Stringent legal measures dealing with private morals and conduct, especially the puritanical laws of the early American colonies. The term "blue" originated in England where it was associated with strict adherents of Puritanism, since to be constant, faithful, or "true blue" was considered Puritanic. The more liberal inhabitants of the New York colony are believed to have stigmatized their stricter neighbors in New Haven as "blue" and the term is sometimes traced to the covers of blue paper which bound the session laws of Connecticut. Among those actually enacted were prohibitions against unnecessary Sunday travel, mixed dancing, gambling, regulations regarding wearing apparel, the obligation of belonging to an approved church imposed upon all freemen, voters, and military officers, and laws against Catholic priests and Quakers.
This dictionary contains not only definitions and explanations of every subject in Religion, Scripture, tradition, doctrine, morals, sacraments, rites, customs, devotions and symbolism, but also accounts of the Church in every continent, country, diocese; missions, notable Catholic centers, cities, and places with religious names; religious orders, church societies, sects and false religions. It has brief articles also on historical events and personages, on the Old Testament and New, and on popes, prelates, priests, men and women of distinction, showing what the Church has done for civilization and correcting many errors which have hitherto passed for history.Wikipedia
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