e synagogues every Sabbath day."
Hooker, in his fifth book, cleverly argues against the exaltation
of sermons as being _the_ means of grace to the detriment of other
parts of public worship, a custom prevalent in his time among the
Puritans, and now among most of the dissenting sects.

PREBENDARY. A clergyman attached to a Cathedral Church, who
anciently enjoyed a _prebend_, or stipend, arising from some
part of the Cathedral property, in return for his officiating at
stated times in the Cathedral. The appointment is now often
honorary. (See _Canon_.)

PRECENTOR. The leader of a choir. In almost all Cathedrals of old
foundation in England, and very generally on the Continent, the
precentor was the first dignitary in the chapter, ranking next
to the dean. He superintended the choral service and the choristers.
In all new foundations the precentor is a minor canon, holding a
rank totally different from, and inferior to that of his namesake
of the older foundation. (See Minor Canon.)

PREDESTINATION, _see_ Election. The 17th Article treats of
Predestination, but in such a way as to make it very difficult
to comprehend what it teaches with regard to this most controverted
subject. It seems designedly drawn up, in guarded and general
terms, on purpose to embrace all persons of tolerably moderate
views. (See _Arminianism_, _Calvinism_, _Antinomianism_.)

PRELATE. Generally a Bishop, but strictly an ecclesiastic having
jurisdiction over other ecclesiastics.

PRESBYTER. A Greek word signifying an _Elder_. In the Christian
Church a _presbyter_ or _elder_ is one who is ordained to a certain
office, and authorized by his _quality_, not his _age_, to discharge
the several duties of that office and station in which he is placed.
In this large and extended sense, Bishops were sometimes called
_presbyters_ in the New Testament, for the apostles themselves
did not refuse the title. Priests are in an ordinary sense the
presbyters of the Church, and in the Scotch Liturgy, compiled in
the reign of Charles I, the word _presbyter_ is substituted for
that of _priest_. (See _Orders_.)

PRESBYTERIANS. A Protestant sect which maintains that there is no
order in the Church superior to presbyters, and on that account
has separated from the Catholic Church. This sect is established
by law in Scotland, where there nevertheless exists a national
branch of the Catholic Church, under canonical Bishops. Of course
the establishment or disestabl