A holy lamp of light: discovering the falacious allegorizing of scriptures, to destroy not only the reallity of the person of Christ, but all other truths, from his conception to his exaltation; the generalll [sic] resurrection, and the generall judgment-day, falsly avowing all to be fulfilled here in this present life. Or a defence against Mr. Royle his reply. / By Iohn Graunt.

A holy lamp of light: discovering the falacious allegorizing of scriptures, to destroy not only the reallity of the person of Christ, but all other truths, from his conception to his exaltation; the generalll [sic] resurrection, and the generall judgment-day, falsly avowing all to be fulfilled here in this present life. Or a defence against Mr. Royle his reply. / By Iohn Graunt.

Table of contents

A Holy Lamp of Light: Discovering the falacious allegorizing of Scriptures, to destroy not only the reallity of the person of Christ, but all other truths, from his Conception to his Exaltation; The generalll Resurrection, and the generall Judgment-day, falsly avowing all to be fulfilled here in this present life. Or a defence against Mr. Royle his Reply. By IOHN GRAVNT.

§

[Page]

A Holy Lamp of Light: Discovering the falacious allegorizing of Scriptures, to destroy not only the reallity of the person of Christ, but all other truths, from his Conception to his Exaltation; The generalll Resurrection, and the generall Judgment-day, falsly avowing all to be fulfilled here in this present life. Or a defence against Mr. Royle his Reply. By IOHN GRAVNT.

SIR,

YOVR owne Answer to all that are single-eyed, is a plaine evidence and manifestation against your selfe, for denying the reality, and making an Allegory of the Divine and Humane nature of the Messiah, the Saviour of all men, the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of glory, and Lord of his people; and also in every other particular concerning his humiliation and exaltation, thereby destroying the truth both of the Doctrine of Regeneration & Perfection, and the assured hope of his Saints at his appearance and Kingdome, under your dark and obscure Expressions, never meant nor sent from God, but form'd and fram'd by the spirit of delusion, so that the children of wisedome may condemn you by your own words: Yet lest the purity of the Doctrine of salvation, wisdome, and counsell of God should any way suffer through your sophismes, or receive dishonour by your cunning subtleties in behalfe of it, and the Lord thereof, I that am the meanest of all his servants, thus make my defence against you as followeth.

And first for your censuring me for passionate reproaches, and bitter expressions under the terms of fancies, conceits, false allegories, delusions and olde Germane Errours, This you say is my language, which in saying so, if I speak truly, then I am not to be blamed, but rather justified, being therein warranted both by precept and president in holy Scripture, which commandeth to reprove such sharply. And also saith, Thou shalt not suffer sinne upon thy brother, but thou shalt in any wise rebuke him, Luk. 19. 17. And all to this end, that they may be kept and found in the faith, Tit. 1. 13. And woe be to them that justifie the wicked, and condemn the righteous, that put darknesse for light, and light for darknesse, that call bitter sweet, and sweet bitter:

So that wee ought to say (that those that speak not Gods Word unto the people) they speak their owne fancies: And such as are given up to strong delusions, ought to be called deluders, or lyers; and the bad, or evill Tree ought not to be called a good Tree, nor the Bramble the Vine; but the truth [Page] ought to be spoken of all: And the expressions thereof ought not to be termed passion or bitternesse. And that I have spoke truly in what I have spoke against you, a briefe examination of the particulars will manifestly declare: And it will not serve your turne in the Tryall, to say, I am in a low Dispensation; but when I come higher, in the which you are in, then I shall be of your mind, wherefore I proceed not in the Letter alone, which is the corps of the Scriptures, but therewithall the meaning, the solue, the life, the light of truth, and power of the Spirit of God that doth accompany the Letter.

And first, for those faire words, and smooth expressions from your selfe, it is the way that Sathan hath, and will use to deceive with from the first that was made, to the last that shall be born. And the Apostles jealousie of the faithfull makes him to say, I feare, lest by any meanes, as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, 2 Cor. 11. 3. And this I say (saith hee) lest any man should beguile you with enticing words, Col. 2. 4. For the presumptuous and selfe-willed beguile unstable soules, 2 Pet. 2. 14. And there are some, that by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple, Rom. 16. 19.

In the second Page of your Paper you speak of Johns Baptisme, & Christs Baptisme, and of the offices and gifts which Paul and the rest had received; and that you apprehend them all to be types and figures of that glory revealed in us, which glory in us you make the estate of the Just and perfect man glorified here before the dissolution of the body.

Sir, I pray take notice how you expresse and declare your selfe ignorant of the Principles and Beginnings of Jesus Christ; as also of the accomplishment and perfection of a true Christian indeed. Therefore be it known unto you, that Iohns baptisme was not water in a literal, but in a spiritual sense, the worke of repentance unto life was his baptisme, and externall washing with materiall water was a signe of his administration of that heavenly grace of repentance. He shall come (saith the Prophet) in the spirit and power of Elias, Mal. 3. And he shall turn the hearts of the children to their Fathers, &c. The disobedient to the wisdome of the just. His baptisme saith St. Luke, Chap. 3. is the baptisme of repentance, as it is written in the Book of the words of Isaias the Prophet; The voyce of one crying in the Wildernesse, prepare yee the way of the Lord, make his paths straight; which Scriptures declare not only the name▪ of his Baptisme, but the heavenly nature, operation, and vertue thereof, even to turne, prepare, bruise, soften and break the hearts of sinners.

So likewise as our Lords Baptism is of a more higher and excellent degree of the work of Gods Spirit; the Scriptures also sets it sorth in such tearms as expresseth the more excellent nature and operation thereof, as comforting exceeds mourning, healing brokennesse, liberty captivity, satisfaction want, and the truth of purity and holinesse the preparation thereunto, and spirituall riches that of spirituall poverty, and therefore it is that our Lord himself saith, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, And he hath anointed me to preach the Gospell to the poore, which is, to heale the broken-hearted, to deliver the captivated, & to give sight to them that are spiritually blinde. And this word speaking peace by Jesus Christ began after the Baptisme that Iohn preached, and there is great [Page] reason for it; for freedome and deliverance follows bondage and thraldome, as curing and healing doth the member that is wounded and broken.

And by these two heavenly Baptismes and spirituall Operations, a sinner is begotten to God, and made a Saint: And as by our fleshly birth wee came to have a naturall being and subsistance; so by this heavenly birth of repentance and remission of sinnes, Gods children come to have a holy and spirituall being and subsistance, in which holy righteous children & Saints God dwels by his Spirit, and endows them with gifts & graces of the holy Ghost, which are not figures and shadows (as you term them) nor things to be done away, but are reall for substance, and durable for continuance: And as Christ and Melchisedech, so are all these regenerate Priests of an endlesse life, and the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit in them remain and continue to be Gods Witnesses, testifying for God in the earth, as it is written, There are three that beare record in earth, the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood, Joh. 5. 8. And those that by these are spiritually born, begotten, and brought forth of God, are the little ones that Christ blesseth, the humble ones that Christ teacheth, the wise ones that only and truly understand; for unto those onely it is given to know the secrets and mysteries of God.

This new born man is the righteous and just man, the blessed & holy man and becomes thus righteous & just, not by any inherent righteousness which is originally within him as you say, and is to be raised, for you affirm it dead in every man; And when risen, then the flesh is destroyed, and the new man quickned.

But the righteousnesse of the truly righteous is by imputation of anothers righteousnesse from without him; For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (mark what the truth saith, not of our selves) shall many be made righteous. And as Abraham the Father of the Faithfull was not made righteous by his own righteousness, but by the imputation of anothers righteousnesse: Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him, that is, on Iesus Christ, Rom. 4. 23. 24. And of the justified ones it is said, their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord, Isa. 54. 17.

Now observe, it is a meer tale or fable for any to say, that a man becomes a righteous man by having the righteousnesse within him as hee is borne into the world: And so although he liveth, yet that is dead, and to be quickned, asleep, and to be awakened, and that Christ the anointing is in all men, either concealed under the ashes of corruption, or kindled into a flame of illumina [...]ion; this Doctrine is sottishnesse to heavenly wisdome, and nonsence to true Divinity.

For thus saith the Truth, That which is borne of the flesh is flesh, & that which is born of the Syirit is Spirit: The ode birth is from below of the earth, earthly, the other is through the Lord from above, spiritually and heavenly, as it is written, Except a man be born again from above, he cannot see the kingdome of God. Now such spirituall men were Peter and Nathanael, and all the faithfull Apostles and Saints, to whom flesh and blood was not their Teacher and Revealer, but Almighty God himselfe, and these heavenly perls of regeneration and the gifts of the holy Ghost; their spirituall anointings were not figures [Page] and shadows to cease and passe away, but the very immortall Word, Councell, Spirit, and Covenant of God that abideth and continueth for ever, against which the gates of Hell shall not prevaile; contrary to which in Page 5. you affirm in these words, I do not mean that outward Ceremony of water, but also the baptisme of the holy Ghost and gifts to be figurative and typicall. Yet in another place, Page the 2. you are pleased to say thus to me; but if you say that those Offices and gifts which were given to the Apostles, continue still, and were not figurative; Then shew me say you that power of visible glory held forth in these that now doe dispense, as in them heretofore.

To which I answer, If I have manifestly declared and described the righteous plant, the good Tree and the holy Temple, then they that are spirituall may discern the fruits, with the power, the light, and glory thereof; for this good Tree is not barren, but exceeding fruitfull, and this spirituall House, Temple, & Spouse all glorious within: Now in the time of her Lords personall absence, who, when he comes to be personally present, she with him, and he with her, shall be wonderfully revealed and manifested with power & great glory, cloathed visibly with it, even before all their enemies that will not now acknowledge it, but declare against it, as your selfe hath done, and many others, that have thanks for it of them that should have reproved them, for was there ever such blasphemy witnessed and testified too, as is under your own hand, in denying the Lord that bought you; For you boldly affirme in Page 6. though wofully and impudently, That the Incarnation of Christ, his death, resurrection, and intercession, and what ever else is spoken of him▪ as that he was circumcised, baptized, crucified, dead, & bured, risen, and ascended; All these expressions and removes say you, I looke upon to be no more but as types and figures, holding forth that whole mystery of Truth which shall be made out and finished in us by times and degrees, and in severall measures; which when it is accomplished in us, will be the end of all things. And further you say, this is that generall Resurrection and great day of the Lord, and the world to come, and this is all fulfi [...]led in us before this vaile of flesh be laid down.

These are your own words, wherein you affirme nere as many blasphemies as you have written words; for here you make Christ himselfe to be a Type and Figure, as before you made the gifts of the Spirit which hee gave to his Apostles, for you deny Christ to be reall and personall, and affirm him to be a Quality, an Unction of your own devising; And that there is no resurrection of the body out of the earth; nor no day of judgment, nor no world to come, then what you have imagined and fancied in your own conceit; besides, and contrary to Gods word. And because you will not be tryed by that rule of Truth, you blush not to say in page 5. That the fountain of truth doth not fix or confine you so to any expressions, as that you should not express or declare any thing but what is according to Scriptures tying you to those written words; no say you.

Oh Sir, look and consider how you exalt your self above all that are called God, above Christ, above his Word, as I told you before in my Answ. Your Doctor H. N. had done in page 2. above his Church, above all the holy Prophets and Apostles; yea all the lights and stars of God from the beginning [Page] of the world to this day; but it cannot be otherwise, because you refuse the counsell that teacheth the truth to the Law and to the Testimony: If this be not in you, it is because there is no light in you; And that it may be manifested there is no light in you, do but take a short and briefe view of your own darknesse, ignorance, and grosse contradictions in your Reply, as you call it. For in page 5. You affirm that I mistake you in saying you make Elias and the Messenger of the Covenant one & the same: And yet as with the same breath you presently affirm, that the Messenger of the Covenant which was Christ, is that Elias the Prophet, even Christ that unction of Truth in us; see from your own mouth the effect of your owne darknesse in leaving and slighting of Gods Word, and the light thereof, which saith, Mat. 11. That Iohn Baptist was Elias that was to come. And the Prophet Malachi makes the Lord Christ to be the Messenger of the Covenant, and the Baptist to be the Lords Messenger, to prepare his way before him, by preaching repentance, as before is touched: And he tels you plainly himselfe you speak falsely of him, Io [...]. 1. 20. I am not the Christ, saith he, meaning Christ Jesus the Lord, the Messenger of the Covenant; and the Apostle John his witnesse is against you also, Iohn 1. 8. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witnesse of that light (saith he) Is it not now clear that that higher dispensation you speake of is very grosse dark ignorance and contradiction that you are fallen into.

Mr. Royle, as in this you have no weapon left for your defence, so your nakednesse will also appear in the rest that is to follow. I pray Sir why did you not reply particularly to the Scriptures I brought to prove the Resurrection of the body; wherefore I entreat you again to consider of one or two Texts more, in John 5. 28, 29. Our Lord affirms plainly, using no parrable or allegory, That all that are in the graves shall heare his voyce, and shall come forth. Mark this expression; It is not said they shall be raised in us, but they shall come forth of their graves, they that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evill, to the resurrection of condemnation. Now but that you say that in your dispensation you are not bound to accord with the Scripture, this testimony would confute your Errour, for all the generall Resurrection you speak of in your Reply is this; Christ being raised in us, the mistery of Truth finished in us, page 6. before the putting off of this vaile of flesh, when Gods word plainely makes the generall resurrection to be the raising of all mens bodies out of their graves where they are buried, the good to salvation, the evill to damnation. Consider, Mr. Royle, how you have declared and proved your selfe a faithlesse & hopefull man; for all that have hope towards God believe, and allow that there shall be a resurrection from the dead both of the just and unjust, Acts 24. 15. And here see and observe what a discord there is between your spirit and the Spirit of God in the Scriptures, even by your own words, testifying against you. And look again on your Paper how you reply to my Answer against your ignorant position, that the comming of Christ to judgement is his spirituall appearance in men.

For this you affirme in Page 4. That it is clear that Christs comming againe is fulfilled in sending, giving, or powring out his Spirit into men. [Page] See againe how you in your high Dispensation are directly opposite to Christ and the Apostles holy Doctrine; for all Scriptures are not spoken to the weakenesse of Creatures as you say, but to the comfort and joy of the Saints, that they through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope, Rom. 15. 4. And the Scriptures doe not say he shall come in us as you say, but to us; I will come againe saith our Lord, that is, to be with his in bodily presence, as he was with them before he went from them when he ascended from his Apostles, he went not out from within them, but ascended from their company, so doth the two men cloathed in white Apparel assure the Apostles, this same Jesus (say they) which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him goe into heaven. Now was not the manner a personall ascention from amongst them, and so shall the manner of his comming in the Clouds be againe personally into their company, so that it cannot be as you say in a figure of fleshly appearance, but really in his glorified body. Behold he commeth with clouds (saith the Spirit) and every eye shall see him: That is, all men shall see the person of the Son of Man comming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Observe again, it is not said he comes into men, but he comes from heaven unto men, in such great eminent and personall glory that every eye shall behold: And his appearance shall be to to the looked for, and much desired joy of his Saints, but to the shame and confusion of his Enemies, and such as be lye him: And take heed now you do not smother this clear light of Christs personall appearance with the smoak of your expression; You are skilfull in the letter, for let me tell you plainly, that whosoever makes his spirituall sense wholly contradictory to the letter of the Scriptures, renders himselfe both truthlesse and senselesse for such an one hath none to bear witnesse with him: and whosoever bears witnesse of himselfe, his witnesse is not true.

Wherefore once againe I beeseech you consider further seriously what is written of this great and glorious truth in these 7. particulars. 1. The person that commeth. 2. The time of his comming. 3. The manner of his comming. 4. The parties that pray for, and desire his comming. 5. The company that attends him in his comming. 6. The end & effect of his comming: and 7. The place to which he commeth; In every which particular, your conceit of his comming into men by spirituall appearances, will be utterly confuted and overthrown. And fi [...]st for the person that commeth: And mark this, it is a person, & not a quality, and such a humane person as there was never the like, for he is the sonne of a Virgin; And although shee his mother, a sinfull woman of her selfe; yet he that tooke flesh of her without sinne, the son of sinfull man, & yet be no sinner: Behold a wonder, yea a wonderfull person, yea such a person as is the Captain of our salvation, the Bishop of our soules, the Apostle of our profession: He is called the High Priest, the Messiah, the Mediator, yea the only Mediatour between God and man; the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the greatest personage for Majestie that ever was, or shall be: And yet the same person in his power, glory, & reign, as in his contempt and suffering only now glorified, and not before.

2. His comming again shall not be till the end of this World, when there shall be an end of sinning, an end of dying, an end of labouring, and an end [Page] of the Curse: an end of sorrowing, suffering, weeping, and of hungring and thirsting, not in a feigned conceit, but really, as it was in the estate of innocency before any of these things had their being and beginning.

3▪ The manner of his comming shall be glorious in a two fold respect, Amiable to his Saints and servants, but terrible to his Adversaries and Enemies, as it is written; The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voyce of the Arch-Angell, and with the Trump of God, to the joy, admiration, and salvation of his Saints: And on the contrary, his comming shall be terrible to the wicked and disobedient; A day of wrath, indignation, misery and calamity, darkenesse and confusion; his comming to such shall be in flaming fire, rendring vengeance; Yet at the same time to his Saints a heeler, a deliverer, a restorer, yea amiable and glorious as the light, shining as the Sunne, and glittering as the perfection of all the precious and excellent things that can he thought or spoke of.

4. The parties that pray for, and desire his comming, declare it to be visible and apparent, his own personall presence, and not misterious and invisible: The earnest desire of the Saints is, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, always prayed for, hoped for, longed for; to which time they have referred the righting of all their Wrongs, the clearing of all their Causes, the enjoyment of all their Comforts, to which time the Lord hath referred them. Then saith he, Lift up your heads, for your redemption draws nigh: and in which time the Apostle hath assured them deliverance, For he that shall come, will come, & will not tarry: And it is their Saviour that saith, Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me.

5. His company that attends him are beyond all comparison for number and nature, for quantity and quality, all the holy Angels, all the holy Saints, their vertue and quality is holinesse and gloriousnesse, their number innumerable, all, all, for Angels and Saints, thousand-thousands minister unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before him, even so many, as they are beyond all, and it is the company that attends this great and mighty Lord, a multitude saith the Spirit, which no man can number, of all Nations, & Kindreds, and People, add Tongues; all the Israel & chosen of God are then to attend him personally in their glorified bodies and souls.

The 6 thing considerable is the end of his coming, and that is to affect & accomplish perfection, to restore all things to be glorified in his Saints, and with his Saints, to be admired of all that believe, and to be dreaded and feared of all his Enemies, ruling the one with a Scepter of gold, and the other with a rod of Iron; then shall he be crowned and enthroned for evermore, his Kingdome set up that shall have no end; his power so greatly declared, that all his Enemies shall be subdued: He will then make his, and the Saints Adversaries to acknowledg and honour him and them for ever; For this Kingdome that the Lord of Heaven shall set up, shall break to pieces, and subdue all other Kingdomes: It shall thrash the Nations, and beate downe the mountains, advancing the City and mountain of God over and above all Powers, Authorities, Dignities, and Estates whatsoever, as it is written; At the name of Jesus shall every knee how, both of things in heaven, things on earth, and things under te earth; That is, to the power and authority of this King [Page] King and Kingdom, which by name is signified; then shall all other Kings and Nations in the whole world be subjected, which will be more cleared in the next.

The 7. and last particular, is the place whether he comes, and that is to the earth, he shall stand, or have rule and authority the last upon the earth, which shall be the pla [...]e of his Royalty and Dominion, even the everlasting inheritance of the Saints. His dominion (saith the Spirit) shall be from Sea to Sea: And the meek (that is, the children of God, the blessed ones) they shall inherit the earth with him; For he hath redeemed them out of every Tongue, People, and Nation, and they shall reigne on the earth: But the Heavens and Earth that are now, shall be purged, & made all new & holy, where nothing shall dwell then but righteousnesse: And not only the Saints, but the whole Creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God: Then shall Christ the Lord give the Inheritance to the Heirs apparent; for Abraham is not onely the heire of the world, but all the children of the Promise, that are of the faith of Abraham, are joynt-heirs with him. Now all their excellent honours and priviledges as they are in this life inward, and enjoyned by faith and hope, are the earnest penny of the whole perfection: So then after the Resurrection, the things that are now believed and hoped for, shall be then present in the enjoyment for ever, and then faith and hope shall cease and come to an end: And this everlasting salvation shall not onely be within them, in the perfection of them, but externally upon them also. For all the Righteous shall be cloathed with a glorious heavenly cloathing: They shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament, & as the stars for ever & ever, and the whole wicked world shall be judged by them, seeing, knowing, and acknowledging them honoured of God for ever, whom they in their life-time did scorn, persecute, disdain and contemn: And they lifting up their heads, out of their pains and torments, shall fall down and worship them, and in honour of them lick the dust of their seet, and shall say one to another Are not these they that wee fooles in our life-time, hated & had in a proverb of reproach; but now how doe wee see them honoured, & our selves justly condemned: In which condemnation they shal be for ever chained and tormented world without end. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so in your Writings you have withstood Jesus; but as their folly was manifested to all men, so shall also yours be: Wherefore Master Royle I pray you to repent, that you may escape this damnation to come, who am your Friend,

IOHN GRAVNT.

FINIS.

§

§

Page 2. l. 7. for solue, r. soule. p. 7. l. 30. for and it, r. awdit. p. 3. l. 46. for pearls r. parts.

Information about this book

Title statement

A holy lamp of light: discovering the falacious allegorizing of scriptures, to destroy not only the reallity of the person of Christ, but all other truths, from his conception to his exaltation; the generalll [sic] resurrection, and the generall judgment-day, falsly avowing all to be fulfilled here in this present life. Or a defence against Mr. Royle his reply. / By Iohn Graunt.

Graunt, John, of Bucklersbury.

Edition statement

1650

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A85546

ID [STC]

Wing G1593

ID [STC]

Thomason E596_9

ID [STC]

ESTC R206957

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99866038

ID [PROQUEST]

99866038

ID [VID]

165582

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A85546)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 165582)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 91:E596[9])

Source

— A holy lamp of light: discovering the falacious allegorizing of scriptures, to destroy not only the reallity of the person of Christ, but all other truths, from his conception to his exaltation; the generalll [sic] resurrection, and the generall judgment-day, falsly avowing all to be fulfilled here in this present life. Or a defence against Mr. Royle his reply. / By Iohn Graunt., Graunt, John, of Bucklersbury..

Extent

8 p.

s.n.,. [London :: 1650]. (Caption title.) (Imprint from Wing.) (Annotation on Thomason copy: "Mar. 23. 1649".) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.