CATHOLIC

(Yunanca köken — orijinale bakınız.) A wort which occurs in the New Test, in the titles of certain ui the Epistles, — those of James, Peter, and John,— signifying that they are addre ed to the whole or universal body ol Christians, and not to a particular section of them. Hencf the term has been used in later times to distinguish tin church of Christ from all heretics and schismatic-, a has been a umed by particular churches either to sep a rate themselves from all others, as the Romish; or to in elude themselves as individual members of the univer sal body, represented under different and subordinate local names, as the English episcopal church. The Ro mish church appeals to the decisions of Ihe Council of Trent for its most complete and definite rule of faith, am allows no one to be a member of the Catholic churcl who rejects any of the tenets therein enforced. (See art Roman Catholic.) The English church considers it self a member of the Catholic, but pa es no judgment ai to what variations from its own formularies incus the gui.' of heresy and incapacitate from such incorporation. Se> medicine. [s. 217]