Also 6 chrystyan, -ian, christien. [ad. L. Chrīstiān-us, (in Gr. χρῑστιᾱνός, Acts xi. 26), f. Chrīstus, χρῑστός CHRIST. Introduced with the Renascence in taking the place of the earlier cristen, CHRISTEN a. (Cf. the Anglo-Fr. cristien, found from 12th c.)]
A. adj.
1. Of persons and communities: Believing, professing, or belonging to, the religion of Christ.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 38. They had in lyke maner serued other christian men.
1589. R. Harvey, Pl. Perc. (1860), 14. Likening Christian folks to dogs.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., IV. i. 295. These be the Christian husbands.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxvi. 150. Christian States punish those that revolt from Christian Religion.
1704. Nelson, Fest. & Fasts, vii. (1739), 92. The whole Christian Church hath distinguished him by that Character.
1827. Keble, Chr. Y., Evening, x. The Rulers of this Christian land.
b. Most Christian: a title of the kings of France.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., vi. 341. O thou most Christian enemy to peace.
1751. J. Brown, Shaftesb. Charac., 34. Religious criticism hath made but little progress among the subjects of the most Christian king.
1860. Thackeray, Four Georges, i. (1861), 30. He recited a portion of the Swedish Catechism to His Most Christian Majesty and his court.
c. In the names of various religious sects or associations, as Christian Israelites, † Christian Royalists (see quot.), Christian Socialists (whence Christian Socialism, the principles of Christian Socialists; Christian-socialize v. (nonce-wd.), to imbue with Christian Socialism).
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb. (1704), III. xv. 497. These are called Christian Royalists, or Fifth-Monarchy-Men.
1856. Mrs. Browning, Aur. Leigh, V. (1857), 207. A Christian Socialist Is Romney Leigh.
1884. E. Maurice, Life F. D. Maurice, II. 41. His great wish was to Christianise Socialism, not to Christian-socialise the Universe.
1885. Whitaker’s Almanack, 198. Persons described as: Christian Army. Christian Believers. Christian Brethren. Christian Disciples. Christian Eliasites. Christian Evangelists. Christian Israelites. Christian Mission. Christian Pioneers. Christian Soldiers. Christian Teetotallers. Christian Temperance Men. Christian Unionists. Free Christian Association. United Christian Army. United Christian Church.
2. Of things: Pertaining to Christ or his religion: of or belonging to Christianity.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind., Title-page, The Christian fayth.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxvii. 12. That wherewith … all Christian confessions [are] agreeable.
1602. Shaks., Ham., V. i. 2. Is she to bee buried in Christian buriall?
1689. Fleetwood, Serm. 2 Cor. ix. 12, Wks. (1737), 5. The indigestible difficulties of the Christian Creed.
1847. Ld. Lindsay, Lett. Chr. Art, Introd. 14. Claiming superiority for Christian over Classic Art.
1849. Ruskin, Sev. Lamps, VI. iv. That Christian worship which was … to supersede the idolatry … of the pagan.
1866. Liddon, Bampt. Lect., i. The central question of Christian Theology.
1876. Green, Short Hist., 1. § 3. A pagan and a Christian altar fronted one another.
† b. Court Christian: an ecclesiastical court. Obs. exc. Hist.
1285. 13 Edw. I., Act 4. Placita inde teneantur in curia Christianitatis.
1292. Britton, V. x. 10. La conisaunce de matrimoigne et de testament apent a Cristiene court [Nichols transl. The cognizance of marriage and of testaments belongs to the Court Christian]. Ibid. Jekes autaunt qe prové soit en Court cristiene [transl. Until it be proved in Court Christian].
1628. Coke, On Litt., 488. Linwood saith, That Probate of Testaments, De consuetudine Angliæ et non de jure communi, belong to Court-Christian.
1805. East’s Rep., V. 353. The defect in the Court Christian is in the trial and not in the jurisdiction.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., II. ii. 310–1. In the beginning of the reign of Edward I., an Act of Parliament was made … restricting the Courts Christian to causes relating to wills, matrimony, and pure spirituality.
† c. Christian ale: see quot. and ALE 3. Obs.
1642. Virgins’ Compl., in N. & Q., 14 July 1866. To eat cakes and drink Christian ale on holy daies.
3. Of persons and their qualities or actions: Showing character and conduct consistent with discipleship to Christ; marked by genuine piety; following the precepts and example of Christ; Christ-like.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lvii. The mutual exercise of Christian Charity. Ibid., lxii. 2. The wane and declination of Christian piety.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., IX. vi. § 51. Even the Heathen Romans were so Christian, that … no Vestal Virgin or Flamen of Jupiter was restrained to swear.
1706. Shaftesb., Lett. Enthus., 6. [A] truly Christian Prelate.
1854. H. Miller, Sch. & Schm., xvii. The people of Scotland were … considerably more Christian than the larger part of their schoolmasters.
1866. Liddon, Bampt. Lect., iii. That supply of light, of love, and of resolve, which enriches … the Christian soul.
4. Of or belonging to a Christian or Christians.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., IV. i. 310. If thou dost shed One drop of Christian bloud.
1694. Acc. Sev. Late Voy., I. (1711), 51. Some Christian Ship had been here.
1876. Green, Short Hist., i. § 3. The enthusiasm for the Christian God, faith in whom had been bought so dearly.
5. Human as distinguished from brutal; now only colloq. or humorous. b. mod. colloq. or slang. Of things: Becoming a Christian; ‘civilized,’ ‘decent,’ ‘respectable.’ Cf. B. 3.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., III. (1586), 156. This medecine wil also remedy a christian creature.
1682. D’Urfey, Butler’s Ghost, 76. Christian breeches without hole. Ibid., 137. And make such wrack of Christian Food.
1818. Scott, Leg. Montrose, xiv. Had you been to fight with any Christian weapons.
6. Christian name: the name given at christening; the personal name, as distinguished from the family name or surname. (Also allusively = ‘proper name.’) Hence to Christian-name v. trans. (nonce-wd.), to call by one’s Christian name; Christian-named ppl. a., having a Christian name.
1549. Latimer, 3rd Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 88. Nowe a dayes they call them gentle rewardes, let them leaue their colourynge, and cal them by their Christian name. Brybes.
1605. Camden, Rem., 49. That the giving of Surnames for Christian names began in the time of king Edward the sixt.
1727. Pope, Th. on Var. Subj. When a man is made a spiritual peer he loses his sir-name; when a temporal, his christian-name.
1775. Sheridan, Scheming Lieut., II. iv. I never knew any good come of giving girls these heathen christian names.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Mackery End. We … were familiar, even to the calling each other by our Christian Names.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xx. (1866), 162. The girls Christian-named each other.
1866. Ruskin, Crown Wild Olive, Pref. 21. Every separately Christian-named portion of the ruinous heap [of the slain].
7. Christian era: the era reckoned from the accepted date of the birth of Christ, and adopted in all Christian countries.
1657. Wharton, Wks. (1683), 49. The Greek Church numbereth from the Creation to Christ’s Æra, 5508 complete years…. The year 1657, current of the Christian Æra.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer. (1778), I. I. 10. About six hundred and four years before the Christian æra.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 524. In the first centuries of the Christian era.
B. sb.
1. One who believes or professes the religion of Christ; an adherent of Christianity.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 1. The lyfe of euery chrystian … is as a pilgrymage.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Acts xi. 26. So that the disciples were at Antioche first named CHRISTIANS [earlier versions Christen; Wyclif 1388 Cristen men].
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., III. i. 66. If a Iew wrong a Christian, what is his humility, reuenge?
1611. Bible, 1 Pet. iv. 16. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian [so Rhem. 1582, earlier versions Christen], let him not be ashamed, but let him glorifie God on this behalfe.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer., VIII. (1783), III. 273. Descent from a family of Old Christians, untainted with any mixture of Jewish or Mahometan blood.
1844. Kinglake, Eöthen, xxvii. 390. The … exultation with which he saw a fellow Christian stand level with the imperious Mussulmans.
1876. Green, Short Hist., 1. § 3. The Northumbrian peasantry … were … Christians only in name.
† b. Even Christian: fellow-Christian; also collectively, fellow-Christians. Obs. See EVEN-.
2. One who exhibits the spirit, and follows the precepts and example, of Christ; a believer in Christ who is characterized by genuine piety.
1529. More, Dial. Heresy, IV. Wks. 257/2. Being faithful christiens.
1611. Bp. Hall, Serm., iii., Impress of God. It is reason that makes us men; but it is holiness that makes us Christians.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., iv. 788. A Christian is the highest style of man.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., II. xxvii. 122. I ’s willin’ to lay down my life, this blessed day, to see Mas’r a Christian.
1882. Farrar, Early Chr., II. 500, note. To be a Christian is to act as Christ acted.
3. a. colloq. and dial. A human being, as distinguished from a brute. [A common sense in the Romanic langs.] b. colloq. or slang. A ‘decent,’ ‘respectable’ or ‘presentable’ person.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., III. i. 272. Shee hath more qualities then a Water-Spaniell, which is much in a bare Christian. Ibid. (1601), Twel. N., I. iii. 89. Mee thinkes … I haue no more wit then a Christian, or an ordinary man ha’s.
1714. Shaftesb., Charact. (1732), III. 88. The very word Christian is, in common Language, us’d for Man, in opposition to Brute-beast, without leaving so much as a middle place for the poor Heathen or Pagan.
a. 1732. Gay, Reh. Goatham, i. When the Corporation feast is at our house … one would methinks appear a little like a Christian.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XII. iii. A fitter food for a horse than a Christian.
1818. Scott, Leg. Montrose, xi. [The] sagacious quadruped … walked in and out of the boat with the discretion of a Christian.
1844. Dickens, Mart. Chuz., xxxiv. 409. You must take your passage like a Christian; at least, as like a Christian as a fore-cabin passenger can.
188[?]. Chester, Leicester, Sheffield, W. Som. Gloss. (E. D. S.), Christian, a human being, as opposed to a dumb animal. ‘That dog is as cunning as a Christian.’
4. Used as a denominational or sectarian name.
Pronounced chrīstian, it was assumed as a title by a sect that arose in America. Among the names of religious societies in England and Wales certified to the Registrar General occur ‘Bible Christians,’ ‘Christians owning no name but the Lord Jesus,’ and ‘Christians who object to be otherwise designated.’
1818. S. Luckey, Defence Doctr. Trinity, Pref. 5. A new sect of people who called themselves Chrī-stians.
1860. Bartlett, Dict. Amer., Christian (pron. with first i long). A name assumed by a sect which arose from the great revival in 1801.
1868. Churchman (Hartford, Ct.), 6 June. Baptists, Methodists, Unitarians of both schools, Christ-ians, Universalists.
† 5. A variety of pear; ? = BON-CHRÉTIEN; also a variety of plum. Obs.
1649. Selden, Laws Eng., II. vi. (1739), 32. Like a Christian, that seldom endures long after his full ripeness [note, He means the Pear, so called].
1655. Moufet & Bennet, Health’s Improv. (1746), 308. The least nourishing [Plums] … are Bullices, Christians, Prunella’s, Skegs and Horse-Plums.
1885. Barnes, Dorset Dial., Cristen, a small kind of plum.
1888. W. Somerset Gl., Cristing.
C. Comb. a. Parasynthetic, as Christian-minded a., and derivatives as Christian-mindedness sb. b. Christian-wise adv., in a Christian way.
1880. Blackmore, Erema, xlix. (Hoppe). A selfishness … by no means Christian-minded.
1856. Warter, Southey Lett., II. 292. In what way Southey wished the Catechism taught … not parrotwise, but Christianwise.
