1698, [Stephen Nye], An Account of Mr. Firmin’s Religion; and of The Present State of the Unitarian Controversy, page 56:
Every body disliked this Answer to the Oxford Heads; it was owned to be Heresy, in excelsis: Dr. Sherlock’s more warm Opposers call’d out for the sitting of a Convocation, to censure such a manifest subversion of the Catholic Faith, in the first and chief Article of it.
1849, “Sleeping Beauty”, in The Truth-Seeker and Present Age: A Catholic Review of Literature, Philosophy, and Religion, volume 1, page 337:
And why should I not? why should I not? Food, fire, raiment, a station in excelsis, honor would be mine!
1891, James Fergusson, Robert Kerr, History of the Modern Styles of Agriculture, 3rd edition, volume 2, page 160:
The dainty lady-like furniture-design of some of the interiors is certainly more than pretty; it is minor art work in excelsis.
We have heard much of anarchy recently—what is this but anarchy in excelsis, this jumble-tumble of wrangling Houses and parties that professes to govern us, and contrives to make government all but impossible!
