Obs. In 17th c., a Roman Catholic who conformed outwardly to the Church of England.
1601. Dent, Pathw. Heauen, 125. Their hart is with Popery. They haue a Pope in their belly: they bee Church-papists.
1628. Earle, Microcosm. (Arb.), 31. A Church-Papist … comes to Church not to serue God, but the King…. He loues Popery well, but is loath to lose by it.
1659. Baxter, Key Cath., xlvi. 337. [Papists] that went under the name of Protestants, and were commonly called by the name of Church-Papists.
1682. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), I. 198. Now no other names are known then whig and tory, church papist, tantivee, [etc.].
