Resolutioners, or Resolutionists, were those who approved of the answer given by the commission- ers of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (which met at Perth in the time of Charles II) to the question proposed to them by the Parliament, viz. what persons were to be admitted to rise in arms against Cromwell. The resolution was, that all persons capable of bearing arms were to be admitted, except those of bad character, or obstinate enemies to the Covenant. Those who supported it were called Resolutioners, while those who opposed it were designated Protesters or A?iti- Resolutioners.
Respect of Persons (irpo<T<*)Tro\i]\pia, Pom. ii, 11 ; Epb. vi, 9 ; Col. iii, 25 ; James ii, 1 ; a later Greek word, found only in the New Test., and modelled after the use of rt"'j with C5S), partiality for individuals. God ap- pointed that the judges should pronounce sentence with- out respect of persons (Lev. xix, 15 ; Deut. xvi, 17, 19). That they should consider neither the poor nor the rich, the weak nor the powerful, but should attend only to truth and justice. God has no respect of persons. The Jews complimented our Saviour that he told the truth, without respect of persons, without fear (Matt, xxii, 1G ; Isa. xxxii, 1-16). Jude (ver. 16), instead of the phrase " to have respect of persons," has " to admire persons."
Our English term respect seems to imply some kind of deference or submission to a party; but this is not al- ways the proper meaning to be annexed to it in Script- ure. When we read (Exod. ii, 25) " God had respect to
the children of Israel," it can only express his compas- sion and sympathy for them ; when God had respect to the offering of Abel (Gen. iv, 4), it imports to accept fa- vorably, to notice with satisfaction. (Comp. 1 Kings viii, 28 ; Numb, xvi, 15.)— Calmet,
Respond, before the Reformation, was a short an- them interrupting the middle of a chapter ; when two or three verses had been read, the respond was sung, after which the chapter proceeded.
RESPOND, a half-pillar or pier, in Middle-age archi- tecture, attached to a wall to support an arch, etc. Re- sponds are very frequently used by themselves, as at the sides of the entrances of chancels, etc., and are also generally employed at the terminations of ranges of pillars, such as those between the body and aisles of church- es. In these last-mentioned situations they usually cor- respond in form with the pil- lars, but are sometimes dif- ferent. The name frequent- ly occurs in mediaeval con- tracts,and may have its origin in the notion of the two pilas- ters responding to, i. e. cor- responding with, each other. Tims the breadth of the nave of Eton College chapel "be- tween the i-esponders" was directed by the will of king Henry VI to be thirty-two feet. — Parker, Gloss, of Ar-
Respond, Fotheringay, North Hants.
•hitect, s. v.
Responsales were a sort of residents in the im- perial city in the name of foreign churches and bishops, whose office was to negotiate as proctors at the em- peror's court in all ecclesiastical causes wherein their principals might be concerned. The institution of the office seems to have been in the time of Constantine, or not long after, when, the emperors having become Christians, foreign churches had more occasion to pro- mote their suits at the imperial court than formerly. However, we find it established by law in the time of Justinian. It does not appear from that law that re- sponsales were clergymen, but from other writings we may easily collect it. See Bingham, Christian Antiq. bk. iii, ch. xiii, p. 6.
Response. Among the Hebrews the usual response by the people to prayer was by the utterance of the word .1 men at the close; and this practice was naturally adopted, or rather continued, by Christians likewise. This word ("'EN), literally "firm, true," was used as a substantive, " that which is true," " truth" (Isa. Ixv, 16). It was employed in strong asseverations, fixing, as it were, the stamp of truth upon the assertion which it ac- companied, and making it binding as an oath (comp. Numb, v, 22). In the Sept. of 1 Chron. xvi, 36 ; Neh. v, 13; viii, 6, the word appears in the form 'Afiffv, which is used throughout the New Test. In other passages the Hebrew is rendered by yevoiTO, except in Isa. Ixv, 16. The Vulgate adopts the Hebrew word in all cases except in the Psalms, where it is translated Jiat. In Deut. xxvii, 15-26, the people were to say "Amen" as the Levites pronounced each of the curses upon Mount Ebal, signifying by this their assent to the conditions under which the curses would be inflicted. In ac- cordance with this usage we find that among the rab- bins "Amen" involves the ideas of swearing, accept- ance, and truthfulness. The first two are illustrated by
RESPONSES
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RESTITUTION
the passages already quoted, the last by 1 Kings i. 36; John iii. .:. •"), 11 (A.Y. '•verily"), in which the asser- tions are made with the solemnity of an oath and then strengthened by the repetition of •• Amen.'' ••Amen''
was the proper res| Be of the person to whom an oath
was administered (Neb. v, 13 ; viii, 6; 1 Chron. xvi, 36 ; Jer. xi, 5, marg.) ; and the Deity, to whom appeal is made mi such occasions, is called "the God of Amen" (Isa.lxv. 16), as being a witness to the sincerity of the implied compact. With a similar significance Christ is called "the .1.7"//. tie- faithful ami true witness" I Rev. iii. 14: comp. John i . 11; Xvi, 6; 2 Cor. i, 20). It is matter of tradition thai in the Temple the " Amen" was no! uttered by the people, but thai instead, at the con- clusion of i he priest's prayer-, t hey responded, " Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom lor ever and ever." Of this a trace is supposed to remain in the Con- cluding sentence of the Lord's Prayer (comp. Rom. xi. 36). But in the synagogues and private houst - il was customary for the people or members of the family who were present to say ••Amen" to the prayers which were offered by the minister or the master of the house, and the custom remained in the early Christian Church (Matt, vi, 13; 1 Cor. xiv. 16). And l i • • r only public prayers, but those offered in private, and doxologies were appropriately concluded with •■Amen" (Rom. ix, 5: xi,36; xv, 33; xvi, 27; -' Cor. xiii, 13, etc.).— Smith. See Ami \.