ASS
C 161 )
ASS
ASSISTANTS, are particularly ufedjfbr a kind of Cbunfel- lors, or Controllers, added to the Generals or Superiors of Mo nafteries, &c. to take Care of the Affairs of the Community.— The General of the Jefuits has five Ajjiftants, of consummate Ex- perience, chofen by him out of ail the Provinces of the Order, and denominated from the Kingdoms or Countries to which they belong, e. gr. Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and Portugal. ,See General, Jesuit, &c.
In the like Senfe, moft of our Trading Companies have their Courts of Ajjiflants. See Company, <&e.
Assistants are alio thofe condemned to ajjljc in the Executi- on of a Criminal. See Absolution-
ASSOCIATE, an Adjunct Partner, or Member. See Ad- junct, Association, @*c.
The Word is compounded of the Latin ad 2nd focius, Fellow, Companion.
ASSOCIATION, Associatio, the Aft of affociating or forming a Society, or Company. See Associate, Society, Company, &c.
Ajfociation is properly a Contract or Treaty of Partnership, whereby two or more Perfons unite together, either for their mutual Affiftance, or the Joint carrying on of an Affair j or even for a more commodious Manner of Lite— The clofeil of all Af- fectations is that made by the Band of Matrimony.
Association of Ideas, is where two or more Ideas, conftant- ly and immediately follow or fucceed one another in the Mind, fo that one lhall almoit infallibly produce the other ; whether there be any natural Relation between them, or not. See Idea.
Where there is a real Affinity or Connection in Ideas, it is the excellency or the Mind, to be able to collect, compare, and range them in Order, in its Enquiries: But where there is none, nor any Caufe to be affign'd for their accompanying each other, but what is owing to mere Accident or Habit j this unnatural Affectation becomes a great Imperfection, and is generally fpeak- ing, a main Cauie oi Error, or wrong Deductions in reason- ing. See Error., &t.
Thus the Idea of Goblins and Sprights, has really no more Affinity with Darknels than with Light; and yet let a foolifh. Maid inculcate thefe often on the Mind of a Child, and raife them there together, 'tis poilible he fliall never be able to fepa- rate 'em again £0 long as he lives, but DarkflejG fliall ever bring with it thofe frightful Ideas.— Let Cuftom, from the very Child- hood, have joined the Idea of Figure and Shape to the Idea of God, and what Abfurdities will that Mind be liable to, about ihe Eieity ?
Such wrong Combinations of Ideas, Mr. Lock [hews, are a great Caufeof the irrcconcileable Opposition between the diffe- rent Sects of Philofophy and Religion : For we can't imagine, that all who hold Tenets different from, and fometimes contra- dictory to one another, fhou'd wilfully and knowingly impofe upon them Selves, and refute Truth offered by plain Reafon: But fome loofe and independent Ideas are by Education, Cuftom, and the conftant Din of their Party, fo coupled in their Minds, that they always appear there together: Thefe they can no more feparate in their Thoughts, than if they were but one Idea, and they operas as if they were fo. This gives Senfe to Jargon; Demo 1 iff ration to Abfurdities, Coniiftcncy to Nonfence, and is the Foundation of the greateft, and aim oft of all the Errors in the World.
Association, in Law, is a Patent fent by the King, either of his own Motion, or at the Suit of the Party Plaintiff, to the Juftices of Affize ; to have other Perfons ajjbeiated to them, in order to rake the Affize. See Patent and Assize.
Upon this Patent of Affectation? the King fends his Writ to the Juftices of the Affize, by it commanding them to admit them that are fo fent.
ASSOILE, in our antient Law Books, Signifies to abfolve, deliver, or fet free from an Excommunication. See Absolu- tion, Excommunication, &c.
ASSONANCE, in Rhetorick and Poetry, a Term ufed where the Words of a Phrafe, or a Verfe, have the fame Sound or Termination, and yet make no proper Rhyme. See Rhyme.
Thefe are ufually vinous in Englifljj though the Romans fome- times ufed them with Elegancy : As, Militem comparavit, Exerci- turn ordinavit, Aciem lufravit.
The Latins call it fmiliter definens ; and the Greeks «/*ieTi;«M-». See Homoioteleuton.
ASSONANT Rhymes, is a Term particularly applied to a kind oi Verfes common among the Spaniard*, where a Refemblance of Sound ferves inftead of a natural Rhyme. See Rhyme.
Thus, ligera, cubieria, tierra, mefa, may anfwer each other in a kind of ajfonant Rhyme, in regard they have each an e in the penultimate Syllable, and an a in the laft.
ASSUMPSIT, in Law, a naked Contract ; or a voIuntaryPro- mife, by Word of Mouth, by which a Man ajfumes and rakes upon him to perform, and pay any thing to another. See Con- tract, Covenant, &c.
This Term comprehends any verbal Promife ; and is variously exprefs'd by the Civilians, according to the Nature of the Promife : Sometimes, by patlum^ fometimes by promiffio, pollicitatio, or Conftitutttm. See Pactum.
Where a Man fells Goods to another, the Law makes the AJfumpfit; and promifes that he Shall pay for them.
ASSUMPTION, Assumptio, aFeaft celebrated in thsRo- miflj Church, in honour of the miraculous Afcent of jthe Holy Virgin, Body and Soul, into Heaven. See Feast, Virgin, *
The Word is compounded of the Latin ad, to, and fuino, I take.
ThisFeaft is held with great Solemnity both in the Eaftern and Western. Churches.— Yet is not the Affumption of our Lady any Point of Faith. The antient Martyrologics fpeak of it with a great deal of referve, as a thing not yet fully afcertained : Tho* a Divine who Should now deny it, would be obliged to retract.
The Sorbonne, in the Year j(jq6, in the Condemnation of Ma- ry of Agreda, protested, among other things, that they believed that the Holy Virgin was ajfumed, or taken into Heaven, Body and Soul.
Assumption was alfo among our Anceftors, ufed for the Day of the Death of any Saint : Quia ejus amma in Calum alTu- mitur.
Assumption, in Logick, is the Minor, or fecond Propofiti- on, in a categorical Syllogifm. See Minor, Syllogism, &c.
Assumption is fometimes alfo ufed for a Coniequence drawn from the Propositions whereof an Argument is compofed. See Consequence.
Thus we fay, the PremiSTes are true, but the Affumption is captious. See Premisse, &j.
ASSUMPTIVE Arms, in Heraldrv, are fuch as a Man has a right to affume of himfclf, in virtue of fome Action. See Arms.
As, it a Man who is no Gentleman of Blood, nor Coat Ar- mour, takes a Gentleman, Lord, or Prince, Prifoner in any lawful War; he becomes tndfJed to bear the Shield of fuch Pri- foner, and enjoy it to him and his Heirs.— The Foundation here- of is that Principle in Military Law, that the Dominion of Things taken in lawful War pailcs to- the Conqueror.
ASSURANCE, in Law. See Security.
Assurance, or Insurance, in Commerce. Sec Insu- rance.
Policy of Assurance, is a Contract whereby one or more Perfons oblige tbemlclves to make good any Damages which a Ship, a Houfe, or the like, may undergo, by Sea, Fire, or the like Dangers.— The Nature and Laws hereof fee under the Article of Policy of Ajfurance.
We have feveral Offices of Affuranse from Fire.— As, the Sun- Fire Office; the Hand-itt-Hand Fire Office; the Phenix Office, &c fome for Houfes, others for Goods ; and fome for both.
We have alfo Ajfurames for Life, in Virtue whereof, when the Perfon affured dies, a Sum of Money becomes payable to the Perfon in whofe Favour the Policy of Ajfurance was given. See Annuity, &c.
Assurance, in Logick. See Certainty, Evidence, De- monstration, <&c.
ASSUROR, aMerchant, or other Perfon, who affures a Ship, Houfe, Life, or the like. See Assurance.
Ajfurors are not anfwerable for what Damages arife thro' the Negligence, or other Fault of the Mailer or Seamen ; or e- ven thoie which arife from any Vice or Defect in the thin<* af- fured. See Average.
ASTATI, or Astathii, or Astathyi, a Sect of Hereticks in the ninth Century, the Followers of one Sergius, who renew- ed the Errors of the Manichees. See Manichee.
They prevail'd much under the Emperor Nicephorm; but his Succeflbr, Mxhael Curcpalates, curb'd them with very fevere Laws.
The Word is derived from the Greek privative *, and mph fo, to Stand firm, and figmries any thing unftable and incon- ftanr.
ASTERISK, a Character in form of a fmal! Star, fet over any Word, or Sentence, to make it the more conspicuous, or to refer to the Margin for a Quotation, Explanation, &c See Cha- racter, Note, Reference.
The Word is derived from a Diminutive of the Greek «sw. Star.
ASTERISM, Asterismus, in Astronomy, the fame with Conftellatiop. See Constellation.
The Word comes from the Greek «w%, Stella, Star See Star.
ASTHMA, in Medicine, a Difeafe of the Lungs, accompa- nied with aShortnefs, and Difficulty of Refpiration. See Re- spiration and Lungs.
Or, Aflhma is a Difficulty of Breathing, arising from a Diforderof the Lungs ; and ufually attended with violent Moti- ons of the Diaphragm, Abdominal and Intercoftal Mufdes, as alfo a rattling in the Throat.
The Word is Greek, *?*/*« ■ fbrm'd of the Verb **, Spiro j I breath.
If Refpiration be only thick and quick, without the other Symptoms, it is call'd a Djjpntca. — If it be lb incenfe as to occa- fion a violent Motion of the Mufcles of the Thorax ^ fo that the Patient cannot be tolerably eafy, except in an erect Pofture, it is call'd an Orthopnea. See Dyspn.ea and Orthopnea.
Tt The
