2. The faith and polity of the Congregational churches, taken
collectively.
Note: In this sense (which is its usual signification)
Congregationalism is the system of faith and practice
common to a large body of evangelical Trinitarian
churches, which recognize the local brotherhood of each
church as independent of all dictation in
ecclesiastical matters, but are united in fellowship
and joint action, as in councils for mutual advice, and
in consociations, conferences, missionary
organizations, etc., and to whose membership the
designation ``Congregationalists'' is generally
restricted; but Unitarian and other churches are
Congregational in their polity.