these; that there is but one substance in nature, and that this only substance is endued with an argued from the consent of all nations; the consciousness that men have of sinning; the stings of conscience; the justice and pro-infinite variety of attributes, avidence of God. How far these arguments are conclusive I will not say; but the safest, and, in fact, the only sure ground to go upon to prove this doctrine is the word of God, where we at once see it clearly established, Matt. x. 28. Matt. xxv. 46. Dan. xii, 2. 2d Tim. i, 10. 1st Thess. iv. 17, 18. John x, 28. But as this article belongs rather to metaphysics than to theology, we refer the reader to A. Baxter on the Soul; Locke an mong which are, extension and cogitation; that all the bodies in the universe are modifications of this substance, considered as extended; and that all the souls of men are modifications of the same substance, considered as cogitative; that God is a necessary and infinitely perfect Being, and is the cause of all things that exist, but not a different Being from them: that there is but one Being, and one Nature; and that this Nature the Understanding; Watts's On- produces within itself, by an imtology; Jackson on Matter and manent act, all those which we Spirit; Flavel on the Soul; More's call creatures; and that this BeImmortality of the Soul; Hartley ing is, at the same time, both on Man; Bp. Porteus's Sermons, ser. 5, 6, 7, vol. i; Doddridge's Lectures, lect. 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97; Drew's Essay on the Immateriality and Immortality of the Soul. SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, is his power and right of dominion over his creatures to dispose and determine them as seemeth him good. This attribute is evidently demonstrated in the systems of creation, providence, and grace; and may be considered as absolute, universal, and everlasting, Dan. iv. 35. Eph. i, 11. See DOMINION, GOVERNMENT, POWER, and WILL OF GOD; Coles on the Sovereign- || ty of God; and Charnock on the Dominion of God, in his Works, vol. i, p. 690. SPINOSISM, the doctrine of Spinoza, who was born a Jew at Amsterdam in 1632. The chief articles in his system are such as agent and patient, efficient cause and subject, but that he produces nothing but modifications of himself. Thus is the Deity made the sole agent, as well as patient, in all evil, both physical and moral. If this impious doctrine be not Atheism (or, as it is sometimes called, Pantheism), I know not what is. See PANTHEISM. SPIRIT, an incorporeal being or intelligence; in which sense God is said to be a spirit, as are angels, and the human soul. SPIRITUALITY OF GOD, is his immateriality, or being without body. It expresses an idea (says Dr.Paley)made up of a negative part and of a positive part. The negative part consists in the exclusion of some of the known properties of matter, especially of solidity, of the vis inertiæ, and of gravitation. The positive part comprises perception, thought, will power, action, by which last term the decorating of it, according to is meant the origination of motion. their old customs; withal prohibitNat. Theol., p. 481. See INCOR-ing all unlawful games to be used POREALITY OF GOD. on Sundays only; as bear-baiting, SPIRITUAL-MINDED- bull-baiting, interludes, and at all times (in the meaner sort of people prohibited) bowling." Two or three restraints were annexed to the declaration, which deserve the NESS, that disposition implanted in the mind by the Holy Spirit, by which it is inclined to love, delight in, and attend to spiritual things. The spiritual-minded highly ap-reader's notice: 1st. "No recupreciate spiritual blessings-are engaged in spiritual exercisespursue spiritual objects-are influenced by spiritual motives-and experience spiritual joys. To be spiritually-minded, says St. Paul, is life and peace, Rom. viii, 6. See Dr. Owen's excellent Treatise on this subject. sant (i. e. Papist) was to have the benefit of this declaration.—2dly. Nor such as were not present at the whole of divine service.-Nor, 3dly, such as did not keep to their own parish churches, that is, Puritans." This declaration was ordered to be read in all the parish churches of Lancashire, which abounded with Papists; and Wilson adds, that it was to have been read in all the churches of England, but that archbishop Abbot, being at Croy there. In the reign of king Charles I, archbishop Laud put the king upon republishing this declaration, which was accordingly done. The SPONSORS, are those persons who, in the office of baptism, answer, or are sureties, for the persons baptized. See GODFATHERS. SPORTS, Book of, a book or declaration drawn up by Bp. Mor-don, flatly forbade its being read ton in the reign of K. James I, to encourage recreations and sports on the Lord's day. It was to this effect: "That for his good people's recreation his Majesty's plea-court had their balls, masquerades, sure was, that, after the end of and plays, on the Sunday evendivine service, they should not be ings; while the youth of the disturbed, letted, or discouraged, country were at their morricefrom any lawful recreations; dances, may-games, church and such as dancing, either of men or clerk ales, and all such kind of women; archery for men; leaping, revelling. The severe pressing vaulting, or any such harmless re- of this declaration made sad hacreations; nor having of may-vock among the Puritans, as it games, whitsonales, or morrice- was to be read in the churches. dances; or setting up of may-poles, or other sports therewith used, so as the same may be had in due and convenient time, without impediment or let of divine service; and that women should have leave to carry rushes to the church for Many poor clergymen strained to the times! STEADFASTNESS. See CoN and that a wise man will be happy in the midst of torture, because virtue itself is happiness. adding, "This is the law of God:" the other, "The injunction of man." Some put it upon their curates, whilst great numbers ab- Of all the sects, however, of the solutely refused to comply: the ancient philosophers, it is said that consequence of which was, that the Stoics came nearest to the several clergymen were actually Christian; and that not only with suspended for not reading it.-respect to their strict regard to moSuch, alas, was the awful state of ral virtue, but also on account of their moral principles; insomuch, that Jerom affirms that in many things they agree with us. They asserted the unity of the Divine Being-the creation of the world by the y, or Wordthe doctrine of Providence-and the conflagration of the universe. They believed in the doctrine of fate, which they represented as no other than the will and purpose of God, and held that it had no tendency to looseness of life. STANCY. STYLITES, pillar saints; an appellation given to a kind of solitaries, who stood motionless upon the tops of pillars, raised for this STOICS, heathen philosophers, who took their name from the Greek word stoa, signifying a porch or portico, because Zeno, the head of the stoics, kept his school in a porch of the city of Athens. It is supposed that Zeno borrowed many of his opinions from the Jewish scriptures; but it is certain that Socrates and Plato had taught much of them before. The Stoics generally maintained that nature impels every man to pursue whatever appears to him to be good. According to them, self-exercise of their patience, and represervation and defence is the first law of animated nature. All animals necessarily derive pleasure from those things which are suited to them; but the first object of pursuit is not pleasure, but conformity to nature. Every one, therefore, who has a right discernment of what is good, will be chiefly concerned to conform to nature in all his actions and pursuits. This is the origin of moral obligation.lumn six cubits high; then on a With respect to happiness or good, the stoical doctrine was altogether extravagant: they taught that all external things are indifferent, and cannot affect the happiness of man; that pain, which does not belong to the mind, is no evil; VOL. II. 3 L mained there for several years, amidst the admiration and applause of the stupid populace. Öf these, we find several mentioned in ancient writers, and even as low as the twelfth century, when they were totally suppressed. The founder of the order was St. Simeon Stylites, a famous anchoret in the fifth century, who first took up his abode on a co second of twelve cubits; a third The tops fended by a rail that reached almost to the girdle, somewhat resembling a pulpit. There was no lying down in it. The Faquirs, or devout people of the East, imitate this extraordinary kind of life to this day. All CAL. Subscription to articles of SUB-DEACON, an inferior religion is required of the clergy minister, who anciently attended at of every established church, and of the altar, prepared the sacred some churches not established. But vessels, delivered them to the it has been a matter of dispute whedeacons in time of divine service, ther it answers any valuable purattended the doors of the church pose as to religion, however ne during communion service, went cessary as a test of loyality. on the bishop's embassies with his language is more or less ambiguletters, or messages, to foreign ous, so that it is difficult always churches, and was invested with to understand the exact sense, or the first of the holy orders. They the animus imponentis, especially were so subordinate to the superior when creeds have been long estarulers of the church, that, by ablished. It is said that the clergy canon of the council of Laodicea, of the churches of England and they were forbidden to sit in the Scotland seldom consider thempresence of a deacon without his selves as fettered with the Thirtyleave. nine Articles, or the confession of Faith, when composing instructions for their parishes, or the public at large. those SUBLAPSARIANS, who hold that God permitted the first man to fall into transgression without absolutely predetermining his fall; or that the decree of predestination regards man as fallen by an abuse of that freedom which Adam had, into a state in which all were to be left to necessary and unavoidable ruin, who were not exempted from it by predestination. See SUPRALAPSARIANS. It is to be feared, indeed, that many subscribe merely for the sake of emolument; and though it be professedly ex animo, it is well known that it is not so in reality. How such will answer to the Great Head of the church we must leave them to judge. They who think subscription to SUBMISSION TO GOD im- be proper, should remember that plies an entire giving up of our it approaches very near the sounderstanding, will, and affections, lemnity of an oath, and is not to to him ; or, as Dr. Owen observes, be trifled with. "Great care," says it consists in, 1. An acquies- || Doddridge, "ought to be taken cency in his right and sovereignty. that we subscribe nothing that we 2. An acknowledgment of his do not firmly believe. If the sigrighteousness and wisdom.-3. Anification of the words be dubious, sense of his love and care.-4. A and we believe either sense, and diligent application of ourselves to that sense in which we do believe them is as natural as the other, by the Romanists, and others, in reference to those bishops who are supposed to have derived their authority from the apostles, and so communicated that authority to others in a line, or succession. It we may consistently with integrity subscribe them; or if the sense in which we do believe them be less natural, and we explain that sense, and that explication be admitted by the person requiring the sub-is a very precarious and uncomforscription in his own right, there table foundation for Christian hope can be no just foundation for a (says Dr. Doddridge) which is scruple. Some have added, that, laid in the doctrine of an uninterif we have reason to believe (though rupted succession of bishops, and it is not expressly declared) that which makes the validity of the he who imposes the subscription administration of Christian minisdoes not intend that we should ters depend upon such a succession, hereby declare our assent to those since there is so great a darkness articles, but only that we should upon many periods of ecclesiastical pay a compliment to his authority, history, insomuch that it is not and engage ourselves not openly agreed who were the seven first to contradict them, we may, in this bishops of the church of Rome, case, subscribe what is most di- though that church was so celebrarectly contrary to our belief: or ted; and Eusebius himself, from that, if we declare our belief in whom the greatest patrons of this any book, as, for instance, the doctrine have made their cataBible, it is to be supposed that we logues, expressly owns that it is no subscribe other articles only so far easy matter to tell who succeeded as they are consistent with that; the apostles in the government of because we cannot imagine that the churches, excepting such as the law would require us to pro- may be collected from St. Paul's fess our belief of contrary propo- own words. (See EPISCOPACY.) sitions at the same time. But Contested elections, in almost all subscription upon these princi- considerable cities, make it very ples seems a very dangerous at- dubious which were the true tack upon sincerity and public bishops; and decrees of councils, virtue, especially in those design- rendering all those ordinations null ed for public offices." If the read-where any simoniacal contract was er be desirous of investigating the the foundation of them, makes it subject, he may consult Paley's impossible to prove that there is Mor. Phil., vol. i, p. 218; Dyer now upon earth any one person on Subscription; Doddridge's Lect., who is a legal successor of the lec. 70; Conybeare's Sermon on apostles; at least, according to the Subscription; Free and Candid Dis- principles of the Romish church. quisitions relating to the Church of Consequently whatever system is England; and The Confessional. built on this doctrine must be very SUCCESSION UNINTER- precarious. Howe's Episcopacy, RUPTED, a term made use of p. 170, 183; Doddridge's Lect., |