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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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Religio(u)n(e, -legioun(e, n. Also: relyg-, -lieg-, -leidg-; rellig-; raleg- and -youne, -yown(e, -eoun, -eowne, -ieoun, -eon. [ME and e.m.E. religiun (c1200), -ion, relegyon (c1460), AF religiun (11th c.), F. religion a religious house (late 11th c. in Larousse), L. religiōn-, of doubtful origin, variously connected to relegere to read over again and religāre to bind.]For numerous further references, see the index to Acts XII.

1. A state of life bound by monastic vows.Chiefly in adv. phr. with of or in.(1) c1420 Wynt. vi 330.
Karoloman … tuk … The habyte off relygyowne c1420 Ib. 732.
Abbays mony fowndyd he And kyrkis of relygyowne c1420 Ib. vii 1212.
He held … The howrys all off relygyowne 1490 Irland Mir. I 11/33.
King Dauid … foundit mony placis of religioune a1538 Abell 83a.
Heir we religios men & wemen ma tak ane document in this halie man to keip the stait of religion at we haif tane(b) a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 1299.
Non orderis had he of relegioune 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 293/12.
Rea was enterit be hir brether in the hous & habit of relegioun(2) 1456 Hay I 228/33.
Sik men may nocht mak testament, na mariage, na mare na a man of religioun 1456 Ib. II 90/30.
All men of kirk and of religioun a1500 Henr. Fab. 1113.
Monkis and othir men of religioun c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii 1220.
Fyfty ladyis … sum off religioun 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1204.
Ladeis of religioun Quha makkis thair vow to observe chestetie c1552 Id. Mon. 5850.
3e brether of religioun, In tyme leif ȝour abusioun 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 178.
Thocht thow be of religioun [etc.](b) a1578 Pitsc. I 310/21.
This bischope and the lordis of reliegieoun … gaif sentance against this innocent man(3) c1515 Asloan MS I 256/21.
Constantyne … left the warld and enterit in religioun a1538 Abell 49b.
Drustin … left the wanite of the warld & lewit in religioun 15.. Clar. v 2890.
The king … And eik his queine, war in religioun gone, … in ane abay 1615 Douglas Corr. 196.
Conseruing my professioun in religeoun(b) 1538 Grey Friars II 36.
To be profeist … in ralegioun of the sam ordour and to taik the aibet tharof(4) a1538 Abell 83a.
Bot seuerest it wer to pas to reformit religioun(5) a1568 Bannatyne MS 159a/97.
Reklesly on thair sawll religioun can thay tak

2. a. coll. People of religion; members of religious orders. b. A particular monastic order or rule. c. A religious house. d. A ministry, the profession of a minister.a. 1375 Barb. xx 166.
And to religioun of ser statis … gaf he Siluer c1450-2 Howlat 190 (A).
All maner of religioun the les & the maire c1475 Wall x 1002.
The byschoprykis inclynyt till his croune Bathe temperalite and all the religioune 1494 Loutfut MS 11a.
Thairfor wes ordanit that the maist pairt of religioun suld were blak a1568 Bannatyne MS 80a/13.
All religioun levis in holinesb. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1134.
Temptationis … That daylie sagis men of religiounis 1533 Boece 226.
The religioun namyt heremytanis brocht be Augustine fra the desertis to duell in townis … ar als devote and cunnyng as ony vthir religiounc. c1420 Wynt. vii 678.
At Sanctandrewys religyowne c1420 Ib. 896.
He suld gere thare be set … a relygyownd. 1562-3 Winȝet I 112/12.
Gif ȝe allege that ȝe wowit nocht, of quhat mynd enterit ȝe in ȝour religioun?

3. Religion viewed as action or conduct arising from belief in or reverence for a deity; rites or ceremonies implying such belief; organised or formalised religion, in general. 1513 Doug. ii vii 120.
Nor ȝit thé, Panthus, … Thy gret pety, and godly religioun, Nor habyt of Apollo hyd from skayth 1533 Bell. Livy I 17/12.
Profest hir as ane nvn … vnder cullour to decore hir with solemne religioun 1533 Ib. 46/35.
Relligioun 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3673 (Ch.).
Mariage, be my opinioun, It is better religioun As to be freir or nun c1552 Id. Mon. 1914.
No reuerence done to religioun 1561 Treasurer's Accounts XI 70.
That nane of thame mak ony alteratioun or inviolatioun in the stait of religioun uthirwys nor wes at the quenis grace arriving in this realme 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 171/18.
The speciall caus … of all kynd of variance in religioun … is that princis has vendicat dispositioun of benefices 1562-3 Winȝet I 3/4.
Tweching religion … [we] can esteme it [Scotland] to na thing mair lyke than to ane schip in ane dedely storme 1562-3 Ib. 136/33.
We will nocht only nocht iwne with ȝow generalie in religioun [etc.] 1562-3 Ib. II 52/24.
That thing lat him vndirstand to pertene nocht to religioun, bot rather to tentatioun 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 24.
Not for luif thai beir to it [sc. papistry] (for thai ar scornaris of all religioun) a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS 336/7.
Godis buke Quhair may be fund The perfectioun of religioun Off faythe the grund 1589 Logie Par. Hist. 21.
He was fund to have sum mein knawledge in the grounds of religione 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. in Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 217 title.
A facile traictise, contenand … ane infallible reul to discerne trew from fals religion 1611 Fugitive Poetry II ii 6/2.
The only pillar … whairby relligion in this region stands a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 21.
Ther should none be presented therto bot qualified persones in religion, literatur, practique, and judgment 1638 Nat. Covenant in Facs. Nat. MSS III xcvii.
Wnder the externall cloake of religion

4. A particular system of faith and worship; a religion.(1) c1420 Wynt. ii 996.
Hys [sc. Busiris'] relygyoune [was] cruelere Than … tyrandry in ony gre 1531 Bell. Boece I 53.
He set his mind to repare the religion of Goddis, for it wes decait in his faders time 1560 Buke of Discipline 196.
Christis trew religioun 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 81.
For contempsione and blasphemyng of Cristis religion — 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 152/19.
I oblis my self … to renunce my religioun and subiect my self to ȝoure factioun 1562-3 Winȝet I 112/16.
Sen sum of ȝour religioun affirmis [etc.] 1563 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 44.
[That] there was a mid-way betwixt papistrie and our religion 1570 Leslie 293.
Religeowne 1558-66 Knox II 518.
She would not jeopard her religion upon such as were there present 1601 Grant Burgh Schools 417.
[The master of the grammar school of Glasgow to] try the religion of the Irischemen [in his school](2) 1531 Bell. Boece I 38.
And othir superstitionis plesand to the religioun of thay dayis 1558–9 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I lxiv.
All thai that ar contrarious to the religion Christian 1562-3 Winȝet I 7/30.
Sua ȝe nobilis … hes destroyit the trew religioun … safer as ȝe mycht c1575 Balfour Pract. 30 marg.
Anent the cassing … of all lawis … contrare to the religioun professit within this realme a1585 Maitland Quarto MS 167/63.
Sen doun is the auld religioun [etc.] 1573-1600 Burne Disput. in Cath. Tr. 159/24.
Martin Lauter quha hes destroyit the Catholik religion … throuch the hale Latine impyre 1596 Dalr. I 143/10.
It was his fathires wil that thay sulde imbrace quhat religione lyket thame best frilie 1602 Reg. Privy C. VI 352.
In all thingis concerning … the exercise of the trew religioun 1603 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) VII.
The Romane religioun callit papisteri 1638 Dumbarton B. Rec. 55.
So nerlie concerning the religioun and libertie of this kingdome 1676 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 219.
To … the great scandall of the reformed religion 1689 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 9 March.
The counsell … injoined him to … vote for the preserving of the Protestant religioun(b) 1665 Bk. Old Edinb. C. V 125.
The professed releidgeon(3) a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS 41/23.
[Priests] … for zele of relegioun, Off Christin peple oft maid sacrefece 1578 Reg. Privy S. VII 275/2.
Befoir the alteratioun of religioun presentlie professit within this realme 1605 Rothiemay Kirk S. in J. Gordon Hist. I App. 1.
[Two girls who did not take Communion] pretendit excuss of seikness bot suspect of religion 1608 Aberd. Council Lett. I 106.
That none ony waye suspect in religioun be putt in lyittes to any plaice of magistracye 1622 Perth Kirk S. MS 9 July.
That that religioun profest be him is not aggreabill to Goddis word in speciall poyntis concerning mannis saluatioun

b. The religion, the Protestant or Reformed religion.Cf. e.m.E., in this sense (1577), after the French. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 46.
The quene seking to move sum thing in the religioun [etc.] 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 78.
Robert bischope of Dunkeld [etc.] … quha wer not adioynit to the religioun 1597 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II 324.
That his majestie move my Leadie Huntlie to embrase the religion 14.. Acts (1597) Table s.v. Religion.
And perswaders of men fra the religion c1610 Jok Uplandis Newis fol. 4b.
His hyenes shew … that he wold not … suffer the religione to come in anie danger 1617 Mar & Kellie MSS Suppl. 79.
But thois of the religioun hes opponit thairinto [sc. plans of the Papal nuncio] a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 162.
That no persone excomunicat for not conformeing themselfes to the religion shall enjoy … their lands, rents, and revenues

5. Religion viewed as an attitude or motive governing the behaviour of a person or community, religious faith. a1538 Abell 49a.
The king … gidit the kinrik in gret iustice religioun and pece 1562-3 Winȝet I 54/29.
That we mot knaw his invart religioun be his fidelitie … in externe materis a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl F. 55/1.
Religioun now is raknit as ane fabill 1596–1600 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II 419.
He callit the kings counsall atheists, of na religion [etc.] 1622-6 Bisset II 148/17.
It is … necesser, to pray for all the leving, … bot the samin for the moist pairte is forȝett … quhilk is the cause of the cauldnese of our religioun

6. personified. 1513 Doug. i v 112.
Ancyant faith and valiant knychthed, With chaste religioune, sal than the lawys led 1625 Garden
Religion lieves and in her beawtie budes 1625 Kings 57.

7. attrib. in sense 1 or 2. a1538 Abell 30b.
Be prechin of dewote religioun men