RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Piligrim Pirkheimer
and in those on the history of Israel (see under Ahab; and Israel, History of). Consult further the articles in the Bible dictionaries, e.g., EB, iii. 3775-78; JE, x. 39.
PILOT, WILLIAM: Anglican; b. at Bristol, England, Dec. 30, 1841. He was educated at St. Boniface's College, Westminster, and St. Augustine's College, Canterbury, and was ordered deacon in 1867 and advanced to the priesthood in 1868. From 1867 to 1875 he was vice-principal of Queen's College, St. John's, Newfoundland, as well as incumbent of Quidi Vidi, Newfoundland, and in 1883-84 was principal of Queen's College. Since 1875 he has been superintendent of education in Newfoundland and in 1905 was also appointed commissary to the bishop of Newfoundland. He is a canon of the Anglican cathedral at St. John's. In theology he is an "Anglican of the old type," and has written essays on nomenclature and folk-lore of Newfoundland, also the geography of Newfoundland, and sketches of early church history of Newfoundland.
PINYTUS: Bishop of Cnossus, Crete, in the second century, according to Eusebius (Hist, eccl., iv. 21, 23, Eng. transl., NPNF, 2 ser., i. 197-198, 200- 202), and contemporary of Dionysius of Corinth (q.v.). Eusebius gives some extracts from the correspondence of the two. Dionysius, it appears, wrote to the bishop of Cnossus asking him not to impose too strict a yoke of chastity upon his brethren. But Pinytus was unmoved by this counsel and replied that Dionysius might impart stronger doctrine and feed his congregation with a more perfect epistle inasmuch as Christians could not always subsist on milk or tarry in childhood. It may be that Pinytus was influenced by Montanistic views; however, Eusebius vouches for his orthodoxy and his care for the welfare of those placed under him.
(A. Hauck.)
Bibliography: The references are collected in Harnack, Litteratur, i. 237. See the literature under Dionysius of Corinth.
PIONIUS: Christian martyr of the middle of the third century. Eusebius (Hist, eccl., IV., xv. 47; Eng. transl., NPNF, 2 series, i. 192) refers to his own lost " Collection of the Ancient Martyrdoms " as containing accounts of martyrdoms in the time of Polycarp. Among the martyrs referred to was a certain Pionius, of whom an account was given in Eusebius' source and used by him, which included a report of his confessions, his courageous defense of the Christian faith before people and authorities, his friendly reception of the fugitives from persecution, and his encouraging address to the brethren who visited him in prison, as well as his endurance of sufferings, nailings, and burning. In spite of some uncertainties in particulars, the genuineness of the account seems evident and presents a good picture of events during the Decian persecution (see Decius, Caius Messitjs Quintus Trajanus). The " Acts " from which Eusebius draws points distinctly (ii. 1, ix. 4, 23) to the persecution of the year 250 under the consuls Decius and Gratus; the reference to the time of Marcus Aurelius by Eusebius is explained by the connection with the " Acts of Polycarp." Pionius was seized at the anniversary of the martyrdom of Polycarp, Feb. 23, which day also was a Sabbath in 250, and he was
burned with a certain Metrodorus on Mar. 12. The Pionius of this article must be distinguished from Pionius, author of Vita Poly carpi (350-400).
Bibliography: Sources are: T. Ruinart, Acta Martyrum, pp. 185-198, Regensburg, 1859; ASB, Feb., i. 37^6; F. Miklosich, Monumenta linguw palceoslovenicce, pp. 94 sqq., Vienna, 1851; O. von Gebhardt, in Archiv fur slaviscke Philologie, xviii (1896), 156 sqq., in Ausgewahlte Martyrakten, pp. 59 sqq., Tubingen, 1901, and in Acta martyrum selecta, pp. 59 sqq., Berlin, 1902. Consult further: Kruger, History, pp. 385-386; B. Aube", L'Eglise et Vetat dans la seconde moitie du 3. siecle, pp. 140 sqq., Paris, 1885; J. B. Lightfoot, Apostolic Fathers, i. 622-626, 695-702, London, 1889; T. Zahn, in Forschungen zur Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Kanons, iv. 271 A 4, Leipsic, 1891; J. A. F. Gregg, The Decian Persecution, pp. 242 sqq., ib. 1897; Bardenhewer, Geschichte, ii. 631-632; DCB, iv. 397, 428; Ceillier, Auteurs sacres, ii. 113-114.
PIPER, KARL WILHELM FERDINAND: German church historian; b. at Stralsund (120 m. n.w. of Berlin) May 7, 1811; d. at Berlin Nov. 28, 1889. He studied theology at the universities of Berlin and Gottingen, 1829-33; was tutor in theology at the latter institution, 1833-40; privat-docent in church history at the University of Berlin, 1842; and associate professor after 1842. As church historian he belonged to the school of Neander. His earlier literary activity dealt with chronology and resulted in the publication of the " Evangelical Calendar " (1850-70), in which he substituted for the names of saints, those of Christian worthies, and furnished annually biographical sketches. His principal pursuit became the investigation of Christian monuments of art, as a source for church history. The first important product appeared as the first part of the projected work, Mythologie und Symbolik der Christlichen Kunst (2 vols., Weimar, 1847-51) setting forth the influence of pagan mythology upon Christianity. The intended second part was never prepared. His next great work was Einleitung in die monumentale Theologie (Gotha, 1867). Other works are: Ueber den christlichen Bilderkreis (Berlin, 1852); and Die Kalendarien und Martyrologien der Angelsachsen (1862). Piper does not treat art for art's sake; form and style are almost ignored. He always seeks to present the content for his specific purpose. He was the founder of the Christian museum at the University of Berlin and its director from 1849 till his death. (A. Hauck.)
PIPPIN, DONATION OF. See Papal States.
PIRKE ABOTH, pir-ke' a'bot (" Sayings of the Fathers ") : The ninth tractate of the fourth order (" Damages ") of the Mishna. An especially valuable translation, with excellent notes, is found in C. Taylor's Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, 2d ed., Cambridge, 1899. See Talmud.
PIRKHEIMER, pirk-haim'er, CHARITAS: Sister of Wilibald Pirkheimer (q.v.) and abbess of the nunnery of St. Clara at Nuremberg; b. at Eichstatt (42 m. w.s.w. of Regensburg) Mar. 21, 1466; d. at Nuremberg Aug. 19, 1532. At the age of twelve she entered the nunnery of which she became abbess in 1503. In the same year she induced her sister Clara, who succeeded her in the headship of the cloister in 1532, to enter as a sister and to undertake the work of secretary and assistant. She was especially faithful in the mainte-
Pirkheimer Pisgah