in the grossest ignorance, until the recent efforts for their elevation. As we have said above, the Parsee merchants of India sent a member of their denomination to Persia, witli the view of ameliorating the condition of their poor brethren residing in tliat kingdom. The emissary of his people bore the name Jlaiiokji Limdji Suhab. This worthy man, being a British subject, en- joyed in his mission all the privileges wliich that mother-country of liberty so bountifully confers. Ma- nokji visited the several settlements of the poor Gue- bres, and actjuainted himself with their wants and bur- dens. Backed by his constituents in India, he made himself responsible to the Persian government for the punctual discharge of the annual poll-tax that was to be levied on the Guebre subjects of the realm. By this measure he put himself in direct connection with all the communes of Persian Guebres, and, moreover, be- came the medium of their political complaints to gov- ernment. He thus liberated them at once from the endless troubles to which they had hitherto been sub- jected. He at the same time took care to establish schools for religious and secular instruction. We are informed that his success has been so complete in this undertaking as to induce Mohammedan fathers to send their children to the excellent Guebre school at Teheran.
Of works treating on the subject of this article, we mention principallv, Hyde, Veterum Rel. Pas. Ilisloria (Oxon. 17G0, 4to); Ousely, Travels in the East (Lond. 1819); Anquetil du Perron, Exposition des Usaf/es des Paises ; Haug, Essays on the Sacred Language, Writ- ings, and Relif/ion of the Parsees (Bombay, 18G2, 8vo), especially essay iv ; Rawlinson, Fice Great Monarchies, iii, 93-13G ; iv, 3"28-347 ; Bunsen, God in History, bk. iii, ch. vi, and Appendix, notes D, E ; Erjypt, iii, 474 sq. ; MUller, Chips from a German Workshop, i, 158 sq. ; also 79 sq., 115, 12(3 sq., 140 sq. ; Narroji, Manners and Customs of the Parsees (Liverpool, 1861); id. The Par- see Reliyion (ibid. 1861) ; Framjee, The Parsees (Lond. 1858) ; Hardwick, Christ and other Masters, ii, 361 sq. ; Clarke, Ten Great Relifions, ch. v; Theol. Rev. Jan. 1871, p. 96-110 ; Spiegel's art. " Parsismus," in Herzog's Real-Encyldopadie, xi, 115 sq. (J. H.AV.)
Parshan'datha [some Parshanda'tha'] (Hcb. NnyJiE; Parshundutha' , prob. Persian, given to Per- sia [comp. \lapc!(ijict)c, Diod. ii, 33] ; Sept. ^apaavvi- arav v. r. ^apaavvfi;), the first named of the ten sons of Haman slain by the Jews at Shushan (Esth, ix, 7). B.C. 473. Parsimony. See Covetousness. Parson in English ecclesiastical law means the incumbent of a benefice in a parish. He is called par- son (Lat. persona ecclesiw) because he represents the Church for several purposes. He must be a member of the Established Church of England, and duly ad- mitted to holy orders, presented, instituted, and induct- ed; and at least twenty-three years of age. Wlien he is inducted, and not before, he is said to be in full and complete possession of the incumbency, and is called in law persona impersonata, or " parson imparsonee." The theory is that the freehold of the parish church is vest- ed in him, i. e. he represents the church, and in the eye of the law sustains the person thereof, as well in suing as in being sued in any action touching the same. As the legal owner, the parson has various rights of con- trol over the chancel. He is also the owner of the churchyard, and as such is entitled to the grass. As owner of the body of the church, he has a right to the control of the church bells, and is entitled to prevent the churchwardens from ringing them against liis will. Tlie distinction between a parson and a vicar is, that the parson has generally the wliole right to the eccle- siastical dues in the parish, whereas the vicar has an appropriator over him, who is the real owner of the dues and tithes, and the vicar has only an inferior por- tion. The duty of the parson is to perform divine scr-
PARSONAGE
707
PARSONS
vice ill the parish church under the control of the bishop, to administer the sacraments to parishioners, to read the burial-service on request of the parishioners, and to mar- ry them in the parish church when they tender them- selves. He is bound to reside in the parish, and is sub- ject to penalties and forfeiture if he without cause ab- sent himself from the parish. He is subject to the Clergj' Discipline Act, in case of misconduct. One may cease to be a parson, by death, cession in taking another benefice, consecration, promotion to a bishop- ric, resignation, or, lasth', deprivation, either by sen- tence of the ecclesiastical court, or in pursuance of divers penal statutes, which declare the benefice void for some neglect or crime. See Walcott, <S'mc. A rchaoL s. v.; Hook, Church Diet. s. v.; Chambers, C^/cloj). s. v. See Parish.
Parsonage, a common term for the residence of a parson or minister in many churches.
Parsons, Charles Booth, D.D., a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was burn in 1799 near Louisville, Ky. In early life he was an actor, but hav- ing become convinced finally that he could not serve God as he should in that emploj-ment, he forsook the stage and all its associations in 1837, and joined the Church, to become a preacher of the good tidings, in 18-10, as a member of the Kentucky Conference. At the time of the separation of the Southern branch of Methodism, Parsons joined the Metliodist Episcopal Church, South, but at the outbreak of the war he went back to the mother Church, and gave his influence to the support of the Northern, or, rather. Union cause, and became also a most devoted friend of the freedmen, especially in the state of Kentucky, where he was then preaching. Parsons's early training as a dramatist al- ways attracted to him large audiences, and somewhat tinctured his style as a preacher. Those who had the pleasure of hearing him in his best daj's bear testimony to his ability, and the scores who have been converted under his ministry are the living witnesses of his suc- cess. His favorite pulpit themes were the cardinal doc- trines of the New Testament, as taught by his Church. He seemed to have a clear conception of these truths, and before large congregations he defended them with ability, and urged them with singular pai;hos and pow- er. He happily united the qualities of the able de- bater and the attractive orator. His propositions were clearly stated, and sustained by the conclusive reason- ing of the one, and sufficiently adorned by the embel- lishments of the other. His sermons were remarkable for the uniformity of their excellence. Nearly every effort was a success. " We shall never forget," writes one who is competent to criticise pulpit oratory, '■ his grim picture of ' that liardened wretch who stood at Calvary, clanking the spikes that were so soon to be driven through the hands and feet of the blessed Re- deemer.' " This is a good sample of the dramatic per- vading his discourses. Nor was he distinguished alone fur the ability and success of his pulpit ministrations, but also for his wisdom in council and his administra- tive capacity. In the meridian of life he was removed from the itinerant's extensive field to the invalid's lim- ited sphere— from the pulpit to the sick-room. In his affliction and death, which occurred near Portland, Ky., in 18t)(;, he exemplified the trutli of what lie had preach- ed in life. He was a good man, a kind friend, a popu- lar minister, and his name will long survive. He was the author of quite an interesting volume, entitled The Stage, and the Pulpit, now out of print. He served as one of the commissioners of the Church South to settle the claims of that Church with the Jlcthodist Episco- pal Church ; but, as is well known, that settlement failed to give satisfaction, and a final arrangement was not made until 187G. (J. H. W.)