do not exercise them according to their own Will or as they please but they are resign'd to God that he may do in them and by them when and how he please For Example St. Paul had without doubt the Gift of Miracles he struck Elymas Blind raised the Young Man that fell down dead and healed others And yet nevertheless when he was taken he made none Blind that he might escape from his Persecutors neither did he miraculously heal Epaphirus Trophimus Timothy And even so when the Light of God the Gift of Knowledge c. is given unto the Saints they do not therefore discover all things in that Light and by that Gift according to their Will but being dead to their own Will and resign'd to the Will of God they discover in that Light of God those things only which he is pleased to manifest unto them in it so that if God in his Wisdom see it convenient for them that they be ignorant of the Evils of some with whom they converse whether to exercise them or that some external things may be done to them by these Hypocrites or for other Ends known to his infinite Wisdom then without any Prejudice to the Light of God or the Gift of Discerning of Spirits they shall not know these Hypocrites till God be pleas'd to bring that Gift into act as to that Matter which he uses to do when he sees it necessary either for their own Salvation or that of others or for the Glory of his Name It is a great Error then for us to think that the Gifts of God are managed by Mens Self-will or Self-wisdom and from hence to conclude that that Person to whom the inward Disposition of others was known for some time did not only want the Gift of Discerning Spirits but that also it is from hence evident that it cannot be known from such a Person 's Life and Doctrine that he was led by the Spirit of God since he did embrace in others that which was but Appearance and Imposture only for Truth For David Jeremy another true Prophet they who baptized Simon Magus Paul as to Demas have sometimes taken the Appearance or Imposture of some Hypocrites or Liars for Truth Does it from hence follow that it could not be known by their Life and Doctrine that they were led by the Spirit of God As if the stress of their whole Life and Doctrine were to be laid upon some one or other innocent Mistake Or as if rather from hence it ought not to be inferred that God in his Wisdom saw it expedient that they should be ignorant of the Hypocrisie of such Persons for some time and that the Gift of Discerning of Spirits should be differently directed and applied in those who are acted by the Spirit of God according to his Will who can truly say Not I live but Christ lives in me Thus I have given a plain and true Narrative of the Sentiments of Antonia Bourignon both as to the Essential and Accessory Truths And of the Prejudices generally raised against her and the just Defences she makes for her self by which she clears and removes them and of the Evidences she brings for her being led by the Spirit of God and not by that of the Devil or Nature or her own Imagination and the Answers given to what is oppos'd against it And tho' I might have contracted all into lesser Bounds yet I chose rather to give it in her own Words and to let her speak for her self And now after all I beg leave to summ up the Evidence XXVI If any pretend to be led by the Spirit of God and in the mean time are worldly or sensual or selfish or contradict the Doctrine of Jesus Christ it is evident they are not of God But if any publish to the World a Doctrine that is Pure and Holy tending only to mortifie Corrupt Nature and to recover the Love of God if it be wholly conformable unto and the same with the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and of his Gospel If they who publish it do still live conformably unto it and bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit of God in their whole Life and Practice despising all temporal things and tending only to things eternal and manifesting the Righteousness Goodness and Truth of God in all their Actions if their Words be accompanied with a Force and Power which reaches the Heart and convinces the Conscience If they discover often the secret Thoughts of the Hearts of others and their Dispositions even sometimes tho' their Persons be unknown to them If they be Persons full of Simplicity and Sincerity having no worldly Aim doing nothing to please Men nor to gain their Esteem but declaring the Truth in Simplicity even in things which they know will be most unpleasing to Men and will bring upon them Hatred Contempt and Persecution from Men instead of their Favour and Esteem If they are altogether Illiterate and have acquired no Knowledge by the humane means of Study Reading Conversation and Meditation and yet manifest a clear distinct and comprehensive Knowledge of Divine Things far beyond the most Learned Divines If in declaring those Truths to the World by writing they flowed from them as Water does from a Fountain as fast as their Hand could guide the Pen without musing or meditating what to write or changing and correcting what they had once written or reading it over again and yet all as to the main is of a Thread most rational and clear and consistent and no real Contradiction either to the Holy Scriptures or amongst those Writings themselves as to the Essence and Substance of them And if such declare to the World that of themselves they are sinful Nothings of the corrupt Mass of Adam from whence nothing can come but Evil and that all the Good that is in them and all the Truths they communicate to the World is not from them but from God and the immediate Operation of his Holy Spirit who is pleased to make use of weak and simple Means to confound the Mighty and Wise If all these can be truly said of any these are certainly Evidences that will abide the Verdict of an impartial Jury even tho' there be no visible Miracles as John the Baptist and many of the ancient Prophets did none there being no New Doctrine publish'd but the pressing and clearing of that already declared and confirm'd by Jesus Christ and his Apostles Now this is the Summ of the Plea of Antonia Bourignon and for the Proof of it as to her Doctrine and Sentiments she refers to her Writings which any that please may consult as to her Life and Spirit to those who were daily Witnesses of it of which there are a Cloud of Testimonies made publick as also for the manner of composing her Writings As to the Force and Efficacy of them to those who by their Experience have found and do attest it And these are the
that by this Word the inward Thoughts of his Heart are made manifest and laid open he is forced to fall down upon his Face and to acknowledge that it is God who speaks unto him This one Mark is sufficient to prove the Divine Authority of the Holy Scripture and it is so clear that it may be understood by the most simple moreover it is most certain and infallible To this many other Marks might be added which for brevity's sake I pass over and so much the rather that they are to be had abundantly from those Writers who have designedly treated of the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures XXII Now that this may be applied to the Writings of Antonia Bourignon both I my self and many Persons of Probity have experienced and do daily experience that those Writings do as clearly lay before us our inward State as if God were immediately speaking unto us Moreover they do so clearly and so lively set before our Eyes the Vanity and Nothingness of all Earthly and Temporal things and the Glory of Heavenly and Eternal things that we are forced unless we would do Violence to our Conscience to love and seek after these last things only and absolutely to forsake and avoid the other And there is no doubt but that all they who sincerely desire to do the Will of God and to embrace and practice the Truth which they know shall experience in themselves the same Effects from the reading of those Writings and give Testimony that they are endited by the Spirit of God XXIII Moreover the Writings of Antonia Bourignon are so consonant to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament that from hence it appears more clearly than the Sun at Noon-day that the same Spirit has endited both Yea the Writings of Antonia Bourignon are as a Key whereby the Sacred Scriptures are opened and expounded So that the great Mysteries hitherto understood by none are expounded by these Writings and the Difficulties which hitherto have been most intricate are resolved It is also most worthy of Observation that a Virgin so simple as Antonia Bourignon should without Study or Meditation commit to Writing the most solid clear and saving Truths Being moved to write against her natural Inclination only for promoting the Glory of God and the Good of her Neighbour without the prospect of any temporal Advantage but on the contrary foreseeing that she must suffer much because of these Writings as the Event did confirm for because she did so clearly and efficaciously declare the saving Truth the Churchmen and the Learned of all Sects and Parties did prosecute her with Hatred Calumnies and Persecution even to her Death XXIV We judge therefore that we have abundance of Reasons and Arguments to conclude that A. B. was moved by the Spirit of God to write for the enlightning of others The End of the Third Part. An Advertisement to the Reader THEY who esteem the Writings and Sentiments of A. B. will no doubt be desirous to know the History of her Life and they who make it their Business to traduce and defame her to the World do make it necessary to be known thereby to prevent or remove the Prejudices which they may breed in the Minds of well-disposed Persons against Writings which would be so helpful to them in the way to Eternal Life The inward Sentiments of others cannot be known but from themselves or by the Spirit of God and their Sincerity may appear from the constant Tenour of their Actions in the whole course of their Lives and the Story of their Life and Actions may be had both from themselves and from those who have been Eye-Witnesses of their Conversation both Friends and indifferent Persons The Testimony of Enemies in bespattering and defaming them is no more to be regarded than that of false Witnesses when there are unquestionable Evidences to the contrary It is easie also for those who consider things with an evil Eye to give such a turn to the Actions of the Best as may make them hateful and ridiculous witness the Author of Dictionaire Historique Critique in his Character of the King and Prophet David The inward Life of A. B. and the outward likewise for a Course of many Years is written by her self and the Continuation of it to her Death by a Person of known Integrity who was with her for some of the last Years of her Life and was helped in it by her own Memorials and those of her Friends and often led her to relate unto him her whole Life Besides there are some sixty Testimonies some private others publick before Judges Magistrates upon Oath of Persons to whom she was well known which do refer to a good part of the most remarkable Events of her Life From these Originals then I have drawn the following Summary of her Life the fuller Account being to be had from those Writings themselves I know there are many who sit in the Seat of the Scornful and will turn all this into Ridicule at which we need not wonder when even the Penmen of the Sacred Scriptures dâ—es not escape their Lash God's ways are so different froâ— Man's that the natural Man perceiveth not the things that are of God but they seem Foolishness to him We have strong Attachments to Parents Friends Wife Children to our Guides the Learned the Eloquent the Great to Study and Learning and worldly Accommodations and therein gratifie and cherish the corrupt Inclinations of our Hearts God will have Iâ—struments form'd upon different Molds Our Lord would not let them go take leave of their Friends or go bury their Father He engages them to forsake their Wives and Children or if they be free not to be bound God makes Men forsake their Country and their Friends and go they know not where upon his Word only He chooses Children Persons without Learning forbidding them to study or to follow the Conduct and Wisdom of Men. He chooses them Wâ—â—k and Simple without Authority or Power without a Following or Applause keeps them for the most part in Solitude either that they may converse with God or to preserve them from the Persecutions of Men of those especially who call themselves the Church and People of God and when he draws them out of it he lets them be chas'd from one Place to another and at last die in Assliction and Misery How impertinent does this Conduct seem to the Wisdom of humane Reason and yet by these Rules God has form'd Men for his Service in all Ages Abraham Jacob Moses David Elisha Jeremiah Ames â—ohn Baptist â—esus Christ himself all the Apostles and the true Saints who have followed him When Men then are so wise in their own Eyes as to condemn this in the Person of A. B. they must know that they condemn the Conduct of God himself in his Saints who will thereby have their Hearts and Wills wholly disengag'd from self and all worldly
have also the Pencil which is the Word with which Jesus Christ and his Apostles laid on these fine Colours of Vertues in Souls but they want as that Ape the Spirit of that excellent Master which is Jesus Christ They have on Paper the same Words which the Holy Spirit dictated but they have not the same Holy Spirit to apply them in Practice to their own Souls and far less to the Souls of their Hearers XXV 10. Those Writings give us such just and clear Representations of the Truths of Christianity as tend to take us off from Self and from the Creatures and to make us turn unto and depend wholly upon God such as does not favour us in the least Sin and yet encourages the greatest Sinner to turn to God such as leads us to ascribe nothing to our selves but Evil and nothing to God but Good Such as lets us see that nothing can excuse us from obeying the Commands of the Gospel and following the Example of Jesus Christ without which by him tâ—ere is no Salvation It is true of Doctrines as well as Men By their Fruits ye shall know them Such Doctrines as tend to sooth Mens Corrupt Inclinations to teach them how to love God and the World too to gratifie their Appetites here and yet hope to enjoy God hereafter I do not mean in so many express Words but in their natural Tendency such certainly are not of God Now the Doctrines contained in those Writings have quite another Tendency as has been said There we have such true and lively Representations of God as shews us that he is altogether Lovely of his Design in creating Man only to be enjoy'd and lov'd by him without any decree or purpose of damning the greatest part of Mankind as may stir us up to comply with so tender a Love with so generous a Design of the horrid Degeneracy and Corruption of Man now both in Soul and Body as may make us abhor our selves of our Sins their being purely our own deed without any the least Predetermination or Concurrence of God but the contrary as may keep us from excusing our selves or laying the blame on God of the Merits Satisfaction and Intercession of Jesus Christ as may convince us that Pardon and Reconciliation with God and Grace and Means to return to God is to be obtain'd and that only by him of the Necessity and Nature of the preventing concurring and renewing Grace of God as may make us continually seek to him for it and yield up our selves to be guided by it of the Nature and Corruption of our Will as shews the absolute necessity of denying it and yielding it up to God of the Doctrine and Example of Jesus Christ as may convince us that our Corrupt Nature cannot be overcome and we cannot return to the Love of God without obeying his Precepts and following his Example Now Writings of such a Tendency ought not to be despis'd and ridicul'd by the Professors and Preachers of the Religion of Jesus Christ and that they have this Tendency I appeal to any who have read any of them without an Evil Eye XXVI 11. Those Writings do contain also many Divine Explications of the Holy Scripture not after the way of criticizing and reckoning up the several meanings and acceptions of a Word or the various Sences of Inpreters which a Man may be well vers'd in and yet be altogether ignorant of the true sence and meaning of the Holy Scripture where he pretends to Interpret it We see all Sciences have a certain Light by which they are discerned a certain Disposition of Faculties which makes us capable to understand them certain Principles which lead to the Knowledge of them and when these are wanting we grope in the Dark Children and Boys may understand all the Words of a Book of Philosophy of the Propositions in Euclid and yet understand nothing of the Truths contain'd there To understand the Holy Scriptures and the things of God we had need to be endued with the same Spirit and to be in the same Disposition with those who wrote them Now if any will be pleas'd to compare the Expositions given in those Writings of some places of Holy Scripture with the learned Comments of the Interpreters and Criticks of the Age I am perswaded that if they be not greatly prejudic'd they will be convinc'd that her Expositions come from a more Divine Original than than the most of the other that they give a clearer Light more worthy of God and more suitable to the great Ends of Religion that in this the Truth of our Saviour's words is manifest that God hides these things from the Wise and Prudent and reveals them unto Babes and that with great reason she blest God who preserv'd her from drinking in Humane Learning Of all these I shall instance one which deserves a particular Consideration and that is her Exposition of the 24th Chapter of St. Matthew set down in the First Part of La Lumiere nee on Tenebres It is too long to offer to transcribe it here they who are desirous to see it need not want Occasions To this I cannot but subjoin the just Cautions she gives and the excellent Rules for the Interpreting of the Holy Scriptures She makes appear how rash Men are in glossing the Holy Scriptures since the things which concern our Salvation are so plainly set down in them that they need no Glosses and the obscure things cannot be understood but by the same Spirit who endited them and not by Humane Wisdom which is directly opposite to the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit which descends only into humble Souls That they who will needs interpret the Scriptures by Humane Wisdom fall into great Mistakes and understand the Terms quite othewise than the Spirit of God intended Thus it is said that God hardened Pharaoh's Heart the meaning cannot be that he hardens Mens Hearts by making them obstinate in Evil for God can never co-operate to any Evil being the Fountain of all Good But he speaks thus to make us know that he leaves a wicked Man to go on in his Wickedness when he will not be restrain'd But on his part he uses always Goodness towards them that he may convert them both by good Inspirations Admonitions and other proper Means But when their Free-wills are willful to persist in Evil he leaves them to themselves The main Difficulty there is in understanding of the Scriptures arises from this that we do not know the Qualities of God and we are ready to attribute to him such as Men have imagining that he has a Love for some and a Hatred for others And thus every one is wedded to his own Sence and Opinions and will maintain them as the Truths of God But the best Course is still to take the Holy Scriptures in that Sence that draws us more and more to the Love of God and to the Knowledge of our own
Origine of the Divine Ministery which for this very Reason is highly necessary to wit that they who live holily and are illuminated by God may shine and go before others Even as an Artificer that is skilful in any Art goes before his Scholars and Apprentices by working that they may imitate him And as in an unknown way we choose a Guide who may lead us into the right and shortest way And as there are certain Signs given whereby we may know if this Artificer understand his Trade and if the Guide know well the best and shortest way so there are sure Marks whereby we may know if any be Holy and enlightned by God and do truly love him This is a sign if he seek those things that are above and not those things that are on Earth if he love not the World nor the things that are in the World And altho' it fall out and falls out but too often that Hypocrites and wicked Persons may outwardly so behave themselves as if they were truly Holy and in the Love of God that by their feigned Piety the Good may be seduced yet God will not permit their Hyprocisie to be always hid especially when the Salvation of others is thereby in hazard V. It is therefore certain and acknowedg'd by all Men of sound Reason that it may be known by manifest and undoubted Signs if any love God and is Holy So all Christians are fully perswaded that Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses and the other Patriarchs and also the Apostles were Holy Men. This we know 1. by the Evidence they gave from their Deeds Words and Writings that they saw clearly that God and things invisible were far more excellent than the Creatures and things visible and were thereby engaged to forsake these things and count them as nothing and only to seek and love those other things with all their Heart Believing that God is and that he is a Rewarder of those who seek him To this Testimony 2. there is added the Testimony of others who well knew the thing and are not moved by any Self-Interest or Advantage to give this Testimony which gives us so much Assurance that we may acquiesce in it as we do in the Testimonies of Historians Geographers and Naturalists in things of which they have been Eye Witnesses in their respective Sciences To this add 3. that so long as there is nothing made appear contrary to these Testimonies there is no reason to call them in Question 4. We may be certain of the Holiness of another and of their Love of God by the Testimony of our own Conscience for he who is truly Holy and possesses the Love of God does rightly infer from the Conformity of anothers Actions to his that that other Person is Holy and loves God But he who has not attain'd to this Perfection may yet be certain of the Holiness of others by observing that their Actions do as far excel and transcend his as the Actions of him who sees clearly and walks at Noon-day do transcend those of a Blind Man or of one groping in the Dark But as for those of an evil Eye as they are Blind tho' they boast that they see so they are not in a State of Judging of others Besides it would serve them to no purpose so long as they remain in that damnable State to know if others be Holy or not To these may be added 5. as a Testimony of the Holiness of any the Miracles and wonderful Works which such Men do and the extraordinary Light communicated unto them by God But whereas there are also lying Wonders by which false Prophets do seduce many and the Dragon is worshipped by all the World and seeing the Devil has great Knowledge therefore this Testimony alone without the foregoing is not enough to ascertain us of the Holiness of any VI. But that we may come more closely to the matter in hand I say if it can be made appear that the Evidences and Signs which convince us that the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles were endued with Holiness and the Love of God have place also as to Antonia Bourignon then we may be assured likewise that this Virgin was Holy and in the Love of God VII That Antonia Bourignon testifies this of her self is not doubted by any who has look'd though but superficially into her Writings For she bears Witness in many places of her Sanctity and extraordinary Love of God So that her Adversaries take occasion from hence to reproach her as if it were not sutable to the Sanctity of Holy Persons that they themselves should publish the Grace given them by God and they would most absurdly discredit such a Testimony As the corrupt Jews did for the same Reason reject Jesus Christ because he bore Witness of himself But our Saviour did so little regard this that he said nothing else but I have spoken the Truth and if ye will not believe me believe the Works which I do Thus we see also that Moses David Paul and other Holy Writers were not afraid to declare the Grace given them by God Which Testimony ought not in any wise to be look'd upon as a Token of Pride because these Holy Men were convinc'd that they were nothing that they were come of the corrupt mass of Adam and so worthy of Damnation that of themselves they could not think one good Thought but that all their sufficiency was of God and that they had no Good but what they had received Moreover those Holy Men were commanded by God to bear Witness to the Truth of themselves that they might stop the Mouths of Gainsayers and might encourage the Good to yield up themselves wholly to God who can do even in the weakest when they deny themselves exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think For God has no respect of Persons but he gives to every one liberally And that Antonia Bourignon did truly imitate those Holy Men is abundantly demonstrated in her Writings even to the Confusion of Gainsayers for she was in that State that she endeavour'd always to speak the Truth only whether it made for her or against her not Studying to please Men as becomes the Servants of Jesus Christ VIII But that we may see whether we ought to give Credit to this verbal Testimony of A. B. we come to consider her Actions And these were such that throughout all her Life she sought only God and things Eternal entirely abandoning all the Creatures and things Temporal If you except some Years in which she followed the Vanities of the World not out of Inclination but that she might please Men tho' even then she did nothing that by Christians now adays is reckon'd to be Evil or blameworthy Yet this withdrawing from God did greatly hurt her while she enjoy'd worldly Delights she lost the Divine Ones and that with such bitter Remorse of Conscience that she thought her self in Hell She got no rest
the Prison 〈◊〉 brought him by the Hangman theâ— ' a Guard to the Place of Execution and caused to be 〈◊〉 her Books which they found in the Coffer and the Letter before him wishing they had her to burn there with them and the Hangman led him out of the Town and they banishâ—d him all Holstein The Pastours read an Ordinance of the Magistrates from the Pulpits forbidding to lodge any of the Friends of this Maid or to keep any Correspondence with them The Animosity was no less every where The Roman Priest the Jesuit of Frederickstadt wish'd he might furnish Fewel to burn her Peter Gerard Patin Priest of the Oratory at Mechlin who staid at Noordstrand and possess'd it for the Society and others of the Oratory detainned her Goods rejoiced in her Persecutions and made several Attempts to rid themselves of her LXVI When she returned to Husum she had a little Security there The Churchmen continued secretly their Pursuits to destroy her And where they become a Party they are an inexhaustible Source of Enmity and as all the People count them holy Men at least zealous for the Truth so they never want Men enough ready to devote themselves to the Execution of their unjust Passions When they forbad her to print any more there was in the Press unfinish'd in Low and High-Dutch the Treatise of Solid Vertue and since it treated of no Controversie she might have finish'd the Sheets that were wanting but she did it not However Surmises being made to the Pastours that the Press was going they obtained Orders from the Court that the Fiscal of Sleswick should seize the Press and what 〈◊〉 to it and under Colour of this by the Instigation or the Pastours and other Enemies he came with Fury Feb. 2. with Force to assist him entred the House with Insolence Cries and Menaces broke up the Chests and Chambers searched thro' all took not only the Press and what belongâ—d to it but many thousands of Books come from Holland a Hundred Reams of White-Paper her Papers and Books which concerned her Goods her Process her Books of Rentals Obligations Titles Papers of the Executory of M. de Cort being two Days a pillaging and all the Rabble about them All was had to the Town-House of Susum and from thence transported in ten or twelve Carts The Fiscal tore the Books in the Streets and gave them to any Body that pleas'd to have them crying Here 's the ungodly and blasphemous Books of Anthoinette Her Loss amounted to more than Six thousand Florins LXVII Yet the Pastors insatiable in their Persecutions continu'd their Complaints at the Court of Gottorp complaining that she was suffered still to write and speak and that any were permitted to go near her the Duke wearied with their Importunities Consents that she shall be put in perpetual Imprisonment and the Order is sent to General-Major Vanderwyck He was a Man of Probity and one that fear'd God and by a remarkable Rencounter those very Persecutions had brought him to know and esteem her for the Soldiers who were Centinels at the General 's Gate having catch'd some flying Leaves of her Book when they were transporting them in Carts the General coming in took out of one of their Hands one of these Sheets which was of the Treatise of Solid Vertue he thinking it had been a Gazette but having read it he was so astonish'd and so touch'd that he sigh'd for the Injustice done to those good Persons of whom he had never heard any thing spoken but ill Is this says he the Doctrine and the People of whom they speak so much Evil and whom they treat at this rate From that time he loved them When he received this Order he was so much touch'd with Indignation and Grief that he immediately went to ask the Prince the cause of his Commission and if he had heard the Accused in their own Defence The Prince said not but the Pastors would not give him rest and said so much ill of her that he must needs remove the Occasion But the General excus'd himself from executing the Order said he could not do it in Conscience and that his Highness should consider that even the Heathens condemn'd no Body without having first heard them that he should not let himself be so much pre-occupied by those Pastors as to hear them only and give Sentence on their Word without hearing the other Party The Prince was touch'd with it and well pleasâ—d he had hindred so unjust an Execution and immediately he generously revoked the Sentence which the Pastors had surpriz'd from him by their cunning Lies A Pattern for all Princes to imitate LXVIII The Pastours finding they had not Audience enough at Court resolve to make the World ring with their Slanders and bloody Reproaches against an innocent Maid Burchardus writes a Book called Christian and Solid Remarks on the blasphemous Errors of Antoinette Bourignon which she answered by a Writing Entituled The Touchstone M. Ouwe wrote another Pasquil called Apocalipsis Haereseos c. but he is so beside himself that he fights with his own Shadow and there could be no better Answer to him than to let him alone All their Writings and Calumnies can never alter the Heart of a good Man that is truly touch'd with a sence of Divine things One Line of Truth is more Powerful than all their Sophistries One of their Designs in writing was to engage her to answer that they might have a Pretence to seize her she being forbid to publish any thing and this they threatned to her Friends She resolved to go where she might be in more Security LXIX In the middle of the hard Winter 1674. which was so Extraordinary both for Frost and Snow she went to Sleswick where she was in as great Hazard as at Susum The late Exploit against her and the Calumnies and Sermons of the Pastors had alarum'd all the People They thought her some strange Monster of a Woman who had written Books which were burnt in some Places and confiscated in other and against which the Pastors thundred with so much Zeal and concluded her worse than the Hereticks that had been burnt To receive her into their Houses they thought was to take in one worse than the Devil and they would not have fail'd to turn her out to the Streets again The People were eanest to enquire for her every where and even as she past sometimes tho' unknown they would be enclin'd to think that it was Aâ—thoinette tho they had never seen her and knew only that she was a French Woman and unmarried and so nimble a Fugitive that she would be whiles here whiles there as it were by a Charm without knowing how She was forâ—'d to change from one House to another for she was no sooner come into any but they would presently think perhaps this was Anthoinette and became so prying and inquisitive that she was still necessitated to seek
in the Preface to the Light of the World not to affix such a Sence to any single Expressions or Passages of A. B â—s Writings as runs contrary to the whole Tenour of them and to a Protestation concerning the Summary of her Sentiments with Respect to the Essentials of Christianity there inserted for thus the best Authors may be traduced by the most shameful Manglings malicious Interpretations deceitful Calumnies injurious Consequences c. One would have thought that after all this he should not have followed these Measures himself and yet we find him palpably forming the high Charge of 1. Blasphemous Pride 2. Overturning all Priest hood and Ordinances of the Gospel 3. Vncharitableness and damning all the World 4. The misrepresenting the Design and Import of the Gospel 5. The perverting the Doctrine of the Gospel 6. A Contempt of the Holy Scriptures and lastly of wild and barbarous Notions against her upon the same False and Disingenuous Proceedings and not abstaining from the Furious and Spiteful Words Cloven Foot the Devil of a Saint Mad Craz'd Bigotted How false this Charge is how ill founded how contrary to the Temper of her Spirit and the strain of her Writings the Author might have observed from her own Writings if he had considered without Prejudice or Passion and may now further see in the Apology I need not fully resume the Particulars but only touch upon and direct him to the Places where he may have Satisfaction concerning them V. She is vindicated from the 1. of Blasphemous Pride in the Second Part of the Apology p. 166 c. where it appears that she is far from exalting her self above the Prophets or Apostles or Fathers far less above Jesus Christ himself that she acknowledges her self a poor frail Creature of the corrupt mass of Adam subject to Sins and Infirmities who greatly straied from God in her younger Years that of her self she has nothing but Evil and that all Good comes from God and that since it may please God in the latter Ages of the World by some of his Servants more clearly to explain and unfold the hidden Prophecies and Parables of the Old and New Testament when the time of their Accomplishment draws near it will not be found that those to whom God shall please to make such Discoveries are thereby exalted above the Prophets or Jesus Christ himself or that they by owning and declaring them do exalt themselves Thus A. B. when she speaks of God's Graces to her does it with the greatest Humility as is evident from these very Places cited by the Author whence he culls his half Sentences where she assumes to her self no Prerogative above the most Wicked of all Creatures or even a Stone or Wood wherewith she declares God might have served himself in declaring of his Marvels if it had been his Pleasure whom yet she cannot resist since he pleases to declare his Marvels by her and that he may damn her if she has merited it in the End being absolute Lord of all things to this Purpose her own Words in the 136 and 137 p. of the Light of the World are fully cited in the 169 p. of the Apology And thus also p. 132 of the Light of the World I would be very presumptuous says she to believe that these so clear Interpretations come from my self Yea on the other hand it should pass for an Instance of great Self-denial and humble Resignation unto the Will of God in any who will even by the Command of God declare themselves to be the Organ of his Spirit for more clear Explications of those things that have been formerly express'd in dark Similitudes and Parables when they know assuredly that they will meet with nothing but Scorn and Reproach from Men upon that Account And if this be the Case of A. B. as the Thrid Part of the Apology gives strong Presumptions for it and many are perswaded it is then her Declaration of the Truth of this is no Instance of Pride or that she exalts her self above others but a great Instance of Self-denial and humble Resignation To this Purpose she expresseth her self I must not says she because of the Reproach and Confusion I may meet with conceal that which God will have published and observed It does not become a poor Worm of the Earth to give Laws of God He knows by whom and how he will operate without regard to out Meanness and Unworthiness As to that other Proof of her Blasphemous Pride taken from the high Characters given her by others whom he calls her Bigotted Disciples some of them twenty Years after her Death as that in the English Preface to the Light of the World it is a new way of Reasoning owing I think purely to the Author Yet there she is not preferred to the Blessed Virgin for tho' to be the Organ of the Light and Spirit of God is more than to be the Organ or Mother of his humane Body yet to be the Organ both of Spirit and Body is more than to be the Organ of any one of them and this is not denied to the Blessed Virgin When because of the high Characters given her by some while she lived it was objected to her that she affected the Praise of Men and suffered M. de Cort and others highly to extol the inward Graces that God imparted to her She said That if such had felt the Operations of God in their Souls by her means as M. de Cort and some others had done they would have said the same that they did not praise her Person in which there was nothing praise worthy but the Light and Truth of God which they saw and heard by her means This she said did not puff her up since the Works of God which she remarked did humble her Heart the more she discovered them for I discern says she the Spirit of God from that of Nature and see clearly that all that comes from God is Good and all that comes from my self is Evil so that I have no Ground to glory in my Evil and I know no Good out of God this Rule keeps me steady from fallâ—ng into Vainâ—glory It is no wonder that some judge that I please my self with the Praises of Men in suffering that Preface to be published when they will needs measure me by themselves they cannot judge otherways but that I take Pleasure to hear my own Praises feeling in themselves that they could not hear their own Praises without vain Complacency and measuring every one by themselves every one thinks another is as he himself is A Thief trusts no Body thinking that another is as much Thief as himself A lewd Person cannot believe that another would live in Continence when he has a fair Occasion to satisfie his Lust and so a proud Person cannot believe that one would hear their own Praises without having their Heart puff'd up with Pride because he himself cannot hear his Praises
they will not be reduced from their supposed Errors by Noise and Banter All to the best of my Understanding that A. B. pretends to is only to be an Instrument in Christ's Hands and that no otherwise than by publishing these Truths that he by his Spirit communicated to her and which his Power and Grace alone was afterwards to make effectual Now let it be supposed but not granted that it was so What Disparagement is it to our Redeemer to make use of a poor contemptible Creature in order to accomplish great Designs Was it any Dishonour to him that his Apostles in his Name and Power converted more to the Christian Religion and wrought more Miracles than he did himself when he dwelt in mortal Flesh V. Perhaps it may be thought I am byassed in Favours of A. B. and therefore not so capable to discern that Latet Anguis in Herba I am sure if I am so my Prejudices are of no old Date they are not yet so rooted but sober and just Reasonings might discuss them and reclaim me from my Mistakes neither I think can it be said that they have been fortified from any prospect of Reputation or worldly Interest But whatever my Prejudices may be I can sincerely declare that what determined me to have an Esteem for this Person 's Writings was a Conviction that they not only recommended the great and essential Duties of the Gospel distinguished them from the Accessories discovered the Mischief of Sects and Parties and the Vanity of laying Stress on nice and airy Speculations but also because they suggested solid Principles which might serve as an Antidote against the Infusions of Atheists and Deists Pelagians and Socinians Antinomians and Fatalists and false Pretences to Inspiration And tho' I met with some things in them that seem'd a little odd and startling yet I choosed rather to suspend my Judgment since even her self does not impose them on any than forego what appear'd to me so very solid and useful Some LETTERS OF M. ANT. BOVRIGNON Whereby her True Christian Spirit and Sentiments are farther justified and vindicated particularly as to the Doctrine of the Merits and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ as is to be seen in the Third and Fourth Letters All of them are most worthy to be perused by those who sincerely love and impartially seek after the Truth and the Salvation of their Souls LETTER I. Concerning the Love of God Written to a Pastor at Mechlin and is the 15th of La lum nec en tenebr Part I. SIR I. I Know not how one of sound Judgment can love any other thing but God seeing there is no created thing that is worthy of our Love as he is being the Fountain of all Good Wisdom the Giver of all Wisdom the Beauty that creates all Beauty the Righteousness of the Righteous the Goodness of all Goodness the Accomplishment of all Perfections in short the only Object worthy of our Love without whom nothing is Lovely neither in Heaven nor in Earth Nothing without him can satisfie our Soul nothing can content it nothing can give it Perfect Pleasure nothing can make it happy neither now nor hereafter It is he who created us it is he who preserves us it is he who will judge us If Good of its own Nature is always Lovely why then does not the Soul employ all its Powers to love the Original the Perfection and the Consummation of all Good which is God II. If Likeness beget Love how can your Soul which was made after the Similitude of God live without loving him What other Lovely Object can it find without God whom only it resembles What Original or Pattern is there among all perishing Things to this Divine and Immortal Soul which cannot find its like but in God himself III. If Benefits do oblige even Nature it self to love its Benefactors how ought the Soul to love its God when he has given it all that it posseseth and has promised infinite and eternal Goods beyond Comparison in the Life to come He has given the Soul which he created of nothing He not only made it after the Similitude of the Angels of Heaven but after the likeness of God himself so that all Souls are by Creation made little Gods Could this God of Love give unto Man greater Goods and Gifts to make himself be loved by him than this Divine Creation of his Soul Immortal as himself The Body which he formed to be the Keeper and Sheath of this Soul could it have more Perfections Is there any thing in Nature more Admirable than the Body of Man animated with all the Powers of the Soul with an Understanding to conceive with a Memory to remember with a Will to act so that the very Body is in some manner an Image or Resemblance of the HOLY TRINITY IV. Could God give unto Man more and greater Gifts than he has done to oblige him to love him For after having given him a Being and Life he upholds and maintains it with all necessary things which he has likewise created for the Entertainment of this Man to whom he has subjected so many Creatures under his Power having made him Superiour over all the living Creatures and given him Authority as the Master-piece of the Works of God the Earth for his Foot-stool the Air to breath in the Fire to warm him the Water to refresh him the Fruits to nourish him the Flowers to recreate him in short all the visible and material things that God created were only for the Body of Man What must he have laid up for his Soul which is beyond all Comparison more valuable as being Divine created after the Image of God If he has made so many admirable Things for the entertainment of the Body which must die and remain for so short a time upon Earth Should not all those Gifts all those Benefits oblige Man to love such a Benefactor Seeing he has not received and can never receive any true Good without this Giver of all Good V. How can he be without loving him when he considers his Love which was not satisfied with having freely imparted unto us so many Gifts but after that this ungrateful Man had abused so many favours by turning away from his Creator to join himself to the Creature valuing the Gifts more than the Giver presuming to merit yet more he rebels against his Orders will needs out of Ambition of Spirit know more than it pleas'd his Creator and breaks his Commandment that he might equal himself unto him This God of Love who in a Moment could have punished all these Ingratitudes by an eternal Damnation unto which he had banish'd the fallen Angels lov'd Man more than the Angels and having more regard to the Love he bear him than to his Disobedience he pardons his Sin and forgives his Fault upon Condition of a temporal Penitence VI. This Testimony of Affection from a God towards his Creature