A Looking Glass
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/B10018.0001.001
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
A LOOKING-GLASSE, OR, PARALEL, OPPOSING The PROPHANE, Carnal PROFESSOR, and true BELEIVER, one to the other.
| Profane, | Professors, | Believers, |
| 1. ARe many to Professors, | To Believers, | The fewest of all, |
| 2. Rest on forms at best, | Are but Formalists, | Rest not on formalities, |
| 3. Hate profession, | Profese only, | Profess and do, |
| 4. Are ignorant of the Scriptures, | Of the truth of the Scriptures, | Are acquainted with both, |
| 5. Will learn nothing, | Are ever learning, | Increase in knowledge, |
| 6. Tread Christ's blood underfoot. | Know not its worth, | Acknowledge its excellency, |
| 7. Are led about by Satan, | By their own lusts, | Only by the Spirit, |
| 8. Are weary of good duties, | Grow weaker in them, | Renew their strength, |
| 9. Grow daily more vile, | Wax worse, and worse, | Are best at last, |
| 10. Say they believe, yet believe not. | Say they desire to believe, | Beleive, yet desire more faith, |
| 11. Use no means but by constraint, | Use means and rest there, | Use means, yet rest on none, |
| 12. Think they may use too much means, | Limit themselves, | Use means most of all, |
| 13. Think they may be too holy. | Are never truly holy, | Have perfect holiness in Christ, |
| 14. Cannot endure to be questioned about Religion, | Are full of questions, | Desire to be thoroughly tried, |
| 15. Change Religion with the times, | Are easily changed, | Not by death or torture, |
| 16. Will not suffer for Religion, | Not much, | Suffer joyfully, |
| 17. Say they are more then they seem, | Seem more then they are, | Are more then they seem, |
| 18. Hate all show of Religion, | All power, | Have both, |
| 19. Are Key-cold, | Luke-warm, | Truly hot, |
| 20. Are devout, the Sacrament near, | The Sacrament day. | Truly devout always, |
| 21. Are glad when the Sabbath's over, | When it comes they say, | Rejoice most in that day, |
| 22. Care not for duties, | Know not how to do them, | Look for help from Christ, |
| 23. Say they are Sinners, but think not so, | Think they are Sinners, but not sin itself, | Know that they are nothing else but sin, |
| 24. Talk of Christ occasionaly, | Speak of him purposely, | Delight only in him, |
| 25. Call for Gospel, Gospel, | For Law; Law, | For both, |
| 26. Cry down terrible preaching, | Comfortable preaching, | Take pleasure in both, |
| 27. Are not humbled by the Law, | Not comforted by the Gospel, | Are by both, |
| 28. Account the Law railing, | The Gospel Daubing, | Know the use of both, |
| 29. Abuse the Gospel to looseness, | The Law to despair, | Use both aright, |
| 30. Place Religion in good meaning, | In good doing, | In faith in Christ, |
| 31. Are strangers to all Righteousness, | To Evangelical Righteousness, | Know Christ's Righteousness, |
| 32. Put all on Christ, and do nothing, | Do all and leave Christ nothing, | Do most, yet find fullness in Christ, |
| 33. Zealous at Common-prayer. | At Sermons or Fasts, | Always, |
| 34. Talk little of Religion. | Will talk much, | Know how to be silent, |
| 35. Know no assurance of Salvation, | Are never assured, | Strive for, and may be infallibly certain, |
| 36. Brag of any good they do, | Are boasters but craftily, | Deny themselves. |
| 37. Post off Repentance till last. | Are repenting, yet repent not, | Repent, yet rest only on faith in Christ, |
| 38. Would be Professors at death, | Believers at death, | Live by faith in life and death, |
| 39. Glory in sin, | In sinful duties, | In Christ's Cross, |
| 40. Cavell most at Profession, | At believing, | Profess and believe, |
| 41. Raise slanders of Professors, | Of Believers, | Of none, |
| 42. Shun Professors company, | Believers fellowship, | Imbrace Believers in love, |
| 43. Joyne with Atheists rather then Professors, | With profane then believers, | Love their like, |
| 44. Watch for Professors halting, | Believers tripping, | Are grieved at both, |
| 45. Publish Professors faults, | Believers infirmities, | Cover all in love, |
| 46. Mock Professors, | Gird at believers, | Bear all for Christ, |
| 47. Hate Reprovers, | Bear rebukes hardly, | Love such above all, |
| 48. Are implacable to Professors, | Are so to Believers, | Are easily appeased, |
| 49. Take revenge on Professors, | On Believers, | Leave all to God, |
| 50. Deride the brother-hood, | Hold fraternity in time of peace, | Part not with it to death, |
| 51. Are terrified by troubles, | Ever Cast down, | Glory in Tribulation, |
| 52. Love not tidings of death, | Loath to die, | Long for Christ's coming, |
| 53. Love the praise of men, | Affect applause, | Give all glory to God, |
| 54. Are all for the world, | Are much entangled therewith, | Are Heavenly minded, |
| 55. Are hard hearted, | Close fisted, | Liberall minded, |
| 56. Nourish base Lusts, | Have their beloved sins, | Hate all sin truly, |
| 57. Are sad in Professors company, | In Believers fellowship, | Joy in such Society, |
| 58. Nickname Professors, | Believers, | Are nick-named of all, |
| 59. Are high-minded, | Much exalted, | Are meek and lowly, |
| 60. Love none heartily, | Love in word, | Love Believers til death, |
| 61. Requite good with evil, | Evil with evil, | Evil with good, |
| 62. Hate their Enemies, | Love their friends, | Love their Enemies, |
| 63. Are apt for Law-Suits, | Will go to Law for little, | Are hardly provoked, |
| 64. Glory in their Wealth, | Are highly exalted thereby, | Are content in all Estates, |
| 65. Are all for mirth, | Will be wantonly merry, | Rejoice not in sin at all, |
| 66. Will venture Soul for gain, | Will hazard much that way, | Love not filthy lucre, |
| 67. Are all for their belly, | Great belly God's, | Hunger more for Christ, |
| 68. Would have States put down all show of godliness, | All truth and power, | To maintain both, |
| 69. Are careless of Salvation, | Carefull only for that, | To walk as the saved, |
| 70. By sinning grow more expert, | More wary, | More weakened to it, |
| 71. Keep others from Profession, | Think it enough to profess themselves, | Labor the conversion of others, |
| 72. Are not Professors, nor will be, | Are not believers, yet seem to be, | Are both, |
| 73. Hear but keep nothing, | Hear and repeat, | Hear, repeat, and retain, |
| 74. Are open enemys to Christ's Cross, | Secret Adversaries, | Are hearty lovers of the Cross of Christ, |
| 75. Know not Christ at all, | Love him not, | Love him unfeignedly, |
| 76. Are Devils in black, | Devils in white, | Glorious Saints, |