CON 
CON 
King’s writ ; as was the convention of es- 
tates, who, upon the retreat of James II. 
came to a conclusion that he had abdi- 
cated the throne, and that the right of suc- 
cession devolved to King William and 
Queen Mary ; whereupon their assembly 
expired as a convention, and was converted 
into a parliament. 
CONVERGING, or Convergent lines, 
in geometry, are such as continually ap- 
proach nearer one another ; or w’hose 
distance becomes still less and less. These 
are opposed to divergent lines, the distance 
of which become continually greater : 
those lines which converge one way diverge 
the other. 
Converging hyperbola, is one whose 
concave legs bend in towards one another, 
and run both the same way. 
Converging rays, in optics, those rays 
that, issuing from divers points of an object, 
incline towards one another, till, at last, 
they meet and cross, and then become di- 
verging rays. See Optics. 
Converging series. See Series. 
CONVERSE, in mathematics. One pro- 
position is called the converse of another, 
when, after a conclusion is drawn from 
something supposed in the converse propo- 
sition, that conclusion is supposed j and 
then, that which in the other was supposed, 
is now drawn as a conclusion from it : tlras, 
when two sides of a triangle are equal, the 
angles under these sides are equal ; and, on 
the converse, if these angles are equal, the 
two sides are equal. 
CONVERSION of equations, in algebra, 
is when the quantity sought, or any part or 
degree tliereof, being in fractions, the whole 
is reduced to one common denomination, 
and then omitting the denominators, the 
equation is continued in the numerators only. 
Thus suppose a — 6 =: — ^ f- A 
multiply all by d, and it will stand thus, 
da — db = aa-\-cc-{-dh-\-db. 
CONVEX, an appellation given to tlie 
exterior surface of gibbons or globular bo- 
dies, in opposition to the hollow inner sur- 
face of such bodies, which is called con- 
cave : thus we say a convex lens, mirror, 
superficies, &c. 
CONVEXITY, that configuration or 
shape of a body, on account of which it is 
denominated convex. 
CONVEYANCE, in law, a deed or in- 
strument that passes land, 6e;c. from one 
person to another. The most common con- 
veyance now in use are, deeds of gifts, bar- 
gain and sale, lease and release, fines and 
recoveries, settlements to uses, &c. A 
conveyance cannot be fraudulent in part, 
and good as to the rest ; for if it be frau- 
dulent and void in part, it is void in all, 
and it cannot be divided. Fraudulent con- 
veyances to deceive creditors, defraud pur- 
chasers, &c. are void by stat. 50 Edw. III. 
c. 6. 13 Eliz. c. 5 — 27. Eliz. c. 4. 
CONVICT, in common law, a person 
that is found guilty of an offence by the 
verdict of a jury. The law implies that 
there must be a conviction before punish- 
ment for any offence, though it be not 
mentioned in any statute. On a joint in- 
dictment, or information, some of the de- 
fendants may be convicted and others ac- 
quitted. 
Convict recusant, a person who has been 
legally presented, indicted, and convicted, 
for refusing to come to church to hear the 
common prayer, according to the statute* 
1 and 23 Eliz. and 3 Jac. I. 
CONVOCATION, an assembly of the 
clergy of England, by their representatives, 
to Consult of ecclesiastical matters. It is 
held during the session of parliament, and 
consists of an upper and a lower house. In 
the upper sit the bishops, and in the lower 
the inferior clergy, who are represented by 
their proctors, consisting of all the deans 
and archdeacons, of one proctor for every 
chapter, and two for the clergy of every 
diocese, in all one hundred and forty-three 
divines, viz. twenty-two deans, fifty-three 
archdeacons, twenty-four prebendaries, and 
forty-four proctors of the diocesan clergy. 
The lower house chooses its prolocutor, 
whose business it is to take care that the 
members attend, to collect their debates 
and votes, and to carry their resolutions 
to the upper house. The convocation is 
summoned by the King’s writ, directed to 
the archbishop of each province, requiring 
him to summon all bishops, deans, arch- 
deacons, &c. 
The power of the convocation is limited 
by a statute of Henry VIII. They are 
not to make any canons or ecclesiastical 
laws without the King’s licence ; nor when 
permitted to make any, can they put them 
in execution but under several restrictions. ^ 
They have the examining and censuring all 
heretical and scliismatical books and per- 
sons, &c. but there lies an appeal to the 
King in chancery, or to his delegates. The 
clergy in convocation, and their servants, 
have the same privileges as members of 
parliament. See Parliament. 
