Ecclesia

Lat. [from Gr. ekklesia, from ekkaleo, to call out; L. Fr. esglise.] In English law. A church; a place of religious worship, (templum, seu domus qua fideles conveniunt, ritus divinos celebraturi.) Spelman. Called by Lord Coke "the dwelling house of Almighty God;" (ecclesia est domus mansionalis Omnipotentis Dei,) 2 Inst. 164. See Church. A parsonage. F. N. B. 32 H. That is, the living or benefice. Bract. fol.

62.

Bracton says the common people in his time used ecclesia, which properly denoted the material building (ex lignis et lapidibus,) in the sense of advowson or right of presentation, and that it was so construed propter eorum simplicitatem. Id. ibid. Id. fol.

95.

Ekklesia was used among the ancient Greeks, as curia and senatus among the Romans, to denote a public assembly (pro coetu et congregatione) as well as the place of meeting itself (pro loco in quem convenitur.) Spelman. See Calvin's Lex. Jur. Ecclesia non moritur. The church does not die.

2 Inst. 3.

Ecclesia magis favenda est quam persona

The church is more to be favored than the parson.

Godb. Rep. 172.