Also 5–6 laye, 6 leye, laii, 5–7 laie, 6–7 lai. [a. F. lai (now replaced by the learned form laïque):—eccl.L. lāicus, a. Gr. λᾱικός (cf. LAIC). Cf. MDu. leec (Du. leek), OHG. leigo (MHG. leige, leie, mod.G. laie) layman.]
1. Of persons: Belonging to the ‘people’ as contradistinguished from the clergy; not in orders, non-clerical.
When prefixed to official titles, the adj. is often hyphened.
c. 1330. [see B].
1432–50. [see LAYMAN].
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 34. Alle relygious men, þat to leryd or to lay-folk … mynystren ony of þise in sacramentys.
1481. Caxton, Godfrey, xv. 42. The maners of the Clergye and of the laye peple.
1550. Crowley, Inform. & Petit., 4. The laie and priuate persons ar as well of the flocke of Christe as the other.
1577. Colet, Fruitf. Admon., 5. If thou be lay and vnmaried.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., II. iii. 52. Neither did the first Nicene councel … think it any robbery to require the help … of many learned lay brethren, as they were then called.
1651. C. Cartwright, Cert. Relig., I. 76. It is erroneous … that a Lay-man (as your Lay-Chancellour) should excommunicate and deliver up soules to Sathan.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 186. No Convocation having power to grant any Subsidies, or aid without confirmation from the Lay-Senate.
1717. Berkeley, Jrnl. Tour Italy, 8 Jan., Wks. 1871, IV. 514. A good number of gentlemen, lay as well as ecclesiastic.
1747. Wesley, Wks. (1872), II. 67. He expressed the most rooted prejudice against Lay-Preachers.
1766. Gray, Corr. N. Nicholls (1843), 65. Ansel is lately dead, a lay-fellow of your college.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), III. 68. A general prescription de non decimando can no more be set up against a lay impropriator than against a spiritual person.
1820. Scott, Monast., xiii. [A] mill, erected on the lands of a lay-baron.
1873. Hamerton, Intell. Life, XI. i. (1875), 398. A powerful lay element is certainly separating itself from the ecclesiastical element all over Europe.
1893. Globe, 1 July, 6/4. The Lay Helpers’ Association of the diocese of London.
2. Characteristic of, connected or concerned with, occupied or performed by, laymen or the laity.
1609. Bible (Douay), II. Index, Laiheadshippe of the Church is rejected by most Heretiques, and by al Catholiques.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., I. iv. 11. Had the Cardinall But halfe my Lay-thoughts in him.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., II. Ad Sec. xi. 25. It cannot hallow a Lay designe, and make it fitt to become a religious ministery.
1675. in Parl. Hist. (1808), IV. 783. This bribing men by drink is a lay simony.
1750. Carte, Hist. Eng., II. 129. These were levelled against lay-patronages, and the prohibitions of secular Courts.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 458. Lay corporations are of two sorts, civil and eleemosynary. Ibid. (1767), II. 61. The four kinds of lay tenure which subsisted in England, till the middle of the last century.
1780. Cowper, Progr. Err., 371. With reverend tutor clad in habit lay.
1816. Coleridge (title), The Statesman’s Manual … A lay Sermon, addressed to the higher classes of society.
1867. Trollope, Last Chron. Barset, II. xlvii. 31. The bishop strove to get up a little lay conversation.
3. Transferred senses. † a. Uninstructed, unlearned. Obs. rare.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 171. Lered men and lay, fre and bond of toune.
1535. Coverdale, Acts iv. 13. They sawe the boldnesse of Peter & Ihon and marueyled for they were sure yt they were vnlerned and laye people.
b. Non-professional, not expert, esp. with reference to law and medicine.
1810. Bentham, [see GENT sb.]. Ibid. (1826), in Westm. Rev., Oct., 457. Lay-gents however … will … see a convenience in it.
1861. Maine, Anc. Law (1874), 31. A mine of law unrevealed to the bar and to the lay-public.
1883. W. A. Jevons, in Law Times, 27 Oct., 431/2. Lay legislators … jumped to the conclusion that [etc.].
1892. Law Times, XCIV. 171/2. There is a natural confusion in the lay mind between a trustee and an executor.
1897. J. W. Clark, Barnwell, p. lxvii. The prevention of disease, as well as the cure of it, is too technical for lay interference.
† c. Unhallowed, unsanctified; unspiritual, secular, worldly, esp. in phr. lay part. Obs.
1609. Bible (Douay), 1 Sam. xxi. 4. I have no lay breads [Vulg. laicos panes] at hand, but only holy bread.
a. 1613. Overbury, A Wife, etc. (1638), 49. That goodly frame we see of flesh and blood … it is I say But their Lay-part; but well digested food.
1615. T. Adams, Spir. Navig., 40. We see but the lay-part of things with these opticke organs.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Priesthood, x. Exchanging my lay-sword For that of th’ holy word.
a. 1668. Sir W. Waller, Div. Medit. (1839), 58. Thou hast shewed mercy to my worldly part, to my lay part; O heal my spiritual part.
4. Special collocations. Lay abbot (see quot.). Lay baptism, baptism administered by a layman. Lay bishop, † (a) applied derisively to those who set up as teachers of morality; (b) a playful term for a lay-rector. Lay brother, a man who has taken the habit and vows of a religious order, but is employed mostly in manual labor and is exempt from the studies or choir-duties required of the other members. † Lay chattels [AF. lai chatel] (see quot.). Lay clerk, (a) a ‘singing man’ in a cathedral or collegiate church; (b) a parish clerk: see CLERK sb. 2 b. Lay communion, (a) the condition of being in communion with the Church as a layman; (b) the communicating of the laity in the Eucharist. Lay deacon, a man in deacon’s orders who devotes only part of his time to religious ministrations, while following a secular employment. Lay elder (see ELDER sb.3 4); hence lay-eldership. Lay judge, a judge who is not a lawyer (Cent. Dict.). Lay lord, a peer who is not a lawyer; opposed to law lord. Lay pope, a layman who assumes the authority of a pope. † Lay presbyter, ? = ‘lay elder’; hence lay presbytery. Lay reader, a layman licensed to conduct religious services. Lay rector (see RECTOR). Lay sister, the analogue in a female religious order of a lay brother. Lay vicar (see VICAR). See also LAY-FEE.
1872. Gloss. Eccl. Terms (ed. Shipley), s.v. Abbot, *Lay-Abbot, a layman in possession of abbey property. Called also Abbot Non-religious.
1726. Ayliffe, Parerg., 105. Such Priests as question’d the Validity of *Lay-Baptism.
1693. Dryden, 3rd Miscell., Ded. Those *lay-bishops, as some call them, who, under pretence of reforming the stage, would intrude themselves upon us, as our superiors.
1870. L’Estrange, Miss Mitford, I. ii. 58. The Colonel [Beaumont] is the patron,… he is what they call a lay bishop, and still receives the tributary pence from the communicants.
? 14[?]. in Mirr. our Ladye, p. xxi. I N. N. broþer professyd in the order & degre of a *lay brother or ffocary.
1679. Trials of Wakeman, etc. 34. He is a Benedictine Monk, or at leastwise a Lay Brother.
1743. Pope’s Dunciad, IV. 576, note. ‘A Gregorian, one a Gormogon,’ A sort of Lay-brothers, Slips from the Root of the Free-masons.
1865. Kingsley, Herew., i. (1875), 39. He dismounted, and halloed to a lay brother to see to his horse.
1618. Selden, Tithes, ii. 13. After those Tenths thus disposed of the remnant of that yeers increase they called [Hebrew] that is, as if you should say, euery way prepared or fit for common vse, or absolutely *Lay Chattels.
1811. Busby, Dict. Mus., *Lay-Clerk, a vocal officiate in a cathedral, who takes part in the services and anthems, but is not of the priesthood.
1877. Lee, Gloss. Liturg. & Eccl. Terms, Lay clerk,… a layman who in the Church of England, by the tacit consent of the bishop or ordinary, or by the direct authority of the parish priest, assists in divine service.
1892. J. C. Blomfield, Hist. Heyford, 17. He was fulfilling the office of lay-clerk in that parish.
1680. Allen, Peace & Unity, Postscr. 149. Their concession touching the Lawfulness of *Lay-Communion with our Parish Churches.
1847. Cardl. Wiseman, Ess., Unreality Angl. Belief (1853), II. 406. The Host given in lay-communion.
1880. W. Smith & Cheetham, Dict. Chr. Antiq., II. 947. Offences which in a layman were punished by ἀφορισμός,… were in the clergy punished by reduction to ‘lay communion.’
1861. M. Arnold, Pop. Educ. France, 117. If the National schools of England were taught by an order of *lay deacons.
1884. Sat. Rev., 12 July, 49/2. The proposed scheme of starting a new order of ministers in the Church of England under the strangely paradoxical designation … of ‘lay-deacons.’
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., Pref. § 4. 22. The power of your *lay elders.
1827. Hallam, Const. Hist. (1876), III. xvii. 314. Each parish had its minister, lay-elder, and deacon.
1641. Smectymnuus, Vind. Answ., xv. 185. Al patrons of *Layeldership.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., II. vi. 481. Certain *lay lords expressed an intention of voting, but ultimately, on the recommendation of the law lords, withdrew.
1826. W. E. Andrews, Rev. Foxe’s A. & M., II. 179. The mere tools of the royal *lay-pope.
a. 1663. Sanderson, Serm. (1681), II. Pref. 7. Where are your *lay-presbyters, your classes, &c. to be found in Scripture?
1640. Bp. Hall, Episc., III. ii. 224. Wheresoever they finde mention of an Elder in the New Testament, [they] think presently of a *Lay-Presbytery.
1883. Official Year-bk. Ch. Eng., 110. The importance … of recognizing the assistance of *Lay Readers, and of assigning them their proper place in the service of the Church…. The office of Lay Reader is also fully recognized in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 129, ¶ 4. Whether the Ladies so called are Nuns or *Lay-Sisters.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xvii. Her cellaress, her precentrix, and the lay-sisters of the kitchen.
5. Comb., as † lay-conceited adj.
1613. Sir H. Finch, Law (1636), To Rdr. The very phrase, the termes of Art, excluding all hope of accrue to Lay-conceited opinions.
† B. absol. and sb. The lay people, laity; also, a layman. Obs.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 100. Þe kyng in þe courte of þe lay þe clerkes wild justise.
c. 1511. Colet, in Lupton, Life (1887), 302. The clergies … part ones reformed … than may we with a iuste order procede to the reformation of the lays [ed. 1661 laities; L. laicalis] part.
1528. Tindale, Obed. Chr. Man, 40 b. What other thynge causeth the laye so litle to regarde there princes, as that they se them both dispised and disobeyed of the spiritualte?
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 1020. All the men … as well clerkes & lays.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., May, 76. Men of the laye.
1602. Warner, Alb. Eng., IX. l. (1612), 227. From the Laie the Scriptures light to hide.
c. 1616. Jonson, Epigr., cxxxi. Wks. (1616), 813. The learn’d haue no more priuiledge then the lay.
1670. Milton, Hist. Eng., IV. Wks. 1851, V. 181. Sparing neither Preist nor Lay.
1680. G. Hickes, Spirit of Popery, 23. They were Priviledged to come to the Altar, when all other Laies were forbidden.
