Arch-Bishop says Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office and Work of a Bishop c. and at each is sung the Hymn Come Holy Ghost c. And in the Exhortation in the Commination this is mentioned as one of the Conditions of our Pardon viz. If we will be ordered by the Governance of his Holy Spirit And in the Articles of Religion Art 17. are mentioned together Godly Persons and such as feel in themselves the Working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying c. To this Authority of the Church I will subjoyn the Judgment of one of her Sons who though at first it seems he was carried away with the common Prejudice of the Age yet afterward upon better consideration extricated himself and recover'd a better Judgment and has in few words said what is much to the purpose That God himself affords his Intimacies and Converses to the better Souls which are prepar'd for it I confess the proud and phantastick Pretences of many of the conceited Melancholists in this Age to Divine Communion have prejudiced divers intelligent Persons against the Belief of any such happy Vouchsafement so that they conclude the Doctrine of Immediate Communion with the Deity in this Life to be but an high-flown Notion of warm Imagination and over-luscious Self-Flattery and I acknowledge I have my self had Thoughts of this nature supposing Communion with God to be nothing else but the Exercise of Vertue and that Peace and those Comforts which naturally result from it But I have considered since That God's more near and immediate imparting himself to the Soul that is prepar'd for that Happiness by Divine Love Humility and Resignation in the way of a Vital Touch and Sense is a thing possible in it self and will be a great part of our Heaven That Glory is begun in Grace and God is pleased to give some excellent Souls the happy Antepast That holy Men in ancient times have sought and gloried in this Enjoyment and never complain so sorely as when it was with-held and interrupted That the Expressions of Scripture run infinitely this way and the best of modern good Men do from their own Experience attest it That this spiritualizeth Religion and renders its Enjoyments more comfortable and delicious That it keeps the Soul under a vivid sense of God and is a grand Security against Temptation That it holds it steddy amidst the Flatteries of a prosperous State and gives it the most grounded Anchorage and Support amidst the Waves of an adverse Condition That 't is the noblest Encouragement to Vertue and the highest Assurance of an happy Immortality I say I considered these weighty Things and wonder'd at the Carelessness and Prejudice of Thoughts that occasion'd my suspecting the Reality of so glorious a Priviledge I saw how little Reason there is in denying Matters of inward Sense because our selves do not feel them or cannot form an Apprehension of them in our Minds I am convinc'd that things of gust and relish must be judged by the sentient and vital Faculties and not by the noetical Exercises of speculative Vnderstandings And upon the whole I believe infinitely that the Divine Spirit affords its sensible Presence and immediate Beatifick Touch to some Rare Souls who are divested of carnal Self and mundane Pleasures abstracted from the Body by Prayer and Holy Meditation spiritual in their Desires and calm in their Affections devout Lovers of God and Vertue and tenderly affectionate to all the World sincere in their Aims and circumspect in their Actions inlarged in their Souls and clear in their Minds These I think are the Dispositions that are requisite to fit us for Divine Communion And God transacts not in this near way but with prepared Spirits who are thus disposed for the Manifestation of his Presence and his Influence and such I believe he never fails to bless with these happy fore tasts of Glory But for those that are Passionate and Conceited Turbulent and Notional Confident and Immodest Imperious and Malicious that doat upon Trifles and run fiercely into the ways of a Sect that are lifted up in the Apprehension of the glorious Prerogatives of themselves and their Party and scorn all the World besides for such I say be their Pretensions what they will to Divine Communion Illapses and Discoveries I believe them not their Fancies abuse them or they would us For what Communion hath Light with Darkness or the Spirit of the Holy One with those whose Genius and Ways are so unlike Him But the other Excellent Souls I described will as certainly be visited by the Divine Presence and Converse as the Chrystalline Streams are with the Beams of Light or the fitly prepared Earth whose Seed is in it self will be actuated by the Spirit of Nature There is a late Writer of no mean Learning and Parts and Authority too among those of his own Party who reckons the Despising of the Holy Spirit and his Operations now to be a Sin of the same Nature with the Apostacy of the Jews by Idolatry of old and afterwards by rejecting of our Saviour at his coming and yet in detestation of Enthusiasm utterly abandons all Impulses and Motions to Things and Actions which are not acknowledged Duties in themselves evidenced by the Word of Truth c. under the Name of Irrational Impressions and violent Inclinations and what some Men intend by Impulses he says he knows not Indeed they who reject all such things reject they know not what And did they thereby only hurt themselves it might be thought a just Punishment but such confident Assertions in Print may not only be hurtful to Men but also injurious to the Wisdom and Goodness of God which is not to be limited by Mens Conceits The Jews heretofore had the Favour to inquire of God and receive Answers and Direction in their special Exigences and if the Christians are not allowed that Favour now it may be thought that the State of Christians is inferior to that of the Jews then in a Matter of great Importance or that the Christians now are as the latter Jews were fallen from the Integrity of the true Christian State Nor can I conceive any reason why Christians should not have some such Means for this purpose as the ancient Jews had but that every Christian ought to have a Divine Oracle in his own Breast by the Residence of the Spirit of God there if we were indeed such as our Profession doth require and oblige us to be that is truly Spiritual and Heavenly-minded It doth therefore concern us to inquire whether the Fault be not in our selves if God doth not answer us as it was with Saul when God was departed from him rather than to dishonour our Profession by arguing against the Truth to cover our Shame and since the Lord's Ear is not heavy that it cannot hear whether our Sins have not interposed between our God and us that he will not hear Certainly we often need a Wisdom more than
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
3. The Prayer here acknowledged to be the most effectual Instrument to procure Divine Light is a Pure Recollected Intime or most inward Prayer of the Spirit 4. Here are no new Speculative Verities or Revelations of Mysteries pretended no private new-found-out Interpretations of Scripture bragg'd of 5. Here the Established Order of God's Church and the Vnity essential thereto is not prejudiced Yea the Inspirations expected and obtained by Pure Internal Prayer do more firmly and unalterably fix Souls under this Obedience and to this Order and Vnity 6. Our Lights teach us to attend only to God and our own Souls and never to interess our selves in any Care or Imployment about others till evidently God's Inspirations force us and External Authority obliges us thereto 7. Our Lights make us to fear and avoid all Super-eminence and Judicature all sensual Pleasures Desires of Wealth Honor c. 8. And lastly Our Lights if they should chance sometimes to be mistaken by us no Harm at all would accrue to others and not any considerable prejudice to our selves because as hath been said the Matters in which they direct us are in their Nature indifferent and are ordered only toward a more perfect Loving of God and withdrawing us from Creatures § 33. The contrary or different Characters of phanatick false Lights I pass by for brevity sake Out of Father Baker himself he produceth these amongst others Such contemplative Souls are not of themselves much inclined to External Works except saith Father Baker which our Author leaves out when God calls them thereto by secret Inspirations or engageth them therein by Command of Superiors but they seek rather to purifie themselves and inflame their Hearts to the Love of God by Internal Quiet and Pure Actuations in Spirit by a total Abstraction from Creatures by Solitude both external and especially internal 〈◊〉 disposing themselves to receive the Influxes and Inspirations of God whose Guidance chiefly the endeavour to follow in all things * Tr. 1. S. 1. c. 2 §. 3. And The propeâ— End of a Contemplative Life is the attaining unto aâ— Habitual and almost uninterrupted perfect Vnion with God in the supream point of the Spirit and such an Vnion as gives the Soul a Fruitive Possession of him and a real Experimental Perception of the Divine Presence in the Depth and Centre 〈◊〉 the Spirit whith is fully possessed and filled with him alone not only all deliberate Affection saith Fa. Baker to Creatures being excluded but in a manner all Images of them also at leasâ— so far as they may be distractive to the Soul And he adds The Effects of this blessed Perceptabâ—â— Presence of God in Perfect Souls are unspeakabâ—â— and Divine For he is in them both as a Principal of all their Actions Internal and External being the Life of their Life and Spirit of their Spirits and also as the End of them directing both the Actions and Persons to himself only He is All iâ— all things unto them A Light to direct securely all their Steps and to order all their Workings even those also which seem the most Indifferent the which by the Guidance of God's Holy Spirit do cause a farther Advancement of them to a yet more immediate Vnion He is a Shield to protect them in all Tentations and Dangers an internal Force and Vigour within them to make them do and suffer all things whatsoever his pleasure is they should do or suffer They not only believe and know but even feel and tast him to be the Vniversal Infinite Good By means of a continual Conversation with him they are reduced to a blessed State of a Perfect Denudation of Spirit to an absolute Internal Solitude a Transcendency and Forgetfulness of all created things and especially of themselves to an Heavenly-mindedness and fixed Attention to God only and this even in the midst of Employments to others never so distractive and finally to a gustful Knowledge of his Infinite Perfections and a strict Application of their Spirits by Love above Knowledge joyned with a Fruition and Repose in Him with the whole extent of their Wills So that they become after an inexpressible manner Partarkers of the Divine Nature yea One Spirit One Will One Love with him being in a sort Deified and enjoying as much of Heaven here as Mortality is capable of The special Means for obtaining such spiritual and extraordinary Favours from God are doubtless very desirable to be known and these our Author sets down in the Words of O. N. who purposely writ in Answer to him upon this Subject viz. besides a watchful Guard saith he for keeping the Conscience clean as much as may be not only from Mortal but also Venial Sin Much frequent and continued Vocal or Mental Prayer much Solitude and Mortifications of our Flesh and Abstraction of our Thoughts and Affections from any Creature much Recollection and withdrawing from abroad into our selves much Meditation on such selected Subjects as may rather inflame our Affections than increase our Science and when once we find these enkindled the Endeavouring a Quiescence as much as we can from former Discourse those actions of the Brain and Intellect now hindering the Heart and Will and the bringing of our selves rather to a simple Contemplation to exercise Acts of Love adhere to sigh after and entertain the Divine Object thereof And here saith he if his Divine Majesty please to advance us any higher to such Unions with Him as are not in our power and wherein we receive rather than act and he operates in us rather than we our selves we embrace them with all Humility and Gratitude if otherwise we acquiesce in our best endeavours and longing after him with Patience though enabled also to these only by his Grace This our Spiritual and Mystical Masters teach us and thus after this way which these Men stile Fanaticism and Enthusiasm we endeavour to procure a more strict Acquaintance and Converse with God and herein to follow the Example of our Fore-Fathers Elsewhere saith our Author he Fa. Baker describes the Progress towards this State of Perfection thus That he who would come to it must practise the drawing of his External Senses inwardly to his internal there losing and as it were annihilating them then he must draw his Internal Senses into the Superior powers of the Soul and there annihilate them likewise And those Powers of the Intellectual Soul he must draw into that which is called the Vnity and to that Vnity which alone is capable of perfect Vnion with God must be applyed and firmly fixed on God wherein the perfect Divine Contemplation lyes It is true these words are in Father Baker but they are but what he saith we read in other Authors and besides he adds Now whether such Expressions as these will abide the strict Examination of Philosophy or no I will not take on me to determine Certain it is that by a frequent and constant Exercise of Internal Prayer of the Will
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
greater and stronger and more intimately effective on the Soul than any other Motions from whencesoever they come can be and so also these become more evident to such and many times are so clearly discerned by them from the Supernatural impression they make upon the Soul as that it cannot resist disbelieve or any way doubt of them that they are Supernatural and Divine So St. Austin relates of his Mother Monica that she clearly knew such Supernatural actings in her from her own Imaginations Dicebat enim discernere se nescio quo sapore quem verbis explicare non poterat quid interesset inter revelantem Te animam suam somniantem Confess l. 6. c. 13. For she said she did discern by I know not what Savour which she could not explain in words what difference there is between Thee revealing and her own Soul dreaming And indeed if such interior Divine Operations were not sometimes certainly discernable how could St. Paul be assured when he intended to Preach the Word in Asia and again in Bithynia a most Charitable design that the Spirit forbad it and not rather the Enemy of the publishing of the Gospel Act. 16.6 7. or That it was by Revelation and not a Fancy of his that he ascended to Jerusalem Gal. 2.2 or That it was the Holy Spirit that testified and not Mens Fears that much Affliction should happen to him there Act. 20.23 How the Corinthians knew when they had a Revelation that it was not a work of their own Imagination since all these things were transacted only interiourly in the Soul and it was the Holy Spirit only that in all these gave the Evidence to it self A certain Assurance then it cannot be denyed that some at sometimes may have of Divine Operations in them But yet it is not affirmed here that all Persons less advanced in Prayer and Purity of Life or also the greatest Saints at all times discern the Operations of the Holy Spirit within them so clearly in this sort of Actions as not to be sometimes mistaken and it is sufficient that Persons piously disposed and frequent in Prayer may have a rational presumption of it as hath been said Neither is any more communicated unto them perhaps for the better preserving of their Humility And that no absolute Certitude is herein to be expected is a thing often confessed by Sancta Sophia See 1 Vol. p. 139. and p. 137. § 23. 4. But in case such Divine Inspirations be sometimes mistaken yet can no damage come thereby I mean as to committing any Sin 1. The Subject of them we speak of here being Matters in themselves indifferent and on any side lawful See Sancta Sophia 1 Vol. p. 143. 2. No Command of Superiors in these any way neglected 3. No Neglect besides using Prayer in practising any other means of making a secure Choice either in weighing Reasons on all sides or taking Advice from others Only the devout Soul in using these endeavours yet relies not on them but on the Directions of God's Holy Spirit working continually in the Regenerate both by prevenient and subsequent Grace makes no sudden Resolutions nor rushes hastily upon any Action but diligently hearkens first to this internal Guide what it may tell her is best desiring faithfully all natural Passions and Self-love laid aside to correspond with all its Motions the careful Observers of which with a pure Intention of Mind may be justly presumed seldom to want them though they do not so certainly know them and mean while such Persons if not free always from Mistakes yet are secure in this sort of Actions we speak of from entertaining any sinful Enthusiasm or such as any other Person except by Divine Inspiration can either censure or discover § 24. Here the Author proceeds to another Discourse which being no less necessary for this purpose than pertinent to the Subject of Mystick Divinity it may be both proper for this place and also useful and grateful to many devout People to add part of it It is of Directions given by Spiritual Writers concerning Prayer and Devotion FIRST for Preparation for Prayer they are advised 1. to a serious Endeavour at all times to keep their Conscience clear from all Sin even the least as much as Humane Frailty permits and to a Care of avoiding the Occasions thereof without which Endeavours our Devotions cannot be acceptable to God as to the receiving from him any great plenty of his Grace And 2. at times of Prayer to Abstraction from all Secular Business Recollection of the Mind and Thoughts from all Creatures and all Objects of the Exterior Senses And then to begin at first with Forms for all Occasions of Vocal Prayer where Novices saith he begin and which the most perfect also frequently return to § 25. From these they are led on to Mental Prayer in which the Cessation from External Action renders the Inward more attent and affective more free from Distraction of the Senses and from the Wandring of the Thoughts For this many useful Subjects of Meditation are recommended chiefly touching our own Misery the Mysteries of our Salvation and the Divine Perfections 1. Of their Natural Condition the Heinousness of Sin the Divine Justice the bitter Passion of our Lord in Satisfaction for Sin the Terrors of Death Judgment and Hell to plant in them the Due Fear of God and advance in them all sorts of Mortification and Purification from all Habits of Sin 2. Of the Life of our Lord and the Lives of his Saints for Imitation and Growth in Vertue And 3. of the Divine Perfections and Benefits both received and promised of the Graces and Operations of the Holy Ghost in us and the Abilities for doing Good and pleasing God restored to Man by it if attentively observed and obeyed to advance them in all Spiritual Grace and Christian Perfection and to enkindle in them an ardent Love of God the Acquisition of which Love and not of Knowledge being chiefly designed in them § 26. When by the Practice of these Meditations they are well prepared they are directed by laying more aside their former Reasonings and Discoursings of the Brain with the frequent stroaks of which they have already kindled this Fire in the Heart how to exercise these Affections now in that Lesson of Loving God with all the Heart and all the Soul and all the Mind and all the Strength Luke 10.27 in a more simple and quiet Intuition and Contemplation Advertency and Admiration of the Divine Beauty and Perfections and in more fervent and amorous Colloquies with God in Praising Thanking Solacing her self with him whilst she casts her eye upon his infinite Mercies past and promised in many Resolutions for the future to serve him better and no more so to grieve and offend him in offering all she hath she can do or suffer to his Service and in putting her self in a posture of Silence and Attention to hear what he may be pleased to speak to
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
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
all Men every where to Repent QUESTIONS PROPOSED To the People call'd QUAKERS First to their Ministers at their second days Meeting and now to them All for the better Examination and rectifying some Errors and Mistakes amongst them I. WHether there be not a great Party of fallen Angels and wicked Spirits which are Enemies to Mankind and with all the Power Activity and Subtilty they can do continually endeavour to hinder their Salvation and Communion and Union with the Father Son and Holy Spirit II. Whether the Word which in the beginning was with God and was God was not made Flesh and dwelt amongst Men being born of the Virgin Mary and called Jesus which signifies a Saviour and Christ the Messiah the anointed of God and Jesus Christ of Nazareth III. Whether his Appearance in Mortal Flesh was not to destroy the Works of the Devil the Prince of that Party of fallen Angels and wicked Spirits to be a Prince and a Saviour to Mankind and the Captain of their Salvation to all who receive him and subject themselves intirely to his Teachings by his Example and by his Doctrine and Precepts and Orders recorded in the Holy Scriptures and by the Motions of his Holy Spirit upon and in their Hearts and Minds IV. Whether he be not the Only Mediatour between God and Man so that Man can have no Communion with the Holy God or Participation of the Spirit of Holiness but by and through Him V. Whether that Party of fallen Angels and wicked Spirits knowing this do not above all things endeavour by all means to with-hold people from closing and uniting with that Holy Mediatour and to withdraw as many as they can as much as they can from Him VI. Whether their most dangerous and subtile Actings in this Opposition be not principally by Way of Deceit under the Appearance and Pretence of Good to Man and of Good Spirits VII Whether it hath not been fore-told that in the latter times especially there should be many false Teachers who with such specious Pretences and secret Energy should endeavour to draw away People from the Faith as to deceive if it was possible the very Elect and Warnings given to beware of them by Christ and by his Apostles VIII Whether the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ be not the same and a Holy and Pure Spirit a Spirit of Truth and Righteousness leading into all necessary Truth and from all Fraud Deceit and Falacy Cavils and shuffling Evasions IX Whether it be not reasonable that Christ Jesus who had done so much for Man should prescribe what Manner he pleased for his Peoples engaging with Him and for their recognizing Him and making their Solemn Address to the Father by Him and what Orders he pleased and would have observed and continued in his Church X. Whether to oppose such Appointments Prescriptions or Orders or to cavil at them seek Evasions or Pretences to neglect them and yet pretend to be Christians be not a great Evidence of Insincerity and of a subtile Antichristian Spirit of Satan transformed into an Angel of Light XI Whether Jesus Christ besides his General Command to his Apostles after his Resurrection to go to the Gentiles and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost c. did not for forty days shew himself to them speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God until the day in which he was taken up after that he through the Holy Ghost had given Commandments unto them and in or with those Commandments give them sufficient Instructions and Directions for the Constituting his Church which he purchased with his Blood XII Whether the Apostles did not in all things faithfully pursue his Commands and Directions XIII Whether besides his express Commands and Directions they did not also receive the Holy Spirit according to his Promise in an extraordinary manner and had the same residing in them and manifesting his Presence with them by extraordinary Operations to guide and assist them in their Work XIV Whether they having received the Command to make Disciples in all Nations whether Jews or Gentiles baptizing them as aforesaid and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he commanded them did not in all places preach the Gospel exhort the People to believe and be baptized and baptized with Water those who did believe though baptized before with John's Baptism and though they had received the Holy Spirit whether Jews or Gentiles XV. Whether the Apostles and the People converted by them after they had received the Holy Ghost did not when they came together in one or assembled for the Solemn Worship of God break Bread and eat the Lord's Supper and do as their Lord did and commanded them to do and that so constantly that there is not known any Assembly of Christians in the time of the Apostles nor in many Ages after to have been held for the Solemn Worship of God without it XVI Whether the Apostles did not ordain Elders and appoint others by special Appointment to do the same in every City by such Authority that none did presume to take the Office of Elder unto himself but who was so ordained or the Office of Ordaining Elders but who was so appointed either in the times of the Apostles or afterward but who have been infamous ever since XVII Whether seeing that our Saviour himself though he needed not would notwithstanding be baptized with Water to fulfill all Righteousness and thereupon had sensible Approbation from Heaven did also by his Apostles baptize with Water and that it is plain by their Practice that his Apostles and the whole Church of Christ did understand his Command to baptize all Nations of Baptism by Water and as necessary for Forgiveness of Sins and that Baptism with the Holy Ghost was peculiar to himself whether I say this being so it be not a forced and strained Interpretation without any sound ground and contrary to the most authentick Means of explaining Words to restrain that Command to Baptism by the Holy Ghost only XVIII Whether if such Construction be by any Spirit more than humane it be not the Spirit of Antichrist or Satan transformed to with-hold Men under his own Dominion from solemnly ingaging with Christ and from Forgiveness of their Sins in his Name or If it be only by Opinion of Men such Opinion obstinately persisted in be not a Damnable Sin contrary to subjection of all Imaginations to the Obedience of Christ and subverting of Souls and such Teachers to be abominated and anathamatized by all sincere Christians as Seducers and the Ministers and Instruments of Satan though they appear in Sheeps cloathing XIX Whether it having been the constant belief of all Nations whether Jews or Gentiles that they had a real though Spiritual Communion with the Gods they worshipped in their Participation of their Sacrifices as St. Paul intimates 1 Cor. 10. and may be proved by
of Christ in all Ages and of the Church of England in particular as I have shew'd in a Discourse of Mystical Divinity and some others under the Title of Asceticks or the Heroick Piety and Vertue of the Ancients and notwithstanding the Extravagancies of some inconsiderate Opposers of Fanaticism asserted by most eminent Men of this Church as the profound Dr. Cradock lately deceased who himself told me he had Preached twenty or thirty Sermons upon that Subject and others now living and that there are and have been before George Fox appeared in the World Persons in the Communion of the Church of England as well acquainted with Spiritual things as themselves and by consequence how little necessity there is of venturing upon the Sin of Schism for that cause And moreover consider that Christ appointed an Order of Men for his Ministerial Office to succeed in his Church by an external Call and Commission and notwithstanding the Corruptions of those who sate then in Moses's Seat would not suffer his Disciples to break Communion with them or disregard their Authority and by consequence how dangerous it may prove in the end for Men to presume to set up Parties and draw People after them contrary to his Orders and to continue so to do after fair Warnings and unanswerable Admonitions to the contrary To conclude When they shall farther consider how horrid a Sin it must needs be to presume to attribute to the Holy Spirit of God the Workings of their own Imaginations or perhaps the Subtile Suggestions of some wicked Spirit of Delusion and to expose and scandalize the Holy Doctrine of the Guidance of the Holy Spirit by denying of certain and manifest Truths and using such little Shifts and Evasions to oppose plain Evidence as an honest and ingenious Lawyer would scorn and be ashamed to use for his Client When all these things and more that might be observed are well understood and considered why may I not with reason hope that all who are really such as they have appeared in the several Conferences I have had with them to be should answer the End of my Letters and Questions with more than civil and kind Words in real and solemn Actions Why should I not hope that no private Interest nor any Temporal Concern should hinder them Why should I not hope that since God hath apparently again concluded all under Sin which all Parties confess of all others but their own and is true of all without exception that all should humble themselves before Him return to mutual Charity one with another and subject themselves and all their Imaginations to his Wisdom as well as their Actions to his Will to the intent that he may have Mercy upon all Why should I not hope I say since God hath done this and for this End that they if they be indeed partakers of his Holy Spirit should be the first in giving Glory to God by such a just and reasonable Humiliation before his Divine Majesty and Acknowledgment of our Humane Infirmity if never so little left to our selves or but steping aside out of the Order of his Holy Conduct and subject themselves intirely and readily to all the Orders he hath appointed in his Church No sober wise Man will expose himself and lead others into Danger or Hazard when he may without any Difficulty or Incumbrance put himself and them into Safety and Security Nor will any ingenious Man if he have committed a Mistake stand it out and maintain it against a Grave and Judicious Man Much less will any considerate Man who hath any sense of God and regard to his tremendous Majesty dare to persist in Opposing or Disputing his Institutions or Orders and therefore I shall here conclude this But because I have received certain Questions concerning these Matters but without any Name of any who sent them or to whom I should return Answer though I shall forbear to expose them by making them publick yet because I am debtor both to the wise and to the unwise for their Satisfaction who are either moved with such Scruples or rely upon such infirm Grounds I shall return a brief comprehensive Answer to the Eight Questions in these following Assertions The Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament is the only Rule of Faith and Practice rightly understood and used But it is in many Cases only a General Rule leaving the special Application in some to all Persons in others to certain determinate Persons And therefore to require Express and Plain Scripture for Faith and Practice in all things doth proceed from Ignorance and Weakness in some but too often from a disingenuous Spirit of Contention a dishonest Design or Satanical Delusion The Practices of the Primitive Christians were some Permanent to continue in the Church others Temporary and Alterable according as there might be occasion for Order Decency and Edification and did vary from the beginning in several Churches and parts of the World whereas the others were truly Catholick according to Vincentius Lirinensis his Rule that is universally observed without any known beginning since the Apostles The Spirit of God was poured forth upon all Flesh when the Gospel was Preached to all Flesh or to every Creature that is not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles also But as to individual Persons it was never so poured out upon all Flesh but there were some things pre-acquired as Faith in Christ Jesus and ordinarily Baptism with Water Obedience and Prayer c. Nor was the Manifestation thereof ever given to every one but to every one to whom it was given it was given to profit withall As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.14 9. But it is to be known and remembred that a great and principal and the most certain Leading of the Spirit of God is not sensible or easily perceivable how it comes but it is generally a Secret Illumination of the Mind to perceive the Excellence of the things of God and the Emptiness and Deceitfulness of the things of the World from which proceeds an Appetite to those and an Indifference to these and in particular actions a like secret Illumination of the Mind to apply the general Rules of the Scriptures to the particular Sense and an Inclination of the Will to what is so perceived to be the Will of God And in more sensible Motions Impressions and Openings as some call them the Tryal is by their Agreement with what is agreed to proceed from the Spirit of God that is the Holy Scriptures what is contrary to that is to be rejected as coming from the Enemy what is not inconsistent with that ought to be followed or if doubtful be referred to the Judgment and Determination of the Elders according to the Observations of the Ancients or of the most Experienced Christians especially of such as by
their Office and Place are authorized and obliged to be Guide of Souls And those who have presumed to reject these Ordinary Means which God hath appointed and established in his Church have frequently fallen into Mischief There are many of the Mind of Simon Magus Act. 8.18 they are desirous to purchase it but not at the Price our Saviour set it Mat. 13.44 46. And there are many false counterfeit Spirits very officious to offer themselves where they find hopes of Reception and they always suggest and instigate to the following of their Leading which is insensibly and as they find their Followers disposed from the Holy Scriptures and from Christ and when they cannot prevail with them in that manner they endeavour to fill them with Spiritual Pride and Conceitedness make them admired by others as extraordinary and very Holy Persons that they may make them think better of themselves than they ought and so get advantage of them that way And there are generally two great Faults committed by most Pretenders to the Guidance of the Spirit 1. They do not well consider themselves and teach others the necessary Qualifications pre-acquired for the obtaining of so great a Divine Favour 2. They neither consider nor teach others the necessary Cautions and Directions for Tryal of Spirits In general the Conscientious Observation of the Holy Scriptures is a principal thing for both For as the Law was our School-Master to bring us to Christ so the Conscientious Observation of the externally revealed Will of God which is Obedience is our School-Master to prepare us for and bring us to the true Spirit of God But for more particular Cautions and Directions that is a Subject too large for this Occasion and hath been largely treated of by others The Questions concerning Baptism with Water and the Eucharist or Holy Communion are e'en such as that of Naaman 2 Kin. 5.11 22. But they who make them are not like the Servants of that Heathen who gave him this prudent Admonition If the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing wouldst thou not have done it How much rather when he saith unto thee Wash and be clean May they at least take Example from that Heathen who received the Admonition even from his Servants even with the like blessed Success And this with what I have said before is as much as I apprehend necessary to be said to the Questions for such serious considerate Persons as are willing to be satisfied and informed of the Truth and I shall be ready to give them all further Satisfaction when I understand where any real Scruple doth remain THE REVIEW WHAT I have written I have written with all Plainness and Simplicity with all Candor and Impartiality and Good Will to all without any other Design than for the Service of God and the Good of all and without any Affectation of any Ornament as becomes the Majesty of the Truths of God Yet can I not expect but I must incurr the Censures of most in one thing or other when I consider the general Corruption of Mens Minds and Judgments as well as of their Manners at this time not only of the Scandalous and Prophane or Hypocritical Professors but even of such as are sincere in many things and deservedly esteemed in the World both for Parts and Honesty and yet in others not so compleat as might be wished partly through the Byass of their own Dispositions and partly through the Common Cheat of Honourable Names such as Prudence Moderation Discretion Charity c. and their Contraries calling Good Evil and Evil Good and partly through certain False Notions undermining the Integrity of the Evangelical Doctrine of Christ as the Pharisees did the Law of Moses and rendring it of none Effect in many things which have been introduced and recommended to the World by a late Sect appearing in a very plausible Form but in truth generated by an unnatural Copulation of Church of England with some Socinian Principles setting up their own Corrupt Humane Reason in the place of the Divine Wisdom and wresting the divinely inspired Scriptures to a Compliance with it perswading themselves and others that the Noble Heroick Virtues so much studied and practised by the ancient Christians such as Humility Contempt of the World Heavenly-mindedness c. were for times of Persecution but we are under another Dispensation as I my self have been told by a Principal Author and Promoter of it and encouraging such Temporizing Compliances under the specious Pretences of Moderation and Prudence as are not only Inlets to Sin and Hindrances of Graces but inconsistent with the Practices and Sentiments of the best Christians of all Ages with the Doctrines and Instructions of the Apostles the Example and Precepts of our Saviour himself to say nothing of Evangelical Counsels in this Age our Baptismal Engagements and the Genuine Spirit of Christianity and the Interest of the Kingdom of Christ in this World What Glosses they make upon our Saviour's Sermon upon the Mount I must leave to others better acquainted with them to consider But What can be expected from persons so levened but as severe Censures of this Writing as they take this to be of others but that reasonable Expressions of just Indignation at Abuses and Corruptions in Matters of Religion or at abuse of Scriptures to patronize Vanity and by persons professing Religion should be censured for Passion but that such warm Expressions and Charges as were necessary to awaken such out of a Deadly Slumber as Experience had proved could not be moved by gentler touches should be censured as Vncharitableness and necessary plain Dealing with Mortals for the Service of God the Good of a Countrey and the Salvation of Souls be censured as Indiscretion Disrespect to Superiors and Sauciness But to leave such as are ready to wish and to talk but will do nothing but what may serve to recommend themselves to those whose Commendations are most desirable are willing to use others as the Cats foot but will not touch the Work with one of their Fingers nor intermit the complement of a Dinner to consult of what themselves profess to be matter of great Importance whose Prudence prefers to countenance Religion with Perukes and Laces and Topknots and Servants in Livery rather than to bear the Reproach of Christ in bearing Testimony against the Vanities of the Age by the tacit Reproof of them in a decent but plain and a little unfashionable Attire who preferr Charity at home in providing for the temporal concerns of themselves and their Families with some little creditable Acts of Charity as we call it before trusting to Providence in more liberal Contributions to unfashionable Good Works to leave such I say and to come close to the business to the State of the Church of which I am yet a Member and am not satisfied to separate while I live in the Nation notwithstanding all I dislike in it for this is the Root of all and
of the Earth as much as their Mortal State could bear and applyed themselves intirely to the Contemplation and Prosecution of those of a more excellent Nature living an Abstracted and Angelick Life in Mortal Flesh in Holy Conversation and Favour with God and his blessed Ministring Spirits And some did actually and expressly consecrate themselves by Vow unto the special Service of God Of which Sort were those among the Jews called NAZARITES because they did so separate themselves from among Men to attend upon God The Sacred History Numb 6. is a Record not of the Original but of the Divine Approbation of Nazarites which though that be very ancient yet were much more ancient and more ancient than any Man can tell And God's Ordering of the Rites and Circumstances of their Consecration and Observations for that People is a manifest Indication of his Divine Approbation of the thing it self which had been in use long before All do agree that they were of Two sorts some only for certain time others perpetual for their whole Life and those may again be distinguished into Three sorts viz. Such as were call'd or appointed by God as Samson a Nazarite unto God from the Womb Judg. 13.5 7 16.17 and as St. John the Baptist consecrated effectually and filled with the Holy Spirit even from his Mother's Womb Luk. 1.15 Such as were dedicated by their Parents as Samuel by his Mother 1 Sam. 1.10 28. And such as did freely offer themselves And this Free-will Offering of themselves though but for a certain time God did accept no less than the Free-will Offerings of their Goods or any thing they had v. Lev. 22.18 21 23 27.2 and therefore ordered the Rites and Circumstances of their Consecration and Observations as was said before And on the contrary the Calamities of Nazarites is reckoned as a part of the Punishment of the People by Jeremiah the Prophet Lam. 4.7 But it is reckoned by God among his Divine Favours to that People that he raised up Nazarites amongst them and reckoned with his bringing them up from the Land of Egypt and raising them Prophets amongst them Amos 2.10 11. I raised up of your Sons for Prophets and of your Young Men for Nazarites Though they might freely offer themselves yet it was God that did secretly inspire and incline their Wills And therefore these were Holy as Origen hath well observed Hom. 11. in Levit. If any one devotes himself to God if any one intangles himself in no secular Business that he may please Him to whom he hath approved himself if any one is separate from the rest of Men who live Worldly Lives and are obliged in secular Business not seeking the things which are upon Earth but which are in Heaven he is deservedly called HOLY or SAINT And after much to this purpose he concludes in these Words From all which it is clear how every one of us who will be Holy ought to be consecrated to God and thenceforth be imployed in no Business or Acts which relate not to God So likewise the Colledges or Schools of the PROPHETS though we meet with no express mention of them till in 1 Sam. 10.5 yet certain it is that they were much more ancient who under the Name of Prophets lived very abstracted Lives The very change of the Denomination mentioned in the chap. next foregoing 1 Sam. 9.9 is an Evidence of that viz. That he who was then call'd a Prophet was afore-time call'd a SEER and therefore when one went to inquire of the Lord they said Come and let us go to the Seer And if to inquire of the Lord was to go to the Seer than that leads us back to the time of Rebecca Gen. 25.22 for Seers and how much farther back no Man knows for that certainly was no new thing then Nor doth it appear that the Schools of the Prophets were first instituted by Samuel But that they lived such abstracted Contemplative Lives is undeniable both from the Nature of their Profession and from the Particulars of the Matter of Fact of their Conversation mentioned in the Holy Scriptures Nor were there Men only but WOMEN also who did very anciently leaving the World apply themselves to Matters of Devotion though perhaps not with so solemn Consecration such as Anna a Prophetess who having lived seven years a Wife lived afterwards a Widow till eighty four years of Age and departed not from the Temple but served God with Fastings and Prayers Night and Day For of this sort of Religious Women were there many among the Israelites as anciently as the Tabernacle in the Wilderness as we are informed by the Jews and the most learned Criticks of this Age as Munster Fagius Vatablus and others upon Exodus 38.8 And this it is very probable was a great Aggravation of the Sins of the Sons of Eli 1 Sam. 2.22 that the Women whom they abused were such as these who assembled at the Door of the Tabarnacle as learned Criticks inform us And putting all these Notices together it seems that such Religious Devout Women there were among the Jews at least from the time of their first abode in the Wilderness while they had the Temple standing amongst them And if so Why not long before even while in Egypt Had they not received Religious Instructions from their Ancestours or Did they retain none of them or Did they see nothing of Religion practised among the Egyptians and Had they not the same Natural Propensation to Religion which is common to all Men We see how ready and expert all the Women were at the Red-Sea Exod. 15.1 20. with Miriam a Prophetess to answer Moses and the Men and Can we imagin that all Religion had been extinguished or lain dormant in their Abode in Egypt No certainly their hard Servitude though it might hinder their more Solemn Worship yet it could not hinder but did rather excite and provoke to more retired and secret Devotion And indeed that Servitude with Rigour and hard Bondage was not till a little before their Deliverance and even then do we find that generous Magnanimity even among the Hebrew Women the Midwives as to obey God rather than Man Exod. 1.17 The Companies of the PROPHETS mentioned 1 Sam. 10.10 and 19.20 such as else-where are call'd the Sons of the Prophets 1 King 18.4 20.35 2 King 2.3 5 7 15 4.38 6.1 2 9.1 were a sort of Religious Persons who lived Abstracted Contemplative Lives many of them plainly Coenobitical Lives and some Anachoretical or Hermete Lives as St. Antony and others among the Christians did as Elias 1 King 17.1 and Elisha 1 King 19.6 So that St. Hierom said very truly Every Order or Institution of Life hath its Principals or Leaders and then after divers Instances in others he adds Our Leaders are such as Paul as Antony as Julian as Hilarian as the Macerius 's And to return to the Authority of the Scriptures our Prince or Leader was Elias was Elisha our
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
all Dregs of Passions to its natural Sublimity that so our Prayer may ascend to God dis-burthened of all Weight of Corruption cap. 4. The Intention of a Monk ought always to be fixed in God by whom even a small Separation from that Chief Good is to be accounted a present Death and most pernicious Destruction And when the Mind comes to be settled in such a Tranquility or loosed from the tyes of all Carnal Passions and the Intention of the Heart doth most tenaciously adhere to that One Chief Good then doth it fulfill that of the Apostle Pray without Intermission 1 Thess 5.17 and In every place lifting up pure Hands without Anger or Disputings 1 Tim. 2.8 For the Sense of the Mind if I may so say being drench'd in this Purity and reformed from the Earthly Filth to a Spiritual and Angelick Likeness what-ever it receives into its self what-ever it handles what-ever it doth will be a most pure and sincere Prayer cap. 6. The various Species of Prayer I judge cannot be comprehended without mighty Contrition of Heart Purity of Mind and Illumination of the Holy Spirit For according to the measure of Purity in which every Soul doth proceed and the quality of the State in which either by Occurrences she is lowered or by her own Industry renewed she her self is every moment new formed And therefore it is certain that Prayers are by none always made of the same form c. cap. 8. They who having the penal thorn of Conscience pluck'd out of their Heart are secure ruminating the Favours and Mercies of the Lord which he hath either in time past given or at present doth give or hath prepared for the future with a most pure Mind are transported with a most fervent Heart to that ardent Prayer which cannot be expressed with the Tongue of Men or comprehended Yet sometimes a Mind which hath profitted to that true effect of Purity and hath now begun to be rooted in it is wont conceiving all the parts of Prayer at once together and like an incompressible and devouring Flame spreading over all to pour out to God ineffable Prayers of a most pure vigour which the Spirit it self interceeding with inexplicable Groans we being ignorant doth send forth to God conceiving in that moment so great things and pouring them out ineffably in Supplication as it cannot at another time I will not say repeat with the Mouth but not so much as recollect with the Mind c. cap 15. The higher and more sublime State of Prayer is formed by the Contemplation of God alone and the Fervour of Charity by which the Soul being cast down and melted into Love of him doth very familiarly discourse to God as its own Father with a peculiar Devotion Which State that we ought diligently to desire the Form of the LORD's-PRAYER doth instruct us saying Our Father When therefore we do confess with our own Mouth the God and Lord of the Universe to be our Father we do indeed profess our selves to be adopted to be the Sons of God out of a State of Slavery adding thereunto Who art in Heaven that flying from the abode of the present Life which we live upon Earth with much horror as a Pilgrimage and separating us far from our Father we may hasten rather with our utmost desire to that Region in which we confess our Father liveth and may admit nothing of that kind which may render us unworthy of this our Profession and of the Nobility of such an Adoption or make us incurr his Displeasure To which Order and Degree being promoted we shall continually be inflamed with that Devotion which is in good Children that now we shall imploy all our Affection not for our Commodities but for the Glory of our Father Saying to Him Hollowed be thy Name c. cap. 18. And after a brief but excellent Explication of all the parts of this Prayer he adds You see therefore what Model and Form of Prayer is proposed to us by the Judge himself who is to be intreated by it in which is no Petition of Riches no Remembrance of Dignities no Prayer for Power or Strength no mention of Corperal Needs or of Temporal Life contained The Creator of Eternity will have nothing fading nothing vile nothing temporal to be implored of him And therefore he will do a very great Injury to his Magnificence and Munificence who-ever passing by the Petition of Eternal things will rather ask any thing transitory or fading and by the Vileness or Meanness of his Prayer will rather incurr the Offence than obtain the Favour of his Judge cap. 24. This Prayer therefore though it may seem to contain all plenitude of Perfection because either instituted or established by the Authority of our Lord himself yet doth it promote those of his Family to that higher State which we mentioned before and lead them in a more eminent degree to that fervent ineffable Prayer known or experienced by very few which transcending all humane Sense is not distinctly delivered by any manner of Words or Expressions but which the Mind illustrated by the infusion of that Coelestial Light doth not signifie by humane and narrow Eloquence but pour out abundantly as out of a full Fountain in full compacted Senses and ineffably utter to the Lord producing so great things in that little point of time as the Mind can neither easily utter nor recovering it self particularly remember cap. 25. And that you may perceive the Affection of a true Prayer I will produce to you not my own but St. Antony's Sense of it Whom we have known to have sometimes so persisted in Prayer that he frequently praying in an Excess of Mind when the Sun began to rise we have heard him in fervour of Spirit cry out Why dost thou hinder me O Sun who dost now rise to withdraw me from the Splendor of this true Light Whose also was this Coelestial and more than humane Sentence concerning the End of Prayer It is not saith he Perfect Prayer in which a Monk doth understand * By Prayer these Men understand an Elevation of the Soul to God and they who have observed how much the Soul may be affected and taken up in the Contemplation of much inferior Objects will not so confidently censure this though they never had Experience of any such thing in themselves It is no more than Plato hath said of Oratory in Menon even this it self that he prayeth cap. 31. They only with most pure Eyes do behold the Divinity of Jesus who ascending from low and Earthly Works and Thoughts do retire with him into the high Mount of Solitude who being free from the Tumult of all Earthly Thoughts and Perturbations and separate from all mixture of Vices elevated with a most pure Faith and Eminence of Virtues doth reveal the Glory of his Countenance and the Image of his Clarity to those who are meet to behold Him with pure Aspects of Soul c. Coll.
10. c. 6. This is the Design of a Solitary this ought to be all his Intention that he may come to possess in this Body an Image of future Beatitude and begin in this Vessel to fore-tast the Earnest of Heavenly Conversation and Glory This I say is the End of all Perfection that the Mind so extenuated or refined from all Carnal Dust may be daily elevated to Spiritual things till all its Conversation all its volutation of Heart may become one continual Prayer And as I said a little before All our Love all our Desire all our Study all our Endeavour all our Cogitation all that we see all that we speak all that we hope may be God and that Unity which now is of the Father with the Son and of the Son with the Father may be transfused into our Sense and Minds that is that as he loves us with a pure and indissoluble Charity we also may be joyned to Him in a perpetual and inseparable Charity cap. 7. For the Attaining and Practice of this he recommends from Experience of the Seniors the continual or frequent mental repetion of that verse Psal 70. Deus in adjutorium meum intende Domine ad adjuvandum me festina in our Liturgy O God make speed to save us O Lord make hast to help us and largely shews the use of it at all times and upon all special occasions Abbot Theodore concerning the right Knowledge of the Scriptures Cassian lib. 5. HE was indowed with very great Sanctity and compleat Science not only in the Active Life but also in the Knowledge of the Scriptures which he acquired not so much by Study of Reading or Humane Learning as by Purity of Heart for he could hardly either understand or pronounce so much as a few Greek Words When he sought the Explanation of a certain obscure Question he persisted indefatigably in Prayer seven Days and Nights until he knew the Solution of the Question proposed by the Revelation of the Lord. cap. 33. When certain of the Brethren admiring his eminent Light of Knowledge inquired of him the Sense of certain Scriptures he said A Monk desiring to attain to the Knowledge of the Scriptures ought by no means to imploy his Pains upon Books of Commentators but rather restrain and keep all the Industry of his Mind and beat of his Heart to the purifying of his Carnal Affections which being expell'd presently the Eyes of his Mind the Veil of his Passions being once removed will begin as it were naturally to contemplate the Mysteries of the Scriptures For they are not published to us by the Grace of the Holy Spirit that they should be unintelligible and obscure but they become obscure by our Fault the veil of Sins over-clouding the Eyes of our Mind which being again restored to their Natural Sanity the Reading of the Holy Scriptures will even alone abundantly suffice to the Contemplation of true Knowledge nor will they need the Instructions of Commentaries as these Eyes of Flesh need the Doctrin of none to see if they be free from Suffusion and Dimness of Sight For therefore is there so great Variety and Errors arisen amongst Interpreters themselves because the most running to Interpret them without using any Diligence toward the Purgation of the Mind by reason of the Grossness or Uncleanness of their Heart thinking things divers or contrary either to Faith or to themselves they could not comprehend the Light of Truth cap. 34. For this see in Smith 's Select Discourses The true Way and Method of attaining to Divine Knowledge Abbot Serapion of Discretion Cass Coll. 2. cap. 11. WHEN I was a Child and lived with Abbot Theon this brutish Custom was imposed upon me by the Enemy that after I had eaten with him at the ninth hour I did every day secretly convey one Bisket into my Bosom which I did after without his knowledge eat in secret Which Theft though I did constantly through my accustomed Incontinence commit yet when I had gratified my Appetite coming to my self I was more tormented with the Guilt of my Theft than satisfied with what I had eaten And when I was every day compelled to the grief of my Heart to perform that most troublesome work imposed as it were by Pharaoh's Task-Masters instead of Bricks upon me nor could extricate my self from this their most cruel Tyranny and was ashamed and confounded to discover the secret Theft to my Senior it came to pass by the Hand of God who was pleased to rescue me out of the Yoak of this Captivity that certain Brothers desired to come to the Cell of the Senior for Edification sake And when they were refreshed and a Spiritual Conference was begun the Senior answering to their Questions discoursed of the Vice of Gastrimargy or Gluttony and of the Domination and Slavery of Thoughts kept secret and did explain their Nature and most dismal Power so long as they were concealed I by the power of this Conference being prick'd and terrified with an accusing Conscience as believing that these things were spoken for that Cause that the Lord had revealed the Secrets of my Heart to the Senior I began first secretly to sigh then the Compunction of my Heart increasing breaking out into Sighs and Tears I pull'd the Bisket which by that evil Custom I had secretly stolen to eat out of my Bosom where it was conceal'd and proferring it to them I did prostrate upon the ground with Supplication for Pardon confess how I did every day eat in secret and with abundance of Tears did implore them to beg my Absolution from this hard Bondage of the Lord. Then said the Senior Be of good Comfort Child Thy Confession hath obtained thy Absolution though I hold my Tongue For thou hast this day gotten the Victory of thine Enemy more powerfully beating him down by thy Confession than thou thy self wert cast down by him through thy Concealment Whom not at all checking either by thy own or any others Reprehension thou didst suffer to domineer over thee till now But now after this thy Confession that wicked Spirit shall not be able to disquiet thee nor shall the filthy Serpent any longer hold a hiding place in thee being drawn-out into the Light out of the Darkness of thy Heart by a salutary Confession The Senior had not finished these Words and behold a Burning Lamp proceeding from my side so filled the Cell with the smell of Brimstone that the Stink of it would not suffer us to remain in it And the Senior resuming his Admonition Behold saith he our Lord hath visibly proved to thee the Truth of my Words that thou shouldest see with thy Eyes the Instigator of thy Affection driven out of thy Heart by a salubrious Confession and shouldst know that the detected Enemy should no longer at all have place in thee by his manifest Expulsion And so it is according to the Sentence of the Senior the Domination of that diabolical Tyranny in me is
instead of many of two Eminent Bishops Men of greatest Reputation both for Learning and Virtue St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Austin Bishop of Hippo But first to begin with St. Gregory Nazianzen it will not be amiss to add here to those before his Character of the Holy Monks of his time St. Gregory Nazianzen concerning the Lives and Exercises of MONKS in his time Orat. 9. to Julian the Comptroller of the Customs upon the Discharge of the Monks MY Speech presents to you the Poor the whole Choir of Priests the Choir of Philosophers Monks who are tied down by no Band who possess only their Bodies nor them wholly have nothing for Coesar but all for God Hymns Prayers Watchings Tears a Possession not to be seized on viz. to be dead to the World alive to Christ to have killed the Flesh to have drawn the Soul from the Body Sparing these or rather purely restoring to God the Worshippers and Disciples of God and Contemplators of Coelestial things the first Fruits of our kind the Pillar the Crown of Faith the precious Pearls the Stones of that Temple whose Foundation and Corner Stone is Christ the noble Accomplishments of the Church most nobly indeed both for them and for thy self and for us all hast thou taken Care And such Riches should I rather wish thee from us than Treasure of much Gold and Silver now appearing and after a little while not being at all But what he observed in them he else-where expresseth more copiously as with great Approbation Applause and even Admiration in these Particulars Watchings Fastings Prayers Tears brawny Knees knocking 's of the Breast deep Sighs nocturnal Stations travel of the Soul to God soft Weepings at Prayers a Medicine of Compunction to those who hear it Singing Glorifying Meditating on the Law of the Lord day and night carrying Exaltations of God in their Mouths And also those noble Testimonials and Indications of a Life according to God silent Preachers Hair foul and uncombed Feet naked and like the Apostles wearing nothing dead decent Shaving Rayment reproving Arrogance a Girdle becoming an undeck'd Body keeping the Coat from hanging loose but so as though it did not gird it an even Pace an unwandering Eye a pleasing sort or rather powerful way of Smiling which checks the Excess of Laughter Discourse guided by Reason Silence more venerable than Speech Commendations seasoned with Salt not to flatter but to excite to Proficience a sort of Reproving more defirable than Praise a Mean in Compunction and Relaxation and a Mixture and Temperature of both Lenity with Authority and Authority with Modesty so that neither is debased but rather recommended by the other due Measures of Converse and Retirement of Converse to help others of Retirement to get insight into the Mysteries of the Spirit a Converse preserving Solitude or Recollection in Society and Retirement retaining Brotherly-kindness and Charity in Solitude And which are yet Greater and Sublimer things than these Riches in Poverty Possession in Pilgrimage Glory in Disgrace Power in Weakness Fruitfulness in Celebacie if Divine Off-springs be better than what have beginning from the Flesh They are such as live deliciously by refusing Delights and Mean for the sake of Heavenly things have nothing in the World and yet are above the World who are out of the Flesh and yet in the Flesh Whose Portion is the Lord who are Poor for the sake of a Kingdom and Kings for their Poverty These my Wealth and Banquets while present made me exult for Joy and if absent stopp'd the brisk Circulation of my Blood Thus far his Character of these Holy Men And now for a Tast of his Contemplation of which we have a Touch here where he sets out the End of Retirement to get Insight into the Mysteries of the Spirit St. Gregory Nazianzen concerning Divine Contemplation Orat. 42. I Will Stand saith the admirable Habakkuk upon my Watch and I with him to day upon the Power and Speculation given me by the Holy Ghost and will contemplate and know what is shewed and what is spoken to me I being to speak of the great Sacrifice and of the greatest of Days cannot but have recourse to God Here will I begin and purge ye me your Mind and Hearing and Understanding who-ever relish these things for as much as a Speech of God is Divine so shall ye depart with a Savour of things which do not fade God Was always and Is and Shall be or rather Is always For Was and Shall be are fragments of Time with us and of a fading Nature But he always Is and so doth he name Himself speaking to Moses in the Mount For he containing All in Himself hath a Being neither beginning nor ceasing as a certain Ocean of Essence immense and boundless exceeding all conception both of Time and Nature represented with the Mind alone and that but very faintly and obscurely not from what are in Him but from what are about Him one Conception being collected after another into some one Image of the Truth flying before it be laid-hold-on and running away before it be apprehended illustrating only the Principal part of us and that purified as the Lightning strikes the Sight without remaining that as it seems to me he may with what is comprehensible draw us to Himself for what is altogether incomprehensible is neither hoped nor attempted and with what is incomprehensible may become admired being admired may be the more desired being desired may purifie us and purifying make us Dei-form or God-like and these things perfected he may as with Familiars converse with us God to God's united and made known c. To make this remarkable Discourse the more plain and intelligible it may be fit and necessary to add some brief Notes out of the Greek Commentators Nicetas and Psellus upon it The Sense of the Prophet's Words is this I will keep my Mind Pure and Intire from all Worldly Care and will fly into a certain Security very firm and as a Thought raised on high and thence will I observe what God will speak to me c. Nicetas n. 1. Stand signifies Firmness and Constancy and a State unmoved and unmoveable to meaner things Speculate an accurate and agreeable Contemplation and Knowledge and that Impetus or Earnestness wherewith the Mind is carried to those things which come to our Knowledge For so he who doth emerge out of the Grossness of corporal things at first goes the middle way which is called Animal but afterward the more sublime which is called Spiritual Psell The Watch or Guard is the Manner of every ones Soul according to which he doth receive Divine Visions in a certain proportion For if any one shall raise himself by higher Contemplation he will err He calls it Power because every Soul raised up to a Divine Simplicity and conversing immediately with Divine Visions themselves useth those kind of Sights freely and according to this Power condescending to the Capacity of his
Auditors c. He calls it Speculation because the Soul doth not measure Divine Visions by the Will but by the Intellective Faculty and Measure of its Purgation Psell 9. What the Sun is in Sensibles that God is in Intellectuals For as It doth illuminate the visible World He doth in like manner the Invisible Moreover as It makes those who look upon it bright so He makes them Divine and Deiform Nicetas The Presence of Spiritual Light and Divine Splendor converts the Mind of those who are judg'd worthy of such a Glory and Contemplation from many and various Opinions and Imaginations to that which truly is that is to God c. Nicetas For what the Eye is in the Body this the Mind is in the Soul As therefore to behold the Lightning when it breaks out there is need of good Eyes so also for this that we may be illustrated by the Contemplation of God is required a Pure and Sound Mind For as in a Looking-Glass sordid and impure the Form of a Face cannot be represented so neither in a foul and unclean Mind the Splendor of God Ni. Whoever knowing that they are only Mind have pasled the bulk and grossness of the Body and have purged their Mind from the Stain of Vices and rendered it fit and meet for the Reception of the First or chief Mind and Creator of all things God is united to them For when the Mind is Pure and Incorrupt he doth converse with the Mind without any thing intervening and by it hath Communion with the Soul as again by this he is joyned to the Body But he is united not as He is but as We are capable of that Union And hence at last he becomes known Nor can any one otherwise know God unless he open his Soul to Him and receive him in it Psellus God doth so much become known to Men as he is familiarly joyned to them who by Vertue are joyned to Him For according as is their Ascent he doth descend And how much Man doth approach to God so much also doth God become known to Man imparting the Knowledge of himself according to the proportion of Purity that is in every one See whether the Spiritual and Divine Gradation will raise us For from the Incomprehensibility of the Divine Nature as from the first step of a Ladder we are raised to Admiration of him as to the second step again from Admiration we ascend to more earnest Desire then from Desire are we raised up to Purgation and from hence further to Likeness with God and lastly we arrive to converse familiarly with God and know Him more perfectly by Vnion Then when we are made Deiform doth the true and natural God converse familiarly with those who by Grace are call'd Gods infusing the Divine Fulgers of his Knowledge in us as every one is purified Nicetas To be made God is to be partaker of Divine Illumination but not to pass into the Divine Essence Since we are set in the Confines between God and Matter if we decline to Matter we are Gross and Material if we tend toward God we are call'd Divine and thereupon Gods Nicetas St. Austin concerning the same THE Life of the Body is the Soul the Life of the Soul is God The Spirit of God dwells in the Soul and by the Soul in the Body that our Bodies also may be the Temple of the Holy Spirit whom we have from God Ser. 18. de verb. Apost c. 6. It is not unreasonable to say That the Incorporeal Soul is so illuminated with the Incorporeal Light of the Simple or pure Wisdom of God as the Body of the Air is illuminated with the Corporeal Light and as the Air grows dark upon the departure of that Light 11 de Civ Dei c. 10. Minds are to Souls as their Senses but of Sciences whatever things are most certain they are such as are those things which are illustrated or shined upon by the Sun that they may be seen as the Earth and all Earthly things But God is he who doth illustrate but I Reason am so in Mind as the Aspect is in the Eyes The Eye of the Soul is the Mind pure from all stain of the Body that is remote and purged from all desires of Mortal things c. 1 Soliloq c. 6. It is a great and very rare thing with the Intenseness of the Mind to transcend all Creature corporeal or incorporeal being considered and found mutable and to approach to that unchangeable Substance of God and there learn from Him that none but he made all Nature which is not Himself For so God speaks with Man not by any corporal Creature sounding in corporal Ears c. but he speaks by the very Truth it self if one be fit to hear with the Mind not with the Body 11 de C. D. 2. v. ibid. Coq When the Soul sees that singular and true Beauty it will the more love it But unless it fix on it its Eye with a mighty Love and decline not any whether from beholding it it cannot remain in that most Blessed Vision 1 Solil c. 7. One thing there is that I can prescribe thee I know no more That these sensible things are wholly to be forsaken and that we must greatly beware while we act this Body that our Wings which we need have intire and perfect be not hindered by any of their Birdlime that we may fly away from this Darkness to that Light c. Therefore when thou shalt be such that nothing of Earthly things doth at all delight thee believe me in that moment in the same point of time thou shalt see what thou desirest c. 1 Soliloq c. 14. Thou dost desire to see and imbrace Wisdom as it were naked without any thing of covering so as she doth not suffer herself except to very few and her most choice Lovers c. It is a certain ineffable and incomprehensible Light of Minds that vulgar Light c. ibid. c. 13. Confide constantly in God and as much as thou canst commit thy self intirely to Him Do not be willing to be as it were thine own but profess thy self to be a Servant of the most Gracious and Bountiful Lord. For so will he not cease to raise thee to Himself and will permit nothing to befall thee but what shall profit thee though thou knowest it not 1 Soliloq 14. Hear me my God hear me after that manner of thine known to very few Command I beseech thee whatever thou wilt but heal and open my Ears that I may hear thy Voice Heal and open my Eyes that I may see thy Becks Say to me which way I shall look that I may behold Thee c. 1 Soliloq c. 1. Being admonished to return to my self I entred into my most inward parts thou being my Leader and I could do it because thou wast become my Helper I entred and I discerned with the Eye of my Soul such as it was above the
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
Bernier to Monsieur Chaplain dated 4 Octob. 1667. concerning the Gentiles of Indostan wherein he gives an account of certain Orders of Religious among them who make Vows of Chastity Poverty and Obedience living in Convents under Superiors who are commonly called Jauguis i. e. united to God who used themselves to many Hardships and were looked on as so many Eremites by the People being accounted true Saints illuminated and perfect Jauguis These are People that have entirely abandoned the World and sequestered themselves into some very remote Corner or Garden like Eremites without ever coming to the Town If you carry them any Meat they receive it if they do not 't is believed that they can live without it and subfist by the sole Favour of God in perpetual Fasting Prayer and profound Meditations for they sink themselves so deep into these Raptures that they spend many hours together in being insensible and beholding in that time as they give out God himself like a very bright and ineffable Light with an unexpressible Joy and Satisfaction attended with an intire Contempt and forsaking of the World For thus much one of them that pretended he could enter into this Rapture when he pleased and had been often in it told me and others that are about them affirm the thing with so much seriousness that they seem to believe it in earnest that there is no Imposture in it To these others might be added who have had the like Notions and used the like Exercises as well anciently as at this time Such as the Indian Brachmans or Gymnosophists the Persian Magi and the Druides who are said by some to have been as ancient as Abraham's time The Character given by Bardisanes Syrus of the BRACHMANES that they neither worship Images nor eat what is animate neither drink Wine or Beer are far from all Malignity attending wholly to God is comprehensive enough to take in both the Austerities and Contemplations of those before-mentioned But the religious Care of the Ancients to conceal their most Sacred Mysteries from the Vulgar and their communication of them principally by successive verbal Tradition is a great reason that we have so little of this in any Writings not only of the rest whom we call Heathens but even of the Jews and Christians However it is plain by what is collected by our Author that these Notions and Exercises were not first introduced by Plotinus and his Disciples but derived to them from the Egyptians and the Chaldeans And if it be inquired from what Original they derived them it will be hard to discover any other than either Abraham and his Posterity as many assert or at least the common Parent Noah so that what our Author has collected to disparage Mystical Theology being well considered will prove a notable Recommendation of it For as it is most reasonable to believe that Noah did instruct his Posterity in all things of greatest Importance to them and that the Knowledge of them was transmitted to after-Generations and in particular to the Chaldeans and Egyptians in some sort or other but to the Jews intirely and without Mixture of Corruptions so it is not to be doubted but such inquisite Persons and especially into Divine Mysteries as Pythagoras Socrates and Plato Men of such extraordinary qualifications and so favoured as they were must have obtained a compleat Knowledge of them from all these Nations and especially at that time in and after the Captivity when they seem by Divine Providence to have been carried away out of their own Countrey for that very end and purpose that God's dealings with them might be more fully known to other Nations For the Posterity of Abraham was undoubtedly designed by Almighty God to be a Light and Admonition to the Gentiles even from the beginning in all their various States in Egypt in the Wilderness in the Land of Canaan in their Captivity and in their Dispersion to this very day Nor do I at all doubt but there was so much Knowledge of Truth derived from them to other Nations as together with what is observable in the Works of God and what was received from the Common Ancestors was sufficient for the Salvation of all who used and improved the same as they ought and for the just Condemnation of the rest who neglected it And therefore if we find that these Men were acquainted with the Mystick Divinity that is with the thing whether under that Name or any other it matters not if we find undeniable Evidence of it among the Chaldeans and Egyptians and others before if we find the most ancient Christian Asceticks well acquainted with it and much or rather altogether in the Practice of it before Dionysius his Theologia Mystica was known in the World this put together is such a Constellation of concurrent and corroborating Evidences that whencesoever that Name and some Terms and Expressions which seem somewhat uncouth came in after Ages yet that the thing it self must have been derived from some very ancient common Original to those Nations and to those Christian Asceticks not from the Collections of the Adversaries of Christianity which is a meer groundless Oratorical Fiction to expose it no more than from Dionysius whom our Author doth not believe to have been so ancient but either from some of the first Converts of the Jews or which seems more likely from a Divine Conduct and Inspiration for they were many of them unacquainted with Humane Learning Nor do I see any reason to think that the Institutions of the Sons of the Prophets among the Jews were much different from the Mystical Theology which is thus opposed by our Author but rather that the same Institutions were conveyed as Secrets by Tradition to some principal Men of all Nations from the Common Parent Noah And indeed if we do but fairly that is candidly and without Prejudice consider that Account of this Divinity which our Author hath chosen for his purpose to collect from a late Author Father Austin Baker and Mr. Cressy's Preface I suppose it will sufficiently recommend it self as no improper or unlikely Method to have been used by the ancient Prophets Let the Reader judge of it saith he and so say I by these Passages in his viz. Mr. Cressy's Preface 1. The only proper Disposition towards receiving Supernatural Irradiations from God's Holy Spirit is an Abstraction of Life a Sequestration from all Business that concerns others and an Attendance to God alone in the Depth of the Spirit And a little after 2. The Lights here desired and prayed for are such as do expell all Images of Creatures and do calm all manner of Passions to the end the Soul being in a Vacuity may be more capable of receiving and entertaining God in the pure Fund of the Spirit Thus far our Author out of Mr. Cressy But I think fit to add to these two the rest of his Characters of Divine Inspirations whereby they may be distinguished from Fanaticism
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
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
the Creature when God hath thus as it were dismissed and cast it off But resigning it self and loving its Misery for his Sake and because it is his Will that it should be so An Exercise wherein our Lord himself was pleased to be tried that he might become a merciful High Priest before God and experimentally that he might compassionate our Infirmities in the great Desolation he underwent in the Garden the Night before his Passion Heb. 4.15 2.17 Where caepit pavere taedere saith the Evangelist Matt. 26.37 38. And that sad Expression came from him Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem Tarry here and watch with me Mark 14.34 Yet these Desolations also in a Soul thus far advanced in Grace are not void of a mixture of Joy and Satisfaction that it hath always in God's Will being performed in them which Will of God now in whatever happens is a constant Consolation to it and the Apostles Precept 1 Thess 5.16 17. of Semper gaudete is thus accomplished in such a Soul as well as his orate sine intermissione and go together For there cannot want Content where the Mind hath its Desire nor doth such a Mind want this that is unanimous with the Divine Will the want of which Conformity is only from the loving of something that is against his Will Worldly Sorrows saith St. Gregory affligentes cruciant but these Spiritual reficiunt dum affligunt In the one is In afflictione maeror but in the other In merore laetitia Moral l. 23. c. 13. Nay more true Sweetness in these Sorrows than in the other Joys And the abstaining in such a sharp Tryal from all Sin against God or seeking Comfort from any thing besides Him or giving over her accustomed Exercises of Piety argues also then a close Vnion of the Soul with God though not so sensible and that when it thinks it self farthest from him it is in some sort nearest to him Lastly by and upon these Spiritual Desolations ordinarily it is that the Soul afterward receives higher sensible Visits and Caresses from God then any former were for which the Soul seems best prepared by this her extream Poverty and Lowness and then it is if ever the Soul receives them with more Gratitude and both highlier values them and villifies its self And it is God's ordinary way to exalt us in proportion to our Humility and to be Adjutor in tribulationibus as in opportunitatibus when also the Soul is more endeared unto him by her Sufferings All this I have said to shew that these Spiritual Desolations of which this Author Ironically saith Then when one would least expect them follow c. are a necessary part of the Way to Perfection and that the resistance of such Pressures when they come or a non-compliance with them in shewing much Irresignation and Impatience in seeking to relieve such Spiritual Desertions with some secular Contents in relaxing former Holy Practices and the like disappoints the Soul of those following Consolations which are the proper Reward of these Sufferings and disturbs God's Work in her and good Intentions toward her and hinders her Growth in Vertue by her retaining still those Imperfections and that Self-love which these rightly received would have purged and mortified This of the fourth Step to Perfection Desolation 5. The Fifth is a State more settled constant and tranquil where neither these Desolations are so fequent or necessary nor those Coelestial Visits so violent or so short § 65. To these I shall add two or three of his Answers to Objections and Cavils such as I think most pertinent for Common use and first whereas upon the first Step his Adversary descants thus A sad Case to end our days as Christ and his Apostles did who used this low dispensation of Praying to the last But alas they never understood these Vnions with God in the Fund of the Spirit they taught Men a plain and intelligible way of Serving God and bid them look for Perfection in another World To this he replies I ask Did our Lord and his Apostles end their days only or chiefly in the first Step here that of Meditation and Discursive or Vocal Prayer and never ascend to the second Step exercising more therein the Will and Affections in Aspirations and Elevations of the Soul to God What think we of the most exalted Disciple St. John every where discoursing so much of Love and of our dwelling by Love in God and God in us 1 John 4.16 What of those Precepts Pray without ceasing 1 Thess 5.17 Watch and pray always Luk. 21.36 And with all Perseverance therein Eph. 6.18 Are these to be understood only of Vocal and discursive Prayer the first Step or not rather of Effective Prayer the second according to that Qui semper desiderat semper orat which latter is also much easier to be continued Again What think we of our Lord 's spending so long time in Prayer often mentioned in the Gospels Rising up a great while before day for this purpose Mar. 1.35 Again retiring into the Wilderness for a great vacancy to it Luk. 5.16 Before the day of the Election of his twelve Apostles the twelve Foundations of his Church ascending into a solitary Mountain and there spending the whole Night in Prayer Luk. 6.13 His ascending again into another Mountain before he took his last Journey to Jerusalem for the accomplishing of his Passion taking three of his Disciples with him where all the Night again was spent in Prayer for it is said he descended not from the Hill till the next day and that there the three Disciples were surprised with Sleep Luk. 9.37 32. In which Prayer they saw his Countenance changed and an anticipated appearance of his Glory such as he shall have when he comes to Judgment 2 Pet. 1.16 and an Apparition also of Moses and Elias they by a supernatural Illumination knowing also who the Persons were Matt. 16.28 and his Disciple Peter in such an Extatick Joy as that he cryed out Bonum est esse hic c. Luk. 9.33 not knowing saith the Evangelist what he said So in our Lord 's being in Prayer presently after John's Baptizing him happened the Vision of the Heavens opened the Holy Ghost descending upon him in a Bodily shape like a Dove seen by the Baptist Luk. 3.21 22. and a Voice from Heaven speaking to him as here Thou art my beloved Son Luk. 9.35 And then a Rapt of the same Spirit that carried him into the Desart where also we may rationally imagin his time to have been wholly spent in Prayer and Devotion and this in such a degree as to suspend and supercede the ordinary Functions of Nature as to Eating and Drinking and in these his Prayers the Tempter to have assaulted him What think we again of our Lord's Infremuit Spiritu once and again in his Prayer to his Father for the Resurrection of Lazarus Joh. 11.33 38. of the ravishing Expressions of his Love
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
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
sad Truth but Truth it is and a Great one too and very manifest to all whose Eyes are open That our Vniversities and Church Preferments which were designed by our Pious Ancestors for the promotion of true Piety as well as Learning are by the Subtilty of Satan and Neglect of true Piety and Devotion to God become very subservient to the Kingdom of Darkness less to the Kingdom of Light From which corrupt Fountain hath proceeded one way or other not only all our Divisions but most of all the Evils which do now afflict either the Ecclesiastical or Civil State and if some very good Care be not speedily taken more and greater yet are more like to ensue than these be removed Of all the Sects which have sprung up amongst us there is none more considerable in this respect whereof I am speaking or less considered as it ought to be than that of the QUAKERS as they are abusively called begun by GEORGE FOX a young Man born of mean but honest and religious Parents at Drayton in Leicester-shire in the Year of our Lord 1624. and educated from his tender years in the Fear of the Lord but to no more Humane Learning than only to read English and write indifferently He was in his Youth disposed to Virtue and Piety and when upward of Nineteen retired from his Relations and Acquaintance and lived in divers places where he was not known working at his Trade of a Shoe-maker with his hands for his Livelyhood but exercising his Mind in serious Meditations both while at his Work and at other times of Leisure especially In the Year 1646. he understood That Vniversity Learning was not enough to qualifie Men to be Ministers of Christ and thereupon instead of hearing them used to retire with his Bible into Solitary places joyning neither with the Ministers of the Church nor with the Dissenters but relying wholly upon the Lord Jesus Christ for his Inward Teaching At another time he understood That God who made the World did not dwell in Temples made with Hands but in his Peoples Hearts And in the Year 1647. having been for some time exercised with Temptations and Troubles in his Mind he came farther to understand That all was done and to be done in and by Christ and How he conquers and destroys the Tempter And some time after he went among the Professors at Duckenfield Manchester and declared Truth as he calls it amongst them and also at Broughton in Leicester-shire and Mansfield in Northampton-shire and then People came far and near to see him And here his Preaching seems to have commenced And in 1648. were divers Meetings of Friends in several Places And this was the Beginning of that Sect which is now become so considerable in outward Appearance and I wish more considerable in a true inward Power than it is For as all Man-kind are apt to relapse and sink down again from the Elevation to which God at any time raised them so I doubt are this People now relapsed very much into a Form only of a different sort and appearance The Beginning of George Fox seems to have been by and under a true Divine Conduct such as Abraham was led by such as Moses was driven by from the Court of Pharaoh into the Wilderness and such as the Holy Prophets of Old and greater numbers of Holy Christians afterwards were partly led and partly driven by into the Wilderness Solitary places and Retirement from Relations Friends and Acquaintance as our Saviour saith to forsake Father and Mother Brother and Sister and House and Land for his sake and in those Retirements he did receive Openings as he calls it of Truth indeed and when he came from his Retirement and went into the Meetings of Professors he did declare Truth indeed as he expresseth it For it is a certain Truth that University Learning that Preaching and Praying at Churches or elsewhere that the Studying of the Holy Scriptures that the Profession of Faith in Christ the Use of the Sacraments and most frequent and constant use of the great and chief Solemnity of the Christian Worship nay even Zeal for Christ and doing Miracles in his Name and Reliance upon his Merits are all though good in their kind and very necessary and some absolutely necessary yet are all short and deceitful to those who rest in them and seek not in all and above all that inward Principle of Light and Life which is Christ in them who receive him in Sincerity and Purity and retain it by faithful and ready Obedience to his Conduct This George saw very well and rightly And if he did in the heat of Disputes either through Transport or any humane Infirmity or through the Subtilty of Satan getting any Advantage of him over-shoot himself it is no more than what Luther and Calvin and the rest of the Reformers have done who whether they have reformed or deformed most may very well bear a Dispute and he and his Party deserve to be pitied and helped out by gentle and kind means And great reason there is for it upon two accounts at the least 1. Because the Scandals given were the occasions of their Errors 2. Because Christianity having before been pull'd to pieces and no where compleat intire and clear from Corruptions and Abuses to be found in any Church or Party of People in the World they of all the parts chose the better the Soul leaving the Body as a dead Carcass to the rest It is true this is in a great Measure to be imputed to those who by their Empty Formality gave the Occasion yet it was a Fault in Them who took such Offence at it What God hath joyned together Man must not presume to put asunder If the Leaper be commanded to wash in Jordan 2 King 5.10 he must not think that to wash in the Rivers of Damascus will do as well If the Blind Man be commanded to wash in Siloam Jo. 9.7 or even Moses to cast up Ashes into the Air Exod. 9.8 the Command must be obeyed and observed or the Effect shall not follow If People be commanded to be Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus that their Sins may be forgiven and that they may receive the Holy Ghost Act. 2.38 41. if they presume to neglect and cavil at the Command their Sins are more like to be increased and faster bound than forgiven and they more like to receive Satan transformed in a Spirit of Delusion than the Holy Spirit of God and to die in their Sins though with many false Comforts than to come to true Rest in the Lord in any other way than he hath prescribed God's Command if it be but the forbearing of an Aâ—ple Gen. 2.17 3.3 6 11. or the doing that which our Reason cannot understand must be observed punctually Disobedience to the Wisdom of God is no less a Sin than Disobedience to his Will And therefore I dare not excuse this People in this for their
been managed and so superficially and impertinently our Preaching been generally throughout the Nation that we have disputed one part into disbelief of the Scriptures and Infidelity another into contempt of one of the chief Principles of Christianity and generally all into Neglect and Contempt of the Examples Precepts and Counsels of greatest Perfection in the Christian Religion and together with that preached the People generally into a careless tepid state of Indifferency so that in the Country especially it is rare to meet with two or three good sensible intelligent lively Christians in a Parish And who of our principal Clergy can deny any of this And if it be all true why is it not reformed If they cannot reform all why not as much as they can Why is not the Christian Worship restored in their Cathedrals And if those be so burden'd by prophane Officers imposed upon them that they fear to expose it why do they not reform their own Families and restore it at least in their own Chappels What Account will this Glorious Church as carnal Flatterers call it give of their Neglect of Propagating the Gospel in Foreign parts at least in our own Plantations and suffering them to be such Nourseries of Scandals to the Infidels What Account of the many things fit to be done at home for the Service of their Master and fit to be considered by them jointly in a Body and promoted in Parliament which yet are neither studied nor considered nor so much as thought on by any of them no more than if they did not belong to their Care or were not of any Concern to their Master though they sit Session after Session in the Parliament But how can it be expected that they should ever extend their care to things so remote who take no more care of what doth concern them in their own Chappels and Families It is an amazing thing for one whose Eyes are open to consider these things But it fairs with collective Bodies of Men as with single Persons they are subject to the like Diseases the State of this Church is plainly a Tepid Scorbutick Latitudinarian Laodicean State quite sick of the Prudentials and has been so in a manner from the first Settlement of the Reformation And to speak freely as becomes an honest Man though there was great need of a Reformation when it was begun by Luther and long before yet hath that great Work been so ill managed with more of the Antichristian than Christian Spirit that I cannot see by any growth in Grace and Virtue that the Blessing of God hath ever been with it only he seems to have preserved these Reformations rather as Judgments and Corrections for the Obstinacy of that Church which would not reform and raised up and preserved the several Sub-divisions of Parties amongst us for the very same cause and purpose For the True Cause of all the Divisions and Separations amongst us is no other but our Scandals Abuses and Corruptions both by way of Natural Causation and by the special Judgment of God to awaken us if it be possible And though the Blessing of God the true Spiritual Christian Blessing be not upon them because he doth not favour Schisms and Divisions yet is his Protection over them as his Instruments in the Nature of a Judgment and in some things to raise an Emulation in those of the Church if they would lay it to heart and understand it For there is none of them all but there is some thing in them which may serve for Admonition and Notice of something amiss in the Church This which I have now said may be of use not only to them of the Church but also to all the several separate Parties and deserve their very serious and deep Consideration For it is not a light matter to Make a Schism or Division in any particular Church or in the Catholick Church It hath been looked upon in all Ages to be a damnable Sin and who-ever doth well consider the several weighty Admonitions in the Scriptures concerning it if he have not a benumed Conscience will not make light of it nor yield to plausible pretences there is nothing so bad but the Wit of Man and subtile Suggestions of Satan can put a colour upon it nor so good but they can mis-represent it and disparage it but it is dangerous and very imprudent to play tricks with Sacred things Any thing else may be more safely medled with in that manner This does concern them all in general and I must add a word or two more There are none of the best of them that I have yet talked with that could or would deny that their Party was much sunk in Piety and Virtue from those degrees of it which was in those before them of the same Party And this being so it concerns us all to consider well whether the Apostacy foretold be not an Apostacy in Practice as well as in Principles and Whether while we are gazing to see the Judgments of God upon it abroad it may not be found amongst us at home and we feel in a surprize upon the Nation at home what we expect to see elsewhere at Rome as was upon this City in sixty six And certain I am that there are not only Antichristian Principles amongst us all but whole Antichristian Sects and Parties which deceived by the Subtilty of Satan under the most specious appearances of the most pure and refined Christianity do undermine and enervate the true Genuine Christianity and the Power of Godliness It is one of the Devil 's most subtile Policies by abuse of Scripture and mis-application of certain Truths to impose upon People and overturn them So he began with our Saviour and so he goes on with Professors to and at this day The Holy Scriptures are abused the Honour of God is abused the Merits of Christ are abused the Guidance of the Spirit is abused the Moderation and Condescention of the Gospel is abused and whatever is most Excellent and Admirable is abused by the Subtilty of the Enemy and the supine Negligence and Inconsiderateness and Folly of Men. And woe be to them who dare presume to be the Instruments and Leaders in these Abuses and Doctrines It is certain that our Saviour gave Instructions to his Apostles for the Settling of his Church and that they accordingly in all places where there were a competent number of Converts did ordain Elders and gave Authority to others to do the like and so settled a Succession in the Church which hath continued all over the World to this day And it is certain that the State of the Jews was so corrupted in his time as provoked the Judgment of God upon them so that they are a Monument thereof all over the World to this day and yet neither He nor his Disciples did ever refuse communion with them till they were cast out and so far was he from allowing them to separate that he foretold
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