English Puritan & Reformed

The New Cheaters Forgeries Detected

William Prynne (1600-1669) · 555 words · 2 min

The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A91226.0001.001

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 New Cheaters forgeries, detected, disclaimed;

By Will. Prynne Esq; a Bencher of Lincolns Inn.

WHereas not only one Walker, Bates, and others heretofore, for their own private lucre, have printed sundry illiterate Pamphlets in my name, to cheat the People, but likewise one Chapman in Popes-head alley (as I am credibly informed by those who will prove it) on the 30. of this instant May hath printed and dispersed a paper, entitled,

[ A Sheet, Or if you will, a Winding Sheet for the good Old Cause: By W. P. Philopolites.]

Prefixing the Letters of my name before it, as penned by me, and on this 31. of May, hath printed and published another Sheet, styled

[ Mola Asinaria: Or, The Unreasonable and Unsupportable Burthen now pressed upon the shoulders of this groaning Nation, &c. ]

BY WILLIAM PRYNNE, Bencher of Lincolns Inn.

Printing my name thus at large not only in the Title, but in the Contexture it self, insinuating it to be penned by me, on purpose to cheat the people of their monies; and make me the Father of these BASTARDS, (through the Stationers Knavery ) which the true Fathers need not be ashamed to own publicly by name, being Ingenuous well-penned Pieces. To prevent all future Frauds of this nature (especially in Pamphlets declaiming against Public Cheats, ) I held it my duty openly to detect and disclaim these two, in print before all the world; having no hand at all in the conception, generation, or production of either of these Pamphlets directly or indirectly, whose Compilers are altogether unknown to me. And I shall desire all Stationers, Printers henceforth to take notice; that their thrusting out Books in other men's names to pick people's purses, is a Counterfeiting of Letters in other men's names falsely and deceitfully to get money from other persons, within the Stat. of 33H 8. c. 1. punishable by Imprisonment, Pillory, and all other corporal pains, except death: Which Law I intend to prosecute against them, if they shall henceforth abuse me, and the people in this kind.

As for the scurrillous railing, nameless, empty abusive Printed Libels and Papers formerly and lately published against me; I look upon them only with contempt, as the braying of illiterate Asses, who can neither contradict nor refute my writings for the public good and safety: and value them no more, than the barking of mangie Doggs against the Moonshine: having treasured up this Sovereign Antidote of my Savior's own composition, in my breast many years since, against the venom of all false viperous tongues or pens, Luke 6. 22, 23. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and separate you from their company, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake: Rejoice and leap for joy, for great is your reward in heaven, for so did your Fathers unto the Prophets. A wise Heathen could say, Regium est male audire cum been feceris; much more a magnanimous Christian. The best refutation of Raylings, is Contempt; Spreta exolescunt.

In testimony of the premises, I thought necessary to subscribe and publish them under my own hand and name.

From my Chamber at Lincolns Inn 31 May 1659.

WILLIAM PRYNNE.

LONDON, Printed for Edward Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Britain, 1659.