church courtn.

1533 in J. Murray Kilmacolm (1898) 24 [The archbishop] replegiated [him to the] church courts.

1642 S. Rutherford Peaceable Plea xii. 186 None are reputed uncapable, but such as are juridicè, and in the Church-court, under two or three witnesses convicted.

1797 Encycl. Brit. XVII. 226/2 The ejected ministers declared..that they were laid under the disagreeable necessity of seceding, not from the principles and constitution of the church of Scotland,..but from the present church-courts.

1839 R. S. Candlish in W. Wilson Memorials R. S. Candlish (1880) iv. 94 Their record with this deliverance had come up to the superior Church Courts.

1858 Penny Cycl. 2nd Suppl. 123/1 The famous ‘Veto Act’,..enabling the Church Courts to reject any nominee of a patron on the ground of his being displeasing to the majority of the congregation.

1897 Johnston of Warriston's Diary (Scot. Hist. Soc.) 96 (note) The practice of taking instruments is now confined for the most part to Church Courts.

1938 Amer. Hist. Rev. 44 32 The early ordinances on ecclesiastical affairs..provided for a Presbyterian hierarchy of church courts from congregational elderships..to the national assembly.

2004 I. Torrance in C. Lieneman-Perrin et al. Contextuality in Reformed Europe 180 The General Assembly..is independent of the civil and criminal courts in ecclesiastical and spiritual matters, so that no claim of damages lies against a church court for a judgement in a case of discipline properly brought to it.

c1450 (c1400) Bk. Vices & Virtues (Huntington) (1942) 35 Þe first beþ þilke þat pleyneþ falsely..or bi court of holi chirche, or bi lawe of þe lond.

1563 T. Becon Reliques of Rome (rev. ed.) f. 253^v Also al thoe that letters purchasé in any lords courte, that no processe of right may be determined, ne iudged in holy churche courte.]

1644 S. Rutherford Due Right of Presbyteries x. 468 This consisted of no more then could meet conveniently in one House for Word, Sacraments, one Lords Table, and one Ecclesiasticall Church-court for censures.

1691 P. King Enq. Constit. Primitive Church vii. 113 All the Power that any Church-Court exerted, was derived from that Promise and Commission of Christ.

1737 G. Logan Lawfulness of reading Act of Parl. 30 Can he not banish him from..the Places where Church Courts are held?

1851 T. Carlyle Life J. Sterling i. i. 5 Which had little business to be spoken of in any Church-court.

1882 L. T. Dibdin Church Courts (ed. 2) v. 43 The Royal Supremacy is therefore a factor which cannot properly be ignored in any solution of the problem of Church Courts.

1971 K. Thomas Relig. & Decline of Magic xvi. 528 Apart from making presentments in the church courts, villages had many informal ways of expressing their disapproval of the way a married couple comported themselves.

2002 Daily Tel. 6 Sept. 3/2 An Anglican priest French-kissed a tourist board's chief executive during a counselling session at her home, a church court heard yesterday.