means justice, honesty, virtue, goodness, and amongst Christians is of exactly the same import with holiness, without which, we are told, no man shall see the Lord. The doctrine of the fall, and of redemption through Jesus Christ, has occasioned much disputation, and given rise to many singular notions in the world. The haughty philosopher, dissatisfied with mysteries, and with the humiliating doctrine of atonement by a crucified Saviour, has made a religion for himself, which he calls rational Christianity; and Righteousness, the enthusiast, by extracting doctrines from Scripture which are not contained in it, and which are repugnant to its spirit, has given too much countenance to this pretension. The doctrine of imputed righteousness, by which the merit of Christ is said to be imputed to us, appears to be of this number; and though it has been held by many good, and by some learned men, it is certainly in general unfriendly to virtue, as will be readily allowed by all who have conversed with the more ignorant sort of Methodists in England or Seceders in Scotland. That it does not follow from the doctrine of the atonement, and consequently that it has no foundation in Scripture, will appear elsewhere. See THEOLOGY.

Bill of RIGHTS, in Law, is a declaration delivered by the lords and commons to the prince and princess of Orange, 13th February 1688; and afterwards enacted in parliament, when they became king and queen. It sets forth, that King James did, by the assistance of divers evil counsellors, endeavour to subvert the laws and liberties of this kingdom, by exercising a power of dispensing with and suspending of laws; by levying money for the use of the crown by pretence of prerogative without consent of parliament; by prosecuting those who petitioned the king, and discouraging petitions; by raising and keeping a standing army in time of peace; by violating the freedom of election of members to serve in parliament; by violent prosecutions in the court of king's bench; and causing partial and corrupt jurors to be returned on trials, excessive bail to be taken, excessive fines to be imposed, and cruel punishments inflicted; all which were declared to be illegal. And the declaration concludes in these remarkable words: "And they do claim, demand, and insist upon, all and singular the premises, as their undoubted rights and liberties." And the act of parliament itself (1 W. and M. stat. 2. cap. 2.) recognizes "all and singular the rights and liberties, affected and claimed in the said declaration, to be the true, ancient, indubitable rights of the people of this kingdom." See LIBERTY.