(persona ecclesiae) one that hath full possession of all the rights of a parochial church. He is called parson (persona) because by his person the church, which is an invisible body, is represented, and he is in himself a body corporate, in order to protect and defend the rights of the church, which he personates. There are three ranks of clergymen below that of a dignitary, viz, parson, vicar, and curate. Parson is the first, meaning a rector, or he who receives the great tithes of a benefice. Clergymen may imply any person ordained to serve at the altar. Parsons are always priests, whereas clergymen are only deacons.
See CLERGY, CURATE.
Despite a stated reliance on the plain meaning of the Bible and the dictates of common sense, Buck's Theological Dictionary, first published in London in 1802, seeks to provide a textual basis for the evangelical community. By combining brief essays on orthodox belief and practice with historical entries on various denominations, Buck provided an interpretive lens that allowed antebellum Protestants to see Christianity's almost two millennia as their own history.Wikipedia
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