilu vian. come there but by the deluge. That the Greeks and western nations had Men who have not paid that regard some knowledge of the flood, has neto sacred history as it deserves, have ver been denied; and the Mussulmen, cavilled at the account given of a uni-Chinese, and Americans, have traditions versal deluge. Their objections princi of the deluge. The ingenious Mr. Brypally turn upon three points: 1. The || ant, in his Mythology, has pretty clearly want of any direct history of that event proved that the deluge, so far from beby the profane writers of antiquity.-2 ing unknown to the heathen world at The apparent impossibility of account-large, is in reality conspicuous throughing for the quantity of water necessary to overflow the whole earth to such a depth as it is said to have been.-And, 3. There appearing no necessity for a universal deluge, as the same end might have been accomplished by a partial one. || out every one of their acts of religious worship. In India, also, Sir William Jones has discovered, that in the oldest mythological books of that country. there is such an account of the deluge as corresponds sufficiently with that of Moses. To the above arguments we oppose Various have been the conjectures of the plain declarations of Scripture. God learned men as to the natural causes of declared to Noah that he was resolved the deluge. Some have supposed that to destroy every thing that had breath a quantity of water was created on purunder heaven, or had life in the earth, pose, and at a proper time annihilated by a flood of waters; such was the by Divine power. Dr. Burnet supposes threatening, such was the execution. the primitive earth to have been no The waters, Moses assures us, covered more than a crust investing the water the whole earth, buried all the moun contained in the ocean; and in the tains; every thing perished therein that central abyss which he and others suphad life, excepting Noah and those with pose to exist in the bowels of the earth him in the ark. Can a universal de-at the time of the flood, this outward luge be more clearly expressed? If the crust broke in a thousand pieces, and deluge had only been partial, there had sunk down among the water, which thus been no necessity to spend a hundred spouted up in vast cataracts, and overyears in the building of an ark, and flowed the whole surface. Others, supshutting up all sorts of animals therein, posing a sufficient fund of water in the in order to re-stock the world: they sea or abyss, think that the shifting of had been easily and readily brought || the earth's centre of gravity drew after from those parts of the world not over it the water out of the channel, and flowed into those that were; at least, overwhelmed the several parts of the all the birds never would have been de-earth successively. Others ascribe it to stroyed, as Moses says they were, so long as they had wings to bear them to those parts where the flood did not reach. If the waters had only overflowed the neighbourhood of the Euphrates and the Tigris, they could not be fifteen cubits above the highest mountains; there was no rising that height, but they must spread themselves, by the laws of gravity, over the rest of the the shock of a comet, and Mr. King supposes it to arise from subterraneous fires bursting forth with great violence under the sea. But are not most, if not all these hypotheses quite arbitrary, and without foundation from the words of Moses? It is, perhaps, in vain to attempt accounting for this event by natural causes, it being altogether miraculous land supernatural, as a punishment to men for the corruption then in the world. Let us be satisfied with the sources which Moses gives us, namely, the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven opened; that is, the waters rushed out from the hidden abyss of the bowels of the earth, and the clouds poured down their rain incessantly. Let it suffice us to know, that all the elements are under God's power; that he can do with them as he pleases, and frequently in ways we are ignorant of, in order to accomplish his own purposes. The principal writers on this subject have been Woodyard, Cockburn, Bryant,|| Burnet, Whiston, Stillingfleet, King, Catcott and Tytler. DEPRAVITY, corruption, a change from perfection to imperfection. See FALL, SIN DEPRECATORY, a term applied to the manner of performing some ceremonies in the form of prayer. The form of absolution in the Greek church is de precative, thus expressed-May God absolve you; whereas in the Latin church it is declarative-I absolve you. DESCENT of Christ into Hell. See HELL. DESERTION, a term made use of to denote an unhappy state of mind, oc casioned by the sensible influences of the divine favour being withdrawn. Some of the best men in all ages have suffered a temporary suspension of divine enjoyments, Job xxix. 2. Ps. li. Isa. xlix. 14. Lam. iii. 1. Isa. i. 10. The causes of this must not be attributed to the Almighty, since he is always the same, but must arise from ourselves. Neglect of duty, improper views of Providence, self-confidence, a worldly spirit, lukewarmness of mind, inattention to the means of grace, or open transgression, may be considered as leading to this state. As all things, however, are under the divine control, so even desertion, or, as it is sometimes express ed in Scripture, "the hidings of God's face," may be useful to excite humility, exercise faith and patience, detach us from the world, prompt to more vigorous action, bring us to look more to God as the fountain of happiness, conform us to his word, and increase our desires for that state of blessedness which is to come. Hervey's Ther. and Asp. dial. xix.; Watts' Medit. on Job, xxiii. 3. Lambert's Ser. vol. i. ser. 16;|| Flavel's Works, vol. i. p. 167. folio. DESIRE is an eagerness to obtain or enjoy an object which we suppose to be good. Those desires, says Dr. Watts,|| that arise without any express ideas of the goodness or agreeableness of their DESPAIR, the loss of hope; that state of mind in which a person loses his confidence in the divine mercy. Some of the best antidotes against despair, says one, may be taken from the consideration, 1. Of the nature of God, his goodness, mercy, &c.-2. The tes timony of God: he hath said, he desireth not the death of the sinner.-3. From the works of God: he hath given his Son to die,-4. From his promises, Heb. xiii. 5.-5. From his commands: he hath commanded us to confide in his mercy.-6. From his expostulations, &c. Baxter on Religious Melancholy: Claude's Essays, p. 388, Robinson's Edit.; Gisborne's Sermon on Religious Despondency. DESTRUCTIONISTS, those who believe that the final punishment threatened in the Gospel to the wicked and impenitent, consists not in an eternal preservation in misery and torment, but in a total extinction of being, and that the sentence of annihilation shall be executed with more or less torment, preceding or attending the final period, in proportion to the greater or less guilt of the criminal. The name assumed by this denomination, like those of many others, takes for granted the question in disput, viz. that the Scripture word destruction means annihilation; in strict propriety of speech, they should be called Annihilationists. The doctrine is largely maintained in the sermons of Mr. Samuel Bourn, of Birmingham; it was held also by Mr. J. N. Scott; Mr. John Taylor, of Norwich; Mr. Marsom; and many others. In defence of the system, Mr. Bourn ||rials thrown into a fire, which will conargues as follows: There are many pas-sequently be entirely consumed, if the sages in Scripture in which the ultimate fire be not quenched. Depart from me, punishment to which wicked men shall ye cursed, into everlasting fire,prepared be adjudged is defined in the most pre-for the devil and his angels. The cise and intelligible terms, to be an- meaning is, a total, irrevocable destruceverlasting destruction from the power tion; for, as the tree that bringeth not of God, which is equally able to destroy forth good fruit is hewn down and cast as to preserve. So when our Saviour is into the fire, and is destroyed; as the fortifying the minds of his disciples useless chaff, when separated from the against the power of men, by an awe of good grain, is set on fire, and, if the fire the far greater power of God, and the be not quenched, is consumed; so, he punishment of his justice, he express- thinks, it plainly appears, that the image eth himself thus: Fear not them that of unquenchable, or everlasting fire is kill the body, and after that have no not intended to signify the degree or du. more that they can do ; fear him who is ration of torment, but the absolute cerable to destroy both soul and body in tainty of destruction, beyond all possihell. Here he plainly proposes the de- bility of recovery. So the cities of Sostruction of the soul (not its endless pain dom and Gomorrah are said to have and misery) as the ultimate object of suffered the vengeance of an eternal the divine displeasure, and the greatest fire; that is, they were so effectually object of our fear. And when he says, consumed, or destroyed, that they could These shall go away into everlasting never be rebuilt; the phrase, eternal punishment, but the righteous into life fire, signifying the irrevocable destruceternal, it appears evident that by that tion of those cities, not the degree or eternal punishment which is set in oppo- duration of the misery of the inhabitants sition to eternal life, is not meant any who perished. kind of life, however miserable, but the The images of the worm that dieth same which the apostle expresses by not, and the fire that is not quenched, everlasting destruction from the pre-used in Mark, ix. 43, are set in opposisence and power of the Lord. The very term, death, is most frequently made use of to signify the end of wicked men in another world, or the final effect of divine justice in their punishment. The wagesof sin (saith the apostle) is death; but eternal life is the gift of God,through Christ Jesus our Lord. See also Rom. viii. 6. tion to entering into life, and intended to denote a period of life and existence, Our Saviour expressly assigns different degrees of future misery, in proportion to men's respective degrees of guilt, Luke, xii. 47, 48. But if all wicked_men shall suffer torments without end, how can any of them be said to suffer but a few stripes? All degrees and distinction of punishment seem swallowed up in the notion of never-end Finally, death and eternal destruction, or annihilation, is properly styled in the New Testament an everlasting punishment, as it is irrevocable and unalterable for ever; and it is most strictly and literally styled, an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. To imagine that by the term death is meant an eternal life, though in a condition of extreme misery, seems, ac-ing or infinite misery. cording to him, to be confounding all propriety and meaning of words. Death, when applied to the end of wicked men in a future state, he says, properly denotes a total extinction of life and being. It may contribute, he adds, to fix this meaning, if we observe that the state to which temporal death reduces men is usually termed by our Saviour and his Dr. Edwards, in his answer to Dr. apostles, sleep; because from this death Chauncey, on the salvation of all men, the soul shall be raised to life again; but says that this scheme was provisionally from the other, which is fully and pro- retained by Dr. C. i. e. in case the perly death, and of which the former is scheme of universal salvation should fail but an image or shadow, there is no re- him: and therefore Dr. E., in his exacovery: it is an eternal death, an ever-mination of that work, appropriates a lasting destruction from the presence of chapter to the consideration of it. Among the Lord, and the glory of his power. other reasonings against it are the folHe next proceeds to the figures by || which the eternal punishment of wicked 1. The different degrees of punishmen is described, and finds them per- ment which the wicked will suffer acfectly agreeing to establish the same cording to their works, prove that it doctrine. One figure or comparison,does not consist in annihiliation, which often used, is that of combustible mate-admits of no degree. lowing: T : 2. If it be said that the punishment of hell;" they "believe and tremble;" the wicked, though it will end in anni- they are reserved in chains under darkhilation, yet shall be preceded by tor-ness to the judgment of the great day; ment, and that this will be of different they cried, saying, "What have we to degrees according to the degrees of sin; do with thee? Art thou come to torit may be replied, this is making it to be ment us before our time? Could the decompounded partly of torment, and part-vils but persuade themselves they should be annihilated, they would believe and be at ease rather than tremble. 5. The Scriptures explain their own meaning in the use of such terms as death, destruction, &c. The second death is expressly said to consist in be 6. The happiness of the righteous does not consist in eternal being, but eternal well-being; and as the punishment of the wicked stands every where opposed to it, it must consist not in the loss of being, but of well-being, and in suffering the contrary. ly of annihilation. The latter also appears to be but a small part of future punishment, for that alone will be inflicted on the least sinner, and on account of the least sin; and that all punishment which will be inflicted on any person above that which is due to the leasting cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, sin, is to consist in torment. Nay, if we and as having a part in that lake, Rev. xx. can form any idea in the present state 14. xxi. 8: which does not describe anof what would be dreadful or desirable nihilation, nor can it be made to consist in another, instead of its being any pu with it. The phrase cut him asunder, nishment to be annihilated after a long Matt. xxiv. 51. is as strong as those of series of torment, it must be a deliver-death, or destruction; yet that is made to ance, to which the sinner would look consist of having their portion with hypoforward with anxious desire. And is it crites, where shall be weeping and gnashing credible that this was the termination of teeth. of torment that our Lord held up to his disciples as an object of dread? Can this be the destruction of body and soul in hell? Is it credible that everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, should constitute only a part, and a small part, of future punishment; and such too, as, after a series of torment, must, next to being made happy, be the most acceptable thing that could befal them? Can this be the object threatened by such language, as recompensing tribulation, and taking vengeance in flaming fire? 2. Thess. i. Is it possible that God should threaten them with putting an end to their miseries? Moreover, this DETRACTION, in the native imdestruction is not described as the con-portance of the word, signifies the withclusion of a succession of torments, but drawing or taking off from a thing: and as taking place immediately after the as it is applied to the reputation, it delast judgment. When Christ shall come notes the impairing or lessening a man to be glorified in his saints, then shall in point of fame, rendering him less va. the wicked be destroyed. lued and esteemed by others. Dr. Barrow observes (Works, vol. i. ser. 19 that it differs from slander, which involves an imputation of falsehood: from reviling, which includes bitter and foul language; and from censuring, which is of a more general purport, extending indifferently to all kinds of persons, qualities, and actions; but detraction especially respects worthy persons good qua. lities, and laudable actions, the reputation of which it aimeth to destroy. It is a fault opposed to candour, 3. Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his pawer, cannot mean annihilation, for that would be no exertion of divine power, but merely the suspension of it: but let the upholding power of God be withheld for one moment, and the whole creation would sink into nothing. The great Dr. Watts may be considered, in some measure, a destructionist; since it was his opinion that the children of ungodly parents who die in infancy are annihilated. See ANNIHILATION, HELL; Bourn's Sermons; Dr. Edwards on the Salvation of all Men strictly examined; Adams' View of all Religions. 4. The punishment of wicked men will be the same as that of wicked an gels, Matt. xxv. 41. Depart ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the de Nothing can be more incongruous vil and his angcls. But the punishment with the spirit of the Gospel, the exam. of wicked angels consists not in annihi-ple of Christ, the command of God, and lation, but torment. Such is their present punishment in a degree, and such in a greater degree will be their punishment hereafter. They are "cast down to the love of mankind, than a spirit of detraction; and yet there are many who never seem happy but when they are employed in this work: they feed and |