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3 Tis an Offence againft this kind of Trobability to pro- duce an Incident all at once, and without any preparation, which yet needed one. Virgilis wonderfully exa& in this Point : Juno preparesthe Tempeft rais'd in the firft Book ; Venu% in the fame Book prepares the Amours of the fourth. The Death o{2)ido in the end of the fourth is prepared on the firft day of Marriage ; Hslenus in the third difpofes the whole Matter of the fixth j and in the fixth, the Sybil predicts all the Wars that follow.
PROBABLE Opinion^ a Term long time controverted among the Romtjh Cafuilts.
It is ufually defined an Opinion founded on a grave Mo- tive, or an apparently good Foundation 5 and which has Au- thority enough on its fide to perfuade a wife, difinterefted perfon. See Probability.
Others define a probable Opinion to be that, which, being compared to the contrary Opinion, becomes Problematic, by a perfect Equality of the Reafonson each fide 5 fo that there is nothing in Reafon or Nature to determine a Man to this rather than that.
But the Jefuits go flill farther, and maintain, that to render an Opinion probable, it fuffices that it be either built on a Reafon of fome Confequence, or on the Autho- rity of fome one grave Doctor. With thefe Qualifications it is allowable to follow it, even tho it be \&U probable and lefs fure than the contrary Opinion. Here it is the Venom of Probability lies.
The Docinne of probable Opinions is attack'd with infi- nite Addrefs by M. Pafcbal in the ^Provincial Letters.
One of the twenty-four Patriarchs of the Jefuits, Caftro 'Palaio, afTerts, that a Judge, in a Queftion of Right, may give Sentence according to a probable Opinion, againft a more probable one ; and this, contrary to the Judgment and Perfuafion of his own Mind ; imo contra propriam Opinio- ffltn. Efcobar, Tr. 6. ex. 6. n. 45.
So Vafquez, maintains, that it is lawful to follow the lefs probable and lefs fecure Opinion, difcarding the more pro- bable and more fecure one.
Zeffius and Efcobar treating of the Queflion, Whether a Man may kill another for giving him a Box on the Ear 5 decide it to be ^.probable Opinion, and fpeculatively true 3 tho' there may be fame inconveniencies in the practice, for which it would be as well to let it alone. In praxi ttitam £5? probabilem, yudicarunt — fed non facile admittendam. Let. Provinciates, p. 307, 308.
PROBATE, of a JVill or Tejlament, in Law, is the ex- hibiting and proving a Will and Teftament, beforethe Ec- clefiaftical Judges delegated by the Bifhop who is Ordi- nary of the Place where the Party dies. See Will and Testament.
The Ordinary is known by the Quantity of Goods the Deccafed hath oui of the Diocefe wherein he departed 3 for if" all his Goods be in the fame Diocefe, then the Bifhop of the Diocefit, or the Archdeacon, according as their Compofition leads, has the Probate of the Teftament. If the Goods bedifperfed in feveral Diocefes, fo that there be any Sum of N;;te, as five Pounds, out of the Diocefe where the Party liv'd ; then is the Archbifhop of Canterbury the Ordinarv by 'Prerogative. See Prerogative.
This Probate may be made two ways 5 either in com- mon Form, 01 per defies.
The Proof in common Form is only by the Oath of the Executor, or Party exhibiting the Will, who fwears upon his Belief, that the Will exhibited by him, is the laft Will and Teftament of the Deceafed. See Executor.
The Proof per \tefies, by Witneffes, is, when over and be- fides his own Oath, he alfo produceth Witnefles, or makes other Proof to confirm the fame 3 and that in thePrefenceof fuch as may pretend fome Intereft in the Goods of the De- ceafed ; or at leaft in their Abfence, after they have been law- fully fummoned to fee fuch a Will proved, if they think fir.
The latter Courfe is commonly taken when there is fear of Strife or Difputc about the Deceafed's Good s : For fome hold, that a Will proved in common Form only, may be call'd in queftion any time within thirty Years after.
Where a Will difpofeth of Lands, and Tenements of Freehold, it is now frequently proved by Witneflfes in Chancery.
PROBATION, in a Monaftic Senfe, a Time of Trial 3 or the Tear of Noviciate, which a Religious muft pafs in a Convent to prove his Virtue, and Vocation, and whether he can bear the Severities of the Rule. See Noviciate.
The "Year of Probation commences from the Day of No- vices taking the Habit.
Probation, in the Universities, is the Examination and Trial of a Student who is about to take his Degrees. See Degree.
PROBATIONER, in the Presbyterian Difcipline, a Per- fon licenfed by a Presbytery to preach 3 which is ufually done a Year before he be ordain'd. See Presbytery.
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A Student in Divinity is not admitted 'Probationer till after feveral Trials : The firft, private, before a Presby- tery ; the fecond public, before a Congregation ; the Prcf- bytery being prefent.
The private Trials are a Homily and Exegefis ; i.e. a Theological Sublet- is given into the Presbytery in Thefts, and the Candidate anfwers any Objeaions ttarted againft it The public Trials are a popular Sermon, and an'Exer- ciie and Addition ; i.e. a Text is handled, half an Hour Logically and Critically ; and half an Hour more Pracii- cally. '
If he acquit himfelf to the Satisftcf ion of the Presby- tery, he figns the Confeffion of Faith, owns the Presbyte- rian Government, &c. Upon which he receives a Licence to preach.
PROB ATOR, in Law, an Accufer, or one who undertakes to prove a Crime charged upon another ; properly an Ac- complice in theCtime.
PKOBATL'M EST, q. d. it is approved ; a Term fre- quently fubjoin'd 10 a Receipt, for the Cure of fome Difeafe. See Recipe.
PROBE, a Surgeon's Inftrumenr, to found and examine the Circumllances of Wounds, Ulcers, and other Cavities. SeeSpEcuLUM.
PROBLEM, Problem a, in Logic, a doubtful Queflion ; or a Propofition that neither appears abfolutely true, nor falfe, but which is probable on both fides, and may be afferted either in the Negative or Affirmative, with equal Evidence.
Thus, that the Moon and the Planets are inhabited by Animals in fome refpefl like us, is a Problem : That the fixed Stars are all Suns, and each the Centre of a feveral Syflem of Planets and Comets, is a Problem. Sec Pla- net, Star, ££c
The Word is originally Greek, irp./3A»f*<t, fignifying tho fame thing.
Problem is alfo a Propofition expreffing fome natural Effect, propofed in order to a difcovery of its apparent Caufe. Such are the Problems of Ariftotle-
A Logical or Dialeflical 'Problem, fay the Schoolmen conflfts of two Parts; a Subject, or Subjeft Matter about which the Doubt is raifed ; and a Predicate or Attribute, which is the thing doubted whether it be true of the Subject or not. See Subject and Predicate.
Therearefour Topical Predicates, viz. Genus, Eefinitio, Proprinm, and Accidens; whence arifefour dift'erent kinds of dialectical Problems.
The firft, when the thing attributed to the Subject is in the relation of a Genus : As, whether Fire be an Element or not. See Genus.
The fecond, when the thing attributed has the Effect of a Definition : As, when it is ask'd, Whether or no Rhetoric be the Art of Speaking ? See Definition.
The third, when the Attribute imports a Propriety: As, Whether it belong to Jullice to give every one their Due ? See Proper.
The laft is when the thing attributed is adventitious : As Whether Juftice is to be defired ? See Accident.
Problems, again, may be divided into thofe relating to things to be done, or avoided, call'd Ethical; thofe rela- ting to the Knowledge of Nature, call'd Fhyfical ; thofe relating to Spirits, call'd Mctafhyjical Problems, ike.
Problem, in Geometry, a Propofition wherein fome Operation, or Conftruction is required ; as, to divide a Line to conftruft an Angle, to draw a Circle thro' three Points' not in a right Line, iSc. See Proposition.
Meffieurs of the Port-Royal define a Geometrical Pro- blem, a Propofition given to be demonftratcd, wherein fomething is required to be done ; and what is done, to be proved to be the thing required.
A Problem, according to Wolfius, confifts of three Parts. The Propofition, which exprcflcs what is to be done. See Proposi tion.
The Refolution, or Solution, wherein the feveral Steps whereby the thing required is to be effected, are orderly rehearfed. See Resolution.
The Demonftration, wherein is fhewn that by doing the feveral things prefcribed in the Refolution, the thing re- quired is obtain'd.
Accordingly, the general Tenor of all Problems is this : The thmgs prefcribed in the Refolution being done 5 the thing required, is done. See Demonstration.
Problem, in Algebra, is a Queflion, or Propofition which requires fome unknown Truth to be inveftigated, or difcovered 5 and the Truth of the Difcovery demon- ftrated.
In thisfenfe'tisa Problem to find a Theorem. See Theo- rem. See alfo Investigation.
Algebra is defined to be the Art of Refolving all Pro- blems that are refolvable. See Algebra.
Kellers
