Also 6 attonment, 6–7 attonement. [In use a verbal sb. from ATONE, but apparently of prior formation, due to the earlier sb. onement and the phrase ‘to be atone’ or ‘at onement.’ Cf. the following:
1533. Q. Cath. Parr, Erasm. Comm. Crede, 162. To reconcile hymselfe and make an onement with god.
1599. Bp. Hall, Sat., III. vii. 69. Which never can be set at onement more.
1555. Fardle Facions, II. xii. 298. The redempcion, reconciliacion, and at onement of mankinde with God the father.]
† 1. The condition of being at one with others; unity of feeling, harmony, concord, agreement.
1513. More, Rich. III., Wks. 41. Having more regarde to their olde variaunce then their newe attonement.
1554. Philpot, Exam. & Writ. (1842), 330. What atonement … is there betwixt light and darkness.
1610. Healey, St. Aug. City of God, 763. Beasts should live at more attonement and peace betweene them-selves.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., VI. xxv. (1632), 129. After three great and dangerous Battles came to an attonement.
1623. Cockeram, Atonement, quietnesse.
† 2. The action of setting at one, or condition of being set at one, after discord or strife: a. Restoration of friendly relations between persons who have been at variance; reconciliation. Obs.
1513. More, Edw. V., Wks. 40. Of which … none of vs hath any thing the lesse nede, for the late made attonemente.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 98. At length an attonment was concluded betwixt him and the king.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., I. iii. 36. I Madam, he desires to make attonement Betweene the Duke of Glouster, and your Brothers.
1632. Massinger, Maid of Hon., V. ii. As a perfect sign of your atonement with me, You wish me joy.
1685. Morden, Geog. Rect., 201. The atonement made by Hannibal … between Bruneus and his Brother.
† b. The settling of differences, staunching of strife; appeasement. Obs.
1605. Play of Stucley (1878), 227. There shall be now atonement of this strife.
1622. Heylin, Cosmogr., I. (1682), 215. Made Umpire for the atonement of some differences betwixt Henry … and John.
† c. The means or agent of appeasement. Obs.
1752. Law, Spir. Love (1816), II. 69. Water is the proper atonement of the rage of fire; and that which changes a tempest into a calm, is its true atonement.
3. spec. in Theol. Reconciliation or restoration of friendly relations between God and sinners.
1526. Tindale, 2 Cor. v. 18. God … hath geven unto us the office to preache the atonement.
a. 1569. Kyngesmill, Man’s Est., vi. (1580), 28. If God did … vouchsafe to make atonement with us.
1611. Bible, Rom. v. 11. Our Lorde Iesus Christ, by whom we haue now receiued the atonement [Wyclif, recouncilyng, or accordyng; Tindale, Cranmer, attonment; Coverdale, attonement; Genev. atonement; Rhem. & Revised, reconciliation].
1650. S. Clarke, Eccl. Hist. (1654), I. 29. We must not come to make an attonement with God … before we have made attonement with our Brother.
1852. [See in 4 ¶].
4. Propitiation of an offended or injured person, by reparation of wrong or injury; amends, satisfaction, expiation.
1611. Bible, Job xxxiii. 24. Deliuer him from going downe to the pit; I haue found a ransome [marg. atonement].
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 8, ¶ 7. The best Atonement he can make for it, is to warn others.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., I. 131. No suitable atonement can be made for the loss of life, or limb.
1875. Stubbs, Const. Hist., III. xx. 494. No atonement is offered to their injured dignity.
b. Theol. Propitiation of God by expiation of sin.
1611. Bible, Lev. i. 4. It shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
1714. Addison, Spect., No. 580, ¶ 3. The High-Priest … having made an Atonement for the Sins of the People.
1876. Norris, Rudim. Theol., I. iii. 61. The old word atonement … has by a true instinct been deepened into the idea on which it rests, and has come to carry with it the idea of propitiation or expiation.
¶ As applied to the redemptive work of Christ, atonement is variously used by theologians in the senses of reconciliation, propitiation, expiation, according to the view taken of its nature. (Not so applied in any version of the N. T.)
1630. Prynne, Anti-Armin., 158. Saued onely by meanes of his aduocation and attonement.
1836. J. Gilbert, Chr. Atonem. (1852), VII. 199. The efficacy of the Christian atonement is deduced solely from the appointment of it by God.
1847. H. Miller, First Impr., i. 5. A Scottish religious controversy of the present time regards the nature and extent of the atonement.
1852. Robertson, Serm., Ser. IV. xlvi. 345. The atonement between God and man consisted of two parts: God atoned to man by the work of Christ; man atoned to God by the work of the Christian ministry.
1860. E. D. Griffin, in Disc. & Treat. Atonem., 149. Atonement is that which was adapted to prevent punishment, or that which came in the room of punishment, and laid a foundation for our discharge from every part of the curse.
1860. C. Burge, ibid., 437. The necessity of some atonement in order that sinners may be consistently pardoned.
5. Comb. † Atonement-maker, one who makes atonement, a reconciler or mediator; † atonement-making, reconciliation, propitiation; atonement-money, money paid in expiation of offences.
c. 1540. Becon, New-Y. Gift, Wks. 1843, 314. There is one Atonementmaker between God and men.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, vi. 70. Men were forbidden to vtter the vncommunicable name of God … saue onely in the daies of attonementmaking.
1611. Bible, Ex. xxx. 16. And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel.
