The Upright Protestant
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A90761.0001.001
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
THE Upright Protestant, AS HE WAS REFORMED From the Superstitious errors of Popery in the happy Reignes of Edward the 6 th . Qu. Elizabeth, and K. James of blessed memory.
And for whom this (thrice happy) PARLIAMENT will live and Die.
Job 14.14.
If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of mine appointed time will I wait till my Change come.
LONDON, Printed for George Lindsey, and are to be sold at his Shop over against THE London -STONE, 1643.
The Characters of a Believing PROTESTANT, in Paradoxes, and seeming Contradictions.
A True Reformed PROTESTANT is one that believes things, his reason cannot comprehend; he hopes for things which neither he nor any man alive ever saw; He labors for that which he knoweth he can never obtain, yet in the issue, his belief appears not to be false, his hope makes him not ashamed, his labor is not in vain.
He believes Three to be One and One to be Three; a Father not to be elder then his Son, a Son to be equal with his Father, and One proceeding from Both to be equal with Both; he believes three Persons in one Nature, and two Natures in one Person.
He believes a Virgin to be a Mother of a Son, and that very Son of hers; to be her Maker. He believes him to have been shut up in a narrow room whom Heaven and earth could never contain; he believes him to be born in time, who was and is from everlasting; he believes him to have been a weak child carried in arms, who is the Almighty; and him once to have died, who only hath life and immortality in himself.
He believes the God of all grace to have been angry with one that never offended him; And that God that hates sin to be reconciled to himself, though sinning continually, and never making or being able to make satisfaction; he believes the just God to have punished a mo • t just person, and to have justified himself, though a most ungodly sinner; he believes himself freely pardoned, and yet a sufficient satisfaction was made for him.
He believes himself to be precious in God's sight, and yet loathes himself in his own; he dares not justify himself, even in those things wherein he can find no fault with himself; and ye: believes God accepts him in those services, wherein he is able to find many faults.
He praises God for his Justice, and fears him for his Mercy. He is so ashamed, that he dates not open his mouth before God, and yet he comes with boldness to God, and asks anything he needs; he is so humble as to acknowledge himself to deserve nothing but evil, and yet believes that God means him all good. He is one that fears always, yet is bold as a Lyon. He is often sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; many times complaining, yet always giving of thanks; he is the most Iowly minded, yet the greatest aspires; most contented, yet ever craving.
He bears a lofty spirit in a mean condition; when he is ablest, he thinks meanest of himself. He is rich in poverty, and poor in the midst of riches. He believes all the World to be his, yet he dares take nothing without special leave from God. He covenants with God for nothing, yet looks for a great reward. He loseth his life, and gains by it; and whilst be loseth it, he saveth it.
He lives not to himself, yet of all others he is most wise for himself. He denieth himself often, yet no man loves himself so well as he. He is most reproached, yet most honored. He bath most afflictions, and most comforts. The more injury his enemies do him, the more advantage he gains by them. The more he forsakes worldly things, the more he enjoys them.
He is the most temperate of all men, yet fares most deliciously. He lends and gives most freely, yet he is the greatest Usurer. He is meek towards all men, yet inexorable by men. He is the best child, husband, brother, friend, yet hates father and mother, brother and sister. He loves all men as himself, yet hates some men with a perfect hatred.
He desires to have more grace then any man in the World. yet is truly sorrowful when he seeth any man have less then himself; he knoweth no man after the flesh, yet gives all men their due respects. He knoweth, if he please man, be cannot be the servant of Christ, yet for Christ his sake he pleaseth all men in all things; he is a Peace-maker, yet is continually fighting and an irreconcilable enemy.
He believes him to be worse then an Infidel that provides not for his family, yet himself lives and dies without care. He accounts all his superiors, yet stands stiffly upon authority; he is severe to his children because he loveth them, and by being favorable unto his enemy, he revengeth himself upon him.
He believes the Angels to be more excellent Creatures then himself, and yet counts them his servants; he believes that he receives many good turns by their means, and yet he neither prays for their assistance, nor offers them thanks, which he doth not disdain to do to the meanest Christian; he believes himself to be a King, how mean so ever he be; how great foever he be, he thinks himself not too good to be a servant to the poorest Saint.
He is often in prison, yet always as liberty. A free-man, though a servant; he loves not honor amongst men, yet highly priseth a good name.
He believes that God hath bidden every man that doth him good, to do so; he yet of any man is the most thankful to them that do ought for him; he would lay down his life to save the soul of his enemy, yet will not adventure upon one sin to save the life of him who saved his; he swears to his own hindrance and changeth not, yet knoweth that his oath cannot tie him to sin.
He believes Christ to have no need of anything be doth, yet maketh account he doth relieve Christ in all his acts of Charity; he knoweth he can do nothing of himself, yet labors to work out his own salvation; he confesseth he can do nothing, yet as truly professeth he can do all things; he knoweth that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, yet believeth that he shall go to heaven both body and soul.
He trembles at God's Word, yet counts it sweeter to him then the honey and the honey-comb, and dearer then thousands of Gold and Silver.
He believes that God will never damn him, and yet fears God for being able to cast him into hell; he knoweth he shall not be saved by nor for his good works, yet he doth all the good works he can.
He knoweth God's providence is over all things, yet is so diligent in his calling and business, as if he were to cut out the thread of his own fortunes; he believes beforehand that God hath purposed what he shall be, and nothing can make him to alter his purpose, yet prays and endeavors, as if he would force God to save him forever.
He prays and labors for that which he is confident God means to give, and the more assured he is, the more earnest; he prayeth for that he knows he shall never obtain, and yet gives not over; he prays and labors for that which he knows he shall be no less happy without; he prays with all his heart not to be led into temptation, yet rejoiceth when he is fallen into it; he believes his prayers are heard, even when they are denied, and gives thanks for that which he pray; against.
He hath within him both flesh and spirit, yet he is not a double minded man; he is often led captive by the law of sin, yet it never gets dominion over him; he cannot sin, yet can do nothing without sin; he can do nothing against his will, yet maintain he doth what he would not; he wavers and doubteth, yet obtains.
He is often tossed and shaken, yet is as Mount Zion; he is a Serpent and a Dove; a Lamb, and a Lyon; a Reed and a Cedar.
He is sometimes so troubled that he thinks nothing to be true in religion, yet if he did think so, he could not at all be troubled; he thinks sometimes that God hath no mercy for him, yet resolves to die in the pursuit of it; he believes like Abraham against hope, and though he cannot answer God's Logic, yet with the woman of Canaan he hopes to prevail with the rhetoric of importunity.
He wrestles and yet prevails, and though yielding himself unworthy of the least blessing he enjoys, yet Jacob -like he will not let him go without a new blessing; he sometimes thinks himself to have no grace at all, and yet how poor and afflicted so ever he be besides, he would not change conditions with the most prosperous man under heaven, that is a manifest worldling.
He thinks sometimes that the Ordinances of God do him no good, yet he would rather part with his life then be deprived of them.
He was borne dead, yet so as that that it had been murder in any to have taken his life away. After he began to live, he was ever dying; and though he hath an eternal life begun in him, yet he makes account he hath a death to pass through.
He counts self-murder a heinous sin, yet is ever busied, crucifying the flesh, and in putting to death his earthly members.
He believes his soul and body shall be as full of glory as them that have more, and no more full then theirs that have less.
He lives invisible to those that see him, and those that know him best do but guess at him, yet those many times judge more truly of him then he doth of himself.
The world will sometimes account him a Saint, when God accounted him an hypocrite, and afterwards when the world branded him for an hypocrite, then God owned him for a Saint.
His death makes not an end of him; his soul which was put into his body, is not to be perfected without his body, yet his soul is more happy when it is separated from his body, then when it was joined unto it, and his body though torn in pieces, burnt to ashes, ground to Powder, turned to rottenness, shall be no loser.
His Advocate, his Surety shall be his Judge, his mortal part shall become immortal, and what was sown in corruption shall be raised in incorruption and glory, and a finite creature shall possess an infinite happiness.