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A45648
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The Pvritanes impvritie, or, The anatomie of a Puritane of Separatist by name and profession wherein is declared the differences betwixt a true Protestant and a Pvritane, made manifest by the sincerity of the one and hypocrisie of the other : likewise the comelinesse and necessity of reverence used in the performing of the service of God, especially at the receiving of the sacrament / by John Harris Gent.
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Harris, John, Gent.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing H860; ESTC R10876
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5,513
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9
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THE PVRITANES IMPVRITIE OR THE ANATOMIE Of a PURITANE or SEPERATIST by Name and Profession Wherein is declared the differences betwixt a true PROTESTANT and a PVRITANE made manifest by the Sinceritv of the one and hypocrisie of the other Likewise the comelinesse and necessity of Reverence used in the performing of the Service of GOD especially at the receiving of the SACRAMENT By JOHN HARRIS Gent. 1 Corinth 11. vers. 27. For whosoever shall eate this Bread and drinke this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord LONDON Printed by T. FAVVCET MDCXLI The PURITANE's Impuritie IN these preposterous times many vices are predominant but amongst all the whole brood of vices there is none so great there is none grown to that height ther 's none so seprous as this of Puritanisme the errours of which Sect by the grace of God I will plainly Anatomize and lay open to the view of all men but first it is requisite that wee should examine who is pure Secondly what creatures they are that count themselves pure Thirdly the effects of their purity Fourthly their opinions and Hypocriticall lives Fiftly whether the fruit of purity be Hypocrisie Sixtly and lastly the difference betwixt a true Protestant and a dissembling Puritan all which points in their order by Gods assistance I shall lay open plainly decipher with as much brevity as possible I can desiring all judicious and true Protestants to reade it with as much care and as free from envie as I shall expresse in the writing for God witnesse with me although I hate their opinions I love the men and it shall be mine and ought to be the prayer of every true Christian to God that he would be pleased to illuminate their darkned judgements to open their eyes and guide their wandring feet into the way of peace as touching the first point or question who is pure I hope it is needlesse to tell any beleever yet I will give you one testimony which shall serve as a prop unto that man if there be such a one which shall stagger in his beliefe and doubt of Gods purity you may read in the 19. Psalme the 82. ver. These words The Statutes of the Lord are right and rejoyce the heart the Commandement of the Lord is pure and giveth light vnto the eyes Likewise Psal. 25. at the 7. ver. Gratious and Righteous is the Lord for he will teach sinners in the way So in the 33. Psal. at the 34 verse Sing unto the Lord a song sing prayses unto him with a good courage for the word of the Lord is true and all his workes are faithfull thus much shall serve as touching this point which I trust is apparently manifest in every one of our hearts namely that God is pure neverthelesse it will aske some labour to make it apparent that there is none pure but God for in these latter times since ha's got so great a predomination in some mens hearts and so faire a pretence withall that they presume to cover all their vicious opinions with the pure mantle of Religion now to prove that there is none pure but God I might quote many places in Scripture but it were a needlesse labour bestow'd on so worthlesse a subject onely these 3. shall serve the first of which you shall find in the 7. of Eccles. at the 20. ver. There is not a just man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not the second proofe you shall find in the 14. Psal. 2. ver. there is none that doth good no not one Likewise Rom. 30. 23. all have sinned and come short of the glory of God As touching the third point what sort of Creatures they are that count themselves pure namely sinfull men sons and daughters of Adam we are all heires of Originall sinne from our first Father now if we be borne in sinne if we be spotted with leprosie we cannot be pure but per-adventure they will plead that the power of originall sinne and the strēgth of the law was abolisht by Christs death to this I answer that to all beleevers it was for Christs obedience made full satisfaction for our first Parents disobedience but then how can they cleare themselves from their actuall transgressions their sins of omission their sins of Commission their wilfull sins their sins of ignorance are those men pure that produce naught but the effects of impurity are those men worshippers of God which worship their owne erroneous opinions are they lovers of Christ which they never saw yet hate their brothers whom they see daily are these men pleasers of God which preferre their own wils before Gods pleasure non est optima quae placet sed quae decet that is not best which pleases but that which becomes thee now whether it is most becomming to please God or thy selfe I leave it to thy consideration God commands thee to love thy brother wilt thou hate him then surely thou preferst thy own pleasure before Gods command but of this anone moreover Christ while he was conversant on Earth laboured to convert sinners I came not to call the Righteous but sinners to Repentance sayes that Physitian of our Soules Christ Jesus he spent his time in curing the diseas'd in feeding the poore in performing good and pious works now if these men be Imitators of Christ we shall suddenly discerne by their actions a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit Luke 6. 43. Now let us examine the actions of these Seperatists alias Puritanes the fruit of a true Christian must be faith in Christ Jesus Secondly the fruit of that faith must be springing it must not be a dead faith now the greatest expression of a lively faith is good works as you may read in the 2. of St. James at the 26. ver. As the body without the spirit is dead so faith without good workes is dead Is it so then that charitable workes are the lively fruits of faith is it so then that faith without good workes is dead what just cause have we then to feare that those men which terme themselves Seperatists what cause have we J say to feare that their faith is a dead faith for they are so farre from good workes themselves that they will perswade others from the exercise of that pious duty Thirdly the badge of a lively faith is humility a reverend zeale in the performing Gods service as we may read a perfect example in Christ Jesus who when he pray'd humbled himselfe before his Father as you may see in the 22. chap. Luke ver. 21. And when he was withdrawne from them about a stones cast he kneeled downe and prayed Likewise you may read how Humility and reverence was accepted in the Publican when boasting Arrogancy was rejected in the proud Pharisee Luke the 18. ver. 13. Now that these sort of men are proud may easily be exprest for they are so farre from humility that at the receiving of
the Sacrament which is the greatest and surest meanes of our Salvation they will not vouchsafe to kneele but sit on their Cushions or places of ease they are so lazie or as we may terme them so extream proud that they will not vouchsafe to goe to meet Christ but he must come to thē the people of Hierusalem when they heard Christ was comming to ye City they ran to meet him they strew'd the way they met him with a Song of prayse and thankesgiving Hosana Hosana in the highest blessed is the King of Israel which commeth in the name of the Lord Joh. 12. ver. 13. Beloved did these people so extoll the Lord Did they reverence him did they run to meet him because they had received temporall Blessings of him because he had cured their lame and given sight unto the blind and shall not we reverence him shall not we earnestly run to meet him that heald our leprous soules that gave eyes of understanding to our blind judgements that dyed to redeeme us from eternall death surely beloved if we shall neglect this gratefull duty these Jewes these people of Hierusalem shall rise up in judgement against us but to my former discourse our Precisians thinke it to much labour it savors of superstition to come up to the Communion Table therefore if the bread and wine which is ye signe of our substantiall Savior be not brought to them they will rather choose to disturbe the whole Congregation to make a mutenie in the presence of God then be perswaded from their diabolicall opinions the next point we are to examine is what sort of men they be that are of this opinion to wit Mechanick persons for the most part unlectured grooms Coachmen Feltmakers Coblers Weavers Glovers hauking Ironmongers walking after the imaginations of their owne hearts whose consciences are in a consumption and wits as rusty as a peece of old Iron which has been broken and throwne on the dunghill these rusty companions are knowne well enough in every street their abominations breake forth and like to spreading Vlcers infect poore innocent soules this beguiler sells his pils very cheape you may buy one for a peny but take heed taste it not for if you doe it will spoyle your Common prayer but to proceed that they are ignorant soules may appeare in this that they preferre the Discipline of ignorant men of their owne Society before the Discipline of learned men they prefer the drosse before the treasure they prefer a dunce that will flatter and wrest his text according to the fancies of his Auditors before a learned Divine that teaches Orthodox Doctrine that will open with the Key of knowledge the Cabinet of the Scriptures alas Orthodox Doctrine is to cold of disgestion for their queazy stomacks it is to deepe for them oh no it is the language of the beast and they will not heare it they will rather forsake the Church and get under a hedge then endure to be told of their iniquities so much concerning what sorts of people they are that think themselves pure next I come to the effects of their purity they are proud they are envious they are enemies to the Church they are enemies to learning they are selfe-wild selfe-conceited they are hearers but not doers they are covetous they are lyers they are persecutors of the poore oppressors of the needy In fine J may say with David ther 's not one good no not one now if this bee the fruit of Purity let all true Christians judge next for their opinions namely that it is lawfull to seperate themselves from the wicked but what availes it to seperate themselves from the performers or actors of iniquity when they retaine and keep the same iniquity in their hearts what is it for a man to leave the Society of a publique whore and keepe a private one what is it to hate swearing and love lying what is it for me to hate a vice in another and love it in my selfe could they separate themselves from their sinnes as easily as they seperate themselves from the Society of the wicked as they terme us I would be one of their conventicle but so long as J see so much deceipt so much Poyson in a golden pill so much basenesse covered under a Religions mantle I le rather choose to be a dore-keeper in the house of the Lord then a bauling Pastor in their Synagogue Fiftly for their lives and conversations they are men which respect their profits above their consciences for let a man be of what condition soever if they thinke they can profit by him then they will expresse a great deale of formality a great deale of love and kindnesse but make tryall of their love and then in verity you shall find them inwardly Jewes though outwardly Saints they are all for profit nothing for loue their Zeale ha's forgot what St. Paul sayes in the 2 chap. 1 Epistle of St. John about the 9 10 and 11. verses He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darknesse Likewise chap. 3. ver. 15 whosoever hateth his brother is a Murderer and you know that no Murderer hath eternall life abiding in him but they will say that they doe not hate their brethren but the wicked to this I answer so long as they continue in sinne they are brothers unto the most wicked man and in hating him they hate their brother for we are all Sons of one Father or will you say that all they that are not of your opinion are ye wicked it does appeare so for you have seperated your selves from us and what greater symptome of hate can there be then seperation but yet take heed judge not lost you be judged againe ha's the wickednesse of the people made the Church wicked why should you hate that is a Surplice a bug-beare or is the Common Prayer of force to blister your precise eares if you should vouchsafe to heare it you may read in Matth. chap. 24. ver. 28. these words Wheresoever the carkasse is there will the Eagles be gathered together this carkasse may be termed the word of God and the Eagles all true Christians now if the word of God be taught in the Church let all true Christians resort thither as for them that thinke to goe to Heaven blind-fold let them goe on let them spend their dayes according to the imaginations of their owne hearts let them live securely yet let them remember that secura vita est mare mortuum a secure life is a dead Sea let them seperate let them rayle let them raigne in vice yet let them at last remember that for all these things they must come to judgement Lastly the differences betwixt a true Protestant and a Puritane are declared in these foure things a Protestant will deale uprightly a Puritan will cozen his Father a true Protestant will love his enemy a Puritane will hate every man a true Protestant will serve God devoutly and expresse it in his life and conversation a Puritane will make a zealous shew of serving God but expresse the contrary in his life and conversation a Protestant will relieve the poore and fatherlesse a Puritane will oppresse the fatherlesse and Widdow as it is apparent in too many of your zealous Professors but let them take heed that Christ pronounce not that judgement against them which is mentioned in the 25. chap. Matth. 45. ver. Verily I say unto you forasmuch as you have not relieved the poorest of my Brethren you did it not to me therefore these shall goe into eternall torments but the Righteous into life eternall is it so then that the poorest Creature is Christs brother is it so that those that have neglected to feed the poore shall receive that heavy sentence How much more then are they liable to this bitter doome that have opprest the Fatherlesse and widdow that have sufferd their poore brethren to starve for want of food that have fed on dilicious carres themselves yet not afforded the crums to their brother Lazarus God knowes this duty of charity is cold in all men especially in this Sect who instead of relieving a poore creature will send him going with God helpe thee or it may be they will bestow the title of lazy knave or counterfeit rascall but not a farthing although beg'd for Christs sake I beseech God of his aboundant mercy open their hearts send downe the heavenly dew of thy mercy upon us and them that we may no longer be dead in sinne but spring and flourish and bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life o shall we love one another so shall we glorifie thee our God on Earth and when we dye be pertakens of thy glory in Heaven VVe beseech thee to heare us good Lord FINIS