Also 5 spiritualite(e, 5–7 -alitie, 6 -allitie, -elity; 6 spyrytualite, 7 spirittuality. [a. OF. (e)spiritualité, -alleté (mod.F. spiritualité, = It. spiritualità, Sp. espiritualidad, Pg. -idade), or ad. late L. spīrituālitās, f. spīrituālis SPIRITUAL a.: see -ITY, and cf. SPIRITUALTY.]
1. The body of spiritual or ecclesiastical persons; = SPIRITUALTY 3. Now Hist.
c. 1441. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 207. I come before the spiritualite; Two cardynals, and byshoppis fyve [etc.].
1513. Life Henry V. (1911), 23. Theire armed power intendinge to oppresse the church, the spirituallitie, the Kinge and the realme.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 67. The corruptions and abuses of the spiritualitie, or (as some call it) of the ecclesiasticall hierarchie.
1625. Purchas, Pilgrims, II. 1753. This exchange commeth most commonly from the Spiritualitie, who doe secretly use it.
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., I. xxvi. 255. He blamed both spirituality and laity.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xviii. You of the spirituality make us laymen the pack-horses of your own concerns.
1900. Gasquet, Eve Ref., iii. (1905), 58. According to the lawyer, it should be the owner of the soil who should apportion the payment, and failing him, the Parliament, and not the spirituality.
b. A spiritual society.
1854. T. C. Upham, Life Mme. Guyon, xxxiv. 293. She was considered the head of the new spirituality.
2. That which has a spiritual character; ecclesiastical property or revenue held or received in return for spiritual services. Now arch.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 105. All the grettest thingis that ar belangand the governance of bathe temporalitee and spiritualitee ar to be knawin and kend be the pape.
1468–9. Inchaffray Charters (S.H.S.), 159. 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.
1651. [see TEMPORALTY 1].
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., I. xxvi. 270. In the First Year of the Queen, the Supreme Government over her Spirituality and Temporality, was given to her.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xliii. The said incumbent might lawfully enjoy the spirituality and temporality of the cure of souls at Knocktarlitie.
b. pl. Spiritual or ecclesiastical things; ecclesiastical possessions, rights, etc., of a purely spiritual character; = SPIRITUALTY 2 b. Now Hist.
1417. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. II. I. 61. The Gardeins of the spirituallities of Ardmaghe.
1570. Act 13 Eliz., c. 12 § 1. Parlyament … shall bryng from such Bysshop or Gardyan of Spyritualities [v.r. Spyrytualtyes] … a testimoniall of such Assent.
1635. Pagitt, Christianogr., I. iii. (1636), 187. Who doe extoll the Pope … not onely … in spiritualities, but also in Temporalities.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., 433. So these pretended Successours of Peter … have notoriously imitated that example of Simon in buying and selling Spiritualities.
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 200. They are Guardians of the Spiritualities during the Vacancy of the Bishoprick.
1727. Willis, Surv. Cathedr., Durham, 232. The Temporalities of Durham are valued at 1233l. 4s. 2d. and the Spiritualities at 494l. 19s. 3d.
1809. Bawdwen, Domesday Bk., 7. The King [has no right] in the manors of the Earl, excepting what relates to Spiritualities which belong to the Archbishop, in all the land of St. Peter of York.
1874. Stubbs, Const. Hist., I. xiv. 140. Their spiritualities, the tithes and oblations, were not to be taxed.
3. The quality or condition of being spiritual; attachment to or regard for things of the spirit as opposed to material or worldly interests.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxxxiv. 45. Sum spark of licht and spiritualitie Walkins my witt, and ressoun bidis me rys.
1641. R. Brooke, Eng. Episc., 7. If you then consider the quantity, the variety, the spirituality, of the Ministeriall worke under the Gospell.
1675. Owen, Indwelling Sin, iv. (1732), 35. The more of Spirituality and Holiness is in any Thing, the greater is its Enmity.
1737. Challoner, Cath. Chr. Instr., 177. His Life is written by the great St. Athanasius, and is full of excellent Lessons of Spirituality.
1787. Cowper, Lett., Wks. 1837, XV. 194. That spirituality which once enlivened all our intercourse.
1808. Jebb, Corr. w. Knox (1834), I. 403. Prayer is, undoubtedly, the life and soul of spirituality.
1852. Miss Yonge, Cameos (1877), III. xxxiii. 340. Painting, which had hitherto aimed chiefly at spirituality,… now made nature and beauty its primary object.
1883. H. Drummond, Nat. Law in Spir. W., ii. (1884), 89. No spiritual man ever claims that his spirituality is his own.
b. Spiritual character or function.
1660. R. Burney, Κέρδ. Δῶρον, 15. A King for his spirituality is properly and Hieroglyphically to be pourtrayed half in Heaven … and part on the Earth.
c. With a. and pl. A spiritual thing or quality as distinct from a material or worldly one; † a pious remark or saying.
1676. Life Father Sarpi, in Brent’s Counc. Trent, 73. He was never known to use any hypocritical actions,… not to speak with affected Spiritualities.
1840. Carlyle, Heroes, iii. (1904), 114. Nay, apart from spiritualities; and considering him [Shakspeare] merely as a real, marketable, tangibly-useful possession.
1855. W. H. Mill, Applic. Panth. Princ. (1861), 46. If … the so-called spiritualities which he alleges be the main inducement offered to the Christian.
† 4. An immaterial or incorporeal thing or substance; a spirit. Also fig. Obs.
1628. T. Spencer, Logick, 207. That includeth a corporall substance, and a spiritualitie, called life.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., III. 155. Might not such Microscopes hazard the discovery of the Aerial Genii, and present even Spiritualities themselves to our view?
1825. J. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, III. 428. The very dogs were lying about … as if they were … a species of new, four-footed spirituality.
† 5. The fact or state of being spirituous or of consisting of pure spirit; volatile state or quality.
1644. Digby, Nat. Bodies, xxvi. 240. The heate and spirituality of the bloud.
1660. trans. Paracelsus’ Archidoxis, I. I. 8. Medicine doth mundifie bodies, in whom is a spirituality.
1678. R. R[ussell], trans. Geber, I. x. 17. Luna or Silver is subtiliated and attenuated and reduced to Spirituality as above said.
6. The fact or condition of being spirit or of consisting of an incorporeal essence.
1681–6. J. Scott, Chr. Life, II. vii. (1718), 543. They who are to be judged being, by reason of their spirituality, in a Condition to attend to every one’s Trial while they are undergoing their own.
a. 1708. Beveridge, Thes. Theol. (1711), II. 336. We must celebrate … God’s spirituality … by serving Him in spirit.
1871. Tylor, Prim. Cult., II. 372. Such morbid disturbances are explained as symptoms of divine visitation, or at least of superhuman spirituality.
1884. J. Tait, Mind in Matter, Introd. 5. That He is invisible is accounted for by His spirituality.
