Church

In its most general sense, the religious society founded and established by Jesus Christ, to receive, preserve, aud propagate his doctrines and ordinancea., A body or community of Christians, united under one form of government by the profession of the same faith, and the obseryance of the same ritual and ceremonies. The term may denote either a socicty of persons who, professing Christianity, hold ‘yho use a common discipline, or the building in which such persons habitually assemble for public worship. The body of communicants gathered into church ~rder, according to established usage in any town, garish, precinct, or religious gociety, established according to law, and actually connected and assoelated therewith for religious purposes, for the time being, is to be regarded as the church of such ‘society, as to all questions of property depending upon that relation.

10 Pick. 193.

See, also, 3 Me. Babe. A congregational church is a voluntary association of Christians united for discipline and worahip, connected with, and forming a part of, some religious society, having a legal existence.

3 Mo, "24S.

In English eeclesiastical law. An institudion established by the Jaw of the land in reference to religion.

38 Steph. Comm. 54.

The word “chureh” is said to mean, in strictness, not the material fabrie, but the eure of souls and theright of tithes.

1 Mod. 201.