Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n
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A65590
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The enthusiasm of the church of Rome demonstrated in some observations upon the life of Ignatius Loyola.
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Wharton, Henry, 1664-1695.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing W1562; ESTC R29269
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103,143
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170
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Grammar-School at Barcelona he made so small Proficience that in many Months he could not learn to Conjugate the Verb Amo and was forced to beg of his Master to whip him severely and treat him equally with the meanest Boy After two years Study at Barcelona he goes to Alcala where he learneth Logick Physick and Divinity And studieth Night and Day without Intermission but so many different Notions so confounded his Vnderstanding that all his Labour ended in learning nothing Next he removes to Salamanca leaves off begging and mitigates his Austerities that he might imploy his whole time in Learning Yet finding but small Progress he quits Spain for shame and betakes himself to the University of Paris wisely driving an Ass laden with Books before him For himself before he got to Paris had lost all his Learning insomuch as coming thither he was forced to begin all a new and return even to the first Elements of Grammar After he had studied there several years by the help of Friends and many Petitions he gets a Degree but still continues so Ignorant that after he had enticed Faber into his Society he was forced to desire him privately to explain Aristotle to him to whom he in requital explained the Secrets of a Spiritual Life and Mystical Divinity But perhaps all this is to be ascribed to a singular Providence which hindred his Progress in Learning as knowing it to be destructive to the very being of a Romish Saint That little smattering which he had of Learning did no small Prejudice to his Sanctity for after that his Visions Extasies and Illuminations became infinitely less frequent The very reading of a learned and rational Book lessened his Devotion and quenched his Spiritual Consolations For being advised once by some learned Men to read the Books of Erasmus he perceived that the reading of him diminished his Devotion and the more he read the less fervour he had in Prayer He thereupon threw them away and when General of his Order commanded that none of his Followers should read Erasmus's Writings or at least not without great Precaution Nothing but the reading of Thomas a Kempis or other unintelligible Enthusiasts could keep alive his first fervour which grew faint and expired at the least appearance of solid Learning If the Jesuits have since conceived a greater esteem for Learning and not unsuccessfully employed their Labour in the attainment of it they have perhaps deservedly obtained a Reputation to themselves but as I fear have thereby forfeited the Protection and Intercession of their Founder Ignatius who continues even after his Death to be the professed Enemy of Learning For ten years after his Death appearing to Iames Terry a young Scotchman of his Society who with diligence and fervour had applied himself to the Study of true Learning he sharply reprehended him recommending to him Less Knowledg and more Virtue Having thus manifested That Ignatius wanted no Qualities necessary to an Enthusiast I shall next enquire whether he were really guilty of Enthusiasm This consisteth in pretending to divine Visions and extraordinary Illuminations after Christianity is once fully setled and all Christians left to learn their Religion by natural and ordinary means from the Rule of Faith whether Scripture or Tradition in boasting of infused Knowledg and inward Lights in pretending to have received all the Articles of Faith by particular Inspiration to do all things by the private Impulse of the Spirit and act solely by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost in venting these pretended Revelations without any respect to the Rules of Ecclesiastical Discipline fixed by Christ much less of Decency in perpetual talking of Divine Matters in an unintelligible Jargon and impertinent Canting and boasting of a mighty Familiarity with God and Christ. To which if frequent Extasies and Raptures of mind be added the Enthusiast is become compleat and his Disease little less than Madness These Pretences are not only apt to raise the Admiration and excite the Veneration of the Vulgar who ever admire what they cannot Penetrate and having crude Notions of Religion and Piety are easily led away with Pretences of it but raise the Ambition and augment the Folly of the Enthusiast himself who thence formeth vast Ideas of his own Merits and Perfection is delighted with his own Illusion hates to be convicted and flatters himself with the thoughts of being the familiar Friend of God and Favourite of Heaven That Ignatius was guilty of all these Extravagances and Follies in the highest degree a particular Examination of his Actions will abundantly demonstrate First Therefore as to the pretence of Divine Visions and Illuminations his whole Life after his Conversion if we may believe the Writers of his Life was a continued Series of them His Conversion was at first produced by such imaginary Visions The Holy Virgin descended from Heaven and brought down with her the Child Jesus in her Arms one would wonder how our Saviour since his Ascension should dwindle into a Child to convert this maimed Soldier She appeared to him all invironed with Light while he was awake tho Bouhours implieth the contrary and continued with him some while At this Vision Ignatius felt his Soul replenished with such a spiritual Vnction as ever after rendred all Pleasures of the Senses insipid to him During this Apparition it seemed to him that his heart was purified within him and that all Images of sensual Delights were quite razed out of his mind Soon after he imagineth St. Peter to appear to him to touch him and cure his Wounds Being recovered he goeth to Manreze where he receiveth innumerable Visions and Illuminations but the most remarkable was an Extasy which lasted eight Days during all which time he had no use of his Senses Some thought him Dead and would have buried him But some motion of his Heart being at last perceived diverted that Resolution No Body ever knew the Secrets which were revealed to him in that long Rapture and all the account which he would give was that they were inexpressible Travelling thence through Italy in his way to the Holy Land and praying in the open Plain before the Gates of Venice Jesus Christ appeared to him gave him inward strength and promised him Protection in all his Journey Coming to Ierusalem he was seized with a religious horror and imagined that he saw Jesus Christ in every place born in the Manger at Bethlehem teaching in the Temple crucified in Mount Calvary and triumphing on Mount Olivet or as another Author expresseth it Iesus Christ appeared to him often and enriched him with a thousand Benedictions Travelling from Mount Olivet to the Convent Christ appeared to him in the Air and accompanied him along encouraging him with his presence Afterwards at Paris he saw clearly in a Vision that God had appointed to establish a Company of Apostolick men and found a new Order in the Church A year after journeying from