his retirement in 1713. Doggett is
highly spoken of by his contemporaries, both as an actor and as a man,
and is frequently referred to in _The Tatler_ and _Spectator_. It was he
who in 1715 founded the prize of "Doggett's Coat and Badge" in honour of
the house of Hanover, "in commemoration of his Majesty King George's
happy Accession to the Brittish Throne." The prize was a red coat with a
large silver badge on the arm, bearing the white horse of Hanover, and
the race had to be rowed annually on the 1st of August on the Thames, by
six young watermen who were not to have exceeded the time of their
apprenticeship by twelve months. Although the first contest took place
in 1715, the names of the winners have only been preserved since 1791.
The race is still rowed each year, but under modified conditions.

See _Thomas Doggett, Deceased_ (London, 1908).

DOGMA (Gr. [Greek: dogma], from [Greek: dokein], to seem; literally
"that which seems, sc. good or true or useful" to any one), a term which
has passed through many senses both general and technical, and is now
chiefly used in theology. In Greek constitutional history the decision
of--"that which seemed good to"--an assembly was called a [Greek: dogma]
(i.e. decree), and throughout its history the word has generally implied
a decision, or body of decisions or opinions, officially adopted and
regarded by those who make it as possessing authority. As a technical
term in theology, it has various shades of meaning according to the
degree of authority which is postulated and the nature of the evidence
on which it is based. Thus it has been used broadly of all theological
doctrines, and also in a narrower sense of fundamental beliefs only,
confession of which is insisted upon as a term of church communion. By
sceptics the word "dogma" is generally used contemptuously, for an
opinion grounded not upon evidence but upon assertion; and this attitude
is so far justified from the purely empirical standpoint that
theological dogmas deal with subjects which, by their very nature, are
not susceptible of demonstration by the methods of physical science.
Again, popularly, an unproved _ex cathedra_ statement of any kind is
called "dogmatic," with perhaps an insinuation that it is being
obstinately adhered to without, or beyond, or in defiance of, obtainable
evidence. But again to "dogmatize" may mean simply to assert, instead of
hesitating or suspending judgment.

Three pre-Christi