the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpofe, and the fecret council and good pleasure of his will, hath chofen, in Chrift, unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any forefight of faith, good works, or perfeverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions or causes moving him thereunto; and all to the praife of his glorious grace. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, fo hath he, by the eterna! and moft free purpose of his will, fore-ordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Chrift, are effectually called unto faith in Chrift, by his Spirit working in due seafon; are juftified, adopted, fanctified, and kept, by his power through raith unto falvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Chrift effectually called, juftified, adopted, fanctified, and faved, but the elect only. The reft of mankind, God was pleafed, according to the unfearchable counsel of his own will, whereby he extendeth or with-holdeth mercy as he pleafeth, for the glory of his fovereign power over his creatures, to pass by, and to ordain them to difhonour and wrath for their fin, to the praife of his glorious juftice." There are two kinds of Calvinifts or Predeftinarians, viz. the SUPRALAPSARIANS, who maintain that God did originally and exprefsly decree the fall of Adam, as a foundation for the difplay of his juftice and mercy; while thofe who maintain that God only permitted the fall of Adam, are called SUBLAPSARIANS; their fyftem of decrees concerning election and reprobation being, as it were, fubfequent to that event. But, as Dr Priestley juftly remarks, if we admit the divine prefcience, there is not, in fact, any difference between the two schemes; and, accordingly, that distinction is now seldom mentioned. Nor was the church of Rome lefs agitated by the conteft about predestination than the first Proteftants were. The council of Trent was much perplexed how to fettle the matter without giving offence to the Dominicans, who were much attached to the doctrine of Auguftine, and poffeffed great influence in the council. After much difpute, the great object came to be, how to contrive fuch a decree as might give offence to no. body, although it fhould decide nothing. Upɔn the whole, however, they feem to have favoured the Semipelagian fcheme. Among other things, it was determined, that good works are of them felves meritorious to eternal life; but it is added, by way of foftening, that it is through the goodnefs of God that he makes his own gifts to be merits in us. Catarin revived at that council, an opinion of fome of the schoolmen, that God chofe a small number of perfons, such as the bleffed virgin, the apoftles, &c. whom he was determined to fave without any forefight of their good works; and that he alfo wills that all the reft fhould be faved, providing for them all neceffary means, but they are at liberty to use them or not. This is called the Baxterian scheme in England, from one of its promoters there. The Jefuits at firft followed the opinion of Auguftine; but afterwards forfook it. Molina, one of their order, was the author of VOL. XVIIL PART I. what is called the middle scheme, or the doctrine They reafon'd high, of knowledge, will, and Fix'd fate, free-will, fore-knowledge abfolute; And found no end, in wand'ring mazes loft. The weak fide of the Calvinific doctrine confifts in the impoffibility of reconciling the abfolute and unconditional decree of reprobation with our ideas of the juftice and goodness of God. The weak fide of the Arminian scheme confifts in the difficulty of accounting for the certainty of the divine foreknowledge, upon the fuppofition of a contingency of events, or an abfolute freedom of will in man. To elude the former of thefe dif. ficulties, fome of the late writers upon philofophical neceffity, and Dr Priestley is among the number, have given up the doctrine of reprobation, and afferted, that this world is only a ftate of preparation for another, in which all men, of every defcription and character, ilall attain to final and everlasting happiness, when God shall be all, and in all. On the other fide, fome of the fupporte.s of free agency, and Montefquicu is among among the number, have been difpofed to deny the divine attribute of prefcience. Whatever may be thought of the practical tendency of the two opinions, there is one remark which has been made, which feems juft, although it appears fingular. It is this, that from the earlieft ages down to our own days, if we confider the character of the ancient Stoics, the Jewish Effenes, the modern Calvinifts and Janfenifts, when compared with that of their antagonifts the Epicureans, the Sadducees, Arminians, and the Jefuits, we find that they have excelled in no small degree in the practice of the moft rigid and refpectable virtues, and have been the highest honour of their own ages, and the beft models for imitation to every age fucceeding. At the fame time it must be confefled, that their virtues have in general been rendered unamiable by a tinge of gloomy and fevere aufterity. So far as the fpeculative foundation of their principles is confidered, however, neither party feems liable to cenfure in a moral point of view. Each of them wishes to fupport, though in a different manner from the other, the honour of the divine character. The Calvinifts begin their argument with the notion of infinite perfection, independency, and abfolute fovereignty, and thence deduce their opinions; making every difficulty yield to these first and leading ideas. Their opponents are more jealous of the respect due to the divine attributes of justice, truth, holiness, and mercy, and deduce their fentiments from the idea' which they have formed of thefe. Each party lays down general maxims that are admitted by the other, and both argue plaufibly from their first principles. Dr Burnet juftly obferves, that thefe are great grounds for mutual charity and forbearance." * PREDESTINATOR. n. f. [from predeftinate.] One that holds predeftination, or the prevalence of pre-established neceffity. Let all predeflinators me produce, Who ftruggle with eternal fate in vain. Cowley. *To PREDESTINE. v. a. [præ and defline.] To decree beforehand. Ye careful angels, Who turn with fecret pow'r this reftless ball, And bid predefin'd empires rife and fall. Prior. (1.) * PREDETERMINATION. n. f. [prede termination, Fr. præ and determinatio.] Determi. nation made beforehand.-This predetermination of God's own will is fo far from being the determining of ours, that it is diftinétly the contrary: for fuppofing God to predetermine that I thall aet freely; 'tis certain from thence, that my will is free in refpect of God, and not predetermined. Hammond.-The truth of the catholick doctrine of all ages, in points of predetermination and irrefiibility, ftands in oppofition to the Calvinifts. Hammond. (2.) PREDETERMINATION, in philofophy and theology, is that concurrence of God which makes men act, and determines them in all their actions, both good and evil, and is called by the fchoolmen phyfsal predetermination or promotion. See PREDESTINATION. * To PREDETERMINE. v. a. [præ and deterwww. To docm or confine by previous decree.We fee in brutes certain fenfible inftincts, whereby I they are predetermined to the convenience of the fentible life. Hale. (1.) * PREDIAL. adj. [prædium, Lat.] Confifting of farms.-By the civil law, their predial estates are liable to fifcal payments and taxes. Ayliffe. (2.) PREDIAL SERVITUDE. See Law, Part III. Chap. II. Sect. IX. § 4, 5, 11. (3.) PREDIAL TITHES are thofe that are paid of things arifing and growing from the ground only; as corn, hay, fruit, &c. (1.) * PŘEDICABLE. adj. [predicable, Fr. przdicabilis, Lat.] Such as may be affirmed of fomething. (2.) PREDICABLE. n. f. [prædicabile, Latin.] A logical term, denoting one of the five things which can be affirmed of any thing.-These they call the five predicables; becaufe every thing that is affirmed concerning any being, must be the genus, fpecies, difference, fome property or accident. Watts. (r.) * PREDICAMENT. n. f. [predicament, Fr. prædicamentum, Lat.] 1. A clafs or arrangement of beings or fubftances ranked according to their natures: called alfo categorema or category. Harris.-If there were nothing but bodies to be ranked by them in the predicament of place, then that defcription would be allowed by them as fufficient. Digby on Bodies. 2. Clafs or kind described by any definitive marks. The offender's life lies in the mercy Of the duke only, 'gainst all other voice; In which predicament I fay thou ftand'ft. Shak. I fhew the line and the predicament, Wherein you range under this fubtle king. Shak. (2.) PREDICAMENT, among logicians, is the fame with category. See CATEGORY and PHILOSOPHY. *PREDICAMENTAL. adj. [from predicament.] Relating to predicaments. * PREDICANT. n. f. [prædicans, Latin.] One that affirms any thing. * PREDICATE. n. f. [prædicatum, Lat.] That which is affirmed or denied of the fubject: as, man is rational; man is not immortal.-The predicate is that which is affirmed or denied of the fubject. Watts's Logick. (1.) To PREDICATE. v. a. [predico, Latin.] To affirm any thing of another thing.-All propofitions, wherein a part of the complex idea, which any term ftands for, is predicated of that term, are only verbal; e. g. to say that gold is a metal. Locke. * (2.) To PREDICATE. v. n. To affirm; to comprife an affirmation.-It were a presumption to think, that any thing in any created nature can bear any perfect refemblance of the incomprehenfible perfection of the divine nature, very being itfelf not predicating univocally touching him and any created being. Hale's Origin of Mankind. * PREDICATION. n. f. {prædicatio, Lat. from predico.] Affirmation concerning any thing.-Let us reafon from them as well as we can; they are only about identical predications and influence. Locke. *To PREDICT. v. a. predi&us, Lat. predire, Fr.] To foretell; to forefhow.-Nor does he ever ceafe to predict public ruins, till his private are repaired. Gov. of the Tongue. (1.) * PREDICTION. n. f. [prædičio, Lat. prediction, Fr. from predia.] Prophety; declaration of fomething future. Thefe Swift. He'd rather choose that I should die, Than his prediction prove a lie. . ', (2.) PREDICTION..See PROPHECY. * PREDICTOR. n. f. [from predict] Foreteller. -Whether he has not been the caufe of this poor man's death, as well as the predictor, may be difpated. Swift. PREDIGESTION. n. f. [præ and digeftion.]. Digeftion too foon performed.-Predigeftion, or batty digeftion, fills the body full of crudities and feeds of difeafes. Bacon. (1.) PREDISPONENT. part. adj. [from præ and difpono, Lat.] Tending previously to adapt to any purpose; predisponing. (2) PREDISPONENT CAUSES of difeafes. See MEDICINE, Index. To PREDISPOSE. v. a. [ præ and difpofe.] To adapt previously to any certain purpose.-Vegetable productions require heat of the fun, to predifpofe and excite the earth and the feeds. Burnet. -Unless nature be predisposed to friendship by its own propensity, no arts of obligation fhall be able to abate the fecret hatreds of fome perfons towards others. South. Things that made against him were predominant in the king's mind. Bacon. Whether the fun, predominant in heav'n, -Rife on the earth; or earth rife on the fun. Milf. -Beauties of this kind are so predominant, that you could never be able to read or understand them. Swift. * To PREDOMINATE. v. n. [predominer, Fr. præ and dominor, Lat.] To prevail; to be af cendent; to be fupreme in influence. Danil So much did love t' her executed lord Predominate in this fair lady's heart. -Their good or bad difpofition arifes, according as fuch and fuch principles predominate in their conftitutions. Addijon.-The rays reflected leaft obliquely may predominate over the reft. Newton. -Where judgment is at a lofs to determine the choice of a lady who has feveral lovers, fancy may the more allowably predominate. Clariffa. PREDTEGINSKOI, a town of Ruffia, in the government of Vologda; 48 miles SW. of Ufting. *To PREELECT. v. a. [præ and ele.] To choose by previous decifion. *PREEMINENCE. n. f. \preeminence, Fr. præ and eminence.-It is fometimes written, to avoid the junction of ee, preheminence†.] 1. Superiority of excellence.-1 plead for the preeminence of epick PREDISPOSITION. n.§. [præ and difpofi- poetry. Dryden.-Let profit have the preeminence tion. Previous adaptation to any certain purpole. of honour in the end of poetry. Dryden.-It is a -A malignity in the conftitution of the air, ga- greater preeminence to have life, than to be withthered by the predifpofitions of feafons. Bacon.-out it. Wilkins.-The preeminence of Chriftianity Tunes have a predifpofition to the motion of the pirits. Bacon. External accidents are often the occafional caufe of the king's evil; but they fuppole a predifpofition of the body. Wiseman. PREDMOUTH POINT, a cape of Cornwall, on the W. coaft of the English Channel, at the entrance of Foway harbour. * PREDOMINANCE.) n. f. [præ and domina, * PREDOMINANCY. Lat.] Prevalence; fuperiority; afcendency; fuperior influence. We make guilty of our difafters, the fun, the moon, and the stars, as if we were knaves, thieves, and treacherous by spherical predominance. Shak.-An inflammation is denominable from other humours, according to the predominancy of melancholy, phlegm, or choler. Brown.-There is an inceffant warfare amongst the humours for predominancy. Howel.-The true caufe of the Pharifees difbelief of Chrift's doctrine was the predominance of their covetoufnefs and ambition. South.-The feveral rays in white light do retain their colorific qualities, by which thofe of any fort, whenever they become more copious than the reft, do, by their excels and predominance, cause their proper colour to appear. Newton. PREDOMINANT. adj. [predominant, Fr. præ and dominor, Lat.] Prevalent; fupreme in in to any other religious fcheme which preceded it, I do inveft you jointly with my power, Am I diftinguifh'd from you but by toils? Addifon. 3. Superiority of power or influence.-That which ftandeth on record hath preeminence above that which paffeth from hand to hand. Hooker-Beyond the equator, the fouthern point of the needle is fovereign, and the north fubmits his preeminence. The infertion of a hyphen between the two vowels would have been a preferable measure; but the byphen is often inferted where it ought not, and omitted where it should be inferted. (See HYPHEN.) All of thefe compounds which have pre before e ought to be disjoined. Tell how came I here? by fome great Maker, In goodness and in pow'r preeminent. Milton. -We claim a proper intereft above others, in the preeminent rights of the household of faith. Spratt. (1.) PREEMPTION. n. f. [preemptio, Latin.] The right of purchafing before another.-Certain perfons, in the reigns of king Edward VI. and queen Mary, fought to make ufe of this preemption; but, crofled in the profecution, or defeated in their expectation, gave it over. Carew. (2.) PRE-EMPTION was a privilege anciently allowed the king's purveyor, of having the choice and first buying of corn and other provifions for the king's houfe; but abolished by the ftatute 19 Car. II. * To PREEN. v. a. v. a. [prinen, Dutch, to dress or prank up. To trim the feathers of birds, to enable them to glide through the air: for this ufe nature has furnished them with two peculiar glands, which fecrete an unctuous matter into a perforated oil bag, out of which the bird draws it with its bill. Bailey. * To PREENGAGE. v. a. [præ and engage] To engage by precedent ties or contracts. To Cipfeus by his friends his fuit he mov'd, But he was preengag'd by former ties. Dryd. Preengaged with my own confent. Dryd. --The world has the unhappy advantage of preengaging our paffions. Rogers.. PREENGAGEMENT. n. f. [from preengage.] Precedent obligation. My preengagements to other themes were not unknown. Boyle.—The opinions, fuited to their respective tempers, will make way to their affent, in fpite of accidental preengage ments. Glanville.-Men are apt to think that thofe obediences they pay to God fhall, like a preengagement, difannul all after-contracts made by guilt. Decay of Piety.As far as opportunity and former preengagements will give leave. Collier. PREENING, n. f. in natural history, the action of birds in cleaning, compofing, and dreffing their feathers. See To PREEN. *To PREESTABLISH. v. a. [præ and establish.] To fettle beforehand. * PREESTABLISHMENT. n. J. [from preefiablish] Settlement beforehand. PREETZE, a town of Holftein, founded in 1216; 43 miles NE. of Hamburg, and 28 NNW. of Lubeck. *To PREEXIST. v. a. [præ and exifto, Latin.] To exist beforehand. If thy preexifting foul Was form'd at firft with myriads more, It did through all the mighty poets roll. Dryd. (1.) * PREEXISTENCE. n. [preexifence, Fr. from preexift.] 1. Existence before.-Wisdom declares her antiquity and preexiflence to all the works of this carth. Burnet's Theory. 2. Existence of the foul before its union with the body.-Simonides has exposed the vicious part of women, from the doctrine of preexiflence. Addifon. (2.) PRE-EXISTENCE is a priority of being, or the being of one thing before another. Thus a caufe, if not in time, is yet in nature pre-exiftent to its effect. Thus God is pre-exiftent to the universe. Thus a hunian father is pre-exiftent to his fon. The Peripatetics, though they maintained the eternity of the world, were likewife dogmatical in their opinion, that the universe wa formed, actuated, and governed, by a lovereig intelligence. See Ariftotle on the Soul, and ou articles CREATION and EARTH. See alfo th Philofophical Effays of Dr Ifaac Watts, and th Principles of natural and revealed Religion, by th Chevalier Ramiay, where the fubject of the world eternity is difcuffed. Mr Home's fpeculations alfo on this abftrufe and arduous subject, had a greate tendency to diffipate its gloom than that philofo pher himself could imagine. The pre-existence o the human foul to its corporeal vehicle had bee from time immemorial a prevailing opinion amon the Afiatic fages, and from them was perhap transferred by Pythagoras to the philofophy o the Greeks; but his METEMPSYCHOSIS is to trivial either to be seriously propofed or refuted Nevertheless, from the fentiments of Socrate concerning the immortality of the foul, delivere in his laft interview with his friends, it is obviou that the tenet of pre-existence was a doctrine of th Platonic fchool. But their hypothefis was totall unfupported by fact, except the folitary pretend of Pythagoras, that his foul had formerly animate the body of EUPHORBUS; a fable evidently in vented to fupport his doctrine of transmigration After the Chriftian religion had been confiderabl diffufed, and warmly combated by its philofophic antagonists, the fame doctrine was refumed an taught at Alexandria, by Platonic profelytes, no only as a topic conftituent of their master's philo sophy, but as an answer to those formidable objed tions which had been deduced from the doctrin of original fin, and from the vices which stain, an from the calamities which disturb, human life hence they strenuously afferted, that all the huma race were either introduced into existence pric to Adam, or pre-exiftent in his perfon; that the were not, therefore, represented by our first pa rents, but actually concurred in their crime, an participated their ruin. The followers of Origer and fuch as entertained the notion of PRE ADAMITES, might argue from the doctrine of pre existence with fome degree of plaufibility. For th human beings introduced by them to the theat of probation had already attained the capacity c moral agents: as their crime therefore was vo luntary, their punishment might be juft. Bu thofe who believe the whole human race create in Adam to be only pre-exiftent in their germs ftamina, were even deprived of this miferable fut terfuge; for in these homunculi we can neithe fuppofe the moral nor rational conftitution ur folded. Pre-existence, therefore, affords no folu tion of the objections to the doctrine of origina fin. But the boldness and temerity of philofophy not fatisfied with contemplating pre-existence a merely relative to human nature, dared to try ho far it was compatible with the glorious Perfons the sacred Trinity. The Arians, who allowed th fubordinate divinity of our Saviour, believed hir pre-existent to all time, and before all worlds; bu the Socinians, who efteemed his nature, as we as his perfon, merely human, infifted, that befor his incarnation he was only pre-exiftent in th divine idea, not in nature or person. * PREEXISTENT. adj. [preexiflent, Fr. pr. and exifto.] Exiftent beforehand; preceding i exiftence PRE (269) exiftence.Artificial things could not be from eternity, because they suppose man, by whofe art they were made, preexiflent to them. Burnet.What mortal knows his preexiftent state? Pope. -If this preexiftent eternity is not compatible with a fucceffive duration, then fome being, though infinitely above our finite comprehenfions, muft have had an identical, invariable continuance from all eternity, which being is no other than God. Bentley's Sermons. (1.) PREFACE. n. f. [preface, Fr. præfatio, Lat.] Something fpoken introductory to the main defign; introduction; fomething proemial.This fuperficial tale Shak. Is but a preface to her worthy praise. -Sir Thomas More betrayed his depth of judgment in ftate affairs in his Utopia, than which, in the opinion of Budæus in a preface before it, our age hath not feen a thing more deep. Peacham on Poetry Heav'n's high beheft no preface needs. Milt. (2.) The PREFACE should contain in general whatever is neceffary to the understanding of a book. (1.) To PREFACE. v. a. [ prefari, Lat.] 1. To introduce by fomething proemial.-Wherefoe'er he gave an admonition, he prefaced it always with fuch demonftrations of tenderness. Fell. Thou art rash, And must be prefaced into government. Southern., 2. To face; to cover. A ludicrous fenfe. I love to wear cloaths that are flush, Not prefacing old rags with plush. Cleaveland. (2.) To PREFACE. v. n. To fay fomething introductory.-Before I enter upon the particular parts of her character, it is neceffary to preface, that she is the only child of a decrepid father. Spectator. * PREFACER. n. f. [from preface.] The writer of a preface. If there be not a tolerable line in all these fix, the prefacer gave me no occafion to write better. Dryden. * PREFATORY. adj. [from preface.] Introductory. I am far from blaming even that prefatory addition to the creed. Dryden. (1.) * PREFECT. n. f. [præfe&us, Lat.] Go vernor; commander The better foldier, having been a tribune, Prefect, lieutenant, prætor in the war. Ben Jonfon. -It was the custom in the Roman empire, for the prefects and viceroys of diftant provinces to tranfmit a relation of every thing remarkable in their administration. Addison. (2.) The PREFECT, in ancient Rome was one of the chief magiftrates who governed in the abfence of the kings, confuls, and emperors. This power was greatest under the emperors. His chief care was the government of the city, taking cognizance of all crimes committed therein and within 100 miles. He judged capitally and finally, He had the fuand even prefided in the fenate. perintendance of the provisions, building, and navigation. (3-) The PREFECT of modern Rome differs little from the ancient PRÆFECTUS; but his authority only extends to 40 miles round the city. (4.) The PREFECT OF THE PRETORIUM was the leader of the pretorian bands deftined for the PRE emperor's guards, confifting according to Dion, (1.) PREFECTURE. n. f. [prefecture, Fr. præ- *To PREFER. v. a. [preferer, Fr. præfero, Lat.} Milton. Would he rather leave this frantick scene, And trees and beasts prefer to courts and men? Prior. 5. To advance; to exalt; to raife. He was preferr'd to the bishoprick of Coventry and Litchfield. Clarendon. 6. To prefent ceremoniously. This feems not a proper use. He fpake, and to her hand preferr'd the bowl. Pope. 7. To offer folemnly; to propose publickly; to exhibit. And as t'a perjured duke of Lancaster, Daniel. I, when my foul began to faint, Take care, Prior. Left thou prefer so rash a pray'r. Every perfon within the church or commonwealth may prefer an accufation. Ayliffe. * PREFERABLE. adj. [preferable, Fr. from prefer.] Eligible before fomething elfe. With to commonly before the thing refused.—Any particular appearing preferable good till we have duly examined it. Locke.-This debt to their children does not quite cancel the fcore due to their parents; but only is made by nature preferable to it. Locke.-Almoft every man in our nation is a politician, and hath a scheme of his own, which he thinks preferable to that of any other. Addison's Freeholder.-The pleasures of virtue would be fuperior to thofe of vice, and jufstly preferable. Atterbury. PREFERABLENESS. n. f. [from preferable.] The ftate of being preferable. *PREFERABLY. adv. [from preferable.] In' preference; in fuch a manner as to prefer one mick thing to another.-How came he to chufe a co |