could have had no better satisfaction for the only Argument he made use of at that time to any one that doubted was By the Eternal God I saw Him with these Eyes By the Living God 't is true c. As he told many that went to see him and as he said several times in his last Sermon out of the Window the Sunday before I was with him to above five hundred some say fifteen hundred People He had for a long time left off giving the Sacrament to any but some Select Persons of his own way and since the 16th of April gave it no more because Christ was come He had left off Praying because he thought nothing remained to be prayed for and had determined to Preach no more because they should be all enlightned from above If any Man came to him that had formerly admir'd his Preaching or Praying he would ask him if he could believe that he saw Christ If it was answer'd that he dar'd not say that but yet out of respect to him was afraid to disbelieve then he would thank God that He had given him such a measure of Faith and asking him if he could love Christ charg'd him to get Oil. One of his most considerable Friends whom he much valu'd was to see him a Week or ten Days before my going and put the Case home to him telling him He should have a great care of what he said for the sake of his many Friends as well as upon his own account For there were many had so great a respect for him as to be ready to give credit to whatsoever he should vent which in all probability would have this ill consequence That if he should after all his confidence prove mistaken they would never believe any other Prophet before him for his sake To all which Mr. Mason most solemnly reply'd 'T is as true as any thing in sacred Writ About a Week after I had been there another Gentleman of his and my Acquaintance made him a Visit and told him He ought to be very cautious in talking of things thus much out of the way But he answer'd positively As sure as God is true I saw him and added He first saw his back Parts and then his Face which was too glorious for Words to express This Friend then enquir'd Whether our Saviour had said any thing to him And receiving no answer he ask'd a Clergy-man that stood by Whether he understood that our Saviour had said any thing This anger'd Mr. Mason so much that he passionately turn'd to him What need was there of saying any thing when He has actually began His Reign A third Friend of his and mine went to him within a day or two after when he not only asserted the same things but shew'd the very place where he stood described the Foldings of the Gown with the Colour of it and declar'd the several impressions that the Spirit made upon him at the same time one was That the crimson Gown was dipt in the Blood of his Enemies This Person had a great Reverence for Mr. Mason and therefore was not free to tell me the other Impulses I am well assur'd of the integrity of these three Persons who were his intimate Friends or else they had found no admittance I can't omit another remarkable Instance of their Extravagancy which I receiv'd from a sober Gentleman A Servant belonging to his Family was standing at Mr. Mason's Fire-side when he came towards the Chimney with a great Roll and whether he burnt it or not I am uncertain down he threw it crying out with a loud Voice Fire Fire Fire This gave the Alarm to all the rest who ran up and down with their firery Exclamations for a long time after This Passage I had omitted because it came from a second hand had not the Sister whom I visited with several Queries at Water-Stratford on the twenty third of July last in a great measure confirm'd it For she acknowledg'd That in a mystical way there had been often crying out Fire to denote as I think she said the suddenness of the Destruction that was coming upon the Land I ask'd her at the same time Whether they had not often talk'd of Sacrificing for I had heard of several Stories of that nature and some of them that seem'd black but this was all that she did acknowledge That there had been frequent mention of Sacrificing among them not in a carnal but in a spiritual Sense that as formerly there was Sacrificing of Prefiguration and Expectation so now they did eat the Sacrifice of somewhat that signifi'd Thanksgiving In truth her Answers were by this time become so mysterious and refin'd like Molino's Discourses in his Spiritual Guide that she made me think of the Converse I once had with a melancholy Rosicrucian Doctor whom I desir'd when he talk'd something obscurely to explain himself but then he was ten times more mysterious and told me What he said was not to be understood without an Angelick Vnderstanding The great thing I desir'd to know of her was Whether Mr. Mason who had been dead some Weeks before had any Sense of his Death approaching and whether he had maintained the same Opinions to the last I was the more inquisitive because I had receiv'd different Representations about it She answer'd That she verily believ'd he had a fore-sight of his death because he had often said in this sickness That he had fulfill'd his Ministry and finish'd his Gospel Whereas at the end of a former sickness about three quarters of a Year before he said He knew or believ'd he should not die because he had not fulfill'd his Ministry nor finish'd the work of the Lord. And I know a little before he dy'd he told his Northamptonshire-Friends That they should not be surpriz'd if they heard he was dead But though he might think himself mortal three or four days before he dy'd yet I am well assur'd that five or six Weeks before he had thought otherwise for about that time he told his most particular Friend That our Saviour would daily converse with him and that 'till he went to the New Jerusalem Which made him ask him whether he thought he should live always or words to that effect and he presently answer'd There is here that shall never tast of death The Sister added That in his former Sickness toward the latter end of it he declar'd That he should not dye at that time because several Prophecies were not verify'd The most material was Isa 33.37 Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty they shall behold the Land that is very far off thine heart shall meditate terror As to several other Queries I propounded she answer'd so obscurely though nevertheless discreetly that I was enclin'd to write her a Letter about a Fortnight after which obtain'd this Answer verbatim Aug. 16th 1694. SIR I Receiv'd your Letter but must beg your Pardon in not sending the Papers of my Brother
sooner enter'd the House but Mr. Mason told Mrs. Pashler she was very kind to let him see her twice in one Day She was at first a little surpriz'd and made answer she had not seen him before for a long time Then he grew positive and said You know very well that you walk'd by my Horse side for several Furlongs together this very Morning as I came from Haversham and we discours'd so and so c. This put her into a great fright and made her beg of her Husband to go home immediately for her Ghost wax seen and she should not live Mrs. Mason a truly good Wife seeing her in a great concern desir'd her for God's sake not to be frightned nor to take any notice of what her Husband said for it was nothing else but one of Mr. Mason 's melancholy Fancies and he was often subject to ' em This Relation Mr. Pashler has formerly mentioned to me and several others and two Months since he told me the particulars The case is here so plain that I need only observe that his coming directly from a Melancholy sort of People and his eager Discoursing and Praying with them had over-heat his Brain rais'd the Fumes and stirr'd the Vapours in an extraordinary manner He that in his early Years could be thus mistaken at mid-day might more easily be now deluded at mid-night 2. I am well assur'd that the Impulses which he and his Witnesses so much talk'd of were not Divine from the wretched Interpretation that they gave of Scripture which we are sure was dictated by a Divine Spirit I could produce many Instances but those mention'd in the Discourse I had with them are too plain to need more What could be more ridiculous than his and their Explication of Heb. 9. ult He shall appear without sin That is say they Mr. Mason shall have no sense of his sins In the Year 1669. he Preach'd and Printed a Funeral Sermon on this Text and then he could give a rational sense of the words which he thus explain'd Christ's first appearance was very mean He appear'd as the Son of Man or rather as a Worm a reproach of Men all that saw him laugh'd him to scorn but hereafter he shall appear as the God of Glory and the Judge of the quick and dead In the days of his flesh he appear'd as a Prisoner at Pilat's Bar and as a Malefactor on the Cross Then indeed he stood charg'd with the sins of his People but in the day of Judgment he shall appear without sin unto their Salvation Sed quantum mutatus He that foolishly interprets the Spirit 's dictates I am certain has not the Spirit 3. 'T is evident that neither the impulses nor appearance was divine from the ill influence that they had upon the persons affected He who before could discourse calmly and seem'd for his Meekness to be a second Moses does now under pretence of divine inspiration disclaim the use of reason and imperiously dictates his own wilful imagination to the World for certain and undisputable Revelation It has been well urg'd against the truth of some Men's Religion that it makes the Man worse that heartily espouses it And can it be thought that that persuasion descended from above which marr'd as I have thought one of the best tempers in the World What he was before I have already said nothing but obligation but of late he was so chang'd as to damn the greatest part of the Nation and to enclose God's love within the petty confines of his own Sect. He was impatient of a contradiction he would not hear an Argument and what was worse he told I am sure his choicest Friends That the Books were seal'd and there was no place for repentance This I think is enough in answer to the former part of my Third Letter which desir'd my sense of the Impulses and Vision I proceed in the next place to give my Sentiments of the occasions 1. He that has read the short character I have given of him will find such a Chain of Causes and concurrence of occasions that he must needs confess that nothing less than a constant guard over himself could without a miracle have secur'd him from this or the like infatuation We see from the very beginning of his life that he labour'd under the burthen of his own Idiosyncrasy or pecular temperament This I know he mistook for an advantage which made his condition the more dangerous This again was more operative from the stinging impressions that a sense of his early miscarriages had left upon his Mind His grief was further heighten'd from the dismal Idea he had form'd of God as if he had made Mankind on purpose to damn the major part and his frequent Converse with Men of the same kidney fix'd his Error and made him obnoxious to the contagion of ecstatick Fits Vid. Baron Ful. Miscel Messaliani There may be I grant some valuable Persons who are lightly touch'd with the apprehension of Absolute Reprobation c. and may as they think make it serve to some serious purposes but he that ruminates upon it and converts it in Sanguinem succum as our Friend did must either Despond or Prophecy See Dr. Jackson Chap. 51. of the 3d. Tome Tit. Inordinate Liberty c. The Converse I have had with several Despairing Creatures upon this very account makes me to insist the more upon it For I cannot see any rational Comfort that can be administred to any that believe this Doctrine because they naturally interpret every Providence against themselves One concluded he should be damn'd because he met with no Afflictions here and others who have had great Afflictions look'd upon 'em as earnests of the Damnation to which they were predestinated There was one indeed who had thought her Reprobation was determin'd became rescu'd by a signal Providence As she was tempted to make away with her self she saw her Child fall into the River and sav'd it I went to see her the same Morning thinking it might serve for a good handle to rescue her I told her when I found her excessive melancholy That she had as much reason as any body to believe she was elected because God had made use of her to save the Child And this consideration while the thing was fresh took so with her that presently she became satisfy'd and is now perfectly well capable of sound Doctrine and good Advice To proceed His excessive Vapours were a no less natural cause of his windy Conceptions He was so far sensible of his being that way infested that he complain'd much of 'em to his Friend Mr. Ives when he gave him a Visit ten or twelve days before he dy'd But to convince him that they had no influence upon his Judgment he explain'd his Doctrine to him and so betray'd himself I am sure said he that Christ is now entering upon his Reign here as really and truly as ever King Charles King James
the right way whilst he is pensive and thoughtful and languishing almost for a more blissful estate the Deceiver overtakes him sollicits him 't is probable to return and promises that very refreshment upon Earth for which he languish'd At first he could answer the Suggestion boldly The Word of the Lord has forbid me to expect my refreshment here But when it pretends to be the Voice of God for God's sake then he disobeys his word and entitles the Delusion to a Divine Impulse Thus is he entertain'd for four or five Years and then God thought it fit that the same false Spirit that first impos'd upon him should perfect the Delusion with which he dy'd Bene ore mali Prophetae sententiam mortis accepit cujus seductione a praeceptis vitae declinavit ut inde paenam veraciter sumeret unde culpam negligenter admisit says Greg. on the Death of the Man of God Nor can any thing that I know of be said for Mr. Mason that may not more fairly be pleaded for the Man of God If you plead that his Error was not wilful the same may be said for the Man of God and Ignorance or Negligence under the Law was not so culpable as it is under the Gospel If you say that Mr. Mason had many grounds for his compliance 't is answer'd the Man of God had as many and more reasonable Mr. Mason's Friends I have heard plead That there has been formerly supernatural Impulses and therefore he being a truly good Man had reason to expect and believe them But may not the same be better urg'd for the other 's relying upon the old Prophet when communications of that Nature were more frequent and he might modestly think Why should not this old Prophet have a Revelation as well as my self But Mr. Mason they say had something in Scripture to countenance the Suggestion Suppose it was so yet his Anonymous Predecessour had much more for did not God countermand to Abraham the Sacrificing of his Son And was not Balaam that had been forbidden bid afterward to go with the Messengers Numb 22. These and such like Instances might more rationally persuade than two or three obscure Texts full of Mystical Allusions But notwithstanding all this that might be said for the Man of God a Lion met him by the way and slew him I urge not this because I would have it thought that Mr. Mason's well-meaning may not in some measure lessen his guilt and his Vapours more But I would have those considerations be of what force they can to extenuate the Crime because I find the Lion did not devour the Carcass when it had destroy'd the Man And I would be glad to have it thought that the poor deluded People were less culpable than their Teacher because the Ass that stood by and went only as he was driven though he was in danger had no hurt However it should be a warning to every one that is not quite rid of his Senses never to cleave to any Man's Opinion out of admiration to his Person but to make God only Soveraign Lord of his Faith It should teach us that right Reason is the illumination of the Mind and when it is in a calm Spirit is the best Inspiration we have grounds to expect That the Method for our Salvation being long since establish'd we have no reason to look for any farther Revelation In a word it should teach us to be careful in matter of Religion to keep within the due bounds of God's Revealed Will and so to endeavour the advancement of the common Good as that a pious Zeal may not draw in Confusion nor by a mistake rear up the Walls of Babel whilst we intend Jerusasalem as the Devout Bishop Hall most piously advises FINIS