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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Spiritualite, Speritualite, n. Also: spiritualitie, -itee, -ity, sperutualite, speiritwalitie. [Late ME and e.m.E. spiritualite (c1441), spirituallitie (1513), spirituality (1644), OF esperitualité (1283 in Larousse), late L. spīrituālitās f. spīrituālis.]

1. The part of life concerned with spiritual matters, spiritual affairs as opposed to those of a worldly or material nature.Chiefly, in collocation with, and seen as complementary to, temporalite.(1) c1420 Wynt. v Prol. 39 (W).
The doubill gouernall, That is to say of spiritualite, And the tother of temporalite … thire twa staittis … Signifyis the suerdis twa Quhareof a speciall mencioun Is said in Cristis passioun 1456 Hay I 109/13, 14.
Rycht as the pape is lord of the spiritualitee, sa is the emperoure in temporalitee 1456 Hay I 253/28.
Quhat ever he be that is king of Napples mon … mak speciale aith and oblissing to the pape as specale lord soverane till him … . And thus is the pape full lord and soverane prince of Nappleis, bathe in spiritualitee and in temporalitee 1456 Hay II 17/29.
War all knychtis and clerkis but errour, than wald thai be till all the lave of the warld a gude myrour … and sen thir twa thingis governis and manetenis all this warld—the tane the spiritualitee, the tother the temporalitee [etc.] 1456 Hay II 44/33.
The suerd is ordanyt to do justice with; and tharfore is it maid with twa egeis, in takenyng that he suld manetene and defend bathe temporalitee and spiritualitee 1490 Irland Mir. III 108/14.
Police … is a congregacioun of men … in this mortale lif that ar ordinat to giddir be law or commandment … to lyff to giddir in pece and sufficience owthir in temporalite or in spiritualite(2) 1490 Irland Mir. II 67/27.
God … knawand the gret perell we ar in to cum to the realme of paradice has ordand for our direccioun and gyde the halikyrk that is the gret torche of licht and hevinly bricht sone in spiritualite

b. The quality or state or being spiritual in character or nature; concern for spiritual matters, religious or moral feeling.Chiefly seen as an attribute of the soul. 1456 Hay I 210/14.
God … has maid twa grete princis … to the governance of the warlde … the pape apon the day … to schyne in governaunce of spiritualitee of oure saulis and of the Cristyn faith, and of all the governaunce of the haly kirkis, ande the emperoure to be governour of all erdly temporale mundane thing 1456 Hay II 37/34.
As for nature spirituale, man is mare honourde. … be the noblese of the spiritualitee of the saule resounable, that accordis with angelis of hevin, thare is grete difference c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 21/3.
Sum spark of lycht and spiritualite Walkynnis my witt, and … My corrupt conscience askis … First grace, syne space for to amend my mys

2. The part of a bishopric or benefice considered to belong to it by ‘divine right’.In contradistinction to the temporalite which were lands and property with which the church was endowed. (See temporalité n.) 1468–9 Inchaffray Chart. 159.
That quhat tym we the saide Georg abbat beis admittit be our juge ordinare to the spiritualite ande be our souerane lord the king to the temporalite of the said abbisse 1515 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 59.
The said profitis and frutis [baith of spiritualite and temporalite added] to be disponit be the avis of my lord governour 1606 Chart. Coupar A. II 218.
The saidis estaittis … declaris that the temporalitie propertie and superioritie … being in his maiesteis handis be ressoun of the generall annexatioun of the kirklandis … to the croun … lyk as the spiritualitie of the said benefice contening the abbay place and monasterie with the houssis biggingis orchardis ȝairdis and thair pertinentis lyand within the precinct of the said abbay togidder with the teyndscheves [etc.] … quhilkis cummis under the generall exceptioun fra the said annexatioun and quhilkis laitlie pertenit to Mr. Andro Lamb undoubtit commendatar of the spiritualitie of the said abbacie 1630 Sweetheart Abbey Tax Roll heading.
Spirituality 1643 Acts VI i 27/1.
The sowmes of money presently to be lent are not to be ingathered … by the devisiounes of temporalities and spiritualities but [etc.] 1656 Glasgow B. Rec. II 345.
Ane rentall book … containing … the natoure of the tounis right of the tyndis of the speiritwalitie of the archbischoprick of Glasgow 1681 Stair Inst. ii viii § 8.
Teinds were prohibited to be set in feu to laymen … or any way to be alienated from the Church, though church-lands might be set feu; these being accounted but the temporality, and the teinds the spirituality, as flowing from a spiritual ground, or divine right

3. The clergy; the spiritual estate (see Spiritual(e adj. 4 b). Also, once, law of spiritualite, ecclesiastical law. Also personified.(1) 1524 Acts II 289/2.
The mast part of the temporale lordis had chosin the vj lordis of spiritualitie … to be lordis of the artiklis 1530–1 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 349.
For the spiritualitie, the archibischop of Sanctandrois, the bischop of Dunkeld, [etc.] … for the temporalite, the erle of Huntlie, … the lord Erskin [etc.] 1542 Coll. Rebus Alban. 27.
The papistical, curside spiritualitie of Scotland, will not heir … nor confesse that euer such [pr. snch] a kynge, namede Albanactus, reagnede ther 1546 Acts II 472/1.
The quhilk day Gawyne Archibischope of Glesgw for him self and in name of all the speritualite protestit that [etc.] 1549 Compl. 135/12.
My tua brethir nobilis and speritualite vald hef defendit vs and til hef resistit our enemeis 1549 Compl. 162/30.
The Kyng of Ingland vil be na mair gracius, curtas nor merciful to thé … nor he hes bene to the sperutualite of Ingland 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 331.(2) c1460 Regim. Princ. 286 (Fairf.).
To tak revard for doyng of justice Thai offend bayth to God & to thare office & als ar courst of law of spiritualite Quhilk but the pape may nocht assoilȝit bepersonified 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2683.
My lord Spiritualitie [B. Temporalitie] In gudlie haist I will that ȝe Set into few ȝour temporall lands, To men that labours with thair hands 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2819.
I wil conclude nathing of that … Without my lord of Spiritualitie Thairto consent with all this haill cleargie 1549 Compl. 161/24.
(O my sone speritualite) I exort thé that thou cause al thy membris concur to gyddir to mak reformatione of the sklanderous abusione that ringis amang them