and partly elective. The dominions of princes, in the early a ges of the world, were generally but of small extent, Juftin. i 1.; Jofbua xii. & xxiv.; Judges i. 7.; Thucydid. i. 13. 17. &c. Almoft every city had its own king, or tyrant; for fo by the Greeks they were commonly called, (Tuparvo, reges, reguli, vel principes, Nep. Miltiad. 8.; Serv. in Virg. Æn. vii. 266.; Strab. vii. p. 310.) The abufe of power, and other caufes, occafioned the expulfion of kings, and the establishment of republican or free governments. The licentioufnefs and corruption of these produced their destruction, and commonly terminated in defpotifm, Polyb. vi. 6. 7. 55. &c.

The fundamental laws of a state, which fecure the rights of its inhabitants, and regulate the conduct of its rulers, are called its CONSTITUTION. Although defpotic governments can. not properly be faid to have a conftitution, yet even in these, there are certain things established by law or custom, to which the fovereign is obliged to conform, and which he dares not violate.

When several states form a perpetual alliance for their mutual fafety and happiness, they are called United States; as, the Greek and Achaian republics of old; the Swiss cantons, the ftates of Holland and of America, in modern times.

DIFFERENT RELIGIONS.

THE Religions which chiefly prevail in the world, are the Chriflian and Mahometan. Such as profefs neither of these, are called Pagans or Heathens.

The Jewish Religion is peculiar to the Jews; but they for a long time have no where had any political establishment.

A number of Chriftians adhering to the fame opinions and form of worship, is called a church.

Thofe Chriftians who profefs fubmiflion to the Pope of Rome, are called Roman Catholics or Papifts. Those who have feparated from that church, are called Proteflants or Reformed; but by the Roman Catholics they are termed Heretics. From the two most eminent reformers, Luther and Calvin, thofe who embrace the opinions of the former are called Lutherans; of the latter, Calvinifls.

The doctrines of the Church of England are much the fame with thofe of Calvin, but its difcipline and form of worthip are different. The church of England maintains a diversity of rank among its paftors, the chief of whom are called bishops (epifeopi) and archbishops; whence this form of church-government is termed Epifcopacy, Prelacy, or Hierarchy. But the Cal

vinifts

vinifts hold an equality of rank among the minifters of religion, whom they alfo call prefbyters; whence in Scotland, becaufe the church is governed by meetings called prefbyteries, confifting of minifters and lay-members, termed ruling elders, (EOBUTEPO,) the national religion is called Prefbyterian.

Chriftians in thofe countries which never acknowledged the authority of the Roman Pontiff, are faid to be of the Greek Church.

That religion which is fanctioned by law, and its teachers fupported by the public, is called the established religion or church. Thofe who differ from it, are called Diffenters, Nonconformifts, Diffidents, Seceders, Sectaries, Puritans, &c. If fuch are allowed openly to profefs their religion, they are faid to be tolerated.

Those who deny the validity of infant baptifm, are called A nabaptifts. Those who affert that there is no authority in fcripture for a national or established religion, are called Independents. Those who adhere to the doctrines of the established church, are called Orthodox; thofe who do not, Heterodox. The most violent difputes have often been raised in the Chriftian church about doctrines difficult to be understood. Thofe who differed from the established belief concerning the divinity of our Saviour, were in ancient times called Arians, from one Arius, a priest of Alexandria in Egypt, who died a. 336; and in modern times alfo Socinians, from Socinus, a native of Sienna in Italy, who died in Poland, a. 1604, the latter differing in feveral particulars from the former. Those who differ from the established doctrine concerning predeftination or neceffity, and freedom of will, are called Arminians, from James Arminius a Dutch divine, who died a. 1609. This difference of opinion is fimilar to that which prevailed among the ancient philofophers concerning liberty and neceffity, fate and contingence, or the connection between cause and effect; Cic. de Fat. iii. 14. &c.

E

EUROPE.

UROPE is fituate between 36 and 72 degrees north latitude, and between 10 deg. weft, and 65 deg. east longitude, from London; extending about 3000 miles from North Cape to Cape Tanărus or Matapan; and 2500 from east to weft. It is by far the leaft of the four quarters of the world in extent, but the moft confiderable by the genius of its inhabitants. It is bounded on the north by the Northern or frozen eccan;

on the weft by the Atlantic ocean, which divides it from America; on the fouth by the Mediterranean, which divides it from Africa; on the caft by Afia, from which it is divided by the #gaun fea, or Archipelago, the Hellefpont or the Straits of the Dardanelles, the Propontis or fea of Marmora, the Thracian Bofphorus or the ftraits of Conftantinople, the Euxine or Black fea, the Cimmerian Bosphorus or Straits of Kaffa, the Palus Maotis or fea of Afoph, the Tanais or Don, a line from thence to the Rha or Wolga, from thence to the Tobol, Irtis, and Oby.

The chief SEAS and STRAITS of Europe are,

The White fea; the Baltic, anciently Mare Suevicum, or Sinus Codanus; the parts of which are, the Cattegat or Scaggerac Sea, the Sound, the two Belts, the Greater and Leffer Belt, the gulf of Lubec, the mouth of the Oder, the gulf of Dantzick at the mouth of the Vistula, the gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Dwina, the gulf of Finland, and the gulf of Bothnia:

The British or German fea; the Irish fea; St George's channel; British channel; Straits of Dover and Calais; Bay of Bifcay:

The Mediterranean, joined to the Atlantic by the Fretum Gaditanum or Herculeum, the ftraits of Gibraltar: the most remarkable parts of which are, Sinus Gallicus, the gulf of Lyons; mare Ligufticum, the gulf of Genoa; mare Inferum, Tyrrhenum, or Etrufcum, the ufcan fea; Fretum Siculum, the Straits of Meflina; gulf of Tarentum; mare Superum, Illyricum, or Sinus Hadriaticus, the Hadriatic fea or gulf of Venice; eaft of this the Mediterranean is now called the Levant, Archipelago, &c. anciently mare Io ium, Creticum, Ægaum, &c.

The principal RIVERS in Europe are, the

Durius, Douro ;

Garumna, Garonne ;

Rha, Wolga;

Bortlenes, Nieper;

Liger, Loire;

Tyras, Nieter;

Sequăna, Seine;

Denebis or Ifier, Danube;

Samara, Somme;

i adus, Po;

Scaldis, Scheld;

Rhodanus, Rhone;

Ibērus, Ebro;

Mofa, Maefe;

Rhenus, Rhine;

Batis, Cuadalquiver;

An, Guadiana;

Togus, Tayo;

Vifurgis, Wefer;

Albis, Elbe;

Viadrus, Oder;

The Vistula, the Dwina at Riga, and the Dwina at Archangel.

Ancient

Ancient Divifions of EUROPE.

Scandinavia, now Denmark, Norway, Lapland, Finland, and Sweden; Germania, Germany; Sarmatia or Scythia, Poland, Pruffia, Ruffia, and Little Tartary, countries unknown to the Romans; Dacia, Moldavia, Walachia, and Transylvania; Mafia, Servia and Bulgaria; Thracia, Romania; Macedonia, ftill called by the fame name; Theffalia, Janna; Gracia propria, Livadia; Peloponnefus, Morea; Epirus, Albania and Canina; Illyricum, Dalmatia, Bosnia, Croatia, and Sclavonia; Pannonia, Hungary; Noricum, Auftria; Rhatia and Vindelicia, Tyrol, and the country of the Grifons; Gallia, France, Switzerland, Flanders and Holland; Britannia, Britain; Hibernia, Ireland; Hifpania, Spain and Portugal; Baleares, or Balearides Infula, Ivica, Majorca, and Minorca; Corfica; Sardinia; Sicilia; Italia.

But the capital of the King of Prufia's dominions is BERLIN, in Brandenburgh, Upper Saxing, Germany, 540 E.

SOUTH.

ITALY.

TALY is bounded on the north and north west by the Alps, which feparate it from Germany, Switzerland, and France; on the weft it is feparated from France by the river Var; every where else it is furrounded by the Mediterranean. It extends 600 miles in length in the form of a boot, between 38 and 47 deg. north lat. and about 400 miles in its greatest breadth, between 6 and 19 deg. east long. from London. It is divided into two parts by the Appenines, which run the whole length of it.

Italy was anciently called by various names, efpecially by the poets, Saturnia, Aufonia, Oenotria; and alfo Hefperia by the Grecks, because it lay weft of them.

Before the days of Auguftus, Italy, north of the rivers Maccra and Rubicon was called Gallia Citerior, or Cifalpina; in later times, Togata, from the use of the Roman toga, the inhabitants, after the Social war, being admitted to the right of citizens. It was divided into two parts, Cifpadana and Tranfpadana, by the Padus, or Po, running through the middle of it.

This river, called alfo by the poets Eridanus, is joined on the north, by the Ticinus, Tifino, iffuing from the lake Verba

nus,