[ad. L. consociātiōn-em, f. consociāre to CONSOCIATE.]
1. The action or fact of associating together; union in fellowship; combination.
1593. Bilson, Govt. Christ’s Ch., 111. Wee must finde that consociation in the Gospell.
1603. Harsnet, Pop. Impost. When a Lyon a Fox and an Asse were met together in Pilgrimage it was much wondered at … what that Consociation meant.
1656. H. More, Antid. Ath., III. xiii. (1712), 126. Such Examples of the consociation of good spirits being very scarce.
1804. W. Taylor, in Ann. Rev., II. 224. The consociation of tribes for plunder or defence.
1838–9. Hallam, Hist. Lit., III. iv. III. § 100. 192. The consociation of male and female is the first species of ‘consent.’
1842. Miall, Nonconf., II. 81. Truth has never been found to make head in the world otherwise than by the consociation of its votaries.
b. of things.
1645. Rutherford, Tryal & Tri. Faith (1845), 108. See a wise consociation of many acts of providence.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., II. x. § 7. 134. A consociation of many the worst acts, that a person ordinarily can be guilty of.
2. Fellowship, companionship, close or familiar association (with any one). b. Also of things.
1609. Bible (Douay), Wisd. viii. 3. She glorifieth her nobilitie, having consociation with God.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst. (1837), I. 24. This doctrine … is altogether simple, and incapable of any commixture or consociation with any other.
1738. Warburton, Div. Legat., I. 378. A friendly Consociation with your kindred Elements.
1863. Mrs. C. Clarke, Shaks. Char., iv. 110. Experience has told us that our term of years is extended by a consociation with children.
† 3. An alliance or confederation. Obs.
1603. Harsnet, Pop. Impost., 13. There was a Consociation between 3 or 4 Priests Devill-conjurers and 4 Discoverers or Seers.
1667. H. Oldenburg, in Phil. Trans., II. 414. To enter into a consociation with Germany, Bohemia, Hungary, etc.
1685. Stillingfl., Orig. Brit., iv. 210. They did avoid all Clubs called there Consociations.
4. Eccl. A confederation of Christian churches or religious societies. † b. spec. Applied by the English Puritans to the union of churches on a Presbyterian basis. c. Applied in New England to the confederation or union of Congregational churches, in a somewhat closer union than that of theoretical Independency. d. Hence, in U.S. a body of the nature of a permanent Council, elected from and representing the Congregational churches of a district, and possessing a certain tacitly conceded ecclesiastical authority.
1647. Form Ch. Govt., xxxvi. A more strait and more firme consociation may be entred into.
1676. Allen, Address Nonconf., 204. One principal end of Church Consociation … is, that the better might help the worse, and the strong bring forward the weak.
b. 1641. ‘Smectymnuus,’ Answ., § 17 (1653), 70. The Consociation, or Combination of Churches into a Provinciall or Nationall Synode for the right ordering of them.
1646. S. Bolton, Arraignm. Err., 266. So there is the nature of a Synod, it is a Consociation of Churches.
1681. Whole Duty Nations, 52. As the Christians … went out of Congregations, into Consociation of Churches in Religion.
c. 1644. J. Cotton, Keys Kingd. Heaven, 57. Touching this great work of communion and consociation of churches.
1702. C. Mather, Magn. Chr., V. III. (1852), 301. Consociation of churches is their mutual and solemn agreement to exercise communion in such acts, as aforesaid, amongst themselves.
1735. B. Coleman, Lett., in E. Turrell, Life (Boston). The consociation of Churches is the very soul and life of the congregational Scheme … without which we must be Independent, and with which all the good of Presbyterianism is attainable.
1765. T. Hutchinson, Hist. Col. Mass., I. 223. There ought to be a consociation of churches.
1797. B. Trumbull, Hist. Connecticut, I. xix. I. 488. There were … five consociations and the same number of associations in the colony.
d. 1818. L. Willson (title), Review of Ecclesiastical Proceedings in the Congregational Church and Society in Brooklyn (Conn.) and … Proceedings and Result of the Consociation of Windham County, in February, 1817.
1857. Annals Amer. Pulpit, I. 368. He was arraigned by the Consociation to which he belonged.
Hence Consociational a., of or pertaining to consociation; Consociationism, the principle or practice of the consociation of churches.
1884. G. Huntington in Chicago Advance, 11 Dec. They now sought a middle way between Presbyterianism and Congregationalism. That middle way was Consociationism.
