e, when our
Saviour made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

PANTHEISM. From two Greek words meaning "all" and "God." It is a
subtle kind of Atheism, which makes God and the universe the same,
and so denies the existence and sovereignty of any God over the
universe. What may be called Natural Religion partakes largely of
Pantheism.

PAPISTS. Roman Catholics. The term is derived from Papa, a title
restricted in the West to the Pope. In the Greek Church it is the
title of all parish priests.

PARABLE. In the New Testament a figurative discourse, or a story
with a typical meaning. In the Old Testament it sometimes signifies
a mere discourse, as Job's parable, Job xxvi-xxxi. inclusive. The
Parable, in the New Testament sense, was and is a common mode of
expression in the East.

PARISH. "That circuit of ground which is committed to the charge
of one parson or vicar, or other minister." Some think England
was divided into parishes by Archbishop Honorius, about the year
630. There are instances of Parish Churches in England as early as
the year 700. The cause of the great difference in the extent of
different parishes is explained by the fact that churches were most
of them built by lords of the manor for their tenants, and so the
parish was the size of the lord's manor. In 1520 the number of
Parish Churches was between 9,500 and 10,000. There are now about
13,500 Benefices; and many more District and Mission Churches, and
Chapels of Ease.

PARSON. The Rector or Incumbent of a Parish, when the income of the
living is derived from land. It represents two Latin words,
'Persona Ecclesiae,' the ecclesiastical _person_ of a place.

PASSING BELL. A bell tolled now _after_ the death of a person. The
67th canon orders "When any one _is passing_ out of this life, a
bell shall be tolled, and their minister shall not then be slack
to do his last duty." Thus the beautiful idea of calling for the
prayers of the Church, by the tolling of a bell, for the dying
person is altogether lost sight of by our modern custom.

PASSION WEEK, _see_ Holy Week.

PASTOR. Literally, a _shepherd_: hence one who shepherds souls.

PASTORAL STAFF. A Staff shaped like a crook, which a Bishop shall
either bear "in his hand" or else have "borne or holden by his
chaplain." This is the direction of a rubric in the Prayer Book of
1549, and which is still the law of the Church according to the
present Ornaments Rubric.

PATEN, _see_ Altar Vessels.

P