has different significations, according to the different subjects to which it is applied.

1. It is understood of the collective body of Christians, or all those over the face of the whole earth who profess to believe in Christ, and acknowledge him to be the Saviour of mankind. This is what the ancient writers call the catholic or universal church. Sometimes the word church is considered in a more extensive sense, and divided into several branches; as the church militant, is the assembly of the faithful on the earth; the church triumphant, that of the faithful already in glory; to which the Papists add the church patient; which, according to their doctrines, is that of the faithful in purgatory.

2. Church is applied to any particular congregation of Christians, who associate together and concur in the participation of all the institutions of Jesus Christ, with their proper pastors and ministers. Thus we read of the church of Antioch, the church of Alexandria, the church of Thessalonica, and the like.

3. Church denotes a particular sect of Christians distinguished by particular doctrines and ceremonies. In this sense, we speak of the Romish church, the Greek church, the Reformed church, the church of England, &c.

The Latin or Western church, comprehends all the churches of Italy, France, Spain, Africa, the north, and all other countries whither the Romans carried their language. Great Britain, part of the Netherlands of Germany, and of the North, have been separated from hence ever since the time of Henry VIII.; and constitute what we call the Reformed Church, and what the Romanists call the Western schism.

The Greek or Eastern church, comprehends the churches of all the countries anciently subject to the Greek or eastern empire, and through which their language was carried; that is, all the space extended from Greece to Mesopotamia and Persia, and thence into Egypt. This church has been divided from the Roman ever since the time of the emperor Phocas.

The Gallican church, denotes the church of France, under the government and direction of their respective bishops and pastors. This church has always enjoyed certain franchises and immunities; not as grants from popes, but as derived to her from her first original, and which she has taken care never to relinquish. These liberties depend upon two maxims; the first, that the pope has no authority or right to command or order anything, either in general or in particular, in which the temporalities and civil rights of the kingdom are concerned; the second, that notwithstanding the pope's supremacy is owned in cases purely spiritual, yet in France his power is limited and regular by the decrees and canons of ancient councils received in that realm.

4. The word church is used to signify the body of ecclesiastics, or the clergy, in contradistinction to the laity. See CLERGY.

5. Church is used for the place where a particular congregation or society of Christians assemble for the celebration of divine service. In this sense churches are variously denominated, according to their rank, degree, discipline, &c. as Metropolitan church, Patriarchal church, Cathedral church, Parochial church, Collegiate church, &c. See METROPOLIS, PATRIARCH, &c.

In ecclesiastical writers we meet with grand church, for the chief church of a place; particularly in the Greek liturgy, for the church of St Sophia at Constantinople, the see of the patriarch, founded by Constantine, Churches, flantine, and consecrated under Justinian. It was at that time so magnificent, that Justinian is said to have cried out in the consecration thereof, Ἐνεργείας εστι, Σολομων; I have outdone thee, Solomon. The dome, which is laid to have been the first that was built, is 332 feet diameter.

The first church publicly built by the Christians, some authors maintain to be that of St Saviour at Rome founded by Constantine; others contend, that several churches abroad, called by the name of St Peter Vetus, were built in honour of that apostle during his lifetime.

Church, with regard to architecture, Daviler defines a large oblong edifice, in form of a ship, with nave, choir, aisles, chapel, belfry, &c. See each part under its proper head.

Church, Simple, is that which has only a nave and a choir.

Church with Aisles, that which has a row of porticoes, in form of vaulted galleries, with chapels in its circumference.

Church in a Greek cross, that where the length of the traverse part is equal to that of the nave; so called because most of the Greek churches are built in this form.

Church in a Latin cross, that whose nave is longer than the cross part, as in most of the Gothic churches.

Church in Rotondo, that whose plan is a perfect circle, in imitation of the Pantheon.

For the form of the ancient Greek churches, when they had all their parts, it was as follows: first was a porch, or portico, called the vault-nave, πρόστημα; this was adorned with columns on the outside, and on the inside surrounded with a wall; in the middle whereof was a door, through which they passed into a second portico. The first of these porticoes was defined for the energumeni, and penitents in the first stage of their repentance; the second was much longer, defined for penitents of the second class, and the catechumens, and hence called σάββας, ferula, because those placed in it began to be subject to the discipline of the church. These two porticoes took up about one third of the space of the church. From the second portico they passed into the nave, ναός, which took up near another third of the church. In the middle, or at one side of the nave, was the ambo, where the deacons and priests read the gospel and preached. The nave was defined for the reception of the people, who here assisted at prayers.

Near the entrance of this was the baptistery or font. Beyond the nave was the choir, κυρία, set with seats, and round: the first seat on the right, next the sanctuary, being for the chantor, or choragus.

From the choir they ascended by steps to the sanctuary, which was entered at three doors. The sanctuary had three upfolds in its length; a great one in the middle, under which was the altar, crowned with a baldachin, supported by four columns. Under each of the small upfolds, was a kind of table or cupboard, in manner of a beaufet.

Though, of the Greek churches now remaining, few have all the parts above described, most of them having been reduced to ruins or converted into mosques.

High Church was a denomination originally given to those otherwise called Nonjurors, who refused to acknowledge the title of William III. to the crown of Great Britain, under a notion that James II. though excluded, was still their rightful sovereign. This appellation was given them, because they entertained high notions of the dignity and power of the church, and the extent of its prerogatives and jurisdiction. And those, on the contrary, were called low-church-men, who disapproved of the succession and obstinacy of the nonjurors, distinguishing themselves by their moderation towards dissenters, and were less ardent in extending the limits of church authority. The denomination of high-church-men is now more generally applied to all who form pompous and ambitious conceptions of the authority and jurisdiction of the church, and who would raise it to an absolute independence on all human power.

Church-Ale. See Whitsun-Ale.

Church Reeve, the same with Church-Wardens.

Church-Scoff, or Churchfeast, a payment or contribution, by the Latin writers frequently called primitiae fænum; being, at first, a certain measure of wheat, paid to the priest on St Martin's day, as the first fruits of harvest. This was enjoined by the laws of King Malcolm IV. and Canute, c. 10. But after this, Church foot came to signify a reserve of corn-rent paid to the secular priests, or to the religious; and sometimes was taken in so general a sense as to include poultry, or any other provision that was paid in kind to the religious. See Tithe.

Church-Wardens (ecclesiæ guardiani), in the English ecclesiastical polity, are the guardians or keepers of the church, and representatives of the body of the parish. They are sometimes appointed by the minister, sometimes by the parish, sometimes by both together, as custom directs. They are taken, in favour of the church, to be, for some purposes, a kind of corporation at the common law; that is, they are enabled, by that name, to have a property in goods and chattels, and to bring actions for them, for the use and profit of the parish. Yet they may not waste the church goods, but may be removed by the parish, and then called to account by actions at common law; but there is no method of calling them to account but by first removing them; for none can legally do it, but those who are put in their place. As to lands, or other real property, as the church, churchyard, &c. they have no sort of interest therein; but if any damage is done thereto, the parson only or vicar shall have the action. Their office also is to repair the church, and make rates and levies for that purpose: but these are recoverable only in the ecclesiastical courts. They are also joined with the overseers in the care and maintenance of the poor. They are to levy a thilling, forfeiture on all such as do not repair to church on Sundays and holidays; and are empowered to keep all persons orderly while there; to which end it has been held that a church-warden may justify the pulling off a man's hat, without being guilty of either an assault or a trespass. There are also a multitude of other petty parochial powers committed to their charge by divers acts of parliament.