IMP s' 
But thou didft plead 
Divine impulfion, prompting how thou might'ft 
Find Tome occaiion to infelt our foes. Milton. 
IMPULSIVE, adj. {impuljf, Fr. from impulfe.] Hav¬ 
ing the power of impulfe ; moving ; impellent.—What is 
the fountain or impulfwe caufe ot this prevention of fin ? 
It is perfectly free grace. South, 
Nature and duty bind him to obedience; 
But, thofe being placed in a lower Inhere, 
His fierce ambition, like the highell mover, 
Has hurried with a ftrong impulfve motion 
Againft their proper courfe. Denham. 
IMPULSIVE, f. [from the adj.] Motive.—I was con¬ 
ducted from thence to another enquiry, namely, to what 
end, and upon what impulfivcs, when all was equally 
every man’s in common, men did rather think it fitting, 
that every man fhould have his inclofure. Hobbes. 
IMPU'NITIVE, adj. [from in, Lat. contrary to, and 
punio, to punilh.] Unpunifhable. Not much ufed. 
IMPU'NITIVELY, adv. Without punilhment. Cole. 
IMPU'NITY, f. \_wipunite, Fr. impunitas, Lat.] Free¬ 
dom from punifhment; exemption from punilhment.— 
Mea, potent in the commonwealth, will employ their ill- 
gotten influence towards procuring impunity, or extorting 
undue favours for themfelves or dependents. Atterbury. 
IMPU'RE, adj. [impur , Fr. impurus, Lat.] Defiled with 
guilt; unholy: of men: 
No more can impuYe man retain and move 
In that pure region of a worthy love, 
Than earthly fubftance can unforc’d afpire, 
And leave his nature to converfe with fire. Donne. 
Contrary to fanftity; unhallowed; unholy: of things; 
Hypocrites aufterely talk. 
Condemning as impure, what God has made 
Pure, and commands to fome, leaves free to all. Milton. 
Unchafte.—One could not devife a more proper hell for 
an impure fpirit, than that which Plato has touched upon. 
AddiJ'on. 
If black fcandal, or foul-fac’d reproach. 
Attend the fequel of your impofition, 
Your meer enforcement fhall acquittance me 
From all the impure blots and llains thereof. Shakefpeare. 
Feculent; foul with extraneous mixtures ; drofly. 
IMPU'RELY, adv. With impurity. 
IMPU'RENESS, or Impurity, J. \impurett, Fr. im¬ 
pur has, Lat. from impure. ] Want of fanftity ; want of ho- 
linefs.—Aft of unchaltity.—Foul impurities reigned among 
the monkifh clergy. Atterbury. —Feculent admixture.— 
Cleafnfe the alimentary, duft by vomiting and clylters, the 
impurities of which will be carried into the blood. Ar- 
buthnot. 
Impurity, in the law of Mofes, is any legal defile¬ 
ment. Of thefe there were feveral forts. Some were vo¬ 
luntary, as the touching a dead body, or any animal that 
died of itfelf, or any creature that was elteemed unclean ; 
or the touching things holy by one w'ho was not clean, 
or was not a prieft; the touching one who had a leproly, 
one who had a gonorrhoea, or who was polluted by a dead 
carcafe, See. Sometimes thefe impurities were involun¬ 
tary ; as when any one inadvertently touched bones, or a 
fepulchre, or any thing polluted ; or fell into lucli dif- 
eales as pollute, as the leprofy, Sec. The beds, clothes, 
and movables, which had touched any thing unclean, 
contrafted alio a kind of impurity, and in fome cafes 
communicated it to others. Thefe legal pollutions were 
generally removed by bathing, and lafted no longer than 
the evening. The perfon polluted plunged over head in 
the water, and either had his clothes on wdien he did fa, 
or wafhed himfelf and his clothes feparately. Other pol¬ 
lutions continued feven days, as that which was contract- 
VOL. X. No. 726. 
I M P 877 
ed by touching a dead body. That of women in their 
monthly courles lafted till this was over with them. 
Other impurities lafted forty or fifty days ; as that of wo¬ 
men who were lately delivered, who were unclean forty 
days after the birth of a boy, and fifty after the birth of 
a girl. Others again lalted till the perfon was cured. 
Many of thefe pollutions were expiated by facrifices; and 
others by a certain water or lye made with the afhes of a 
red heifer, lacrificed on the great day of expiation. When 
the leper was cured, he went to the temple, and offered a 
facrifice of two birds, one of which was killed and the 
other let at liberty. He who had touched a dead body, 
or had been prefent at a funeral, was to be purified with 
the water of expiation, and this upon pain of death. The 
woman who had been delivered, offered a turtle and a 
lamb for her expiation ; or if flte was poor, two turtles 
or two young pigeons. Thefe impurities, which the law 
of Moles has exprelled with the greateft accuracy and 
care, were only figures ot other more important impuri¬ 
ties, fuch as the lins and iniquities committed againft 
God, or faults committed againft our neighbour. The 
faints and prophets of the Old Teftament were fenfible of 
this; and our Saviour, in the golpel, has ftrongly incul¬ 
cated, that they are not outward and corporeal pollutions 
which render us unacceptable to God, but fuch inward 
pollutions as infeft the foul, and are violations of jultice, 
truth, and charity. 
7c IMPUR'PLE, v. a. [ empourprer, Fr. from purple.]' 
To make red ; to colour as with purple: 
Now in loofe garlands, thick thrown off, the bright 
Pavement, that like a fea of jafper ihone, 
Impurpled with celclfial roles, linil’d. Milton. 
IMPUR'PLING, f. The aft of tinging with a purple 
colour. 
IMPU'TABLE, adj. [from impute.] Chargeable upon 
any one; that ot which one may be accufed.—-The firft 
fort ot toolifhnefs is imputable to them. South. —Accufable ; 
chargeable witli a fault. Not proper. —If the wife departs 
from her luifband, through any default of his, as on the) 
account of cruelty, then he fhall be compelled to allow 
her alimony; for the law deems her to be a dutiful wife 
as long as the fault lies at his door, and file in no wife 
imputable. Aylijfe. 
IMPU'TABLENESS, f. The quality of being imputa¬ 
ble.—’Tis neceffary to the imputablenejs of an aftion, that 
it be avoidable. Norris. 
IMPUTATION, f. [ imputation, Fr. from impute .] At¬ 
tribution of any thing; generally of ill.—I have formerly 
laid that I could diftinguifh your writings from thofe oft 
any other’s ; ’tis now time to*clear mylelf from any im¬ 
putation of lelf-conceit on that lubjeft. Dryden, 
Truft to me, Ulyffes; 
Our imputation fhall be oddly pois'd 
In this wild aftion. Shakefpeare. 
Sometimes of good.—If I had a fuit to matter Shallow, 
I would humour his men with the imputation oi being near 
their mailer. Shakefpeare .—Cenfure ; reproach.—Whatlo- 
ever happens, they alfo the lealt feel that fcourge of vulgar 
imputation, which, notwithftanding, they delerve. Hooker. 
—Hint; flight notice.—Anthonio is a good man.—Have 
you heard any imputation to the contrary ?—No, no ; my 
meaning is to have you underftand me that he is lufficient. 
Shakefpeare. 
IMPUTATIVE, adj. That which may impute. Ainf- 
worth. 
To IMPUTE, v. a. [imputer, Fr. imputo, L3t.] To charge 
upon ; to attribute; generally ill; fometimes good.—Men 
in their innovations fhould follow the example of time, 
which innovateth but quietly, and by degrees fcarce tobe 
perceived; for atherwife, whatfoeveris new and unlooked- 
for, ever mends fome., and impairs others; and he that is 
holpen takes it for a fortune, and thanks the time 5 and 
IQ O he 
