PRE
of SemiPelagianifm.
( Uz )
PRE
See Semi-Pela-
are fufpected
GIAN.
PREDESTINATION, in Theology, a Judgment, or Decree of God, whereby he has refolved, from all Eter- nity, to fave a certain Number of Perfons, hence named EleEl. See Elect.
Other Divines define Predeftination, a Decree to give Faith in Jefus Chrifl, to a certain Number of Men ; and to leave the reft to their own Malice, and Hardnefs of Heart. See Decree.
The Remonftrants define it mote laxly, and generally, the Decree of faving Believers, and damning Unbelievers. See Remonstrants.
The Difficulties wherewith the modern Theology is clogg'd, turn on the Article of Predeftination ; both the Romijl) and Reformed Churches are divided about it : The Lutherans fpeak of it with Horrour ; the Cahinifts con- tend for it with the greater! Zeal ; the Molinifts and Jefiuts preach it down as a moft dangerous Doctrine ; the Janfe- niftS affert it as an Article of Faith -. The Arminians, Re- monftrants, and Pelagians, are all avowed Enemies of 'Pre- deftination. See Arminian, Jansenist, Molinist, Jesuit, Pelagian, c£c.
Thofe ftrenuous Patrons of Janfemfm, the Port-Royalifis, teach, that God predefiinates thofe who he forefees will co-operate with his Grace to the End. Du Pin adds, that Men don't fall into Sin, becaufe not predeftinated ; but they are not predeftinated, becaufe God forefaw their Sins. See Election, Reprobation, iSc
Predestination, is alfo ufed for a Concatenation of fecond Caufes, appointed by Providence ; in virtue where- of, things are broughr to p'afs by a fatal Necefliry ; con- trary to all appearance", and maugre all opposition. See Fate and Destiny.
The Tarts are great Tredefiinarians ; they efteem the lighted Accident ptedetermin'd i and on this accounr, are much mi re daring in Battel, and run greater rifques of their Lives! than they would otherwife do. See Mahome- tans.
PREDETERMINATION, in Philofophy and Theo- logy. The Schoolmen call that Concurrence of God, which makes Men act, and determines them in all their Aflions, both Good and Evil, Phyfical Predetermination, or Premotion. See Premotion.
Divines hold, that God has no part in Sin ; inatmuch as he only affords his Concurrence to the phyfical part of hu- man Actions, not to the moral part. See Liberty and
•Thyfical Determination, or 'Premotion, if there be any fuch rning, is that A&ion of God, whereby he excites a fe- cond CauTe to a8 ; or by which, antecedently to all Ope- ration of the Creature, or before it could operate in con- fluence either of the Order of Nature or Reafon, he re- ally and effectually moves, and occafions it to produce all its Actions : that is, whatever the Creature does, or acts, is really done, and adled, by the Agency of God on the Crea- ture, who is all the time paffive. So that without fuch •Predetermination of God, all Creatures muft remain in an eternal State of Inaftivity ; and with fuch 'Predetermina- tion, it is imp ,ffible but they mould do what.they are thus put upon doing.
'Tis ftrongly controverted, whether or no fuch a Phyfical Predetermination be neceflary to the Action of Natural Caufes. The Scotifts maintain the Negative; urging, that all Natural Caufes are, of their own Nature, determin'd to a certain Aflion ; whence it fftould feem needlefs to call in a taw Predetermination of God, e.gr. to Fire, to make
PREDIAL Tithes, are Tithes paid of Things, w n ; c b, grow from the Ground only ; as Com, Bay, Fruit, s$ c- See Tithes.
PREDICABLE, Fredicabile, in Logic, a general Quality, or an Epithet which may be predicated of, or a p_ plied to feveral Subjects. Thus Animal is predicable both of Man and Beaft : Man is fredicable ofPeter, andy« weJ: Triangle is fredicable of an hundred different Kinds of Fi- gures ; as right Angles, Scalenes, Ifofceles's, £j?c. See Predicate.
The Schoolmen reduce the Predicables to five Claffes, viz. Genus, Species, Proprium, Differentia, and Accident; under one or other of which, all that can be predicated of any Subject, is included. See Genus, Species, Pr . prium, ££c.
A Predicable is alfo call'd an Univerfale Logician, as having refpect to other particular, and interior, or fubject Things : Thus Animal is an Univerfal, with regard to Man and Beaft.
'Tis call'd a Logical Univerfal, to diftingui/Ii it from a Metaphyseal one ; which is a common Being, confider'd in itfelf, and therefore denominated univerfal in EJfendo ; whereas the Logical one is only univerfal as to our Concep- tion and Application. See Universal.
Among the Schoolmen, Predicable is ufually defined unum, aptum 'Prtfdicari de multis, univoce, ££? divifim ; or, fomewhat more clearly, a Predicable is a Nature which may be predicated univocally of ail things to which it is common i and which, as it is dividually multiply'd in all its Subordinates, may be aptly predicated of them all.
Thus, when the Appellation of Virtue is attributed to Juilice, Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, Charity, t£c. the fame Reafon may be given why each is didinguim'd by fuch Name; as being all founded in a Mediocrity, and being agreeable to right Reafon, which is the Character of Virtue.
Hence, if there be feveral things call'd byfome common Name; but the Reafon of fuch Name is not the fame in all, but different; thefe do not come under the Number of Predicates. As in the Inllance, Cants, Dog, which is both apply'd to a Domeftic Animal, diftingui/h'd by its barking j to a Conftellation of the Heavens ; and to aSea-Fifh.
The way by which the Mind comes to form fuch Predi- cables, or Univerfals, is thus : Among thofe things which fall under our Obfervation, we find fome Characters and Pro- perties common to feveral j and others peculiar to each s What we find common, we confider a-part; and thus form an Univerfal equally applicable to all. See General.
PRED1CABLY, Prkdicabiliter, is ufed in the Schools in opposition to predicamentally. Thus, Matter is faid to be united to Form predicably, Qt per acci dens; to exclude rhe Notion of a predicamenral Accident.
PREDICAMENT, Prjedicamtntum, in Logic, a Clafs, or Order of Beings, or Subftances rang'd according to their Natures; call'd alfo Category, or rather Catego- rema. See Catecory.
The Word Pradicamentum was firft introduced by See- thins, in lieu of the Greek Categoria ; and is ufed among the School- Writers with a good deal of Latitude and Va- riety : For it either fignifies the Act of predicating ; or, a common Predicate itfelf; or, the Genus or Bafis of any Ca- tegory ; or, the Collection of feveral common Predicates difpofed in a certain Order. Which laft is its moft ufual Acceptation.
Hence fome define it a Series of Predicates drawn from the Genus, or higheft Term, thro' all rhe inferior Genera, and Species. Thus, a Series of Subftance drawn from Sub-
it warm the- hand. For if an Object be, by the Courfe of fiance thro' Body, Living, Animal, Man, to 'Peter, is cal Divine Providence, apply'd to Fire; what need a fecond Application of the Fire, to make it warm the Object apply'd thereto ? fince Beings are not to be multiply'd un- rteceftariiy. See Cause.
And fuch 'Predetermination fome Philofophers hold ftiU lefs requifite to produce the Acts of the Will : At lead, fay thev, the human Mind muft be allow'd the common Power snd Privilege of a fecond Caufe ; and therefore be entitled tn produce its own Acts, as well as other ftrictly natural Agents.
The L'homifis, on the other hand, ftand up ftrenuoufly for the Phyfical Predetermination : One of their principal Arguments is drawn from the Subordination of fecond Caufes to the firft. Where there are feveral fubordinate Agents, fay they, the lower Agents do not act, unlefs firft rrinved and derermined thereto by the firft j this being the very Effence of Subordination.
Again, the like they atgue from the Dominion of God over all his Creatures : 'Tis of the Effence of Dominion, fay they, to apply and direct Things fubject thereto, to its own Operations; and this, if the Dominion be only moral, morally; but if it be alfo phyfical, phyfically. And that this is the Cafe in refpect of God, and his Creatures, is confefs'd. See God.
led the Predicament of Subftance.
Bur the ufual Definition of Predicament among Logi- cians, is, That it is a natural Order, or Scheme, of fome moft general or univerfal Thing, and all that is contain'd under the fame, that is, all the fubordinate Genera, Spe- cies, and Individuals.
The Properties of a Predicament, ex parte vocis, i. e. of the Term, or Word whereby the Predicament or predi- camental Series is denoted, the Logicians hold, are, that it be one, fimple, precife, and emicinnms. •
Vox una, iS fimplex, rebus concinna locandis.
The Conditions requifite ex parte rei, or of the Thing to be ranged in a Predicament, are contain'd in the following Vetfe :
Entia per fefe, Finita, Reatia, tota.
7. e. it muft be a fcfitive Being, in exclufion of Non-Enti- ties, Negations, Privations, ImpofTibiliti-s, tyc. and a Be- mgperfe, to exclude accidental Things, factitious Things, ££c. And finite, that is, of a limited Nature and Extent, to exclude God and other Ttanfcendentals ; Real, fince its
In-
