PRESBYTERIANS PRESBYTERIANS land fifteen, which are composed of the members in Wall street, founded in 1716. The churches of the several presbyteries within the respective of Newark, New Jersey, and of Jamaica, Newprovinces which give names to the synods. ton, South Hampton, East Hampton, &c. which The highest authority in the church of Scot- are now Presbyterian, were founded several years land is the general assembly, which consists of a prior to the above-mentioned, but were originally certain number of ministers and ruling elders Congregational, and so remained till about the delegated from each presbytery, and of commis- year 1716. The first presbytery was organized sioners from the universities and royal boroughs. in 1704; the first synod in 1716. This was A presbytery in which there are fewer than then composed of four presbyteries, viz. those of twelve parishes sends to the general assembly Philadelphia, Long Island, New Castle, and two ministers and one ruling elder: if it contain Snowhill, and was called the synod of Philadelbetween twelve and eighteen ministers, it sends phia. A division took place in this synod in 1741, three of these, and one ruling elder: if it contain which gave rise to the synod of New York. between eighteen and twenty-four ministers, it These two were again united in 1758, under the sends four ministers, and two ruling elders; and title of the synod of New York and Philadelphia. of twenty-four ministers, when it contains so This synod, soon after its formation, founded the many, it sends five, with two ruling elders. college of New Jersey, now located at Princeton, Every royal borough sends one ruling elder, and and originally denominated Nassau Hall. The Edinburgh two, whose election must be attested general assembly was formed in 1788, at which by the kirk sessions of their respective boroughs. time the body had so far increased as to admit of Every university sends one commissioner from its a farther multiplication of synods, and accordingly own body. The commissioners are chosen an- the whole church was arranged into the four synually six weeks before the meeting of the as- nods of Philadelphia, Virginia, the Carolinas, sembly; and the ruling elders are often men of and that already existing, the synod of New York the first eminence in the kingdom for rank and and Philadelphia. The first meeting of the genetalents. In this assembly, which meets once a ral assembly was held in 1789. Subsequent to year, the king presides by his commissioner, who that period the Presbyterian church has continued is always a nobleman, but he has no voice in to increase by a steady accession of numbers, their deliberations. The order of their proceed- influence, and respectability, till it ranks among ings is regular, though sometimes the number of the most prominent ecclesiastical bodies in our members creates a confusion; which the mode- country. Its ministers and members are distinrator, who is chosen from among the ministers to guished for their active zeal and their munificent be, as it were, the speaker of the house, has not liberality in the promotion of the great objects of sufficient authority to prevent. Appeals are Christian benevolence of the present day. The brought from all the other ecclesiastical courts in general assembly, the highest judicature of the Scotland to the general assembly; and in ques-church, has under its special care and supervision tions purely religious, no appeal lies from its de- flourishing theological seminaries at Princeton, termination. See Hall's View of a Gospel Church; New Jersey, Auburn, New York, Hampden Encycl. Brit. art. Presbyterians; Brown's Vin- Sydney, Virginia, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. dication of the Presbyterian Form of Church Others are likely soon to be established. In conGovernment; Scotch Confession and Directory.nexion with the general assembly of the PresbyFor the other side of the question, and against Presbyterian church government, see articles BROWNISTS, CHURCH, CONGREGATIONALISTS, EPISCOPACY, and INDEPENDENTS. PRESBYTERIANS, ENGLISH. The appellation Presbyterian is in England appropriated to a body of dissenters, who have not any attachment to the Scotch mode of church government any more than to episcopacy among us; and therefore the term Presbyterian is here improperly applied. How this misapplication came to pass cannot be easily determined; but it has occasioned many wrong notions, and should therefore be rectified. English Presbyterians, as they are called, adopt nearly the same mode of church government with the Independents. Their chief difference from the Independents is, that they are less attached to Calvinism. terian church in the United States, there were, by the last statistical reports, (1829) 19 synods; 92 presbyteries; 1392 ordained ministers; 205 licenciates; 2070 churches; and 162,816 communicants. Of the ministers, 40 are presidents of colleges, or professors of theological seminaries, and 15 foreign missionaries.-B. PRESBYTERIANS, CUMBERLAND; the name given to a body of Presbyterians who seceded from the general Presbyterian church in the United States in February, 1810. They reside principally in the states of Kentucky and Tennessee, but have a number of churches in some of the states north of the Ohio river. Their secession was owing to a difference of opinion with the synod of Kentucky, on the subject of licensing ministers to preach the gospel who had not enjoyed the benefit of a classical education. PRESBYTERIANS IN THE UNITED At a period of considerable religious excitement, STATES. The first Presbyterians in America when the labours of clergymen were in great came from England, Scotland, and Ireland, about demand, it was proposed by some of the ministers the year 1700. They settled in what is now a who then belonged to that synod, to choose from part of New Jersey and Delaware. The first among the laity certain persons whose talents, Presbyterian church formed in the United States gifts, piety, &c. would justify the step, and enwas in Philadelphia, now known as the "First courage them to prepare for the work of the miPresbyterian church" in that city, and recently nistry, even though they had not gone through under the care of the Rev. James P. Wilson, the ordinary routine of classical studies required D. D. Its first pastor was the Rev. Jedediah by the standards of the church. Several indiAndrews, a graduate of the University of Cam-viduals accordingly complied with these sugges bridge, Massachussetts. The first Presbyterian tions, an after due preparation were examined church in the city or state of New York was that and licensed to preach by a presbytery, the ma PREACHING PREACHING that the promise still relates to all who pray, that | God, Deut. xxxiv. 9; Josh, xxxir. Sera answers shall be given, Matt. vii. 7; Psal. T. 15; was a prince of the house of Judah, Aus . Luke xviii. 1, &c.; Phil. iv. 6, 7; James v. 16. herdsman of Tekoa; yet both were pros Wilkins, Henry, Watts on Prayer; Townsend's and one at least was a prophet, I Kanga k Nine Sermons on Prayer; Paley's Moral Phil. Amos vii. 14, 15. When the ignorart vol. ii. p. 31; Mason's Student and Pastor, of Pagans, the vices of their practice, and p. 87; Wollaston's Rel. of Nat. p. 122, 124; H. idolatry of their pretended worship, were d More on Education, ch. i. vol. ii.; Barrow's sad periods incorporated into the Jetistage Works, vol. i. ser. 6; Smith's System of Prayer; by the princes of that nation, the prophet an Scamp's Sermon on Family Religion. all the seers protested against this apiary, L PREACHER, one who discourses publicly they were persecuted for so doing. Specsa on religious subjects. See articles DECLAMATION, preached to Rehoboam, the princes, and vite ELOQUENCE, MINISTER, and SERMON. people, at Jerusalem, 2 Chron. xii 5. Aur and Hanani preached to Asa and his ar 2 Chron. xv. 1, &c; xvi. 7. Micaiah to Aba Some of them opened schools, or bouses ti ir struction, and there to their disciples they te the pure religion of Moses. At Nauth, in the suburbs of Ramah, there was one, where dam dwelt; there was another at Jeriche, and a thr at Bethel, to which Elijah and Elisha on sorted. Thither the people went on sahbel: days and at new moons, and received pub } sons of piety and morality, 1 Sam. 1 1 PREACHING is the discoursing publicly on any religious subject. It is impossible, in the compass of this work, to give a complete history of this article from the beginning down to the present day. This must be considered as a desideratum in theological learning. Mr. Robinson, in his second volume of Claude's Essay, has prefixed a brief dissertation on this subject, an abridgement of which we shall here insert with a few occasional alterations. From the sacred records we learn, that, when men began to associate for the purpose of wor-2 shipping the Deity, Enoch prophesied, Jude 14, 15. We have a very short account of this prophet and his doctrine; enough, however, to convince us that he taught the principal truths of natural and revealed religion. Conviction of sin was in his doctrine, and communion with God was exemplified in his conduct, Gen. v. 24; Heb. xi. 5, 6. From the days of Enoch to the time of Moses, cach patriarch worshipped God with his family; probably several assembled at new moons, and alternately instructed the whole company.-Noah, it is said, was a preacher of righteousness, 2 Pet. ii. 5; 1 Pet. iii. 19, 20. Abraham commanded his household after him to keep the way of the Lord, and to do justice and judgment, Gen. xvii. 19; and Jacob, when his house lapsed to idolatry, remonstrated against it, and exhorted them and all that were with him to put away strange gods, and to go up with him to Bethel, Gen. x.; xxv. 2, 3. Melchizedee also, we may consider as the father, the prince, and the priest of his people, publishing the glad tidings of peace and salvation, Gển. xviii.; Heb. vii. Moses was a most eminent prophet and preacher, raised up by the authority of God, and by whom, it is said, came the larr, John i. 17.This great man had much at heart the promulgation of his doctrine; he directed it to be inscribed on pillars, to be transcribed in books, and to be taught both in public and private by word of mouth, Deut. xxviii. 8; vi. 9; xxxi. 19; xvii. 18; Numb. v. 23; Deut. iv. 9. Himself set the example of each; and how he and Aaron sermonized, we may see by several parts of his writings. The first discourse was heard with profound reverence and attention; the last was both uttered and received in raptures, Exod. iv. 31; Deut. xxxiii. 7, 8. Public preaching does not appear under his economy to have been attached to the priesthood: priests were not officially preachers; and we have innumerable instances of discourses delivered in religions assemblies by men of other tribes besides that of Levi; Psal. Ixviii. 11. Joshua was an Ephraimite; but being full of the spirit of wisdom, he gathered the tribes to Shechem, and harangued the people of Kings ii. 3, 5; iv. 2, 3. Through all *, period there was a dismal confusion of the tv. ordinance of public preaching. Set us by had no open vision, and the word of the Les was precious or scarce: the people bear, 7 a now and then. At other times they were ana without a teaching priest; and without lawAnd, at other seasons again, itinerarts, bot princes, priests, and Levites, were sent thang. all the country to carry the book of the isw an to teach in the cities. In a word, presàng flourished when pure religion grew; and was the last decayed, the first was suppressed. M had not appropriated preaching to any orders men: persons, places, times, and manners, & ** all left open and discretional. Many of the courses were preached in camps and certain streets, schools, cities, and villages, seat, y with great composure and coolness, at other tie a with vehement action and rapturous creman sometimes in a plain blunt style, at other te in all the magnificent pomp of Een alg On some occasions, the preachers apprano public with visible signs, with irapariaIN O war, yokes of slavery, or something a their subject. They gave lectures on the them up to view, girded them on, roke the pieces, rent their garments, rolled in the and endeavoured, by all the methods they a devise agreeably to the customs of their ass to impress the minds of their auditors wit nature and importance of their dextrines. men were highly esteemed by the prots pam the nation; and princes thought proter tot seers and others, who were scribes, wher expounded the law, 2 Chron. Xxxv. S xxxv. 15. Hence false prophets, bod met. found it worth while to allot to be ma ed the courts of princes. Jezebel, an i had four hundred prophets of Esal; and A a pretended worshipper of Jehovah, tad acr pretended prophets of his own profession 215 xviii. 5. When the Jews were carried captive Babylon, the prophets who were with themums cated the principles of religion, and endiesterma to possess their minds with an aversion bezala try: and to the success of preaching we PREACHING PREACHING attribute the re-conversion of the Jews to the be- | law distinctly, gave the sense, and caused them hef and worship of one God: a conversion that to understand the reading. The sermons delimuns to this day. The Jews have since falien vered so affected the hearers, that they wept exinto horrid crimes; but they have never since cessively; and about noon the sorrow became so this period lapsed into idolatry, Hosea, 2d and 3d exuberant and immeasurable, that it was thought chapter, Ezekiel, 24, 34, and 4th chapter. There necessary by the governor, the preacher, and the were not wanting, however, multitudes of false Levites, to restrain it. Go your way, said they; tophets among them, whose characters are strik- eat the fat, drink the sweet, send portions unto gly delineated by the true prophets, and which them for whom nothing is prepared. The wise the reader may see in the 13th chapter of Eze- and benevolent sentiments of these noble souls iel, 56th Isaiah, 23d Jeremiah. When the were imbibed by the whole congregation, and eventy years of the captivity were expired, the fifty thousand troubled hearts were calmed in a pod prophets and preachers, Zerubbabel, Joshua, moment. Home they returned, to eat, to drink, Haggai, and others, having confidence in the to send portions and to make mirth, because they word of God, and aspiring after their natural, had understood the words that were declared civil, and religious rights, endeavoured by all unto them. Plato was alive at this time, teachans to extricate themselves and their country-ing dull philosophy to cold academics; but what pen from that mortifying state into which the was he, and what was Xenophon or Demosgrimes of their ancestors had brought them. thenes, or any of the Pagan orators, in comparison They wept, fasted, prayed, preached, prophesied, with these inen? From this period to that of ad at length prevailed. The chief instruments the appearance of Jesus Christ, public preachwere Nehemiah ani Ezra: the first was governor, ing was universal; synagogues were multiplied, and reformed their civil state; the last was a vast numbers attended, and elders and rulers ribe of the law of the God of heaven, and ad- were appointed for the purpose of order and incressed hims. If to ecclesiastical matters, in which struction. le rendered the noblest service to his country, and ball posterity. He collected and collated manuripts of the sacred writings, and arranged and published the holy canon in its present form. To this he added a second work as necessary as the former: he revived and new modelled public preaching, and exemplified his plan in his own person. The Jews had almost lost in the seventy Years' captivity their original language: that was w become dead; and they spoke a jargon made op of their own language and that of the ChalJeans and other nations with whom they had een confounded. Formerly preachers had only rained subjects; now they were obliged to xplain words; words which, in the sacred code, cre become obsolete, equivocal, or dead. Houses were now opened, not for ceremonial worship, as acrificing, for this was confined to the temple; at for moral obedience, as praying, preaching, ing the law, divine worship, and social dutics. Chege houses were called synagogues: the people ized thither morning and evening for prayer; 21 on sabbaths and festivals the law was read and expounded to them. We have a short but autiful description of the manner of Ezra's first The apostles exactly copied their divine Maseaching, Nehem. viii. Upwards of fifty thou-ter. They formed multitudes of religious socieand people assembled in a street, or large square, ties, and were abundantly successful in their ar the Watergate. It was early in the morn-labours. They contined their attention to reliof a sabbath day. A pulpit of wood, in thegion, and left the schools to dispute, and politition of a small tower, was placed there on urpose for the preacher; and this turret was pported by a scaffold, or temporary gallery, ere, in a wing on the right hand of the pulpit, at six of the principal preachers; and in another, the left, seven. Thirteen other principal hers, and many Levites, were present also on The apostles being dead, every thing came to lds erected for the purpose, alternately to pass as they had foretold. The whole Christian iate. When Ezra ascended the pulpit, he system underwent a miserable change; preaching duced and opened the book of the law, and shared the fate of other institutions, and this whole congregation instantly rose up from glory of the primitive church was now generally ir seats, and stood. Then he offered up degenerated. Those writers whom we call the ayer and praise to God, the people bowing Fathers, however held up to view by some as ir heads, and worshipping the Lord with their models of imitation, do not deserve that indisto the ground; and, at the close of the criminate praise ascribed to them. Christianity, ver, with uplifted hands, they solemnly pro-it is true, is found in their writings; but how unced, Amen, Amen. Then, all standing, sadly incorporated with Pagan philosophy, and zra, assisted at times by the Levites, read the Jewish allegory! It must, indeed, be allowed, that, The most celebrated preacher that arose before the appearance of Jesus Christ, was John the Baptist. He was commissioned from heaven to be the harbinger of the Messiah. He took Elijah for his model; and as the times were very much like those in which that prophet lived, he chose a doctrine and a method very much resem bling those of that venerable man. His subjects were few, plain, and important. His style was vehement, images bold, his deportment solemn, his actions eager, and his morals strict; but this bright morning star gave way to the illustrious Sun of Righteousness, who now arose on a benighted world. Jesus Christ certainly was the prince of preachers. Who but can admire the simplicity and majesty of his style, the beauty of his images, the alternate softness and severity of his addresses, the choice of his subjects, the gracefulness of his deportment, and the indefatigableness of his zeal? Let the reader charm and solace himself in the study and contemplation of the character, excellency and dignity of this best of preachers, as he will find them delineated by the evangelists. cians to intrigue. The doctrines they preached, they supported entirely by evidence; and neither had nor required such assistance as human laws or worldly policy, the cloquence of the schools, or the terror of arms, the charins of money, or the tricks of tradesmen, could afford them. PREACHING PREACHING The church of Rome has produced some great preachers since the Reformation, but not equ to the reformed preachers: and a question malrally arises here, which it would be unpandahe to pass over in silence, concerning the stage effect of the preaching of the reformed, whier ma general, national, universal reformatu a their times, and whose sermons had prodaod sudden and amazing effects on their audits but all these effects had died away with the preachers who produced them, and all things had gone back into the old state. Law, earning, commerce, society at large, had not been in proved.-Here a new scene opens; preaches arise less popular, perhaps less indefatigable and exemplary; their sermons produce less striking immediate effects; and yet their auditors g away, and agree by whole nations to reform. in general, the simplicity of Christianity was maintained, though under gradual decay, during the first three centuries. The next five centuries produced many pious and excellent preachers both in the Latin and Greek churches, though the doctrine continued to degenerate. The Greek pulpit was adorned with some eloquent orators. Basil, bishop of Cæsarea, John Chrysostom, In the darkest times of popery there had mise preacher at Antioch, and afterwards patriarch now and then some famous popular preaches (as he was called) of Constantinople, and Gre-who had zealously inveighed against the vices f gory Nazianzen, who all flourished in the fourth century, seem to have led the fashion of preaching in the Greek church: Jerom and Augustin did the same in the Latin church. For some time, preaching was common to bishops, elders, deacons, and private brethren, in the primitive church; in process, it was restrained to the bishop, and to such as he should appoint. They called the appointment ordination: and at last attached I know not what ideas of mystery and influence to the word, and of dominion to the bishop who pronounced it. When a bishop or preacher tra- Jerome Savonarola, Jerome Narni, Capistran velled, he claimed no authority to exercise the Connecte, and many others, had produced by duties of his function, unless he were invited by their sermons great immediate effects. When the churches where he attended public worship. Connecte preached, the ladies lowered their head The first preachers differed much in pulpit action: dresses, and committed quilled caps by hundreda the greater part used very moderate and sober to the flames. When Narni taught the populare gesture. They delivered their sermons all ex-in Lent, from the pulpits of Rome, half the ty tempore, while there were notaries who took down what they said. Sermons in those days were all in the vulgar_tongue. The Greeks preached in Greek, the Latins in Latin. They did not preach by the clock, (so to speak) but were short or long as they saw occasion, though an hour was about the usual time. Sermons were generally both preached and heard standing; but sometimes both speaker and auditors sat, especially the aged and the infirm. The fathers were fond of allegory; for Origen, that everlasting allegorizer, had set them the example. Be fore preaching the preacher usually went into a vestry to pray, and afterwards to speak to such as came to salute him. He prayed with his eyes shut in the pulpit. The first word the preacher uttered to the people, when he ascended the pulpit, was, "Peace be with you," or "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you all;" to which the assembly at first added, "Amen:" and, in after times they answered, "And with thy spirit." Degenerate, however, as these days were in comparison with those of the apostles, yet they were golden ages in comparison with the times that followed, when metaphysical reasonings, mystical divinity, yea, Aristotelian categories, and reading the lives of the saints, were substituted in the place of sermons. The pulpit became a stage, where ludicrous priests obtained the vulgar laugh by the lowest kind of wit, especially at the festivals of Christmas and Easter. But the glorious Reformation was the offspring of preaching, by which mankind were informed: there was a standard, and the religion of the times was put to trial by it. The avidity of the common people to read Scripture, and to hear it expounded, was wonderful; and the Papists were so fully convinced of the benefit of frequent public instruction, that they who were justly called | unpreaching prelates, and whose pulpits, to use an expression of Latimer, had been belle withou! clappers for many a long year, were obliged for shame to set up regular preaching again. went from his sermons, crying along the streets, Our reformers taught all the good doct which had been taught by these men, aral added two or three more, by which they laid to axe to the root of arostacy, and produced g information. Instead of appealing to popes, 2 canons, and founders, and fathers, they of quoted them, and referred their auditors to 'm Holy Scriptures for law. Pope Leo X. dd know this when he told Prierio, who com; a of Luther's heresy, Friar Martin hed a fra f nius! They also taught the people what they knew of Christian liberty; and so lexi then o into a belief that they might follow then wa ideas in religion, without the consent of a c fessor, a diocesan, a pope, or a council. T went further, and laid the stress of all rel justifying faith. This obliged the poor arquainted with Christ, the object of the 15 and thus they were led into the knowler of character altogether different from what they sm in their old guides; a character which 17 possible to know, and not to admire and in PREACHING PREDESTINATION who have entered into their views with disinterestedness and success: and, in the present times, both in the church and among dissenters, names could be mentioned which would do honour to any nation; for though there are too many who do not fill up that important station with proportionate piety and talents, yet we have men who are conspicuous for their extent of knowledge, depth of experience, originality of thought, fervency of zeal, consistency of deportment, and great usefulness in the Christian church. May their numbers still be increased, and their exertions in the cause of truth be eminently crowned with the divine blessing! See Robinson's Claude, vol. ii. preface; and books recommended under article MINISTER. The old papal popular sermons had gone off like a charge of gunpowder, producing only a fright, a bustle, and a black face; but those of the newe learninge, as the monks called them, were small hearty seeds, which, being sown in the honest hearts of the multitude, and watered with the dew of heaven, softly vegetated, and imperceptibly unfolded blossoms and fruits of inestimable value. These eminent servants of Christ excelled in various talents, both in the pulpit and in private. Knox came down like a thunder-storm; Calvin resembled a whole day's set rain; Beza was a shower of the softest dew. Old Latimer, in a coarse frieze gown, trudged afoot, his Testament hanging at one end of his leathern girdle, and his spectacles at the other, and without ceremony instructed the people in rustic style from a hollow tree; while the courtly Ridley in satin and fur taught the same principles in the cathedral of the metropolis. Cranmer, though a timorous man, Isaac de la Pereyra, in 1655, published a book ventured to give King Henry the Eighth a New to evince the reality of Preadamites, by which he Testament, with the label, Whoremongers and gained a considerable number of proselytes to the adulterers God will judge; while Knox, whoopinion; but the answer of Demarets, professor said, there was nothing in the pleasant face of a lady to affray him, assured the queen of Scots, that, "If there were any spark of the Spirit of God, yea, of honesty and wisdom in her, she would not be offended with his affirining in his sermons, that the diversions of her court were diabolical crimes,-evidences of impiety or insanity." These men were not all accomplished scholars; but they all gave proof enough that they were honest, hearty, and disinterested in the cause of religion. All Europe produced great and excellent preachers, and some of the more studious and sedate reduced their art of public preaching to a system, and taught rules of a good sermon. Bishop Wilkins enumerated, in 1616, upwards of sixty who had written on the subject. Several of these are valuable treatises, full of edifying instructions; but all are on a scale too large, and, by affecting to treat of the whole office of a minister, leave that capital branch, public preaching, unfinished and vague. PREADAMITE, a denomination given to the inhabitants of the earth, conceived by some people to have lived before Adam. of theology at Groningen, published the year following put a stop to its progress, though Pereyra made a reply, His system was this. The Jews he calls Adamites, and supposes them to have issued from Adam; and gives the title Preadamites to the Gentiles, whom he supposes to have been a long time before Adam. But this being expressly contrary to the first words of Genesis, Pereyra had recourse to the fabulous antiquities of the Egyptians and Chaldeans, and to some idle rabbins, who imagined that there had been another world before that described by Moses. He was apprehended by the inquisition in Flanders, and very roughly used, though in the service of the dauphin. But he appealed from their sentence to Rome, whither he went in the time of Alexander VII. and where he printed a retraction of his book of Preadamites. Gen ii. 4. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife." It is also clear from Gen. iii. 20, where it is said, that "Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living;" that is, she was the source and root of all men and women in the world: which plainly intimates that there was no other woman that was such a mother. Finally, Adam is expressly called twice, by the apostle Paul, the first man, 1 Cor. xv. 45, 47. The arguments against the Preadamites are these. The sacred history of Moses assures us that Adam and Eve were the first persons that One of the most important articles of pulpit were created on the earth, Gen. i. 26; ii. 7. Our science, that which gives life and energy to all Saviour confirmed this when he said, "From the the rest, and without which all the rest are no- beginning of the creation God made them, male thing but a vain parade, is either neglected or ex- and female." Mark x. 6. It is undeniable that he ploded in all these treatises. It is essential to the speaks this of Adam and Eve, because in the rainistration of the divine word by public preach-next verse he uses the same words as those in ing, that preachers be allowed to form principles of their own, and that their sermons contain their real sentiments, the fruits of their own intense thought and meditation. Preaching cannot be in a good state in those communities, where the shameful practice of buying and selling manuscript sermons is carried on. Moreover, all the animating encouragements that arise from a free, Labiassed choice of the people, and from their uncontaminated, disinterested applause, should be eft open to stimulate a generous youth to excel. Command a man to utter what he has no incli-rection or command. The precepts of religion, ation to propagate, and what he does not even believe; threaten him, at the same time, with all he miseries of life, if he dare to follow his own deas, and to promulge his own sentiments, and you pass a sentence of death on all he says. He des declaim; but all is languid and cold, and he ays his system out as an undertaker does the ad. Since the reformers, we have had multitudes PRECEPT, a rule given by a superior: a di says Saurin, are as essential as the doctrines; and religion will as certainly sink, if the morality be subverted, as if the theology be undermined. The doctrines are only proposed to us as the ground of our duty. See DOCTRINE. PREDESTINARIANS, those who believe in predestination. Sec PREDESTINATION. PREDESTINATION is the decree of God, whereby he hath for his own glory fore-ordained |