Part 2275

<hw>Con"gre*gate</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p.p.</tt> <er>Congregated</er>; <tt>p.pr. & vb.n.</tt> <er>Congregating</er>]</wordforms> <def>To collect into an assembly or assemblage; to assemble; to bring into one place, or into a united body; to gather together; to mass; to compact.</def>

<blockquote>Any multitude of Christian men <b>congregated</b> may be termed by the name of a church. <i>Hooker.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Cold <b>congregates</b> all bodies. <i>Coleridge.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>The great receptacle Of <b>congregated</b> waters he called Seas. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Congregate</h1> <Xpage=303>

<hw>Con"gre*gate</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <def>To come together; to assemble; to meet.</def>

<blockquote>Even there where merchants most do <b>congregate</b>. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Congregation</h1> <Xpage=303>

<hw>Con`gre*ga"tion</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>congregatio</ets>: <ets>cf</ets>. <ets>F</ets>. <ets>congr\'82gation</ets>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>The act of congregating, or bringing together, or of collecting into one aggregate or mass.</def>

<blockquote>The means of reduction in the fire is but by the <b>congregation</b> of homogeneal parts. <i>Bacon.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A collection or mass of separate things.</def>

<blockquote>A foul and pestilent <b>congregation</b> of vapors. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>An assembly of persons; a gathering; esp. an assembly of persons met for the worship of God, and for religious instruction; a body of people who habitually so meet.</def>

<blockquote>He [Bunyan] rode every year to London, and preached there to large and attentive <b>congregations</b>. <i>Macaulay.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>4.</b> <fld>(Anc. Jewish Hist.)</fld> <def>The whole body of the Jewish people; -- called also <altname>Congregation of the Lord</altname>.</def>

<blockquote>It is a sin offering for the <b>congregation</b>. <i>Lev. iv. 21.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>5.</b> <fld>(R. C. Ch.)</fld> <sd>(a)</sd> <def>A body of cardinals or other ecclesiastics to whom as intrusted some departament of the church business; <as>as, the <ex>Congregation of the Propaganda</ex>, which has charge of the missions of the Roman Catholic Church</as>.</def> <sd>(b)</sd> <def>A company of religious persons forming a subdivision of a monastic order.</def>

<p><b>6.</b> <def>The assemblage of Masters and Doctors at Oxford or Cambrige University, mainly for the granting of degrees.</def> <mark>[Eng.]</mark>

<p><b>7.</b> <fld>(Scotch Church Hist.)</fld> <def>the name assumed by the Protestant party under John Knox. The leaders called themselves (1557) <i>Lords of the Congregation</i>.</def>

<h1>Congregational</h1> <Xpage=303>

<hw>Con`gre*ga"tion*al</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Of or pertaining to a congregation; conducted, or participated in, by a congregation; <as>as, <ex>congregational</ex> singing</as>.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Belonging to the system of Congregationalism, or to Congregationalist; holding to the faith and polity of Congregationalism; <as>as, a <ex>Congregational</ex> church</as>.</def>

<h1>Congregationalism</h1> <Xpage=303>

<hw>Con`gre*ga"tion*al*ism</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>That system of church organization which vests all ecclesiastical power in the assembled brotherhood of each local church.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The faith and polity of the Congregational churches, taken collectively.</def>

<note>&hand; In this sense (which is its usual signification) <i>Congregationalism</i> is the system of faith and practice common to a large body of evangelical Trinitarian churches, which recognize the local brotherhood of each church as independent of all dictation in ecclesiastical matters, but are united in fellowship and joint action, as in councils for mutual advice, and in consociations, conferences, missionary organizations, etc., and to whose membership the designation "Congregationalists" is generally restricted; but Unitarian and other churches are Congregational in their polity.</note>

<h1>Congregationalist</h1> <Xpage=303>

<hw>Con`gre*ga"tion*al*ist</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>One who belongs to a Congregational church or society; one who holds to Congregationalism.</def>