CHURCH, n.

To perform with any one the office of returning thanks in the church, after any signal deliverance, as from the dangers of childbirth. – Johnson.

1. A house consecrated to the worship of God, among Christians; the Lord's house. This seems to be the original meaning of the word. The Greek εκκλησια, from εκκαλεω, to call out or call together, denotes an assembly or collection. But κυριακος, κυριακον, are from κυριος, Lord, a term applied by the early Christians to Jesus Christ; and the house in which they worshiped was named from that title. So κυριακα signifies church goods, bona ecclesiastica; κυριακη, sc. ἠμερα, the Lord's day, dies dominica.
2. The collective body of Christians, or of those who profess to believe in Christ, and acknowledge him to be the Savior of mankind. In this sense, the church is sometimes called, the Catholic or Universal Church. – Johnson. Encyc.
3. A particular number of Christians, united under one form of ecclesiastical government, in one creed, and using the same ritual and ceremonies; as, the English church; the Gallican church; the Presbyterian church; the Romish church; the Greek church.
4. The followers of Christ in a particular city or province; as, the church of Ephesus, or of Antioch.
5. The disciples of Christ assembled for worship in a particular place, as in a private house. Col. iv. [See No. 9.]
6. The worshipers of Jehovah, or the true God, before the advent of Christ; as, the Jewish church.
7. The body of clergy, or ecclesiastics, in distinction from the laity. Hence, ecclesiastical authority. – Encyc.
8. An assembly of sacred rulers convened in Christ's name to execute his laws. – Cruden. Brown.
9. The collective body of Christians, who have made a public profession of the Christian religion, and who are united under the same pastor; in distinction from those who belong to the same parish, or ecclesiastical society, but have made no profession of their faith.

1. A building set apart for Christian worship.
2. To bless according to a prescribed form, or to unite with in publicly returning thanks in church, as after deliverance from the dangers of childbirth] as, the churching of women.
3. A Jewish or heathen temple.
   
   
   [Obs.] Acts xix. 37.
4. A formally organized body of Christian believers worshiping together.
   
   
   "When they had ordained them elders in every church." Acts xiv. 23.
5. A body of Christian believers, holding the same creed, observing the same rites, and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a denomination; as, the Roman Catholic church; the Presbyterian church.
6. The collective body of Christians.
7. Any body of worshipers; as, the Jewish church; the church of Brahm.
8. The aggregate of religious influences in a community; ecclesiastical influence, authority, etc.; as, to array the power of the church against some moral evil.
   
   

   Remember that both church and state are properly the rulers of the people, only because they are their benefactors.
   Bulwer.

   * Church is often used in composition to denote something belonging or relating to the church; as, church authority; church history; church member; church music, etc.

   Apostolic church. See under Apostolic. -- Broad church. See Broad Church. -- Catholic or Universal church, the whole body of believers in Christ throughout the world. -- Church of England, or English church, the Episcopal church established and endowed in England by law. -- Church living, a benefice in an established church. - - Church militant. See under Militant. -- Church owl (Zoöl.), the white owl. See Barn owl. -- Church rate, a tax levied on parishioners for the maintenance of the church and its services. -- Church session. See under Session. -- Church triumphant. See under Triumphant. -- Church work, work on, or in behalf of, a church; the work of a particular church for the spread of religion. -- Established church, the church maintained by the civil authority; a state church.