ATRON. The person who has a right to present to a benefice.

PAUL (St.), THE CONVERSION OF, January 25. The festival of St.
Paul is not, as usual, of the day of his martyrdom, but of his
miraculous conversion, and it is upon this, rather than on his
wonderful character and work, that the services lay stress.

PECULIARS. Parishes exempt from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of
the Diocese in which they lie. They were for the most part abolished
in the reign of William IV.

PENANCE. In the law of England penance is an open ecclesiastical
punishment for sin. This discipline of the Church has fallen
into disuse, a fact deplored in the opening exhortation of the
Commination Service. Absolution after penance has been exalted
into a Sacrament in the Church of Rome.

PENITENTIAL PSALMS. Seven psalms, from their internal character,
are thus called, viz., 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143. These are
appointed to be read on Ash-Wednesday.

PENTECOST. A solemn festival of the Jews, so called because it is
celebrated _fifty days_ after the Passover. It corresponds to the
Christian Whitsuntide, which is sometimes called by the same name.

PERPETUAL CURATE. The incumbent of a church, chapel, or district,
within the boundaries of a rectory or vicarage. His position is
in every respect that of a Vicar.

PESSIMISM. A philosophy which acknowledges the evils that are in
the world, but instead of looking for a "new heaven and a new earth"
it looks for release in unconsciousness. It is the religion of
doubt, and hopelessness, and despair. It makes _the worst_ of
everything.

PETER'S (St.) DAY. June 29. This festival, originally a festival
of both St. Peter and St. Paul, on the traditional anniversary of
their common martyrdom, is of great antiquity, certainly known
from the 4th century, and kept both in the East and West on this
day. The institution of the festival of the Conversion of St. Paul
has now transferred the commemoration of that Apostle to another
day, January 25th.

PEWS. Enclosed seats in churches. They did not come into use until
the middle of the 17th century, and almost belong to the past now.
But long before pews there were appropriated seats. The first
mention of a "reading pew," or desk, in the body of the church,
for the minister, is in 1596: previous to that time his place
was in the chancel.

PHILIP (St.) AND St. JAMES'S DAY. May 1. There seems to be no
adequate reason for the coupling together of these two Apost