GENTILE, in matters of religion, a Pagan, or
worshipper of false gods.
The origin of this word is deduced from the Jews,
who called all those who were not of their name גוים
gojim, i. e. gentes, which in the Greek translations of
the Old Testament is rendered γένος; in which sense it
frequently occurs in the New Testament; as in Matth.
vi. 32. "All these things the nations or Gentiles
seek." Whence the Latin church also used gentes in the
same sense as our Gentiles, especially in the New
Testament. But the word gentes soon got another sig-
nification, and no longer meant all such as were not
Jews; but those only who were neither Jews nor Chris-
tians, but followed the superstitions of the Greeks and
Romans, &c. In this sense it continued among the
Christian writers, till their manner of speech, together
with their religion, was publicly and by authority re-
ceived in the empire; when gentiles, from gentes, came
into use: and then both words had two significations,
viz. in treatises or laws concerning religion, they sig-
nified Pagans, neither Jews nor Christians; and in
civil affairs, they were used for all such as were not
Romans.