the masquerade, midnight assem-prophet calls, in the same place, blies, must be considered as ini- Menacheseh, which the Vulgate mical to the morals and true hap-and generality of interpreters renpiness of man. The most rational der Augur.-3. Those who in the diversions are conversation, read-same place are called Mecascheph, ing, singing, music, riding, &c. which the Septuagint and Vulgate They must be moderate as to the translate "a man given to ill practime spent in them, and expense tices."-4. Those whom in the of them. Seasonable, when we same chapter, ver. 11, he calls have (as Cicero observes) dispatch- Hhober.-5. Those who consult ed our serious and important af- the spirits, called Python.-6. fairs. See Grove's Regulation of Witches, or magicians, called fuDiversions; Watts's Improvement deoni.-7. Necromancers, who conof the Mind, vol. ii, sec. 9; Blair's sult the dead.-8. Such as consult Sermons, vol. ii, p. 17; Burder's staves, Hosea iv, 12; called by Sermon on Amusements; Frend's some Rhabdomancy.—9. HepatosEvening Amusements. copy, or the consideration of the

DIVINATION, is a conjec- liver. ture or surmise formed concerning Different kinds of divination, some future event from something which have passed for sciences, we which is supposed to be a presage have had: 1. Aeromancy, divinof it; but between which there is ing by the air.-2. Astrology by no real connexion, only what the the heavens.-3. Augury by the imagination of the diviner is pleas-flight and singing of birds, &c.— ed to assign in order to deceive. 4. Chiromancy, by inspecting the

Divination of all kinds being the hand.-5. Geomancy, by observoffspring of credulity, nursed by ing of cracks or clefts in the earth. imposture, and strengthened by -6. Haruspicy, by inspecting the superstition, was necessarily an bowels of animals.-7. Horooccult science, retained in the scopy, a branch of astrology, hands of the priests and priestesses, marking the position of the heavens the magi, the soothsayers, the when a man is born.-8. Hydroaugurs, the visionaries, the priests mancy, by water.-9. Physiognoof the oracles, the false prophets, my, by the countenance. (This, and other like professors, till the however, is considered by some as coming of Jesus Christ, when the of a different nature, and worthy light of the gospel dissipated much of being rescued from the rubbish of this darkness. The vogue for of superstition, and placed among these pretended sciences and arts the useful sciences. Lavater has is nearly past, at least in the en-written a celebrated treatise on it.) lightened parts of the world. There-10. Pyromancy, a divination are nine different kinds of divina- made by fire. Thus we see what tion mentioned in scripture. These arts have been practised to deceive, are, 1. Those whom Moses calls and how designing men have made Meonen of Anan, a cloud, Deut. use of all the four elements to imxviii, 10.-2. Those whom the pose upon weak minds.

DOC

or for

DIVINE, something_relating|| The law of Moses, says Mr. to God. The word is also used Paley, for reasons of local expefiguratively for any thing that is diency, permitted the Jewish husexcellent, extraordinary, and that band to put away his wife; but seems to go beyond the power of whether for every cause nature and the capacity of man. what cause, appears to have been It also signifies a minister, or cler-controverted amongst the intergyman. See MINISTER. DIVINITY, the science of the-the precepts of whose religion were preters of those times. Christ, ology. See THEOLOGY. calculated for more general use

. DIVORCE, is the dissolution and observation, revokes, his perof marriage, or separation of man mission as given to the Jews for and wife. Divorce a mensa et their hardness of heart, and prothoro, i. e. from bed and board. mulges a law which was thenceIn this case the wife has a suita- forward to confine divorces to the ble maintenance allowed her out single cause of adultery in the wife, of her husband's effects. Divorce Matt. xix, 9. Inferior causes may a vinculo matrimonii, i. e. from justify the separation of husband the bonds of matrimony, is strictly and wife, although they will not and properly divorce. This hap-authorise such a dissolution of the pens either in consequence of marriage contract as would leave criminality, as in the case of adul-either at liberty to marry again; tery, or through some essential for it is that liberty in which the impediment; as consanguinity, or danger and mischief of divorces affinity within the degrees forbid-principally consist. The law of den, pre-contract, impotency, &c. this country, in conformity to our of which impediments the canon Saviour's injunction, confines the law allows no less than 14. these cases the woman receives to the single case of adultery in In dissolution of the marriage contract again only what she brought. the wife; and a divorce even in Sentences which release the par-that case can only be brought ties a vinculo matrimonii, on ac-about by an act of parliament, count of impuberty, frigidity, con-founded upon a previous sentisanguinity within the prohibited ment in the spiritual court, and a degrees, prior marriage, or want verdict against the adulterer at of the requisite consent of parents common law; which proceedings, or guardians, are dissolutions of the marriage con-plete an investigation of the comnot properly taken together, compose as comtract, but judicial declarations plaint as a cause can receive. See that there never was any marriage; Paley's Mor. and Pol. Philosophy, such impediment subsisting at the p. 273; Doddridge's Lectures, lect. time as rendered the celebration 73. of the marriage rite a mere nullity. And the right itself contains lius Cassianus, one of the ValentiDOCETÆ, the followers of Juan exception of these impedi-nian sect, towards the close of the second century. They believed

ments.

and taught that the actions and suf-ness, a ground of hope; his love ferings of Jesus Christ were not in excites joy; the obscurity of his reality, but only in appearance. providence requires patience; his DOCTRINE, the principles or faithfulness, confidence, &c. positions of any sect or master. As DOMINICANS, a religious the doctrines of the Bible are the order; in some places called Jacofirst principles, and the foundation bins, and in others Predicants, or of religion, they should be care- preaching friars. The Dominifully examined, and well under-cans take their name from their stood. The scriptures present us founder, Dominic de Guzman, a with a copious fund of evangelic Spaniard, born in 1170, at Calaroga, truth, which, though it has not in Old Castile: he was first canon the form of a regular system, yet its and archdeacon of Ossuna; and afparts are such, that, when united, terwards preached with great zeal make the most complete body of and vehemence against the Albidoctrine that we can possibly have.genses in Languedoc, where he Every christian, but divines espe- laid the first foundation of his orcially, should make this their stu- der. It was approved of in 1215 dy, because all the various doc-by Innocent III, and confirmed trines should be insisted on in pub-in 1216, by a bull of Honorius lic, and explained to the people. III, under the title of St. AugusIt is not, however, as some sup-tin; to which Dominic added sepose, to fill up every part of a veral austere precepts and obserminister's sermon, but considered vances, obliging the brethren to as the basis upon which the prac-take a vow of absolute poverty, and tical part is to be built. Some of to abandon entirely all their revethe divines in the last century nues and possessions, and also the overcharged their discourses with title of preaching friars, because doctrine, especially Dr. Owen public instruction was the main and Dr. Goodwin. It was com-end of their institution. The first mon in that day to make thirty or convent was founded at Thouforty remarks before the imme-louse, by the bishop thereof, and diate consideration of the text, Simon de Montfort. Two years cach of which was just introduced, afterwards they had another at and which, if enlarged on, would Paris, near the bishop's house; have afforded matter enough for aand sometime after, a third in whole sermon. A wise preacher the Rue St. Jaques (St. James'swill join doctrine and practice to-street) whence the denomination gether. of Jacobins. Just before his death,

Doctrines, though abused by Dominic sent Gilbert de Fresney, some, yet, properly considered, will with twelve of the brethren, into influence the heart and life. Thus England, where they founded their the idea of God's sovereignty ex-first monastery at Oxford, in the cites submission; his power and year 1221, and soon after another justice promote fear; his holiness, at London. In the year 1276, humility and purity; his good-the mayor and aldermen of the

city of London gave them two||frauds which have sometimes been whole streets, by the river Thames, carried on in the church of Rome, where they erected a very commo-we shall here insert an account of dious convent; whence that place this stratagem.

is still called Blackfriars, from the The Franciscans maintained that name by which the Dominicans the Virgin Mary was born withwere called in England. St. Do-out the blemish of original sin; minic at first only took the habit the Dominicans asserted the conof the regular canons; that is, a trary.

black cassock and rochet: but The doctrine of the Franciscans, this he quitted, in 1219, for that in an age of darkness and superwhich they have ever since worn, stition, could not but be popular; which, it is pretended, was shewn and hence the Dominicans lost by the Blessed Virgin herself to the ground from day to day. To supbeatified Renaud d'Orleans. This port the credit of their order, they order has been diffused through-resolved, at a chapter held at out the whole known world. They Vimpsen, in the year 1504, to reckon three popes of this order, have recourse to fictitious visions above sixty cardinals, several pa-and dreams, in which the people triarchs, a hundred and fifty arch-at that time had an easy faith; bishops, and about eight hundred and they determined to make Bern bishops, beside masters of the sa-the scene of their operations. A cred palace, whose office has been person named Jetzer, who was exconstantly discharged by a reli-tremely simple, and much inclined gious of this order ever since St. to austerities, and who had taken Dominic, who held it under Ho-their habit as a lay-brother, was norious III, in 1218. chosen as the instrument of the Of all the monastic orders, delusions they were contriving. none enjoyed a higher degree of One of the four Dominicans, who power and authority than the Do- had undertaken the management minican friars, whose credit was of this plot, conveyed himself segreat, and their influence univer-cretly into Jetzer's cell, and about

But the measures they used midnight appeared to him in a in order to maintain and extend horrid figure, surrounded with their authority were so perfidious howling dogs, and seeming to blow and cruel, that their influence fire from his nostrils, by the means began to decline towards the be- of a box of combustibles which he ginning of the sixteenth century. held near his mouth. In this The tragic story of Jetzer, con- frightful form he approached Jetducted at Bern, in 1509, for de- zer's bed, told him that he was termining an uninteresting dispute the ghost of a Dominican, who between them and the Franciscans, had been killed at Paris, as a relating to the immaculate concep-judgment of heaven for laying tion, will reflect indelible infamy aside his monastic habit; that he on this order. In order to give was condemned to purgatory for the reader a view of the impious this crime; adding, at the same VOL. I.

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time, that by his means he might of his life and thoughts, which the be rescued from his misery, which impostors had learned from his was beyond expression. This story, confessor. In this and some subaccompanied with horrible cries sequent scenes (the detail of whose and howlings, frighted poor Jetzer enormities, for the sake of brevity, out of the little wits he had, and we shall here omit) the impostor engaged him to promise to do all talked much to Jetzer of the Dothat was in his power to deliver minican order, which he said was the Dominican from his torment. peculiarly dear to the Blessed VirUpon this the impostor told him, gin: he added, that the Virgin that nothing but the most extra- knew herself to be conceived in ordinary mortifications, such as original sin; that the doctors who the discipline of the whip perform-taught the contrary were in pured during eight days by the whole gatory; and the Blessed Virgin monastery, and Jetzer's lying pros-abhorred the Franciscans for maktrate in the form of one crucified ing her equal with her son; and in the chapel during mass, could that the town of Bern would be contribute to his deliverance. He destroyed for harbouring such added, that the performance of plagues within her walls. In one these mortifications would draw of these apparitions Jetzer imadown upon Jetzer the peculiar gined that the voice of the spectre protection of the Blessed Virgin; resembled that of the prior of the and concluded by saying, that he convent, and he was not mistaken; would appear to him again, ac-but, not suspecting the fraud, he companied with two other spirits. gave little attention to this. The Morning was no sooner come, than prior appeared in various forms, Jetzer gave an account of this sometimes in that of St. Barbara, apparition to the rest of the con-at others in that of St. Bernard: vent, who all unanimously advised at length he assumed that of the him to undergo the discipline that Virgin Mary, and for that purwas enjoined him, and every one pose, clothed himself in the haconsented to bear his share of the bits that were employed to adorn task imposed. The deluded sim-the statue of the Virgin in the pleton obeyed, and was admired great festivals. The little images, as a saint by the multitudes that that on these days are set on the crowded about the convent; while altars, were made use of for anthe four friars that managed the gels, which, being tied to a cord imposture magnified, in the most that passed through a pulley over pompous manner, the miracle of Jetzer's head, rose up and down, this apparition in their sermons, and danced about the pretended and in their discourses. The night Virgin to increase the delusion. after, the apparition was renewed The Virgin, thus equipped, adwith the addition of two impos-dressed a long discourse to Jetzer, tors, dressed like devils, and Jet- in which, among other things, zer's faith was augmented by hear-she told him that she was coning from the spectre all the secrets ceived in original sin, though she