religion (_________). Forms: 3*4 religiun(e, 4*5 -ioun(e, 5*6 -yon(e, -ione, 7 relligion; 3*6 relygyon, 4 -un, -ioun, 5*6 -ion; 4 riligioun, 6 relegioune; 3* religion.
[a. AF. religiun (11th c.), F. religion, or ad. L. religion-em, of doubtful etymology, by Cicero connected with relegere to read over again, but by later authors with religare to bind, religate (see Lewis and Short, s.v.); the latter view has usually been favoured by modern writers in explaining the force of the word by its supposed etymological meaning.]
1. a. A state of life bound by monastic vows; the condition of one who is a member of a religious order, esp. in the Roman Catholic Church.
c1200 Vices & Virtues 43 Ğo ğe ğese swikele woreld habbeğ forlaten and seruiğ ure drihten on religiun, hie fol_iğ Daniele, ğe hali profiete.
a1300 Cursor M. 23049 şai..went Şaim in to religiun,..For to beserue vr lauerd dright.
1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. ix. 82 Dobet..is Ronnen in-to Religiun..And precheŞ Şe peple seint poules wordes.
1390 Gower Conf. III. 317 In blake clothes thei hem clothe,..And yolde hem to religion.
c1449 Pecock Repr. v. ii. 484 In oon maner religioun is..a binding vp or a bynding a_en of a mannys fre wil with certein ordinauncis,..or with vowis or oothis.
c1500 Lancelot 1300 Non orderis had he of Relegioune.
1528 Roy Rede me (Arb.) 66 Ware thou never in religion? Yes so god helpe me and halydom, A dosen yeres continually.
1586 A. Day Eng. Secretary i. (1625) 126 Forsweare thou nothing good, but building of Monasteries and entring into Religion.
1663 H. Cogan tr. Pinto’s Trav. xxviii. 111 Those of the country [China] repute him for a Saint, because he ended his dayes in Religion.
1765 H. Walpole Otranto iv, My father..was retired into religion in the Kingdom of Naples.
1825 Southey in Q. Rev. XXXII. 364 We must enter into religion and be made nuns by will or by force.
1886 H. N. Oxenham Mem. R. de Lisle 6 The two others..are in religion; the former entered the Order of the Good Shepherd in 1863.
transf.
1535 Lyndesay Satyre 3673 Mariage, be my opinioun, It is better Religioun, As to be freir or Nun.
† b. man, etc. of religion, one bound by monastic vows or in holy orders. Obs.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 49 şis loc ne haueğ non to offren bute Şese lif-holie men of religiun.
a1300 Cursor M. 29285 Qua smites preist or clerk,..or ani man of religion,..he is cursd.
13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 7 Renkez of relygioun Şat reden & syngen.
c1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 7 _if Şei seyn Şat Şei ben most holy and best men of religion.
1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 3192 Somme folkys of relygyon.
1485 Caxton Paris & V. (1868) 12 To become a man of religion.
† c. house, etc. of religion, a religious house, a monastery or nunnery. Obs.
13.. Sir Beues (MS. A) 4613 An hous he made of riligioun, For to singe for sire Beuoun.
1340 Ayenb. 41 Huanne me bernŞ oŞer brekŞ cherches..oŞer hous of relygioun.
?a1400 Arthur 488 In Abbeys of Relygyoun şat were cristien of name.
c1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. xix. (1885) 155 OŞer kynges haue ffounded byshopriches, abbeys, and oŞer howses off relegyon.
c1535 in Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. cxxi. §95 (1611) 773/1 Spoiled in like maner..as the housys of Religion hath bene.
1568 Grafton Chron. II. 144 Many houses of relygion within the Citie..were searched for goodes of aliauntes.
2. a. A particular monastic or religious order or rule; †a religious house. Now rare.
a1225 Ancr. R. 4 Rihten hire & smeğen hire is of euch religiun, & of efrich ordre Şe god, & al Şe strengğe.
c1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 52/192 Seint Edward cam..To an holi man Şat Şere was nei_ in an oŞur religion.
13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 1156 His fader forloyne..feched hem wyth strenŞe, & robbed Şe relygioun of relykes alle.
c1400 Rom. Rose 6352 Somtyme am I prioresse,..And go thurgh alle regiouns, Sekyng alle religiouns.
1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 426/1 Saynt Rygoberte..ordeyned a relygyon of chanounes and clerkes.
1528 Cromwell in Merriman Life & Lett. (1902) I. 322 The exchaunge to be made bitwene your colledge in Oxforde and his religion for Saundforde.
a1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 143 This priest..was receiued into euery Religion with Procession, as though the Legate had been there.
1568 Grafton Chron. II. 194 This Religion of Saint Iohns, was greatly preferred, by the fall and suppression of the Templers.
1631 Weever Anc. Funeral Mon. 114 If any professed in the said Religion were negligently forgotten.
1687 A. Lovell tr. Thevenot’s Trav. i. 12 A Dagger, which the King of Spain sent as a Present to the Religion.
1769 Ann. Reg. 147 Some ships of the religion of Malta.
1858 Faber Foot of Cross (1872) 70 There were several false and counterfeit religions, which had troubled the church about this time.
transf.
1497 Bp. Alcock Mons Perfect. B iij, As hymself for his pryde and enuy was cast out of the holy relygyon of heuen.
† b. collect. People of religion. Obs.
1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2812 şanne Şe religion & holi chirche worŞ ef sone ybro_t al adoun.
1375 Barbour Bruce xx. 162 Till religioune of seir statis, For heill of his saull, gaf he Siluir in-to gret quantite.
c1450 Holland Howlat 190 Alkyn chennonis eik of vther ordouris, All maner of religioun, the less and the mair.
† c. A member of a religious order. Obs.
13.. Cursor M. 22001 (Gött), Quatkin man sum euer it es..Or laued or religiun.
1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 7557 Specyaly Şat comandeŞ he.. to bysshopes, and persones, To prestys, an ouŞer relygyons.
c1325 Chron. Eng. 527 in Ritson Metr. Rom. II. 292 That on partie he sende..To thilke that were povre in londe; That other to povre religiouns; The thridde to povre cleregouns.
3. a. Action or conduct indicating a belief in, reverence for, and desire to please, a divine ruling power; the exercise or practice of rites or observances implying this. Also pl., religious rites. Now rare, exc. as implied in 5.
a1225 Ancr. R. 10 Cleane religiun..is iseon & helpen widewen & federlease children & from Şe worlde witen him cleane & unwemmed.
c1250 Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 29 şer were vi. Ydres of stone..wer Şo gius hem wesse for clenesse and for religiun.
a1300 Cursor M. 12676 şis iacob..was o gret religiun, Hali liue he ladd al-wais.
1382 Wyclif Lev. xvi. 31 The holiday forsothe of restyng it is, and _e shulen traueil _oure soules thur_ perpetuel religioun.
1553 Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 27 They eate that fleshe with great religion.
1577 T. Vautrollier Luther on Ep. Gal. 151 They that trust in theyr owne righteousnes, thinke to pacifie the wrath of God by their..voluntarie religion.
1613 Purchas Pilgrimage iii. i. (1614) 232 They vsed yet some Religion in gathering of their Cinamon,..sacrificing before they beganne [etc.].
1667 Milton P.L. i. 372 The Image of a Brute, adorn’d With gay Religions full of Pomp and Gold.
1726 Leoni tr. Alberti’s Archit. II. 21/2 The Ancients used to found the Walls of their Cities with the greatest religion, dedicating them to some God who was to be their guardian.
1788 Gibbon Decl. & F. xlix. V. 89 The public religion of the Catholics was uniformly simple and spiritual.
1900 R. W. Dixon Hist. Ch. Eng. xxxvi. (1902) VI. 5 The religions of the religious orders..were swept away under the condemnation of superstition and abuse.
† b. A religious duty or obligation. Obs.
1537 St. Papers Hen. VIII, I. ii. 557 Thei thoght a religion to kepe secret, betwene God and them, certayn thinges.
1549 Latimer 5th Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 135 The dutye betwene man and wyfe, whiche is a holy religyon, but not religiouslye kepte.
4. a. A particular system of faith and worship.
a1300 Cursor M. 18944 In Şat siquar was in Şat tun Men of alkin religioun.
1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 4522 şe Iewes and cristen men,..Sal Şan..Assent in Crist als a religion.
1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane’s Comm. 92 b, They neyther allure nor compelle any man unto their Religion.
1594 Hooker Eccl. Pol. iv. xi. §2 The church of Rome, they say,..did almost out of all religions take whatsoever had any fair and gorgeous show.
1625 B. Jonson Staple of N. ii. i, I wonder what religion he is of.
1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacræ ii. vi. §15 Whereby we plainly see what clear evidence is given to the truth of that religion which is attested with a power of miracles.
1732 Berkeley Alciphr. iv. §25 The Christian Religion, which pretends to teach men the knowledge and worship of God.
1791 Paine Rights of Man (ed. 4) 79 If they are to judge of each others religion, there is no such thing as a religion that is right.
1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. vi. II. 65 All religions were the same to him.
1862 Max Müller Chips (1880) I. ix. 186 All important religions have sprung up in the East.
transf.
1849 Longfellow Kavanagh xvi. 78 The memory of that mother had become almost a religion to her.
1872 Liddon Elem. Relig. i. 23 We hear men speak of a religion of art, of a religion of work, of a religion of civilization.
† b. the Religion
[after F.]: the Reformed Religion, Protestantism. Obs.
1577 F. de Lisle’s Legendarie G viij, There was a noise raised that the Admiral had endeuoured to expel the Masse, and to plant the Religion in France.
1601 R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. 106 They againe are deuided into 13 Cantons, 8 whereof are catholike, the residue of the religion.
1642 Howell For. Trav. (Arb.) 46 They of the Religion, are now Town-lesse and Arme-lesse.
a1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. xv. §153 Those of the Religion possessed them~selves with many arm’d Men of the Town-House.
c. religion of nature: the worship of Nature in place of a more formal system of religious belief.
1902 W. James Var. Relig. Exper. iv. 91 In that ‘theory of evolution’ which..has within the past twenty-five years swept so rapidly over Europe and America, we see the ground laid for a new sort of religion of Nature, which has entirely displaced Christianity from the thought of a large part of our generation.
1961 D. G. James Matthew Arnold i. 22 The essay itself is given up chiefly to a warm exposition of her religion of nature.
5. a. Recognition on the part of man of some higher unseen power as having control of his destiny, and as being entitled to obedience, reverence, and worship; the general mental and moral attitude resulting from this belief, with reference to its effect upon the individual or the community; personal or general acceptance of this feeling as a standard of spiritual and practical life.
c1535 in Burnet Hist. Ref. (1679) I. Rec. iii. 140 That true Religion is not contained in Apparel,..singing, and such other kind of Ceremonies; but in cleanness of mind [etc.].
1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane’s Comm. 46 b, Amonges the Suyces encreased dayly contention for Religion.
1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxv. §16 The tribe of Reuben..were..accused of backwardness in religion.
1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 20 True Religion is the right way of reconciling and reuniting man to God.
1651 Hobbes Leviath. i. xii. 52 There are no signes..of Religion, but in Man onely.
1704 Nelson Fest. & Fasts ix. (1739) 587 It keeps a lively Sense of Religion upon our Minds.
1776 Adam Smith W.N. v. ii. (1869) II. 459 So slender a security as the probity and religion of the inferior officers of revenue.
1832 H. Martineau Hill & Valley iii. 45 The best part of religion is to imitate the benevolence of God to man.
1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. ii. I. 176 About two thousand ministers of religion..were driven from their benefices in one day.
1877 Sparrow Serm. vii. 90 True religion, in its essence and in kind, is the same everywhere.
personified.
1597 Shakes. Lover’s Compl. 250 Religious love put out Religion’s eye.
1607 — Timon iii. ii. 83 Religion grones at it.
c1652 Milton Sonn. to Sir H. Vane, Therfore on thy firme hand religion leanes In peace, & reck’ns thee her eldest son.
1717 Pope Eloïsa 39 There stern Religion quench’d th’ unwilling flame.
1781 Cowper Expost. 492 Religion, if in heavenly truths attired, Needs only to be seen to be admired.
1844 A. B. Welby Poems (1867) 72 ’Tis then that sweet Religion’s holy wing Broods o’er the spirit.
b. to get religion: see get v. 12 d.
† c. Awe, dread. Obs. rare1.
a1642 Bedell Erasmus in Fuller Abel Rediv. (1867) I. 78 He took a general view of most parts of Italy as far as Cumae, where (not without some religion and horror)..he beheld the cave of Sibylla.
6. transf.
† a. Devotion to some principle; strict fidelity or faithfulness; conscientiousness; pious affection or attachment. Obs.
1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. i. ii. 93 When the deuout religion of mine eye Maintaines such falshood, then turne teares to fire.
1600 — A.Y.L. iv. i. 201 Ros... Keep your promise. Orl. With no lesse religion, then if thou wert indeed my Rosalind.
1630 B. Jonson New Inn i. i, Out of a religion to my charge, And debt profess’d, I have made a self-decree.
1640 Habington Edw. IV 182 The ancient league observ’d with so much Religion betweene England and the Low Countries.
1691 Wood Ath. Oxon. I. Pref., An old Word is retain’d by an Antiquary with as much Religion as a Relick.
b. In phr. to make (a) religion of or to make (it) religion to, to make a point of, to be scrupulously careful (†not) to do something.
(a)
1599 B. Jonson Cynthia’s Rev. v. ii, Let mortals learn To make religion of offending heaven.
1622 Peacham Compl. Gent. 44 Nor bee so foolish precise as a number are, who make it Religion to speake otherwise then this or that Author.
(b)
1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. v. ii. 199 By your command (Which my loue makes Religion to obey) I tell you this.
1869 W. M. Baker New Timothy 199 (Cent.), Its acidity sharpens Mr. Wall’s teeth.., yet, under the circumstances, he makes a religion of eating it.
† 7. The religious sanction or obligation of an oath, etc. Obs.
a1619 M. Fotherby Atheom. i. vi. §2 (1622) 42 Vnder the religion of an Oath.
c1645 Howell Lett. (1650) II. 117 According to the rules and religion of friendship.
a1694 Tillotson Serm. (1742) II. xxii. 65 If the religion of an oath will not oblige men to speak truth, nothing will.
1704 J. Blair in W. S. Perry Hist. Coll. Amer. Col. Ch. (1870) I. 107, I shall under the same religion of an oath acquaint your Lordships with..what I remember.
8. attrib. and Comb., as religion-complex, -dresser, -game, -making, -mender, -monger, -shop; religion-arousing, -infectious, -masked, -raptured adjs.;
† religion man = sense 1 b.
1957 J. S. Huxley Relig. without Revelation (rev. ed.) vii. 174 Potential *religion-arousing objects.
1922 Brit. Jrnl. Psychology Oct. 117 Such complexes clearly exist in the normal mind with perfectly free access to consciousness, e.g. the ‘*religion complex’.
a1640 Day Peregr. Schol. (1881) 72 This new vicker was made out of an olde ffrier that had bene twice turnd at a *Religion-dressers.
1961 J. Wilson Reason & Morals ii. 120 Thus J. R. Lucas..even puts in a good word for the *religion-game.
1706 A. Shields Inq. Ch. Communion (1747) 51 Such as are..*religion-infectious, like to spread and leaven all in communion with such a congregation.
1888 Mrs. H. Ward R. Elsmere xlix, We are in the full stream of *religion-making.
c1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 57 *Religioune men alwey wonnyng in the Court,..It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought.
1633 Ford ’Tis Pity v. iii, Your *religion-masked sorceries.
1824 W. E. Andrews Crit. Rev. Fox’s Bk. Mart. I. 380 The irreligious and blasphemous pretentions of those *religion-menders.
1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 366 The Antiquaries..who have searched more narrowly into this up~start *Religion-Monger.
1718 Entertainer 253 The Fathers [are represented as]..a Parcel of old passive Religion-Mongers.
1796 Southey Lett. fr. Spain 341 The fervid soul of that blest Maid, *Religion-raptur’d.
1811 L. M. Hawkins Countess & Gertrude (1812) II. xxvii. 79 Well may scoffers talk of the *religion-shops of London.