An essay towards a real character, and a philosophical language by John Wilkins ...

ECCLESIASTICAL RELATION.

* 1.1UNder this Head of ECCLESIASTICAL RELATION (Clergy, Spiritual, Church,) are comprehended the several Notions and respects belonging to a Church-state. By Church is meant a Society of men as agreeing in the same kind of inward apprehensions of, and ex∣ternal demeanour towards, the Divine Nature: to which may be oppo∣sed the word TEMPORAL, Civil, Humane, Secular, Lay, Prophane.

Notions of this kind, may be distinguished into such as do denote

• KINDS OF RELIGION. I.
  • Persons; in regard of their
    • ECCLESIASTICAL CALLINGS. II.
    • STATES OF RELIGION. III.
  • Actions; belonging to
    • WORSHIP. IV.
    • DISCIPLINE. V.
• INSTITUTIONS. VI.

* 1.2I. That habit of reverence towards the Divine nature, whereby we are inabled and inclined to serve and worship him after such a manner as we conceive most acceptable to him, is called RELIGION, Piety, God∣liness. The Privation of which is styled ATHEISM, Irreligion, Impiety.

Men are distinguished by their kinds of Religion into such as

• Are wholly without any revelation of the true God and his Worship; but that knowledge which they have is either
  • Simple, from the dictates of mere Reason.
    1.
    • NATURAL RELIGION.
  • Mixed, and corrupted with the worship of false gods.
    2.
    • PAGANISM, Heathenism, Ethnic, Infidel, Gentil, Painim.
• Have revelations: or pretend to them; whether by
  • Moses, in which they rest.
    3.
    • JUDAISM, Iudaical, Iew.
  • Christ and his Apostles, added to Moses.
    4
    • CHRISTIANITY.
  • Mahomet, superadded to the rest.
    5.
    • MAHOMETISM, Turcism.

II. Those who apply themselves to the businesses of Religion as their particular Calling, may be stiled ECCLESIASTICAL PERSONS,* 1.3 Cler∣gy, Churchman, spiritual, Hierarchy.

To which may be opposed, TEMPORAL, Lay-ic, civil, secular, pro∣phane.

These may be distinguished into such as are

• Injoyned; being set apart to some peculiar function in the Church, and by way of office devoted to assist in the duties of Religion, whether such as were in use
  • Before the Law; being ‖ the chief Administrators of religious Services, as Masters of Families: or such others as then and since were extraor∣dinarily called and gifted to foretell future things.
    1.
    • PATRIARCH.
    • PROPHET-ical, divine, prophesie, foretell, presage, prognosticate, Prediction, Seer, Sibyl.
  • Vnder the Law; ‖ appointed for the principal works of divine Service: or such as were subordinate and assistant to them.
    2.
    • PRIEST.
    • LEVITE-ical.
  • Vnder the Gospel; being either
    • Temporary; ‖ who were first indued with the power of Miracles, of whom there were onely twelve: or such others as these took in for their help, to travel up and down for the spreading of Christianity.
      3.
      • APOSTLES-ical.
      • EVANGELISTS-ical, Gospel.
    • Permanent, and to be continued; whether
      • More principal; denoting the chief Ecclesiastical Officer ‖ of a Pro∣vince, with several Cities: or some particular City and the Terri∣tory adjoyning.
        4.
        • PRIMATE, Arch bishop, Metropolitan, Mufty, Patriarch, Pro∣vince.
        • BISHOP, Prelate, Ordinary, Episcopal-acy, Suffragan, Superin∣tendent, Pontificial, Diocess, See, Cathedral, Mitre, Crosyer, Hie∣rarchy.
      • Less principal; such as are ‖ the chief Officers of particular Parish-churches: or others subordinate and assistant to these.
        5.
        • PRESBYTER, Priest, Elder, Minister, Incumbent, Curate, Chaplain, Parson.
        • DEACON, Minister.
• Not injoyned; but voluntary, to be further distinguished, according to the
  • General name; denoting those that are under a vow of Poverty, Coe∣libate, and obedience to their Superiours, to whom may be adjoyn∣ed for affinity, such others as oblige themselves to certain offices with them.
    6.
    • REGULAR, Religious Person, order, rule.
    • PENITENTS, Confraternity, Convert.
  • Particular kinds; such as live either ‖ together in Society: or alone by themselves.
    7.
    • MONK, Frier-ry, Nunn-ery, Novice, Abbot, Abbess, Abby, Prior-ry, Ge∣neral, Provincial, Gardian, Monastic, Monastery, Minster, Cloister, Covent, Society, Cowle, Father.
    • HERMIT, Anchorite, Cell, Recluse.

* 1.4III. Persons considered according to their several STATES and Conditions in respect OF RELIGION, may be distinguished either by their

• Faith and Iudgments; whether ‖ true, or false, as to the essential points of Religion.
  1.
  • ORTHODOX, Believer.
  • HERETIC-al, Heresie, Miscreant.
• Charity to and communion with the body of those that agreee in the same Profession: or being the faulty cause of the breach of such Communion.
  2.
  • CATHOLIC, Communicant, Communion, Son of the Church.
  • SCHISMATIC, Schism-atical, Sect-ary, Recusant, Separate.
• Suffering upon the account of Religion; being either Great, but not unto Death.
  3.
  • CONFESSOR.
• Great unto Death. To which may be opposed the inflicter of suffer∣ings upon account of Religion.
  4.
  • MARTYR-dom.
  • PERSEQUUTOR:
• Eminent degrees of ‖ Religiousness: or Irreligiousness.
  5.
  • SAINT, Hero-ical, canonize.
  • SCANDAL-ous, profligate, Offence.
• Former state, in respect of the several terms from which and to which men are changed; either ‖ from bad to good: or from good to bad.
  6.
  • CONVERT, Proselyte, regenerate, reclaim, turn, come over.
  • APOSTATE, Back-slider, Renegado, Defection, revolt, draw back, turn, forsake, fall away, relapse, Fugitive, Tergiversation.

IV. That inward and outward reverence whereby we acknowledge the Esteem due to the Superiority and Excellency of another,* 1.5 together with the two extremes of this, viz. Redundant, when men give this to such things as they ought not for the Matter, or in such a degree as they ought not for the Measure; and Deficient, when men do either contemn or neg∣lect sacred things and duties, are styled

• WORSHIP, Adoration, Veneration, Devotion, devout, Liturgy, Divine service, Mattins, Vespers, Even-song.
  • SUPERSTITION, Bigot.
  • PROPHANENESS, Impiety, impious, ungodly.

The more special acts of Worship may be distinguished into such as are more

• Ordinary and constant; whereby we
  • Apply our selves to God; whether more
    • General; whereby we ‖ address to him for relief in all our wants and fears, upon the belief of his infinite Goodness and Power: or making solemn and religious promises to him.
      1.
      • PRAYER, Invocation, Collect, Orizon, Oratory, Ejaculation, call upon.
      • VOW, Votary, devoted.
    • ...

• ...
  • ...
    • Special; whereby we do either ‖
      • Acknowledge our own faults and deserts: or intreat his favour and help.
        2.
        • CONFESSION, acknowledge, Shreeve.
        • PETITION, supplicate, sue, beg, Litany, crave, request, Supply∣ant, Bedes-man, Boon.
      • Return our acknowledgements to him for the good things we enjoy; either ‖ more general: or by Singing.
        3.
        • THANKSGIVING, praise, magnifie, extol, Grace.
        • PSALM, Hymn, Anthem.
  • Instruct others publicly, or excite them to religious duties; either ‖ in a more continued solemn Discourse: or by the asking and answering of Questions in the plainest manner about the most necessary points of Religion.
    4.
    • PREACHING, Homily, Sermon, Postil, Pulpit.
    • CATECHISING, Catechism.
• Occasional; relating unto
  • Solemnities of ‖ joy: or sadness.
    5.
    • FESTIVITY, Festival, Holy-day, High-day, Sabbath, Iubilee, Wake, genial, good time.
    • FASTING, Humiliation, Ember-week, Lent, Vigil, Eve.
  • Ritual Offices observed amongst Christians; pertaining to
    • Entrance into the state of Wedlock: or dissolving of that state.
      6.
      • MARRIAGE, Wedd-ing, Matrimony, nuptial, Bride-groom, Hymen.
      • ...DIVORCE.
    • ...Return into the Congregation after Parturition.
      7.
      • CHURCHING.
    • ...Actual taking upon themselves the Obligation made by their Sponsors in Baptism.
      8.
      • CONFIRMATION.
    • Performing the Rites due to the Dead by putting their bodies ‖ into the ground: or under some Monument, to preserve the memorial of them.
      9.
      • BURYING, interr, Grave, Funeral, Obit, Obsequies, Herse, Se∣pulture, Church-yard, Charnel-house.
      • ENTOMBING, Tomb, Sepulchre, Monument, Epitaph.

* 1.6V. Actions relating to Ecclesiastical Authority or DISCIPLINE, do concern the due ordering of the circumstances of Ecclesiastical or Sa∣cred things to the best convenience. The Notions belonging to this Head, do refer either to the work of,

• ...Setting things aside to a peculiar use; according to the
  • More general Notion belonging to Things, and Times, and Places, as well as Persons; namely, the ‖ separating of them from common use: or abusing them as being but common.
    1.
    • CONSECRATION, sacred, sanctifie, hallow, devote, dedica••e, Holiness.
    • PROPHANATION, unhallowed, impious, common, Lustration.
  • More particular kind, appropriated to Persons.
    2.
    • ORDINATION, Consecration,
    • DEPRIVATION, depose.
• Regulating of abuses in Ecclesiastical matters; according to the more
  • ...General name.
    3.
    • CENSURE.
  • Particular kinds; consisting in a
    • ...Temporary privation of Church-priviledges.
      4.
      • SUSPENSION.
    • Permanent, being the highest Ecclesiastical punishment; by a ‖ cutting off from all Church-communion and privileges: or the re∣storing one so cut off.
      5.
      • EXCOMMUNICATION, Anathema, Curse, cut off, separate.
      • ...ABSOLVTION, loosing, discharge, assoile, purge, clear pardon, acquit.

* 1.7VI. By INSTITUTIONS or Ordinan••••s are properly meant such kinds of things or duties as we could not have known or been obliged unto without particular Revelation. These may be distinguished into

• Rules for our Instruction in Religion; which, according to the several manners of conveyance, were either ‖ written: or unwritten.
  1.
  • SCRIPTURE, Bible, Word of God, Holy Writ, Text, Testa∣ment.
  • TRADITION, Delivery, Cabala.
• Services to be done; according to the more
  • General name; consisting in our offering or giving things unto God.
    2.
    • OBLATION, Offering, Offertory.
  • Particular kind, proper to the times under the Law; which required the offering of such things by Fire as were either ‖ for Food: or for Perfume.
    3.
    • SACRIFICE, Victim, Holocaust, Host, Oblation, Hecatombe.
    • INCENSE, Censor.
• Certain external signs and means for the signifying and conveying of in∣ternal spiritual Grace; according to the more
  • ...General name.
    4.
    • SACRAMENT-al.
  • ...Particular kinds.
    • Vnder the Law; for the ‖ initiating: or confirming men in that Re∣ligion.
      5.
      • CIRCUMCISION, Cutting off the fore-skin.
      • PASSOVER. Paschal, Easter.
    • Vnder the Gospel; whether for ‖ initiating: or confirming.
      6.
      • BAPTISM, Christen, Font, Paedobaptism
      • EUCHARIST, Communion, the Lord's Supper, The Sacrament, Host, Mass, Missal.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. V.
• * 1.2

  I. RELI∣GION.
• * 1.3

  II. ECCLE∣SIASTICAL PERSONS.
• * 1.4

  III. STATES OF RELIGI∣ON.
• * 1.5

  IV. WOR∣SHIP.
• * 1.6

  V. DISCI∣PLINE.
• * 1.7

  VI. INSTI∣TUTIONS.