Pratt, Almon Bradley, a Congregational min- ister, was born in North Cornwall, Conn., June 3, 1812, received his preparatory training at South Cornwall, Conn., and then entered Yale College. He was not. however, able to complete his collegiate studies, as his health failed him. From 1839 to 1841 he was at the
Union Theological Seminary in New York City. April 13, 1852, he was ordained as evangelist at Genesee, Mich., and acted in that place as pastor until 1865, when he removed to Flint, Mich. In 1868 he was called again to the work, and accepted the pastorate at Berea, Ohio. In 1873 he was made acting pastor at Camp Creek, Ne- braska, and there he died, Dec. 28, 1875. See The Con- grey. Quar. July, 1876, p. 432.
Pratt, Enoch, a Congregational minister of some note, was born at Middleborough, Mass., in 1781, and was educated at Brown University, where he graduated in 1803. He taught for a while and studied theology, ami was finally ordained to the work of the holy minis- try Oct. 28, 1807, as pastor of the Congregational Church at West Barnstable, Mass., and held this position until L837. He never took another pastorate, but preached and wrote occasionally. He devoted himself principally to secular historical studies, especially local subjects, and published in 1844 a Comprehensive History, Eccle- siastical and Civil, of Eastham, Wellfleet, and Orleans, Massachusetts (Yarmouth, 8vo). He died at Brewster Feb. 2, 1860.
Pratt, James C, an Irish Wesleyan minister of some note, was born in Queens County, Ireland, in 1780. His parents were respectable members of the Church of England. In his twenty-first year he was converted. and joined the Wesleyans. He was licensed to preach in 1804, and four years later was accepted by the Con- ference as a travelling preacher and appointed to the Ballinamallard Circuit, in 1809 to Lisburn, in 1810 to Carrickfergus, and in 1811 to the city of Armagh, etc. He continued to travel regularly as a preacher, with (izeal, acceptance, and usefulness," until 1842, when he took a supernumerary relation and settled in Enuiskil- len, where he had been twice before stationed. In 1846 he removed to Wexford; but as several of his children had settled in New York, he decided to come to this country, and obtained full permission from his Confer- ence, held in Dublin in 1848, to emigrate. He came here in the fall of that year, and for nearly twenty-two years resided in different places in this country, adorn- ing by his holy life the religion of his Saviour that be loved so well to preach. He died at Jersey City March 11,1875.
Pratt, Job, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was born about 1790, and was admitted in 1814 a member of the New England Annual Conference. At the organization of the Maine Conference he joined that body, and remained a member of it till his death, which occurred at Kumford Feb. 22, 1833. Mr. Pratt was a generallv acceptable preacher. — Minutes "/Conferences, ii, 216. "
Pratt, John Bennett, LL.D.. a Scottish Episco- pal clergyman, antiquarian, and author, was born in the parish of New Deer in 1791. He took the degree of M.A. at Aberdeen, and, after his ordination as deacon in 1821, was sent to Stuartfield, where he served with acceptance four years, and was then chosen as pastor of St. James's Church, Cruden. There he became widely known for his theological learning, literary accomplish- ments, and professional zeal, and received from bishop Skinner the appointment of examining chaplain. He died at Cruden, Aberdeenshire, March 20, 1869. He was the author of several volumes, among which are, Old Paths— Where is the Good Way? (Oxford, 1840) :— Buchan,\x\i\\ illustrations (Aberdeen, 1858) :— T/u Jim- ids (Loud. 1861) : — Letters • >„ the Scandinavian Churches, their Doctrine, Worship, and Polity: — and several Ser- mons.
Praxeans is the name of a sect of Monarchians, so called after Praxeas, the originator of their views. The heretical tenet that there is no distinction of persons in the Godhead, coupled with the acknowledgment of a divine nature in Jesus, leads logically to the conclusion that the Father was incarnate and suffered. Hence,
PRAXEANS
472
PRAXEANS
although be himself shrank from the inference, Praxeas i- reckoned with the Patripassians. He did not form a Bchiamatical party. Philaster Btates that the Sabellians, called also Patripassians and Praxeans, were cast out of the Church (Har. c. liv), bat we cannot in fir from this that Praxeaa himself was excommunicated.
Our knowledge of Praxeaa is derived almost entirely from Tertullian's treatise against him. Augustine, as Philaster, names him and his followers under the heresy of Sabellius; and, excepting from Tertullian, we have onlj the bare mention of his name as a hen tic. From Tertullian ii appears that he went to Rome from Asia, and the words of Tertullian, "oeconomiara intelli- gere nolunt etiam Graeci," appear t<> contain reference to his nation. It is probable that he learned his heresj from a school in Proconsular Asia which produced No- cius (q. v.). Ii Praxeaa held his heresy while in Asia. he can scarcely have been, as he is "Urn Baid to have been, a Montanist, There was a connection between the later Montanists and the Sabellians; but the earlier Montanista were free from Sabellianism. Tertullian's words imply no more than that Praxeas had in Asia acquainted with the character of Montanist pretensions and doctrine. Sec Montanism. In Asia