| 释义 |
puritan, n. and a.|ˈpjʊərɪtən|
Also Puritan, esp. in specific uses.
[f. L. pūr-us pure, or pūritās purit-y + -an. Perh. formed in French or mod.Latin: cf. F. puritain (Ronsard 1564), mod.L. pūritānī (in Du Cange). The appellation appears to have been intended to suggest that of the καθαροί, Catharans, or Catharists, assumed by the Novatian heretics, and thus to convey an odious imputation.]
A. n.
1. a. Hist. A member of that party of English Protestants who regarded the reformation of the church under Elizabeth as incomplete, and called for its further ‘purification’ from what they considered to be unscriptural and corrupt forms and ceremonies retained from the unreformed church; subsequently, often applied to any who separated from the established church on points of ritual, polity, or doctrine, held by them to be at variance with ‘pure’ New Testament principles.
According to Stow (see quot. 15..) the name was (? originally) assumed by congregations of Anabaptists in London; but this is probably an error, for otherwise it appears in early use always as a term of reproach used by opponents, and resented by those to whom it was applied: see quot. from Fuller 1655. Its application changed with time and the course of events. Originally, it was applied to those within the Church of England who demanded further reformation, especially in the direction of Presbyterianism; afterwards, naturally, to the same party when they were separated from the Church, and became the anti-episcopal Presbyterians, Independents, or Baptists, and consequently to the typical ‘Roundheads’ of the Commonwealth period, whose puritanism was sometimes little more than political. In later times, the term has become historical, without any opprobrious connotation, and has even, from its association with purity and pure, come to be treated, by those who in opinion agree more or less with the early Puritans, as a name of honour.
[15..Stow in Three 15th C. Chron. (Camden) 143 About that tyme [1567] were many congregations of the Anabaptysts in London, who cawlyd themselvs Puritans or Unspottyd Lambs of the Lord. ]1572J. Jones Bathes of Bath iii. 24 Puritanes are they named, pure I wold they wer. 1572[see precisian]. 1572[Field & Wilcox] Admonition to Parlt. Pref. A 1 b, They lincke in togither & slaunderously charge pore men..with greeuous faults, calling them Puritanes, worse than the Donatistes. 1572Whitgift Answ. to Admonition 18 This name Puritane is very aptely giuen to these men, not bicause they be pure no more than were the Heretikes called Cathari, but bicause they think them selues to be mundiores ceteris, more pure than others, as Cathari did, and seperate them selues from all other Churches and congregations as spotted and defyled. 1573T. Cartwright Reply to Whitgift 13 If you meane, that those are Puritanes or Catharans, which do set forth a true and perfect patern or platforme of reforming the church, then the marke of thys heresie reacheth vnto those, which made the booke of common prayer. 1573G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camd.) 29 Alleging..that I had greatly commendid thos whitch men call præcisions and puritanes. 1589Hay, any Worke for Cooper 25 The Ministers maintenance by tithe no Puritan denieth to be unlawful. For Martin.., you must understand, doth account no Brownist to be a Puritan. 1589Nashe Pasquil's Ret. Wks. (Grosart) I. 94, I knowe they are commonly called Puritans, and not amisse... They take themselues to be pure, when they are filthy in Gods sight. 1601Shakes. All's Well i. iii. 98 Though honestie be no Puritan, yet it will doe no hurt, it will weare the Surplis of humilitie ouer the blacke-Gowne of a bigge heart. 1611― Wint. T. iv. iii. 46 The shearers (three-man song-men, all, and very good ones)..but one Puritan amongst them, and he sings Psalmes to horne-pipes. 1618King's Decl. conc. Sports 6 (republ. 1633 10) Our pleasure likewise is, That the Bishop of that Diocesse take the like straight order with all the Puritans and Precisians..either constraining them to conforme themselues, or to leave the Countrey. a1625J. Robinson in Drysdale Hist. Presbyt. in Eng. (1889) 5 note, The Papists plant the ruling power of Christ in the Pope; the Protestants in the Bishops; the Puritans in the Presbytery; we [Independents] in the body of the Congregation of the multitude called the Church. 1641Milton Ch. Discip. i. 16 All those that found fault with the Decrees of the Convocation..strait were..branded with the Name of Puritans. 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. i. §66 The English Bishops..began..urging the Clergy..to subscribe to the Liturgie, Ceremonies, and Discipline of the Church, and such as refused..were branded with the odious name of Puritanes, a name which in this notion first began in this year [1564]. a1715Burnet Own Time i. (1724) 17 The Puritans..put on external appearances of great strictness and gravity. They took more pains in their parishes than those who adhered to the bishops. 1732–8Neal (title) The History of the Puritans or Protestant Non-Conformists. a1779Warburton Alliance betw. Ch. & St. iii. iii, Those prudent and honest men..gave it as their deliberate judgment, ‘That the Puritans ought to conform, rather than make a schism: and that the church men ought to indulge the others' scruples, rather than hazard one’. 1825Macaulay Ess., Milton (1887) 23 The Puritans, the most remarkable body of men, perhaps, which the world has ever produced. 1830Coleridge Table-t. 10 June, Is it not..an historical error to call the Puritans dissenters? Before St. Bartholomew's day they were essentially a part of the Church. 1845James A. Neil ii, His master was a rigid man, a Puritan of the most severe cast. 189.Bp. Ryle Light fr. Old Times (1903) 339 This saintly old Puritan [Baxter]. 1903F. W. Maitland in Camb. Mod. Hist. II. xvi. 590 Those who strove for a worship purified from all taint of popery (and who therefore were known as ‘Puritans’) ‘scrupled’ the cap and gown.., and ‘scrupled’ the surplice.
b. transf. A member of any religious sect or party that advocates or aspires to special purity of doctrine or practice. (Cf. Catharan, Catharist.)
1577Hanmer Anc. Eccl. Hist. vi. xliii. (1663) 116 Novatus..became himself the author and ringleader of his own hereticall sect, to wit, of such as through their swelling pride do call themselves Puritans. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage iv. viii. (1614) 378 The Persians are a kinde of Catharists or Puritans in their impure Muhammedrie. 1637Gillespie Eng. Pop. Cerem. ii. v. 24 The old Waldenses..were also named by their adversaries, Cathares or Puritanes. 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. i. §67 We need not speak of the ancient Cathari or Primitive Puritans. 1709J. Johnson Clergym. Vade M. ii. 48 By the Puritans we are to understand the Novatians, who would not commune with the Catholic church under pretence that her communion was polluted. 1871Sir W. W. Hunter Ind. Musalmans 58 The Wahábis form..an advanced division of the Sunnis—the Puritans of Islám.
c. A member of any (non-religious) party or school who practises or advocates strict or extreme adherence to its principles; a purist.
1885Pall Mall G. 20 May 1/1 The Crofters Holdings Bill has been received..very quietly by the Puritans of ‘economic principle’.
2. Applied, chiefly in reproach or ridicule, to one who is, affects to be, or is accounted extremely strict, precise, or scrupulous in religion or morals.
The early Puritans were in many cases characterized by the prominence which they attached to personal religion, and by strictness and gravity of behaviour, with plainness of dress and manners; hence it was easy to look upon a ‘puritan’ as one who professed a higher standard of personal religion and morality than was usual.
1592Greene Repentance Wks. (Grosart) XII. 176 When I had discouered that I sorrowed for my wickednesse..they fell vpon me in ieasting manner, calling me Puritane and Presizian. 1611Rich Honest. Age (Percy Soc.) 55 He that hath not for euery word an oath..they say hee is a puritan, a precise foole, not fitte to hold a gentleman company. 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. i. §67 (an. 1564) Puritan here was taken for the Opposers of the Hierarchie and Church-Service, as resenting of Superstition. But prophane mouths quickly improved this Nick-name, therewith on every occasion to abuse pious people. 1696M. Sylvester Life & Times Baxter 32 When they had been called by that name awhile, the vicious Multitude of the Ungodly called all Puritans that were strict and serious in a Holy Life, were they ever so conformable! 1798C. Smith Yng. Philos. III. 26 Brought up among the strait-laced..puritans of the United States.
B. adj.
a. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Puritans; strict and scrupulous in religious observances. Puritan conscience: a strict individual conscience requiring high standards; Puritan ethic: the belief in the redemptive value of work.
b. That is a Puritan. (In quot. 1607 satirically used as = hypocritical, dissembling.)
1589Marprel. Tr., Epit. A ij, The Puritans are angrie with me, I meane the puritane preachers. 1607Tourneur Rev. Trag. ii. ii, I'll after him And..seeme to beare a part In all his ills, but with a Puritane heart. 1617Moryson Itin. iii. 30 If a man would seeme (as I may say) a Puritan Papist,..there is danger to fall into the suspition of an Hypocrite. 1638Laud Diary 29 Apr., There's a great concurrence between them [in Scotland] and the Puritan party in England. 1652Sanderson Cases of Consc. (1678) 192 To discover the weakness of the Puritan principles and tenents. 1806in J. Thacher Hist. Plymouth (1832) 232 This is the 186th anniversary of the first landing of our puritan fathers. 1832Ibid. 324 The venerable pastor of the pilgrims, and his puritan associates. 1840Dickens Barn. Rudge xxxvii, He was no less frugal in his repasts than in his Puritan attire. 1857C. Kingsley Let. in Life (1879) II. 52, I am full of old Puritan blood. 1858Longfellow M. Standish iii. 40 Singing the hundredth Psalm, the grand old Puritan anthem. 1901Kipling Let. in C. Carrington Rudyard Kipling (1955) xiii. 318 Her Puritan conscience which she has inherited from her New England forbears still makes her take life too blame seriously. 1932Q. D. Leavis Fiction & Reading Public ii. ii. 97 (heading) The puritan conscience. 1972C. Weston Poor, Poor Ophelia (1973) v. 28 He beamed good cheer and the puritan ethic—work for the night is falling. 1975Listener 16 Oct. 517/2 Hale White..did manage to write small, vigorous masterpieces of the puritan conscience trying to beat out a narrow path for itself. 1977Ibid. 7 Apr. 434/1 The Puritan ethic..an ethic of discipline, work, responsibility.
c. Puritan spoon (see quot. 1960).
1956G. Taylor Silver iv. 86 In the reign of Charles I the so-called Puritan spoon..began to appear. 1960H. Hayward Antique Coll. 230/2 Puritan spoon, a mid-17th cent. spoon with flat stem, straight top edge and nearly oval bowl, the earliest form of English flat-stemmed spoon. 1971Country Life 10 June (Suppl.) 58 (Advt.), Commonwealth 1659 Puritan Spoon.
Hence ˈpuritaness (nonce-wd.), a female puritan; † puriˈtanian, (-ˈnean) a. = puritanical; Presbyterian; ˈpuritanly adv., in a puritan manner, towards Puritanism; † puriˌtano-ˈpapist nonce-wd., a strict or austere papist, esp. a Jesuit.
1897Daily Tel. 4 June 9/1 If our fair *Puritanesses press us much further.
1600W. Watson Decacordon (1602) 13 A blind conceit and opinion of their [Iesuits'] *puritanian holinesse. Ibid. 224 The Puritanean Consistorie, representing the ecclesiasticall state in Scotland.
1897W. Walker Hist. Congregat. Ch. U.S. 89 The see of London, the..most *Puritanly inclined.
1601Bp. W. Barlow Defence 107 The *Puritano-papiste, Loyala. |