learned Dr. Robert Lowth, Bishop of London, and one of the greatest ornaments of his time. He died in 1732, and was buried, by his own orders, in the churchyard of Buriton. The professional works of this learned divine are," A Vindication of the Divine Authority and Inspiration of the Old and New Testament;""Directions for the profitable reading of the Holy Scriptures;" "A Commentary on the Prophetical Books of the Old Testament," which generally accompanies Patrick and Whitby.

LOWTH, ROBERT, son of the preceding, a distinguished English prelate, born at Buriton, the 27th of November, 1710. He received his education at Winchester school, whence he was elected, in 1730, to New College, Oxford, of which he was chosen a fellow in 1734. In 1737, he graduated Master of Arts, and, in 1741, was elected professor of poetry in the university of Oxford. The first preferment which he obtained in the church, was the rectory of Ovington, in Hampshire, in 1744; and four years afterwards he accompanied Mr. Legge, afterwards Chancellor of the Exchequer, to Berlin. He was, about this time, appointed tutor to the sons of the Duke of Devonshire, during their travels on the continent. On his return, he was appointed Archdeacon of Winchester, by Bishop Hoadley, who, three years after, presented him with the rectory of East Woodhay. In 1753, he published his valuable work, " De Sacra Poesi Hebræorum, Prælectiones Academicæ," quarto. Of this work, to which the duties of the author's professorship gave occasion, all the best critics speak in unqualified praise. In 1754 he received the degree of Doctor in Divinity, from the university of Oxford, by diploma; and in 1755 went to Ireland, as chaplain to the Marquis of Hartington, then appointed lord-lieutenant, who nominated him Bishop of Limerick, a preferment which he exchanged for a prebend of Durham, and the rectory of Sedgefield. In the year 1758 he preached a sermon in favour of free inquiry in matters of religion, which has been often reprinted, and has been much admired. In the same year he published his "Life of William of Wykeham," octavo; and in 1762, "A Short Introduction to English Grammar-a production that has gone through a great number of editions, and may be considered the precursor of

that attention to grammatical accuracy and precision which has since distinguished the best writers of English prose. In 1766, Dr. Lowth was appointed Bishop of St. David's, whence, in a few years afterwards, he was translated to the see of Oxford. In 1777 he succeeded Dr. Terrick in the diocese of London; and, in the following year, published the last of his literary labours, namely, "Isaiah; a new Translation, with a Preliminary Dissertation, and Notes." This elegant and beautiful version of the evangelical prophet, of which learned men in every part of Europe have been unanimous in their eulogiums, is alone sufficient to transmit his name to posterity. On the death of Archbishop Cornwallis, the primacy was offered to Dr. Lowth, a dignity which he declined on account of his advanced age and family afflictions. In 1768 he lost his eldest daughter; and, in 1783, his second daughter suddenly expired while presiding at the tea-table: his eldest son was also suddenly cut off in the prime of life. This amiable prelate died on the third of November, 1787, at his palace of Fulham, in the seventy-seventh year of his age.

LUCIANISTS, OR LUCANISTS, a sect so called from Lucianus, or Lucanus, a heretic of the second century, being a disciple of Marcion, whose errors he followed, adding some new ones to them. Epiphanius says he abandoned Marcion, teaching that people ought not to marry, for fear of enriching the Creator; and yet other authors mention that he held this error in common with Marcion and other Gnostics. He denied the immortality of the soul, asserting it to be material.

There was another sect of Lucianists, who appeared some time after the Arians. They taught that the Father had been a Father always, and that he had the name even before he begot the Son, as having in him the power and faculty of generation; and in this manner they accounted for the eternity of the Son.

LUCIFERIANS, a sect who adhered to the schism of Lucifer, Bishop of Cagliari, in the fourth century, who was banished by the Emperor Constantius, for having defended the Nicene doctrine concerning the three persons in the Godhead. It is said, also, that they believed the soul to be corporeal, and to be transmitted from the father to the children. The Luciferians were numerous in Gaul,

Spain, Egypt, &c. The occasion of this schism was, that Lucifer would not allow any acts he had done to be abolished. There were but two Luciferian bishops, but a great number of priests and deacons. The Luciferians bore a great aversion to the Arians.

LUCIFUGE, OR LIGHT-HATERS, a name of reproach given to the early Christians, because, in times of persecution, they frequently held their religious assemblies at night, or before the break of day.

LUKEWARMNESS, applied to the affections, indifference, or want of ardour. In respect to religion, hardly any thing can be more culpable than this spirit. If there be a God possessed of unspeakable rectitude in his own nature, and unbounded goodness towards his creatures, what can be more inconsistent and unbecoming than to be frigid and indifferent in our devotions to him? Atheism, in some respects, cannot be worse than lukewarmness. The Atheist disbelieves the existence of a God, and, therefore, cannot worship him at all; the lukewarm owns the existence, sovereignty, and goodness of the Supreme Being, but denies him that fervour of affection, that devotedness of heart, and activity of service, which the excellency of his nature demands, and the authority of his word requires. Such a character, therefore, is represented as absolutely loathsome to God, and obnoxious to his wrath, Rev. iii. 15, 16.

The general signs of a lukewarm spirit are such as these:--Neglect of private prayer; a preference of worldly to religious company; a lax attendance on public ordinances; omission or careless perusal of God's word; a zeal for some appendages of religion, while languid about religion itself; a backwardness to promote the cause of God in the world, and a rashness of spirit in censuring those who are desirous to be useful.

If we inquire the causes of such a spirit, we shall find them to be-worldly prosperity; the influence of carnal relatives and acquaintances; indulgence of secret sins; the fear of man; and sitting under an unfaithful ministry.

The inconsistency of it appears if we consider, that it is highly unreasonable; dishonourable to God; incompatible with the genius of the Gospel; a bar rier to improvement; a death-blow to usefulness; a direct opposition to the

commands of Scripture; and tends to the greatest misery.

To overcome such a state of mind, we should consider how offensive it is to God; how incongruous with the very idea and nature of true religion; how injurious to peace and felicity of mind; how ungrateful to Jesus Christ, whose whole life was labour for us and our salvation; how grievous to the Holy Spirit; how dreadful an example to those who have no religion; how unlike the saints of old, and even to our enemies in the worst of causes; how dangerous to our immortal souls, since it is indicative of our want of love to God, and exposes us to just condemnation, Amos vi. 1.

LUTHER, MARTIN, the celebrated reformer, was born the 10th of November, 1483, at the town of Eisleben, in the electorate of Saxony. His father, John Luther, was remarkable for his industry. He was a local magistratea man of respectability, and good character. His mother, Margaret Lindeman, was a woman of eminent piety; and Luther was much benefited by her maternal instructions. At an early age, he was placed under the tuition of George Omilius, who instructed him in the elements of knowledge, and from whom he was early removed, to be placed in a superior school at Magdeburg. At the age of fifteen, he was sent to a distinguished seminary in Eisenach; his master's name was John Trebonius, and the school was conducted by Franciscans. Here was laid the foundation of his future eminence; and he soon composed Latin verses, which alike surprised and gratified his instructors. At the age of nineteen, he repaired to the seminary of Erfurt, where he diligently studied logic and Latin, and most probably Greek; and attained so much proficiency, that, when only twenty years of age, he took the degree of Master of Arts.

Luther at this time was in an unregenerate state; but in the following year, 1504, walking out one day with a friend, named Alexius, they were overtaken by a thunder-storm, and his friend was struck dead by his side. Perceiving the vanity of all terrestrial good, he then determined on ending his days in a monastery; and notwithstanding the contrary advice of his friends, and the pleasure he derived from social intercourse, in 1505 he entered the Augus tinian monastery at Erfurt. On em

bracing the monastic profession, he was very imperfectly acquainted with the routine of the discipline. It was in 1507 (2d of May), and in Luther's twentyfourth year, that he entered into orders, and celebrated his first mass. This date is the more remarkable, because he discovered, about the same time, a Latin copy of the Bible, lying in the library of the monastery; he eagerly laid hold of this neglected book, and persevered in studying it with so much diligence, that he was able, in a short time, to refer with ease and promptitude to any particular passage. In the zealous persecution of his studies, he had little opportunity of deriving assistance from the labours of others. The writings of the fathers, with the exception of those of Augustine, were wholly unknown to him. His knowledge of Greek was very imperfect, and with Hebrew he was entirely unacquainted. Besides, the only copy of the Scriptures as yet in his possession, was the Latin vulgate. Eras mus had not then published his edition of the New Testament; and since the days of Jerome, no very eminent example had been given of the application of sound criticism to the sacred canon. Deprived thus of information, from the researches of others, Luther would often spend a whole day in meditating on a few particular passages. To this he was prompted equally by a thirst for information, and the disquieted state of his mind. Before his acquaintance with the Bible, he had, like other persons, been satisfied with the current doetrines, and had never thought of examining a subject, in which he suspected no error. Now, however, he was sufficiently advanced to perceive that his early creed must be abandoned, without having gone far enough to find another in its place. His former melancholy returned, and continued to do so at intervals, until his views of divine truth acquired clearness and consistency. During this state of uncertainty, when reflecting on the wrath of God, and on the extraordinary examples of punishment recorded in Scripture, he was sometimes struck with such terror as almost to faint away. He has been so much agitated by eagerness of temper, when engaged in a dispute on doctrine, as to find it necessary to throw himself on a bed in an adjoining chamber, where he would fall down in prayer, and frequently repeat these

words, "He hath concluded all in un belief, that he might have mercy upon all." In those agitations of mind, Lus ther's resort was to the works of Augus tine, who was, in his eyes, an oracle of equal price, as Jerome in those of Eras mus. Luther, absorbed in study, and averse to consume time in the unin structive routine of Romish ceremonies, became unmindful of the forms of the monastery; he would read and write with such ardour, for days together, as to overlook the hours prescribed for di-: vine service by the canons; he was, on the other hand, rigid in the observance of the penance enjoined to his profession. At a diet held at Worms, in 1495, it had been agreed among the electors, that each should become the founder of a university. Luther's sovereign, Frederick, Elector of Saxony, surnamed the Sage, was fully alive to the advantages of erecting such an establishment in his territory. In 1508 Luther was appointed to an academical chair in the university of Wittemberg, at the early age of twenty-five. He now felt the necessity of acquiring a knowledge of Hebrew. Luther was, in many respects, not only a sincere but a zealous Catholic. In addition to the duty of teaching his class and preaching, Luther occasionally heard confessions. In the exercise of this function, in the year 1517, some persons came to him to confess, and though guilty of serious crimes, refused to undergo the penance prescribed by: him, because they had already received remission in the shape of an indulgence. Luther, revolting at this evasion, flatly refused them the absolution for which they applied. As he persisted in this negative determination, the persons in question, considering themselves ag grieved, entered a serious complaint against him with Tetzel, who was at that time in the neighbourhood of the town of Interbock. In an evil hour for the papacy, Tetzel became violently incensed against Luther; and being one of the holy commission charged with the extirpation of heresy, he threatened to subject Luther, and those who might adhere to him, to the horrors of the inquisition. The manner in which Luther proceeded, affords a convincing proof that he acted with no deliberate hostility to the church. Conformably to the custom of the age, in the case of doubtful points, he came to the determination of