ecclesiastic

& s. [Gr. ekklēsiastikos = belonging to the ekklesia = (1) in civil life, an a embly of the citizens for legislative purposes; (2) in ecclesiastical life, the church; ekklētos = called out; ekkaleō =to call out.] A. As adj .: Pertaining to the Church or to sacred things, as distinguished from the world and things secular. B. As subst.: A person in holy orders, a clergyman; one who discharges sacred functions in connection with a church or chapel of ease. Crabb thus discriminates between ecclesiastic , divine, and theologian : "An ecclesiastic derives his title from the office which he bears in the ecclesia or church; a divine and theologian from their pursuit after, or engagement in, divine or theological matters. An ecclesiastic is connected with an episcopacy; a divine or theologian is unconnected with any form of church government. An ecclesiastic need not in his own person perform any office, although he fills a station; a divine not only fills a station, but actually performs the office of teaching; a theologian neither fills any particular station, nor discharges any specific duty, but merely follows the pursuit of studying theology ." (Crabb: Eng. Synon.)