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. all agree, and perhaps before di- evidence and authority. That the vers other of the apostles. Priscillianists were guilty of dissimulation upon some occasions, and deceived their adversaries by cunning stratagems, is true; but that they held it as a maxim, that lying and perjury were lawful, is a most notorious falsehood, without even the least shadow of probability. 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. PROBITY, honesty, sincerity, or veracity. "It consists in the habit of actions useful to society, and in the constant observance of the laws which justice and conscience impose upon us. The man who obeys all the laws of society with an exact punctuality is not, therefore, a man of probity: laws can only respect the external and definite parts of human conduct; PRISCILLIANISTS, the fol- but probity respects our more prilowers of Priscillian, in the fourth vate actions, and such as it is imcentury. It appears from au- possible in all cases to define; and thentic records, that the difference it appears to be in morals what between their doctrine and that of charity is in religion. Probity the Manicheans was not very teaches us to perform in society considerable. For they denied the those actions which no external reality of Christ's birth and incar-power can oblige us to perform, nation; maintained that the visible universe was not the production of the Supreme Deity, but of some dæmon or malignant principle; adopted the doctrine of æons, or emanations from the Divine nature; considered human bodies as prisons formed by the author of evil to enslave celestial minds; condemned marriage, and disbe lieved the resurrection of the body. 'Their rule of life and manners was rigid and severe; the accounts, therefore, which many have given of their lasciviousness and intemperance deserve not the least credit, as they are totally destitute of and is that quality in the human mind from which we claim the performance of the rights, commonly called imperfect." 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. from the Father." If his mission and procession were the same thing, there would be a tautology in the words, his mission, according to that interpretation, being menThe first processions mentioned tioned twice in the same verse. in ecclesiastical history are those Dr. Watts, however, observes, that set on foot at Constantinople by this procession of the Holy Ghost St. Chrysostom. The Arians of from the Father respects not his that city, being forced to hold nature or substance, but his mission their meetings without the town only; and that no distinct and went thither night and morning, clear ideas can be formed of this singing anthems. Chrysostom, to procession; consequently it must prevent their perverting the Ca- be given up as popish, scholastic, tholics, set up counter-processions, inconceivable, and indefensible. in which the clergy and people But, it is answered, what clear marched by night, singing prayers idea can be given us of the origiand hymns, and carrying crosses and flambeaus. From this period the custom of processions was introduced among the Greeks, and afterwards among the Latins, but they have subsisted longer, and been more frequently used in the Western than in the Eastern church. PROCESSION OF THE HOLY GHOST, a term made use of in reference to the Holy Ghost as proceeding from the Father, or from the Father and the Son. It seems to be founded on that passage in John xv, 26. "When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth which proceed eth from the Father, He shall testify of me." The procession of the Holy Ghost, it is said, is expressly taught by Christ in very strong terms in this text. This procession, it is alleged, is here evidently distinguished from his mission; for said, "Whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth which proceeds nate, self-existent, eternal being The clearest and fullest account of this procession, next to that in the above-mentioned text, is that in 1st Cor. ii, 12. "The Spirit which is of God;" that is (say the advocates for this doctrine), the Spirit which is the same in nature and essence with the Father, and so is said to be of him, or out of him, || PROFESSOR, a term commonnot as to local separation, but ly used, in the religious world, to with respect to identity of nature. denote any person who makes an About the eighth and ninth cen- open acknowledgment of the returies there was a very warm dis-ligion of Christ, or who outwardpute between the Greek and La- ly manifests his attachment to tin churches, whether the Spirit Christianity. All real Christians proceeded from the Father only, are professors, but all professors or from the Father and the Son; are not real Christians. In this, and the controversy arose to such as in all other things of worth and a height, that they charged one importance, we find counterfeits. another with heresy and schism, There are many who become prowhen neither side well understood fessors, not from principle, from what they contended for. The investigation, from love to the Latin church, however, has not truth; but from interested moscrupled to say that the Spirit tives, prejudice of education, cusproceeds from the Father and tom, influence of connexions, nothe Son but the Greek church velty, &c. as Saul, Jehu, Judas, chooses to express it thus; the Demas, the foolish virgins, &c. Spirit proceeds from the Father See article CHRISTIAN; Jay's by or through the Son, or he re- Sermons, ser. 9; Mead's almost ceives of the Son, Gal. iv, 6. See Christian; Bellamy's true Religion HOLY GHOST; Bishop Pearson on delineated; Shepherd's Sincere Conthe Creed, p. 324; Watts's Works, vert, and on the Parable of the 8vo. ed. p. 199, vol. v; Hurrion ten Virgins; Secker's non-such Proon the Holy Spirit, p. 204; Ridg- fessor. ley's Div., qu. 11; Dr. Lightfoot's Works, vol. i, p. 482. PROFANE, a term used in opposition to holy, and in general is applied to all persons who have "not the sacred character, and to things which do not belong to the service of religion. PROMISE is a solemn asseveration, by which one pledges his veracity that he shall perform, or cause to be performed, the thing which he mentions. The obligation of promises arises from the necessity of the well-being and existence of sociPROFESSION, among the Ro- ety. "Virtue requires," as Dr. manists, denotes the entering into Doddridge observes, "that proa religious order, whereby a per-mises be fulfilled. The promisee, son offers himself to God by a i. e. the person to whom the provow of inviolably observing obe- mise is made, acquires a property dience, chastity, and poverty. in virtue of the promise. The Christians are required to make uncertainty of property would a profession of their faith, 1. Bold-evidently be attended with great ly, Rom. i, 16.-2. Explicitly, inconvenience. By failing to fulMatt. v, 16.-3. Constantly, Heb. fil my promise, I either shew that X, 23.-4. Yet not ostentatiously, I was not sincere in making it, or but with humility and meekness. that I have little constancy or re || solution, and either way injure -3. A call for prayer.-4. A spur to perseverance. See Clark on the Promises, a book that Dr. Watts says "he could dare put into the hands of every Christian, among all their divided sects and parties in the world." my character, and consequently my usefulness in life. Promises, however, are not binding, 1. If they were made by us before we came to such exercise of reason as to be fit to transact affairs of moment; or if by any distemper or sudden PROPHECY, a word derived surprise we are deprived of the from px, and in its original exercise of our reason at the time import signifies the prediction of when the promise is made.-2. If future events. It is thus defined by the promise made was on a false Witsius: "A knowledge and mapresumption, in which the pro-nifestation of secret things, which miser, after the most diligent en- a man knows not from his own saquiry, was imposed upon, espe-gacity, nor from the relation of cially if he were deceived by the others, but by an extraordinary fraud of the promisee.-3. If the revelation of God from heaven." thing itself be vicious; for virtue In the Old and New Testaments cannot require that vice should be the word is not always confined to committed.-4. If the accomplish- the foretelling of future events. In ment of the promise be so hard several instances it is of the same and intolerable, that there is rea-import with preaching, and deson to believe that, had it been notes the faculty of illustrating foreseen, it would have been an and applying to present practical excepted case.-5. If the promise purposes the doctrines of prior be not accepted, or if it depend revelation. Thus, in Nehemiah on conditions not performed." See it is said, "Thou hast appointed Doddridge's Lec., lec. 69; Grot. de prophets to preach," ch. vi, ver. Jure, lib. ii, c. 11; Paley's Mor. 7; and whoever speaketh unto Phil., ch. 5, vol. i; Grove's Mor. men to edification, and exhortaPhil., vol. ii, p. 2, c. 12; Watts's tion, and comfort, is by St. Paul Ser., ser. 20. called a prophet, 1st Cor. xiv, 3. PROMISES OF GOD are the Hence it was that there were kind declarations of his word, in schools of prophets in Israel, where which he hath assured us he will young men were instructed in the bestow blessings upon his people. truths of religion, and fitted to exThe promises contained in the sa-hort and comfort the people. It cred scriptures may be considered, is prophecy, however, according 1. Divine as to their origin.-2. to the first definition given above, Suitable as to their nature.-3. we shall here consider. Abundant as to their number.- Prophecy (with the power of 4. Clear as to their expression.-5. working miracles) may be consi-Certain as to their accomplish-dered as the highest evidence that ment. The consideration of them can be given of a supernatural comshould, 1. Prove an antidote to munion with the Deity. Hence, despair.-2. A motive to patience. among the professors of almost The every religious system, there have images, and the majestic force of been numberless pretenders to the its expressions. It is varied with gift of prophecy. Pagans had striking propriety, and enlivened their oracles, augurs, and sooth- with quick but easy transitions. sayers; modern idolaters their ne- Its sudden bursts of eloquence, its cromancers and diviners; and the earnest warmth, its affecting exJews, Christians, and Mahome- hortations and appeals, afford very tans, their prophets. The preten-interesting proofs of that lively sions of Pagans and impostors, impression, and of that inspired have, however, been justly ex- conviction, under which the proposed; while the Jewish and Chris-phets wrote; and which enabled tian prophecies carry with them them, among a people not distinevident marks of their validity. guished for genius, to surpass, in Hence St. Peter observes, "We every variety of composition, the have a more sure word of prophe-most admired productions of Pacy, whereunto we do well to take gan antiquity. If the imagery heed, as unto a light that shineth employed by the sacred writers in a dark place; for the prophecy appears sometimes to partake of came not in old time by the will a coarse and indelicate cast. it of man, but holy men of God | must be recollected, that the Easspake as they were moved by the tern manners and languages requir Holy Ghost," d Pet. ii, 19, 21.ed the most forcible representaScripture prophecy, therefore, hath tions; and that the masculine and God for its origin. It did not arise from the genius of the mind, the temperament of the body, the influence of the stars, &c. but from the sovereign will of God. The ways by which the Deity made known his mind were various; such as by dreams, visions, angels, symbolic representa-ation, and every page of science, tions, impulses on the mind, Num. seems to have unfolded its rich vaxii, 6. Jer. xxxi, 20. Dan. viii, rieties, to the sacred writers, who, 16, 17. in the spirit of Eastern poetry, deAs to the language of prophecy: light in every kind of metaphorical "It is," says Mr. Gray, "re-embellishment. Thus, by way markable for its magnificence. illustration, it is obvious to reEach prophetic writer is distin-mark, that earthly dignities and guished for peculiar beauties; but powers are symbolized by the cetheir style in general may be cha-lestial bodies; the effects of moral racterized as strong, animated, and evil are shewn under the storms impressive. Its ornaments are de- and convulsions of nature; the rived not from accumulation of pollutions of sin are represented epithet, or laboured harmony; by external impurities; and the but from the real grandeur of its beneficial influence of righteous indignant spirit of the prophets led them to adopt the most energetic and descriptive expressions. No style is, perhaps, so highly figurative as that of the prophets. Every object of nature and of art which could furnish allusions is explored with industry; every scene of cre of |