Antony therefore becken'd to him and desired him to carry him back to the Tombs without disturbing any of them Accordingly his Friend carried him 8. And when he was return'd thither shuting down the Tomb-top he tarried within there as before and not being able to stand because of the Stripes the Devil gave him he pray'd lying prostrate and after he had pray'd he said aloud I Antony am here I don't run away for your Stroaks or Terrours For though you inflict more upon me nothing shall separate me from the Love of Christ. Then he sung that of the Psalmist Though Hosts encamp against me yet shall not my Heart be afraid Thus did Antony think and speak But the envious Enemy and hater of all Good wondering to see him appear so confident in spight of all that he endur'd sounded his Hounds together and being burst with Envy said See here we have not tam'd nor tir'd this Man either with the Spirit of Fornication or with our Stripes and Buffetings on the contrary he is grown the more daring against us let us therefore set upon him some other way for the Devil has always new Schemes ready at hand to promote his malicious Designs Wherefore not long after they came and made such a great Noise in the Night-time that the whole Monastery seem'd to be shook and the Walls of the Cell to be broke through by the Devils transforming themselves into the Shapes of all sorts of Beasts Lyons Bears Leopards Bulls Serpents Asps Scorpions and Wolves every one of which mov'd and acted agreeably to the Creatures which they represented the Lyon roaring and seeming to make towards him the Bull to but the Serpent to creep and the Woolf to hare towards him and so in short all the rest according to their Natural Motions so that Antony was tortured and mangled with them so grievously that his Bodily Pain was greater now than before However he was unmov'd compos'd wakeful and himself He groan'd indeed for Bodily Pains but he had a sober undisturbed Mind and as 't were laughing he said If ye had any Strength it would be enough for only one of you to come against me but because the Lord hath enervated you therefore ye thus try to scare me by a Multitude and which is a manifest Indication of your Weakness ye have put on the Shapes of irrational Creatures If ye have any Power if ye have receiv'd any Authority don't delay but seize me But if ye have not Ability Why do ye trouble both me and your selves in vain My Faith in God is a sufficient Seal and Security of his standing by me The Devils therefore having assaulted him a long while to no purpose gnash'd their Teeth at him for they found they mock'd themselves more than they mock'd him 9. Moreover the Lord did not forget Antony's Bravery at this time but came to his Help for as Antony look'd up the Roof of the Cell was as it were open'd and there was a Beam of Light shooting down as it were upon him whereupon the Devils straitway became Speechless Antony's Pain too presently ceas'd and the Roof clos'd again Now Antony being sensible of the Ease that had been sent him and that he had gain'd Breath and respite from his Dolours spoke respectively to the Vision and said Where wast thou before Why did'st thou not appear at first that thou might'st asswage my Pain And a Voice said unto him Antony I was here but I waited to see thy Behaviour under this Tryal and since thou hast valiantly gone through it and hast not been conquered I will always be thy Helper and make thee famous in all Places Having heard this he rose and prayed and grew so strong that he perceived he had more Strength now in his Body than he had before being now near the 35th Year of his Life 10. The Day following as he was walking out he found himself stronger bent to the Exercise of Religion and he went to that Old Man whom I mention'd before that Night and would fain have co-habited with him in the Desart But the Old Man refusing because of his Age and the Unusualness of the thing Antony immediately fled into the Mountain Now the Enemy again observing his Zeal and being willing to retard it laid the semblance of a large piece of Plate in his way Antony perceiving his Craft and spying the Devil in the Dish chid it after this manner Whence should this Dish come hither This is no beaten Road neither is here any Traveller's tread If it had been lost 't is too big not to be recover'd again presently Doubtless it would have been found if they had return'd and doubtless had any one lost it he would have return'd because the place is so solitary This is certainly one of the Devil's Tricks But however thou shalt not impede my Holy Purpose so May it perish with thee No sooner was the Word utter'd but the Plate dis-appeared like Smoak before the Fire 11. Another time he saw not only a resemblance but real Gold thrown in the way Whether it was a bad Spirit or some good Power that laid it there to try the Heroe and to shew the Devil that he did not value real Money he neither told me nor do I know any more of it then that it was really what it appeared to be Antony wondered at the Abundance of it and leaping over it as a Man in a Fright over a Fire never stood so much as to look back upon it but run away so fast and so far that he was latent a considerable Time after And now St. Antony continuing still more and more intent upon his Purpose placed himself in an empty Castle that was on the other side of the River though before he came 't was full of reptile Creatures yet when he went in the Serpents left the Place as though it had been haunted by an Enemy Here after he had stopp'd up the Entry he laid in Bread enough to serve him half a Year which the Thebans often do nay sometimes they will continue without moulding a Year together and having a continued supply of Water within he winded up his Soul to God There he continued always in his Monastery having entred it as a Holy Chancel neither stirring out himself nor taking Notice of Comers only once in six Months he took in some Loaves at the top of the House 12. Some of his Acquaintance came often to him and because he would not let them in liv'd often without doors whole Days and Nights by him and seem'd to hear a tumultuous rout within bawling and wailing from within and crying Get away from our place What have you to do in the Wilderness since you countenance none of our Devices Those that were without thought it might be some Travellers that had got into him by Ladders at the top of the Castle but after they had leant down and peep'd thorow a little crack and saw no body they
from Experience and Custom Wherefore if the Devils do so they neither deserve Admiration nor Attention for What Advantage can it be to know such things before-hand if they be true for such Knowledge as this neither contributes to Vertue nor Good Manners No one is judg'd for what he does not know of this kind nor benefitted by having learnt it But every Man is judg'd by God and himself whether he has kept the Faith and observed his Commands To this we should give great Attendance Our Exercise and Contention should be not to fore-know but to walk well-pleasing in God's Sight And we ought to Pray not that we may fore-know nor to request this as the Reward of our Exercise but that our Lord may work with us towards our obtaining a Victory over the Devil But if we find our selves solicitous to fore-know indeed let us be pure in our Minds for I do believe that a Soul in every respect pure and brought to its primitive Frame may become so discerning as to see by the Revelation of our Lord both more and remoter Events too than Devils Just so the Soul of Elisha saw Gehazi 2 Kings 5.25 and the Hosts standing before him 6.17 18. When therefore they come in the Night and are willing to tell things or say We are good Angels believe them not for they lye Or if they praise your Exercise or call you Happy believe them not neither submit so far to them as to hear them But rather cross your selves and your Families and pray together and ye shall see them vanish for they are dastardly and dread the Sign of our Lord's Cross because by that our Saviour made them bare and publickly exposed them Col. 2.15 Moreover if they grow more and more Impudent and leap about wantonly in various Shapes don't be afraid or attend to them as good Spirits for by God's Assistance 't will be possible nay easie to distinguish between the Presence of a Good and a Bad Spirit For the Appearance of Holy Spirits is not with Disturbance and Disorder Matt. 12.19 for He will not strive nor cry neither doth any one hear their Voice But a Good Spirit visits in such a sweet and delectable manner that Joy and Transport and Confidence presently cover the Soul that is visited For the Lord is with them who is our Joy and the Power of God the Father Besides too when they visit the Thoughts of the Soul are free from Consternation and Wavering For the Soul being enlightened by such a Vision views with Ease the Spirits that appear Furthermore it has a certain desire of Divine and future things seizing it and is willing to joyn with the Spirits and to go out with them And if those to whom they appear be afraid of the Vision they presently take away the Fear by Love as Gabriel did from Zachary Luke 1.13 As also the Angel which appeared to the Women at the Divine Tomb Matt. 28.5 A Testimony of this Truth too is that saying of the Shepherds in the Gospel Luke 12.10 Be ye not afraid for the Fear of Good Men is not a Fear of Pusillanimity but it proceeds from the Sense of the Advent of superiour Beings So much concerning the Nature of the Vision of Good Angels But the Incursion and Appearance of Evil Spirits is disturb'd with Noise and Clamour and Brawling like the Hurlyburly of untaught Boys or High-way-men whence proceeds Timidity of Soul Confusion and Ataxy of Thoughts Grief Hatred of Asceticks great Despondence Tediousness Remembrance of Relations and Fear of Death in short Lusting after Evil things Wearisomness of Vertue and Disorderliness of Morals Wherefore after you have been frighted with a Vision if your Fear be presently taken away and there succeed in the room of it a Joy unalterable and you find within your self Chearfulness and Confidence and Refreshment and Composedness of Thought and all the other things which I mentioned before as Manlyness and Love towards God take Courage and pray for Joy and Steddiness of Soul discovers the Holiness of the Spirit that is present Thus Abraham when he saw the Lord exulted John 8.56 And John when he heard a Voice from Mary Mother of God leap'd for Joy But if there be Confusion in those that appear and Noise from without and Wordly Phantasies and Threatnings of Death with the other Disorders above-mentioned then know that 't is the Sally of Wicked Spirits Let this be a Common Rule If the Soul be fearful there are Enemies in sight for they are Devils that don't take away that Fearfulness as the great Arch-Angel Gabriel did from Mary and Zachary and the Angel that appeared at the Tomb from the Women But Wicked Angels when they see Men afraid they encrease their Phantasies that they may dread them the more and so at last they assault them and jeer them and bid them fall down and worship Thus they deceiv'd the Gentiles By this Means they that were not Gods were falsly called Gods But our Lord has not suffered us to be deluded by the Devil whom he rebuked when he was exciting such Fancies in Him Luke 4.8 Get thee behind me Satan for 't is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve Let therefore the crafty one be more and more despised For what our Lord spake he spoke for our sake that the Devil hearing the same Words from us may be overturned by the Power of the Lord who so rebuked them then 19. But when we have cast out Devils we should not vaunt neither when we have cured Diseases should we be lifted up or admire one that casts out Devils or despise one that does not cast them out But let every one mind every one's Discipline and either imitate or emulate it or rectifie it For doing of Signs and Wonders is not our Business This belongs to our Saviour Hence Luke 10.20 He saith to his Disciples Rejoyce not because the Devils are subject unto you but because your Names are written in Heaven For our having our Names written in Heaven is a Testimony of our Vertue and regular Life But to cast out Devils is the pure Gift of our Saviour who gave it Whence we read Matt. 7.22 that to those who glorying not in their Vertue but in Signs said Lord have we not cast out Devils in thy Name and in thy Name done many Wonders Our Saviour said Truly I say unto you I know you not for the Lord knows not the ways of the Ungodly In short as I said before we should always pray for the Gift of discerning of Spirits that as 't is written 1 John 4.1 we may not believe every Spirit 20. I thought indeed now to have concluded and been silent of what concerned my self and to have contented my self with giving these Memento's But that ye may not think I speak these things idlely but do declare them from Experience and a Knowledge of the Truth therefore though I become as a
Fool thereby however the Lord knows the Purity of my Conscience and that I do not do it for my own sake but out of Love to you and to encourage you I will further acquaint you with some of them As oft as they applauded me when I in the Name of the Lord cursed them when they would be fore-telling the Overflow of the River and I ask'd them What need you concern your selves about that when once they came threatning and surrounding me like Souldiers accoutred and hors'd and another while fill'd the House with Wild Beasts and creeping Creatures and I sung Psal 19.8 These in Chariots and they on Horses but we will rejoyce in the Name of the Lord our God they were presently routed by the Mercy of Christ Another time when they came and made an Appearance of Light in the Dark and said We are come Antony to lend thee our Light but I prayed shutting my Eyes because I disdained to behold their Light presently the Light of the Ungodly was put out A few Months after they came singing and talking out of the Holy Scriptures but I as though Deaf hearkened not to them but prayed that I might abide unshaken in my Mind After this they came and made a Noise and hiss'd and danc'd but as soon as I prayed and lay along singing by my self they presently began to wail and weep as though they were spent But I glorified God who pluck'd down their Boldness and expos'd their Fury Once there came a Devil very tall in Appearance that dar'd to say I am the Power of God and I am Providence What would'st thou have me bestow upon thee But I spit upon him and having nam'd the Name of Christ endeavoured to beat him nay and I seem'd to beat him and he immediately at the Naming of Christ as great as he was disappear'd with the rest of the Devils And when he came as I was fasting in a Monk's Habit with Loaves in his Arms and said Eat and take some Refreshment you toyl more than you need otherwise you will grow weak for you are a Man But I observ'd his Stratagem and rose up to Pray which he not enduring to see presently fail'd and going out of Doors disappear'd like Smoak As oft as he laid Gold before me to touch it and see it I fell to Psalmody and then he would pine As oft as they beat me with Stripes I said Nothing shall separate me from the Love of Christ and after that they beat one another However it was not I that vanquish'd them but the Lord who said Luke 10.18 I saw Satan falling like Lightning from Heaven Now I my Children being mindful of the Apostle's Saying apply'd this to my self that ye may learn not to faint nor be afraid of the Devil and his Agents And since I have been a Fool in telling this receive from what I have said a Spirit of Fear and believe me for I don't lye Once one of them knock'd at the Door of my Cell and when I opened it I saw a tall Figure and when I asked him Who art thou He answered I am Satan said I What makes you be here He answered Why do all the Monks and other Christians blame me undeservedly Why do they hourly curse me said I Why dost thou trouble them said he I don't disturb them But they trouble themselves for I am weak Surely they have not read Psal 9.7 O thou Enemy Destructions are come to a perpetual End and thou hast destroyed Cities I have no longer a Place an Arrow or a City There are now Christians every where and at last the Desart is fill'd with Monks Let them preserve themselves and not curse me to no purpose Then I admiring the Grace of the Lord said unto him Thou art always a Lyar and never speakest Truth Thou hast spoke the Truth to me now against thy Will for Christ being come has made thee weak and bare After he had heard the Name of our Saviour which scorch'd him so that he could not endure it he disappear'd If therefore the Devil himself owns that he is weak 't is our Duty always to despise him and his Agents Thus ye see how many Wiles the Enemy with his Hounds has against us But I having learnt his Weaknesses have shew'd my Contempt of him those several ways which I have mentioned to you Don't let us sink in our Minds or form or entertain Fears within our selves saying Lest the Devil come and overthrow us and of a sudden take us up and throw us down and put us out of Order Let us have none of these Thoughts nor be Sorrowful as though we were perishing But rather let us rejoyce and be glad as being in the Number of those who shall be sav'd and consider with our selves that the Lord is with us who have triumph'd over Devils and put them to flight and let us always think that the Lord being with us our Enemies can do us no harm for they deal with us differently according as they find us differently dispos'd and according to the Thoughts which they find within us Thus if they find us dastardly and disturb'd they form strange Fancies within us just like Cut-throats and Robbers they presently seize upon the place which they find unguarded Whatever we think of our selves to that they will be sure to add If we are dejected they encrease our Timerousness by injecting Fancies and Threats and so the miserable Soul is tortured by them But if they find us rejoycing in the Lord and discoursing of Matters that do relate to Him seeing the Soul fenc'd with such Thoughts they are confounded and turn aside because all things are in the Lord's Hand and a Devil prevails not against a Christian When the Enemy saw Job immur'd thus he run away from him But when he found Judas destitute of these he took him Captive So that if we would despise the Enemy we should always think of the things that relate to the Lord and our Souls would be always rejoycing in Hope and we should see all the Devil 's ludicrous Tricks be like Smoak and they themselves rather flying than pursuing For as I told you before they themselves are very fearful always expecting the Fire prepared for them Take this therefore for a Sign not to be afraid of them When any Spirit appears faint not for Fear But be the Vision what it will first boldly ask Who art thou and Whence and if it be the Appearance of a Good Spirit thou wilt presently be strengthen'd with Plerophory and turn thy Surprize of Fear into Joy But if it be a Diabolical Appearance it presently fails when it sees thy Mind strong for thy asking Who and whence art thou is a Sign of the Ataxy of thy Mind Thus Joshua the Son of Nave Josh 5.13 learnt by asking and the Enemy was not conceal'd when Daniel ask'd Antony having discours'd after this manner they all rejoyced insomuch that their Love of Vertue was
up in Judgment against such as will be found to have given occasion to Tepidity Carelessness and Neglect of the most Spiritual Exercises of Religion NOTES and OBSERVATIONS to discern Illusions from Divine Inspirations THERE is another part of the Quarrel which our Author hath to this Mystical Divinity besides that that it is unintelligible as he says viz. That it leads Persons into strange Illusions of Fancy which he takes to be a great Injury not only to those Melancholy Souls that are led through this Valley of Shades and Darkness but to the Christian Religion it self Which if true is a just Cause of Quarrel indeed But if well consider'd no greater Cause than others have against the Holy Scriptures because some wrest them to their own Destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 It is true many Persons have been impos'd upon by their own Fancies and many more by Satan transformed into an Angel of Light but must we therefore deny that there are any true Divine Illuminations Inspirations Motions or Communications It is therefore very necessary to be well considered How they may be distinguished And because O. N. in the Book which our Author answers hath a Discourse on that Subject which hath passed his Examination without any hard censure which is an implicit Approbation that may not improperly here be added FOR the discerning of such Illusions proceeding from Satan from the true Inspirations of God's Holy Spirit we affirm That many Notes and Observations there be whereby they may be known if not certainly whether Divine as to their Original where no Spirit of Prophecy or Miracles yet whether containing Truth and advancing Vertue as to the Matter and whether any way noxious and hurtful either to the Person that receives them or others And this is abundantly sufficient Now for these Notes of discerning them I need referr the Reader to no other Book then to the Doctor 's Martyr Sancta Sophia though he was pleased to take no notice of them there in the Preface from § 29. to § 35. Again in the third Treatise p. 268. from § 9. to § 22. where after directing a strict Observation to be made concerning the Person whether 1. viciously inclin'd 2. arrogant and proud or 3. curious 4. or much addicted to melancholy there are particularly cast off and marked out for Satanical Illusions among others these All such pretended Inspirations or Revelations as do invite the Person to say or do any thing contrary to the Catholick Faith Obedience Humility Peace and Unity Honesty Purity and any other Divine Vertue but especially contrary to the Catholick Faith or Obedience for instance as the attempting to make any new and seditious Reformations as likewise when the Persons obstinately believe these Revelations to be of God after they have been condemned by experienced Superiors and Directors All such I say are condemned for Satanical Illusions which cuts all the nerves of all such pretended Revelations as can any way disturb the Church's Faith or Peace and most of all of those Enthusiasms and Fanatick Frenzies which have been so common among Protestants § 14. Lastly in all these Pretensions where there is any greater difficulty of discerning the Good and Divine from the Bad and Satanical Spirit we have a judge to repair to the Governours of the Church The Spirits of the Prophets saith St. Paul are subject to the Prophets § 15. But there are other Influences and Inspirations of the same Spirit directing us also in Actions in their own nature Indifferent or of Counsel and on either side lawful and free from Sin some of which Inspirations cannot be tried or distinguished from Enthusiasm by any such way as the former which because they are much spoken of by the Mysticks and are very necessary for advancing Christians in the way of Perfection it seems requisite for the freeing these also from Mistakes to give the Reader here some account of them § 18. 1. We must know then as Sancta Sophia Tr. 1. p. 57. and others have discoursed more at large that there are two Spirits within us that is all the Regenerate the Holy Spirit and that of Corrupt Nature assisted with the Suggestions of the Devil who took a kind of Possession of us upon Adam's Fall Eph. 2.2 That this last Spirit is never totally expell'd or silenc'd in us during this Life but tempts us still Gal. 5.17 And that its Suggestions may appear many times like the Motions of God's Spirit pretending Good Ends the performing some Duty to our selves or our Neighbour our advancement in Vertue and the like That the Effect of the first of these Spirits Sanctifying Grace received in our Regeneration or justification is in its infusion ordinarily but as a small Sâ—ed 1 John 3.9 1 Pet. 1.23 Mat. 13.31 33. or spark capable of a daily growth and increase and which with the co-operation of our Free will and further Aids that are from time to time received from God works in us at length a total Reformation and Christian Perfection which so many among the Regenerate as do attain are said in a more special mannner to be Spiritual Persons and to have the Spirit of God And iâ— this sense the Apostle writes to the Corinthians 〈◊〉 Brethren could not speak unto you as to Spiritual but as 〈◊〉 Carnal and as to Babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3.1 anâ— so ver 3. For ye are yet Carnal and Walk according to Man that is ye are Babes only in Christ and iâ— in some degree Carnal and walking according to the natural Man still and not as yet entirely Spiritual And frequent mention we find in the Scriptures 〈◊〉 these several Degrees and Growths in a Regeneral Condition It being God's Pleasure that the Neâ— Man as the Old should grow by degrees and not bâ— made compleat in us all at once Mention I say of some Babes and little ones and to be fed as yet only with Milk Of strong Meat and Wisdom and higher Mysteries only to be delivered to and spoken amongst the Perfect See Heb. 5.12 13. 1 Pet. 2. 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3.1 1.2 6. Of growing in Grace and receiving Increase from God 2 Pet. 3.18 Col. 2.19 Of the new Man being renewed day by day 2 Cor. 〈◊〉 .16 Of arriving to a perfect Man unto the measure 〈◊〉 the Stature or Age of the Fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 Of the Apostles labouring to present every 〈◊〉 perfect in Christ Jesus and that they might stand perfect and full in all the Will of God Col. 1.28 4.12 and of this Perfection still containing in it higher and higher degrees Not as if I had already attained saith the Apostle Phil. 3.12 Though therefore by this Principle of a New Life and the infusion of the habitual Grace of Charity we are already translated from the former being of corrupt Nature to a Divine being of Supernatural Grace freed at the first from the former state of Mortal Sin and from the Slavery and Captivity we suffered under its
great Modesty and Solidity hâ—â— vindicated Mystical Divinity against the Quarrel â—â— one who charged it to be Fanaticism His Charactâ— may be seen more at large in Mr. Wood's Oxford Actiquities FINIS POSTSCRIPT WHEREAS it is feared by some that what is in the fore-going Discourse related concerning Plotinus and Porphyrius who lived in Gospel-times and yet were not Christians but the latter a grand Adversary of the Christians and of Christianity may too much gratifie some call'd Quakers to their hurt who are great Magnifyers of the Gentile Dispensation I do declare that I should be glad to gratifie any People for their Good but not any to their Hurt And therefore to prevent any such misuse of what I have written for a good purpose which I have mentioned in the end of the Preface they must know 1. That as the Actions of Witches and their Familiars if the matter of fact be evident and undeniable are good Evidence against Atheists and Sadduceans and the Real Inspiration of any Spirit if proved is good Evidence against all such Anti-enthusiasts as deny the Reality of Inspiration and that there is any thing more in it than meerly the actings of Peoples Imaginations so the plain apert Declarations by these Men of the Mystick Divinity which was more occultly delivered by the Ancients is good Evidence of the Tradition and Succession of these Mysteries though they should be found to have erred in the Use and Application of it And for this purpose was that Collection made 2. That though Porphyry and Plotinus and some others of them might receive some Lights Powerful Attractions and Sensible Consolations c. from some considerable Spirit yet was not that the Spirit of Christ or any Good Ministering Spirit not such as that of Socrates under the Gentile Dispensation for Porphyâ— ridiculed it v. Soc. Hist l. 3. c. 23. but a Spirit of Antichrist and of Satan transformed as appears most manifestly in Porphyry who was a Renagado and Apostate from Christianity and that not upon any Grounds of Reason but upon Passion for some Reproof as Valesius understands it or some more severe Discipline he received from some Christians possibly for some abuse by Scoffing to which he was much addicted and thereupon became not only an Apostate but a spiteful Adversary and the more impudent through the Countenance of the Emperor Julian who was also an Apostate and such another Scoffer This might be abundantly shewed if it was needful here and may be upon some other occasion but this is sufficient for this And this may serve for another purpose in respect of the Quakers viz. to undeceive them and let them see plainly by what Spirit they have been deceived even this very Antichristian Porphyrian Spirit and no better The Spirit I doubt not is the very same or of the same kind only the Appearance is somewhat different more bare-faced then upon the Encouragement of an Apostate Emperor but more covert now in this being a Christian State But as that soon ceased so will this I am well satisfied to the Shame and Confusion of those who obstinately persist in their Errors but especially those who not only are deceived but presume to take upon them to be Ministers of Christ and deceive others when it shall appear that they are only Ministers of this Porphyrian Antichristian Spirit that is of Satan transformed as I nothing doubt but it will in due time and that ere long by undeniable Moral Evidence if not also by manifest Divine Vengeance upon some of the Obstinate which I have sincerely endeavoured to prevent and should still be glad to help them out if they would humble themselves and give Glory to God as their Case doth require otherwise they will certainly be called to account for neglected Divine Favours As for the Gentile Dispensation there is plainly a Fallacy concerning it put upon them by the Subtilty and Fraud of that Spirit which acts so sensibly amongst them For as the Israelites were chosen to be as it were of God's own Regiment and are therefore call'd his Peculiar people yet were they for their Sin delivered over to the Conduct of an Angel Exod. 33. so were other Nations committed to the Conduct of certain Angels probably of inferior Orders And as the Israelites after they were settled in the Promised Land under the immediate Government of God v. Sam. 8.7 were often notwithstanding for their Backslidings and Transgressions delivered into the hands of their Enemies which was plainly a Representation of Spiritual matters so the other Nations though they were committed at first to the Regiment of Good Angels though of an inferior order yet when they came to yield to the Inspirations of Apostate Spirits which was a real though Spiritual Fornication and Defilement were left in theirPower to be abused and ridden and led Captive by them at their pleasure And those who continued under their Conduct to the last without Repentance are like to have their part with them hereafter And this is the Mystery of Iniquity whereby these People are imposed upon by the Subtilty of this Porphyrian Spirit For There is a twofold Gentile Dispensation or two parts of the Gentile Dispensation the one of Grace under the Good Angel which is God's Deputy the other of Judgment under the Apostate Spirit which is God's Executioner of Vengeance And this is it which St. Paul tells us concerning the Seduced by the Spirit of Antichrist that God should send them strong Delusions to believe a Lye because they received not the Love of the Truth that they all might be damned who believe not the Truth Now whatever become of the rest who have not the Favour of the Gospel communicated to them but yet desert not the Conduct of the Spirit by God set over them yet those who have the Gospel in all Simplicity offered to them and either through Pride and Conceitedness or through the Inspiration of any Spirit are drawn from it their Case is very dangerous for no Good Spirit would dare or would offer any such thing and then it must needs be some wicked Spirit in disguise how specious soever his appearance be which for some Spiritual Sin at least if not Carnal or Worldly in them or their Parents hath gotten Advantage of them And such are very officious to offer themselves and very subtile to deceive And their Neglect of the Offers of Grace is like to prove fatal to them But none are in greater danger than they who are so unhappy as to become the Agents and Ministers of such a Spirit whatever they may think of themselves at present This I hope may serve for this Occasion but having for divers Months past been endeavouring by private Conferences with and Letters to the Chief of their Ministers to set this People right in what they are out of the way I intend ere long if no less will serve by the Grace of God to discourse these matters more fully at some
Nazianzen Ambrose Hierom Austin and many others but it would be too long for this place and occasion And therefore to make short Work instead of that I will here represent their Sentiments in some short Notes of an Eminent and most Learned Annotator who was well acquainted with them and doth sometimes intersperse some of their Testimonies in his Writings It is the Famous Hugo Grotius These saith he upon Mat. 18.10 who dedicate themselves to God with a true Faith and thereupon are accounted his peculiar People God as he doth favour them with a peculiar Providence so he seems to give to each an Angel Guardian to guide and assist them either perpetually or certainly until they come to the full Possession of the Divine Spirit For so I see the Ancient Christians did believe And in his Pref. to his Annot. upon the Epistle to the Romans Into the Heart purified by Faith as into a clean Vessel God doth infuse his Spirit I mean the Spirit of Christ full of Love of God and of our Neighbour and of all Goodness Those who have this Spirit of God and carefully keep it God doth account as born of Him and like unto Him to them he gives a certain Right to Heavenly and Eternal Good Things Neither is the Heart purified but by Faith in Christ nor is the Spirit infused but into a Heart so purified nor doth he plainly own for his any but who are endowed with that Spirit Upon Luke 22.3 As they who religiously obey the Divine Admonitions at length receive the Indwelling Spirit so they who readily consent to the Suggestions of the Devil at length God deserting them become the Slaves of Satan Upon Jo. 5.45 Those to whom the Gospel is Preached become taught of God that is if they would if they be greedy of it if they do not reject the Benefits offered and even forc'd upon them They will have no need to have recourse to Learned Men that from them they may learn the Mysteries of the Old Testament Upon Eph. 1.17 The Spirit of God which is given to Believers doth among other things imprint also Wisdom in their Souls not that of the things of this World of which Philosophers did boast but of those things which conduce to a better Life The same Spirit doth reveal also to those who are his things future and secret which cannot be known by humane Means Upon 1 Jo. 2.20 The Spirit doth suggest to us in all Circumstances both the Precepts of Christ and such Hints or Notices as are meet for the Occasion v. 27. What we are to do in every Circumstance For there are certain Differences which Times Places and Persons require Therefore is there often need of Admonition to hit the way of our Duty See Jer. 31.34 Jo. 6.45 and if you please Seneca Epist 94. And upon 1 Thess 4.9 The Holy Ghost teacheth you concerning all things to be done By how much the more there is of the Spirit so much the less need is there of Prescripts This Place is not to be understood of the General Precept but of special Determinations as all Things Persons and Times do require And Gal. 5.18 Those who are led by the Spirit as now of Age have no need of the Law the Guardian of their Youth And Rom. 8.4 Those who walk after the Spirit he interprets those who having obtained the Holy Spirit do constantly obey its Motions and afterwards v. 5. They that are after the Spirit he interprets those who are possessed by the Spirit of God which doth not now come to pass but by Christ And v. 12. he notes God hath given his Spirit that we should use it and again So great a Guest will be treated with Care otherwise he will bid farewell to his Lodging And to conclude 1 Thess 5.23 Spirit here saith he is that Holy Spirit inhabiting in the Souls of Christians and if it be carefully kept adhering to Souls unto Death and after Death even to the Resurrection and then referrs to what he had said 1 Cor. 15.44 to Hierom upon Gal. 5. and recites to the same purpose the Words of Philo Irenaeus Tatianus Clem. Alexandrinus and Tertullian More might be added but this is enough to shew the Mind of this great Man concerning the Necessity of our having the Spirit of God dwelling in us the Effects of his Residence in Light and Conduct and our Duty how to treat it And that this is also the Belief of the Church of England however some of late have commonly presum'd to speak if not despitefully and reproachfully yet too slightly of so great and holy a Principle of our Religion may appear by the most Authentick Evidence that can be her most solemn Addresses to Almighty God in divers Collects for this very purpose As for all Persons to be Baptized before they be Baptized to give his Holy Spirit to them that they may be born again c. and after they be Baptized to give his Holy Spirit to them that they may continue his Servants and attain his Promises So likewise for all Persons Confirmed to strengthen them with the Holy Ghost and daily increase in them his manifold Gifts of Grace before Imposition of Hands and then again together with the Imposition of Hands that they may daily increase in his Holy Spirit and again afterward that his Holy Spirit may ever be with them and so lead them c. and lastly for all the Congregation upon several Occasions as upon the Nativity of our Lord that they may daily be renewed by his Holy Spirit Upon the 19th Sunday after Trinity that his Holy Spirit may in all things Direct and Rule our Hearts Upon the first Sunday in Lent that we may ever obey his Godly Motions Upon Easter-Day that as by thy special Grace preventing us thou dost put into our Minds good Desires so by thy continual Help we may bring the same to good Effect Upon the fifth Sunday after Easter that by his Holy Inspiration we may think those things that be good and by his merciful Guiding may perform the same and others to the like Effect as upon the Sunday after Ascension Whitsunday the 13th Sunday after Trinity the Collect at the beginning of the Communion Service And at every Morning and Evening Service all are admonished to beseech him to give us his Holy Spirit And in the Coll. for Grace we pray to God that all our doings may be ordered by his Governance and in the Litany to indue us with the Grace of his Holy Spirit to amend our Lives according to his Holy Word In the Ordering of Deacons this Question is first to be asked by the Bishop Do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this Office and Ministration c In the Ordering of Priests the Bishop says Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office and Work of a Priest in the Church of God c. And in the Consecration of a Bishop the
their being cast out of the Synagogues as part of the Persecution they were to suffer It is also certain that our Saviour did foretell that many false Prophets that is false Teachers should come in his Name and deceive many and gave great Caution not to go out or believe them and that his Apostles did the like and did with great earnestness exhort all to beware of Divisions Schisms and Separations in the Church And accordingly in all Ages for Men to take upon them the Office of Elders or Ministers of the Gospel without a Regular Ordination derived by Succession from the Apostles or to draw away people after them and engage them in Separate Parties hath been looked upon as a heinous Sin and whoever have done so have been Infamous in the Church ever since And therefore if our Dissenters did continue daily with one accord at our Temples as the primitive Christians did and did continue their Assemblies at their own Meeting-places for Instruction and Edification without any Separation from the Church provided there was nothing but true Christian Doctrine taught amongst them I do not see but they might be of very good Use and deserve not only an Indulgence but Encouragement from the Publick Authority But they who make a Trade of it to engage Separate Parties I do verily believe have much to answer for before God and those who desire to be Christians indeed had need to beware of them And this I must in justice say after all I have said concerning what is amiss amongst us that thanks be to God we have those amongst us who for good Learning for profitable Preaching and for sincere Piety Devotion and all Virtue are no way inferior to any of the Dissenters if to be equalled by any of them and yet I cannot say they are so many but there may be reason enough to receive those Labourers also into our Lord's Harvest And I heartily wish it was well considered How they may be made more serviceable in so important and needful a Work without any thing of a Separation and that they would consider Who They are who sit in Moses or rather the Apostles Seat and What our Lord doth require in that respect And now to come more particularly to the PEOPLE of that Party call'd Quakers I must first acquaint them that I have not only had several Conferences with the Principal Persons of their Party whom they call Ministers but have also sent them several Letters and Papers to their Second Days Meetings And as our Conferences have hitherto been managed in a very friendly manner so I do desire to proceed in the same manner with them also and therefore what is directed at first only to the second days Meeting I shall desire them now to receive as intended from the first for them all though I thought it most fair and decent to proceed in that order And it is as followeth To William Penn and the rest of the Friends with him at their second days Meeting in Grace-Church-Street William and the rest of the Friends with thee MY Hearts desire and Prayer to God for you all is that ye may be saved for I am perswaded that you have a Zeal of God at least many of you though not according to Knowledge in some things Nevertheless whereto ye have attained in that I desire ye may be established and that God will be graciously pleased to reveal the rest to you that ye may be perfect and intire wanting nothing For which purpose I come I trust by the Grace of God with a Message of Grace and Peace to you I am well satisfied that it is no meer Humane Project or Artifice that at first raised you up and hath conducted you hitherto but a Supernatural Power and that it is of the Lord some way or other as was the Separation of the Ten Tribes from Rehoboam 1 King 12. for Correction and Reformation of something amiss in this Church And therefore I dare not presume either upon my own head or by my own Ability to intermeddle in it But my Heart is inlarged towards you upon these Considerations 1. That ye do assert one of the Great and Chief Principles of the Christian Religion which I have observed to be very unworthily and even despitefully treated by too many who have gotten into or seek Preferments and Imployment in the Church without Check or Reproof and so unworthily deserted by most for fear of reproach or disgrace or hindrance in their Preferment that I have not known it generously asserted by above two or three in the Pulpit but those great Men indeed though it be plainly a Doctrine most authentickly and solemnly professed and declared in the Church of England 2. That ye do bear a good Testimony against other Abuses connived at or tolerated amongst us 3. I am moved with Pity towards you that you should have so great Causes of Offence or Scandal given you against the Holy and Established Institutions and Ordinances of Christ for the Ministerial Office for the Admission of Proselytes and for the great Solemnity of the Christian Worship which hath been so long abused with Controversies that I know very few Persons now amongst us who do rightly and compleatly understand it and even against the Person Satisfaction and Merits of Christ himself But when I consider your Notions and Sentiments concerning these things though I am well satisfied that you are under the Conduct and Energy of some Spiritual Power yet What that Spirit is and Whether One or Divers in my Judgment doth deserve very good Consideration Ye know what Spirit it was which God sent between Abimelech and the Shechemites Jud. 9.23 and what that was that was sent from the Lord to Saul 1 Sam. 6.14 and what that was that was commissioned by God in the case of Ahab 1 King 22.22 23. and what that was in the midst of the Princes of Noph Isa 19.14 which was from the Lord too And that such a Spirit hath been among some call'd Quakers is manifest both by their Actions Speeches and Writings nay the very Spirit of the Devil and of Antichrist is apparent and undeniable from the Indignities offered both in word and deed to Holy things But that is not the thing now to be considered what Spirits may have appeared among them For even among the Apostles Satan had power to enter into Judas and it is not improbable but those whom our Saviour told Ye know not what Spirit ye are of and even Peter himself when our Saviour said to him Get thee behind me Satan might not at the time be free from some Impressions of Evil Spirits That 't is likely was a Peculiarity of our Saviour's for the Prince of this World to have nothing in him But the thing to be considered is What Spirit that is which at first excited and hath now the Conduct of the whole Body of this People And not whether it be sent or commissioned from God but
good Authority and Christians duly disposed having a like Communion with Christ in the participation of the consecrated Bread and Cup as St. Paul affirms and the solemn Worshipping of God by presenting our Prayers to the Father with those Memorials of our Saviour's Passion being plainly a Recognition of our Redemption by Christ and of his Dominion over us acquired by his Passion and that that is the only Propitiation and He the only Mediator by which and by whom we Mortals born in Sin can have Access to and Acceptance with the Father and St. Paul having received the Doctrine of what he taught concerning this from the Lord and the ancient Christians frequenting this Ordinance after they had manifestly received the Holy Ghost Whether I say this being so to reject these either as Types and Shadows which are indeed Antitypes as the Grecians express it Solemn Memorials and Sensible Declarations before God Angels and Men of present internal actions of our Minds for the greater Manifestation and Notoriety of the Fact be not meer Sophistry Shuffle and Evasion or as needless upon pretence that Christ is come to them in the Spirit or of their having the Substance be not to set up themselves in Pride above the Apostles and Holy Christians who had so manifestly the Spirit of God nay above Christ himself viz. to reject that as needless which he instituted as necessary and a plain Evidence of the Subtilty and Delusion of Satan to oppose Christ and detain and withdraw people from his Solemn Worship and under the most specious appearance of the Spirit of God by sensible Motions to things appearing Good and by False Lights to corrupt and adulterate them and get and keep a residence in them as if it was the Spirit of Christ Whether such Obstinacy such Fallacy in such a Matter of such Importance in Christianity and yet so easie to Man and void of all Exceptions be not plain Evidence of a Mystery of Iniquity in it XX. Whether to deliver those things in the Name of the Lord as immediately from the Lord and by his Spirit which may be plainly perceived and detected to proceed either from a humane Spirit or a Spirit of Error be not a great Presumption against the Holy Majesty of God and a great Scandal to the Holy Doctrine of the Guidance of the Spirit of God and therefore a double and great Sin the Sin of the False Prophets of old and that which in Germany formerly and since in this Nation raised so great a Prejudice against the Truth Upon the perusal of these Questions it may be supposed that some Answer was returned and therefore some account of that may reasonably be expected and I should have been glad to have been able to have answered so reasonable an Expectation more fully but the truth in short is that eight of the first ten were answered affirmatively but the other two were answered indeed but with Answers not to the Questions and the other ten remain yet to be answered but I hope upon due consideration will be answered at last not with words only but with deliberate solemn Actions Nor are my Hopes without rational Ground For in the several Conferences I have had with them seven or eight at a time of the principal leading Men of their Party they behaved themselves as became serious considerate Persons heard patiently and attentively replyed gravely and calmly none interrupting either me or any of their own party while speaking and our Conclusion was friendly though not altogether agreeing in the same Sentiments And this is my Ground in respect of the Persons And for the Matter it self in question That they have been led into Error and Mistake in some things the due Consideration of these Questions will in a great measure make them sensible And when besides they shall consider by what Means they who misled the rest came to overshoot themselves and fall into those Mistakes viz. through the Scandals before-mentioned and that common Infirmity incident to us Mortals to run from one Extream into another this will farther satisfie and confirm them in the truth of it And if to these Considerations be added a clear Explication of the Truth which they did not rightly apprehend before this with the Grace of God will farther inlighten the Mind of those who are sincere and regard Truth more than any temporal Concern with much Satisfaction viz. That Baptizm with Water and that Noble Solemnity of the Christian Worship are not needless Types and Shadows of things past and fulfilled as they imagin but Solemn Expressions and Declarations more comprehensively and remarkably significative than Words before God Angels Devils and Men of present Acts of the Mind of what is internally and invisibly at the same instant acted in Spirit the one of our Engagement in an Holy Covenant with God in Christ by putting off by Repentance our Pollutions through Sin and Dedication of our Selves to the Holy Trinity the other of our Recognition of our Redemption by Christ by his Death and Sacrifice upon the Cross and of his Dominion over us and our Subjection to Him even to lay down our Lives in Obedience to Him as he did His in Obedience to his Father which is done by making our Solemn Address and presenting our Prayers to the Father with the Memorials of his Passion as the Great Propitiation for the Sins of Mankind and Participation of those Memorials being Consecrated not only by a Separation to a Holy Use but by a real Sanctification through the Spirit of God at the Prayers of the Church whereby the Faithful have a real and Spiritual Communion with Him and one with another This is the pure Offering of the Gentiles foretold by Malachy That it should be Offer'd by them from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same And this is the Sense and Meaning thereof received and retained by the Church of Christ all over the World till Calvin's new Notions became received as the Pure Word of God and made this most Sublime most Holy and most August Sacrament as it is deservedly call'd by Dr. Morton be taken in effect for a needless Ceremony or of no great Importance by others besides the Quakers and used or rather neglected accordingly even to this day These are the great things in it which I have now mentioned but rare to be found in our Books now a days or heard of from our Pulpits Nor can it conveniently here be explained as it deserves But as to both these what is said before pag. 13 14. ought to be consider'd These things I say well consider'd cannot choose but make great Impression upon the Minds of those who are sincere and have a due sense of their own Spiritual and Eternal concerns But when they shall also understand That the great Principle of the Guidance of the Spirit of God is not so peculiar to themselves as they imagin but the constant Doctrine of the Church
TRACTS THEOLOGICAL I. Asceticks or the Heroick Piety and Vertue of the Ancient Christian Anchorets and Coenobites II. The Life of St. Antony out of the Greek of St. Athanasius III. The Antiquity and Tradition of Mystical Divinity among the Gentiles IV. Of the Guidance of the Spirit of God upon a Discourse of Sir Matthew Hale's concerning it V. An Invitation to the Quakers to rectifie some Errors which through the Scandals given they have fallen into LONDON Printed and are to be Sold by Dan. Brown at the Black-Swan and Bible without Temple-Bar And Rich. Smith at the Angel without Lincolns-Inn-Gate near the Fields 1697. ADVERTISEMENT THE Liturgy of the Ancients represented in English Forms with a Preface concerning the Restitution of the most Solemn part of the Christian Worship And divers other Papers and Tracts by the same Author Sold by Dan. Brown and Rich. Smith ASCETICKS OR The Heroick Piety Virtue OF THE Ancient Christian ANCHORETS AND COENOBITES PART I. Exemplary Asceticks LONDON Printed for the Authour 1696. ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER IT hath been a usual subtile and wicked Policy of the Devil and Evil Men first to render Names Odious and then by affixing them to Persons and Things thereby to render them so too with the vulgar whom by that means they impose upon and make their Tools By such means have not only the Christians of Old but also some of the chief Principles of Christianity been much injured and abused And few Parties there are who have not one time or other smarted by it That the well-meaning Reader therefore may not be so abused and imposed upon in his Judgment of the things here put together for the Benefit of all who can receive them by the Odious Names of Monkery and Popery it is to be observed that though POPERY taken properly for the Abuses and Corruptions of the Bishops and Church of Rome may deserve all the Odium cast upon it yet may most vile and wicked Abuses be committed by Pretence and Imputation of that Odious Name And in some things it is hard to say Whether the People have been more abused by Popery it self or by the Odium and Imputation of the Name And not only the People but the Gospel it self I may add and the Reformation too For while Christian Truths have been mis-represented and exposed to Contempt and Odium under the Name of Popery the Cause on the side of Popery is supported strengthened and made so much the more defensible by the intermixture of so much Truth and the Cause on the side of the Reformation so much the more weakened and disparaged by the intermixture of so much indefensible Error Whereas if they were only things inexcusable in them which were questioned as Charity doth require they must have sunk in the Cause long before this but an indiscreet Affectation of Reformation and uncharitable seeking Occasions have made a Reformation now as needful on the one side as the other Instances of this might be shewed in divers particulars but I need not step out of my way for that the other Name mentioned may serve for that purpose here MONKERY is not only rendered Odious as of it self but also as a part of Popery And indeed if we imagin all that is believed or practised by the Church of Rome to be Popery it may be so but then we shall leave little of true Christianity for the Reformation But if what is true Christianity be not Popery than neither is Monkery as some are pleased to call the Monastick Life And that it is not only true Christianity but the Practice of it in the greatest Perfection that Mortals are capable of I am apt to think will be very plain to any who will consider what here follows with an unprejudiced and competent Judgment And therefore I shall not need to say more here but only desire the Reader to suspend his Judgment till he hath perused and considered it well THE Beginning and Progress OF Contemplative Living AND Religious Societies THAT there are in the very Nature of Man some Principles of Inclination to Religion which if not corrupted by Evil Education or other unhappy Occurrences do insensibly grow and increase in Strength and Vigour and in due time exert themselves in Action though for some time they lie dormant as it were and do not appear even as some others which in all Animals are manifestly most Natural and yet appear not till after some growth toward Maturity hath been observed believed and asserted by Men of greatest Reputation for Learning and Wisdom both in Ancient times and to this Day These Principles have among Man-kind been in many much corrupted and stifled by Evil Education or Conversation with Evil Persons and by the Impressions Energy and Instigations of Evil Spirits but in others again much cherished and improved not only by Good Education and Conversation and by Consideration of the Works of Nature but moreover and especially by the kind Influences of the Divine Majesty and of his Good Ministring Spirits From hence in all Ages and in all Parts of the World have been produced and raised up Philosophers and Wise and Holy Men and Women who have been as Lights and Examples to the rest of several sorts according to their different Ways of Living some living a Life of Civil Conversation with others but strictly conscientious walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless as is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth Luk. 6. or to speak more comprehensively living in all Good Conscience before God as St. Paul saith of himself Act. 23.1 or according to the Character of Job Perfect and Vpright fearing God and eschewing Evil Job 1.1 Others living a more abstracted Life of Retirement and Contemplation abstracted not only from Business in the World but also from ordinary Conversation with Men that they might without Distraction converse with God and his blessed Ministring Spirits and others again living a kind of mixt or middle Life between these two avoiding unnecessary Business and Incumberances and exercising Recollections and Abstraction as much as their Occasions would permit and even in and amidst their Business Of those Three Ways of Living that more strict and Contemplative Life is believed by divers Learned Men to have been begun by ENOS or in his time and not without reason For as the Principles before-mentioned were apt to produce such an Effect so there seems to be something singular noted concerning Religion or some Religious Institution or Practice in that Sacred Record Gen. 4. ult But of the more ancient Times not only before the Flood but also for some Ages after the Flood we know but very little But in the Times of which we have some more Knowledge besides PRIESTS and professed PHILOSOPHERS there have always been both single Persons and compleat or formed Societies of People who discerning the Vanity and Emptiness of Earthly things and Solidity and Perminence of Heavenly things withdrew themselves from those
our Saviour in his Subjection to Joseph and his Mother Which though Self-denial be a Precept is a voluntary Act of the nature of a Reasonable Free-will Offering and a doing it daily as is expressed Luk. 9.23 a Living in it and a continual Reasonable Sacrifice of the prime Faculties of the Soul for the Service of God And the whole Business of an abstracted Ascetick Life What is it but a reasonable religious and devout Exercise of our Saviour's Doctrin in his Admonition to Martha Luk. 10.41 42. against being careful and troubled about many things when it was only for a short Entertainment of Himself and that One thing is needful and that Mary's Choice was of the better part In his Sermon upon the Mount of taking no thought for our Life Mat. 6.25 34. In his Parable of the Sower concerning the Cares and Riches and Pleasures of this Life the Thorns which choak the Seed of the Word that it bringeth no Fruit to Perfection Luk. 8.14 and concerning Watching that we be not surprized Mat. 24.42 25.13 Mar. 13.35 Luk. 21.36 And now if any one please as many have done to make any question concerning the meaning of our Saviour or the Interpretation of any part of this what more Authentick Evidence of that can be reasonably desired than what the wisest of Men have always approved and had recourse to in such Cases Usage and Practice afterward which daily Experience in the Construction of Laws and ancient Records and Deeds doth sufficiently confirm The APOSTLES certainly practised all this as far as was consistent with their Circumstances and Business they were imployed in and Preached it and recommended it by their Doctrin too as far as the Circumstances of the People and the Times would bear They forsook all not one of them Married any Wife afterward though they might have done it and were so far abstracted from all Diversions and Distractions of the World that they ordered Deacons for other necessary Works that they might give themselves continually to Prayer and to the Ministery of the Word or to Preaching And the effect of their Preaching and of the powerful Operation of the Holy Spirit upon the People was that they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrin in Communion in breaking Bread and in Prayers And all that believed were together and had all things Common and sold their Possessions and Goods and parted them as every Man had need c. Act. 2.42 And again Act. 4.32 The Multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things Common For as many as were Possessors of Lands or Houses sold them and brought the Prices of the things that were sold and laid them down at the Apostles Feet What is here briefly said of the first Converts and Primitive Christians at Jerusalem agrees so well all things considered with what Philo more largely relates concerning those about Alexandria whom he calls THERAPEUTS who were never heard of before nor after under any Denomination unless of that of Christians which began early at Antioch and was soon spread over the World where any Disciples of Christ were and took place of all others that as the Ancients do affirm we also have great reason to rest satisfied that they were indeed such notwithstanding all the Cavils of some of the last Age which have since been sufficiently refuted It is true they did not long appear in that form of Communities for they were dissolved at Jerusalem and dispersed into divers Regions by that great Persecution after the Death of Stephen and doubtless by like Occasions in other Places But the Example and Doctrin of our Saviour and his Apostles could not but provoke many especially among the Jews before well-disposed for it to forsake the World and betake themselves to a retired abstracted Contemplative Life The Natural Inclination in them was excited and fortified by the various Examples which were common among them before and then receiving such further Encouragement from our Saviour and his Apostles both directly and indirectly from several Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Self-denyal Mortification Contempt of the World Heavenly-mindedness c. this could not but mightily affect them generally with an Heroick Contempt of the World and of the Body and all Earthly things The very Doctrin Promises and Miracles with which they were confirmed were apt of their own Nature to produce all this but much more being accompanied with such a Spirit and Power as the Preaching of the Apostles and the Primitive Christians then was And certainly they wanted nothing but Opportunity even then in the Apostles times to have settled in Coenobitical Societies which as soon as the commom obstacle the Persecutions was removed by the Providence of God in raising Constantine to the Throne of the Empire they presently began to do first in Egypt where 't is probable were many descended from the Recabites and Esseans and in no long time after in most other Parts Concerning those in Egypt in his time St. John Chrysostome gives us this Account Should any one come now to the Deserts of Egypt he would see all the Wilderness altogether more excellent than a Paradice and innumerable Companies of Angels shining in Mortal Bodies For there is to be seen spread over all that Region the Camp of Christ and the admirable Royal Flock and the Conversation of the Heavenly Powers illustriously shining upon Earth And this you may see most splendid not in MEN only but also in WOMEN Heaven it self doth not so shine with various Constellations of Stars as Egypt is beset and illustrated with innumerable Convents of Monks and Virgins But of this more hereafter These things being well considered it will be very plain 1. That they who have derived these Religious Institutions from our Saviour and his Apostles by their Example and Doctrin and the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit had a good Foundation of Truth to maintain their Assertion 2. That they who have raised such Prejudice in the Minds of the People against such Holy Religious Societies in general as to beget in them an Odium against all if they did it in simplicity and meerly through the Prejudice they themselves had conceived from the Scandals of those of their time yet did they very rashly and inconsiderately in so doing but if they did it to temporize and ingratiate themselves with Princes and Great Men who had inriched themselves with the Spoils of the Monasteries and the Revenues of the Church they did very wickedly and impiously We must not deny or question the Justice of the Judgment of God upon them but Who are they by whom the Righteous God doth usually execute such Judgments And at this time we have great reason to take that for a Warning to our Selves Were they cast out for their Laziness and Corruptions What then have we to expect Suppose ye that
congratulating their State desired their Prayers But two Virgins to whom these Converts had been contracted when they heard of it did likewise consecrate their Virginity to the Lord. And St. Augustin himself was so affected with the Relation of it by Potitianus who was one of those who returned that it was a chief occasion of his Conversion and after many Conflicts in himself which he expresseth very pathetically in the next chapter he broke out at last into these earnest Expressions to his Friend Alipius What do we suffer What is this What hast thou heard The Vnlearned get up and take Heaven by force and we with all our Learning without heart behold where we wallow in Flesh and Blood Is it because they are gone before that we are ashamed to follow and are we not ashamed at least not to follow And these throws of the New Birth never ceased till his Conversion was perfected The LIFE of St. Antony Originally Written in Greek BY St. ATHANASIUS Bishop of Alexandria TO The Pilgrim Brethren YOUR Design of not only keeping pace with but also of out-stripping the Egyptian Monks in a virtuous Ascetick Course of Life is an Entrance upon a very generous and laudable Enterprize You have at length I find got Monasteries of your own and a Platform of Monastick Discipline by you There is no one but must in Justice commend your Design and no doubt but God will bring it to Perfection in case ye be but instant and constant in Prayer for his Blessing And since you have an earnest desire of being inform'd How St. Antony first entred upon an Ascetick way of Living and what manner of Man he was before and what sort of End he made at last and whether the Reports that have pass'd about him are true in order I presume to bring your selves to an Emulation of him and hereupon have thought fit to request an Account of his Conduct from my hands Be ye hereby satisfy'd that I have received your Command and received it with great Affection too for the Truth of it is the bare Remembrance of St. Antony is a Matter of great Advantage to me Besides too I am very well satisfy'd that when you have had an Account of this Man you will admire him so as to rival and transcribe his Example which indeed is a Pattern so exact that any Monk may form his Solitude by it and therefore I dare advise you not to dis-believe what-ever you may have heard concerning him but rather to look upon common Reports as strange as they may seem to fall far short of what St. Antony did and was for truly his Fame does not come near his Worth And I must needs say that what I send now to you concerning him in this Letter by reason of the Urgency of your Request is only an imperfect Relation of some few Passages of his Life which are still fresh in my Memory And I desire you by no means to leave off Enquiring about him of Passengers from all Quarters for I am perswaded did every one speak what they knew of him his Life would be found a Task too great for any Biographer to undertake to perfect it For which reason as soon as your Letter had reach'd my hands I thought fit to send for some of those Monks who us'd frequently to visit him that by their Information my Narrative might be a little fuller than 't is now But because the scantiness of the Seamens time and the hast of the Pacquet-Boat straiten'd me so that I could not tarry till they came I have us'd my utmost Diligence to acquaint your Reverences with all that I knew my self for I have often seen him and could learn from a Person who was his Servant no small time and us'd to pour the Water on his Hands when he washed I have all along ey'd the Truth so that who-ever hears more than he will find here may safely give Credit to what he hears Who-e'er knows less of him cann't chuse but have great Thoughts of St. Antony but how-ever cann't revere him so much as he ought who Reads this 1. ST Antony was Born in Egypt both of Rich and Noble what is better than both of Christian Parents And indeeed his exact Christian Life was a clear Evidence of his Christian Birth During his Childhood he was always kept at home being an utter Stranger to every Body but his Father's Family And after he was a little grown up he could not endure to go to School purely because of an inbred Aversation to keeping Company with other Children For he had a strong desire to live as we read of Jacob like a plain Man dwelling in Tents When his Parents us'd to carry him to Church though but a Child he did not appear Listless or Lazy Neither as he grew up did the least sign of a refractory Spirit appear in him But he was always very Obedient to his Parents and Attentive to the Prayers and Homilies and strictly careful to reap some Profit to his Soul from what he heard Though he saw his Parents had a great Estate yet he never was concerned for dainty Victuals or variety of Dishes being not in the least solicitous about matters of that kind but was always pleased with what-ever was provided and never desired any thing else 2. At about Eighteen or Twenty Years of Age at the most he was left an Orphan with an only and very young Sister and trusted by his Parents notwithstanding he was so young when they dy'd with the Management of the whole Family and Estate and the Education of his Sister Before Six Months after their Decease was expir'd as he was going according to his Custom to Church and ordering his Faculties into a fit frame for Devotion that Text Matt. 19.27 of the Apostles leaving all to follow their Saviour came particularly into his Mind in the midst of his Walk as also concerning those who in the Acts Act. 4.35 Sold their Estates and brought and laid them at the Apostles feet to be distributed as every one had need and what and how great an Hope remains laid up for them in Heaven With these Thoughts he went into the Church Now it happened on that Day that that part of the Gospel was read where we read our Lord saying to the Rich Man Matt. 19.21 If thou wilt be perfect Go sell all thy Possessions and give unto the Poor and then come and follow me and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven This Lesson St. Antony apply'd as particularly directed to him to himself and hereupon embracing the Remembrance of the generous Example of those Saints as injected into his Mind by God himself accordingly parted with the Estate of an ancient Family in all 300 Measures which the Egyptians call Arours of very rich and fertile Land and distributed the Money for which he sold it among the Inhabitants of the Village where he liv'd that neither his own nor his Sister's Mind might be
encumbred with it any longer His Moveables he also Sold and gave the Money to the Poor 3. And having reserv'd some small matter for his Sister the next time he went to Church he heard our Lord say in the Gospel Matt. 6.34 Take no thought for the Morrow And therefore without any more delay he e'en went out immediately and distributed that too among the Poor And having given her in Charge to some experienc'd and trusty Virgins to be Educated in their Cloysters he betook himself to an Ascetick Life without doors keeping a very close eye upon himself and leading a very rigid and absteinous Life for at that time there scarcely were any settled Monasteries in Egypt neither did any Monk live in a remote Wilderness But whoever had a mind to order himself very severely exercis'd himself in some solitary Place not far from his own Town At this time there was an Old Man in a neighbouring Village that had obliged himself to a solitary Life from his Youth St. Antony having observ'd him was inflam'd with Emulation and at first continu'd alone in some place or other that was hard by the Village And where-ever he heard of any studious and zealous Courter of Vertue like a provident Bee he would be sure to go and find him out never returning to his own Abode till he had seen him and could bring something back with him which might serve for part of a Viaticum to bear up his Spirit in his Progress to Heaven After he had continu'd thus some time he squar'd his Mind with such exactness as to resolve never to return again to the Place where his Ancestors Seat was nor so much as to bear the secular Concerns of his Relations in his Memory any longer that he might intirely apply his Mind and Affections to a vigorous Assiduity in Asceticks And therefore he wrought with his own Hands because 't is written 2 Thess 3.10 Let not the Idle eat Part of what he got by his Labour he subsisted on himself and part of it he gave to the Poor He Prayed continually because he had learnt that we ought to pray incessantly in private He attended so diligently to the Scriptures when read that nothing fell to the ground from him but he held it so fast that his Mind was as good as a Library to him For the sake of his Demeanour he was belov'd by all He submitted with great readiness to all virtuous Persons whom he visited He would with great diligence by himself mark every virtuous Person 's Vertue for which he was peculiarly Eminent and stamp them upon himself In one he would observe an Obligingness of Carriage in another an unwearied Fervour in Prayer in a third Calmness of Spirit in a fourth great Condescention and Charity He would very affectionately eye this Person 's great Sprightliness Vigilance and moderate use of Sleep and another Man's Affability Delight in the Scriptures and Readiness in Conferences on Spiritual Subjects Here he admir'd one for his Fortitude Magnanimity Patience and Courage there another for his Fastings hard Lyings upon the Ground and other such like Arts of subduing the Body But principally and above all he would seal on his Heart and Soul that Piety and vehement Affection for Christ and stream of mutual Love which was very obvious and legible in them all Thus he us'd constantly to go back to his own Cell always fraught with such useful Observations as these making himself the Repository of all those Excellencies he could spy in others whence he was wont to elicit and display them in a bright and exemplary Conversation All the Contest he had with those of the same Age with himself was to be second to none of them in Christian Discipline In which sort of Victories he behaved himself so modestly that no body fretted at him for Envy but rather on the contrary took delight in taking Notice of him insomuch that the whole Neighbourhood that had any regard for Vertue and all with whom he convers'd observing his Goodness us'd to call him Theophiles or God's Friend The Elder calling him Son and the Younger Brother 4. But the Devil who is envious and hates every thing that is commendable could not endure to see such a noble Purpose in so young a Person but made it his Endeavour to thwart all his Designs to his Disadvantage At first he strove to bring him off of his Ascetick Course of Life by throwing into his Mind a Remembrance of his Estate of the Nearness of his Relations and a Solicitude for them a Love of Money and Desire of Glory great Varieties of Pleasure and other such Recommendations of the Methods of the World as also Thoughts of the Ruggedness of Vertue and how much Labour it costs a Man to obtain it and to mention no more of the Weakness of his Body and the long Remainder of his Life In short the Devil rais'd a great deal of dust in his Thoughts that by bemudding and disordering his Mind he might make St. Antony let go his Design But as soon as the Enemy saw himself too weak to foyl St. Antony's Resolution and quite contrariwise that he himself was emasculated by the Holy Man's Steddiness supplanted by a mighty Faith and fall'n by reason of his continual and earnest Prayers he assum'd a new Boldness and Confidence in those Weapons which he knows every Man carries about him in his own Flesh against himself for here he mostly lies in Ambush against the Souls of the Young Accordingly he renews his Assault against the Youth Night and Day attacking him with great Turbulence insomuch that standers by could easily discern a Combat between them for the Devil threw filthy Thoughts into his Mind and the Young Man routed them out as fast by Prayers the Adversary us'd his Policies to make his Body dissolute and rebellious on the other hand St. Antony fortify'd his Soul and us'd his Body hardly and kept it under by Faith and Fastings and Tears and earnest Addresses to God But still the Devil though worsted was very hardy and appeared to him in the Shape of a Woman represented Beautiful in all respects only to impose upon St. Antony But Antony by placing the noble Extract of his Spirit and intellectual Power in a clear view before himself quench'd this Firebrand of Deceit Nevertheless the Devil would yet be hinting the Softness and Affectingness of this Pleasure on the other hand Antony like an enraged and exasperated Person by revolving in his Mind God's Menaces of Fire and the Toyl of those Furrows which the never-dying Worm ploughs in the Consciences of the Damn'd escap'd free without being hurt or so much as sing'd by his Temptations All which dash'd the Enemy mightily out of countenance for he that once thought of being equal with God himself was now slighted and baulk'd by a Young Man and he that generally vaunts and vapours so insolently over Flesh and Blood was now over-thrown by a Man
even whilst he wore his frail Body of Flesh For our Lord who wore Flesh Himself for our sake and gave the Body a Conquest over the Devil wrought and wrestled together with this Holy Youth So that every one who strives in good earnest with the Devil may with good reason say Not I but the Grace of God with me 1 Cor. 15.57 At last the Devil perceiving that he could not overthrow and discourage Antony by this Device gnashing his Teeth and being like one beside himself to see himself drove out he who is really black in his Nature within appear'd in the form of a Black Boy to Antony and as it were lying at his Feet for the crafty Spirit being turn'd out of his Heart now no longer invaded his Thoughts assum'd an Humane Voice and said I have deceived many yea verily I have worsted and deceived very many But having now exerted my Strength against thee as against many others I have been weaken'd and overcome Who is this said Antony that talks thus to me The Devil answer'd in a wretched whining Tone To this Day I have ply'd soft fleshly Allurements in Young Persons and have been call'd The Spirit of Fornication How many when willing to be Sober have I deceiv'd How many have I by Hypocrisie and sense-affecting Motions drawn aside I am he of whom the Prophet speaks Hos 4.12 Ye have been deceiv'd by the Spirit of Fornication 'T was by me that they were tripp'd up I am he who have so often disturb'd thee and as often been humbled by thee Antony therefore having paid his Thanks to God and being become more valiant in Spirit said Hence 't is plain that thou art very contemptible for thy Soul is black and swarthy and thou art weak as a Child neither will I for the future give way to any Solicitude upon thy Account for the Lord is my Helper and I shall look down upon mine Enemies with scorn which he had no sooner said but the Black Monster fled away being afraid to speak or come near the Heroe 5. This was St. Antony's first Conflict with the Devil or rather to speak properly and as I ought this was our Lord's first defeat of the Devil in Antony who Rom. 8.3 4. Condemn'd Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the Flesh but the Spirit But for all this St. Antony did not neglect himself as if the Devil were intirely under his Feet Nor did the Enemy as though vanquish'd desist from forming Stratagems for he rang'd about like a roaring Lyon seeking out some pretence against him Antony had learnt from the Holy Scriptures that the Wiles of the Devil are many continually and therefore continually gave himself to exercise considering that since the Devil could not deceive his Heart by Pleasure he would try the more subtlely and diligently to do it by other Methods for the Devil is Sin 's sure Friend Wherefore Antony tam'd his Body more and more lest after he had conquer'd in some Combats he should be dragg'd a Captive by him in others Hence he resolves to accustom himself to severer Discipline still At which Resolution many were startled through surprize But however he went thorow with it very patiently for the bent of his Soul having lasted a long time wrought such a good habit in him that he seiz'd on every even the least Occasion of exerting his strenuous pursuit after Vertue 6. He watch'd so very much that oft-times he lay without Sleeping all Night long and this not once or so but very often to admiration He eat once a Day after Sun-set sometimes but once in two Days nay and sometimes but once in four Days His Diet was Bread and Salt His Drink only Water Instead of a Feather-Bed he lay on a Mat and sometimes on the bare Ground He never anointed himself because he said 't was more proper for the Younger to addict themselves to Ascetick Exercises than to seek out those things which effeminate the Body They should rather accustom themselves to labour and to bear the Apostle's saying in their Mind 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weak then I am strong for then said he the Vigour of the Spirit is renew'd and becomes Athletick when the Pleasures of the Body languish and are impair'd This also was an admirable Thought of his viz. That he did not think it proper to measure our Progress in Vertue by the length of the Time we first set out or by our Retirement so much as by our Divine Desires and Longings and the Encrease of our Holy Purpose And therefore he would not remember the Time past but every Day as though it were the first he would express a more ardent Thirst and Endeavour after a further Advance Speaking by the way of Soliloquie that of the Apostle Phil. 2.14 Forgetting that which is behind and pressing forward And remembring the Voice of the Prophet Elias who saith 2 King 18.15 As the Lord of Hosts lives before whom I stand I will surely shew my self to day for he observes from the Prophet's saying To day he did not take a measure of the Time past but every day as if it were laying the first Foundation of his Vertue he studied to approve himself such an one as he ought to be before God pure in Heart and ready to obey his Will and no ones else Every Christian Ascetick said he ought to see and learn within himself his own Life from Elias as in a Glass 7. Antony having by this time and by these means recollected and simplify'd himself Travelled to the Tombs which were at a considerable distance from that Town having first acquainted one of his Acquaintance with it who supply'd him with Bread enough to subsist upon a good while When he was got thither he went into one of the Tombs and shut the door over his Head and tarried within there by himself Now the Devil not being able to away with this and afraid lest in a little time the whole Desart should be fill'd with Asceticks came one night with a great company of Devils and beat and bruis'd him at that fearful rate that he lay a long time Dumb because of the Extremity of his Torments for he protested his Pains were so great that 't was impossible Men should be the Instruments of the like But by the Providence of God for the Lord does not forget those who hope in Him the Day after an Acquaintance came with some Loaves to him who as soon as he had open'd the door seeing him lying along like a Dead Man upon the Ground took him up and carried him to the Town-Church and laid him upon the Pavement where many of his Relations and Towns-People sat by him as they there us'd to do about the Corps of the Dead Now about Midnight Antony came to himself and awoke and saw all asleep but himself and his Acquaintance that brought him from the Tombs
concluded they were Devils and being afraid they call'd to St. Antony but he heeded the Devils more than them and whereas they expected to have seen him dead they heard him saying Let God arise and his Enemies be scattered Let them vanish as the Smoak vanisheth As the Wax melteth before the Fire so Sinners shall perish from the Presence of God And again All Nations compassed me round about but in the Name of the Lord I stav'd them off 13. Thus did he lead Twenty Years in private Exercise never stirring out or seen by any one But at last many others desiring to imitate his Ascetick Life and other Acquaintance coming to him and breaking open the Door by force Antony came out of the Castle as out of an inaccessible Sanctuary being matriculated a Member of the Heavenly Jerusalem and become full of God The Spectators when he came out were in an Amaze to see his Body that had been so belabour'd by Devils in the same shape in which it was before his Retirement The Temper of his Soul was very pure neither clouded by Sadness nor shattered by Voluptuousness Neither Laughter nor Melancholy held him in their Chains The sight of the Multitude did not disturb him nor their Praises make him vain But he was intirely smooth and regular steered by Reason and Revelation and fixed in the primitive State of Nature Our Lord healed many Sick Persons by him He also cleansed many that were possessed comforted many that were grieved and reconciled many that were fallen out charging them all to prefer none of the Things of this World before the Love of Christ discoursing and exhorting them to be mindful of future Goods and of the great Philanthropy of God who spared not his own Son but gave Him up for us all He perswaded many to chuse a solitary Life and by this means there came to be many Monasteries in the Mountains So that now the Desarts were turned into a City by Monks that left their Estates and Houses and entred themselves Members of the Heavenly City 14. Once he had an Occasion to pass over the Trench of the Arsenoites to see some of his Brethren Monks which Trench was very full of Crocodiles but St. Antony and all that were with him by the pure Vertue of Prayer went over unhurt When he returned to his Monastery he obliged himself to very severe and youth-like Enterprizes By his Conferences he would be continually encreasing the Fervour of other Monks and exciting many others to the Love of Exercise and by the magnetism of his Discourses many more Monasteries were erected all looking upon him as their Father 15. One Day among the rest as he was walking out he told the other of his Brethren Monks who came to him with a desire to hear him in the Egyptian Language that the Holy Scriptures are sufficient for Instruction But nevertheless 't is decent for us to confirm one another in the Faith by Exhortation and to chear and anoint each other's Spirits by mutual Discourses Wherefore do ye my Sons bring your Father what ye know and I who am your Elder will communicate to you what I know by Experience But besure in a peculiar manner to take care to be communicative and unanimous and that now ye have begun ye don't grow slack nor faint in your Warsare nor say with your selves We have laid out so much item so much Time upon Exercise But rather as beginning every day let us inlarge our Resolution for the Life of Man altogether is very short if we compare it with future Ages All our Time is nothing to Eternal Life Every thing else is Sold for its Value and like is Exchanged for like But the Promise we have of Eternal Life is a cheap Purchase For 't is writ The Days of our Life are Seventy Years and if by great Strength we reach Fourscore or more they are but Labour and Sorrow Now if we spend Eighty Years in Exercise we shall not reign an Hundred Years for it but instead of an Hundred we shall reign for ever and ever Again After we have contended on Earth our Inheritance will not be upon Earth but we hold Promises of Heaven Again After we have laid aside a Mortal Body we are cloathed with an Immortal One Wherefore Children let us not faint neither let us think we lay out much Time for God or do any great Matters for the Sufferings of this present Life are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed Neither let us think that we have parted with great Possessions for the whole Earth is very small with respect to Heaven For just as one who parts with a Mite for an Hundred Broad Pieces So were any one Lord of all the Earth and parted with it for Heaven he parts with a Mite and receives an Hundred-fold But if all the Earth is not worth Heaven then certainly he who leaves a few Acres for it does in a manner leave nothing at all If therefore any of us parts with a Mansion or with Gold he should neither vaunt nor despond But we should rather consider that if we don't leave them for the Sake of Vertue yet afterwards when we Die we often leave them to whom we would not as the Preacher has minded us Shall we not therefore leave it for the sake of Vertue to inherit a Kingdom Let us have a Thirst after true Possessions for What does it signifie to possess those things which we cannot carry away with us Let us rather acquire those Goods which will follow us into the other World such as are Wisdom Justice Sobriety Fortitude Spiritual Prudence Charity Love of Wordly Poverty Faith in Christ Freedom from Anger Delight in Hospitality if we possess these we shall find they will procure us a Mansion in the Land of the Meek These things duly considered no Person can be Negligent especially if he consider that he is the Lord's Servant and ought to serve Him Since therefore every one is his Servant no one should dare to say I do not work to day for I wrought yesterday or by measuring the time past to be idle for the time to come But every day a true Disciple of Christ will shew the same Readiness of Mind that as 't is written he may please his Lord and not run a risque in the Concerns of his Soul So also let us every day persevere in Exercise knowing that if we are Negligent one day we shall not be pardoned for it because we did well the day before No God is offended with such Negligence as we read in Ezekiel So also Judas by one Night's Impiety lost the Fruits of his time past Let us therefore Children adhere to Exercise and not suffer our Spirits to be bejaded for herein the Lord is our Fellow-Labourer as 't is written The Lord co-operates for Good with every one that wills and works Good Now in order to our not being Negligent there is a
his Learning by Books nor external Wisdom nor any Art But Antony was renown'd purely for his Devotion to God No one can deny that this was the Gift of God How came he who was hid and sat in a Mountain to be heard of in Spain France Rome and Africa unless God had made his Name known every where who promis'd this to Antony at first for although such Heroes act secretly and are willing to lye conceal'd yet the Lord shews them as Lamps to all that they may know that his Commands which he has given to reform us are practicable and thence may derive a Zeal for the ways of Vertue 62. Read ye this to others that they may know what sort of Life the Life of Monks should be and may be perswaded that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will glorifie those who glorifie Him and serve Him unto the End not only bringing them to the Kingdom of Heaven but making them notwithstanding they hide and retire celebrated here for their Vertue to the Benefit of others And if there be a Necessity read it to the Heathens that they may know not only that our Lord Jesus Christ is God and the Son of God but that those Christians who serve Him truly and believe in Him piously reprove those Spirits whom they account Gods and tread upon them and chase them as those who are the Deceivers and Corrupters of Men and this they do by the Grace and Strength of Christ Jesus our Lord to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS Theologia Mystica TWO DISCOURSES CONCERNING DIVINE COMMUNICATIONS To Souls duly disposed I. The Antiquity Tradition and Succession of Mystical Divinity among the Gentiles with Notes and Observations to distinguish Illusions and Directions of Spiritual Writers concerning Prayer II. Of the Guidance of the Spirit of GOD The Doctrine of the H. Scriptures of the Catholick Church and of the Church of England in particular upon a Discourse of Sr. Matthew Hale concerning it LONDON Printed for the Author for the Use and Benefit of a Religious Society 1697. ADVERTISEMENT ASCETICKS or The Heroick Piety and Virtue of the Ancient Christian Anchorets and Coenobites wherein the Beginning and Progress of Contemplative Living and Religious Societies is briefly discoursed and a true Account of the Esseans Therapeuts and ancient Egyptian and other Monks collected out of the most Authentick Records Also the LIFE of the Famous Saint ANTONY written in Greek by St. Athanasius faithfully Translated into English All Printed for the Author for the Use and Benefit of the Society afore-said THE PREFACE THE latter of these Discourses was Printed as part of a Preface to that Book of Sr. Matthew Hale's from whence the beginning of the Discourse is now taken but why it was not Published with it I know no reason unless that which is the Vniversal primary Obstacle to all Good that Satan hindered it And that I make no question was the principal moving Cause which set the others on work That wicked envious Spirit who had raised up all the Evil he could both against him and against me in our several Families in his Life-time hath not ceased to do so still since his Death By what he got such Advantage against my self I know very well and intend to declare it But by what he got such Advantage against that good Man is a Secret I know nothing of But this I know that he hath been Vnhappy in his Family both in his Life-time and since his Death and particularly in what I am now saying I long looked upon him as a Man raised up by the Special Providence of God to be an Illustrious Example of Vertue and Piety in this degenerate Age And therefore that People might not be deprived of the Benefit of such an Example by their Ignorance of his Principles as I found by Experience many were I did in his Life-time publish a Volume of his Contemplations even after I had earnestly pressed him to consent to it and he refused Indeed I knew him and he knew me so well that I did not fear any misconstruction from him and after his Death I desired to have done Honour to his Memory for the same purpose by the Publication of such of his Writings as were most necessary and seasonable that the Benefit of his Labours as well as of his Example while yet fresh in Memory might be communicated as much as might be to all and they might mutually recommend each other for the greater Benefit of all But alas that wicked Spirit which had so prevailed in his Family in his Life-time as made him tell some of them That Satan or the Devil did ride them as an Ape would do a Mastiff-Dog hath likewise prevailed hitherto upon such as vainly gloried in their Relation to him to obstruct that good Design for Twenty years together without due regard either to that Service of God those Benefits to Men the true Honour of his Memory in which they vainly gloried or the Performance of his Will according to his Mind For though he had not expressly ordered the Publication of one or other in particular yet had he made this Provision in a Codicil concerning the Publication of any of them that he had nominated the Bookseller who should have the Printing of them paying as much as another would in reason for them and of the Profits appointed one part to one for his Care and Pains in overseeing and ordering the Publication another part to another for Writing and Correcting and the rest among his Servants and told them what he had done for them so that besides the Injury done to their Country they have done a double Injury to his Memory not only by hindering the Honour due to it but by Dishonouring it and giving occasion to a Blemish and Reproach to it provoking some not only to think but to speak hardly of him as if he had abused them in some of the last Acts of his Life and all this out of a sordid Humour to get or keep what he had otherwise disposed of And though thus they exercised their Malice and Spight against the Memory of the Good Man yet was not this the chief part of their Work and Triumph that they had raised this Injury against his Memory and besides had deprived his Country of the Benefit of much of his Labours in his own Profession But there is a greater matter in the bottom and of greater concern to them which these Wicked Subtile Agents had a principal regard to The Good Man had taken great Pains in examining and considering the Grounds and Evidences of Religion both Natural and Revealed And he was excellently well qualified for it both by Natural Sagacity by Exercise of his Parts in his own Profession which affords as much and good Exercise for such a purpose as any and by Freedom from Prejudice either of Education or of Temporal Interest For though he had a Religious Education yet it is certain
that after he came to maturity of Thinking and Judging he became as he found reason in many things of a different Judgment from the Notions and Sentiments he had first received by which it appeared that his Religion was the Religion of his Judgment and not of his Education And being no Ecclesiastick but a Man of a Civil Employment he stood fair to be looked upon as an Indifferent Judge and not as an Advocate or Party as Clergy-men generally are reputed by some and by consequence his Writings upon such Subjects besides the weight of his Reason would have a double Weight of Authority if we take in his Example too above others to make them successful upon such as have received prejudice from the Scandalous Practices of too many Professors and Preachers of the Christian Religion which hath been a principal Cause of Atheism heretofore and of Deism at present and of the Contempt of the Clergy and more effectual and prevalent than any of those which have been assigned in Print though by Scandalous I intend here nothing but Zeal for Preferments and a cold Indifferency in Matters of Religion For as it hath been rightly observed When Vertue fails in the Priests Faith will fail in the People be their Preaching what it will Now by how much greater was the Advantage that the Writings of this Man had above others to have done Service in this Cause so much the greater was the Gratification which these Wicked Spirits received in the Suppression of them I know nothing so sordid that ever appeared in his Life But that this hath been ordered by the Malice and Subtilty of those Wicked Spirits who had gotten Advantage against Him or his Family however some particular Dispositions in Persons might make it more feasible as I verily believe so I am well satisfied he would not at all have doubted had he been living and to have spoken his Judgment in a like Case He and I both before he died had had Experience enough to satisfie us concerning such matters And I wish his and all other Families who are fallen into any such Snare may consider well of it and be well advised how to recover themselves out of it if it may be Many such have I known and though the Burden be sealed upon some and the Decree fixed yet in others there seemed to be a Door open if Opportunity was not neglected Mens Belief or Disbelief will not alter the Truth of things But Disbelief of things that are true is often the Cause of great Vnhappiness and they who disbelieve such things as these are not the less obnoxious to their Malice but more secure in their Power So much as this is not impertinent to be said concerning the Malice and Subtlety of the Evil Spirits before a Discourse of the Gracious Conduct of the Good And I think my self specially obliged to declare my Sentiments of both upon any just Occasion And indeed I confess the Preface was not written so much for the sake of the Book as the Book Published for the sake of the Preface as an Occasion to write on that Subject which I thought my self obliged to do as an Act of Penitence for an Vnhappy Miscarriage whereby my Enemy got that Advantage against me which I mentioned before and shall here repeat in the Words then Printed as followeth I must not here forbear upon this Occasion to add not my Opinion but my own certain Knowledge upon great and long and in some respects in a great measure woful Experience in an Humble Confession of my Fault to give Glory to God Testimony to his Truth and Warning to Men. I have had Experience of this Divine Conduct and of the Blessings and Curses attending Obedience and Disobedience to it so that I have plainly perceived that the Conduct of the Children of Israel out of Egypt through the Wilderness into the Promised Land was a visible Manifestation or Representation of the Secret Spiritual Conduct of Souls out of Slavery under the Powers of Darkness through the Wilderness of this World into the Land of Rest and the very same thing in Action and Representation which is delivered by way of Doctrine and Admonition in the Book of Ecclesiasticus iv 11 20. and vi 18 31. The Crosses Disappointments and Afflictions which I have gone through have been very grievous and many of them known to the World though nothing hath appeared in my Life to which they could be imputed by others as a Cause in any respect I must therefore declare that while I did act in a ready Compliance with that Conduct I not only had great Peace and Serenity of Mind but all things went strangely prosperous and successful with me and I had extraordinary Answers to my Prayers not only for my self but for others also But whenever I have done contrary I always had trouble in my Mind and what I did was either blasted or unsuccessful and often of such evil Consequence as I did not foresee This I have found so by great and long Experience and in some of the great Businesses of my Life wherein I acted not only upon my own Reason and Judgment but also upon the Advice and Persuasions of very considerable Persons And after considerable Experience of this I was once so unhappy in my Disobedience to this Conduct upon a special Occasion having none to advise with and yielding too much to the Sentiments of our Anti-enthusiasts which was a Temptation to me that as I have special reason to believe it was like the Sin of Adam to me an Inlet unto all the Vnhappiness that hath since befallen me and my Family And I have been as it were turned back into the Wilderness ever since The Things wherein I had this Conduct were not matter of Duty in themselves or not in the particular Circumstances but either were such as were in Humane appearance so indifferent that I might have used my Liberty or the Conduct was much different from the Wisdom of the World And though I cannot say whether the Afflictions I have suffer'd were so ordered as a Punishment for my Miscarriage yet I am assur'd they were a Consequence thereof at least such as we often fall into when we neglect the Good Counsel of our Friends And they have been such as I am persuaded it is my Duty upon this Occasion to make this publick Penitential Confession whatever Prejudice I may suffer thereby from Men If I can but thereby obtain the Favour of God and benefit Men I shall accept that as part of my Punishment For the Certainty of this I can truly affirm That I had immediately upon my Miscarriage as sensible Notice of the Evils which have since befallen me as I can have of any thing by any sense I have as plain as if a Sentence had been pronounced against me And what I have suffered hath had Two several Marks as exactly agreeable to my Miscarriage as the print of a Seal upon the Wax
Dominion yet hath not this Spirit as yet attained such a soveraign Empire and Mastery over the importunate Solicitations of Concupiscence and the natural Inclinations of our Will and Affections as that we do not still fall frequently into many lesser and those call'd Venial Sins or at least as to Actions that are not sinful but in their nature indifferent or lawful that we do not for the most part still prosecute those that are more grateful or advantageous to our present Carnal desires and our Sensual or secular designs Though such Actions are no way expedient for us nor acceptable to the Holy Spirit in which now we live nor do conduce to our growth in Grace but are great hinderances thereof and though these Acts contained indeed within the compass of lawful yet often expose us to Occasions of Sin Now so long as we stay here and advance no further we appear but as Infants and Babes in Grace it having not as yet obtained its perfect Reign in us either over our Concupiscence which carries us still into frequent venial Sins or over our Nature and Will which carries us in other matters lawful to those satisfying our natural Condition But when we are come to have potestatem voluntatis nostrae as St. Paul expresseth it 1 Cor. 7.37 come once to act seldom according to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concupiscence to fall seldom into Venial Sin especially with advertency and unsurprised and the Holy Spirit to have a more absolute power over Sense Reason our own Will Propriety and Self-love as to these things lawful but not expedient when come to St. Paul's omnia mihi licent sed ego sub nullius redigar potestate 1 Cor. 6.12 and to his corpus in servitem redigo 1 Cor. 9.27 and to act more constantly according to the Spirit moving now more perceptibly in us and giving the Law to us when Grace is as to these non-expedients also predominant and sole Mistress ordering all things without our reluctance or also with our zeal to the greater Love Praise Honour of God and the doing of all things in order to his Will so far as it is made known to us by this his Spirit then are we arrived to a full growth to a compleat Man in Christ to a state of Perfection such as this Life attains but few Regenerate there are that do not by their own disorders die in their Spiritual Youth before they come to such a mature Age. As therefore in our Regeneration a Man is removed from the state of Sin into the state of Grace so the Church desires in that which is called from some high Mysteries it speaks of as to the supream Effects of this Grace Mystical Theology to advance those already in the state of Grace to that of Perfection and from the Spirit Dwelling to it more absolutely Reigning in us which finds so many great Rewards not only in the next but this present Life § 19. 2. We must know therefore That to such end this Holy Spirit received in our Regeneration assisteth and worketh in us not only as to affording generally to all good Christians that seriously endeavour to save their Souls such internal Illuminations and Motions as are sufficient to direct them for the resisting of any sinful Temptation or to perform any necessary act of Vertue in Circumstances wherein they are obliged to it but also in affording us Light and Ability in all indifferent Actions and Occurrences with which may be also joyned all the Acts of Christian Vertues when no necessity obligeth us to do any of them and so when it is lawful for us without Sin to do or omit them whereby we are guided to make such a Choice as is more conformable to God's Will and particular Circumstances considered may much more advance us in the Love of God and Christian Perfection and whereby we may avoid such other of them as may be suggested either by corrupt Nature or the evil Spirit under pretence also of some Good End but to defeat a Better For the Holy Spirit excites us and assists us not only in doing Duties of necessary obligation or in the avoiding what is prohibited and performing what is commanded by God under penalty of Sin but in all these Acts also that may any way tend more to God's Glory or to our greater Perfection though these be such as we may without sinning chuse or refuse For in this I may say that the Holy Spirit in us is like to Concupiscence in us the one continually exciting us unto that which is Better as the other to that which is Worse See the Apostles description of these two inmates Rom. 8.1 c. and Gal. 5.16 17 18. where he saith v. 7. that Spiritus concupiscit adversus Carnem Caro adversus Spiritum and that sibi invicem adversantur And ibid. v. 18. as also Rom. 8.14 That those who are God's Children or Regenerate aguntur Spiritu are acted by the Spirit It guides us into Truth Jo. 16.13 brings things forgotten to our Remembrance Jo. 14.26 gives Knowledge and Arguments to one Act. 6.10 Vtterance and Eloquence and the power to perswade to another Act. 2.4 To another Wisdom or a good Judgment 1 Cor. 1.5 12.8 9 28. Prudence in Governing in executing anothers Commands Rom. 12.6 7. To another Courage and Boldness Act. 4.29 31. It opens Mens Vnderstandings and Hearts and renders them docile and apt to believe Luk. 24.8 Act. 16.14 Eph. 1.18 What is there that is not done in us by this Holy Spirit when we are employed about any thing that tends to the Glorifying of God the Father or the Son So is our regenerate Life wholly managed by this Spirit as the Natural is by the Soul and if not obstructed works in us a continual growth in Grace till we come to a perfect Man in Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 Eph. 4.13 Therefore the Apostle exhorts his Converts Gal. 5.25 that as they live their new Life in or by the Spirit so they would walk in it according to its directions And that they would mind or affect the things of the Spirit or the things it minds them of Because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within them is Death in the end but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within them is Life and Peace to them Exhorts them also Eph. 4.30 with no corrupt and fruitless Communication to contristate or grieve this Spirit Tim. 4.14 not to neglect it 1 Cor. 15.10 That it should not be void or idle in them 1 Thess 5.19 not to quench it Eph. 5.18 To replenish themselves with it And 2 Tim. 1.6 continually to revive it Rom. 12.11 to be fervent in it without which the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.5 we cannot think a good Thought and our Lord Jo. 15 5. that we can do nothing § 20. 3. These Actions of the latter kind we are now speaking of that may be lawfully done or omitted the one or the other performed without any guilt of
Sin are either such as by the Evangelical Counsels and the dictate of rectified Reason are clearly discerned by us the one to be better and more to lead to Christian Perfection than the other or such where we have some doubt of these two Actions good or lawful which is the better or more expedient In the former of these we may safely conclude that that which is manifest to us to be the better as to our Perfection is the motion in us of the Holy Spirit and that the doing it is the doing the Will of God in this matter and that so often as we reject or neglect this so often we contristate the Spirit that would thus conduct us to Perfection and refuse to do God's Will when this is known to us whose Will it ought always to be presumed to be that we should do that which is clear to us all things considered to be best for his Glory and our Good to be done though such omission or neglect amounts not to a Sin but to a Failing so much in Perfection And indeed the not vigilantly observing these Motions of the Spirit within us and the not hearkening to and obeying them when evident to be such or also the not preconsulting by Prayer what it adviseth but rather precipitating our Action to prevent it is the reason of so many their no greater Improvement in the Spirit and that they are such strangers to it and It to them is a check to the further and stronger operations of it in the Soul for Who would offer Counsel seldom or never accepted or asked abates the Fervour and Solace that there would be in prosecuting its Suggestions and leaves us guilty of much Unkindness and Ingratitude For as St. Bernard Cum hae Sancti Spiritus circa nos dispensatoriae quidem vicissitudines vigilantissime non observantur fit ut nec absentem desideres nec presentem glorifices in Cant. Serm. 17. When these condescending vicissitness concerning us are not most watchfully heeded it comes to pass that thou dost neither desire him when absent nor glorifie him when present But in the latter Actions wherein we have some cause of doubt which is best and yet wherein the making a good choice may be exceedingly beneficial to us according to the variety of our Temper and Condition to the better ordering of our Life and Service of God such Illumination and Direction of the Holy Spirit or also a clear discerning thereof is obtained especially by much Purity of Conversation and Abstraction from Worldly things by frequent Recollection and Introversion and attendance on God in the perfectest Practice of Prayer we can attain to For God hath graciously declared to us in the Scriptures That the effectual Prayer of a Righteous man as that of Elias availeth much Jam. 5.17 That he heareth not Sinners but if any one be a Worshipper of him and doth his Will him he heareth Jo. 9.31 That all things whatsoever we shall ask in Prayer that is such Persons not doubting but believing we shall receive them Mat. 21.22 Mar. 11.23 That if we abide in Christ and he in us ask what we will and it shall be done unto us Jo. 15.7 because indeed such ask by the Spirit of Christ who liveth in them and so ask according to God's Will That if we keep his Commandments and do what is pleasing in God's sight what-ever we ask we receive of him 1 Jo. 3.22 That if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us and grants our requests 1 Jo. 5.14 that though we know not what we should desire or pray for as we ought Rom. 8.26 27. that is as to temporal Prosperity or Afflictions or such like things of which St. Paul there speaks what therein is best for God's Glory or our own Proficiency yet the Holy Spirit within us with unutterable Groans and great Ardour interceedeth for us according to God's Will and that God knoweth its Mind though not expressed in Words and granteth its requests that the same Spirit searcheth the profound things of God and what is his Will and revealeth them to us that natural Reason is not able to understand them but they many times seem Foolishness to it but the things of the Spirit are discerned only by the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.10 c. Most of which Texts seem to be spoken not only of our petitioning God concerning the necessary means of our or others Salvation but more universally of all sorts of Requests concerning the things of this Life and any things that are in their nature indifferent and lawful and of his Spirit directing us to ask and do in them what is his Will and of his granting those to us which may be best for us wherein God heareth and granteth the Petitions of his Saints much sooner than of others § 21. I say then since God in the Scriptures hath declared these things and made these Promises that he will not deny what we ask according to his Will we may rationally presume and be piously confident that he will grant our Request when this is only to know his Will that we may do that which is according to it and we may safely take that for his Will to which after such Addresses and other due Preparations made we shall find our selves more strongly inclined and also take such Inclination to proceed from the Operation of God's Spirit either illuminating sometimes our Understanding in discovering to it some Reasons not so well discerned or else disesteemed and thought inconsiderable before Or sometimes more confirming to us the Judgment our own Reason made of the thing before Or sometimes effecting a strong and suddenly injected Inclination in the Will so swayed without any preceeding Reasons or discourse of the Intellect presented to it Or sometimes causing an extraordinary Tranquility Consolation and Satisfaction to accompany such our Election According to the Rule of Abbot Isaac in Cassian Collat. 9. c. 32. Cum orantes nos nulla interpellaverit haesitatio si obtinuisse nos in ipsa orationis effusione quod poscimus senserimus non ambigamus preces nostras ad Deum efficaciter penetrasse where note that the Devil or any Creature cannot work so immediately and intimately on our Understanding and Will as God's Spirit doth but by the use of Phantasms or Images of the Spirits Humours c. Or where no such preponderation to any side is perceived in the Soul then we may presume this to be his Will that making use of our best Reason or others Advice without any Solicitude we take either side § 22. Now in the discerning of these Divine Illuminations and Inspirations from Enthusiasms or the Motions of the Good from those of our own or a Bad Spirit in these matters as any one hath attained to a greater Perfection in Prayer and Mortification and Purity of Life they attain hereby a greater measure of God's Spirit and hence its Illuminations and Inspirings in them are also much
and tender Affection and Aspirations after a perfect Union of all his with Him and his Father in his Prayer after his last Supper delivered Joh. 17. from ver 20. to the end And lastly of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Garden with few Words but much Passion being in an Agony and sweating Blood and making frequent acts of Resignation and Conformity to the Will of his Father What think we again of St. Peter's Extatical Prayer and his Vision on Simon the Tanner's House-top Act. 10.9 and again St. Paul's in the Temple Act. 22.17 Whilst I prayed I was in an Extasie c Did our Lord and his Apostles in the Devotions here mentioned not ascend at all to that which the Mysticks make the second Step to Perfection the Aspirations and Elevations of the Will and Affections but only stay on the first Step and Did they understand nothing of that the Mysticks call passive Vnions with God Their Extasies and Raptures and their being in the Spirit their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 12.4 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.26 argue otherwise But then are Passive Vnions the obscure and unintelligible way of Serving God that the Church teacheth in her Rules of Devotion or the end rather which her plain and intelligible way sometimes attains to Lastly Is there not in some sort a State of Perfection also in this World 1 Cor. 2.6 we speak Wisdom among the Perfect And Phil. 3.15 let us as many as be perfect be thus minded And Luk. 6.40 Every one that is perfect shall be as his Master that is in Sufferings like him The Author may do well to review this passage of his § 66. The repairing to Prayer in the best manner we can make it is a proper natural and most efficacious way to obtain a supernatural Light from God's Spirit to discern his Will in all our Actions speaking of such as are indifferent and such wherein neither we nor any others have any external certain Rule all Circumstances considered whereby we may be guided as we have in all such other Actions the Lawfulness of which is doubted of which yet is not said as if Prayer were the only means of our direction in these so as to exclude the making use of either our own Reason or other Mens Advice as is said before § 76. This is not making Enthusiasm but Prayer a means to obtain the Illuminations of God's Spirit to shew us in two things suggested to us which of them comes from It or which is more conformable to God's Will that so we may follow and obey it and What a Christian is he that being doubtful especially in two assairs of much concernment which to make choice of doth not retire to his Prayers desiring God to direct him in such a particular and promising to do that which he shall be pleased by any way to signifie to him to be more conformable to his Will and more conducing to Christian Perfection as certainly the one may be much more than the other although both contained within the general bounds of Good or indifferent And then what Illumination he Prays for why may not he also expect Again Who is there much frequenting Prayer that doth not perceive in them some Illustrations and Influences entring and injected as it were into his Mind without his own procurement touching a more perfect knowledge of himself or the immense Love of God to Mankind or some acceptable Service he may do to God or his Neighbour or secret Reprehensions for some Faults or Admonitions for the better ordering of his Life Spiritu as our Lord saith Jo. 3.8 Spirante ubi vult and he not knowing whence such things come or how they pass away yet these things we are assured must be from God's Spirit because no good Thought is from our selves And why may not we imagin the same a due Preparation being supposed of the Thoughts injected in our Doubtings and Requests concerning Actions left free and undetermined by the Divine declared Will what way in these we may rather take the better to serve and please him God forbid that the Name of Enthusiasm should deterr Christians from such a Practice or hearkening to this internal Language or as Mr. Cressy expresses it in his Preface should render Prayer and by Prayer the obtaining of Divine Grace a suspicious Exercise And I wish the Author would a little better weigh his Words and the malign Influence they may have on others We say then Divine Inspirations are necessary for Grace as well furthers as prevents us to distinguish the Motions of the Good and Bad Spirit in our Minds in matters purely indifferent which may be proposed to us by either of these Spirits for a different end where we have no other external Rule to judge these Motions by as we have in all internal Suggestions concerning such other matters as are either directly commanded or prohibited by God's Law I shall conclude my Collections out of this Author with the Explications of some of the Terms of Art which are quarrelled with as followeth Divine Inaction is in plain English the acting of God or his Spirit in us which in the Perfect is more extraordinary sensible and manifest § 48. Passive Vnions are called Passive not that when â—erein a Soul contemplates God she may not be said 〈◊〉 some sort Active but Because when God is pleased 〈◊〉 graciously to communicate himself to the Soul the Soul is taken out of her own Disposal and doth and must see and think only what God will have her and this no longer then his good pleasure is such Neither can any Dispositions or Preparations that the Soul can use assuredly procure it Thus Sancta Sophia explains this Word And the Expression is secured by such like Scripture Language Qui Spiritu Dei aguntur Rom. 8.14 Not I live but Christ in me Gal. 2.20 Not 〈◊〉 work but the Grace of God which is with me 1 Coâ—â— 15.10 Not ye that speak but the Spirit of youâ— Father that speaketh in you Matt. 10.20 So thâ—â— Spirit that is in us is said to interceed for us wiâ—â— Groans unutterable Rom. 8.26 c. § 48. Deiformity and Deification are words not of latâ— only but anciently used signifying an Vnion witâ— God not in Essence but by Grace and this Union still more intimate as the Grace more extraordinary secured by like Scripture Language Fâ—â— Deiform Renewed to the Image of our Creator Col. â— 10 Changed into the Image of our Lord 2 Coâ— 3.18 Transformed by the renewing of our Minâ—â— Rom. 12.2 For Deification Partakers of the Divâ—â— Nature and of the Powers of the future World Heb. â—â— 4 5. The Lord and we made one Spirit 2. Pet. 1. â—â— Filled with all the Fulness of God 1 Cor. 6.17 I have no more but to acquaint the Reader who tâ—â— O. N. was out of whose Book I have collected thâ— things his Name was ABRAHAM WOODHEAâ— a good Man who with
publick Meetings upon sufficient Notice and there to give a true Account of my Proceedings with them hitherto and to discourse the Great Question now depending between us What that Spirit is by which the Party hath been generally and principally acted and conducted Whether the Spirit of Christ or any Good Ministring Spirit or the Spirit of Antichrist or some Porphyrian or Apostate Spirit And in the mean time I only recommend this Advertisement to all That the Holy Scriptures and the best Spiritual Writers give great Caution to beware of false Spirits and Directions to Try the Spirits and if the Leaders of the Quakers do not so they are the more to be suspected also That it is commonly agreed by such Writers that there is often much Deceit and Delusions of Evil and Seducing Spirits in seeming Illuminations and Sensible Impressions and Inspirations See Sancta Sophia Tr. 3. § 4. ch 5. c. FINIS Enthusiasmus Divinus THE GUIDANCE OF THE Spirit of GOD The Doctrine of the Scriptures of the Catholick Church of the Church of England in particular upon a Discourse of Sir Matthew Hale's concerning it LONDON Printed for the Author for the Use and Benefit of a Religious Society 1697. OF THE GUIDANCE OF THE Spirit of GOD. The Judgment of Sir Matthew hale concerning it in his Contemplations on the Magnet c. 15. p. 132. THE Magnet hath not only its intrinsick active Principle its Form from which its Motions proceed but there is also a common Magnetism of the Earth and its Effluxes that greatly assist excite and direct its Motions Animals and Vegetables have not only their intrinsick specifical vital Principles of their specifical Motions and Operations but the Sun and its Heat and Influence is an universal adjuvant exciting Principle of all vital and sentient Operations And not only the ancient Philosophers as Aristotle and Plato and their several Commentators as Simplicius Themistius Alexander Aphrodiceus Avicen and Averroes but also the Jewish Doctors and the Christian Philosophers and Divines for some Ages after Christ did think that besides the individual intellectual Soul of every Man there was also a certain Common Intelligent Nature or Being substituted by Almighty God whose Office it was to illuminate the humane Soul to excite actual Intellection in it and to communicate unto it these common intellectual Principles which ordinarily and generally obtain in all Men and stood in relation to the humane Intellectual Soul as the Sun and its Light and Influence stands in relation to vital Natures in the Lower World And this they call Intellectus Agens which Averroes supposeth to be Vltima Intelligentiarum separatarum and deputed to the actuating and exciting of Intellection in Men. This Opinion hath been possibly upon Reasons probable enough laid aside for many Ages in the Christian Church the Use therefore that I make of it only is this That though this Opinion seems to be dark and obscure and not bottom'd upon a clear Evidence yet it carries with it and under it an Adumbration of a great and real Truth though they attained not a full clear distinct discovery of it Therefore as the Apostle elsewhere in another Case told the Athenians that that God whom they ignorantly worshipped Him declare I unto you Acts 17.23 so with some variation I may with humility say that secret unseen and spiritual Power which these ancient Philosophers did not distinctly understand but groped after it and celebrated by the Name of Intellectus Agens I am now endeavouring to declare Almighty GOD as he is every where by his Essential Presence so he is every where by his Powerful Influence and as he is the Universal Productive and Conserving Cause of all things in the World so he is more intimate unto and effective of every thing in the World by his Efficacious Influence than any second created Cause in the World for they are all but his Instruments and therefore their Causality is still but in and from the Virtue and Influence of the first Cause And this Influx of the First Cause the prime Efficient Almighty God is by him ordinarily communicated effused and proportioned according to the several Natures of Created Beings though according to his wise good Pleasure he sometimes is pleased to do it in a different manner for excellent Ends pro Imperio Voluntatis And therefore in Matters that are simply natural this ordinary Efflux of the Divine Influence is suited to that common Law of Nature that he hath settled in the World and governs such things according to those instituted regular natural Laws But unto an Intellectual Nature such as is that of Man endued with Understanding and Will this Divine Efflux is communicated in a kind proportionable to those Faculties of the humane Soul and therefore these Effluxes of the Divine Influence are communicated in two kinds 1. By way of Illumination in relation to the Understanding Faculty 2. By way of Persuasion Inclination and Incitation in relation to the Will and Affections although there are many other kind of Effluxes of the Divine Spirit and Influence as the Gift of bodily Strength as that of Samson Judges 16.20 the Gift of curious Workmanship as that of Aholiab and Besaliel Exod. 36.1 the Spirit of Majesty and Government as that of Saul 1 Sam. 10.9 the Gifts of Prophesying Tongues Miracles 1 Cor. 12.4 9. for these were extraordinary Effluxes given out upon special Occasions and for special Ends though even in most of them and other extraordinary Gifts of the like nature the Understanding and Will were much concerned and wrought upon 1. As to the Illumination of the Vnderstanding certainly what the Sun is to the sentient Eye that and much more is Almighty God to the Mind of Man Psal 36.9 In thy Light shall we see Light John 1.9 This is the true Light that enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World 2. As to the Inclination and Bending of the Will it is true the Will is naturally free but yet it is essentially subject unto the God that made it and the operation of the Divine Influence upon the Will ordinarily is but persuasive and therefore ordinarily resistible thus the old World resisted the merciful striving of the Divine Influence Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not always strive with Man Acts 7.51 Ye always resist the Holy Ghost but the Powerful God hath so great an Efficacy and hath so intimate an access into the Minds of Men that he can when he pleaseth and doubtless sometimes doth irresistibly bend and incline the Will unto himself according to his good Pleasure Psal 110.3 Thy People shall be willing in the day of thy Power It is an excellent Expression Prov. 21.1 The Heart of the King is in the Hands of the Lord as the Rivers of Water he turneth it whithersoever he will A good Artist will guide a Stream of Water to what place and in what manner he pleaseth in the same Level and yet without any violence
offered to the natural Motion of the Water which in all those Motions is kept entirely suitable to its Nature And with the same and much greater facility the God of Heaven can and often doth infallibly Guide the Hearts of Men yea of Kings and yet without Force or Violation of its natural Liberty There was never any Age nor People in the World that was wholly destitute of this Divine Efflux upon their Understandings and Wills it is as Vniversal and Common as the Light and Influence of the Heavens only upon some in all Ages it was more special and effectual than upon others even in the Gentile World I have always esteemed those excellent Men among the Heathen famous for Wisdom Justice Piety and Knowledge as Men illuminated and guided by this Divine Influence though possibly communicated to them in a more signal manner than to other Men Such were Socrates Plato Zeno Citticus Solon Lycurgus Pythagoras Tully Seneca Aristotle and divers other excellent Philosophers Moralists and Law-givers among the Gentiles who were by the Influence of the Divine Spirit excited illuminated and instructed for the Benefit of themselves and the rest of Mankind and to prepare the Heathen World for the Reception of greater Light When it pleased God to select unto himself and his special Government the Family of Abraham and his Descendants the Jewish Nation he sets them in the middle of the Habitable World like a Beacon upon a Hill to be a kind of Common Instruction to the rest of Mankind and for that purpose made them signal to all the World by his special Government over them by Miracles Signs and Wonders by giving them Laws from Heaven in great Majesty and Terrour by committing to them the Divine Oracles by raising up Prophets and Men specially inspired by an Extraordinary Spirit and by effusing among them a greater Measure of the Influence of his Sacred Spirit For that I may say it once for all it hath been always the Method of the Divine Wisdom and Goodness when he sends out the greater Measure of this Influx whereof I speak the Divine Providence accompanies that Efflux with suitable external Means to render it the more effectual and the more agreeable to the manner of the Reception of the humane Understanding But when the Messias came into the World with the Message of the Glorious Gospel the Sun was as it were in its Meridian and as the means of Illumination and Conversion of the World unto God was more effectual and universal so was also the Efflux and Irradiation of the Divine Influence upon the Souls of Men more vigorous diffusive and universal And as the miraculous Gifts of the Spirit of God appeared in the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles the Gifts of Tongues of Healing Diseases of Prophecy and the like to confirm and establish Mens Minds in the Faith Belief and Obedience of the Gospel so neither was this all but the secret and effectual Influence of the same Blessed Spirit appeared in Illumination of the Minds of Men in persuading and mightily subduing their Wills to the Belief and Obedience of the Truth in converting Mens Minds unto God and placing them in thei just and due Habitude to Almighty God And this according to the various Workings thereof is sometimes called the Spirit of Regeneration the Spirit of Renovation the Spirit of Sanctification the Spirit of Holiness the Spirit of Adoption the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication the Spirit of Life c. according to the various Energies that this great Effusion of the Influences of the Blessed Spirit had upon the Minds of Men. And this great and more diffusive and effectual Effusion of this Influence under the Gospel was no other than what was prophesied of by the ancient Prophets Isa 25.7 I will destroy in this Mountain the covering cast upon the Face of all People Isa 11.9 The Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea Isa 54.13 All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord. Isa 59.20 This is my Covenant that I will make with them my Spirit that is upon thee and the Words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart from thee nor from thy Seed nor from thy Seeds Seed Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and keep my Judgments and do them Isa 44.3 I will pour out my Spirit upon thy Seed Joel 2.28 I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh And this Energy of the Divine Influence appears 1. By a secret Irradiation and Illumination of the Understanding 2. By a powerful Persuasion and Inclining of the Will both which as they were with a more vigorous and effectual Dispensation under the first breaking out of the Light of the Gospel so they do accompany the Publication of it unto this day and shall unto the end of the World though by reason of the Corruption of the Lives and Manners of Mankind not with equal Success in all Ages We have here the Judgment and Belief of this Great and Good Man of a Divine Efflux upon the Understandings and Wills of Men and that even among the Heathen those so famed for Wisdom Justice Piety and Knowledge were Illuminated and Guided by a Divine Influence And we have here also the Ground of this his Judgment 1. Observations in Nature 2. The Sentiments of Learned and Understanding Men Philosophers in all Ages 3. The Authority of the Sacred Scriptures to which he elsewhere adds his own Experience And whereas he had in some things changed his Opinion as he saw cause from what it was in his younger time this he received early as appears by some of his First Writings and retain'd constantly to the last as appears by his Treatise of Humility which he wrote upon my Motion not long before his last Sickness In his Treatise of Wisdom and the Fear of God after other particulars of the Wisdom of the Fear of God he adds in the 10th place But besides all this there is yet a Secret but a most Certain Truth that highly improveth that Wisdom which the Fear of the Lord bringeth and that is this That those that truly fear God have a Secret Guidance from a higher Wisdom than what is barely Humane namely by the Spirit of Truth and Wisdom that doth really and truly but secretly prevent and direct them And let no Man think that this is a piece of Fanaticism Any Man that sincerely and truly fears Almighty God relies upon Him calls upon Him for his Guidance and Direction hath it as really as the Son hath the Counsel and Direction of his Father and though the Voice be not audible nor the Direction always perceptible to Sense yet it is equally as real as if a Man heard the Voice saying This is the Way walk in it And this Secret Direction of Almighty God is principally seen in Matters relating to the Good of the Soul
but it may also be found in the Great and Momentous Concerns of this Life which a Good Man that fears God and begs his Direction shall very often if not at all times find And in his Treatise of Humility speaking of this Guidance and Direction of Almighty God in relation to a double End 1. The Salvation and Happiness of the Soul 2. In all the Walk and Concern of this Life as to this latter he saith The Air doth not more naturally yield to our Attraction in Respiration or to insinuate it self into those spaces that are receptive of it than the Divine Assistance Guidance and Beneficence doth to the Desires Exigencies and Wants of an humble Soul sensible of its own Emptiness and Deficiency and implering the Direction Guidance and Blessing of the most Wise and Bountiful God And then adds I can call my own Experience to witness that even in the External Actions Occurrences and Incidences of my whole Life I was never disappointed of the best Guidance and Direction when in Humility and Sense of my own Deficiency and diffidence of my own Ability to direct my self or to grapple with the Difficulties of my Life I have with Humility and Sincerity implored the Secret Direction and Guidance of the Divine Wisdom and Providence This he speaks of the secret Guidance by the Spirit of Truth by Illumination of the Understanding and Inclination of the Will but there is another Secret Guidance by a Providential Disposal of Occurrences which he doth not here exclude yet seems more especially to intend when he afterward appeals to the Experience of others I have also observed as well from what he hath said upon several Occasions as from divers Passages in his Writings that he had from his younger time in all his Life not only a great respect to this secret Guidance of the Spirit of God but also so great a Sense of the Malice Subtlety and Energy of the Evil Spirits as made him very vigilant against them And I doubt not but his constant and reverend Attendance to that Holy Conduct and his Vigilance against the Wiles and Devices of those invisible Enemies were a principal Means whereby he became so Great and Good a Man as he was This is genuine Christianity and therefore it cannot but move Indignation in the Hearts of True Christians to see so Great and Noble a Principle of their Religion to be so unworthily expos'd contemned and reproached as this hath been in our Times partly by sensual Bruits partly by conceited animal Pretenders to Reason and partly by inconsiderate Opposers of Enthusiasm Nay it is a Principle not peculiar to the times of the Incarnation of the Eternal Logos and succeeding Ages but made manifest by that Light which enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World unto all pious and virtuous Souls from the beginning and it is a dangerous sign of an empty bewidowed deserted Soul for any Man to speak flightly or irreverently of so Holy a Principle That Excellent Philosopher and Emperor Antoninus besides divers other Passages to the purpose hath expressed himself in one place in the very words before used by our Author Seneca affirms it Bonus Vir sine Deo nemo est besides many Passages to this purpose And Cicero besides what more largely elsewhere Nemo vir Magnus sine aliquo Afflatu Divino unquam fuit Socrates is notorious and Plato and his Followers Plotinus Porphirius Jamblicus Proclus c. are known and confess'd to have been of the same Judgment as also the Chaldaick and Egyptian Philosophers The same is observ'd of Democritus That he thought that there were no Men Wise besides those who were inspir'd with a Divine Influence And Theophrastus and indeed all the better Philosophers are noted to have had the same Sentiments And even Aristotle himself as great a Rationalist as he was hath plainly expressed himself to have been of the same Judgment in several places In one among the rest to this effect They who are moved by a Divine Instinct ought not to consult Humane Reason but follow the Interior Instinct because they are moved by a better Principle than Humane Reason And that the same Sentiments were among the Gentiles in very ancient times we may observe in the Sacred Scriptures Dan. 4.8 and 5.11 and long before Job 32.8 33.14 15 16. and Gen. 41.38 and 39.3 and before 26.28 and before that 21 22. And for the Jews it is very plain that in those Excellent Books of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus by the Name of Wisdom this Divine Influence and Conduct is intended And for the Christians the Doctrine of our Saviour and his Apostles is so express to this purpose that they who would evade the genuine Sense of their Words are forced to strain their Wits to the utmost and their Consciences too I doubt if they be not stupified before hand I need not recite the places which every one may have recourse to at pleasure and therefore it may be sufficient to note them under several Heads as I. The Predictions of the Prophets Isa 44.3 54.13 recited by our Saviour Jo. 6.45 Jer. 31.33 34. Ezek. 11.19 36.26 27. Joel 2.28 recited by St. Peter and applyed not only to the Christians then but to those also who should come after Act. 2.17 33.39 Zech. 12.10 Mat. 3.11 II. Promises of our Saviour Luk. 11.13 Jo. 7.39 14.16 17 23 26 15.26 16.7 Lu. 24.49 Act. 1.4 8 2.38 III. The Accomplishment of these Predictions and Promises 1. In the Original visible Effusion on the day of Pentecost upon the Apostles and Primitive Christians Act. 2.2 3 4 33. 2. By a Ministerial Communication Act. 8.15 17 10.44 19.6 Gal. 3.2 5 14. 2 Tim. 1.6 2 Cor. 3.6 8. 3. By internal Residence and Operation Illumination and Sanctification Rom. 8.9 11. 1 Cor. 3.16 6.19 Eph. 2.22 2 Tim. 1.14 1 Jo. 3.24 Gal. 4.6 1 Thess 4.8 2 Cor. 13.5 Phil. 2.13 4. By special and particular Manifestation and Conduct variously exhibited as 1. By Visions and Revelations Act. 9.10 12 10.10 11.28 16 9 18.9 22.17 1 Cor. 11.23 12.4 6 10 14.6 24 29 30 31. 2 Cor. 12.1 2 7. v. Lu. 2.26 Gal. 1.12 2.2 2. By Allocutions Act. 8.29 10.19 13.2 4 23.9 3. By Impulses and Excitations v. Lu. 2.27 Act. 4.8 13 31 5.20 4. By Prohibitions Act. 16.6 20.23 21.4 11. and Restraints Act. 16.7 IV. Admonitions 1. How to obtain it Jo. 14.15 16 17 23 Act. 5.32 Lu. 11.12 Ja. 1.5 Rev. 3.20 1 Pet. 4.13 2. To follow and obey it Rom. 8.1 4 5 9 13 14. Gal. 5.16 18 25. Eph. 4.30 3. To try the Spirits 1 Jo. 4.1 1 Cor. 14.29 More might be added but these are more than enough And to these it would not be hard to add a true Catholick Interpretation and Comment that is The Sentiments of the most ancient Christian Writers and others of the most Eminent of after Ages such as Hermas Justine Tatian Irenaeus Tertullian Cyprian Novatian Hilary
Humane in many Cases wherein the General Prescripts are not sufficient For as many things are lawful which may not be expedient so many things may be expedient or necessary which may not be acknowledged Duties in themselves evidenced by the Word of Truth the written Word and to the successful Performance of acknowledged Duties certain Circumstances may be and often are so necessary that unless duly observed all Endeavours would be frustrate and all these Expediences and Circumstances may be and frequently are such as are not discernable by us Mortals without some Notice from more Intelligent Beings If therefore the All-seeing Wise and Gracious God be pleased either immediately by his own Spirit or mediately by any of the Invisible Ministers of his Providence to afford any such Divine Favours to such Mortals as are duly disposed for the same if taking notice of the Sincerity of his Servant he be pleased by any secret Impression upon his Heart or Mind or other Notices to conduct him in these things or in any thing of his Will and Pleasure though without manifesting the Reasons of it to exercise his Reasonable Creature to the Subjection of his Intellect to the Divine Wisdom as well as his Will to Obedience to his Pleasure as he who after competent Experience of this should be disobedient to any such Notice would certainly incurr Sin more or less and justly deserve Correction so it would be no less Impiety against that Holy Majesty and Mischief to Men to raise amongst them any Scandal or Prejudice against it and thereupon a great Indisposition for it by any undue Opposition of Fanaticism without sufficient Distinction and Caution than it is Impudence and Inconsiderateness in others to expose themselves and their Followers to the Delusions of Evil Spirits by high Pretences to such Divine and extraordinary Favours without any Regard to or Notice of those special Qualifications and Cautions for Tryal of Spirits which are necessary to capacitate them for such Favour and to secure them against such Delusions It requires therefore no small Caution to use this Author's Expression that under an invidious Name they reject not such Favours or calumniate such an Holy Conduct and that they especially who reproach others with limiting the Holy Spirit do not themselves in this what in other things they condemn in others with less Reason And certainly great Caution is likewise to be used on the other side that we presume not to attribute to the Holy Spirit of God what is meerly the Imaginations or Effusions of our own Spirit what is meerly Humane Invention or Artifice and even the Inspirations and Delusions of Satan transformed into an Angel of Light By this means is great Indignity commonly done to the Holy and Pure Spirit and great Sin contracted by Mens arrogating to themselves those Gifts and Graces which they have little of and recommending themselves and their Performances upon such high Pretences and great Scandal given to People to think meanly of so great a Principle of our Religion There are three Great-Means which God hath provided for us to lead us into all necessary Truth Natural Reason Supernatural Revelation communicated by Persons authorized by Divine Commission so to do and Special Illumination and Direction of the Holy Spirit And they who carefully use all these in their due Order cannot err But they who set up these one against another do usually run themselves and lead others into great Errors And hence it is that so great Disorders and Mischiefs have through the Subtilty and Energy of Satan been brought into the Church by Persons pretending to some one of these in a kind of Opposition to some other of them either of Right Reason or of the Pure Word of God or of the Spirit and Spiritual Worship I do not doubt but they who pretend most to Right Reason in opposition to Inspiration are even therein very strongly inspired but by the subtile Spirit of Opposition and are in effect as great and pernicious Fanaticks as any though they least suspect it But not only those unhappy Atheistical Pretenders to Reason who despise all Revelation and Revealed Religion but such as profess themselves Christians and not only that insolent and presumptuous Sect who assert the Divine Authority of the Scriptures and yet make no scruple to strain and wrest them to comply with their pre-conceived Notions but more Moderate Men and such as pretend highest to the Pure Word of God and to the most pure Spiritual Worship and cry out against Man-made Divinity and against Fanaticism too by indulging too much to their own Conceits have brought such Disorders and Mischiefs into the Church as are not much to be doubted were the Fruits of the Influences and Impressions of the Spirit of Delusion upon their Mind Hence are many run from Superstition into Prophaneness from Idolatry into Sacrilege from Formality into Contempt or Neglect of the most Solemn Christian Worship from beggarly Rudiments and Carnal Ordinances to make light of the Institutions of Christ from Monkish Austerity as they call it into common Indulgence and Gratifications to Sense from Popish Merit into Carlessness Worldly-mindedness Selfishness and little Concern for the Honour of God or Salvation of Souls from the Traditions of Men and Popish Pretences to deny all even of the Apostles the Authority of the Catholick Church and the Catholick Sense and Interpretation of divers of the Evangelical and Apostolical Precepts and Directions and at last to limit our Saviour's Sermon upon the Mount to the times of Persecution till at last by those means we are grown ripe for a Persecution or some other severe awakening and purging Judgment All this and more that might be noted we cannot impute meerly to the Weakness and Corruption of Men unless we can imagin that all the Powers of Darkness have been all the while meer idle Spectators But if they have been so subtle and active thus to deceive the Gentiles in these latter times and the best of Men have not been exempt from their Assaults it concerns all to beware that they be not deceived by a Spirit of Delusion under any of these Appearances either of the Good Spirit or of the Scripture or of Reason that they embrace not false Conclusions instead of Right Reason their own Conceits or the Novel Opinions of some Sect instead of the Genuine Sense of the Scriptures or Satan transformed for the Spirit of God least by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his Subtilty their Minds should be corrupted from the Simplicity that is in Christ And there is no way possible to escape this but by the Aid Illumination and Conduct of the Holy Spirit of God Nor are any to be believed to be led by that Spirit when they go out of the way prescribed by Christ and by his Apostles who were Commissioned by Him for it is the Spirit of Christ and of his Fulness we all receive As the Law was our School-master
to bring us unto Christ so is Observance of the Prescripts of the Gospel designed for our Tutourage to bring us to the Spirit To that we must come or we are none of his but that way we must come and in that way we must keep or else we shall be led by the Spirit of Error and mistake that for the Spirit of Truth If we do well consider the Holy Scriptures the Nature of the Holy Spirit and the Fruits of the Spirit we may learn what Qualifications are requisite to obtain that inestimable Treasure and by what Signs and Characters it may be known and distinguished And thereby we may discern that many who pretend highly to the Spirit are much out of the way of the true Spirit of God and many led by the subtile Spirit of Antichrist under the appearance of an Angel of Light to undermine the Gospel and Institutions of Christ to do despite to the Spirit of Grace and to raise Scandals and Prejudices against the Holy Doctrine which they pretend and it may be think to assert and to indispose Men for the Reception of those Graces which those envious and malicious Spirits may know to be ready to be communicated to them And this should make others the more cautious that they be not subservient to and be made the very Tools of these wicked Agents in their Opposition least at last they be involved with them in their Condemnation The True way to reduce the misled People is not to deny or dissemble the Holy Doctrine much less to villifie or reproach it but plainly to assert the Truth and shew them wherein and by what Means they are misled from it 1. That the Spirit of God is the most precious and desirable thing in the World and absolutely necessary but it is to be desired principally to transform us into its own Nature to lead us into all necessary Truth to endue us with Power to overcome all our Corruptions and all Temptations and to adorn us with all those Graces which ennoble Humane Nature and raise it above its self and so make us Christians indeed and to conduct us in all the important Occurrences of our Lives but to desire it for Matters of Ostentation to glory in Divine Communications or over-earnestly seek after the Consolations through impatience of bearing the Spiritual Cross are great Signs that such Souls are either quite out of the way or have made but little Progress 2. That Satan is often transformed into an Angel of Light and therefore we must be careful to try the Spirits 3. That whatever is contrary to Sound Doctrine 1 Tim. 1.10 2.1 to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness ibid. 6.3 the Doctrine taught by the Apostles Rom. 16.17 Gal. 1.8 to the Faith once delivered to the Saints Jud. 3. cannot be from the true Spirit the Spirit of Christ 4. That such Spirits as lead into Divisions Separations and Sects lead out of the way of the True Spirit of God and whatever lead into contempt or disrespect of the Sacred Scriptures or any of the Ordinances or Institutions of Christ are certainly Spirits of Antichrist how specious soever their Pretences may be for the Conscientious and Reverend Use of these are the very Means whereby Souls are prepared for the Communication of the Spirit of God and whereby it is ordinarily communicated to them Cui Veritas comperta sine Deo Cui Deus cognitus sine Christo Cui Christus exploratus sine Spiritu Sancto Cui Spiritus Sanctus accommodatus sine Fidei Sacramento saith an ancient and eminent Christian Tertul. de Anima c. 1. To whom is Truth discovered without God To whom is God known without Christ To whom is Christ manifest without the Holy Spirit To whom is the Holy Spirit granted without the Sacrament of Faith that is Baptism 5. And more particularly in respect to some amongst us That they who assert this Doctrine without Distinction or Caution are not much to be regarded and if they be Men of Learning and may be presumed not to be ignorant what Cautions and Rules are given by Learned and Experienced Christians to distinguish the Impostures of Evil Spirits from the Conduct or Motions of the Good are much to be suspected to serve another Interest then what they pretend to those they mislead and that they all expose People to the Delusions of Evil Spirits which readily embrace such Advantages 6. That there were special Reasons why God ordered Moses to smite the Waters and the Dust with the Rod and to take handfuls of Ashes from the Furnace and sprinkle it towards the Heaven and to erect the Brazen Serpent in the Wilderness c. to produce the intended effects and why our Saviour made Clay with Spittle and anointed the Eyes of the Blind Man and then bad him wash and many other such things for which perhaps no Man did nor doth know the reason and yet undoubtedly if these Orders had not been observed the Effect had not follow'd 7. That it is but reasonable that God should give Orders without declaring the Reason for Tryal and Exercise of the Subjection of the Intellectual Faculties of his Creatures and that in such Case if the Orders be not observed it is not likely the Effect should follow and that if there were no more than this Exercise of humble Submission to the Wisdom of God in the Christian Sacraments it could not be imagined to be the Spirit of Christ that should lead People to despise or neglect these Orders and Institutions of Christ But in them there is more for Instance in that of Baptism it is the Solemnity and external Act of Declaration of our Engagement in Covenant with Christ and the Refusal of it is as much as to refuse to Seal and Deliver a Bond which whoever should refuse to do and yet pretend to give Bond might be looked upon as a Knave or a Cheat and in that of the Holy Communion there is a great and Solemn Duty of Recognition of the absolute Dominion of the Father by Right of Creation and of the Son by Right of Redemption over us and all we are and have a Symbolical Oblation of our selves and of all we have to God in a Commemorative Sacrifice and Representation of the Passion of Christ before the Father as the Great Propitiation for the Sins of the World of as full import to all intents and purposes to Christians as were all the Sacrifices of the Jews to them which were but Types of the same a Holy Rite of Address to God the Father by Christ the Mediator through the Merit and Satisfaction of his Passion by which alone our Prayers and Thanksgivings have acceptance with him and of Spiritual Communion with God in Christ whereby a Divine Power and Vertue is as really communicated to Souls duly disposed as Vertue went out of him and healed the People and the Woman who touched the Hem of his Garment And these have been the
Sentiments and this the most solemn and peculiar Worship of the Christian Church all over the World from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same performed every day in most of the great Churches and every Lord's-Day in all from the times of the Apostles till the last Age. It is an Ordinance of so great Honour to our Saviour and Benefit to Souls duly dispos'd that there can hardly be a greater Evidence of the Prevalence of the Spirit of Antichrist and of Satan transformed than Disrespect and Neglect of it under pretence of a more spiritual Worship For nothing can be more grievous to that envious and malicious Spirit than to see that Passion which he had most maliciously procured to be so honoured all over the World and applyed to his Confusion and therefore hath he oppos'd it with all the Subtilty and Malice he could possible Besides for People to slight it under pretence of Christ being come to them in the Spirit is a manifest and dangerous piece of Spiritual Pride so to set up themselves above the Primitive Christians and St. Paul himself who had so great a Manifestation of the Spirit with them and therefore another pregnant Evidence of the Spirit of Delusion And if we do well consider what decays of Charity and Unanimity among Men and of Piety and Devotion to God hath in all parts attended the Neglect of this Holy Ordinance that may be another Evidence of what Spirit they are of who do neglect it whatever their Pretences be But for all Separatists and Sectaries in general it is matter of great Caution that the Scriptures are so full of Admonitions and Prohibitions against Schisms and Divisions and of Predictions both by our Saviour himself and by his Apostles both of the Variety of them and of the Danger in that some of them have that specious Appearance as to deceive if it were possible the very Elect. And if we look into the History of the Church in former times we shall find little or nothing of the true Spirit among any of any Party of Separatists but much of the Spirit of Error or Delusion And therefore when we find a Manifestation of the Presence or Energy of some Spirit and a Concurrence of divers of these Indications or Signs we may be assured and confident that it is an Antichristian Spirit be its appearance never so specious in other respects And in these two things especially have such as have been partakers of the true Spirit found themselves to be sometimes strangely assaulted and tempted by the subtile Adversary viz. to Spiritual Pride and undervaluation of other Persons and to neglect of the Ordinances of Christ as needless to them The Way whereby the ancient Religious Christians were generally preserved from these and such like Snares was that they were trained up as the Sons of the Prophets of old under ancient experienced Christians in all kind of Exercises of Humility Subjection both of Mind and Will and constant discovery of the Dispositions and Motions of their Hearts to their Superiors and of all Grace and Vertue But where both Doctrine and Practice hath been neglected it is not strange that amongst many Appearances and Pretences there should be found little of Solidity especially where those noble Heroick Virtues of Abstraction and Contempt of the World Heavenly-mindedness and continual Attendance to God c. are rejected as Monkery and Superstition but all their goodly Appearances and Pretences end at last in Emptiness and Scandal And therefore it concerns all who have any Care of their Souls to beware of all such as are out of the Way and Method of the Ancients But on the other side to take such Offence at the Miscarriages of such as have been led into Error by any seducing Spirit as therefore to oppose the Conduct of the Spirit of Truth or any of its Operations and elude the Holy Scriptures and undermine the Doctrine thereof is as certainly the Effect of the Operation of the Spirit of Antichrist and in truth as much Fanaticism as the other in the contrary Extream For the Good Spirit is as absolutely necessary to be had as all others to be avoided for without it we canot be genuine living Christians but meer empty formal Professors of which sort it is much to be feared are the greatest part both of Conformists and Non-Conformists amongst us if Judgment be made according to our Saviour's Rule of their Fruits and Fruitfulness But lest any well-minded Soul should be troubled with any doubts in this respect we must distinguish between Having the Spirit and the Manifestation of the Spirit and between the Operations of the Spirit the Gifts of the Spirit and the Graces of the Spirit and know that as there may be the Operations of the Spirit where there are not the Gifts of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit where there are not the Graces of the Spirit so on the other side there may be the Residence of the Spirit where there is no sensible distinguishable Manifestation of the Spirit For the Operations and Communications of the Spirit are often so subtile and secret in the manner both in Illumination and Power and Inclination of the Will as are not manifest by Sense but by Faith only and we know not how they are wrought in us But as the most desirable Graces of the Spirit are Regeneration and Effectual Sanctification so the Fruits and Effects thereof are the most infallible Notes of the Presence of the Good Spirit which always leads to Mortification of all Carnal and Earthly Affections and to the Perfection of all Coelestial Angelick and Divine Dispositions in the Soul But to Souls duly prepared purged and disposed for it that Blessed Guide doth often manifest his Presence by Sensible Attractions and Restraints upon the Heart and plain Suggestions to the Mind and to such as once find that I can give no better Advice then what we have Ecclesiasticus 4. and 6. which I believe was part of the Mystick Theology of the Ancients FINIS AN APOLOGY For and an INVITATION To the PEOPLE call'd QUAKERS TO Rectifie some ERRORS which through the Scandals given they have fallen into WHEREIN The true Original Causes both Humane and Divine of all the Divisions in the Church and Mischiefs in the State and among the People are plainly and briefly opened and detected LONDON Printed for the Author 1697. ADVERTISEMENT THAT whole Bodies or Societies of Men are subject to the same Infirmities which the Individuals of which they consist are and often Sick of the same Diseases and the very worst of all those of the Mind Blindness Conceitedness Perversness Obstinacy Incorrigibleness and Impatience of Reproof or even Friendly Admonition the Experience of all Ages doth abundantly manifest but in none is it more manifest than in the People of the Jews whom God raised up to be an Example Admonition and Warning to the rest of Mankind Their whole History and all