[f. as prec. + -ITY; cf. F. catholicité.] Catholic quality or character.
1. The quality of being comprehensive in feeling, taste, sympathy, etc.; freedom from sectarian exclusiveness or narrowness.
1843. Edin. Rev., Dec., 274. One of the greatest and most attractive characteristics of his mind—its catholicity.
1855. H. Reed, Lect. Eng. Lit., ii. (1878), 55. It is important to cultivate a true catholicity of taste.
1883. J. Hawthorne, Fort. Fool, I. xxxi. 300. Royalty itself could not compete with Lady Mayfair in the brilliant catholicity of her entertainments.
b. of religious feeling.
1841. Myers, Cath. Th., IV. 435. This great principle of Christian Brotherhood … a stronger feeling of the true Catholicity of Christianity.
1868. Mrs. Balfour, Wrkg. Women (ed. 3), 173. True Christian catholicity of spirit.
1882. Farrar, in Contemp. Rev., XLII. 813. The lessons of catholicity and toleration.
2. Universal prevalence; universality.
1868. Huxley, Phys. Basis Life, 137. I share this catholicity of assimilation with other animals.
3. Of a church or doctrine: The character of being universally recognized or diffused.
1843. trans. Mariotti’s Italy Past & Pr. (1848), I. 113. Universality of dominion was now to be cemented by catholicity of faith and worship.
1845. J. H. Newman, Ess. Developm., Introd. 13. If it be narrowed for the purpose of disproving the catholicity of the Creed of Pope Pius, it becomes also an objection to the Athanasian.
1849. Lewis, Infl. Authority Matters Opin., iv. § 9. 84 (L.). An appeal to the catholicity of the church, in proof that its doctrines are true, is an appeal to the voice of the multitude upon a dispute as to truth.
1887. Gladstone, in Newcastle Courant, 7 Oct., 8/4. Thus will the Catholicity of our Church be at length realised.
4. The character of belonging to, or in accordance with, the Catholic Church.
1830. Coleridge, Table Talk, 6 June. In the first century, catholicity was the test of a book or epistle … being canonical.
1842. Pusey, Crisis Eng. Ch., 139. They wish to claim for the English Church the character of Catholicity.
1868. G. Hardy, in Standard, 27 April, 6/1. A sincere and faithful trust in the Catholicity of the Church of England.
b. spec. of the Church of Rome: The doctrine or faith of that Church, catholicism.
1847. Dickens, Lett. (1880), I. 175. The Swiss radicals … know what Catholicity is.
1849. Southey, Comm.-pl. Bk., Ser. II. 80. When the professors of Catholicity arrogate to themselves political command.
