PRE
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Intention is for the better and more commodious
of Things in their places to be the more diiiincfly known
and conceiv'd ; and whole, or compleat, as not being in the
relation of a component Parr, or as only acceffary to fome
other.
PREDICATE, Prjedicatum, in Logic, that part of aPropofition which affirms or denies fomething of the Sub- ject. See Proposition.
Thus, in God made the World ; made the World, is the ^Predicate 5 God, the Subject. See Subject.
A Predicate, fay the Schoolmen, is properly a Name predicated, or fpoke, of another, as its Subject. AsMd&t in the Propofition Peter is a Man.
It is a celebrated Rule or Law of 'Predicates, That no- thing is etteem'd to be abfolutely fpoke or affirm J d of an- other, unlefs it be affirm'd thereof in fuch manner, or by fuch an Affirmation, as wants nothing either in the Subject, Predicate, or Copula, to make it true.
This alfo is a noted Property of a Predicate, That it contains, in fome meafure, its own Subject. Thus Metal contains Gold, Copper, Iron, £S?e. of which it is predi- cated.
The Word Predicate is fometimes ufed indifferently with Attribute ; but the more accurate Writers make a diltinc- tion. Every Predicate is indeed an Attribute, fince what- ever is predicated of a Thing, is attributed to it : So, if Animated be predicated of Man, it is alfo attributed to him. But every Attribute is not a Predicate: Thus Soul, Learning, &c. are attributed to Man, but not predicated of him. See Attribute.
Predicating, in Logic, is properly the Act of affirm- ing or denying fomewhatof fomething : As, Man is not a Stone, Body is Subfiance. The Thing thus predicated, is call'd Predicate. See Predicate.
In the Doctrine of Univerfals, or Predicates, to predi- cate is to fpeak or declare a Thing truly, directly, and af- firmatively. Thus Man is predicated of feveral, 2. e. it is truly, and directly affirm'd that thefe feveral are Men 5 as when I fay, Socrates is Man, Plato is Man, Arijlotle is Man, £S?C. See Predicabee.
The Things predicated of others, are reducible to three Gaffes. Genera, as Animal, of Man, &c. Forms, as White- nefs, of a Swan, &c. and Equals, of Things of equal Ex- tent, as Species, Difference, Proprium,££c
The Schoolmen diftinguifh feveral ways of Predicating; , as, i c . In quod tanttim, which is to predicate efTen dally, . both as to the thing and the manner ; as Juftice is a Virtue. a . In quale tantum, which is to predicate accidentally, both as to the thing and the manner $ as Peter is Learned. And, 3 . in quale quid, or in quale pofi quid, which is? to predicate both effentially and accidentally j as Man is ra- tional.
PREDICTION, pRiEDiCTio, Divination, Prophecy, or Foretelling of what is to come 5 either by divine Revela- tion, by Art and human Invention, or by Conjecture. See Divination, Revelation,^.
Divines labour hard to make the Predictions in the Old Teflament tally with the Events in the New. See Pro- phecy.
The PrediUions of Oracles were all dark and ambiguous. See Oracle.
PREDOMINANT, Reigning, that which prevails, ap- pears moft, or has fome Superiority, or Afcendance over another thing.
Thus we fay, BEtternefs is the predominatzt Quality among Tafles, or that which is moft perceiv'd. 'TisaRule, that Sugar never predominate in Confections, nor Pepper in Ragoufls.
PRE-EXISTENCE, the State of a thing aftually in being before another. See Existence.
The antient Pythagoreans and Platonifis all afferted the Pre-exifience of human Souls, i.e. that they were in being before their being join'd to our Bodies. See Metempsy- chosis and Transmigration.
Origen held the eternal Pre-exifience of Souls. See Soul,
We believe that God created the World out of nothing ; and not of pre-exiflent Matter. See Creation.
Some Perfons have held Mankind pre- exigent to Adam. See Pre-adamite.
PREFACE, pRiEFATio, a Note, or Advertifement in the beginning of a Book, to inform the Reader of the Or- der, Difpofition,££j£. obferved therein '■> of what isneceffary to receive its full effect 5 and facilitate the understanding thereof.
The Word is form'd from the Latin, pr<£ oxAfari, q. d. to fpeak before.
There is no part of Writing that requires more Art, or that fewer Authors fucceed in, than Prefaces. Prefacing is, in effect, a particular Species of Writing, and has its Character and Tafte to diftinguifh it from all others. It
difpofing is neither Argumentation, Difcourfc, Narration, nor A po- ly known logy.
The Romanifis call that part of their Mali wh'cS pre- cedes the Coniecration, and which is to be rehearfcd in a peculiar lone, Preface, See Mass.
TKcUfe of Prefaces in the Church, they contend, is very antient; and conjecture, from fome Paffages of St. Cwian, Uc. that it was in ufe in the times of the Apoitles,
The Preface to the Mafs antiently had, and Hill has very different Names in different Churches. In the Gothic, or Galhcan Rue, it is call'd Immolation ■? in the Mozaram- hic Rite, Illation } antiently among the French, it was call'd Contestation j in the Roman Church, alone, it is c&V&Preface.
PREFECT, Pr^efectus, in antient itevone of their chief Magiftrates, who govern'd in the A b fence of their Kings, Confuls, and Emperors.
His Power was fomewhat different at different times; but was always greateft under the Emperors. His principal Care was the Government and Adminiilration of the City of Rome.
He took cognizance of all Crimes committed in the City, or within an hundred Miles thereof. He judged capitally and finally, no Appeal lying from him ; and even by the tfad Novel, he prefidedin the Senate; taking place before all the Patrzcii and Confulares, &c
He had the Superintendancc of the Provifions, Policy, Buildings, and Navigation. There is ftiil a Prefect of Rome, who is a kind of Governour ; differing little from the antient Prefect, except that his Authority only extends to 40 Miles without Rome.
PREFECT of the Pretorium, Prjefectius Pnetorii, was the Chief, or Leader of the Pretorian bands or Co- horts, deftinedfor the Emperor's Guard. S.:c Pretorian. The Pretorian Legion, according to tDion, confined of ten thoufand Men. Suetonius refers the Institution of Pr<e- fetfus Pratorii to Augusts. 'Tis added, that he was ulually taken from among the Roman Knights.
By the Favour of the Emperors, his Authority grew very confiderably ; infomuch that he became the Arbiter and fupreme Judge of all Affairs.
To reduce this extravagant Authority, Confiantine divi- ded the Prefecture of the Pretorium into four Prefectures ; and each of thefe he again fubdivided into Civil and Mi- litary ; rho' the Name was only referved to him who was inverted with the Civil Authority 5 and that of Comes Belli given him who had the Command of the Cohorts. See Count,
Thus the Office of Prefect of the Pretorium, which, in its Origin, and till the time of 'Confiantine, was Military, andfucceeded to that of Magifier Equitum ; now commen- ced a purely Civil Magiftrature ; and at length became the prime Dignity of the Empire.
The fucceeding Emperors following Confiantine* &Hm- fion, divided the EmpieSjSnto four Prefectures Pratorii, as into four Diocefes ; was the Gauls, Illyria, Italy, and the Eafi. See Diocese, f
The Provinces wHereof thefe. Diocefes confined, had their particular Gbvernours ; at the Head of whom was the Prefect, who, tho* he had not the Com manoV-'of Arms, yet had the Powerof the Sword ; decided ultimately ofall Affiirs, and had all the Marks and Honours of Sovereignty.
jfufiinian created a fifth Prefect of the Pretorium for the Government ot Egypt, which had been torn off from the Diocefe of the Eatf, by the Invafion of .the Vandals, during the Empire of that Prince.
Under Augufius, the Officer fent to govern Egypt with a proconfular Authority, was call'd Prafetlus Aumftalis.
PRE EMPTION, a Privilege antiently allow'd the King's Purveyor, of having the Choice, and firfi buying of Com, and other Provifions for the King's Houfc 5 but taken away by the Stat, ic}Car. z. See Pourveyor.
PREENING, in Natural Hiftory, the Action of Birds cleaning, compofing, and drefiing their Feathers, to enabla 'em to glide more eaiily thro' the Air. See Feather.
For their ufe herein, Nature has given 'em an admirable piece of Furniture j viz. two peculiar Glands which fecrete an unctuous Matter into an Oil-bag, perforated j out of which the Bird, on occafion, draws it with its Bill. See Oi-L-bag.
PREGNANCY, the State of a Woman when ihe has conceiv'd, or is with Child. See Conception.
The fame State with a View to the bearing of the Child in the Womb, is call'd Gejlation. See Gestation.
Hence alfo the Act of Impregnating. See Genera- tion, Flower, Seed, &c.
PREJUDICE, Prejudicitim, a falfe Notion, or Opi- nion of any thing, conceiv'd without a due previous Exa- mination thereof. See Falshood, Opinion, &c.
Prejudice, q. d. Pre-judgment, does not import a Judg- ment merely as prior to another in refpe&of Time, but a 5
being
