PRO 
believe the scripture to be God’s word ; to 
endeavour to find the true sense of it, and 
to live according to it.” 
Such are the genuine principles of Pro- 
tptantisni ; such the spirit by which all 
Christians ought to be actuated. Tliose 
men, who, calling themselves Protestants, 
are of a contrary spirit (and it is a lament- 
able fact that their number is daily in- 
creasing) are a disgrace to their profession, 
and bring dishonour on the common cause 
of Christianity. Their devotion is enthu- 
siasm, and their zeal madness ; while their 
increasing number portends one of the 
greatest of all public calamities ; threaten- 
ing to rekindle the latent embers of perse- 
cution ; — again to light up those fires which 
the united efforts of reason, philosophy, 
and the principles of rational religion 
have conspired to extinguish for ever. 
See Arminians, Pre.sbVterians, Puri- 
tatss. Reformation, and Roman Ca- 
tholics. 
PROTESTATION is a form in plead- 
ing, when one does not directly affirm or 
deny any thing that is alleged by anotlier, 
or which he himself alleges. 
PROTRACTOR is the name of an in- 
strument used for protracting or laying 
down on paper the angles of a field, or other 
figure. The protractor is a small semi cir- 
cle of brass, or other solid matter, the limb 
or circumference of which is nicely divided 
into one hundred and eighty degrees : it 
serves not only to draw angles on papei’, or 
any plane, but also to examine the extent 
of those already^ laid down. For this last 
purpose, let the small point in the centre of 
the protractor be placed above the angular 
point, and let the side coincide with one of 
the sides that contain the angle proposed ; 
then the number of degrees cut off by the 
other side, computing on the protractor, 
will show the quantity of the angle that was 
to be measured. See Mensuration. 
Protractors are now more usually made 
in the form of a parallelogram, and pro- 
perly graduated at the upper edge. See 
Mathematical Instruments. 
PROVIDENCE, the conduct and di- 
rection of the several parts of the universe, 
by a superior intelligent being. 
PROVINCE, in law, means the circuit 
of an Archbishop’s jurisdiction, wliicli is 
subdivided into bishoprics. The ecclesias- 
tical division of this kingdom is into two 
provinces ; viz. Canterbury and York. Pro- 
vincial constitutions, in this kingdom, were 
PRU 
decrees made in the provincial synods, held 
under divers Archbishops of Canterbury. 
PROVISO, in law, is a condition insert- 
ed in a deed, upon the observance of which 
the validity of the deed depends. 
PROVOST marshal, an officer of the 
King’s navy, who- has charge of the King’s 
prisoners taken at sea. 
PROYOST, or.PREVOT, in the King’s 
stables ; his office is to attend at court, and 
hold the King’s stirrup, when he mounts 
his horse, &c. Tliere are four provosts of 
this kind, each of whom attends in his turn 
■ monthly. 
PROW, in navigation, denotes the head 
or fore-part of a ship, particularly in a gal- 
ley, being that which is opposite to the 
poop or stern. In the middle of the prow 
is the beak tliat cuts the water, on the top 
of which is comrhonly some figure or hiero- 
glyphic. The prow is lower than the poop, 
and contains fewer decks. , 
PRUNELLA, in botany, self-heal, a ge- 
nus of the Didynamia Gyranospermia class 
and order. Natural order of Verticillat®, 
or Labiat®. Essential character : filaments 
forked, with an anther on one of the forks ; 
stigma bifid. There are three species. 
Prunella, sai,in pharmacy ,apreparation 
of purified saltpetre, called also crystal mi- 
tieral, made in this manner ; having melted 
any quantity of saltpetre, cast a little flow- 
ers of sulphur upon it, and when that is 
burnt throw on more ; and continue to do 
so till the nitre flow as clear as rock-water. 
Then with a clean iron or brass ladle take 
it out, and, putting it into moulds till coa- 
gulated, preserve it for use. 
PRUNING, in gardening and agricul- 
tiire, is the lopping off the superfluous 
branches of trees, in order to make them 
bear better fruit, grow higher, or appear 
more regular. Pruning, though an opera- 
tion of very general use, is nevertheless 
rightly understood by lew ; nor can it be 
learned by rote, or, indeed, wholly by 
books, but requires a strict observation of 
the different manneis of growth of the seve- 
ral sorts of fruit-trees ; the proper method 
of doing which cannot be known, without 
carefully observing how each kind is natu- 
rally disposed to produce its fruit ; for some 
do this on the same year’s wood, as vines ; 
others, for the most part, upon the former 
year’s wood, as peaches, nectarines, &c. 
and others, upon spurs which are produced 
upon wood of three, four, &c. to fifteen or 
twenty years old, as pears, plumbs, cher- 
• 
N 
