To the Archbishop of Canterbury
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A17006.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
To the right Honorable Rich. Archb. of Canterbury, H. B. wisheth G.
W Hen Barow and Greenwood, R.H. were to be pardoned, if they would have come to Church: they could find no bar sound but this: That none should hold them of good religion, which believed that our Lord's soul went to Hell. Archb. Wh. thought that the Creed was translated in English, after the most learned Greek: but the wicked translation English differeth from the Greek: as doth descending in souls, from ascending: and Heaven differs frō Hell. Archb. Wh. thought our Lord in soul descended: and into Hell. But Bishopp Elmer knew the Greek meant a going up to heaven: and had saved Barow and Greenwood, showing that by a friend to them: if a Chaplein a messenger, had as he promised, spoken to the party. upon new stir, I opened the truth: and for receiving a Letter from Master James Melvin : the unable in Divinity, meant to plague in humanity. But this blew good corn to you, by E. E. help, and became your making, and the death of him that preferred you. As you were making friends, I wrote of our faith and King. For the King you brent the book, as having treason: that I called him the King of our language. I will not deny my meaning: I meant to keep you from bent to P • iamus happiness: you & Bar. Abbas. After this, I write to the grave Father, Archb. Wh. a treatise that he was deceived. He saw it, and sent Master Geoffrey K. to me, to confess error Master Rob. Beal told Q Eliz. that Archb. Wh. was deceived: and, I think, Q E. bade Archb. Wh. to confess error. But witless Bar. skopheth his yielding, and D. Bilsons, as if he were an Ape, and not a body of reason, and skopheth the Sc. M. as having a mind to undo the soil that bredd so senseless and so impudent a wight, and skopheth the Concent of Scripture: and skopheth the book of Scripture consent: to grave in memory howe unlearned a wight he is. To Archb. Wh. I write an epistle of D. Bilson his yielding, for the matter in strife: but by feigning a journey from Heaven to Hell by the Creed: to make this phāsie heard, our Christian Religion, he was much deceived. you brent these copies: and a second Impression for the King of our language. Consider how little you feared God and the King in so doing: And to teach how slender a Doctor you are in Divinity, I advertise of corruptions in your handling of religion: and of betraying the Gospel to Jews, & at words you chafe: where your libels style is my warrant. Now I wish you to be a Lucifer, and light giver: But not a Babylonian Lucifer, to exalt yourself above the Gospel, for our Lord's passage hence: and I wish you not to be a Bargulus Illyricus, to cease upon other men's good: and an Orthodox, not as Cotton exceter, to burn books defensive of our religion: and I send to your judgment, the book made against you to the King, if you judge yourself, the King needeth not to be troubled. And I will bury all griefs, if you find some to answer the Jew, for the honor of all Christendom: If you cannot, your judgment is heavy that threatened to hinder others. But take a right course, and all will be well. I have no mind to strive with you, but to leave you to God's judgment, where I hold your bent not good. We should hear that Saint Paul telleth: It is appointed for all men once to die: and then cometh judgment. And our years tell us, there is but a step betwixt us and death: that we should look shortly for death and judgment: and not sell our Birth-right in heaven, for a mess of pottage: but look unto the blessing which God hath laid up for all that love his glorious appearance. AMEN.