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In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. Preface to 1828 Dictionary
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CORPORAL, n. [L., head.]
CORPORAL, a. [L., body.]
A
noncommissioned officer, next below a sergeant. In the United
States army he is the lowest noncommissioned officer in a company
of infantry. He places and relieves sentinels.
Corporal's guard, a detachment such as would be in charge of a corporal for guard duty, etc.; hence, derisively, a very small number of persons. -- Lance corporal, an assistant corporal on private's pay. Farrow. -- Ship's corporal (Naut.), a petty officer who assists the master at arms in his various duties. Belonging or relating to the body;
bodily.
"Past corporal toil." Shak.
Pillories and other corporal
infections. Corporal punishment (law), punishment applied to the body of the offender, including the death penalty, whipping, and imprisonment. Having a body or substance; not
spiritual; material. In this sense now usually written
corporeal.
Milton.
A corporal heaven . . . .where the stare
are. What seemed corporal melted Syn. -- Corporal, Bodily, Corporeal. Bodily is opposed to mental; as, bodily affections. Corporeal refers to the whole physical structure or nature, of the body; as, corporeal substance or frame. Corporal, as now used, refers more to punishment or some infliction; as, corporal punishment. To speak of corporeal punishment is an error. Bodily austerities; the corporeal mold. A fine linen cloth, on
which the sacred elements are consecrated in the eucharist, or
with which they are covered; a communion cloth.
Corporal oath, a solemn oath; -- so called from the fact that it was the ancient usage for the party taking it to touch the corporal, or cloth that covered the consecrated elements. | ||||||||