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follow chapters out of the books of the Old | ty, from religious motives. Liberality, deTestament, as they lie in order; only on notes freedom of spirit; generosity, greatfestival Sundays, such as Easter, Whitsun-ness of soul; bounty, openness of heart. day, &c. the particular history relating to that day is appointed to be read; and on the saints' days, the church appoints lessons out of the moral books, such as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, &c. as containing excellent instructions for the conduct of life. As to the second lessons, the church observes the same course, both on Sundays and week-days; reading the Gospel and Acts of the Apostles in the morning, and the Epistles in the evening in the order they stand in the New Testament, excepting on saints' days and holy days, when such lessons are appointed, as either explain the mystery, relate the history, or apply the example to us.

LIBERALITY of sentiment, a generous disposition a man feels towards another. who is of a different opinion from himself; or, as one defines it, "that generous expan sion of mind, which enables it to look beyond all petty distinctions of party and system, and, in the estimate of men and things, to rise superior to narrow prejudices." As liberality of sentiment, is often a cover for error and scepticism on the one hand, and as it is too little attended to by the ignorant and bigotted on the other, we shall here lay before our readers a view of it by a masterly writer. "A man of liberal sentiments must be distinguished from him who hath LEUCOPETRIANS, the name of a fan- no religious sentiments at all He is one atical sect, which sprang up in the Greek who hath seriously and effectually investiand eastern churches, towards the close of gated, both in his Bible and on his knees, the twelfth century, they professed to be-in public assemblies and in private coversalieve in a double trinity, rejected wedlock, abstained from flesh, treated with the utmost contempt, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper, and all the various branches of external worship; placed the "He must be distinguished also from that essence of religion in internal prayer alone; tame undiscerning domestic among good peoand maintained, as it is said, that an evil ple, who, though he has sentiments of his being or genius dwelt in the breast of everyown, yet has not judgment to estimate the mortal, and could be expelled from thence worth and value of one sentiment beyond by no other method than by perpetual sup- another. plication to the Supreme Being. The founder of this sect is said to have been a person called Leucopetrus, and his chief disciple Tychicus, who corrupted, by fanatical interpretations, several books of scripture, and particularly St. Matthew's Gos-kind, will he apply to make his sentiments pel.

LEVITY, lightness of spirit, in opposition to gravity. Nothing can be more proper than for a Christian to wear an air of cheerfulness, and to watch against a morose and gloomy disposition. But though it be his privilege to rejoice, yet he must be cautious of that volatility of spirit which characterize the unthinking, and mark the vain professor. To be cheerful without levity, and grave without austerity, form both a happy and dignifying character.

LIBATION, the act of pouring wine on the ground in divine worship. Sometimes other liquids have been used, as oil, milk, water, honey, but mostly wine.-Amongst the Greeks and Romans it was an essential part of solemn sacrifices. Libations were also in use among the Hebrews, who poured a hin of wine on the victim after it was killed, and the several pieces of the sacrifice were laid on the altar, ready to be consumed in the flames.

LIBERALITY, bounty; a generous disposition of mind, exerting itself in giving largely. It is thus distinguished from generosity and bounty.-Liberality implies acts of mere giving or spending; generosity, acts of greatness; bounty, acts of kindness. Liberality is a natural disposition; generosity, proceeds from elevation of sentiment; boun

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tions, the important articles of religion. He hath laid down principles, he hath inferred consequences; in a word, he hath adopted sentiments of his own.

"Now a generous believer of the Christian religion, is one who will never allow himself to try to propagate his sentiments by the commission of sin. No collusion, no bitterness, no wrath, no undue influence of any

receivable; and no living thing will be less happy for his being a Christian. He will exercise his liberality by allowing those who differ from him, as much virtue and integrity as he possibly can.

"There are, among a multitude of arguments to enforce such a disposition, the following worthy our attention:

"First, We should exercise liberality in union with sentiment, because of the different capacities, advantages, and tasks of mankind. Religion employs the capacities of mankind, just as the air employs their lungs, and their organs of speech. The fancy of one is lively, of another dull. The judgment of one is elastic; of another feeble, a damaged spring. The memory of one is retentive; that of another is treacherous as the wind. The passions of this man are lofty, vigorous, rapid; those of that man, crawl, and hum, and buz, and, when on wing, sail only round the circumference of a tulip. Is it conceivable, that capability so different in every thing else, should be all alike in religion? The advantages of mankind differ. How should he who hath no parents, no books, no tutor, no companions, equal him whom Providence hath gratified with them all; who, when he looks over the treasures of his own knowledge, can say, this I had of a Greek, that I learned of a Roman; this

"In fine, liberality in the profession of re

information I acquired of my tutor, that was while, on that little nourishment. Let the a present of my father: a friend gave me fierce bull shake his head, and nod his horn, this branch of knowledge, an acquaintance and threaten his enemy, who seeks to eat bequeathed me that? The tasks of man- his flesh, and wear his coat, and live by his kind differ; so I call the employments and death: poor fellow! his life is in danger; I exercises of life. In my opinion, circum-forgive his bellowing and his rage. But the stances make great men; and if we have Christian religion,-is that in danger? and not Cæsars in the state, and Pauls in the what human efforts can render that true church, it is because neither church nor which is false, that odious, which is lovely? state are in the circumstances in which they Christianity is in no danger, and therefore were in the days of those great men. Push it gives its professors life and breath, and a dull man into a river, and endanger his all things, except a power of injuring life, and suddenly he will discover invention, others. and make efforts beyond himself. The world is a fine school of instruction. Poverty, sick-ligion is a wise and innocent policy. The ness, pain, loss of children, treachery of bigot lives at home; a reptile he crawled friends, malice of enemies, and a thousand into existence, and there in his hole he lurks other things, drive the man of sentiment to a reptile still. A generous Christian goes his Bible, and, so to speak, bring him home out of his own party, associates with others, to a repast with his benefactor, God. Is and gains improvement by all. It is a Perit conceivable that he, whose young and sian proverb, A liberal hand is better than tender heart, is yet unpractised in trials of a strong arm. The dignity of Christianity this kind, can have ascertained and tast- is better supported by acts of liberality, than ed so many religious truths as the sufferer by accuracy of reasoning; but when both has? go together, when a man of sentiment can clearly state, and ably defend his religious principles, and when his heart is as generous as his principles are inflexible, he possesses strength and beauty in an eminent degree. See Theol. Misc. vol. i. p. 39.

of religion.

"We should believe the Christian religion with liberality, in the second place, because every part of the Christian religion inculcates generosity. Christianity gives us a character of God, but, my God! what a character does it give: GoD IS LOVE. LIBERTINE, one who acts without reChristianity teaches the doctrine of Provi-straint, and pays no regard to the precepts dence; but what a providence! Upon whom doth not its light arise! Is there an animalcule so little, or a wretch so forlorn, as to be forsaken and forgotten of his God? Christianity teaches the doctrine of redemption; but the redemption of whom of all tongues, kindred, nations, and people of the infant of a span, and the sinner of a hundred years old: a redemption generous in its principle, generous in its price, generous in its effects: fixed sentiments of Divine munificence, and revealed with a liberality for which we have no name. In a word, the illiberal Christian always acts contrary to the spirit of his religion; the liberal man alone thoroughly understands it.

LIBERTINES, according to some, were such Jews as were free citizens of Rome: they had a separate synagogue at Jerusalem, and sundry of them concurred in the persecution of Stephen, Acts vi. 9. Dr. Guyse supposes, that those who had obtained this privilege by gift, were called liberti (free men,) and those who had obtained it by purchase, libertini (made free,) in distinction from original native free-men. Dr. Doddridge thinks, that they were called Libertines, as having been the children of freed men, that is, of emancipated captives or slaves. See Doddridge and Guyse on Acts vi. 9.

"Thirdly, We should be liberal, because LIBERTINES, a religious sect which no other spirit is exemplified in the infalli- arose in the year 1525, whose principal teble guides whom we profess to follow. I nets were, that the Deity was the sole opeset one Paul against a whole army of unin-rating cause in the mind of man, and the spired men: Some preach Christ of good-immediate author of all human actions; will, and some of envy and strife. What that, consequently, the distinctions of good then? Christ is preached; and I therein do and evil, which had been established with rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. One eateth regard to those actions, were false and all things, another eateth herbs; but why groundless, and that men could not, properdost THOU judge thy brother? We shall all ly speaking, commit sin; that religion constand before the judgment seat of Christ.' sisted in the union of the spirit, or rational We often enquire, what was the doctrine of soul, with the Supreme Being; that all Christ, and what was the practice of Christ: those who had attained this happy union, suppose we were to institute a third ques- by sublime contemplation and elevation of tion, Of what TEMPER was Christ? mind, were then allowed to indulge, without exception or restraint, their appetites or passions; that all their actions and pursuits were then perfectly innocent; and that, after the death of the body, they were to be united to the Deity. They likewise said, that Jesus Christ was nothing but a mere je

"Once more: We should be liberal as well as orthodox, because truth, especially the truths of Christianity, do not want any support from our illiberality. Let the little bee guard its little honey with its little sting; perhaps its little life may depend a little

175, &c. vol. ii. Saurin's Serm. vol. iii.

ser. 4.

LIE. See LYING.

ne scai quoi, composed of the Spirit of God || of Man. Martin's Queries and Rem. on and the opinion of men. These maxims oc- Human Liberty. Charnock's Works, p. casioned their being called Libertines, and the word has been used in an ill sense ever since. This sect spread principally in Holland and Brabant. Their leaders were one LIFE, a state of active existence -1. Quintin, a Picard, Pockesius, Ruffus, and Human life is the continuance, or duration anther, called Chopin, who joined with of our present state, and which the scrip Quintin, and became his disciple. Theyures represent as short and vain, Job xiv. obtained footing in France through the favour and protection of Margaret, queen of Navarre, and sister to Francis II and found patrons in several of the reformed churches.

LIGHT OF NATURE. See NATURE LIGHT DIVINE. See KNOWLEDGE, RELIGION.

LITANY, a general supplication used in Deity, and to request those blessings a perpublic worship to appease the wrath of the son wants. The word comes from the Greek λίγάνεια, supplication," of lavew, "1beseech At first, the use of litanies was not

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1, 2. Jam. iv. 14-2. Spiritual life consists in our being in the favour of God, influenced by a principle of grace, and living dependent on him. It is considered as of divine origin, Col. iii 4 hidden, Col. iii. 3. peaceLibertines of Geneva, were a cabal of ful, Rom. viii. 6. secure, John x. 28.-3. rakes rather than of fanatics; for they made Eternal life is that never ending state of no pretence to any religious system, but existence which the saints shall enjoy in ploaded only for the liberty of leading volup-heaven, and is glorious, Col. iii. 4. holy, Rev. tu us and immoral lives. This cabai was xxi. 27. and blissful, 1 Pet. i. 4. 2 Cor. iv. composed of a certain number of licentious 17. See HEAVEN. citizens, who could not bear the severe discipline of Calvin. There were also among them several who were not only notorious for their dissolute and scandalous manner of living, but also for their atheistical impiety and contempt of all religion. To this odious class belonged one Gruet, who denied the divinity of the Christian religion, the immortality of the soul, the difference between moral good and evil; and rejected, with disdain, the doctrines that are held most sacred among Christians: for which impieties heployed as exigencies required They were was at last brought before the civil tribunal in the year 1550, and condemned to death. LIBERTY denotes a state of freedom, in contradistinction to slavery or restraint.-1 Natural liberty, or liberty of choice, is that in which our volitions are not determined by any foreign cause or consideration whatever offered to it, but by its own pleasure-2. External liberty, or liberty of action, is opties. The days on which they were used countries were delivered from great calamiposed to a constraint laid on the executive powers; and consists in a power of render ing our volitions effectual.-3 Philosophical liberty consists in a prevailing disposition to act according to the dictates of reason, i. e. in such a manner as shall, all things cons dered, most effectually promote our happiness.-4. Moral liberty is said to be that in which there is no interposition of the will of a Superior Being, to prohibit or determine our actions, in any particular under consideration. See NECESSITY, WILL-5. Liberty of conscience, is freedom from restraint in our choice of, and judgment about, matters of religion.-6. Spiritual liberty consists in freedom from the curse of the moral law; from the servitude of the ritual; from the love, power, and guilt of sin; from the dominion of Satan; from the corruptions of the world; from the fear of death, and the wrath to come, Rom. vi. 14. Rom. viii. 1. Gal. iii. 13. John viii. 36. Rom. viii. 21 Gal. v. 1. Thes. i. 10. See articles MATERIALISTS, PREDESTINATION, and Doddridge's Lec. p. 50, vol. i. 8vo. Watts' Phil. Essays, sec. v. p. 288. Jon. Edwards on the Will. Locke on Und. Grove's Mor. Phil sec. 18, 19. J. Palmer on Liberty

fixed to any stated time. but were only em

observed, in imitation of the Ninevites, with ardent supplications and fastings, to avert inundations, or hostile invasions. About the the threatened judgments of fire, earthquake, year 400, litanies began to be used in prorepeating them with great devotion; and it cessions, the people walking barefoot, and is pretended that, by this means, several

pointed by the canons of different councils, were called Rogation days; these were aptill it was decreed by the council of Toledo, that they should be used every month they came to be used weekly on Wednes throughout the year; and thus, by degrees, days and Fridays, the ancient stationary days for fasting. To these days the rubric of the church of England has added Sundays, as being the greatest day for assembling at the common prayer, the litany was a disdivine service. Before the last review of after the morning prayer was over; at pretinct service by itself, and used sometimes sent, it is made one office with the morning service, being ordered to be read after the third collect for grace, instead of the intercessional prayers in the daily service.

LITURGY denotes all the ceremonies in general belonging to divine service. The word comes from the Greek lya, "service, public ministry," formed of ales,

public," and prov "work." In a more restrained signification, liturgy is used among the Romanists to signify the mass, and among us, the common prayer. All who have written on liturgies agree, that, in

says on the Liturgy; Orton's Letters, vol. i. p. 16, 24.

LIVERPOOL LITURGY. A liturgy so called from its first publication at Liverpool. It was composed by some of the Presbyterians, who, growing weary of extempore prayer, thought a form more desirable. It made its appearance in 1752. Mr. Orton says of it "It is scarcely a Christian liturgy In the collect the name of Christ is hardly mentioned; and the spirit is quite banished from it." It was little better than a deistical composition. Orton's Letters, vol. i. p. 80, 81. Bogue and Bennett's Hist. of Diss. vol. iii. p. 342.

LOLLARDS, a religious sect, differing

The monk of Canterbury derives the ori

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primitive days, divine service was exceed- || ingly simple, clogged with a very few ceremonies, and consisted of but a small number of prayers; but, by degrees, they increased the number of ceremonies, and added new prayers, to make the office look more awful and venerable to the people. At length, things were carried to such a pitch, that a regulation became necessary; and it was found necessary to put the service and the manner of performing it into writing, and this was what they called a liturgy Liturgies have been different at different times, and in different countries. We have the liturgy of St. Chrysostom, of St. Peter, the Armenian liturgy, Gallican liturgy, &c &c. "The properties required in a public litur-in many points from the church of Rome, gy," says Paley, are these: it must be which arose in Germany about the begincompendious; express just conceptions of ning of the fourteenth century; so called, the Divine attributes; recite such wants as as many writers have imagined, from Wala congregation are likely to feel, and no ter Lollard, who began to dogmatize in 1315, other and contain as few controverted pro and was burnt at Cologne; though others positions as possible." The liturgy of the think that Lollard was no surname, but church of England was composed in the year merely a term of reproach applied to all 1547, and established in the second year of heretics who concealed the poison of error king Edward VI. In the fifth year of this under the appearance of piety. king it was reviewed, because some things were contained in that liturgy, which shew-gin of the word lollard among us, from lolied a compliance with the superstition of um, a tare," as if the Lollards were the those times, and some exceptions were taken tares sown in Christ's vineyard. Abelly against it by some learned men at home, says, that the word signifies praising and by Calvin abroad. Some alterations God," from the German loben, "to praise," were made in it, which consisted in adding and herr, "lord;" because the Lollards the general confession and absolution, and employed themselves in travelling about the communion to begin with the ten com- from place to place, singing psalms and mandments. The use of oil in confirmation hymns. Others, much to the same purpose, and extreme unction was left out, and also derive lollhard, lullhard., or lollert, lullert, prayers for souls departed, and what re- as it was written by the ancient Germans, lated to a belief of Christ's real presence from the old German word lullen, lollen, or in the eucharist. This liturgy, so reform- || lallen, and the termination hard, with which ed, was established by the acts of the 5th many of the high Dutch words end. Loland 6th Edward VI. cap. I. However, it len signifies "to sing with a low voice," was abolished by queen Mary, who enacted and therefore lollard is a singer, or one who that the service should stand as it was most frequently sings; and in the vulgar tongue commonly used in the last year of the reign of the Germans, it denotes a person who is of king Henry VIII.-That of Edward VI. continually praising God with a song, or was re-established, with some alterations, singing hymns to his honour. by Elizabeth. Some farther alterations were The Alexians or Cellites, were called introduced, in consequence of the review of Lollards, because they were public singers, the common prayer book, by order of king who made it their business to inter the boJames, in the first year of his reign, par- dies of those who died of the plague, and ticularly in the office of private baptism, in|| sang a dirge over them, in a mournful and several rubrics, and other passages, with indistinct tone, as they carried them to the the addition of five or six new prayers and grave. The name was afterwards assumed thanksgivings, and all that part of the cate- by persons that dishonoured it; for we find chism which contains the doctrine of the among those Lollards who made extraordisacraments. The book of common prayer, nary pretences to religion, and spent the so altered, remained in force from the first greatest part of their time in meditation, year of king James to the fourteenth of prayer, and such acts of piety, there were Charles II. The last review of the litur- many abominable hypocrites, who entertaingy was in the year 1661. Many supplica-ed the most ridiculous opinions, and concealtions have been since made for a review, ed the most enormous vices under the spebut without success. Bingham's Orig. Eccl. cious mark of this extraordinary profession. b. 13. Froughton's Dict. Bennet, Robin- Many injurious aspersions were therefore son, and Clarkson, on Liturg. Passim. A propagated against those who assumed this Letter to a Dissenting Minister on the name by the priests and monks; so that, Expediency of Forms, and Brekell's An- by degrees, any person who covered hereswer. Roger's Lectures on the Liturgy of sies or crimes under the appearance of piethe Church of England. Biddulph's Es-ty, was called a Lollard. Thus, the name

7. Blasphemously reviling God, or caus ing others to do so, Rom. ii. 24. Perhaps, there is no sin more common, as to the practice, and less thought of as to the guilt of it, than this. Nor is it thus common with the vulgar only, but with those who call themselves wise, humane, and moral. They tremble at the idea of murder, theft, adultery, &c. while they forget, that the same law which prohibits the commission of these crimes, does with equal force, forbid that of profaning his name. therefore, whatever his sense, abilities, or profession may be, can be held guiltless, or be exonerated from the charge of being a wicked man, while he lives in the habitual violation of this part of God's sacred law. A very celebrated female writer justly observes, that "It is utterly INEXCUSABLE; it has none of the palliatives of temptation which other vices plead, and in that re

No man,

was not used to denote any one particular sect, but was formerly common to all persons or sects, who were supposed to be guilty of impiety towards God, or the church, under an external profession of great piety However, many societics, consisting both of men and women, under the name of Lollards, were formed in most parts of Germany and Flanders, and were supported partly by their manual labours, and partly by the charitable donations of pious persons. The magistrates and inhabitants of the towns, where these brethren and sisters resided, gave them particular marks of favour and protection, on account of their great usefulness to the sick and needy. They were thus supported against their malignant ri-|| vals, and obtained many papal constitutions, by which their institute was confirmed, their persons exempted from the cognizance of the inquisitor, and subjected entirely to the jurisdiction of the bishops; but as thesespect stands distinguished from all others measures were insufficient to secure them from molestation, Charles duke of Burgundy, in the year 1472, obtained a solemn bull from pope Sextus IV. ordering that the Cellites, or Lollards, should be ranked among the religious orders, and delivered from the jurisdiction of the bishops. And pope Julius II granted them still greater privileges, in the year 1506. Mosheim informs us, that many societies of this kind are still subsisting at Cologne, and in the cities of Flanders, though they have evidently departed from their ancient rules.

both in its nature and degree of guilt. Like many other sins, however, it is at once, cause and effect; it proceeds from want of love and reverence to the best of Beings, and causes the want of that love both in themselves and others. This species of profaneness is not only swearing, but perhaps, in some respects, swearing of the

worst sort; as it is a direct breach of an express command, and offends against the very letter of that law, which says, in so many words, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." It of Lollard and his followers rejected the sa- fends against politeness and good breeding; crifice of the mass, extreme unction, and for those who commit it, little think of the penances for sin; arguing that Christ's suf- pain they are inflicting on the sober mind, ferings were sufficient. He is likewise said which is deeply wounded when it hears the to have set aside baptism, as a thing of no holy name it loves dishonoured: and it is as effect; and repentance as not absolutely ne- contrary to good breeding to give pain, as it cessary, &c. In England, the followers of is to true piety to be profane. It is astonishWickliffe were called, by way of reproaching, that the refined and elegant should not Lollards, from the supposition, that there was some affinity between some of their tenets; though others are of opinion, that the English Lollards came from Germany. See WICKLIFFITES.

LONG SUFFERING OF GOD. See PATIENCE OF GOD.

LORD, a term properly denoting one who has dominion. Applied to God, the supreme governor and disposer of all things.

See GOD.

LORD'S DAY. See SABBATH.

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reprobate this practice for its coarseness and vulgarity, as much as the pious abhor it for its sinfulness.

"I would endeavour to give some faint idea of the grossness of this offence by an analogy. (oh! how inadequate !) with which the feeling heart, even though not seasoned I would earnestly say-Suppose you had with religion, may yet be touched. To such more strongly, a departed friend,—a revesome beloved friend,-to put the case still red parent, perhaps,-whose image never Occurs without awakening in your bosom sentiments of tender love and lively gratitude: how would you feel if you heard this

LORD'S NAME TAKEN IN VAIN, consists, first, in using it lightly or rashly, in exclamations, adjurations, and appeals,honoured name bandied about with unfeelin common conversation-2. Hypocritically, ing familiarity and indecent levity; or, at in our prayers, thanksgivings, &c-3. Su best, thrust into every pause of speech as a perstitiously, as when the Israelites carried vulgar expletive?-Does not your affectionthe ark to the field of battle, to render ate heart recoil at the thought? And yet them successful against the Philistines, 1 the hallowed name of your truest BenefacSam. iv. 3, 4.-4. Wantonly, in swearing tor, your heavenly Father, your best Friend, by him, or creatures in his stead, Matthew to whom you are indebted for all you env. 34. 37.-5. Angrily, or sportfully cursing, joy; who gives you those very friends in and devoting ourselves or others to mischef whom you so much delight, those very taand damnation.-6. Perjuring ourselves, at-lents with which you dishonour him, those testing that which is false, Malachi, iii. 5. "very organs of speech with which you blas

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