3. (Theol.)
Defn: To fall from Christian faith into paganism, heresy, or
unbelief; to backslide.
They enter into the justified state, and so continue all along,
unless they relapse. Waterland.
RELAPSE
Re*lapse", n. Etym: [For sense 2 cf. F. relaps. See Relapse, v.]
1. A sliding or falling back, especially into a former bad state, either of body or morals; backsliding; the state of having fallen back. Alas! from what high hope to what relapse Unlooked for are we fallen! Milton.
2. One who has relapsed, or fallen back, into error; a backlider; specifically, one who, after recanting error, returns to it again. [Obs.]
RELAPSER
Re*laps"er (-lps"r), n.
Defn: One who relapses. Bp. Hall.
RELAPSING
Re*laps"ing, a.
Defn: Marked by a relapse; falling back; tending to return to a former worse state. Relapsing fever (Med.), an acute, epidemic, contagious fever, which prevails also endemically in Ireland, Russia, and some other regions. It is marked by one or two remissions of the fever, by articular and muscular pains, and by the presence, during the paroxism of spiral bacterium (Spirochæte) in the blood. It is not usually fatal. Called also famine fever, and recurring fever.
RELATE
Re*late" (r-lt"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Related; p. pr. & vb. n.
Relating.] Etym: [F. relater to recount, LL. relatare, fr. L.
relatus, used as p. p. of referre. See Elate, and cf. Refer.]