they are called, adopt nearly the same mcde of church government with the' Independents. Their chief difference from the Independents is, that they are less attached to Calvinism. a separate presbytery they have made considerable progress. At first there were but nine preachers in the connec tion, four of whom only were ordained. At that time their organized congregations were but few; but since, they PRESBYTERY REFORMED.— have increased to about eighty, exclu- The reformed presbytery in Scotland sive of a number not yet organized trace their origin as far back as the reTheir preachers have increased from formation, and consider themselves, as nine to eighteen, fourteen of whom are the only pure Presbyterians since the ordained; and there are now about ten revolution. They profess to adhere to candidates for the ministry. At their the solemn league and covenant agreed stated session in April 1813, they di to by the nation before the restoration, vided their body into three presbyte-in which they abjure popery and preries, and appointed to constitute a synod lacy, and resolve to maintain and deon the first Wednesday in October fol fend the doctrines, worship, discipline, lowing. They have pursued the itine-and government of the church, as aprant mode of preaching the Gospel, which appears to have a good effect, and to be the best in a frontier country The demand for preaching, however, is increasing faster than their preachers. proved by the parliament and assembly at Westminster, and by the general assembly of the church and parliament of Scotland, 1645-9. It seems, they object not so much to a religious establishment, but to the religious establishment as it exists; they object not to an alliance of the church with the state, but to the alliance of the church with an uncovenanted king and government. Their number, it is said, amounts to about four thousand persons. They continue to observe a custom which was introduced early in the glorious revival in that country, which is to encamp on the ground at their com munion for four days and nights: and it has been remarked that they have rarely had a communion since they constituted, but more or less have given sa tisfactory evidence of having become subjects of vital religion. Sometimes, however, there are but few, at other times, there are as many as thirty or forty, who have made a credible proposition of all futurity being present to fession of faith in the Lord Jesus. A great part of their increase consists of new converts, whose lives and conversation manifest "they have been with Jesus." PRESCIENCE OF GOD, is his foreknowledge, or that knowledge which God has of things to come. The doctrine of predestination is founded on the prescience of God, and on the sup him. Properly speaking, indeed, prescience follows that of predestination; for if we allow that God from all eternity foresaw all things, he must thus have foreseen them in consequence of his permitting or fore-appointing them. Hence events are not certain merely be. While God thus evidently owns their humble efforts to spread a savour of his name, they hope to bear with firm-cause foreknown; but foreknown be ness all the opposition they may meet, from individuals or sectaries. cause antecedently certain on account of pre-determining reasons. See FORFKNOWLEDGE, PREDESTINATION. P. S. When they receive candidates for the ministry, they allow them to ex- PRESCRIPTION, in theology, was ercise their gift in public speaking, un- a kind of argument pleaded by Tertul der the immediate eye of the church;lian and others in the third century thereby they are better able to judge of against erroneous doctors. This mode their aptness to teach" than they of arguing has been despised by some, could be by their written discourses both because it has been used by Paalone, which they require also. pists, and because they think that truth PRESBYTERIANS ENGLISH,has no need of such a support. Others, The appellation Presbyterian in England however, think that if it can be shown is appropriated to a body of dissenters, that any particular doctrine of Chriswho have not any attachment to the tianity was held in the earliest ages, Scotch mode of church government any even approaching the apostolic, it must more than to episcopacy among us; and have very considerable weight; and, intherefore the term Presbyterian is here deed, that it has so, appears from the improperly applied. How this misap-universal appeals of all parties to those plication came to pass cannot be easily determined; but it has occasioned many wrong notions, and should therefore be rectified. English Presbyterians; as early times in support of their particular opinions. Besides, the thing is in itself natural; for if a man finds a variety of opinions in the world upon important passages in Scripture, where shall he Spirit of God; 5. when they run into Be so apt to get the true sense as from temptation; 6. when they indulge in contemporary writers or others who self-confidence and self-complacency; lived very near the apostolic age? And 7. when they bring the spirit of the if such a man shall find any doctrine or world into the church; 8. when they interpretations to have been universally form apologies for that in some which believed in the first ages, or, asVicentius they condemn in others; 9. when proLirinensis words it, semper ubique et abfessing to believe in the doctrines of the omnibus, he will unquestionably be dis-Gospel, they live licentiously; 10, when posed to think such early and universal consent, or such prescription, of very considerable weight in determining his opinion. they create, magnify, and pervert their troubles: 11. when they arraign the conduct of God as unkind and unjust. See R. Walker's Ser. vol. i. ser. 3; South's Ser. vol. vii. ser. 10, 11, and 12; Tillot 11. vol. i. Robinson's translation; Bp. PRESUMPTION, as it relates to the mind, is a supposition formed before ex-son's Ser. ser. 147; Saurin's Ser. ser. amination. As it relates to the conduct or moral action, it implies arrogance and irreverence. As it relates to religion in general, it is a bold and daring confidence in the goodness of God, with PRIDE is inordinate and unreasonable out obedience to his will. Presumptuous self-esteem, attended with insolence, sins must be distinguished from sins of and rude treatment of others. "It is infirmity, or those failings peculiar to sometimes," says a good writer, "conhuman nature, Ecc. vii. 20, 1 John i. 8, founded with vanity, and sometimes 9; from sins done through ignorance, with dignity; but to the former passion Luke xii. 48; and from sins into which it has no resemblance, and in many cirmen are hurried by sudden and violentcumstances it differs from the latter. temptation, Gal. vi. 1. The ingredients Vanity is the parent of loquacious which render sin presumptuous are, boasting; and the person subject to it, knowledge, John, xv. 22; deliberation if his pretences be admitted, has no inand contrivance, Prov. vi. 14. Psal. clination to insult the company. The xxxvi. 4; obstinacy, Jer. xliv. 16. Deut.proud man, on the other hand, is nai. 13; inattention to the remonstrances turally silent, and, wrapt up in his own of conscience, Acts, vii. 51; opposition importance, seldom speaks but to make to the dispensations of Providence, 2 his audience feel their inferiority." Chron. xxviii. 22; and repeated com- Pride is the high opinion that a poor litmission of the same sin, Psal. lxxviii. tle contracted soul entertains of itself. 17. Presumptuous sins are numerous; Dignity consists in just, great, and unisuch as profane swearing, perjury, theft, form actions, and is the opposite to adultery, drunkenness, sabbath-break-meanness -2. Pride manifests itself by ing, &c. These may be more particu-praising ourselves, adorning our perlarly considered as presumptuous sins, sons, attempting to appear before others because they are generally committed in a superior light to what we are; conagainst a known law, and so often re-tempt and slander of others; envy at peated. Such sins are most heinous in the excellencies others possess; anxiety their nature, and most pernicious into gain applause; distress and rage their effects. They are said to be a when slighted; impatience of contrareproach to the Lord, Numb. xv. 3; diction, and opposition to God himself. they harden the heart, 1 Tim. iv. 2;3. The evil effects of pride are beyond draw down judgments from heaven, computation. It has spread itself uniNumb. xv. 31; even when repented of, ||versally in all nations, among all chaare seldom pardoned without some vi-racters; and as it was the first sin, as sible testimony of God's displeasure, 2 some suppose, that entered into the Sam. xii. 10. As it respects professors world, so it seems the last to be cor. of religion, as one observes, they sin quered. It may be considered as the presumptuously, 1. when they take up parent of discontent, ingratitude, coveta profession of religion without princiousness, poverty, presumption, passion, ple; 2. when they profess to ask the extravagance, bigotry, war, and perse blessing of God, and yet go on in for-cution. In fact, there is hardly an evil bidden courses; S. when they do not perpetrated but what pride is connected take religion as they find it in the Scrip- with it in a proximate or remote sense. tures; 4. when they make their feel.-4. To suppress this evil, we should ings the test of their religion, without consider what we are. "If we could considering the difference between ani- trace our descents," says Seneca, “we mal passions and the operations of the should find all slaves to come from princes, and all princes from slaves. To be proud of knowledge, is to be blind in the light; to be proud of virtue, is to poison ourselves with the antidote; to be proud of authority, is to make our rise our downfal." The imperfection of our nature our scanty knowledge, contracted powers, narrow conceptions, and moral inability, are strong motives to excite us to humility. We should consider also, what punishment this sin has brought on mankind. See the cases of Pharaoh, Haman, Nebuchadnezzar Herod, and others. How particularly it is prohibited, Prov. xvi. 18. 1 Pet. v. 5. James, iv. 6. Prcv. xxix. 23; what a torment it is to its possessor, Esther, v. 13; how soon all things of a sublunary nature will end; how disgraceful it renders us in the sight of God, angels, and men; what a barrier it is to our felicity and communion with God; how fruitful it is of discord; how it precludes our usefulness, and renders us really contemptible. See HUMILITY. der in which the several courses were to serve was determined by lot; and each course was, in all succeeding ages, called by the name of its original chief. It has been much disputed, whether in the Christian church there be any such officer as a priest, in the proper sense of the word. If the word priest be taken to denete a person commissioned by divine authority to offer up a real sacrifice to God, we may justly deny that there is a priest upon earth. Under the Gospel, there is but one priest, which is Christ: and but one sacrifice, that of the cross. The church of Rome, however, erroneously believe their priests to be empowered to offer up to the Divine Majesty a real proper sacrifice, as were the priests under the Old Testament. Ecclesiastical history informs us that, in the second century, some time after the reign of the emperor Adrian, when the Jews, by the second destruction of Jerusalem, were bereaved of all hopes of the restoration PRIEST, a person set apart for the of their government to its former lustre, performance of sacrifice, and other of the notion that the ministers of the fices and ceremonies of religion. Before Christian church succeeded to the chathe promulgation of the law of Moses, racter and prerogatives of the Jewish the first born of every family, the fa priesthood was industriously propagathers, the princes, and the kings, were ted by the Christian doctors; and that, priests. Thus Cain and Abel, Noah, in consequence, the bishops claimed a Abraham. Melchizedec, Job. Isaac, and rank and character similar to that of Jacob, offered themselves their own sa- the Jewish high-priest; the presbyters crifices Among the Israelites, after to that of the priests; and the deacons their departure from Egypt, the priest- || to that of the Levites. One of the perhood was confined to one tribe, and it nicious effects of this groundless comconsisted of three orders, the high-parison and pretension seems to have priest, priests, and Levites. The priest been, the introduction of the idea of a hood was made hereditary in the family real sacrifice in the Christian church, of Aaron; and the first-born of the old- and of sacrificing priests. est branch of that family, if he had no In the church of England, the word legal blemish, was always the high-priest is retained to denote the second priest. This divine appointment was observed with considerable accuracy till the Jews fell under the dominion of the Romans, and had their faith corrupted by a false philosophy. Then, indeed, the high-priesthood was sometimes set up to sale, and, instead of continuing for life, as it ought to have done, it seems, from some passages in the New Testament, to have been nothing more than an annual office. There is sufficient reason, however, to believe, that it was never disposed of but to some descendant of Aaron capable of filling it, had the older branches been extinct. [For the consecration and of fices of the Jewish priesthood, we refer our readers to the book of Moses.] In the time of David, the inferior priests were divided into twenty four companies, who were to serve in rotation, each company by itself, for a week. The or. order in her hierarchy, but we believe with very different significations, according to the different opinions entertained of the Lord's supper. Some few of her divines, of great learning, and of undoubted protestantism, maintain that the Lord's supper is a commemorative and eucharistical sacrifice. These consider all who are authorized to admi. nister that sacrament as in the strictest sense priests. Others hold the Lord's supper to be a feast upon the one sacrifice, once offered on the cross; and these, too, must consider themselves as clothed with some kind of priesthood. Great numbers, however, of the English clergy, perhaps the majority, agree with the church of Scotland, in maintaining that the Lord's supper is a rite of no other moral import than the mere commemoration of the death of Christ. These cannot consider themselves as priests in the rigid sense of the word,,, but only as presbyters, of which the word priest is a contraction of the same import with elder. See LORD'S SUPPER. power it was needful that a commission from God, its founder, should be granted in absolute and perspicuous terms; but no such commission is extant in Scripture-2, If so illustrious an office PRIMACY, the highest post in the was instituted by our Saviour, it is church. The Romanists contend that strange, that no where in the evangeliSt. Peter, by our Lord's appointment, cal or apostolical history there should be had a primacy of sovereign authority any express mention of that institution. and jurisdiction over the apostles. This, -3. If St. Peter had been instituted sohowever, is denied by the Protestants, vereign of the apostolical senate, his of and that upon just grounds, Dr. Bar- fice and state had been in nature and row observes, (Works, vol. i. p. 557,) kind very distinct from the common ofthat there are several sorts of primacy fice of the other apostles, as the office of which may belong to a person in re. a king from the office of any subject; spect of others. 1. A primacy of worth and probably would have been signified or personal excellency -2. A primacy by some distinct name, as that of archof reputation and esteem.-3. A prí- apostle, arch-pastor, the Vicar of Christ, macy of order or bare dignity and pre- or the like; but no such name or title cedence.-4. A primacy of power and was assumed by him, or was by the rest jurisdiction. As for the first of these, a attributed to him-4. There was no ofprimacy of worth, we may well grant it fice above that of an apostle, known to to Peter, admitting that probably he did the apostles or primitive church, Eph. exceed the rest of his brethren in per- iv. 11. 1 Cor. xii. 28-5. Our Lord sonal endowments and capacities; par-himself declared against this kind of ticularly in quickness of apprehension, primacy, prohibiting his apostles to afboldness of spirit, readiness of speech,|| fect, to seek, to assume, or admit a sucharity to our Lord, and zeal for his periority of power one above another, service.-2. As to the Primacy of re-Luke, xxii. 14-24. Mark, ix. 35.—6. pute, which St. Paul means when he We do not find any peculiar adminis speaks of those who had a special re-tration committed to St. Peter, nor any putation, of those who seemed to be pil- privilege conferred on him which was lars, of the supereminent apostles, Gal. not also granted to the other apostles, ii. 6, 9. 2 Cor. xi. 5. xii. 11. this advan- John, xx. 23. Mark, xvi. 15.-7. When tage cannot be refused him, being a ne- Peter wrote two catholics epistles, there cessary consequent of those eminent does not appear in either of them any qualities resplendent in him, and of the intimation or any pretence to this archillustrious performances achieved by apostolical power.-8. In all relations him beyond the rest. This may be in- which occur in Scripture about controferred from that renown which he hath versies incident of doctrine or practice, had from the beginning; and likewise there is no appeal made to St. Peter's from his being so constantly ranked in judgment or allegation of it as decisive, the first place before the rest of his no argument is built on his authority.brethren.-3. As to a primacy of order 9. St. Peter no where appears interor bare dignity, importing that common-meddling as a judge or governor paraly in all meetings and proceedings, the other apostles did yield him the prece dence, may be questioned; for this does not seem suitable to the gravity of such persons, of their condition and circumstances, to stand upon ceremonies of re spect; for our Lord's rules seem to ex clude all semblance of ambition, all kind of inequality and distance between his apostles. But yet this primacy may be granted as probable upon divers accounts of use and convenience; it might be useful to preserve order, and to pro-cence from St. Peter, but, according to mote expedition, or to prevent confu sion, distraction, and dilatory obstruction in the management of things.-4. As to a primacy importing a superiority in command, power or jurisdiction, this we have great reason to deny upon the following considerations. 1. For such a mount in such cases; yet where he doth himself deal with heretics and disorderly persons, he proceedeth not as á pope decreeing; but as an apostle, warning, arguing and persuading against them.— 10. The consideration of the apostles proceeding in the conversion of people, in the foundation of churches, and in administration of their spiritual affairs, will exclude any probability of St. Peter's jurisdiction over them. They went about their business, not by order or li special direction of God's Spirit.-11. The nature of the apostolic ministry, their not being fixed in one place of residence, but continually moving about the world; the state of things at that time, and the manner of St. Peter's life, render it unlikely that he had such a of jurisdiction over the apostles as some guilty of dissimulation upon some occa. sions, and deceived their adversaries by assign him.-12. It was indeed most requisite that every apostle should have || cunning stratagems, is true; but that a complete, absolute, independent au- they held it as a maxim, that lying and perjury were lawful, is a most notorious thority in managing the duties and con cerns of the office, that he might not || falsehood, without even the least shadow any wise be obstructed in the discharge probability. PROBITY, honesty, sincerity, or veof them, not clogged with a need to con"It consists in the habit of acsult others, not hampered with orders racity. from those who were at a distance.-13. tions useful to society, and in the conThe discourse and behaviour of St. Paul stant observance of the laws which justowards St. Peter doth evidence that he tice and conscience impose upon us. The man who obeys all the laws of sodid not acknowledge any dependence on him, or any subjection to him, Gal. ii.ciety with an exact punctuality is not, 11-14. If St. Peter had been appoint- therefore, a man of probity: laws can ed sovereign of the church, it seems only respect the external and definite that it should have been requisite that parts of human conduct; but probity he should have outlived all the apostles; respects our more private actions, and for otherwise, the church would have such as it is impossible in all cases to wanted a head, or there must have been define; and it appears to be in morals an inextricable controversy who that what charity is in religion. Probity head was. But St. Peter died long be-teaches us to perform in society those actions which no external power can oblige us to perform, and is that quality in the human mind from which we claim the performance of the rights commoniy called imperfect." fore St. John, as all agree, and perhaps before divers others of the apostles. From these arguments we must evidently see what little ground the church of Rome hath to derive the supremacy of the pope from the supposed primacy of St. Peter. PRIMATE, an archbishop who is invested with a jurisdiction over other bishops. See ARCHBISHOP. PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS, those who lived in the first ages of Christianity, especially the apostles and immediate followers of our Lord. PRINCIPLE, an essential truth from which others are derived: the ground or motive of action. See DISPOSITION and DOCTRINE. PRIOR, the head of a convent ; next in dignity to an abbot. PROCESSIÓN, a ceremony in the Romish church, consisting of a formal march of the clergy and people, putting up prayers, &c. and in this manner visiting some church, &c. They have processions of the host or sacrament; of our Saviour to mount Calvary; of the Rosary, &c. Processions are said to be of Pagan original. The Romans, when the empire was distressed, or after some victory, used constantly to order processions, for several days together, to be made to the temples, to beg the assistance of the gods, or to return them thanks. PRISCILLIANISTS, the followers of Priscillian, in the fourth century. It The first processions mentioned in ecappears from authentic records, that clesiastical history, are those set on foot the difference between their doctrine at Constantinople, by St. Chrysostom. and that of the Manicheans was not ve. The Arians of that city, being forced to ry considerabic, For they denied the hold their meetings without the town, reality of Christ's birth and incarnation; went thither night and morning, singing maintained that the visible universe anthems. Chrysostom, to prevent their was not the production of the Supreme perverting the Catholics, set up counDeity, but of some dæmon or malignant ter-processions, in which the clergy and principle; adopted the doctrines of people marched by night, singing prayons, or emanations from the divine na-ers and hymns,and carrying crosses and ture; considered human bodies as pri- flambeaux. From this period the cussons formed by the author of evil to en- tomof processions was introduced among slave celestial minds; condemned mar- the Greeks, and afterwards among riage, and disbelieved the resurrection the Latins; but they have subsisted of the body. Their rule of life and longer, and been more frequently used manners was rigid and severe; the ac-in the Western than in the Eastern counts, therefore, which many have church. given of their lasciviousness and intemperance deserve not the least credit, as they are totally destitute of evidence and authority. That the Priscillianists were PROCESSION OF THE HOLY GHOST, a term made used of in reference to the Holy Ghost, as proceeding from the Father, or from the Father |