PROPITIATION PROSPERITY clergy in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, instituted | Among the Jews, there were both ordinary and for the purpose of promoting knowledge and piety. public sacrifices, as holocausts, &c. offered by The ministers of a particular division at a set way of thanksgiving; and extraordinary co time met together in some church of a market or offered by persons guilty of any crime, by way other large town, and there each in their order of propitiation. The Romish church believe t explained, according to their abilities, some por-mass to be a sacrifice of propitiation for the is tion of Scripture allotted to them before. This ing and the dead. The Reformed churches aủa done, a moderator made his observations on what of no propitiation, but that one offered by Jesta had been said, and determined the true sense of on the cross, whereby divine justice is appro the place, a certain space of time being fixed for and our sins forgiven, Rom. iii. 25; 1 John 2 despatching the whole. These institutions, like As it respects the unbloody propitiatory sacr all others, however, it seems, were abused, by fice of the mass above mentioned, little how to irregularity, disputations, and divisions. Arch- said to confute such a doctrine. Indeed, it is bishop Grindal endeavoured to regulate the pro- owned in the church of Rome, that there is to phesyings, and cover them from the objections other foundation for the belief of it than an that the court made against them, by enjoining written tradition. There is no hint in the Sen the ministers to observe decency and order, by ture of Christ's offering his body and blood to hi forbidding them to meddle with politics and Father at his institution of the eucharist. ita church government, and by prohibiting all non- also a manifest contradiction to St. Paul's due conformist ministers and laymen from being trine, who teaches, that, without shedding of speakers. The queen, however, was resolved to blood, there is no remission; therefore there can suppress them; and having sent for the archbishop, be no remission of sins in the mass. The sacr told him she was informed that the rites and fice of Christ, according to the same aste, s ceremonies of the church were not duly observed not to be repeated. A second oblation would be in these prophesyings; that persons not lawfully superfluous; consequently the pretended true and called to be ministers exercised in them; that the proper sacrifice of the mass must be superficies assemblies themselves were illegal, not being al- and useless. lowed by public authority; that the laity neglected their secular affairs by repairing to these meetings, which filled their heads with notions, and might occasion disputes and sedition in the state; that it was good for the church to have but few preachers, three or four in a county being sufficient. She further declared her dislike of the number of these exercises, and therefore commanded him peremptorily to put them down. The archbishop, however, instead of obeying the commands of his royal mistress, thought that she had made some infringement upon his office, and wrote the queen a long and earnest letter, de-LOGY OF FAITH. claring that his conscience would not suffer him PROSELYTE, a new convert to some relito comply with her commands. The queen was gion or religious sect. Among the Berens so inflamed with this letter, that the archbishop proselytes were distinguished into two surts: the was sequestered from his office, and he never af-first called proselytes of the gate, because sufer terwards recovered the queen's favour. Thus ed to live among them, and were those who ended the prophesyings; "an useful institution," served the moral law only, and the rules imposed says Neale, for promoting Christian knowledge on the children of Noah; the second were caud and piety, at a time when both were at a very proselytes of justice, who engaged to receive a low ebb in the nation. The queen put them down cumcision, and the whole law of Moses, and ca for no other reason, but because they enlightened joyed all the privileges of a native Hebrew, the people's minds in the Scriptures, and encou- PROSEUCHE, from prz, siges at raged their inquiries after truth; her majesty be-er; but it is taken for the places of prayer of the ing always of opinion that knowledge and learn-Jews, and was pretty near the same as their t ing in the laity would only endanger their nagogues. But the synagogues were only peaceable submission to her absolute will and in the cities, and were covered places; we pleasure." for the most part, the proseuches were out of the cities, and on the banks of the rivers, having covering, except, perhaps, the shade of some tres or covered galleries, Acts xvi. 13. PROPHET, a person who foretels future events. It is particularly applied to such inspired persons among the Jews as were commissioned by God to declare his will and purpose to that people. See PROPHECY. False Prophets. See IMPOSTORS; and Josephus's History of the Jews. Sons of the Prophets, an appellation given to young men who were educated in the schools or colleges under a proper master, who was commonly, if not always, an inspired prophet, in the knowledge of religion, and in sacred music, and thus were qualified to be public preachers, 1 Sam. X.; xi.; 2 Sam. xix.; 2 Kings i. PROPITIATION, a sacrifice offered to God to assuage his wrath, and render him propitious. The propitiation made by Jesus Christ is that which atones for and covers our guilt, as the mercy-seat did the tables of the law; or it may be defined thus: "It is the averting the panishment due to any one, by undergoing the penalty in the room of the guilty." Thus Jesus Christ is called the propitiation or atonement, as his complete righteousness appeases his Father, and satisfies his law and justice for all our trabgres sions. See ATONEMENT, and books under that article. PROPORTION OF FAITH. See Asa PROSPERITY, a state wherein things se ceed according to our wishes, and are productive of affluence and ease. However desirable pr perity be, it has its manifest disadvantages. too often alienates the soul from God; exces pride; exposes to temptation; hardens the heart; occasions idleness; promotes effeminacy; damps zeal and energy; and, too often, has a baneful te lative influence. It is no wonder, therefore, that the Almighty in general withholds it from h children; and that adversity should be their s rather than prosperity. Indeed adversity ser more beneficial on the whole, although it beau L PROVIDENCE PROVIDENCE unpleasant to our feelings. "The advantages of and from the astonishing preservation of the Bible prosperity," says Bacon, "are to be wished; but and the church through every age, notwithstandthe advantages of adversity are to be admired. ing the attempts of earth and hell against them. The principal virtue of prosperity is temperance; Providence has been divided into immediate and the principal virtue of adversity is fortitude, which mediate, ordinary and extraordinary, common and in morality is allowed to be the most heroical vir- special, universal and particular. Immediate protue; prosperity best discovers vice; adversity best vidence is what is exercised by God himself, withdiscovers virtue, which is like those perfumes that out the use of any instrument or second cause; are most fragrant when burnt or bruised." It is mediate providence is what is exercised in the not, however, to be understood, that prosperity in use of means; ordinary providence is what is itself is unlawful. The world with all its various exercised in the common course of means, and productions was formed by the Almighty for the by the chain of second causes; extraordinary is happiness of man, and designed to endear him-what-is out of the common way, as miraculous self to us, and to lead our minds up to him.-operations; common providence is what belongs What however God often gives us as a blessing, by to the whole world; special, what relates to the our own folly we pervert and turn into a curse. church; universal relates to the general upholdWhere prosperity is given, there religion is abso-ing and preserving all things; particular relates lutely necessary to enable us to act under it as to individuals in every action and circumstance. we ought. Where this divine principle influ- This last, however, is denied by some. But, as a ences the mind, prosperity may be enjoyed and good writer observes, "The opinion entertained become a blessing; for "while bad men snatch by some that the providence of God extends no the pleasures of the world as by stealth, without farther than to a general superintendence of the countenance from God, the proprietor of the laws of nature, without interposing in the partiworld; the righteous sit openly down to the feast cular concerns of individuals, is contrary both to of life, under the smile of heaven. No guilty reason and to Scripture. It renders the govern fears damp their joys. The blessing of God rests ment of the Almighty altogether loose and conupon all they possess. Their piety reflects sun- tingent, and would leave no ground for reposing shine from heaven upon the prosperity of the any trust under its protection: for the majority world; unites in one point of view the smiling of human affairs would then be allowed to flucaspect, both of the powers above, and of the ob- tuate in a fortuitous course, without moving in jects below. Not only have they as full a relish any regular direction, and without tending to any as others of the innocent pleasures of life, but one scope. The uniform doctrine of the sacred moreover, in them they hold communion with writings is, that throughout the universe nothing God. In all that is good or fair, they trace his happens without God; that his hand is ever achand. From the beauties of nature, from the im- tive, and his decree or permission intervenes with provements of art, from the enjoyments of social all; that nothing is too great or unwieldy for his life, they raise their affections to the source of all management, and nothing so minute and inconthe happiness which surrounds them, and thus siderable as to be below his inspection and care. widen the sphere of their pleasures, by adding in- While he is guiding the sun and moon in their tellectual and spiritual to earthly joys." Blair's course through the heavens; while in this inferior Sermons, vol. i. ser. 3; Bates's Works, p. 297. world he is ruling among empires, stilling the Spiritual prosperity consists in the continual raging of the waters, and the tumults of the progress of the mind in knowledge, purity, and people, he is at the same time watching over the joy. It arises from the participation of the di-humble good man, who, in the obscurity of his cutvine blessing; and evidences itself by frequency in prayer; love to God's word; delight in his people; attendance on his ordinances; zeal in his cause; submission to his will; usefulness in his church; and increasing abhorrence of every thing that is derogatory to his glory. tage, is serving and worshipping him." "In what manner, indeed, Providence inter poses in human affairs; by what means it influences the thoughts and counsels of men, and, notwithstanding the influence it exerts, leaves to them the freedom of choice, are subjects of dark and mysterious nature, and which have given occasion to many an intricate controversy. Let us remember that the manner in which God influences the motion of all the heavenly bodies, the nature of that secret power by which he is ever directing the sun and the moon, the planets, stars, and comets, in their course through the heavens, PROTESTANT, a name first given in Germany to those who adhered to the doctrine of Luther, because, in 1529, they protested against a decree of the emperor Charles V. and the diet of Spires; declaring that they appealed to a general council. The name has also been given to those of the sentiments of Calvin; and is now become a common denomination for all those of the re-while they appear to move themselves in a free formed churches. See article REFORMATION; Fell's Four Letters on genuine Protestantism; Chillingworth's Religion of the Protestants; Robertson's History of Charles V., vol. ii. p. 249, 250. PROVIDENCE, the superintendence and care which God exercises over creation. The arguments for the providence of God are generally drawn from the light of nature; the being of a God; the creation of the world; the wonderfully disposing and controlling the affairs and actions of men; from the absolute necessity of it; from the various blessings enjoyed by his creatures; the awful judgments that have been inflicted; course, are matters no less inexplicable to us than the manner in which he influences the councils of men. But though the mode of divine operation remains unknown, the fact of an overruling in fluence is equally certain in the moral as it is in the natural world. In cases where the fact is clearly authenticated, we are not at liberty to call its truth in question, merely because we understand not the manner in which it is brought about. Nothing can be more clear, from the testimony of Scripture, than that God takes part in all that happens among mankind; directing and over-ruling the whole course of events so as to make every one of them answer the designs of PROVIDENCE his wise and righteous government. We cannot, indeed, conceive God acting as the governor of the world at all, unless his government were to extend to all the events that happen. It is upon the supposition of a particular providence that our worship and prayers to him are founded. All his perfections would be utterly insignificant to us, if they were not exercised, on every occasion, according as the circumstances of his creatures required. The Almighty would then be no more than an unconcerned spectator of the behaviour of his subjects, regarding the obedient and the rebellious with an equal eye. PRUDENCE is certain that in God's universe nothing to pass causelessly, or in vain. Every event hai its own determined direction. That chas human affairs and intrigues where we can sel light, that mass of disorder and confusion wit they often present to our view, is all rimar and order in the sight of Him who is cove and directing all, and. bringing forward every event in its due time and place. The Lord teth on the flood. The Lord maketh the wrath of man to praise him, as he maketh the ban má the rain obey his word. He hath prepared in over all. A man's heart deviseth his way, but throne in the hearens; and his kingdom res the Lord directeth his steps." "The experience of every one also, must, more or less, bear testimony to it. We need not for this purpose have recourse to those sudden and unexpected vicissitudes which have sometimes no other than to act agreeably to the law cẤ "To follow the leadings of Prorident,VUS astonished whole nations, and drawn their atten- prudence, and safety, or any particular ci tion to the conspicuous hand of heaven. We stance, according to the direction or detemica need not appeal to the history of the statesman tion of the word or law of God. He is the and the warrior; of the ambitious and the enter- dictates of Providence, who takes a dhe survey prising. We confine our observation to those of the situation he is placed in, compares it with whose lives have been most plain and simple, and the rules of the word which reaches his case, and who had no desire to depart from the ordinary acts accordingly. To know the will of God as i train of conduct. In how many instances have respects Providence, there must be, L. Per we found, that we are held in subjection to a tion.-2. Consultation.-3. Supplication. The higher Power, on whom depends the accomplish- tokens of the divine will and pleasure in any par ment of our wishes and designs! Fondly we had ticular case are not to be gathered from our inche projected some favourite plan: we thought that nations, particular frames, the form of Scripture we had forecast and provided for all that might phrases, impulses, nor even the event, as that happen; we had taken our measures with such cannot always be a rule of judgment; but rat vigilant prudence, that on every side we seemed ever appears to be proper duty, true prudence, to ourselves perfectly guarded and secure; but, or real necessity, that we should esteem to be his lo! some little event hath come about, unforeseen will." See Charnock, Flare, Hoakrell, Hop by us, and in its consequences at the first seem-kins, Sherlock, Collings, and Faves on Preriingly inconsiderable, which yet hath turned the dence; Gill's Body of Divinity; Ridgley's Body whole course of things into a new direction, and of Divinity, qu. 18; Blair's Ser. ser. 15, d. 1. blasted all our hopes. At other times our coun- Forsyth's Piece on Providence, Ew. Bri sels and plans have been permitted to succeed: Wollaston's Religion of Nature delineated, se we then applauded our own wisdom, and sat down 5; Thomson's Seasons, Winter, conclusice. to feast on the happiness we had attained. To our surprise we found that happiness was not actions according to the circumstances of th PRUDENCE is the act of suiting words and there, and that God's decree had appointed it to or rules of right reason. Cicero thus er be only vanity. We labour for prosperity, and it: "Est rerum expetendarum et fugit obtain it not. Unexpected, it is sometimes made scientia :"-" The knowledge of what is to to drop upon us as of its own accord. The hap- desired or avoided." Grove thus: "Pres piness of man depends on secret springs too nice an ability of judging what is best in the ca and delicate to be adjusted by human art: it re- both of ends and means," Mason thus: "Fr quires a favourable combination of external cir- dence is a conformity to the rules of reason, trot cumstances with the state of his own mind. To and decency, at all times and in all circutsta accomplish on every occasion such a combination It differs from wisdom only in degree; wisk is far beyond his power; but it is what God can being nothing but a more consummate h at all times effect; as the whole series of external prudence; and prudence a lower degree of wraket causes are arranged according to his pleasure, and habit of wisdom." It is divided into, 1. C the hearts of all men are in his hands, to turn tian prudence, which directs to the persunt them wheresoccer he will, as rivers of water. that blessedness which the Gospel discovers of From the imperfection of our knowledge to as- the use of Gospel means.-2. Moral price certain what is good for us, and front the defect has for its end peace and satisfaction of t of our power to bring about that good when known, this world, and the greatest happiness after dat arise all those disappointments which continually -3. Ciril prudence is the knowledge of wat testify that the way of man is not in himself; ought to be done in order to secure the outward that he is not the master of his own lot; that, happiness of life, consisting in prosperity, liberty, though he may devise, it is God who directs; &c.-4. Monastic, relating to any circumstanc God, who can make the smallest incident an in which a man is not charged with the care of effectual instrument of his providence for over- others.-5. Economical prudence regards the turning the most laboured plans of men. good government of a state. conduct of a family.-6. Political refers to the "Accident, and chance, and fortune, are words which we often hear mentioned, and much is ascribed to them in the life of man. words without meaning; or, as far as they have But they are any signification, they are no other than names for the unknown operations of Providence; for it 378 The idea of prudence, says one, includes such things as demand consultation in a rig Bux, or due consultation: that is, concertang manner, and for a competent time, that the lution taken up may be neither too precipitato PURGATORY Plato styles prudence the leading virtue: and Cicero observes, "that not one of the virtues can want prudence;" which is certainly most true, since without prudence to guide them, piety would degenerate into superstition, zeal into bigotry, temperance into austerity, courage into rashness, and justice itself into folly. See Watts's Ser. ser. 28; Grove's Moral Phil. vol. ii. ch. 2; Mason's Christian Mor. vol. i. ser. 4; Evans's Christ. Temper, ser. 38. PURITANS nor too slow; and overs, or a faculty of discern- | ness of God can admit nothing into heaven which ing proper means when they occur. To the per- is not clean and pure from all sin, both great and fection of prudence these three things are fur- small, and his infinite justice can permit none to ther required, viz. Savors, or a natural sagacity; receive the reward of bliss who as yet are not out ****, presence of mind, or a ready turn of of debt, but have something in justice to suffer, thought; and, or experience. there must, of necessity, be some place or state, where souls departing this life, pardoned as to the external guilt or pain, yet obnoxious to some temporal penalty, or with the guilt of some venial faults, are purged and purified before their admittance into heaven. And this is what he is taught concerning purgatory, which, though he know not where it is, of what nature the pains are, or how long each soul is detained there, yet he believes that those who are in this place are relieved by the prayers of their fellow members here on earth, as also by alms and masses offered up to God for their souls. And as for such as have no relations or friends to pray for them, or give alms to procure masses for their relief, they are not neglected by the church, which makes a general commemoration of all the faithful departed in every mass, and in every one of the canonical hours of the divine office. Besides the above arguments, the following passages are alleged as As to the persons concerned in singing, some-proofs: 2 Maccabees xii. 43, 44, 45; Matt. xii. times a single person sung alone; sometimes the whole assembly joined together, which was the most ancient and general practice. At other times, the psalms were sung alternately, the congregation dividing themselves into two parts, and singing verse about, in their turns. There was also a fourth way of singing, pretty common in the fourth century, which was, when a single person began the verse, and the people joined with him in the close; this was often used for variety in the same service with alternate psalmody. See SINGING, PSALMODY, the art or act of singing psalms. Psalmody was always esteemed a considerable part of devotion, and usually performed in the standing posture; and as to the manner of pronunciation, the plain song was sometimes used, being a gentle inflection of the voice, not much different from reading, like the chant in cathedrals; at other times more artificial compositions were used, like our anthems. PSATYRIANS, a sect of Arians, who, in the council of Antioch, held in the year 360, maintained that the Son was not like the Father as to will; that he was taken from nothing, or made of nothing; and that in God generation was not to be distinguished from creation. 31, 32; 1 Cor. iii. 15; 1 Pet. iii. 19. But it may be observed,-1. That the books of Maccabees have no evidence of inspiration, therefore quotations from them are not to be regarded.-2. If they were, the texts referred to would rather prove that there is no such place as purgatory, since Judas did not expect the souls departed to reap any benefit from his sin-offering till the resurrection. The texts quoted from the Scriptures have no reference to this doctrine, as may be seen by consulting the context, and any just commentator thereon.-3. Scripture, in general, speaks of departed souls going immediately at death to a fixed state of happiness or misery, and gives us no idea of purgatory, Isa, lvii. 2; Rev. xiv. 13; Luke xvi. 22; 2 Cor. v. 8.-4. It is derogatory from the doctrine of Christ's satisfaction. If Christ died for us, and redeemed us from sin and PURGATORY is a place in which the just hell, as the Scripture speaks, then the idea of who depart out of this life are supposed to expi- further meritorious sufferings detracts from the ate certain offences which do not merit eternal perfection of Christ's work, and places merit still damnation. Broughton has endeavoured to prove in the creature; a doctrine exactly opposite to that this notion has been held by Pagans, Jews, Scripture. See Doddridge's Lec. lec. 270; Limand Mahometans, as well as by Christians; and borch's Theol. 1. 6, ch. 10. § 10. 22; Earl's Serthat, in the days of the Maccabees, the Jews be-mon, in the Sermons against Popery, vol. ii. lieved that sin might be expiated by sacrifice after No. 1; Burnett on the Art. 22; Fleury's Cate the death of the sinner. The arguments ad- chism, vol. ii. p. 250. vanced by the Papists for purgatory are these: 1. Every sin, how slight soever, though no more than an idle word, as it is an offence to God, deserves punishment from him, and will be punished by him hereafter, if not cancelled by repentance here.-2. Such small sins do not deserve eternal punishment.-3. Few depart this life so pure as to be totally exempt from spots of this nature, and from every kind of debt due to God's justice.-4. Therefore few will escape without suffering something from his justice for such debts as they have carried with them out of this world, according to that rule of divine justice by which he treats every soul hereafter according to its works, and according to the state in which he finds it in death. From these propositions, which the Papist considers as so many self-evident truths, he infers that there must be some third place of punishment; for since the infinite good PURIFICATION, a ceremony which consists in cleansing any thing from pollution or defilement. Purifications are common to Jews, Pagans, and Mahometans. See IMPURITY. PURITANS, a name given in the primitive church to the Novatians, because they would never admit to communion any one who, from dread of death, had apostatised from the faith; but the word has been chiefly applied to those who were professed favourers of a further degree of reformation and purity in the church before the Act of Uniformity, in 1662. After this period, the term Nonconformists became common, to which succeeds the appeilation Dissenter. "During the reign of queen Elizabeth, in which the royal prerogative was carried to its utmost limits, there were found many daring spirits who questioned the right of the sovereign to prescribe and dictate to her subjects what PRIMACY PRIOR land, in maintaining that the Lord's Supper is a | by him, or was by the rest attributed to himrite of no other moral import than the mere com- 4. There was no office above that of an apostle, memoration of the death of Christ. These can- known to the apostles or primitive church, Eph not consider themselves as priests in the rigid iv. 11; 1 Cor. xii. 28.-5. Our Lord himself sense of the word, but only as presbyters, of clared against this kind of primacy, probil ring which the word priest is a contraction, of the his apostles to affect, to seek, to assume, or ang same import with elder. See LORD'S SUPPer. a superiority of power, one above another, Loke PRIMACY, the highest post in the church. xxii. 14, 24; Mark ix. 35.-6. We do not fod The Romanists contend that St. Peter, by our any peculiar administration committed to St. Lord's appointment, had a primacy or sovereign Peter, nor any privilege conferred on him whet authority and jurisdiction over the apostles. was not also granted to the other apostles Jan This, however, is denied by the Protestants, and xx. 23; Mark xvi. 15.-7. In neither of Pers that upon just grounds. Dr. Barrow observes two catholic epistles, does there appear (Works, vol. i. p. 557,) that there are several mation or any pretence to this arch-apestet, a sorts of primacy which may belong to a person power.-8. In all relations which occur in Se in respect of others. 1. A primacy of worth or ture about controversies of doctrine er prate personal excellence.-2. A primacy of reputa- there is no appeal made to St. Peter's jo tion and esteem.-3. A primacy of ovler or bare or allegation of it as decisive, and no aut dignity and precedence.-4. A primacy of power built on his authority.-9. St. Peter te we and jurisdiction. As for the first of these, a pri- appears intermeddling as a judge or ge macy of worth, we may well grant it to Peter, paramount in such cases; yet where be des admitting that probably he did exceed the rest himself deal with heretics and disorderly pears, of his brethren in personal endowments and he proceeds not as a pope decrering, but as at capacities; particularly in quickness of appre- apostle, warning, arguing, and persuading t hension, boldness of spirit, readiness of speech, them.-10. The consideration of the pas charity to our Lord, and zeal for his service.- proceeding in the conversion of people in the 2. As to a primacy of repute, which St. Paul foundation of churches, and administration d means when he speaks of those who had a spe- their spiritual affairs, will exclude any cial reputation, of those who seemed to be pil- bility of St. Peter's jurisdiction over them. They lars, of the super-eminent apostles, Gal. ii. 6, 9; went about their business, not by order or license 2 Cor. xi. 5; xii. 11, this advantage cannot be from St. Peter, but, according to special action refused him, being a necessary consequence of of God's spirit.-11. The nature of the apos those eminent qualities resplendent in him, and tolical ministry, the apostles not being fixed in of the illustrious performances achieved by him one place of residence, but continually moving beyond the rest. This may be inferred from that about the world; the state of things at that tin renown which he hath had from the beginning; and the manner of St. Peter's life, render it u and likewise from his being so constantly ranked likely that he had such a jurisdiction over the in the first place before the rest of his brethren. apostles as some assign him.-12. It was inders 3. As to a primacy of order or bare dignity, im- most requisite that every apostle should a porting that commonly, in all meetings and pro- a complete, absolute, independent athy ceedings, the other apostles did yield him the managing the duties and concerns of the precedence, there may be some question; for this that he might not any wise be obstructed in to does not seem suitable to the gravity of such per- discharge of them, not clogged with a pe sons, or their condition and circumstances, to consult others, not hampered with e stand upon ceremonies of respect; for our Lord's those who were at a distance.-13. The rules seem to exclude all semblance of ambition, course and behaviour of St. Paul towards & all kind of inequality and distance between his Peter, doth evidence that he did lat apostles. But yet this primacy may be granted ledge any dependence on him, or any su as probable upon divers accounts of use and con- to him, Gal. ii. 11-14. If St. Peter had venience; it might be useful to preserve order, appointed sovereign of the church, it see and to promote expedition, or to prevent con- it should have been requisite that he sh fusion, distraction, and dilatory obstruction in outlived all the apostles; for otherwise, the c the management of things.-4. As to a primacy would have wanted a head, or there st importing a superiority in command, power, been an inextricable controversy who tha or jurisdiction, this we have great reason to was. But St, Peter died long before St. J deny upon the following considerations. 1. For all agree, and perhaps before divers others of t such a power it was needful that a commission apostles. from God, its founder, should be granted in abso lute and perspicuous terms; but no such commission is extant in Scripture.-2. If so illustrious an office was instituted by our Saviour, it is strange, that no where in the evangelical or apostolical history there should be any express mention of that institution.-3. If St. Peter had been instituted sovereign of the apostolical senate, bis office and state had been in nature and kind very distinct from the common office of the other apostles, as the office of a king from the office of any subject; and probably would have been signified by some distinct name, as that of archapostle, arch-pastor, the vicar of Christ, or the Ake; but no such name or title was assumed From these arguments we must evide what little ground the church of Rog derive the supremacy of the pope trom the posed primacy of St. Peter. PRIMATE, an archbishop who is with a jurisdiction over other bishops. Set A BISHOP. PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS, those lived in the first ages of Christianity, the apostles and immediate followers of a PRINCIPLE, an essential truth from others are derived; the ground or motive tion. See DISPOSITION and DOCTRINE PRIOR, the head of a convent; next 11 », nity to an abbot, |