RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Pentecost Pepper
Brooklyn, where he remained until 1887 He was then engaged in evangelistic work in Scotland in 1887-88 and as a missionary to English-speaking Brahmans in India in 1889-91; was minister of Marylebone Church, London, until 1897; was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Yonkers, N. Y. (1897-1902); and since 1902 has resumed evangelistic services. He became a member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in 1884, and in 1902-04 was a special commissioner of that organization to the Philippines, China, Japan, and Korea. In theology he is a conservative Evangelical, and, besides his work as editor of Words and Weapons for Christian Workers, has written: The Angel in the Marble (Boston, 1876); In the Volume of the Book: or, The Profit and Pleasure of Bible Study (New York, 1876) ; A South Window: or, Keep Yourselves in the Love of God (1876); Bible Studies (10 vols., New York, 1880-89); Out of Egypt: Bible Readings on the Book of Exodus (London, 1884); Birth and Boyhood of Jesus (New York, 1896); Grace Abounding in the Forgiveness of Sins (1896); Systematic Beneficence (1897); Precious Truths (1898); The Coming of Age of America (Yonkers, N. Y., 1898); and Protestantism in the Philippines (Manila, 1903).
PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE:
A body formed in 1907-08 by the union of several organizations of churches holding to the doctrine of entire sanctification as a work of grace distinct from and subsequent to justification. Independent holiness churches in New England associated themselves together as early as 1890. Subsequently a similar association was formed in New York and these were united in 1897 under the name " Association of Pentecostal Churches of America." In 1895 a body called "The Church of the Nazarene " was organized in Los Angeles, Cal. This, with similar congregations, resulted in an association. In 1906, a delegation from the Eastern body attended a general assembly of the Church of the Nazarene in Los Angeles to propose the union of the two bodies. The general assembly, finding that the Church of the Nazarene and the Pentecostal Churches were " at one in doctrine, basis of church membership, general superintendency, basis of ownership of church property," and as to " Scriptural holiness," adopted resolutions in favor of the union of the two bodies. The merging was accomplished at Chicago, 111., in Oct., 1907, and a manual adopted. There was a further union, in Oct., 1908, at Pilot Point, Texas, with the Holiness Church of Christ, a Southern body composed of churches in various southwestern States, some of which were organized as early as 1888. At the time of union this organization had about 100 churches, the other having about 130.
The manual contains a statement of belief in eight items, assent to which is required as a basis of church membership: the Trinity, the divinely inspired Bible, the fall of man, the eternal loss of the finally impenitent, the atonement of Christ, the entire sanctification of believers by faith subsequently to justification, the witness of the Spirit to justification and sanctification, the return of the
Lord, and the resurrection and final judgment. General rules, similar to those formulated by John Wesley, are set forth for the conduct of members. A chapter on special advices declares against the use of spirituous and fermented drinks and tobacco and membership in secret societies.
The polity provides for a general assembly and district assemblies. The general assembly elects general superintendents to hold office in the interim. They are to preside over the general assembly and over the district assemblies, arrange the assembly districts, ordain elders, appoint evangelists, and have general charge of the work of the Church. Licensed preachers, after having served as pastors, may be elected to elder's orders by district assemblies. Church boards arrange with ministers directly for the pastoral relation.
The Church has foreign missions in India, Japan, Cape Verde Islands, and Mexico, and home missions in various parts of the United States. It has a collegiate institute at North Scituate, R. I., doing preparatory work and giving theological training, the Deets Pacific Bible College, at Los Angeles, Cal., for Bible training, and a Bible Institute and Training School, at Pilot Point, Tex. It recommends to the patronage of its people the Texas Holiness University, Peniel, Tex., and the Arkansas Holiness College, Vilonia, Ark. As official organs of the church the Nazarene Messenger, Los Angeles, Cal., the Beulah Christian, Providence, R. I., and the Holiness Evangel, Pilot Point, Tex., are recognized. There were reported at the close of 1908, 575 ministers, 230 churches, and 12,000 members.
H. K. Carroll.
PENTIN, HERBERT: Church of England; b. at London Jan. 31, 1873. He received his education at Weymouth College (B.A., 1898; M.A., 1901); was made deacon in 1896 and priest in 1897; was curate of Chilvers-Coton, Nuneaton, 1896-99, and of Stratford-on-Avon, 1899-1901; and has been vicar of Milton Abbey, Dorset, since 1901. He became fellow of the Royal Historical Society, 1895, and of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland, 1904, and is a member of the Royal Asiatic Society. He is the founder of the International Society for Promoting the Study of the Apocrypha, has been its warden since its inception (1905), and is interested in antiquarian matters, having lectured on the subject extensively. His theological position is that of a loyal but liberal-minded member of the Anglican Church, in full sympathy with reasonable but reverent, as opposed to rationalistic, criticism. He has edited or written: The First Book of the Acts (London, 1904); Deutero-Canonica (1905-06); Memorials of Old Dorset (1907); The Book of Judith (1908); Devotions from the Apocrypha (1909); Readings from the Apocrypha in Japanese (1910), and other works dealing with antiquarian subjects. He is general editor of Apocrypha in English Literature, and of the Apocrypha in English and Foreign Drama Series; and editor, since 1907, of the International Journal of Apocrypha.
PEPPER, GEORGE DANA BOARDMAN: Baptist; b. at Ware, Mass., Feb. 5, 1833. He was edu-
Persea Fercival