Of the Signification in Scripture of the Word Church
The word Church ( Ecclesia ) signifieth in the books of Holy Scripture divers things. Sometimes, though not often, it is taken for “God’s house,” that is to say, for a temple wherein Christians assembled to perform holy duties publicly, as (1 Cor. 14:34), “Let your women keep silence in the Churches.” But this is metaphorically put for the congregation there assembled, and hath been since used for the edifice itself, to distinguish between the temples of Christians and idolaters. The Temple of Jerusalem was “God’s house,” and the house of prayer; and so is any edifice dedicated by Christians to the worship of Christ, “Christ’s house”; and therefore the Greek fathers call it Κυριακὴ , “the Lord’s house”; and thence in our language it came to be called “kyrke” and “church.”
Church, when not taken for a house, signifieth the same that ecclesia signified in the Grecian commonwealth, that is to say, a congregation or an assembly of citizens called forth to hear the magistrate speak unto them; and which in the commonwealth of Rome was called concio ; as he that spake was called ecclesiastes and concionator . And when they were called forth by lawful authority (Acts 19:39), it was Ecclesia legitima , a “lawful Church,” ἔννομος ἐκκλησία . But when they were excited by tumultuous and seditious clamour, then it was a confused Church, ἐκκλησία συγκεχυμένη .
It is taken also sometimes for the men that have right to be of the congregation though not actually assembled, that is to say, for the whole multitude of Christian men, how far soever they be dispersed: as (Acts 8:3), where it is said that “Saul made havoc of the Church”; and in this sense is Christ said to be the head of the Church. And sometimes for a