a. and sb. [a. Fr. épiscopal, ad. late L. episcopālis, f. episcopus BISHOP.]
A. adj.
1. Of or pertaining to a bishop or bishops.
1485. Act 1 Hen. VII., c. 4. Archbishops and Bishops, and other Ordinaries, having Episcopal jurisdiction.
1675. Ogilby, Brit., 4. A City … Dignified with an Episcopal See.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. ii. (R.). The usual mode of elevating to the episcopal chair.
1877. W. Jones, Finger-ring, 210. The episcopal ring … was considered a symbol of sacerdotal authority.
2. Pertaining to, or of the nature of, episcopacy. † Formerly also of persons: Advocating or supporting episcopacy.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 145. The Episcopall Party are far more confirmed in their way by it.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., IX. (1843), I. 592/2. The maintenance and support of the episcopal government in England.
1692. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), II. 379. By removing diverse of the kirk party and putting in episcopall men.
1704. Nelson, Fest. & Fasts (1739), 530. The Christian Church … gives full Testimony in behalf of Episcopal Government.
3. Of a church: Constituted on the principle of episcopacy. Often spec. (with initial capital) of the Anglican Church, of which in Scotland and the United States it is the ordinary designation; also with prefixed adj. in the names of certain other religious bodies, as Methodist Episcopal, Reformed Episcopal. Hence of buildings used for worship, clergy, forms of service, etc.: Belonging to such a church.
In U.S. sometimes of persons, = EPISCOPALIAN a. 1.
1752. Hume, Ess. & Treat. (1777), I. 69. The established clergy were episcopal.
1806. Gazetteer Scotl., 277. The episcopal chapel.
a. 1831. A. Knox, Rem. (1844), I. 59. The distress of the English Episcopal Church during the Usurpation.
1844. S. Wilberforce, Hist. Prot. Episc. Ch. Amer. (1846), 437. It would be difficult to find, in the whole Episcopal communion throughout America, one specimen [etc.].
† B. sb. An adherent of episcopacy; one belonging to the Episcopal church; = EPISCOPALIAN.
1708. Swift, Sacram. Test., Wks. 1755, II. I. 137. The dissenting episcopals.
1716. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., II. 310. Twenty Episcopals perchance to one Kirker of the Calvinistical Order.
1823. Blackw. Mag., XIV. 181. Good episcopal as I am, you have sickened me.
