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C O M 
Nor let thine own inventions hope 
Things not reveal’d, which th’ invifible King, 
Only omnifcient, hath fupprefs’d in night, 
To none communicable in earth or heav’n. Milton, 
That which may be imparted : 
The happy place 
Rather inflames thy torment, reprefenting 
Loft bills, to thee no more communicable. Milton, 
Communicative.—Be communicable with your friends. 
B. Jon/on. 
COMMU'NICANT, f. One who is prefent, as a wor- 
Ihipper, at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper; one who 
participates of the blefl'ed facrament.—A conftant fre¬ 
quenter of worfliip, and a never-failing-monthly commu¬ 
nicant. Atterbury. 
To COMMUNICATE, <v. a. [communico, Lat.] To im¬ 
part to others what is in our own power; to give,to others, 
as partakers; to confer a joint polleffion; to heftow.—• 
Where God is worfliipped, there he communicates his holy 
bleflings and holy influences. Taylor, 
Which of the Grecian chiefs contorts with thee? 
But Diomede defires my company, 
And (fill communicates his prail'e with me. Dryden. 
To reveal; to impart knowledge.—I learned diligently, 
and do communicate witdom liberally : I do not bide her 
riches. W'ifd. vii. 13.—It had anciently the prepofition 
with before the perfon to whom communication, either 
of benefit or knowledge, was made.—Charles the Hardy 
Would communicate his fecrets with none; and, lead of 
all, thofe fecrets which troubled him mod. Bacon —He 
communicated thofe thoughts only with the lord Digby, 
the lord Colepeper, and me chancellor. Clarendon. —Now 
it has only to: Clarendon utes both with and to. —Let 
him, that is taught in the word, communicate unto him 
that teacheth. Galfions, vi. 6.—His majefty frankly pro- 
inifed, that he could not, in any degree, communicate to 
any perfon the matter, before he had taken- and communi¬ 
cated to them his own refolutions. Clarendon. 
To COMMU'NICATE, <v. n. To partake of the bleffed 
facrament.— The primitive Chriftians communicated every 
day. Taylor. —To have fomething in common with ano¬ 
ther; as, the b' ufes communicate ; there is a psilage be¬ 
tween them, common to both, by which either may be 
entered from the other.—The whole body is nothing but 
a fy item of fuch canals, which all communicate with one 
another, mediately or immediately. Arbuthnot .. 
COMMUNICATION, /. The aft of imparting bene¬ 
fits or knowledge—Both together ferve completely for 
the reception and communication cf'learned knowledge. 
Holder —Common boundary or inlet; paflage or means, 
by which from one place there is a way without interrup¬ 
tion to another.—The map fhews the natural communica- 
' tion Providence has formed between the rivers and lakes 
of a country at fo great a diftance from the lea. Addifon. — 
The Euxine fea is conveniently (dilated for trade, by the 
communication it has both with Alia and Europe. Arbuth¬ 
not. —Ir, erchange of knowledge; good intelligence be¬ 
tween leveral ptrfons.—Secrets may be carried fo far, as 
to ftop the communication neceffary among all who have 
the management oi'affairs. Swift. —Conference; conver- 
Pit''-. n._Abner had communication with the elders of Ifrael, 
faying, ye fought for David in times paft to be king over 
you f now then do it. 2 Samuel, iii. 17. 
<< Evii Communications corrupt good manners.” 
Les mauvaifcs compagnies corrompeni lcs bonnes mceurs, fay 
the French; Le cattive compagnie corrompono i cojlumi , the 
Italians.- This proverb contains a.wholefptne admoni¬ 
tion to youth to be careful with whom they converfe. 
Evil conyerfation, or, as the proverb terms it, commu¬ 
nication, is as epidemic as the plague. The malignity 
of the one, as weM as the other, deals fo infenfibly upon 
us, that it is hardly perceived till almoft paft cure; and 
COM. 
youth more efpecially ought to avoid one with as much 
lolicitude as they would the other, and the more, as it is an 
ever-reigning plague,and often rifeft where lead fufpefled. 
COMMU'NICATIVE, adj. Inclined to make advan¬ 
tages common; liberal of benefits or knowledge; not 
clofe, not felfifh.—We have paid for our want of pru¬ 
dence, and determine for the future to be lefs communi¬ 
cative. Swift. 
COMMUNICATIVENESS, /. The quality of being, 
communicative, of beftowing or imparting benefits or 
knowledge.—He is not only the mole communicative of 
all beings, but he will alfo communicate himfelf in fuch 
meafure as entirely to fatisfy ; otherwife lome degrees of 
communicativencfs would be wanting. Norris. 
COMMU'NION, f. [communio, Lat.] Intercourfe; fel- 
lowfhip; common poffeffion ; participation of fomething 
in common ; interchange of tranfadlions.—Confider, fi¬ 
nally, the angels, as having with us that communion which 
the apoftle to the Hebrews noteth ; and in regard where¬ 
of angels have not difdained to profefs themfelves our 
fellow-fervants. Hooker. —We maintain communion with 
God himfelf, and are made in the fame degree partakers 
of the divine nature. Fiddes. 
Thou, fo pleas’d,. 
Canft raife thy creature to what height thou wilt, 
Of union, or communion, deified. Milton. 
The common or public celebration of the Lord’s Supper3. 
the participation of the bleffed facrament.—They relolv- 
ed, that the Handing of the communion table in all churches 
Ihould be altered. Clarendon. —Tertullian reportetb, that 
the picture of Chrift was engraven upon the communion 
cup. Peacham on Drawing. —A common or public a6I—- 
Men began publicly to call on the name of the Lord; 
that is, they lerved and praiied God by communion, and 
in public manner. P.aleigh. —Union in the common wor- 
fnip of any church.—Bare communion, with a good church 
can never alone make a good man ; if it could, we (hould 
have no bad ones. South. 
COMMUNITY, f. \communilas, Lat.] The common¬ 
wealth ; the body politic.—The love of our country is 
impreffed on our mind for the prefervation of the commit - 
n'v.y. Addifon . 
How could communities. 
Degrees in fchools, and brotherhood in cities, 
But by degree Hand in authentic place? Shc.kefpeare. 
Common pofleflion ; the date contrary-to property or ap¬ 
propriation.—This text is far from proving Adam foie 
proprietor; it is a confirmation of the original community. 
of all things. Locke. 
Sit up and revel, 
Call all the great, the fair, and fpii ited dames 
Of Rome about thee, and begin a fafliion 
Of freedom and community. Ben Jonfon,. 
Frequency; commonnefs. Not in ufe: 
He was but, as the cuckow is :n June 
Heard, not regarded ; feen, but with fuch eyes, 
As, fick and blunted with community. 
Afford no extraoi dinary gaze. Shakefpeart. 
COMMUTABl'LfT Y, f. The quality of being capa¬ 
ble of exchange. 
COMMU' FABLE, adj. That may be exchanged for 
fomething clie ; that may.be bought off, or ranfomed. 
COMMUTATION, f. Change ; alteration.—An in¬ 
nocent nature could hate nothing that was innocent: in 
a word, fo great is the commutation, that the foul then 
hated only that which now it loves, i. e. fin. South. —Ex¬ 
change; the adt of giving one thing for another.—The 
whole univerfe is fuppoi ted by giving and returning, by 
commerce and commutation. South. —The ufe of money, 
in the commerce and traffic of mankind, is that of (aving 
the commutation of more bulky commodities. Arbuthnot .-— 
1 Ranfom; 
