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witii two ftrong guys, or pendants, by wliidi their efforts 

 are communicated, under the (hip's bottom, to the oppoiite 

 fide, where the ends of the guys are attached to the lower 

 wuH-ports. The other ends of the tackles are hooked to 

 the wharf or pontoon, by which the veflel is careened. Thus, 

 if a (hip is iirft to be laid down on the larboard fide, which 

 is nearelt the wharf, the relieving tackles are parted under 

 ]ier bottojm from the faid wharf, and attached to the Itar- 

 board fide, by which they will reftrain her from falling 

 lower than is neceflary. Falconer. 



Relieving Tackle, is alfo a name given to the train tackles 

 of a gun-carriage. 



RELIEVO, or Relief, Imlojfmeni, is applied to a 

 figure which projefls, or Hands out prominent, from the 

 {T-ound or plane on which it is formed, whether that figure 

 be cut with the chiffel, moulded, or call. There are three 

 kinds of relievo ; -viz. alto, lajfo, and demi-relievo. 



Relievo, jIIio, haut relief, or high relievo, is when the 

 figure is formed after nature, and projefts as much as the 



fife. 



Relievo, Balfo, beu relief, or low relievo, is when the 

 work is but railed a little from its ground, as we fee in 

 medals, and in the frontifpieces or buildings, particularly 

 the hiftories, feftoons, foliages, and other ornaments in 

 friezes. See Basso Relievo. 



Relievo, Demi, is when one-half of the figiire rifes from 

 the plane, i. e. when the body of a figure feems cut in two, 

 and one-half is clapped on a ground. When in a bafFo re- 

 lievo there are fome parts that (land clear out, detached 

 from the reil, the work is called a demi-boffe. 



Relievo, in ArchiteSure, denotes the (ally or projeftare 

 of any ornament. 



This, Daviler obferves, is always to be proportioned to the 

 magnitude of the building it adorns, and the diftance at 

 which it is to be viewed. 



If the work be infulate, and terminated on all fides, it is 

 called a figure in relievo, or a round embofjment. Such are 

 Itatues, acroters, &c. 



Relievo, in Painting, denotes the degree of force or 

 boldnefs by which a figure feems, at a due diflance, to 

 ftand out from the ground of tlie painting, as if really 

 imbofled. 



The relievo depends much on the depth of the fhadow, 

 and the ftrength of the light ; or on the hght of the dif- 

 ferent colours bordering on one another ; and particularly 

 on the difference of the colour of the figure from that of 

 the ground. 



When the light is well chofen, to make the nearell parts 

 of figures advance ; and well diffufed on the maffes, itill 

 diminiihing infenfibly, and terminating in a large fpecious 

 fhadow, brought off infenfibly ; the relievo is faid to be 

 bold, and the claire obfcure, well underflood. 



RELIGION, Religio, that worlhip or homage that is 

 due to God, confidered as Creator, Preferver, and, with 

 Chriftians, as Redeemer of the world. 



The foundation of all religion is, that there is a God ; 

 and that he requires fome acknowledgment and fervice firom 

 his creatures. 



Accordingly, religion, in the true meaning of the term, 

 neceffanly fuppofes and includes an intercourfe between 

 God and man ; i. c. o\\ the part of God difcoveries and 

 manifeftations of hi.nfeff and his perfettions, and of his will 

 with regard to the duties which he requires ; and on the 

 part of man, a capacity and readinefs to receive and im- 

 prove thofe difcoveries, and to conform to all the figniii- 

 cations of the divine will. For it is an undeniable prin- 

 ciple, that whatfoever plainly appeareth to be the mind and 



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will of God, whatever be the way in which we obtain lh<? 

 knowledge of it, we are indifpenfibly obliged to obferve. 

 And as there are twro ways by which God may be fuppofed 

 to inanifefl liimfelf and his will to mankind, vix. by his 

 works and by his word, religion has been ufually diftri- 

 buted into natural and revealed. Thefe are not two kinds 

 of religion, etlentially different, much lefs contrary or con- 

 tradiftory to cacli other, becaule they both have God for 

 their objeft, and proceed from him ; nor are they alto- 

 gether the lame, and diilering merely in the mode of their 

 communication. Although all true revealed religion mull 

 be confident witli, and in no refpeft contrary to, the clear 

 light of nature and reafon, yet it may difcover and reveal 

 feveral tilings pertaining to truth and duty, which that 

 light, if left to itfelf, could not have difcovered at all, or 

 not with fufficient clearnefs and certainty. Thefe fhould 

 not be oppofed to one another ; nor is the one of thorn 

 defigned to exclude the other. 



Religion, Natural, has been taken in different accepta- 

 tions. Some underlland by it every thing in religion, with* 

 regard to truth and duty, which, when once difcovered, 

 may be clearly fhewn to have a real foundation in the nature 

 and relations of things, and which unprejudiced reafon will 

 approve, when fairly propofed, and fet in a proper light. 

 Accordingly fome Chriitian philofophers and divines have 

 comprehended under their fcheme or fyftem of natural 

 religion, a confiderable part of what is contained in the 

 fcripture revelation, e. gr. the important truths gnd prin- 

 ciples relating to the exiftence, the unity, and attributes of 

 God, his governing providence and moral adminiftration, 

 the worlhip that is due to him, the law that is given to 

 mankind ; or the whole of moral duty in its juH extent, as 

 relating to God, our neighbours, and ourfelves, the rewards 

 and punifhments of another (late, and other articles nearly 

 connefted with thefe, and dependent upon them, fiaving 

 taken great pains to (hew, that all this is perfeftly agree- 

 able to found reafon, and founded in the nature of things, 

 they have honoured tlie whole witji the name of natural 

 religion. None can hefitate to allow, that it is a real and 

 great ferwee to religion to fhew, that the main principles 

 and duties of it are what reafon muil approve ; and thofe 

 are unqucllionably entitled to praife, who have undertaken 

 to demonftrate this with great clearnefs and force of argu- 

 ment. But it does not follow that, becaufe thefe things, 

 when once clearly difcovered, may be proved agreeable to 

 reafon, and to have a real foundation in the nature of things, 

 reafon alone, in the prefent flate of mankind, if left to 

 itfelf, without higher affiftance, would merely, by its own 

 force, have difcovered all of them, with their genuine 

 confequences, and have applied them to their proper ufes, 

 for diredling men in the true knowledge and praftice of 

 religion. Many things, fays Mr. Locke, in his " Reafon- 

 ablenefs of Chriflianity," are taken for unqueitionable 

 truths, and eafily demonflrable, without confidering how 

 long we might have been in doubt or ignorance refpefting 

 them, if revelation had been filent. Native and original 

 truth is not fo ealily wrought out of the mine, as we who 

 have it ready dug and fafhioned to our hands, are apt to 

 imagine To the fame purpofe Dr. Clarke obferves, 

 (Difc. on Nat. and Rev. Religion,) that it is one thing to 

 fee, that thefe rules of life, which are before-hand plainly 

 and particularly laid before us, are perfeftly agreeable to 

 reafon, and another thing to find out thefe rules merely 

 by the light of reafon, without their having been firil 

 otherwife made known. Accordingly fome able and ftre- 

 nuous affertors of natural religion, or the law of nature, 

 though they contend that it is founded in the nature of 



thing;, 



