or Bill of Exclusion,** a bill proposed about the close of the reign of King Charles II., for excluding the duke of York, the king's brother, from the throne, on account of his being a Papist.

**EXCLUSIVE,** is sometimes used adjectively, thus; *A patent carries with it an exclusive privilege.* Sometimes adverbially: as, *He sent him all the numbers from No 145 to No 247 exclusive;* that is, all between these two numbers, which themselves were excepted.

**EXCOECARIA,** a genus of plants belonging to the dioecia clas, and in the natural method ranking under the 38th order, Tricocceae. See Botany Index.

**EXCOMMUNICATION,** an ecclesiastical penalty or censure, whereby such persons as are guilty of any notorious crime or offence, are separated from the communion of the church, and deprived of all spiritual advantages.

Excommunication is founded on a natural right which all societies have, of excluding out of their body such as violate the laws thereof; and it was originally instituted for preserving the purity of the church; but ambitious ecclesiastics converted it by degrees into an engine for promoting their own power, and inflicted it on the most frivolous occasions.

The power of excommunication, as well as other acts of ecclesiastical discipline, was lodged in the hands of the clergy, who distinguished it into the greater and lesser. The lesser excommunication, simply called *aphorismos,* "separation or suspension," consisted in excluding men from the participation of the eucharist, and the prayers of the faithful. But they were not expelled the church; for they had the privilege of being present at the reading of the Scriptures, the sermons, and the prayers of the catechumens and penitents. This excommunication was inflicted for lesser crimes; such as neglecting to attend the service of the church, misbehaviour in it, and the like.

The greater excommunication, called *panteles aphorismos,* "total separation and anathema," consisted in an absolute and entire exclusion from the church and the participation of all its rites. When any person was thus excommunicated, notice of it was given by circular letters to the most eminent churches all over the world, that they might all confirm this act of discipline, by refusing to admit the delinquent to their communion. The consequences of this latter excommunication were very terrible. The excommunicated person was avoided in civil commerce and outward conversation. No one was to receive him into his house, nor eat at the same table with him; and when dead, he was denied the solemn rites of burial.

The Romish pontifical takes notice of three kinds of excommunication. 1. The minor, incurred by those who have any correspondence with an excommunicated person. 2. The major, which falls upon those who disobey the commands of the holy see, or refuse to submit to certain points of discipline; in consequence of which they are excluded from the church militant and triumphant, and delivered over to the devil and his angels. 3. Anathema, which is properly that pronounced by the pope against heretical princes and countries. In former ages, these papal fulminations were most terrible things; but at present, they are formidable to none but a few petty states of Italy.