A F F
E
Affirmation, is particularly ufed in a Legal Senfe, for a foiemn Form of atrefling the Truth 5 allow'd to be ufed by the Quakers, inflead of an Oath, which they hold ab- folurely unlawful. See Quaker, and Oath.
This People, by their Refufal of all Oaths, lay liable to much Trouble ; particularly for declining the Oath of Al- legiance, in the Time of King Charles II. — But by an Aft pafs'd Anno i6'8o, it was decreed, That their foiemn ^Decla- ration of Allegiance and Fidelity, ifiould be accepted in- itcad of an Oath. See Declaration, and Allegiance.
In 11595, tnev a "° obtained, by a Temporary Aft, that their foiemn Affirmation fhouid be accepted in all Cafes where an Oath is by Law requir'd ; except in Criminal Cafes, upon Juries, and in Places of Profit and Trull under the Government. In this form :
J, A. B. do declare, in the 'Prefencc of Almighty God, the Witnefs of the 'truth of what I fay, &c.
This Aft was afterwards continued ; and at lad made Perpetual.— But this Form not being fuch as was defir'd, and having, in reality, all the Eflenaals of an Oath $ they ap- plied to the Parliament for an Alteration, which they ob- tained Anno 1711 : When the following Form was fettled to their general Satisfaction, viz.
I, A. B. do fincerely, folemnly, and truly declare, and affirm.
Which is the Form now ufed, in the fame manner, and un- der the fame Limitation with the former. — Any Perfon de- pofing, upon his foiemn Affirmation, a known Falfhood, incurs the Penalty of wilful and corrupt Perjury. See Per- jury.
AFFIRMATIVE, in Logick, &c. is underflood of a Pro- ■ofition, or the like, which imports an Affirmation ; or that ays, A thing is. See Affirmation.
In this Senfe, the Word Hands oppofed to Negaiive. See Necative.
There are univcrfal Affirmative Propofitions ; and fuch, ufually are the firll of Syllogifms. See Universal, Syl- logism, £j?c.
In A'lgebra we have alfo Affirmative or •To/ttive Quanti- ties. See Quantity, and Positive.
Affirmative*^, or Character. See Character.
In Grammar, Authors diftinguifti Affirmative 'Particles : 6uch is, Tes. See Particle, Adverb, Jjfc.
The Term is fometimes alfo ufed Subftantively. The
Affirmative is the more probable fide of the Queftion : There were fo many Votes or Voices for the Affirmative. See Vote.
Affirmative is particularly applied in 'the Roman In- quifition, to fuch Hereticks as own the Errors and Opinions rhey are charged withal ; and maintain the fame in their Examination with Firmnefs and Refolution. See Inquisi- tion.
AFFORCIAMENTUM, in Law. See Efforcement.
AFFORESTING, Afforestatio, the turning Ground into Foreft. See Forest.
In this Senfe, the Word ftands oppofed to Deaffarefling. See Deafforesting.
The Conqueror, and his Succeffors, continued afforefting the Lands of the Subject, for many Reigns ; till the Grie- vance became fo notorious, that the People, of all Degrees and Denominations, were brought to fue for Relief; which was at length obtain'd, and Commiffions granted to furvey and perambulate the Foreft, and feparate all the new affo- reftcd Lands ; and re-convert them to the Ufes of their Pro- prietors, under the Name and Quality of 'Purlieu, or Pou- rellee Land. See further under the Article Purli etj.
AFFRAY, or Akfrayment, in Law, an Affright put upon one, or more Perfons.
This, according to the Lawyers, may be done without a Word fpoke, or a Blow ftruc'k.— As, where a Man fliews himfelf arm'd or brandi/hes a We; into others unarm 'd
(43)
A G A
apon,
ay ftrike a Fear
Affray is a common Injury ; in which it differs from an Afjalllt, which is always a particular Injury. See Assault.
AFFREIGHTMENT, or Affretament, Affreta- mentum, in Law, fignifies the Freight of a Ship. See Freight.
The Word is form'd from the French Fret, which cxpreffes the fame thing.
AFFRONT E', in Heraldry, is underflood of Animals bore in an Efcutcheon, as facing, or with their Heads turn'd toward each other.— This is otherwife called Confront!.
The Word is French ; and literally fignifies the fame thing.
AFILIATION. See Adoption. S
Among the antient Gauls, Afiliation was a fort of Adoption only practisd among the Great.— It was performed with Astat Military Ceremonies: The Father prefenteofa Battle-ax to %l the Perfon he was to adopt for his Son 5 as an Intimation S1
that he was to preferve the Effefls he thus call'd him to lucceed to, by Arms.
AFRICAN Company. See Company. AFRICANUS, a Quality or Sirname, given to feveral 1 erfons, in refpea of the Country of Africa. See Title, Quality, Name, Sirname, &c.
'P. Cornelius Scipio had the Appellation Africanus be- ftow'd on him, from his taking and dcmolifhing the City of Carthage, and_ thus ridding the Romans of fo formidable an Enemy. — In feme Medals we find Scipio's Head on one fide, with the Infcription, P. SCIPIO A F R 1 C ; and on theother, Scipio in a Carr drawn by Horfes ; with CART. SUB ACT.
Africanus is a|fo the Sirname of a celebrated Hiflorian and Chronologift of the Hid Century, born in Paleftine; of whom we have nothing extant befide a few Fragments, preferv'd in Eufchius and Syncellus. — His Name was Ju- lius Africanus. ^Authors frequently confound him with
Sextus, or Ccfius Africanus.
AFTER-Birth, among Midwives, the Coat or Mem- branes wherein the Foetus is enclofed, inUtcro. See Foetus. It is thus called, by reai'en it comes away feme time af- ter the foetus ; by way of a fecond Birth, or Delivery. See Delivery.
Phyficians ufually call it the Secundincs. See Secun- dine. — See alfo Heam, (£c.
hvTKv.-'Pains, are Pains felt in the Loins, the Groin, (S>c. alter the Birth is brought away. See Delivery.
They feem to arife from a Diftention of the Ligaments of the Uterus in time of Delivery ; and are feldom dangerous, unlefs aggravated by a Detention cf the Lochia. — To pre- vent 'em, Oil of fwcet Almonds, Sperma Ceti, Capillus Veneris, &c. are ufually prefcribed.
After Math, among Husbandmen, die After-Grafs, or fecond Mowings of Grafs ; or elfe Grafs or Stubble cut after Corn.
AGA, in rhe Language of the Afgcls, &c. fignifies a powerful Man, or a Lord and Commander.
In this laft Senfe, the Term is alfo ufed among the furks: Thus, the Aga of the Janizaries, is their Colonel ; and the Capi-slga, the Captain of the Gate of the Seraglio. See January, Capi-Aoa, iSc
The Title Aga is alio given by way of Courtefy, to feveral Perfons of Diftin£ticn; tho not in any OiHce or Com- mand to entitle 'em to it,
On feme Occafions, in lieu of Aga, We i.Vj,Agaffl : Thus, the Aga or Governour of the Pages, is called Cafi-Agrffi ; and the Aga or General of the Horfc, Spabtlar AgaJJi. See Page, Oda, Spahi, ISc.
AGAT, Agio, in Matters of Commerce, a Term ufed,
chiefly in Holland, and at Venice, for the Difference between
the Value of Bank-Notes, and currenr Money. See Bank.
The Agio in Holland is fometimes %, or even 4 per Cent.
in favour of the Bank-Notes. See Discount.
AGAPjE, in Church Hifl'ory, Love-Feafis ; a Name gi- ven to certain FefKvals, celebrated in the antient Greek Church, to keep up a Harmony and Concord among its Members. See Feast.
The Word is fcrm'd of the Greek ayaTti, ^DilcElion ; of ityctTttv, I love.
In the primitive Days they were held without Scandal, or Offence ; but in after-Times, the Heathens beg:n to tax them with Impurity. — This gave occafion to a Reformation of thefe Agapa.
The Kits of Charity, with which the Ceremony had end-, ed, was no longer given between different Sexes ; and it was exprelly forbidden to have any Beds or Couches, for the Conveniency cf thofe who fhould be difpos'd to eat more at their Eafe.
Notwith Handing thefe Precautions, theAbufes committed in them became fo notorious ; that they were folemnly con- demn'd at the Council of Carthage.
Some Criticks will have it to be thefe Agap£ that St. Paul fpeaks of, 1 Cor. ch. XI, under the Name of the Lord's Supper $ which, they contend, was net the Eucharift, bur a Feaft accompanying it 5 held by the Chriflians of thofe Times, in commemoration of out Saviour's intlituting that Sacrament, in his Supper with the Apoftles. — The Text feems to intimate, that the Feaft was held before the Com- munion ; but by an Ordinance afterwards made, they were oblig'd to communicate fading ; fo that the Ag<!f& were poftpon'd till the Sacrament was over.
Some Authors imagin'd this Ceremony to have been, not a Commemoration of our Saviour ; but a Cuflom_ borrow d from the Heathens : Mos vero ille, ut referunt, fays Sedu- litis on the Xlth Chapter of the Epiflle to the Corinth, de Gentili adhuc fnperflitionc veniebat. And Fauftus the Ma- nichee is reprcfemed in St. Augtiftin, as reproaching the Chriflians, with converting the Heathen Sacrifices into
- Chrifiianos facrificia (Paganorum couvertiffe in
afas.
AGA-
