POWERS OF THE MIND Are those faculties by which we think, reason, judge, &c. "They are so various," says Dr. Reid, "so many, so connected, and complicated in most of their operations, that there never has been any division of them proposed which is not liable to considerable objections. The most common division is that of understand and will. Under the will we comprehend out active powers, and all that lead to action, or influence the mind to act; such as appetites, passions, affections. The understanding comprehends our contemplative powers, by which we perceive objects; by which we conceive or remember them; by which we analyze or compound them; and by which we judge and reason concerning them. Or the intellectual powers are commonly divided…

PERSUASION The act of influencing the judgment and passions by arguments or motives. It is different from conviction. Conviction affects the understanding only; persuasion the will and the practice. It is more extensively used than conviction, which last is founded on demonstration natural or supernatural. But all things of which we may be persuaded, are not capable of demonstration.

OPINION Is that judgment which the mind forms of any proposition, for the truth or falsehood of which there is not sufficient evidence to produce absolute belief.

JUDGMENT Is that act of the mind whereby one thing is affirmed or denied of another; or that power of the soul which passes sentence on things proposed to its examination, and determines what is right or wrong: and thus it approves or disapproves of an action, or an object considered as true or false, fit or unfit, good or evil. Dr. Watts gives us the following directions to assist us in judging right. 1. We should examine all our old opinions afresh, and enquire what was the ground of them, and whether our assent were built on just evidence; and then we should cast off all those judgments which were formed heretofore without due examination.--2. All our ideas of objects, concerning which we pass…

IMPLICIT FAITH Is that by which we take up any system or opinion of another without examination. This has been one of the chief sources of ignorance and error in the church of Rome. The divines of that community teach, "That we are to observe, not how the church proves any thing, but what she says: that the will of God is, that we should believe and confide in his ministers in the same manner as himself." Cardinal Toletus, in his instructions for priests, asserts, "That if a rustic believes his bishop proposing an heretical tenet for an article of faith, such belief is meritorious." Cardinal Cusanus tells us, "That irrational obedience is the most consummate and perfect obedience, when we obey without attending to…

Religious Lectures Are discourses or sermons delivered by ministers on any subject in theology. Beside lectures on the sabbath day, many think proper to preach on week days; sometimes at five in the morning, before people go to work, and at seven in the evening, after they have done. In London there is preaching almost every forenoon and evening in the week, at some place or other. It may be objected, however, against week-day preaching, that it has a tendency to take people from their business, and that the number of places open on a sabbath day supersedes the necessity of it. But in answer to this may it not be observed, 1. That people stand in need at all times of religious instruction, exhortation,…