rare. [f. STATE sb. + -ISM.]
† 1. Subservience to political expediency in religious matters. Obs.
1609. [Bp. W. Barlow], Answ. Nameless Cath., 370. Religion turned into Statisme, will soone prooue Atheisme.
1626. R. Bernard, Isle of Man, II. (1627), 137. The Billes of Inditement framed by those false Informers beforementioned,… Machiauilian Statisme [etc.] … against Christian Conference…, and the rest.
c. 1660. South, Serm. (1715), 150. Hence it is, that the Enemies of God take Occasion to blaspheme, and call our Religion Statism.
† 2. ? Political science, statecraft. Obs.
1620. E. Blount, Horæ Subsec., 40. Such as professe to read Theorie of Statisme.
3. Government of a country by the state, as opposed to anarchy.
1880. Echo, 2 Jan., 4/1. The Nihilists do not believe in Communism, which is as bad as Statism, and equally deserving of suppression.
