service, when upon ordinary days it is only read, but upon more solemn occasions is directed to be sung.-See Wheatly on the Common Prayer, ch. iii. sect. 9; and ch. vi. sect. 27. For a particular account of the greater and lesser doxologies, and of some of the most celebrated hymns made use of in the service of the ancient church, see Bing. Orig. Eccl. book xiv. c. 2.

DRAGOONING, a term which has been given to the cruel methods used by the papists in France, after the revocation of the edict of Nantz, under Lewis XIV., for the purpose of converting the Protestants, and bringing them within the pale of the Church of Rome. A particular account of these barbarities may be seen in Buck's Theological Dictionary, under the head of Persecution.

DUALISTS, an appellation sometimes given to those, who after the example of the Oriental philosophers maintained the existence of two eternal principles, from which all things proceeded; the one presiding over light, and perfectly good; the other presiding over matter, and entirely evil.-See articles Gnostics, Marcionites, Valentinian, &c.

DUHOBORTSI, a sect of Bezpopoftschins, one of the principal divisions of the Raskolniks, or separatists from the Russian church. They differ also in many respects from the other Dissenters, and reject the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper.-See Pinkerton's Russian Empire; and articles Bezpopoftschins, and Raskolniks.

DULCINISTS, the followers of the doctrines of Dulcinus, a layman of Novara, in Lombardy. He appeared about the end of the thirteenth or in the beginning of the fourteenth century, and taught that the law of the Father was a law of grace and wisdom; but that the law of the Holy Ghost was a law entirely of love; and that this latter law, which had commenced with himself, would last to the end of the world.

Upon Gerhard Sagarelli, who was the founder of the sect of the Apostles, being committed to the flames, Dulcinus put himself at the head of these fanatics, and openly prophesied the approaching destruction of the corrupt church of Rome, and the establishment of a purer service, and more glorious church. He more particularly declared that the reigning pontiff, Boniface VIII., together with the licentious priests and monks, were in a short time to perish by the hand of the Emperor Frederic III., and that a new and most holy pope was to be raised to the head of the church. After having maintained his cause in several battles against the pope with great obstinacy

and courage, Dulcinus was taken prisoner, and put to death at Vercelli in a most barbarous manner, in the year 1307, together with Margaret, who, according to the custom of his sect, was his spiritual sister.

The Dulcinists, or Apostles, still continued, however, to subsist in France, Germany, and in other countries, notwithstanding the great opposition they met with from the Church of Rome, until the beginning of the fifteenth century, when they were totally extirpated under the pontificate of Boniface IX.-See Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. Cent. XIII. Part. II. ch. 5.

DULIA, a species of worship offered up in the Romish Church to the angels and saints in heaven, and distinguished from that of Latria, which, as the highest form of worship, is considered as due to God alone, and from Hyperdulia, which they address to the Virgin.

The practice of offering up this inferior species of worship seems to have had its origin in the custom of praying to the Deity to receive the intercessions of martyrs and saints. Hence it became usual to address their prayers immediately to them, but at first this was only a request to them to pray for those who thus invoked them. Ora pro nobis. At length, however, all things that were prayed for either from God or Christ were sought through the intermediation of saints and angels. Even the pardon of sins and eternal life are prayed for immediately from the latter. Angelorum concio sacra, archangelorum turma inclyta, nostra diluant jam peccata præstando supernam cæli gloriam. Prayers to the saints as well for their help and assistance, as for their intercession, is encouraged by the decree of the Council of Trent.

DUNKERS, or, as they are sometimes called, Tunkers, (the origin of either appellation being unknown, but supposed to be derived from the name of their founder, who is said to have been a German,) a modern sect of Christians, who formed themselves into a society, or kind of commonwealth, in Pennsylvania, in the year 1724. New converts are admitted into their communion by baptism only, in performing which ceremony they make use of the trine immersion, with laying on of hands and prayer, while the person baptized continues in the water, into which it is their practice to plunge him head foremost. And hence they have sometimes been called Tumblers. Their habit or dress is peculiar to themselves, and much like that of the Dominican Friars. The men never shave their beard, and the brethren and sisters, although forming one society, live in separate habitations, and under distinct jurisdictions, and never meet together either for their meals, or their devotions, except upon particular occasions. Their food consists

chiefly of roots and other vegetables, the rules of the society not permitting them the use of flesh except upon their holding their agapæ, or love-feasts. At these times the brethren and sisters dine together, and are allowed mutton, but no other meat.

The peculiar tenets of the Dunkers seem to be the following: future happiness they consider as only to be attained by penance and mortification of the flesh. As Christ by his meritorious sufferings became the Redeemer of mankind, so they maintain every individual of the human race by a life of abstinence and mortification may work out his own salvation. They admit even the papal doctrine of supererogation, declaring that man may do much more than justice can oblige or require him to perform, and, therefore, that the superabundance of his works may supply the wants and contribute to the salvation of others. They deny the eternity of future punishments, and believe that the souls of the departed have the Gospel preached to them by our Saviour, and that the souls of the just are engaged in teaching the doctrines of the Gospel to those, who have not been blessed with the divine revelation in this life. They consider the sabbath, sabbatical year, and year of jubilee of the Jews to be typical of certain periods to take place after the last judgment, in which the souls of such as may not then be sufficiently pure to be admitted into a state of happiness are purified from their corruption. Should any within the limits typified by these two smaller periods be brought to admit the perfections of God, and to acknowledge Christ as their Redeemer, they think they will then be received into felicity; but they imagine that those who may continue obdurate beyond these periods will remain in torments until the last period typified by the jubilee shall arrive, when every creature shall be purified, and made to partake of the endless fruition of the Deity. They disclaim against all acts of violence whatsoever, not permitting them even in cases of self-defence, and suffer themselves to be defrauded rather than seek redress in a court of law. Their church government and discipline are nearly similar to those of the English Baptists.

DUTIES, ECCLESIASTICAL, certain payments which are due by custom to the rector or vicar of every parish at Easter.

By the eighth rubric after the communion service, it is ordered, that yearly at Easter every parishioner shall reckon with his parson, vicar, or curate, or his or their deputy or deputies, and pay to them or him all ecclesiastical duties, accustomably due, and then at that time to be paid. It has been a matter of some doubt, however, what these duties are. Bishop Stillingfleet.

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every

supposes them to be a composition for personal tithes, or a tenth part of one's clear gains, which were due at this time. On the other hand, Bishop Gibson imagines them to have been partly such duties or oblations as were not immediately annexed to any particular office; and partly a composition for the Holy Loaf, which the communicants were to bring and offer; and which was, therefore, to be answered at Easter, because every one was bound at that festival to communicate. Wheatly supposes that both these may have judged rightly; for he observes, that by an act of the 2 & 3 Edw. 6, such personal tithes are directed to be paid yearly at or before the feast of Easter; and also all lawful and customary offerings, which had not been paid at the usual offering days, are ordered to be paid at Easter next following.

E.

EASTER, (according to some, from Eostre, a goddess worshipped by the Saxons with much solemnity in the month of April, or as other etymologists say, from Oster, a Saxon word signifying to rise,) a festival of the Christian church, observed in memory of our Saviour's resurrection, and by the first Christians called the pascal day, or passover, in relation to the feast celebrated by the Jews at that time.

This was termed by the ancient fathers the queen or highest of feasts; and, according to St. Ambrose and Eusebius, was so highly esteemed as to be solemnized for the space of fifty days together, even up to Whitsuntide. The antiquity of this festival appears also from Eusebius, who in his life of Constantine observes, "The feast of Easter we have kept from the first day of the passion till now." He tells us also that it obtained in all the churches, although there was very early a contention among them as to the day on which it ought to have been kept. In the Asiatic churches it was usual to celebrate Easter on the same day on which the passover was kept by the Jews, viz. on the fourteenth day of their first month, (Nisan,) without any reference to the day of the week, whence they acquired the name of Quarto decimans, Fourteenthists; but the western churches were always accustomed to keep it on the Sunday following the Jewish passover, as well on account of the greater solemnity of the day, as for the purpose of distinguishing themselves from the Jews. Both parties pleaded the practice of the apostles in their favour; the first that of St. John, the latter that of St. Peter and St. Paul.

This difference was the occasion of much controversy, which although for some time carried on with forbearance and charity, soon created much animosity and great disturbances in the church; and was at length brought to such an height that Constantine procured a canon to be passed at the great council of Nice, for the purpose of establishing an uniformity of practice. By this it was decreed, That everywhere the great feast of Easter should be observed on one and the same day; and that not on the day of the Jewish passover, but as had been generally observed, upon the Sunday afterwards."

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