Christ. She was of a middle Stature slender and delicate her Countenance was agreeable her Complexion brown her Forehead broad and without Wrinkles and her Eyes were a little bluish She had an ingenious Air and such an exquisite Sight that she never used Glasses Her Nose was well made and proportionable She was Out-mouthed having Lips and Teeth somewhat big Age had whiten'd her Hairs Sickness had made her Face lean and she was hollow about the Eyes Her Mien her Speech her Address and way of receiving Persons were very taking and agreeable Her Gate was grave bearing her Head a little high and she did not appear to be above Forty Years old All her Senses except Tasting were strong and lively She was of a quick and active Disposition She was never sad but always of an even Temper She would never suffer her Picture to be drawn not only because she did not approve of this sort of Vanity but also because it very much concern'd her not to be known upon the account of her Persecutors As to the Gifts and Qualities of her Spirit her Writings do partly shew them but none is capable to know the greatness of them save He who bestowed them This same Person tells us That from her Infancy she had the gift of Chastity in so high a degree that she often said That in all her life she never had not even upon a Temptation or Surprize the least Thought which might be unbecoming the Chastity of the purest Virgin-state St. Teresa writes of her self That God sometimes favour'd her with the same Grace But as for Madamoiselle Bourignon she possess'd it to that degree that it overflowed if one may have leave to speak so upon those who conversed with her Her Presence and Conversation did send forth such an Odour of Continence as made others forget the Pleasures of the Flesh And I leave it saith he to the Experience of those who read her Books with attention to judge whether they do not feel some Impressions of and whether they be not drawn with Inclinations to this Vertue that is so acceptable to God Though this Character of Madamoiselle Bourignon be very great and declares the great Affection of him who gives it yet it is very far short of what is furthen said of her for this only respects her private Personal state and sets her forth as a Woman singularly Good and Vertuous in this corrupt Age But if we will take the Word of this anonymous Author and some others this Woman was above all that is Humane she was inhabited by the Spirit of God and all she did or spoke was to be ascribed to Him and to be reckon'd not so much hers as His who design'd that she should be the greatest Blessing that ever was conferr'd on Mankind therefore they are not either afraid or ashamed to bestow upon her the Epithets that are given to Iesus Christ they set her on the same Level with Him they honour her with his Titles they apply to her the Prophecies which the Church hath always believed to be meant of Him they draw a Parallel betwixt Him and Her and do make Him the Type of Her and not Him but Her the last and highest Expression of God's Love to Mankind To intimate which God sent a Comet when she was born another when she first began to write and a third at her death which was greater and more dreadful than any that was ever seen before She is the Divine Sun of Righteousness she is Truth pure Truth and the only Truth that can guide one to Heaven and Eternal Life There is no other way of Life Eternal says he but what is in the Mouth in the Writings and in the Life of the most holy Antonia Bourignon And again If ever the Church of God be edified upon Earth it cannot be by any other means but by the Remonstrances the Rules Doctrine Spirit and Example of Madamoiselle Bourignon He calls her the Woman spoken of in the Revelation who was shewn to St. Iohn in a Vision whom saith he our Eyes have seen and by whom our Ears have heard and our Hands have handled the Word of Life And as he renders unto God Thanks for the Grace of knowing her and of being acquainted with her so he most passionately expostulates with God for suffering her to die who was the only Just the only Holy the only Person who had the Spirit of God Where Lord where is now your Holy Church Alas it is altogether destroyed and subsists only in ruined Houses in some scatter'd Stones which as the Stones of the ancient Sanctuary are poured out upon the top of every street broken defaced and unpolish'd and there is none to gather them together nor to set about the building of your New Ierusalem for you have taken away the holy Instrument of your Spirit whom you had called and filled with the Treasures of your Grace to labour in that Work You have extinguish'd the Light which you sent to the World for guiding well-disposed Souls Where is now Lord the Truth of your Promises Where are now your ancient Mercies which never suffer'd the World to be destitute of living Witnesses How have you suffer'd the time to come in which it may be said without exception that the righteous is perished there is no more a prophet amongst us nor have we any who knows how long I might bring many other Passages out of this Author to this purpose but I judge these are sufficient to prove his Sentiments of Antonia Bourignon And they are not peculiar to him for all who have taken this Woman's part are of the same mind He who writes the Apologetick Preface to her Works employs all the Rhetorick which Passion and a strong-heated Passion can inspire in defence of this Woman to remove the Prejudices which are entertain'd against her Person and Doctrine and to convince the World that she was filled with the Holy Ghost and sent to renew the Church and to bring it to its utmost Perfection If this Author ought to be believed all the Words and Writings of this Woman are Sacred as Scripture it self they ought to have the same Authority and should be as devoutly read yea much rather read for if it be true what he says they are more profitable and do discover more fully the hidden Mysteries of God As the Author of the Leipsick Transactions observes he makes the New Scripture of Madam Bourignon either to confirm the Old or to explain them or to correct them In this Preface the Author considers the several ways by which God may and doth communicate himself to Men and he asserts confidently of Madamoiselle Bourignon That God used all these several ways with her as Visions external Voices intimate Impressions upon the Soul and such ineffable Communications as made her to know and understand the Mind of God and all Truths as they are in him Her whole Life saith
a better Frame and Temper for his was so much wasted by his Travels and the fatigues of his Ministry that he seemed to be Fifty while he was not much above Thirty Whereas Antonia Bourignon did not appear to be Forty years old when she was Sixty and odd And though I cannot pretend that they do assert in express terms that she was personally united to the God head yet I do think it is a clear Consequence from what they say for I cannot understand how otherwise she could know all Truths the deepest Mysteries of Nature and Religion things hidden from the Wisest in all Ages nor how she could on all Occasions speak and write about both small and great Matters certainly clearly and infallibly as well as live up to the highest Perfection of an Universal Piety and all this without consulting either Men or Books without previous Reflection and Meditation I say I cannot understand how all this could be done by a meer Creature and therefore she must either have been always personally united to the Deity and so to be esteemed God-Woman or else as some Ancient Hereticks said of Jesus Christ her Body and Humane Nature were not real but a meer Phantome and Apparition by which God was pleased to declare his Mind and Will unto Men. And which soever of these be held or whatever way God acted in her and by her all her Words and Writings are Sacred as Scripture they are of the same Authority and do deserve the same respect and ought to be read publickly for the Honour of God and the Edification of Men. Finally there ought to be a Commemoration of Antonia Bourignon in the Publick Liturgies as well as of Jesus Christ and of the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles And as the Church has always used to give unto God Names and Titles from the Signal Manifestations of himself and as the latter took always place of the former because more honourable and glorious thus the God of Abraham the fear of Isaac he that brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt and delivered them from their Captivity which were God's Names in former times have been laid aside to give way to that of the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ So this and all these should now give place to the God of Antonia Bourignon to the Spirit who spoke by her because she has brought a greater a clearer and a fuller Light into the World and has made greater Discoveries of the Wisdom and Power and Goodness of God than what came by Jesus Christ himself These things follow naturally and clearly from what was formerly delivered concerning Antonia Bourignon but then they are of that importance that none but Madmen and Fools will admit either the Premisses or Consequence without sufficient Evidence and Authority For if the things that are said be not true if there be more ascribed to Madamoiselle Bourignon than what ought to be then to pay her such Honour Respect and Esteem would be abominable Idolatry and horrid Blasphemy If she require it she is an Impostor a Messenger from Satan the Organ and Instrument of the Devil whereby he designs to seduce the Simple and Unwary She is not the true Light to be followed but an Ignis fatuus a false and dangerous appearance to be carefully avoided by all who love and seek their own safety and they who proclaim such high things of her are false Prophets if they believe sincerely what they say they are sadly infatuated and deluded and if otherwise they are monstrously and egregiously Wicked if they be right we cannot so much as give this Woman one Contradiction without betraying our Conscience as M. de Cort speaks But if they do not speak the Truth then if we hearken unto them we receive those who speak in the Name of the Lord falsely and we shall provoke God's Wrath and Jealousie by the grievous offence of giving Divine Honour to another It therefore highly concerns us what part we ought to take in this Matter whether we ought to admit these Men and their Testimony or if we should reject them And indeed whatever respect be due to these Gentlemen I crave leave to say that the Matter in hand is of greater weight than to be supported merely by their Authority nor can their Testimony be judged sufficient to receive Antonia Bourignon for such a Woman as they have described her I will not reflect upon their Honesty nor will I deny Integrity to some of them Nay I will easily grant that all of them may speak as they think and that they have written these things of this Woman from no other Motive than the sincerity of their own Perswasions But what then This cannot reasonably decide the case Nor can we without a most culpable rashness join issue with them until we examine the Grounds of their Belief and see their Reasons why they come to be so and so perswaded Every one that is Honest is not also Wise and Knowing Nor are all infallible who may be numbered amongst the Wise and Learned Good Men may be mistaken nor are well meaning Persons secure from being deceived and imposed upon Nay not only the Simple and Ignorant are liable to be seduced but also Men of Understanding Learning and Knowledge of which many Instances may be brought both out of Ancient and Modern Histories Tertullian was carried away by the Error of Montanus Neither all the first nor yet all the present followers of Mahomet ought to be reckoned Dunces or Designing Men Nor were it Just to deprive all the Disciples of George Fox of Understanding and Sincerity and yet he would not act wisely nor conscientiously who should plead for these Impostors and justifie their Errors and Delusions because some in other things of Sence and Judgment have taken part with them None indeed but wicked Men and Villains will study a Cheat and endeavour to impose upon the World that which they know and believe to be false But how often have we seen and known Persons seduced and drawn into such hellish Designs who ought not to be branded with such odious Characters though at the same time I cannot but say that whatever reason there may be to excuse their Sincerity there is all the reason in the World to censure their Judgment Discretion and Conduct for who does not act wisely and cautiously can never be said to act innocently though he may not be so culpable as others As no Man loves to be cheated in any thing so no Man should suffer himself to be cheated in Religion and Messages from Heaven for they are Matters of the highest Importance and therefore our Sentiments about them should be built upon some sure Foundation without some reasonable Conviction without some Evidence which may satisfie Sober Men and which may be defended when required and called in Question we ought not to receive Doctrines nor embrace particular Systems of Religion nor should
we close with this or that Method of Salvation otherwise we are shamefully lazy negligent and easie in things which do most concern us 'T is true the generality of the World practise the contrary they take these things upon trust and are satisfied with that which is first proposed and which lie nearest them But this is a Reproach to Mankind nor can there be a greater instance of the Corruption of Humane Nature than this that Men use their Reason least in things of greatest moment However we are not to consider what is commonly done but what should be done what is fit to be done by wise and good Men by such as would build their present Peace and Comfort and their eternal Interest not upon Sand but upon a Rock which can hold out against Storms and Tempests Now if in such cases a reasonable Conviction a satisfying Evidence be necessary then to receive Madamoiselle Bourignon as one so highly dignified by God and her Scheme of Religion and System of Opinions as Divine and absolutely necessary to be followed we ought to have something more than the Authority and Testimony of those Men formerly quoted for whatever their Morals be they are fallible as others if they will not wilfully deceive yet they are liable to be deceived and if they have been imposed upon where are we if we follow them The Testimony of Men is only valuable so far as they are competent Judges of the things which they declare It is unjust to deny the Testimony of sincere honest Men when they bear witness only to Matters of Fact to things which they have heard and seen but when it comes to Opinions Perswasions and Sentiments both good and wise Men ought to be submitted to a Tryal and Examination whether there be Reasons for their Belief Now the Case before us is of the Nature of the last that is It is not a Matter of Fact but a Matter of Faith and Opinion and therefore we must be allowed to judge the Validity of the Reasons of these Mens Sentiments of Antonia Bourignon before we can or ought to be of their Side And I am confident that if their Reasons be weighed in the Balance if they be put into just and equal Scales they will be found light and wanting Weight to make them pass for the Value which is put upon them I will not conceal any of their Reasons nor will I misrepresent them I do not remember to have met with any besides those which follow which have been suggested and which may be gathered from what has been said above 1. An Early and Extraordinary Sanctity 2. The secret Knowledge of Mens Thoughts 3. Foretelling things to come 4. A Sublime and Wonderful Knowledge of Divine Mysteries with an Uniformity and Agreement of Sentiments both with her self and Scripture 5. The Supernatural Means and Method of her coming to the Knowledge of all these things viz. without Reading without consulting Men or Books and without Meditation 6. The apparition of Comets at her Birth when she began to Write and at her Death From these Reasons they conclude that she was Divinely Inspired and sent to the World upon some great Design and for these Reasons they make her the Woman in the Revelation who was cloathed with the Sun and had the Moon under her Feet they call her the Spouse of Christ and give her that large Character which we have seen above I intend to consider these Reasons calmly and impartially First whether supposing them true the Consequence drawn from them be just and necessary and then what truth is in them I begin with the First viz. her Early and Extraordinary Sanctity And I do acknowledge that true Sanctity is only from God It is not the work of Nature but of Grace No Man can be perfectly Holy of himself nor can the Devil either intend or effectuate such a thing if therefore any have the Gift of Sanctity they have it from above God certainly is the Author of it whose Spirit only can subdue our Natural Corruption and raise us to a Conformity to the Divine Nature And as this Gift is of God so it is more valuable than the Gift of Miracles Prophecies speaking with divers Tongues and such like for it is a greater sign of the love of God and does better secure an Interest in him When our Lord bestowed the Power of Miracles and of casting out Devils upon the Seventy Disciples that they might not overvalue this Special Privilege or boast too highly of it be said unto them Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Now all who are truly holy have their Names written there Many who have Prophesied and cast out Devils and done many wonderful Works shall be disowned in the great Day of the Lord they shall be commanded to Depart from Christ our Saviour but they who are truly sanctified will never be separated from him theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven for ever But though Sanctity be a great and most desirable token of God's Love and Favour yet it is not always attended with extraordinary Illuminations and Inspirations It may be without these and these may be separated from it Good and Holy Persons in the other World shall have a full and clear Vision of all things then they shall understand the Intricacies of Providence and the Secrets of the Divine Counsel then they shall see God as he is and know even as they are known But at present the best and most Holy see as through a Glass darkly and are ignorant of many things as well as others nay persons very good and holy and very dear to God may not know so much as some that are wicked and unsanctified What St. Paul supposeth may be proved by several Instances that one may have the Gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge and yet be without Holiness for if they may want Charity they want a special part of Holiness Wherefore suppose we should grant Sanctity to Antonia Bourignon suppose her to be truly and extraordinarily Holy yet she is not therefore to be reckoned Infallible nor endued with all Knowledge nor are her Doctrines to be received Implicitly Let her Sanctity be never so great yet that alone doth not raise her to the Station and Dignity of a Prophet at whose Mouth the Church and all particular Persons should receive the Law and Will of God for though Holiness doth certainly not only dispose Persons to receive special Influences of the Spirit of God but also give a deeper Sence of Divine Truths than Reading even as Practice in any Art doth make one Wiser and more Skilful than Speculation yet every Holy Person must not pretend a Revelation of all particulars or to know the Mind of God in every thing Wherefore we find St. Paul distinguishing warily what was his own Judgment from what he had