'I I • •' < ffiS: » *♦, i Pw«8 niL 1H ■ ■ OF THE AT PRINCETON, N. J. J?) <3Settez. Q4Z. D o tv _-v t I o ^r t» v s . r SAMUEL AGNEW, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA. COLLECTION OF PURITAN AND ENGLISH THEOLOGICAL LITERATURE ? LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY sec . / AW^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library http://www.archive.org/details/apologyformantonOOgard rutt/a/// k^P ot^rt^TZ^nx Publ hv rauMM 8C Herbert 1794. ' A N T APOLOGY FOR M. Antonia Bourivnon : o 111 Four Parts ol I. : An Abfrracl: of her Sentiments, and a Charaft her Writings. II. An Anfwev to the Prejudices raifed againft them. III. The Evidences /he brings of her being led by the Spirit of God; with her Anfwers to the Prejudices oppofed thereunto. To -which is added, A Diilertation of Dr. De Heyde, on the fame Subject. IV. An Abfrrafl of her Life. To which are added. Two LET TE R S from different flanks, containing R E M A R K S on the Preface to the sJake in the Graft, and Bwrtguahifm Detebled. AS ALSO, Some of her own Letters, whereby her True Ch:i. ftian Spirit and Sentiments ate farther jufnhed m\<\ vindicated \ particularly as. to the Doctrine of che Merits and Satisfaction of Jehis ChrLft. Json multum Difyutandunt, Nuda mint Verita* fetpfam Vulidiffime tutatur &' probe intellcfta, ge- mind fud luce ten- bras emne* Difyelltt. Rob Leighton, Anh'iep. Gtafc. PrcleB. Thcol & Paranef. p 19.9.. L O N D O N, Printed for D. Bromt, at the Black Swan , without Temple Bar ■ S. Manjhip, at the Ship in Cornkil : R P / at the U under the Piazzas of the Royal- Exchange ; ar.u H Ntw&a the Grajhopper in the Poultry. 1699. PREFACE. I.f^Vch, and fo univerfal, are the Prejudices y. ^^ raifed among ft all Parties, a?ainfl the Wri Th « l] [ ^ tings and Sentiments of A. B. that rfcSSIJSS «S/f fe 0/ the very Title Page cf this Apology, wilU\ J?*i«gy make fome perhaps throw it by with Difdain s /^•-J^JL'W ing to look into it ; others to take it up in D ri(lon> and ask, What would this Babler fay ? Others to fry into it with an evil Eye, with a Defign only to carp at it, and to pick oit here and there fome Ex- preffions or Sentiments which differ from the ordinary Syftemsy and put them infucha Drefs as may excite the Hatred and Derifwn of the People. Il.But being fully per J waded in my Con fc knee that IT. thofe Writings do greatly tend to revive theUft and £^ s p<> Spirit of Chriftianity , which is acknov/edjd tepurpofe be fo much decayed and lofi among/1 all the Parties of zo wr » f f!* Chriftendom ;*tf get and keep that Rit>k in the Efletm of Men, which deytiotghtt'ey meri- ted, and hugged the : .-l\\es and Senas they had tut upon The Preface. upon God's Law, by which they had reconciled it with the following of their own corrupt Inclinations ; futh y looked on all that Jefus [aid aud did, with an evil Eye ; they never came to hear him but with a Defign to catch him in his Words, and they found cut ways to put a hard Sence upon every thing. The Mira- cles he wrought, they f aid, were done by the Power of the Devil, they accused him of breaking the Sabbath Day, and of countenancing it in his Dif ciples ; o/Blafphemy, in calling himfelf the Son of God; of Pride, /#fpeaking well of hirtifelf ; of a Defign to dejlroy the Law, and [educe the Peo- ple by his DoElrine ; and they made him an Enemy to Cajfar, in calling himfelf a King. But the fin* cere and the Jingle-hearted who came with a pure and upright Dtfire and Intention to underftand and to follow the Truth, did readily embrace the Doctrine of Jefus Chrifi ; the entrance of his Words gave them Light and Underftanding ; and they were fo fully fat isfied of the great things of God*s Law, that they were not apt to wreft or miflake his Sayings or tactions in things of lejfer moment , or where he fpoke more myfterioufty, as well knowing that he had the Words of Eternal Life. They who come then to confide r theft Writings with afingle Eye, with a fin* cere Defire to underftand the Truth, and to do the fame, fhall know of the Doftrine, whether it be of God 7 or whether jhe fpeaks of her felf \ V. V. In writing this Apology we fb all give, ijl. An ;hod and^@ ra & °f her Sentiments, avd Character of her Manner Writings. 2d. Some of the mofl remarkable Preju- %j!i is die™ raifed againft her, and her Jlnfwers to them. $d. The The Preface %d. The Evidences jhe gives of her being led by the Spirit of God, with her Anfwers to the Prejudices off o fed thereunto : (moji of the Prejudices of late rai* fedagainft her, being fuch as were cbjefled to her in her own Life-time y 1 chofe to give her own Defen- ces, which upon many ^Accounts I judge will be more Acceptable than what I might offer to fay for her. J tfh. An Abtfraft of her Life : Unto which ft ill be fubjoined fome of her Letters, which willhth ferve farther to vindicate her from the Calumnies raifed Againft her, and may be of great ufe to th'fe who do finarely love the Truth, and df fire the Salvation of their Souls, lo all fuch I hope this will not be un- acceptable^ there being nothing aim*d at but to make us all lay to Heart this great Truth ; Civitates duas fecerunt amores duo. Civitatem mundi, quae & Eabtlonia dicitur, amor fui, ufque ad coatemp- tum Dei. Civitatem Dei, quae& Jerufalem dici- tur, amor Dei ufque ad contemptum fui. Ar/gufl* de Civ* Dei. ERR AT A. ERRATA X -4feiiLX-2 ? , a nd * &-i ntv , r, /m. *p^9~ " v p i- i y . Xji^-^^^r-^--ivvrr ^ / ^ \6. L ao. finw, r. rffal ^fefe=^ — pjaJL- L-a o. after Pggj>/^ r. taught. — ibid l.TIT blot ou£ -£r.- — p. 2 9. - 1. 8 after not, v. from. p. 3 -5 — rrj^ kt^ r. yfe — pL-3^, ^X-L^r-khnr^-r- thcm. *■ p, 4i T-4r- ^y. /m/a ' ? #fr?, 1. theW i ifi r r, ib id. «j»jg««e»€ =frj » i£« p . 45. Irqr rr'after g > rt/.>, r *»» - , ^fu ^, 1. i8. afte r ■■t fewpri ■ <»*7-r.,.df/>/ir l /rr. ^. ■ 68 r 1 - 4. wwurted - , r . twcmd . p— 69 \. , ;> . thin, v. l&c n. p * y ? r J. , 9, l i wrf, ■ r mpjE ^-frfr- 1. j j. ' i ' /jih ' . v, ffri t > . p, 78 , | , 131 aftog » • it, i ' .tj . ibid. \ r"i77T%tf^rrtk#t. f 80, 1. jy. after thus, t. Gn^V p 84. lv 11. //jj r j T, i^ p. 101. 1 26 ;V fo, r.toit. p. 102. 1. 35. blot out -only. p. 103, 1. 18. x.minuendant. ibid. I. ^^.nutri t r. rcuiri. p. 108. 1. ffi 2a p re f at ce, t. prefcience. p 113. 1. 32. r. fatererls. ibid I 34. r. Nocndum. ibi.l. 43 p. divinitus. p. 114. I. 5. v.fruendum. p. 120. 1. 27. after /£ audulcntly. p 3 2 J. 1. 32. after fe, r. £r. p 327*. I 25. with it, r. it with. p. 3 29. 1. 3s. after foe, r. d/ *** ion with Truth or Error. The Poor Mans Wifdom is de- fl0t vh9 fpis'd, and his Words are not heard. The Words and Works '*•>" ,; * of Jefus Chrift, if they had come from a Scribe or Pha- rifee, his Countrymen would have receiv'd both him and them ; but becau'fe they knew his Extract, the Mean- hefsof his Education, that he had no Learning, and that the Learned had no regard for him , therefore they de- fpifs'd him. Have any of the Scribes and Pharifees believ'd Matf. «£c en him ? Is not this the Carpenter s Son f Is not his Mother 5 5. cftlld Mary, and his Brethren , and his Sifters, are they not *ll with us ? Whence then hath this Man all thefe things* *nd tbej wire offended in him. " ' ' J* It Thtt* 2 The EfftntUts of Chrijt Unity. Part I c If II. Thus had the Sentiments of A. B, been the Product: she treat' of fome of the Ancient Phiiofophers, or of the Holy Fa- td other- thers, or even of fome learned Head in this Age, they **fi- would have met with regard. But becaufe they come from a Woman, void of ail Humane Learning, and decla- ring that fhe is taught of God, they are entertained with Contempt and Scorn, and inftead of weighing the Senti- ments themfelves, Prejudices are htft heapd together, to difparage her Perfon, and thereby to breed an Averiioh againft any thing fhe can fay, tho J never fo true and ufeful. This is very far from the excellent Advice given us by Tho. a Kemp. Of the Imitation of Cbrifl, Book I. Chap. 5. Sect:. 2. which I wifh we may all follow : Let not, (ays he, the Authority of the Writer offend thee , whether his Learning be fmall or great : But let the Love of fur e Truth draw thee to read. Do not enquire, who [aid theje things ? but confider well what is [aid. \\\ III. It is no lefs unjuft to take the Sentiments of others None only upon Truft, from a declar'd Enemy to the Perfon aught to whofe Sentiments they are; fuch you know are fure to fee take Mens them always in a falfe Light, fo as to make them hate- Sentiments ful and ridiculous. If you will take the Doctrine of en Truft ] e f us chrift himfelf, from the Scribes and Pharifees, they from 0- jrhaij ma k e him to fp ea k Blafphemy, and to be in Com- thers efpe- p^ft w j t ^ t j ie rj ev ji # ]^ ow this is the unjuft Meafure eta y Em- gj ven by man y to A. B. They take her Sentiments from thole. only who defign to render them haterul and ridi- culous, who, after the manner that they reprefent them, may as eafily expofe the raoft Sacred Writings. It is juft then to hear her felf, and not to judge of her Sentiments by fome Expreflions or Paifages of her Writings, which feparately may feem harfh, but to Compare fuch with the whole Context, and with the main Scope and Subftance of all her Writings, and this will lead you to interpret them aright. I do not defire that you fhould take her Sentiments upon Truft from me more than from others. I aim only to fet them in a True Light, in oppodrion to the Falfe Reprefentations made of them : And as to my Sin- jy cerity and fair Dealing in it, I appeal to the Writings Nor' to themfelves. foeighthem W- Neither is it juft to weigh Sentiments by the by the Sy~ Doctrines of Men, and to defpife and reject: them, if they fiftat and do not agree exaftly with the commonly receiv'd Sy Items opinion of and itkm Part I. The Ejfentials ofChrifkitn'uy. ? and Opinions. The Doftrine of Jefus Chriit is the Rule we are ro walk by. Men in forming of their Syftems are ready to flatter Corrupt Nature. It is Certain in our practice we all do Co , and we • are well plcas'd with Doctrines that may favour us in this. Ir t'wn her Senti- ments be the fame in Subihnce with the Doclrine of Jefus Chriit, and do not at all tend to footh and flatter our Cor- rupt Nature, but on the contrary to lead us to mcrcirle and fubdue it, we ought not to reject them, tho' they do hot in all things agree with the Syftems of Men. V. Before we letdown her Sentiment:, it is to be confi- V. dered, that as (he owns the written Word of God to be ?& owns the Tell whereby we are to examine all Doctrines preten* f ^ s Scr, 'P m ded to be come from God, and that none contrary there- tures l or unto ought to be receiv'd \ and dehres, that hers may be / Te A °f tried thereby : So fhe declares that the Doclrine of Jefus 1 . Do ' , Chrift is the laft Doarine that is to come into the World ,*£££ and contains the necefTary means of Salvation ; and that ^ r/ne ~ f there is no other way to Salvation but what he haschai.Vd jefuschnji out to us, by his Life, Precepts, and Counlels. So that ) or the Uft all her Writings and Sentiments aim at nothing, but to and raw- convince Men that they do not follow the Life and pleat Do* Do6trine of Jefus ChrifT, and to perfwade them to do it, &**»• of as being indifpenfabiy necelfary to Salvation. Safaatienj and this the Butt of all her Writings. Renouv. de P Efpr. Eva. Pref pag. no. VL As to her Sentiments, fhe makes appear, that the V[. Truths of Religion may be considered under two Heads. **' Truths 1. There are fome Truths and Doctrines in which the °f ^ligUn EfTence of Chriftiariity does coniiff. ; the Living Know- y tx *° r ledge and Practice of which is necefTary to Station. ^. rr '' ^^ 2. There are other accefTory Truths, without the exprefs *lj^ r Knowledge and Belief of which one may be Saved. * * e - j0rj/ ' VII. Firft. As to the Eflential Truths of Chriiliariity, VFF. fhe fuppofes before all, the Truth of the Holy Scriptures, The and of the Apoflles Creed, and that all that is contrary Ground of thereunto, ought to be ariathematizdj and the Soundness alijht H<* of her Faith in thefe, appears by her Profcffbn of Faith b Ssri '?- and Religion, which fhe prefented publickly a : t the Court tlirrs ** d of Gottorp, in Holftein, which is prefix d to all her Books, *£^ Sj ' *nd the Tenour of it is as follows, B % VIII. i. He* 4 Thz EffentUls of Chrift Unity. £ art \ ; VUt. VIIL Her Profefllon of Faith. Mr Pro- I. J Am a Cbrifiian \ and I believe all that a TrueCbri- feJJIon of 1 ftja„ 0U gk t t0 believe F / l *j' ^'i, 2t Iam ba f tl f ed in the Cathollck Church, in the Name of fix dto all the Fat fj e ^ i n t fo Nawe f the Son in thg Name r fh %, Holy Ghoft. J J . ■ mgs * 3. 1 believe the Twelve Articles of the Apojlolicl^ Symbol, or Creed; and I do not doubt of one Article of it. 4. 1 believe that \Jefus Chrifi is True God, and that he is alfo True Man; as that he is the Saviour and the Redeemer of the World- 5. I believe in the Gofpel, in the Holy Prophets, and in all the Holy Scriptures, both of the Old and New Tefia- went. And 1 will live and die in all the Points of this Belief which I protefi before God, and Men, to all whom it [hall concern. In Teflimony of which, I have Jignd this my Gonfeflio* with my Hand, and feal'd it with my Seal, At Sleefwich^, the 1 ith. of March, 1675. EL. S.J Antoinette Bourignoa IX. IX. Now this fhoft Confeffion is the Abridgement and H#r 5m- Foundation of all her Do&rine, and of her Life, and fifaents to they who are not wifljng to be impos'd upon, will be fo b , me f" fuft as to meafure and judge of her Sentiments, according ford bf t0 ^ $ mcere an d Publick Confetfton of her Faith, and *(q Q *' not according to the Falfe and Calumnious Reprefentari- PJf*o"' on g w hi c h Ibrne defignedly make of them, whereby they would have her to pafs in the World for the Inventer of a New and Fantaftical Religion, and fo raile in the Hearts of the People an Abhorrence of her and her Writings , which aim at nothing but to perfwade them to be truly Followers of JefuS ChYift, This being prefuppos'd, here * ftjflovrs, Fart I. The Effect UU of Chriflriani'j. 5 1. Htr Accounts of the Effentials of X. Rdtgio*) in htr own Words. tufor 1. f^ Od (a) created Man only to be lov'd by him, and Man crtm* VJ for no other End. He [b) had no need of Man, ud <*h " nor of any other Creature, being in himfelf alone Holy ! ° v 'G°d- and Perfect, Independent upon all things, yea, whom all (*' J; e T obey in Heaven and Earth, who is yet able to Create a ™ U vf p * Thoufand Worlds, and an Hundred Thoufand kinds of % van S ' Creatures, according to his Good Pleafure. But his Good p re f Pleafure was to Create Man after his own Likenefs, that^ I02 . he might take his Delight with him; and as there cannot (b) Hid, be perfect Love, if it be not reciprocal, it was Gods Will, p. 6. that Man mould love his God with all his Power, in Re- quital of the Love which God bear to him ; and that he mould delight in him only, fince God would needs take his Delight with Man, which obliged Man to place all his Arfe&ions upon God alone. Seeing he was created for no other End, he neither could , nor ought in juftice, to turn his ArTefrions towards any other thing than his' God, but to love him only with all his Heart, and with all his Strength. 1 2. God (c) creating Man thus to take his Delight with Endwdfa him, and that he might voluntarily love his God, he that End gave him for this End, Divine Qualities capable of with per- loving him, he created him altogether Free and Perfe6r \ fed Liberty he would not bound nor limit the Will of Man, whom and nbtr he would needs make after his own Likeneis, to be his Divine Spoufe, and not to be his Slave, or conftrain'd to do his S^»Ut'w. Will ; for ail the other Creatures were fubjecled under ( c ) L '^ c his Will ; but Man alone was created altogether Free, °' ; ,t like a little God, Sovereign and Ruler over all the other p ° f ' Creatures, which God had fubjecied to Man, leaving art I' him Free to ufe them well or ill, according to his Will, fcnouv de V Efpr. Ev. avanr. Pr. p. 12. * 3. So (d) foon as Man turnUaway bfc Affe&ions from Mmh si j God, to love himfelf or the other Creatures, he became damn it i c . the Enemy of his God, and would not acquiefce in the himfelf' if. 1 Defignsthat God had for. Man to take his Delight with turning w/j c him : And by this means Man has damn'd himfelf, and L Jf° B f r01 *\ \. by ceafing to love God, the Fountain of all Good , he is 9 d - * ' A3 ' fallen I,,J ^^. 6 The EffentUh of ChrifiUnity. Part I. t fallen into all fort of Evil, which confifts in the Priva- c tion of all Good. His Mifery ' 4. Sin (e) coming upon this Mafter piece of the Works now. (e) ib. c of God, has rendred Man fo miferable, fo infirm, igno- p. 128. c rant, weak, that all things over which he ought to rule, c do mailer and mifchief him All Mm fi L 5 Men ( f ) are now born Children of Wrath and Perdi- by Nature, « tion, and are therefore afluredly damn'd by Nature; and and cannot <■ nothing but the Grape of God can fave or deliver them recover * fr cm this Damnation into which they have voluntarily thtrxfdv's. c precipitated themfelves. jefus chrijl ' 6. After (g) that miferable Man had thus deftroy'd him- has obtain- ■ felf, jefus Chrift, true Eternal God, and true Man, comes fd Mercy i to intercede for him with his Eternal Father, and by his and Grace ' Merits and Inierccflion has obtaind for this ingrate for tketp. f Creature the Remiflion of his Sin, and the Grace to do (g) ibid, c j> en j tence for it, and a time and (late of Trial for thac p. 2:2. « £ n( j. that by a perfect Repentance he may obtain the 6 Favour of God, to the End he may return to his Love 1 which he had loft thro' his own Fault, fince Man was * created free, to continue eternally in the Love of God, * without ever falling from it. 4 7. Whereas (h) Man ought to recover, this Love of God Te recover c by . hig own choice and his own free Will, he mud '^y ™ ^ ' therefore teftifie, by his Contrition and Penitence, the wimZ ' Resret he h ^ t0 have loft this Love, and effeftua.Hy i;L H°7;fJ l make ufe of the Grace obtained for him by Jefus Chrift, ff Pcni- employing all the time or his Trial, which is this Mor- tente, * tal Life, to bewail his Sins and dp Penitence for them, (h) ibid. c fince by the great Mercy of God he has obtain'd the p 103. • Grace to do it, and has the Means in his hand to fulfil * this Penitence, in theCurfe that the Earth had received by * his Sin •, fo that it muft be cultivated, and Man mult 1 gain his Bread in the Sweat of his Face. i7o Salva- l 8. Man ( ; ) was fo corrupted by Sin, that he can tion in the l do no good of himfelf, more than the Devils. But Man, State of < by the Mediation of jefus Chrift, has received this Mer- carruf Ma- c cy f rom q q ^ t | iat fe ma y b e converted. But as long as THr f ; f n i l ne f°H° ws tne Corruption of his Nature, he remains in jefus chnft * his" Deviiifh State, and cannot be faved. tnly has made w candle of getting out of it. (i) Picne de Touche p. 3-9. 1 9. Man Part I. The Efftntials cf ChriftUnity. 7 c 9. Man (£J has fallen by withdrawing his AfTe- NoSafaati* 1 £Hor.s from God to place them on the Creatures. And cn without c no body will be faved, but he who returns to the Love remmingto 1 of God, for which he was created ; and they who ^fy*!? ^?y*J 1 without this Love do perifh eternally. God (k,ib. ' 10. jefus Chrift (/) having interceeded with his Eter- j'/r^chrifi 1 nal Father for Mercy and Pardon to Man , became his a J 6ur ' Pledge and Surety, that if his Father would vet allow pi^ ge 1 Man a Time of Trial and Grace, he mould do Penitence fifers an4 1 for his Sins, renounce his corrupt Nature, and return to merits for 1 the Love of God. And (m) as Mans Pledge and Surety, Man. 1 he took on him our Mortality, and voluntarily cloathed ( / ) Re- c himfelf with our Miferies; he bore our Griefs, and, ta- nouv. d - c king the Form of a Sinner, underwent all the Pains due " ^P r - c to our Sins, as if he himlelf had been the greateft Sinner, P re ' f P 2 >* 1 and bound to do Penitence, tho he was never guilty of ^'i A J" ( the leait Sin; that by his Merits and Sufferings he might *"„ 2 " * merit for us, with his Father, the Spirit of Penitence*, _ 1 and Conversion ; (#) which being united to his Sufferings ^ j^id.' \ and his Charity, which are Sacrifices more agreeable to par e. 3. p. 1 God than our unclean Offerings, and our Works defiled 48, 49. : with Sin, might be accepted of him. 1 11. Jefus Chrill(o) took our Mortality, cut of the pure .~r c Love he bore tc Men, his natural Brethren, that he might cl rj j£ s * withdraw them from Sin, and the Way of Perdition, tts^ufe is out, 4 to which they all walked. He became a mortal Man to copy hov>' 1 give us an Example, and to teach us by what Means we u recover c may recover the Love and Grace of God ; he did take the Low: of 1 an infirm Body, fubjeft to all fort of Miferies and Death, God. c like to ours, that he might teach and encourage us to do 0) Pierrs 1 the Works that he had dene in his mortal Body ; and d £ Tou * c that we, imitating him, might enjoy the Pardon and Re- ch< r f)* ' covery, which his Merits have purchafed for us. i de I* Efp. Ev. part i. p. 156. c 12. jefus Chrifl:, (p) by his Merits and Intercemon, None fa-od* 1 has obtained Pardon for Man , and the Grace of God by chnft 1 for all whofhall voluntarily embracers Gofpel-Law, and but who *- < for no other j and therefore none can ever be faved but b n }iii G *- c by the Merits and Interceffion of jefus Chrift, which will JP el - L ™, i never be applied to any but to his Difciples and Fol- * n *i" 1 * 9 , 11 rr J r him. t ,0WerS - (?) Re! nouv. de T£tp. Ev.pref, p. i 2 8. 120.' B 4 ' 1* Man 8 The EfientUU of ChriftUnity. Part I. fhe Pn^ * 13. Man (q) (lands in need of keeping the Com- gtfts of c mandmentsof jefus Chrift, and the Gofpel-Law, becaufe jtfuscbrijl < c f h{ s Frail y, and becaufe thefe are all Remedies for his *reallRe- c £ V ji Sj and by embracing thefe Remedies he fhail recover wHdu*f%r c the Love of God w ^ ich he had loR thro > his own tails. t laUlt * Zq) Pierre de Touche. p. 310. MGood * 14. God (r) is the only Fountain of all Good, from from God, < whom never any Evil can proceed ; and Man is the only sB Evil t p ounta i n f a n E,vil , from whom never any Good from Man, 1 cm CQme (r) Re- tiouv. de P Efp. Ev. avant. pref. p. 2 2. The One < t $ t The ( f) only Fffential Command is a conftant EfentUl c rj e p eri( ] ence upon q q ^ anc J the Refignation of our Wills fTT'li c to him ; and all the other Commands teach us only the f h * Means to attain to this Refignation, and how to remove World* c ^ e Hindrances of it. part 3. p. 6"o, &c. TbeEf- i 16. The (0 Effence of true Vertue confifts in the feme of « L ove f q ^ anc j t he E {fence of Sin in the Love of our Venue < felves and of the Creatures. snd Sin. ft) Acad, des Theol. part 1. p. 47, &c ''Witbmg ( 17 All (ft) the Actions of God do partake of his mettf table l three Divine Qualities, Righteoufnefs, Goodnefs, and *o God but < Truth ; and nothing we do, can be well pleafing in the what is t sight of God if it do not partake of the fame, if it be juji good, c noc j u ft and good, and true. And true, (u) Light of the World, part 2. p. $7, &e. Not wuch c 18. It (x) is not neceflary to Salvation to comprehend fpeculnivs « in particular the Theory of the Divine Myfteries, far lefs Knowledge; < t o be wedded to one certain Party rather than another ; lut Rejig- <■ but that denying our felves,and turning away our Liberty nation oj c ^. om t k e L ove f the Creatures, and from earthlyThings, **nd lacul ' We refi S it>and aH ° Ur Faculties > int0 the Har * ds of God > Vies uGod C t ^ iat ne ma y enlighten, renew, and govern them by his Hittffarj to c S.Ri r ' r \ $ize which, he will produce in the Soul the Light Salvation. c and Graces that he fees necefifary for its Salvation. {aj'Acad, des Theol p*rt 1. P-6», &c This Fart 1. Tie Ejjtntials of ChriftUnity. 9 This is a Summary of the Eflentials of Chriftianity, as they are reprefented by her, and her Morality is a particu- lar Deduction and Application of tliele Principles to tl>e Hearts and Actions of Men ; and it is fo pure and excellent, that her greateft Enemies have been forc'd to acknowledge * ittobe fo, that they might be the lefs fufpe&ed when they blame her in other things. XI. This Account of the Eflentials of Religion I havegi- XT. venin her own Words,fhe having fumm'd them up infeve- ^ Su &~ ral Parts of her Writinga/ometimes under fewer Heads,and^™" •/ fbmetimes under more, tho J as to their Subftance they are W* ftill the fame. And all her Writings have no other Ten- Tratks - dency but to awaken in Mens Hearts a Senfe of thofe Divine Truths, and to convince them how far they arc from them in their Practice. She aims at nothing but to perfwade Men, that they cannot be laved without the Love of God; that their corrupt Nature now leads them on- ly to love themfelves and the Creatures, which is inconfl- ftent with the Love of God ; that they cannot return to it without denying and mortifying this corrupt. Nature, which jefus Chrift by his Merits and Intercefflon has ob- tained Grace for them to do ; and this can be done only by obeying his Gofpel- Law, and following his Example; which no body truly does. This is the Subftance of all her Writings. Thefe Truths fhe inculcates a hundred and a ' hundred times. This is theconftant Burthen of her Song. Some other Sentiments which fhe calls Acceffory Trmhs y the mentions perhaps but three or four times in ail her Writings.. And becaufe every Palate does not relifh them* fhall therefore thofe Books be defpifed and thrown away, which do fo lively reprefent the Effential Truths of the. Gofpel? Would we throw away a Box of Pearls, becaufe lome conceited Friend fnatch'dat fomething amongft them, and fqueezing it hard at our Nofe, made it fmell as Dung, and then cry'd out, Fie ! all is Filth , throw all away. Sure, if thefe be the Great and Eflential Truths of Religion 3 they who love the Religion of Jeius Chrift more than Pre- judice or Party, will greatly value and efleem the Wri- tings of which thofe Truths are the Marrow, the Sub- ftance, and the All ; and will no more be icandaliz'd ac them becaufe of the Snarling of fome, than they wouLi defpife Pearls becaufe Swine trample on thefy or Holy things, hecaitfe Dogs bark at them. , XII. Now, 1 o The EjfentUls of Chrifi unity. Part. I. XII. XII. Now, thatthefe are the Great and Effential Truths That they of Chrillianity, will, I think, be readily granted By all. The are the £/- Holy Scriptures declare unto us, that God is Love, that they 5?/i- w ^° ^ we ^ m ^ ove dwell In God, and God in them ; that ptfiv t0 * ove k* m Wlt ^ a ^ our ** earts > an d our Neighbour as our i. from ^ ves > that while we love the World, the Love of the Fa- Scripture. tner * s not m us - » tnat J e ^ us Chriil became Sin for us , who knew no Sin, that we might be made the Righteoufnels of God in him ; that Jefus Chrift is come to blefs us, in tur- ning every one of us from our Iniquities; that unlefs we repent we (hall certainly perifh ; that in his Life and Death he has given us an Example that we mould follow his Steps ; that by Nature we are the Children of Wrath ; that we cannot be his Difciples unlefs we deny our felves, take up our Crofs, and follow him ; thar if we be rifen with Chrift, we will fet our Affections on thofe things that are above,and not on thofe things that are beneath ; that they who are Chrifts have crucified the Flefh with the Affections and Lufts thereof; that Knowledge puffs up, but Charity edifieth ; that all Knowledge and all Faith without Cha- rity profits us nothing. XIII. XIII. Thus S. Attgufline, in his Writings , and par- s. From the ticularly in his excellent Treatife, &e DoEtrina Cbri- Fathers. flUna, Lib. i, makes a Summary, of the fame Nature, Of n *&%' de the EffentiaIs °* Chriftianity: He confidered all Beings ru vh qnc * er Three diftincl: Ranks and Orders: Some which are * to be en joy 'd, others which are to be ufed, and others in o" Vo*' *' ^ ie m ^^le between thefe, and they formed to enjoy and * I,' [[' to ufe thofe other Beings. The Things to be enjoy 'd are i9nS &c. tno ^ which make us happy. The Things to be ufed are * thofe which help us to attain to that which makes us hap- py, and to cleave to it. We, who are to enjoy and ufe thofe things, being plac d between both, if we give our felves to Enjoy the things which we fhould only ufe, we are ftopp d in our Courfe, and come fhort of our Happinefs, being entangl'd with the Love of things below. To enjoy, is by Love to cleave to fomething for its felf. To ufe a thing , is to employ it as a Mean to attain to that which we love ; as Strangers travelling to their Native Country, make ufe of Hprfes by Land, or Ships by Sea, to bring them thither. That which is to be enjoy'd is only God the Father , Son , and Holy Gh.oft, the Infinite v \ and; Part I. The Ejjentials of Cbriftamty. I c and Unchangeable Good. We ought to love nothing for it felf, but God ■> and all other things, only in and for God. Other things are to be ufed or avoided, as they are Helps or Hinderances of the Love of God. All who are capable of Enjoying God, as we are, that is, all our Neighbours, we ought to love them as our felves, that is, to defire or endeavour that they be brought with us to love and enjoy God. All Sin and Evil confifts in the Loving and Enjoying what we ought only to ufe, the Creatures and their Perfections ; and the fifing what we ought to Enjoy. Vtendis frm, & Fruendis titi: This has fo dark- ned and corrupted our Minds, that we are not capable of loving and enjoying this infinite Good. In order to this, they mult be cleanled and purified, which is as ic were a Travelling and Voyaging to our Country. This could not have been, if Wifdom it felf had not (toop'd to our Infirmity, and cloath'd himfelf with our Flefh, to obtain Pardon and Grace for Sinners, and to give them an Ex- ample in their own infirm Nature. And as, to convey our Thoughts to others, we muft cloath them with Words, tho 1 thereby they are not defil'd nor chang d j (b the Eter- nal and Unchangeable Word became Flefh, and dwelt a- mong us ; the Truth and the Life became the Way, and brought us the wholfom Phyfick that is neceflfary to cure the Maladies of our Souls , Remedies for every Difeafe. The Sum of all is, that the Fulnefs and End of all the Holy Scriptures is the Love of God and our Neighbours, the Being that is to be enjoy'd, and thofe Beings which are capable of enjoying him with us. And that we might know and be able to do this, the Providence of God has ordered the whole Temporal Difpenfation for our Salva- tion, which we ought to ufe not with an abiding Love but a tranfient one, as we would love a Way or a Chariot., that we may love thofe things in which we are carried, for the fake of that to which we are going. This is the Subftance of that Excellent Book. . XIV. It is true, A. B. mentions other Sentiments XIV. which are not of the Effence of Religion; but then fhe Her own. declares they are not neceflary to Salvation, and that we Declara- may let them alone, and fufpend our Belief of them, if we tion * thai her grea- ajtd only Aim is the Love of God, and that foe lays no Strefs on the acc°JJ* 7j Truths, \2 The E ffentUls of Chrip; Unity. Parti, fee no Clearnefs and Evidence in them ; and that flie aims at nothing but to perfwade Men to the Love of God, and to obferve the Laws of the Gofpel as the neceflary Means to recover it. It is beft to hear her fpeak for her felf in this Matter. * I proteft, fays fhc, before God and Men, that I aim at nothing by all my Words and Writings, but to perfwade Men to return to the Love of God, from whence they are fallen by the GloiTes, Explications, or new Inventions of deceitful Men, who do falfly promife Salvation to thofe who live and die in their Self-love, and defpife the Pra- ctice of a Gofpel-Life: Seeing fuch fhall never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, when they defpife the Defigns of God, and the Means and Graces which he gives them, that they may rife again and deliver themfelves from this Damnation. Thefe are the Prallice, of the Gofpel-Law, which only can lave them, becaufe of the Frailty of Man's Nature. They will never fave themfelves from Damna- tion if they do not embrace the Gofpei-Law , which is the lafl: and tiioft perfect of all the Laws that God has given or ever will, give to Men : And I do not pretend to teach any other, neither do I teach Errors, as thefe Ad- verfaries of the Truth of God do affirm ; for God will never change, and Jefus Chrift brings it to us in the last Hour, We mud: not look for any other, nor for New Prophets', for he has prophefied al], and, taught what Men ought to do and avoid, even to the End of the World. 1 Tis true indeed , I fpeak of feveral things in my Wri- tings which are not in (o many Words in the Gofpel ; but thefe are not things which every one is obliged to believe, or the belief of which is neceiTary to Salva- tion. I write them out' of abundance, and to rein- force the Courage of thole who understand and relifli them-- But they who do not relifli or understand them, may let them alone. Their belief or unbelief of thefe things, neither adds nor takes any thing from me. / have obtain d all my Defmi, when I have fhewn clearly, that no Body fhall be faved but they who (hall take up the Practice of a Gofpel Life \ as God has reveal'd to me, leaving every one free to do it if he will, fmce God forces no Body, neither do L I have fpoken feverai tiryes in my Writings, of ths Creation of the World, of the' • ' Glorious tart I. The Efjenti&ls of Cbrijliamty. 15 * Glorious Eftate in which ALim feflions, than for the Gofpel and Laws of Jefus Chrift, and are ready to efteem or defpife others according to their .Zeal or Coldnefs forthefe ; and thus, tho* a Man be proud and covetous, and .malicious,, and his Spirit quite contrary to that of Jefus Chrift, yet if he be- zealous for their'pe- culiar Doclrines and Forms of fuch a Party , he fhall in his ow r n, and their Efteem, pafs for a good Chriftian; they imagining that God lays as great a Strefs on their Doctrines and Forms as they do themfelves, while they call them the Caufe of Chrift, the Jewels of his Crown, &c. thus, moft heinopfly taking God's Name in Vain. Others again, who pretend to divine Revelation, are ftill upon Myfteries and Virions. But A. B. does moft V Etoile c ^ car ^y a . nc * diftin£tly reprefent wherein the Eftenee of du Matin -" Chriftianity confifts, makes that the Butt of all her Wri- p. 40, 41. tin & s > fhews what are the Acceffory Trutjis, -and tho* me pretends to particular Difcoveries in them, yet tells they are not Articles of Faith, nor neceftary to Salvation; that they who fee no Qlearnefs in them, nor Benefit by them, may let them alone , and tho' we fhould &elieve them never fo firmly, yet without a Gofpel- Life and Spirit there was no Salvation XVIT. XVII. 2. The Writings of A. B. do clearly mew the x. The Re- Relation that the fever al Parts and Duties of Chrijlianity lation that h ave t0 Qne another^ and the Place that every one holds in the Duties •fchriftmnity have to one Mather, Renouv. de V Efp. Evang. pirt 2. n. f r. part 3. n. 39, 48. , Relation Part I* Writings and Sentiments. 1 } delation to the Whole ^ and this is of no (mall moment to di- rect us aright in our Endeavours after a Chriftian Life and Spirit. We may know many of the Parts and Duties of the Chriftian Religion, and feem much Occupied about fome of them, and yet never make any Advances in a Chriftian Life ; all that is directed by Wifdom, is done for a fie and proper End, and fit and feafonable Means are employed for attaining of that End. We fee the Foot- fteps of infinite Wifdom even in the Motions of the brute Creatures. The Birds in the Spring gather proper Materials and build their Nefts, and lay their Eggs, and hatch their Young ; if they fhould be taken up only a- bout gathering Sticks, without putting them to any fur- ther life, the Wifdom of their Maker in the Forming of them would not thereby appear. Now God has given Man an Underftanding, whereby he may difcern a proper End for his Anions, and fuitable Means by which to ac- complifh it. We fee in all Trades and Arts they have their proper Ends and their peculiar Means t6 attain t6 them j and if the refpective Mafters or Apprentices fhould be ftill occupied about (bme of the remoter Means of their Calling, without ever directing them to the Attainment of the Endofit,or fhould think to attain the End without the Ufe of the neceflary and immediate Means, we would think they had loft their Wits. If they Who pretend to re- build an HouFe bufie themfelves only in providing fome of the Materials, and contriving Models, and reading Books of Architecture and hearing Difcourfes about it, and lay fome Stones of it upon an old ruinous Foundation, without ever doing more, or if they think to get the Houfe built with- out ever digging deep to lay a good Foundation, or ufing the other coniequent neceflary Means of Building, fuch but build Cafttus in the Air. Now, tho' Men are not fo abfurd and unreafonable in other things, yet they are fo in ■ Religion. They are taken up with fome of the remoter Duties of Religion, without ever aiming at the End of ir, or they think to attain the End without ullng the necefla- ry Means for the Attainment of it, and become thereby fo darkned in their Minds, as not to perceive what Relation the Parts and Duties of Religion have to one another. This then is certainly a remarkable Property of the Wri- tings of A. B. that they give fo diftinft a view of the Re- lation of the feveral Parts and Duties of Chriftianity to C i3 Characters of her Part I. one another, and to the whole : How fome hold the Place of the end-, and others of the weans -, fome of which are fo dbfolutely neceffary in Man's prelent State, that without them he cannot attain the End. They make appear that the great end of Chriftianity is to bring us back to the Love of God, and that we can never recover this without the mortifying of our Corrupt Nature^ and that this cannot be effected but by obeying the Dotlrine, zndfollowingthe Ex- ample of Jefus Chrift ; fo that his Commands are all the neceflary Helps of our Frailty, teaching us what way to overcome our Corrupt Nature, and to return to the Love of God, For the End of the Commandment is Charity \ The Gofpei-Law teaches Man Poverty of Spirit , to fhew Man that Covetoufnefs has withdrawn him from the Love of God, and that he cannot recover it without ceafingto covet earthly Goods ; and it teaches Men to be humble in Hearty and to choofe the loweft Place ; becaufe they have loft the Love of God, by loving themfelves, and thinking them- felves worthy of Honour and Glory , while they merit nothing but Contempt and Confufion. Jefus Chrift chofe a poor and mean State in the World, lived in Hardfhips and Uneafe, in Reproach and Contempt, and never did his own Will, but the Will of him that fent him ; to fhew us what are the things that withdraw us from the Love of God, and what are the means we muft life to overcome them. XVIII. XVIII. 3. The Writings of A. B. do give us mofl lovely l.Hertnoft Reprefentations of the Divine Nature, fuch as may (erve. tmiable to entkme our Souls with Love and Wonder, when we Reprefen- think on the depth and height, and breadth and length of the tationof Love f God in chri j } y^ whkh ^ eth aU Know l e£ i ge . Nature inC They ^ eW US that G ° d S Very Nature is Love -> that there is none Good but God, that no kind of Evil comes from Light of him, but all Good ; that it was nothing but Love and theWorld Goodnefs that made him create Man fo wonderful a Crea- parc 1. ture? t h a t he might communicate himfelf to him, and com 7,14, dwell m him by his Light and Love; and that he might 1 j. part 2. b]jg e n i m by the greatnefs of his Magnificence, made a part 3 ' wor ^ pf beautiful Creatures to attend him, and to com- conf. 1 2 P^ eat hk Happinefs and Contentment would needs become 28. Re-' like to him, as he had at firft forrnd Man after his own nouv. tfe Image. And fo far was he from designing that Man V Eiprit. ijiouid deftroy himfelf; that he us'd all means to prevent fivang, It, Parti. Writings and Sentiments. \q it, and to keep him from abuiing the greateft Natural Gift Preface, he could bellow upon him, Liberty of Will ; and which n. 15 ■<:"*•• he could not in julUce take back again, for the Gifts of God are without Repentance : That Man's Baienefs and Fall did not alter Gods Low, but he reiblveS to recover him again, and continues unalterably his firft Dcfign of taking his Delight wi:h him \ that he accepts of the In- terceifion and Mediation of jefus Chrilt for that End, and allows Man Grace, and a Time, and Means of Penitence; that the very Evils that came upon Man, and upon the Creatures by his Sin , he ordered them all lb, as that they might tend to his Good and his Recovery 5 thruft him out of a delightful Paradife into an Earth curfed for his fake, and bringing forth Thorns and Thirties ; leaft the Pleafures of the hrft ihould now (fill bewitch his Heart the more, and that the Miferies and Vexations of the lair might give him Occafions for Penitence, and make him return to his God ; that God has not forfaken Man, but Man has forfaken his God ; that God by all his Works, and by his Operations in Man, gives him all fort of Occafions to love him : That he is not content to fend us His Servants and Prophets to enlighten us, but he came himfelf, and became in all things like to us, (yet without Sin J that he might redeeem and fave us : That God tempts no Man, but every Man is drawn away of his own Lult : That he damns no Man, for he is the Fountain of all Good and can do no Evil ; and the Damnation of a Soul is the grea- test Evil in the World: That he does not permk Sin, but permits Man to make ufe of his Free-will , which being the greateft Treafure he could receive , it was noc jult for God to take it back again, and if Man abufe it, it is for himfelf, fo he mav do with his Hands and Tongue, which are given him for exceUent ufes : Thac as God is not the Author of any Sin, any Moral Evil, nei- ther by Influence, nor by Decree, boy byPermiifion; but it proceeds wholly from Men and Devi's by ths ill ufe of the Liberty and Free-will that God gave them j fo nei- ther is he the Author of any Natural Evil or Malignity that is in the Creatures, he having created all Good and Perfect-, but Sin and the Self will of Man has brought a Malignity into all things ; and therefore it belongs to Man as being the Works of his Hands: That God lets this Ma- lignity continue now in this Time of Trial to withdraw C 2 Man 3o Characters of her Part tl Man from the Love of the Creatures ; that at the Times of the Reftitution of all things, he will deliver all his Creatures from the Malignity contracted by the Sin of Man ; and fince it is juft to render to each one what be- longs to him, it is neceffary that they, who will not re- turn to a Dependance upon their God, have for their Por- tion this Malignity of all the Creatures to all Eternity, as being the Work of their own Hands r That in the Love of God confifts all Good, and all Happinefs ; and in the turning away from that Love, all Evil, and all Mifery , which Men are not now lb fenfible of; becaule of the iuperficial and tranfient Delights, with which the Crea- tures do amufe and tickle them ; but upon the removal of that, they fhall feel it to all Eternity. God is not the Author of Death, but by one Man Sin entred into the World, and Death by Sin, and Death has pafs'd over all, becaufe all have finn'd. * Vnus ' * ^ i s > foitb St. Auguftine, God alone, the only Truth , Dens, u- c the only Salvation of all , and .the Firft and Supream na Veritas , una Sains omnium & prima at que fumma Eften- tia, ex qua eft omne quicquid eft , in quantumeft : quia in quan- tum eft quicquid es~t , bonum eft, Et ideo ex Deo non eft Mors* Non enim Deus Mortem fecit , nee Utatur in Perditione Vivo- rum ; quonlam fumma Effentia effe facit omne quod eft , unde & Ejjentia dicitur. Mors autem non effe cogit quicquid mori- tur in quantum moritur, nam Ji ea qua moriuntnr penitus moriren- tur ad nihilum fine dubio pervenirent : Sed tantum morittntur, quan- tum minus EjjentU participant, Corpus autem minus eft quam vita qualibet quoniam quant ulumcunque manet in fpeeie per vitam manet. — ~ — Corpus ergo magis fubjacet Morti\ % & ideo vicinius eft nihiio, ^uapropter Vita qua Frutlu Corporis deletlata negligit Deutn, inclinatur ad nihilum , & ifta eft nequitia. Id enim amat quod minus eft quam Vita quia Corpus eft ; & propter ipfum Pcccatum quod amatur fit corruptibile y ut ftuendo defer at Amatorem fit urn , quia & Me hoc amando defer uit Deum. —Quod vero Corpus Hominisy cum ante Peccatum ejjet in fuo Genere optimum^ poft Peccatum fact urn eft imbccillum & Merit deflinatum, quan- quam juftavinditla, Pecadtiftt, plus tamen dementia Dei quam Seve- ritatis ofter.dit. It a enim nobis fuadetur a Corporis Voluptaiibus & ad 4: tern am Eftentiam Per it at is Amor em noftrum op port ere convert i.. Et eft Juftitia Pulchritudo cum Benignitatis Gratia concordans, ut quo- 7iiam honor um inferior urn Dulcedine decepti fumus Amaritudine Pee- narum erwtHamur. S.Aug, de Vera Rejig. Cap. 11,12,15 I Effenccj Part I. Writings and Stntimtnts. "f 21 EfTence, from whom every thing is what it is, in fo far as it is ; for in fo far as it is, what it is, it is good ; and therefore Death is not from God. For God did not make Death, neither does he take Pleafure in the Deltruciion of the Living *, for the fupream EfTence makes every thing to be what it is, and therefore it is called the EfTence. But Death conftrains that which dies not to be, in fo far as it dies ; for if thefe things which die, fiiould die altogether, undoubtedly they would come to no- thing : But by how much lefs they partake of Ef- fence, by fo much they die. Now a Body is lefs than any Degree of Life; for whatfoever retains any Form, has fome Degree of Life. The Body therefore is fubjeel: to Death, and fo approaches nearer to nothing ; wherefore that Life, which delighting it felf in the Plea- fures of the Body , neglects God , inclines to nothing ; and this is Wickednefs.-^ — For it loves that which is lefs than Life, becaufe it is Body ; and becaufe of this very Sin, that which is lov'd becomes Corruptible, that it by pafling away may forfake its Lover ; becaufe he by loving it had forfaken his God. But that the Body of Man, which, before Sin, was the mod excellent in its kind, is after Sin become fo frail and fubject to Death; tho' it be a juft Punifhment of Sin, yet it difcovers more of the Clemency, than the Severity of God : For there- by we are perfwaded, that we ought to take off our Love from the Pleafuresof the Body, and to turn it to the Eternal EfTence of Truth. And herein the Beauty of Righteoufnefs , and the Favour of Good meet.toge- ther; that becaufe we are deceived by the Sweetnefs of inferiour Goods, we might be inftru£led by the Bitter- nefs of the Punifhments, &c. Thus it is evident that nothing comes pofitively from God as an efficient Cauie, but that which is pofitively Good ; and all Evil and Malig- nity proceeds from Devils and Men, which God does yee fo moderate and reftrain in this time of Man's Trial,as may make Man by his Grace come to himfelf and return to his Oecon. God,and if there be no further hopes of Man, he leaves him div.rom.^ to himfelf, and fo punifhes him noothervvile than a Phvfi c - * 3- cian does a Sick Man, by leaving him to his own Folly and Intemperance, when he will neither be ruled by him, nor take the Phyfkk he has prepared for him. Man does properly damn himfelf, and he receives only the Works C 3 Of 22 Characters of her Part X e Hof 139. of his own Hands, O Ifrael, thy DeftruElion is of thy felf y but in me is thy help : When the Holy Scripture reprefents God as denouncing a Curfe on the Earth , the Pains of a Woman in Travail, the Labour and Death of Man, thefe are charitable Warnings of fome of the natural Confe- quences of his Sin, to difpofe him for them, and that he might make a right ufe of them. And when the Scrip- ture fpeaks of the Wrath of God, and of the Punifh- ments flowing from it, aU this is to be un.-terftood in a Senfe agreeable to the Nature of God, as we do thoie Tallages which afcribe to him the bodily Parts and Pafli- ons of Men ; and as by thus interpreting thofe lad Paffa- ges , there is no wrefting of the Scriptures, but rather their true Senfe expreft, which either the clear Idea that we have of God, or one or two plain Places of Scripture concerning him, that he is a Spirit and unchangeable, do fufficiently manifeft ; fo neither are the former wrefted by giving them a Senfe conformable to the Idea of the Di- vine Goodnefs and Perfections, from whence no Evil, Dif- order, nor Anxiety can proceed, and to thofe Places of ijoh 4. 8 Scripture which affirm that God-is Love, and that Fury is If. 27. 4. not in him. What unfutable and unlovely Reprefentati- ons fome have given us of the Divine Nature and Ope- rations, and how unfit they are for inflaming Men with True Charity ; is but too evident from Mens Writings, and from Mens Lives. XIX. XIX. 4. Her Writings and Sentiments have a great Ten- 4. Thar dency to a Chriftian "Onion and Concord amongst the fever ai Tendency to Panies f chrifiendom.We all feem to be fenfible of the Evil Urumand an d Mifchiefs of Schifms ; and the Hatred, Lying, Evil- - fpeakings, Strifes, Wars, Fightings, Perfections, Deaths, which have followed upon them, are but too fatal Proofs of it, and therefore every Patty ftrives to wipe off the Blame from themfelves , and to lay it on another. But the mod ufeful Thought is to cenhder how to heal them. The Courfe followed by the refpecTive Parties will never do if, Thofe of every Party judge that Orthodoxy is only on their Side, and therefore ltrive to reduce all to an Union by bringing them to be of their Party ; and thus their mu- tual Animofilies and Diviilons are (till heightned. But Lnm.snte- the Writings and Sentiments of AB.do more naturally neb.part3* anc ] more effectually tend to a Chriftian Union, they teach letter 2. Men to labour after the Solvit of true Chriiiianity in the ' ' Ufe Part I. Writings and Stntimmts. 2 J life of the outward Forms and Rites (which are confident therewith ) of the refpective Parties wherein they are, without fetting up a New Party, or judging and con- demning another becaufe differing from them in thofe out- ward Rites and Forms. She ihews that the Differences of outward Religions, of their Ceremonies and Opinions, will neither fave nor damn ; that they are not infeparable from the Eflence of Chriftianity, which confifts in the denying of our felves, the mortifying of our corrupt Na- ture, and the following of Jefus Chrift ; without which we cannot be faved ; that thofe other things are like the Cloaths and Garments, which do not give Life, but an outward Decency and Conveniency ; That the one is the Sword and thefe other things are theSheath ; and that the Madnel's and Folly of the Chriftian World lies in Contending which of us has the beft Sheath, while the Devil robs us of the Sword, ( the true Love of God and our Neighbour ) and laughs ac us when we think to overcome him with the Sheath of our outward Religions, as we would laugh at a Soldier, who would needs fight his Enemy with theSheath of his Sword, And fo little Regard had fhe to the Intereft of a Party, that when Lutherans and Calvinifts came to be directed by her in the labouring after a Chriftian Life and Spirit, fhe never enquired about their Opinions, nor, bid them aban- don the Communion wherein they were. On the contra- ry, when the famous Dr. Swa-mmerdaw, who was folia- ted by his Friend Steno, to go over with him to the Church of Rome and to Italy, did ask her Advice in it, fhe did ex- prefly forbid him, telling him there was nothing but Va- nity in the Change of Communions, and that he might labour to be a true Chriftian in the Communion in which he was. Did this Spirit prevail amongft the refpective Parties, how ftrangely would itfvveeten our Minds to- wards one another ? our Animofities would quickly ceafe , our Differences would fail of themfelves, we would be as far from imposing our Forms and Modes of Worfhip, and Confelfions of Faith on others, or perfecuting them who did not conform to them, or hating and maligning fuch as differed from us in their Opinions and Parties, as wo would be from treating afcer this manner thofe who dif- fered from us in the Fafhion of their Garments or the Sheaths of their Swords. We would find the Apoftle's ex- cellent Counfei moft applicable in all thefe Cafes. One be- Rom. 14. C 4 lUvesz.&c. fck Characters of her Part L AVzw fte 6* w^y eat all things , another who is weak^ eateth herbs ; let not him that eateth, defpife him that ta- teth not-, and let not him which eateth not y judge him that eateth, for God hath received him. One Man efteemeth one Day above another, another Man efteemeth every Day alike; let every Man be fully perfwaded in his own Mind. He that regardeth the Day, regardeth it to the Lord; and he that regardeth not the Day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth^ eateth to the Lord, and he giveth God thanks , and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, avd he giveth God thanks, —But why doft thou judge thy Brother ? or why dost thou fet at nought thy Brother? for we f hall all ft and before the Judgment. Seat of Christ. — ■ For the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drinl^, but Righteoufmfs, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghoft. Let us therefore follow after the things that make for Peace, and things wherewith one may edife another. ^X. XX. 5. The Writings of A.B. ferve to vindicate and re- <$.The ref- f CHe t (j e DoElrine of jefus Chriit from the falfe Gloffes which cuing the the fever al far ties of Chriftendom have put 0j>on it, and Gojpcljrom w fo ere $y t fo e y ij ave ma ^ e it j mne effect. The Corruption fsijeGrtjfes. of M ^ s jsj ature leads him to pieafe hlmfelf and to fol- Pierre de l° w his own Inclinations, and yet while he does fb, he Touche. is content to believe that he pleafes God and does his Acad, de Will too ; and therefore he puts fuch Gloffes on the Laws TheQlA-c, and Commands of God, as may reconcile them to his cor- rupt Practice. Thus the Jewijh Church had advanced tro that Heighth of Corruption when our Saviour came into the World, that they had gloried away the whole Law of God, and made it of no Effect by their Traditions : And therefore our Lord Jefus Chriit takes care to vindicate God's Law from their corrupt Gloffes, and mod clearly and plainly to point out Man's Duty and the Way to e- ternal Life. But as the World grows older, the Corrup- tion of Man's Nature encreafes and becomes more fubtle and refin'd ; fo that the Profeffors of Chriftianity now a- days have as palpably gloffed away the Law of the Go- fpel of Jefus Chrift, as ever the Scribes and Pharifees had done ^ the Law of Mcfes ; for which there needs no greater Proof than to compare their Syftems and Expli- cations with the Gofpel-Law it felf, and their Practice with their Opinion and Belief. For tho' their Lives be in nothing like that of Tefus Chrift, yet they believe they art Part I. Writings And Sentiments. 35 *re good Chriftians, and hope to be faved by his Merits. Now, which is a Angular Providence of God, thofe Wri- tings do mod plainly vindicate the Gofpel of Jefus Chrift from the falfe GlofTes put upon it. They plainly fhew, that there is no Way to Salvation but by the Mortifica- tion of our corrupt Nature and Self-love, and by the Imitation of jefus Chrift , dying with him to all the Eafcs, Honours, Riches, and Pieafures of this World. And tho' no body does this, yet they think they are good Chriftians , tho J every one feek themfelves, their own Glory, and their own Intereft , and have form'd Glofles on the Doctrine of Chrift that may excufe them. : They are frail, they cannot keep the Commandments of God ? they hope to be fav'd by the Merits of Jefus Chrift, thro' Faith in him; not considering that the Laws of Chrift are given us becaufe of our Frailty, and as the moft effe&ual Means to recover the Love of God, and that none will be faved by the Merits of Jefus Chrift, but they who follow his Example. XXI. 6. Thofe Writings do ftrike at the Root of the XXI. Corruption of Man s Nature , and (hew the Way to a 6.The lead- true Reformation indeed. Many have cried out upon the *"g to » Corruptions of the Church, and have fet up to reform true R the Cover of their peculiar Forms and Opinions. And ftill a new Sett, difcovering the Abufes of the former, ftandsup for a New Reformation by another Form of Rites and fpeculativeDoftrines 2 Not but that there may have been good Men in all thefe Parties ; but that this is the Spirit that runs thro' all, is jbut too vifible. It is as if Peo- ple, designing to cut down a Tree whofe Sap and Fruits were full of deadly Poifon, fhould labour to do it only by lopping off fome Branches, or plucking off fome Leaves, fomerimeson thisiide, and fometimes on the other, while theyftiil cultivate the Tree carefully about the Root, and '} hat they !;ave don,e ferves only to make it fprout forth en othev 26 Chavatiers of her Part I. other Sides with the greater Force and Vigour ; or as our Saviour fhews, it is the making clean the out- fide of the Cup, while within it is full of Corruption. Thus Men re- form from fome finful Practices that have an ill Name in the World, but then they gratifie their corrupt Incli- nations more freely in other things. Whereas the Root ought to be (truck at, the Heart made clean within, and a Reformation made by taking up the firft Inftitution of Chrift himfelf, who cloathing himfelf with our Mortality, that he might lead us into the right Way of Salvation, he Tph. 14. 6. nas taken us by the Hand, telling us> / am the IVay, the •c. 10. o. Truth and the Life : lam the Door , he that enters by me (hall be faved: And whofoever will come after me r mufl deny himfelf, and take up his Crofs, and follow me. This is the true Inftitution of Jefus Chrift, and they who neg- lect this and feem zealous for other things, are not true Chriftians ; and they who pretend to reform Religion without bringing Men back to the firft Inftitution of Jefus Chrift, and not ftraying from its Rules, make only new Inftitutions and Religions , no true Reformation. XX jj XXII. 7. The Writings of A. B. do tend to take Men of The ta- f rom a dry , barren , dead , fuperficial and fpeculative kin? off Knowledge of Divine Things, and to lead them to a [olid, from a fpe- tivwgj practical and fruitful Knowledge of them. There cuUtiw is a fpeculative Knowledge of things, and there is a fen- knomhdge fible and affecting Knowledge of them. This communi- on £>;'w» 2,3. thejfame is known of him. It is the Wifdom that defcends Jam. 3.! ?. notf^aSove y but is earthly , fenfual and devili(b\ working Envy, Strife and Confufion, and every evil Work- It is of this, that God threatned he would deflroy the JVifdom of If 29, 1^. the Wife, and bring to nought the ZJnderftanding of the Prudent. Therefore God hath chofen the foolifh things of the l Cor. r. World to confound the Wife. He chofe for his Apoftles, l 9> 2 7- fimple illiterate Men , and when the Learned came to him, he defpifed their Wifdom, fending Paul to School as Tomb.de an Ignorant to learn of Ananias what he ought to do. And la faufle when Nicodemus came to be his Duciple (the only learned Theol. Man that came to be converted by him) he declard to him, P- *• with Affeverations, that unlefshewere converted and be-f c l * 2 * came as a little Child, he could not enter into the King- t 3 § t j nte dom of Heaven ; to make him underftand that his Lear- vjf icre , ning and Wifdom was a Hinderance to it, that he muft turn away from it to embrace the Simplicity of a Child. What he fays to him, he fays to all the Learned that (hall ever be in the World. Nicodemus was already turned from Evil to Good when he offered to be bis Difciple; but this was not enough. Jefus Chrift declares to him, that .^ notwithftanding of this, he (hall not enter there, unlefs he become as a little Child, learning the Simplicity of Je- fus Chrift, and detefting the Whilom and Learning of Men. If the Wifdom and Studies of Men were not Hin- derances to them, why would he have them Simple as Children . ? The fame Spirit runs thro* ail that Divine Book of Tho- De Imitaf, mas a Kemgis, of the Imitation of Chrifl. Lo here an Chrifti. Extract ot one Chapter where jefus Chrift thus fpeaks to L.3. c.4$« the Soul; ' Son, let not the fine and fubtile Sayings of * Men move thee; for the Kingdom of God is not in c Word, but in Power. Take heed to my Words, which * do enftame the Heart and enlighten the Mind, which 1 bring Compunction and procure various Conlblations. 1 Never read my Word for this End, That thou may be * efteem'd the more learned, or the more wife ; but ftwdy 4 it* 3® CbaraBers of her Part I. € the Mortification of thy Vices, for that will profit thee c more than many hard Queftions. When thou halt read 1 and known much, thou mull ftill return to one Princi- ' pie. I am he who-teaches Man Knowledge, and gives * to Little Ones a more clear Understanding than what he 6 can be taught by Man. He to whom Ifpeakwill foon * be Wife, and will profit much in Spirit. Wo to them € that enquire many curious things from Men, and care 1 little how to ferve me. 1 am he who elevates the hum- * ble Mind in a Moment, that it may conceive more Rea- * fons of the Eternal Truth, than if one ftndied for Ten 1 Years in the Schools. I teach without the Noife of * Words, without the Confufion of Opinions, without * the Vanity of Honour, without the Debate of Argu- c ments. I am he who teaches to defpife earthly things, c to loath prefent things, to feek and relifh eternal things, 1 to flee Honours, tofuffer Reproaches, to place all their € Hope in me, to defire nothing befides me, and to love & me ardently above all things. fc For a certain Perfon,by loving me dearly, did learn * Divine Things,and fpoke wonderful Things : he profited c more by forfaking all, than by ftudying difficult things. 1 But to fome I utter common things, to fome fpecialones 5 1 to fome I appear fweetly in Signs and Figures, but to * others I reveal Myfteries in much Light. There is one c Voice of Books, but it does not equally inftruct all ; for * I am the Teacher of the Truth inwardly, the Searcher € of the Heart, the Underftander of the Thoughts, the ' Furtherer of Actions, distributing to every one as I fhall * judge worthy. Now Writings whofe chief Tendency is to lead us to lb excellent a Mafter, to learn in ChrifYs School, and teach us how to labour for the Difpofitions which he himfelf re- quires of us, deferve to meet with fome Regard by thofe who pretend to be his Difciples. XXIIL XXIII. 8. Another remarkable Quality of thofe Wri- 8. The tings is, that they are fo clear, and plain, andjtmple. The Plainnefs Thoughts of the Studious and of the Learned are out of and Sim- the common Road of the People, and fo are their Words plicity of and Language too ; and when they write, they can hardly them. avoid the Terms of the Schools 5 and all affect a certain Eloquence that darkens the Thoughts which we would ex- prefs, both becaufe we have not dear Perecpticms of thofe Truths Parti. Writings and Sentiments. 31 Truths, and we ftill feek our felves; and many who have pretended to Divine Infpiration, have written fo Myfte- rioutly, and under fuch dark Figures, that they cannot be eafily comprehended. But thcfe Writings are fo clear , that we may eafily and diftin&Iy perceive the Intent of them,fo plain that Children and the mod illiterate People may eafily underftand them, andfo fimple that there is nothing of humane Art or Varnifh to be feen in them. ' XXIV. 9. It is no lefs remarkable, that there is a convin. XXIV. clng Force and Efficacy in thofe Writings which does fenfibly 9. The con- toHch the Hearts of thofe that read them \ their Confciences vineing bears them witnefs of the Truth of things as to themfelves, Force °f and they are convinced of all ; not that all are fo who them - read any of them, no more than all who heard JefusChrift Recueil himfelfwcre affected with his Words, tho' he fpoke as desTe- one that had Authority, and not as the Scribes, tho' never moigna- Man fpoke like him, yet the Pharifees faid he had a Devil, 8 es - but others who heard him, felt that he had the Words of Eternal Life. So fome call this Virgin a Devil and Enchan- trefs, a mad, whimfical Woman. Others are fo convin- ced of the Truths of the Gofpel contained in her Writings, that they are ready to anfvver, (he is not mad, but fpeaks the Words of Truth and Sobernefs. Many, I know, can bear me Witnefs, that upon the reading of her Wri- tings they have felt a deeper Senfe of Divine things, and their Hearts and Confciences have been more touched than by moft of other Writings which they have feen. And this can be teftified by Peribns of different Parties and Perfwafions, by Learned and Unlearned, and it deferves the more Confederation that they are not written in a Way to move the PaiTions in Flights of Devotion, as fome would have them pafs for, but in a fimple naked Decla- ration of Divine Truths. All Writings carry along with them certain ImprerTions of the Spirit with which they are written, which we are apt to difcern , and accordingly to be affected by them. If Self be the chief Mover, it will be feen thro J all the Difguiies of the Writer. There's a certain Drinefs and Deadnefs in'moft of Writings and Ser- mons now adays about Divine Things, that they do not ac all touch the Heart; and even the beft of them favour more of the Head of than the Heart , of the Spirit of Man than of the Spirit of God, and fo they cannot rife higher than their Original j they may ftrike and pleafe our Fancy, but 3 s CbA? Alters of her Part I. but they cannot move the Divine Faculties of the Soul. I cannot give a better Account of this than A. B. does when fhe complains that tho\ there was never more Preaching than in this Age, yet never a greater fpiritual Famine; that they do< not give Nourishment to Souls, which every Day wax leaner and leaner in Vertue, and Nouv.ciel. colder in Charity; She fays, * The Word of the Preachers p. 1 66. i cannot be God's Word, for then certainly it would pro- —179, ' duce its Effects in well-difpofed Souls ; for the Word of 1 God is powerful. It would poflefs the infeparable Qua* r lities of God, Righteoufnefs, and Goodnefs* and Truth 5 * If one of thefe be wanting, it is not the Word of God. * they may ufe the Terms and Expreffions which jefus * Chrift and his Apoftles ufed, yet that is not the Word of * God. They are not called by God, but carried to the * Miniftry by Ambition, or fome worldly and human In- 1 tereft. Their Sermons are nothing elfe but Apifli 4 Mummeries. If an Ape faw an excellent Painter drawing * a curious Picture, and if in his Abfence it fhould take * the Pencils and Colours, and lo fcratch upon the fame 1 Table, it would entirely Daub all, tho* it made Ufe of * the fame Pencils and Colours, becaufe it wanted the * Painter's Spirit ; this Defecl marrs all, even what was 1 beautiful there before the Ape touch'd it. This Is the true * Emblem of moft of the Preachers and Writers now a- 1 days in Religion. They have the Scripture as the Pallet, 1 wherein are diftinguifh'd the fine Colours of Vertues * with which Jefus Chrift began the excellent Portrai T 1 ture of the Holy Church. They have alfo the Pencil c which is the Word with which Jefus Chrift and his A- * poftles laid on thefe fine Colours of Vertues in Souls ; * but they want as (that Ape) the Spirit of that excel- € lent Mafter, which is Jefus Chrift. They have on * Paper the fame Words which the Holy Spirit difta- % ted, but they have not the fame Holy: Spirit to ap- * ply them in Practice to their own Souls, and far le& * to the Souls of their Hearers. XXV. XXV. 10. Thofe Writings give us fuch juft and clear iti.TkejaJI Reprefentations of the Truths of Chriftianitji as tend to take And excel- us off from Self, and from the Creatures, and to make us Unt Reprc- turn unt0 , and depend wholly upon God, fuch as does not J™***™*/ favour us in the leaft Sin, and yet encourages the greatcft ■ ruths Sinner to turn to God \ fuch as leads us to afcribc nothing to Parti. Writirgs and Sentiments. 33 to our felves but Evil, and nothing to God but Good : of Chi- Such as lets us fee that nothing can excufe us from obey- ^anity. ing the Commands of the Golpel,and following the Exam- R uv pie of Jefus Chrift, without which by him t ere is no Sal- deafer, vation. It is true of Doctrines as well as Men ; By their Evang, " Fruits ye dull know them : Such Doctrines as tend to fr Q% footh 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 fo many exprefs Words, but in their natural Ten- dency) fuch certainly are not of God. Now the Doctrines contained in thofe Writings have quite another Tendency, as has been faid. There we have fuch true and lively Repre- fentations of God, as fhews us that he is altogether Love- ly ; of his Defign in creating Man only Co be enjoy'd and lov'd by him, without any decree or purpofe of damning the greateft part of Mankind, as may ftir us up to comply with fo tender a Love, with fo generous a Defign ; of the horrid Degeneracy and Corruption of Man now both inS'oul and Body, as may make us abhor our felves j of our Sins their being purely our own d^d y without any the leait Pre- determination or Concurrence of God,but the contrary, as may keep us from exculing our felves or laying the blame on God ; of the Merits , Satisfaction, and Interceffion of Jefus Chrift, as may convince us that Pardon and Recon- ciliation with God, and Grace and Means to return to God is to be obtain'd, and that only by him ; of the NeceiUcy and Nature of the preventing, concurring, and renewing Grace of God, as may make us continually feek to him for it, and yield up our felves to be guided by it; of the Nature and Corruption of our Will, as fhews the abib- lute neceifity of denying, it and yielding it up to God ; of the Doctrine and Example of Jefus Chrift as may con- vince us that our Corrupt Nature cannot be overcome, and we cannot return to the Love of God without obey- ing his Precepts, and foflowing his Example. Now Wri- tings of fuch a Tendency ought not to be defpis'd and ridicufd by the ProfefTors and Preachers of the Religion of Jefus Chrift ; and that they have this Tendency, I appeal to» any who have read any of them without an Evil Eye. XXVI XXVI. 11. Thofe Writings do contain alfo many n. The i)ivine Explications of the Holy Scripture, not after the Di J declaimed by the moft. Now in two ree Sheets of Paper of thofe W£tih£s there is more D 3 * {4. 3 8 Ch at afters of her Parti. fa id for the clearing of thofe Difficulties than in whole Li- braries o> Volumes. This in the i. and 2. Chap, of the 1. Part of Acadevn des Scavans Theologiens , written upon Gccahon of Coqferen es with and at the Defire of a lear- ned and pious Divine, Mr. Peter Noels, Canon at Ma- line, a Javfenift., who had been Secretary to the famous Janfenius Jprenfis , and had a great Veneration for this Virgin and her Wrings to his Death. I fhall mention another Infhnce of this Nature, of Mr. Gilleman's , Canon and Arch-Prie a nt, famous there for tome Writings, who having r ; judgmenr of the Doctrine of the Cafuifts v then much tailed of, viz,. That a Man may be fav J d by Attrition without Contrition . by Sorrow for his Sins without the Love of God ; telling her, that he had writ a large Volume againft this falfe Oocltine $ fhe told him her Thoughts, and withal, that fhe had written her Thoughts larely on the fame Matter, which he having ob- tain d the Sight of after Importunity, and with a Promife to rellore it within three Days, he read ic with Feeling and Admiration, and returning it, faid , Ton have [aid more things and more forcible on this Sub]eH in one Sheet, than I Ipave done in all my Booh^ which has coft me fo much Time^ Pains and Expences, and therefore I condemn it never to fee the Light. It is the 4th. Chapter of the fore-cited Book. XXVIII XXVIII. ig. Thofe Writings are worthy of our Re- j 7 The t'a- & arc ^ ' m tnat tnev t£n ^ t0 difcourage and remove out of the k:*g Mm Chriflian World the Difputing and Controverfal Divinity^ @tf from and to take Men off from the Spirit of Controverfie, which the difpu- has banifhed the Life and Spirit of Chriftianity from a- tivgTkcQ- mong Men. Some are ready to fav that her Writings logy- tend rather to multiply Controversies than to remove T o • them, in that they advance (b many new Doctrines and ju bain e Qpj n j ons j which were never formerly heard of. But Tomb de tne * e neec ^ S* ve no Occafion of Difpute ; fhe declares they la taufT are not Matters of Faith, are not neceflfary to Salvation 5 Theol. they who are perfwaded of the Truth of them, and find Etoile du them helpful to increafe their Love and Admiration of God, Mar.p.37. will receive them without difputing about them, and they who are not perfwaded of the Truth of them may Jet them alone, and fo there needs no Difpute, and no Body will contend with them about them. But thofe Writings tend to take Men oft" from this Spirit \ the^ make Part I. Writings and Stntimints. 39 make (0 clear a Difference between the Effentials and the Acceflbries of Religion, fo plainly defcribe the firft, that all cannot but be convinced of them j and they fhew that the Ialt ought not to be any Subject of Debate and Con- tention: They make appear, that the Doctrine of jefus Chriir, is to be learn d by -Simplicity and humble Prayer, and not by Controverfie and Debate, and that none are more capable of understanding it than they who are led by the Spirit ; they fhew that there is nothing more con- trary ro the Spirit and Great End of Chriftianity than the Spirit of Controverfie : That they who are led by it can- not endure that others mould differ from them in fome Sentiments about Religion, ( even tho* they agree in the Effentials and Fundamentals of it J but prefently they pro- fecutethrm with ail the Spite and Rancour they are capa- ple of, as the Enemies of God and Religion, and do all they can to infpire the fame Spite and Aver (ion again (I them in all on whom they have Influence : They affix on them hateful Names, accufe them of Crimes they were never guilty of, Blafphemy, Idolatry , &c. they treat them with Contempt and Scorn, make them pais for mad and diitra&ed ; the Good in them,or the Truth that appears in their Wrjtings, they conceal and are griev'd at it, and make it pafs for what they call in Scorn Flights of Devo- tion, or the Effefts of a warm Imagination ; and they re- joice when they meet with any thing that can expofe 1 them or make them hateful ; they cannot ealily believe any thing that is Gocd in them, but very readily Evil j they do not confider the great Tendency of their Life and Wri- tings, but cull out fbme Inflances and Paffages of boch which may feparately feem h rfh ; and they affix en them the hardeil Sence they are capable of, and from thefe draw Confequences and form odious Pictures of them;-^om them they can endure no hard Words without Rage and Difpleafure , but againft them they infult and triumph. In a Word, this Spirit is the compleat Reverie of that Charity which S. Paul defcribes. It fuffers little, is un- 1 Cor. 13, kind, envious, rafh, puffed up, behaves it felf unfeemly, 4) & Ct feeks it felf, is eafily provoked, thinketh Evil, rejoiceth in Iniquity, but rejpiceth not in the Truth ; bears with nothing, believes nothing, hopes nothing, endures nothing. Now all things being diffufive of themfelves , this Evil exerting it felf in thf Writings and Difcourfcs of Men, D 4 ipreacf 40 Characters of her Part I. fpreads like a Contagion, and our corrupt Nature being more fufceptible of Evil than Good, is foonfeized with the Malignity. Hence cometh that Hatred, Variance, Strife, Evil-fpeaking, thofe Revilings, Calumnies, Se6b, Schifms, Wars, Fightings, Perfections, &c. which have made the Chriftian World fo much the Sport of the Devil, and the By-word of the reft of Mankind, Now.one would think that by this time Men might be fo generally out of Love with the Humour of Controverfis, fo offended with the Trick of laying rheStrefs of Chriltianity on things wherein it doss nor con(iil,and fo fenfible of rhe Mifchiefs that both have done to Religion throughout all Chriftendom ; that thofe Writings would be generally acceptable, which tend to f 'fettnWlens Minds towards one another, to lefTen a Concern for Se6h and Parries ; to give a clear View of the Efientialsof Chriltianity, and plainly to diftinguifh them from the Acceffories and Circumftantials , and to lead Men to the Mortification of their corrupt Nature, and the Recovery of the Love of God, as thofe Writings moft cer- tainly do. XXXI. XXIX. 14. The Marnier after which thofe Writings j 4. The fin- were compofed is fomething [mgular and extraordinary. It gular Man- cannot be denied but that they are writ with much Clear- tierofthe nefs, Solidity and Force in all the things that may be ufe- wtitlng ful for the Salvation of Man; yet they are not the Effect them, of Study and the reading of other Books ; for (he read none, and did not derive her Knowledge either from learned Men or Books ; reckoning their Learning a Stray- ing from the right Way ; and that as the Writing- Mafter would needs have a Double hire, from thofe who had learn d to write an ill Hand, to L wif, one hire for unteach- ing ^m fo ill a Habit, and another to teach them to write well, becaufe he mull be at more Pains with fuch, than with thole who had learn'd none at all ; fo fhe was with the Learned who came to learn from her in ChrihVs School, fhe had a double Labour, one to unteach them the imaginary Wifdom which they had embraced, J >ind with Prefumption and Rafhnefs ; and the other to make them receive the true Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Humility, and the Lownefs and Simplicity of a Child. And as her Writings were not the Refult of Study and human Learning; fo neither were they the Effect, of Me- ditation and human Reafoning;. We mull think before iv 2 Part I. Writings and Sentiments. 41 we write, and take Time to order our Thoughts and confi- der our Words; we mult b ot out, and mend, and add to our firit Draughts. But when fhe put Pen to Paper fhe wrote as fait as her Hand could guide the Pen, and what was once written, was witten without blotting out or Change. And when fhe returned to any Writings that fhe had laid by unfinifh'd, tho' for fome Months or Years, fhe did not apply her felf to read them over, but having read only five or fix of the laft Lines to fee how the Period en- ded, fhe immediately wrote on with her former Swiftfnefs, her Sentiments flowing from her as Water does from a Fountain. She needed not, it feems, the Buckets of Study and Meditation, wherewith to draw out of the broken Cifterns of others ; but fhe had within her a Fountain of living Water, Itill (bringing up to everlafting Life. As this is attefted by thofe who were of her particular Acquain- tance, and all her Manufcripts are (till extant, written with her own Hand ; fo a particular Account is giv e n - given of this by Mr. Frayicl?erj y Merchant at Am ft er dam, in v his Teltimony concerning her, * where, among other _.^ e £J Iei ^ things, he tells, That a learned Man of Amftcrdam, a des . Te - Doctor of Law, laid to him one Day, that he could not m °o^ n R ' believe but it was fome learned Man who had writ thefe E; c *' *' Letters, and publifh/ d them under the Name of A. B. as not being willing to be known ; and Mr. Francken affur'd him of the contrary; but however he not having had Jong time to converie with her, he would take care to in- form himfelf more narrowly, fo as to be able to convince him, as it fell out; for feme time fince , after he Jws£- ^Chj-^^ told him, he had often found her inTier little Chamber with a Piece of Deal Board on her Knees, writing with- out any other Thing but the Paper on which fhe wrote, and the Pen and Ink which fhe made ufe of, and fhe lea- ving off to write, upon her Difcoveringthat he was in the Room (and becaufe fhe never wrote but with Attention to the Voice of God in the inward Silence and Recolle&ion of her Spirit) he would take up the Paper, with her Per- mifTion, to read it, and found it was writ fo fwiftly, that there would be yet ten or twelve Lines frelh and wet. Having made this Trial of it, his Friend, he fays, was per- fwaded of it as much as if he had feen it himfelf, having full Confidence 'in hjs Sincerity from long Experience and Familiarity. XXX.. i 5 .Tiut 42 Characters of her Fart L XXX. XXX. 15. That which ought greatly to recommend her 15. Jhe Writings to us, is the Conformity of her Life and Pratlice. Conjormi- jt is the general Complaint concerning thofe who recom- ty of her menc | Vertue and a truly Chriftian Life to others, that Life and t h ev ^o not p ra fti ce it themfelves ; that they fpeak by one Practice. p r j nc ipi e an d live by another, and fo their Words have Recueil.de little Force, and they deftroy Chriftianity one way more Temoign. than it is poflible for them to build it up another. I La Vie de know fome have made an ill Ufe of the Elogies which have M. A, B. been given of her Life and Spirit by thofe who were Eye- witneiTes of all; like Spiders fucking Poifon from the Flowers where the Bees gather Honey, they exaggerate fome of their Expreftions far beyond the Intent of them; and in Oppofition to the Teftimonies of thole who were living WitnelTes of her Life, they, fome eighteen Years after fhe is dead, will needs draw a Picture of her that may reprefent her very ugly, with what Equity and Can- dour will appear in its due Place However, any who fhall read impartially the Story of her Life and the Tefti- monies given of her throughout all the Periods of it,^ will conceive better Thoughts of her than what the New Narra- tives would give of them. They will fee that fheliv'd conftantly as one travelling towards Eternity, and therein ftudying in all things to conform her Life to that of Jefus Chrift in thefe and fuch-like Instances : She conversed al- ways with God, and no more with Men than her Duty and Charity required ; fhe led a Life of continual Penitence, mortifying her corrupt Nature, and never gratifying her fenfual Appetites'in any thing : Tho' fhe might have enjoy 'd the Pleasures of herSenfes, the Delights of herTafte and of her other Senfes, yet (lie voluntarily deprived herfelf of them to pleafe God: Tho* fhe had lawfully acquired Riches, yet would never ufe them but for pure NeceflTity : Tho' (lie might have been conveniently ferv'd and ho- nour^ according to her Condition, yet fhe defpis'd theie Ponours and Services to imitate Tefus Chrift, loving rather to live unknown and ferve herfelf than to be ferv d. There was nothing obferv'd in her Actions contrary to the Righ*- teoufnefs, Goodnefs, and Truth of God, but they appeared itill to be accompanied with thofe three Qualities derived from the Spirit of God. She never recommended to any She Practice of a Vertue which fhe did not.moft exempla- rilypraclice herfelf. She was moft humble and (Hf-denied., always Part I. Writings ani Sentiments* 43 always ready to ferve others rather than be ferv'd by them, and to take to her felf the meaneft and the lead of every thing. She did not afTefr to be thought humble, by hum- ble Words, Geilures, Habits, &c. nor did flie diftinguifh her felf from the reft of the World by any lingular indif- ferent Thing; but as to Habit, Diet, &c. conform d her felf to the Cuftoms of the Places where fhe happen d to be. So great was her Charity, that fhe brought up fome hundreds of Giils, (maintaining fifty of them at a time) for the fpace of feven Years on her own Charges (what was allowed by the Founder being only for ten) employing her Time, Wealth, Strength of Body and Mind, in Training them up in all Vertuous Exercifes, and diftinguifhing herfelf in nothing from them, as to Diet, Bread, Apparel, &c. Such was her Love to Men's Souls, that fhe (pared nothing to perfwade them to the Love of God, and to Imitate jefus Chrift, and employed her Time and Wealth in writing and publifhing the Truths of God, for that End. She (urfer'd patiently all manner of Re- proaches and Perfections for the Sake of Jefus Chrilt. She had an invincible Firmnefs and Conftancy in what was Truth : Nothing could fhake or alter her. She did nothing to pleafe Men ", She had a conftant Equality of Mind in all Conditions ; She difcoverd a wonderful Pru- dence on all Occaiions. Let any body but read theTefti- monies given of her by thofe who knew her in her Youth, in her old Age, and in all States of her Life, as they are let down in Recucil des Temoignages , and particularly that of Mr. Francken, Merchant of Amsterdam, and they will fee how clofely £he was a Follower of ]efus Chrilt in Humility and Poverty of Spirit, in a Contempt of all earthly Things, in a" Life of Labour and Penitence, and in the true Love of God and the Souls of Men. Now Writin s, whofe Subftance and E (fence contains fuch excellent Truths as thofe I have mentioned in the Account of the Eflentials of Chriftianity, and which have fuch remarkable Qualities /and penn'd by one who liv'd fo her felf, ought certainly to meet with fome Regard, and not to be immediately thrown away, and People frighted from looking into them, becaufe there are in them ibme Sentiments which do not relifh , and feem to us Extra- vagant, XXXI But 44 & er dccejfory Sentiments. Part I. XXXI. XXXI. But perhaps it will be faid that thofe Do&rines ASumm of which fhe calls Acceflbrks may be dangerous Opinions and her jfeeef- damnable Do&rines, and that what fhe feerns to build with firy Semi* the one Hand, me pulls down with the other; that fhe ments. makes a Mahumetan Paradife, Eating and Drinking, and Generation in the Kingdom of Heaven . How eafie a thing is it to give a hateful Turn to ones Sentiments, to make them pafs for impious, extravagant , and ridiculous. I fhall therefore fet down here a brief Summary of her Acceffory Sentiments , firft premifing fome things that may difpofe the Reader to conftder them calmly and with- out prejudice. i. That i. She declares they are reveafd unto her by God, and they are that now in the End of the World, and near the Time of not her the Reditu tion of all things, many things which were own. more darkly reprefented in the Holy Scriptures, are now ; to be manifestly laid open, when the Time of fulfilling j m - au * * s at nanc ^) anc ^ thatfuch things are now laid before us du Matin. nk e a Cluftre of Grapes of the Land of Promife, to make p * 3 *' us conceive fomething of the Beauty and Glory of the Heavenly Jerufalem. a. Not ne- 2. She declares, as has been faid, that thofe Acceffory ffjfary to Truths are not neceflary to Salvation, are not Articles of Salvation. p a <; tnj ought not to be enquired into from a Spirit of Curi- id-P-4 t >4 2 ofity, are not defign d for all, but for thofe who being per- Kenouv. f wa( j e£ j f them are thereby flirr'd up fo much the more p 8 ',^' to the Love and Admiration of God j and for others they in, 222. may ler them alone. XXXII.' XXXII. 3. St. Auguftin, has given us an excellent 3. St. Au- Rule whereby to judge charitably of Sentiments and In- guftinV terpretations of the Holy Scripture. l Whofoever, fays he y Rule for ' * fo understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, judging of c as that thereby he does not build up the twofold Cha- fSmtiments. ' Y ky , the Love of God and our Neighbour , he does *DeDoft c not understand them aright: But whofoever gives fuch Chriftiana ' aSenfeof them, as is profitable for advancing this Cha- lib.i.c.36. c rity, and yet what he fays is not the particular Senfe 1 of the Writer in that place, he does not err damnably, ' neither does at all He : And if he err by a Senfe which ' edifies Charity, which is the End of the Commandment, 4 he fo errs, as if one by a miftake, leaviag the Highway, 1 mould go ftreight over the Field to the Place whither * die Way leads, If Part I. Bir Acceffcry Sentiments. 45 If thefe AccefTory Sentiments then tend to promote the Great End of Religion, the Love of God and our Neigh- bour, tho' there were no Evidence for them from the Holy Scriptures, they are neither hurtful nor damnable. In pjving an Account then of her AccefTory Sentiments, I fhall confider them under thefe Heads : Thofe which re- lat to. 1. The State of the World before Man's Fall. 2. The Fall cf Man and its Confequences. 3. The Methods taken for Man's Recovery by Jefus Chrift. 4. The Prefent State of the World. 5. The Future State, and the Reititution of ail things. And becaufe the Series and Chain of thofe AccefTory Sentiments cannot be well conceit d without fome mention of the ElTential Ones too, I fhall not fcru- ple to do it where ic is neceffary to underftand the Con- nexion of thofe Sentiments. i.As to the State cf the World bfore Maris XXXIIL Fall , the Summ of her Stntiments is as l ; B 'f°" r a J the Fall. fol/ervs. i.XjrX7HEN God created all things atFirft, there 1. No De~ V V was no Deformity in any of his Works, all formity in was Beautiful and Luminous; no Grofsnefs in the *** Works Earth; no Whirlwinds and Hurricanes in the Air ; no °f God - Tempefts in the Sea ; no Poifon in the Herbs ; no Venom Le Nouv. inlnfecls: The Earth was all tranfparent throughout, Ciel.p 34.. in ic were to be feen the Plants, the Stones, and Metals, all tranfparent likewife; one might fee thorouh it to its Center, as eafily as through the Air ; all the Beafts and Plants were all Beautiful in their refpe&ive kinds, no Deformity in any of them, and the Beauty of their Frame and Contrivance was to be feen throughout, all being Tranfparent and Luminous : All things were wor- thy of God, and were Reprefentations of his Greatnefs, Magnificence, Goodnefs, Beauty, Light, and Fruitful- nefs in feveral ways, and according to their different kinds. * 2. God having refolv'd to form a Creature that mould 1 ' M *" love and enjoy him, and in whofe Love he would take ™*Iq^ { Delight and Pleifure ; he creates Man after his own ![?/*// ' Image, endues him with an immortal Soul breathed y is m from himfelf , with Undemanding capable to receive Thc^ualL him, with anPIeart to defire and thirit after him, and ueslf hit 1 cleave 8**!. 4^ Hir JcceJJory Sentiments. Part L turn. en. € cleave to him, with a perfect Liberty "and Free-will, teneb. « to do it heartily and freely, and without the lead Limita- parc r. « tionor Conftraint : And to oblige him the more, to love Jet. j ?. < him, his mo ft Bountiful God and Lover, gives him for * an Acceifory Felicity and Happinefs, the whole Creation ; * fubje6ls all his Works to him to be his Servants and to ' attend upon him, puts all things under his Feet, that he, 1 receiving the Homage and Delight of all the Creatures, ' might return the Praife of all to God , in the conftant * Love and Adoration of fo Bountiful a God, who would 1 give hirfrfelf to be lov d and enjoy 'd by him, and would * take his Delight with him, and would give him fuch 4 a world of beautiful Creatures to ferve and attend upon 4 him, 3. A B&dy 4 3. That Man might partake of this Acceflbry Happi- given him * nefs, and receive the Delight and Homage of all the -nkr.by to c Creatures, and rule over them as their Lord and King, rule over < he forms to him a Body as the Cafe and Organ of his tint Crsa- 1 s ou j ? by wn ich he might communicate with all the VH • Creatures and rule over them, and endues it with Facul- 1 ties and Senfes capable to give them Orders, and to take 1 in the Tribute of their Delights and Pleafures; the Senfe 4 of Seeing, to take in their Light and Beauty ; of Hear- 4 ing, to be entertain'd with their Melody and Mufick ; 4 Smelling, to receive their odoriferous Steams ; and the c Tafte, to relilh their Sweetnefs and Delight ; the power <^s v> , i of M oving, of speech and Geftures, whereby to rule UtbtuW'jfT anc j govern themwhe might go to any place and make 4 known his Will, wnich all obeyed. +.The won- • 4. This Body was not created by God after the manner derful Glo- c that we fee it at prefent, but incomprehenfibly more ry and c beautiful and more perfect, as the Matter- piece of ail Beauty ef < Nature, clear, fubtile, agile, and tranfparent 5 its Skin that Body, c Jike Mo f covy Qlafs ; its Flefli like Cryftal ; its Veins LeNouv. 4 likeftreamsof Rubies; its Waters like Diamonds; its Ciel p 4 9*> ' its Parts within and without , its Bones, Mufcles, Sinews, * Bowels, all (b bright, fram'd with fuch Art, that all the 4 Beauties of the Univerfe were nothing to the lead part 1 of it. The Quinteflence of all Natural things was the 1 Matter of which it was fornVd, and all Nature obeyed * it. If he defign'd to go on the Waters, they fupported 4 him; if to the Center of the Earth, it yielded to him; 4 if Parti. Her 'Aceeffory Sentiments. 47 c if through the Air, it was a Chariot to him : The Sun, 1 the Stars, the precious Stones, and all the Beauties of the * Earth, were nothing if compard with the lead Beauty L'Eroile 1 of the Body of Man: His Soul was wholly Divine, his du Marin. 1 Underftanding clear-lighted , penetrating all the Secrets P- 3, »° * of Nature, all things Divine and Supernatural. 4 5. Man, when he was created at Firit, was endued with $• w *«f*- * a Principle of Foecundity, with a Power to produce his^* J °f 1 like without the^help of another, having within his Body p ^ ^? ng c the Principles of both Natures, and in that refpe6f being ^; ,' " ' 1 a compleat and perfect Man, which Power was aftua- c ted upon ardent A&s of Love to God, and a Deiire to * produce a Creature like himfelf, to love and enjoy his * Maker. 1 6. Adam j while he was in perfect Innocence, did thus 6. Adam c produce one like himfelf, who was the Firft-Born 0$ did tin? 1 every Creature, the Second Adam, and the Son of Man. produce one c And God being defirous to give to Man a full and per- t0 v>hcm ■ feft Contentment in Body and Spirit, and. to dwell ™< p,w ' nt c with him bodily and vifibly, fo that he might Converfe „*f!"7 - f 1 with Man as a Friend with his' Friend ; he therefore not r*£* lt 1 only made Mart after his Image, but he becomes like to^jj 1 Man, he unites himfelf to the Humane Nature in the 33. 4 Second Adam, that he might Converfe familiarly with 1 Man by an Organ, to be feen, heard, and felt by him, 1 conformable to his Nature : This is jefus Clirift, Eternal 1 God, and True Man. ' 7. Notwithftanding'of this, Adam, fwimmingamidil 7- J* »*- c all fenfibie Delights, (the Time of Trial given him,****' be 1 being then a State of Delight and Pleafure ) began t0 ° Wltc , h 1 to lean too much towards them, and to pkafe himteif ; ™"!f7 c in them, without turning his Soul fo confttanly towards -^T f 1 God, and fo became lefs fenfible of the Motions of God's J^fc* 1 Light and Love upon his Spirit, being taken up too u^' an 1 much other ways ; which encreafing ftill upon him to maa > € t0 1 prevent his total Degeneracy, and that he might not fink prevent his e fo low as to place his Love and Affections on things Fall. 1 which were only earthly and material,- God refuives to ibid.p.36, 1 make a Help for him •> he for this end takes one of the 63,64,65. 1 Principles of Foecundity out of Man, and therewith 1 forms the Woman, who being form'd. more Beautiful 4 than any of the Creatures, and being a more lively Re- I prefentation of God, he might love her in God as God's ' Image, 4S Her 'Jccejfory Sentiments, Part L 1 Image , being endued with a Divine Soul as he was ? c and fa me might take off his Affections from the other ' Creatures, and raife them towards God. XXXIV. 2 . As to Marts total Fall, and the Confe- rail, &c. quences thereof. j. she sins, l i- HP HE Woman who was given for a Help to Man, and leads ' ' 1 to keep him from a total Degeneracy, liftning to Man to Jin 1 the Temptations of the Serpent, the mod fubtile and *»?. ' beautiful of ajl the Beafts, turned away from God her 2»d.p.57- ' fdf, and led on Man to do fo too*, both of them fha- ' king off their Dependance upon God and his Will, and * following their own Wilis, and breaking a juft and eafie i Command that God had given them ; forbidding them c to eat of the Fruit of one Tree, as an Acknowledge- 1 ment of Homage to their Great Creator and Bene- ( factor, and that they held all of him. 2. The her- ' 2. As by turning from the Sun we fall into Darknefs ridcorrup- c and Obfcurity, fo Man- much more , by turning away r#» that 9 f r om God, and fetting his Heart upon the Creatures, flovfdfrom <■ brings an univerfal Corruption and Mifery on himfelf, thence to < anc j on ^\ the Creatures which had been fubje&ed to mshoxa. t him . Above alli Sin corrup ted Man ' s soul, did it the L'Etoile c greater!: Mifchief, having damn d it eternally, and made du Matin/ it like unto the Devil. For both were created by God p. 6, 7,8. ' to love him, and when they both withdraw this Love Renouv. c from God, to love themfelves or other Creatures, they del'Efp. c are equally become Devils; the one incarnate and the Evang. < other foiricual , depriv'd of all fort of Good, and avant-Pr. c f a j| en j nt0 a jj f ort f Evil. So that if Man will con- p. i6, 17, <, ^ er bfmfelfSiarrowty, he {hall rind his Soul dehTd F et -P-ii,< with all fort of Sins; fiil'd with Injuftice, fubjeft to 5 ' c Lying, enclin'd to Covetoulhefs, blown up with Pride, 1 furious with Anger, Luftful , Gluttonous, Sloathful , c Negligent, with all other fort of Sins which refide in 1 the depth of .his Soul. Sin fo corrupted his Will, that c he had always a Bent and Inclination to Evil ; fo that c all that comes from the Self-will of Man is Sin, his SqI€~ c will being fiil'd with nothung but Self-love. Sin has alio 1 fo corrupted his Reafon , that it is no longer capable J of discerning and judging aright of things : It has fo * darkened- Fart I. Her Accefjory Stntimentu 49 c darkened hfs Memory, and confounded his Underftanding, * that he takes Evil for Good, and Good for Evil, with- * out Judgment and Reafon. From the Corruption of To hnUodj. c his Soul, did flow that of his Body ; all its Humours and L'Ercilc * Parts being difordered, his glorious Body becomes filthy, du Matin. 1 dark, and deform'd in every part of it, contracts that p. 6. c grofs Cruft of Corruption which we now carry about * with us, and which has feiz d on every the lead part of c r it within and without ; fo that our Firft Parents were t afliam'd of themfelves, fought wherewith to cover their 1 Nakednefs, and went and hicT themfelves. The Sehfes e alfo became grofs, dull, and feeble, could difcern no- c thing but the outfide of things, and the whole Body 1 became full of diforder within, fubjecl: to the ill Impref- 1 lions of all the Creatures, and at lalt to DifTolution and 1 Death. . ' 3. Man. by his Fall, brought alfb 3 Corruption and j. t§ the '' Deformity upon all the Creatures which had been fub- reft of ths 1 jeered to him ; the Evarth became grofs and dark, barren Creature:. \ and unfruitful, and all the Creatures became hurtful ibid. p. 5, : and mifchievous to Man, and rofe np againft him who ! had fhaken off .his Allegiance to their Bountiful Crea- : tor : The Air ftifles him, the Waters drown him, the Fire 1 burns him, the Earth, Corn, and Trees, deny him their i Fruits without his Care and Labour; the Stars fend bad : Influences on him , and he is fubjecled to Cold, Heat, : Hunger, Thirft, Wearinefs, and innumerable other Evils, being deprived of the Dominion he had over all ; things, ana 1 fubje&ed unto them. -. 1 4. All Men in the World are the Natural OfT-fpring of 4. To all Adam, and do defcend from him both as to Body and Mankind. ; Soul, fo that they muft partake of the fame Qualities Renojuv. : with him, being all his Living Images ; and therefore all fe r£fp r : Men who were in his Loins when he . turn'd away from Evang. ; God, finned in him, and do inheric his Corruption and Pref.p.22^ Mifery both of Body and Mind ; as, ; if he had not fin- 1? ; ned, he had produc d all Men to Salvation, as God crea- j ted them. But every Man for himfelf would have had : the fame Liberty that Adam had to remain firm in the : Love of God, or to turn away from.it, by placing his : Affections on himfelf, or other Creatures. , He might damn or fave himfelf , during this Time of Trial, and.. all who had remained faithful co God' woujd have been £' \ f£Ve<3 i $o XXXV. 3. The Means of his Reco- very, I. J e fits Chrifi by his Merits and Medi- ation ob- tains Par- denforhim upnTerms, and be- comes his Surety. L'Etoile du Matin. p. 122. Renouv. de P Efp. Evang. Prefp.2i, a. His Time of Trial is novo a State of Labour. Itenouv. de r Efpr. Ev.part i. p. 89,90, 9 it &c- Her Jcceffory Sentiments. Part L faved ; on the contrary, all who had withdrawn their Affections from him, to love any other thing , would have beendamn'd; and their Fofterity would have been in the fame State , tho* Adam had never finn'd. So free and independent would Men have been, during their Time of Trial ; which is that in which we live at pre- fenr, and muft continue till the Day of Judgment : And then being confirmed in Grace, as the faithful Angels are ; they could never fall away, being perfectly united to God after this Time of Trial. 3. As to the Means and Method for Man's Recovery. 1. A LL Mankind had been thus irrecoverably loft Jt\ and damn d, as the fallen Angels are, if the Son of God, our elder Brother , had not interposed and be* cornea Mediator between God and them; who being touched with a deep fence of the wretched State into which Man had plung'd himfelf, he ardently prays and interceeds with his Heavenly Father, that he would have pity on thofe his wretched rebellious Creatures, and his Brethren ; that he would be pleas'd to pardon them, grant them his Grace, tho J molt unworthy of it, and allow them yet a Time of Trial , becoming Surety for them, that they fhoulddeteft and abhor their Corrup- tion, deny themfelves, and return to the Love of God. His Mediation is accepted , and upon the account of his Merits and interceffion, Man is pardoned, Grace is given him of new,and a Time of Trial allowd him,in which he muft lead a Life of Penitence, and thereby mortifiehis Corrupt Nature, and return to the Love of God. 1 2. The Time of Trial given to Man at firft , was a State of Pleafure and Delights ; but fince the Fall of Man, the Time of Trial affign'd him, is a State of La- bour and Toil ; and therefore God thruft Man out of a delightful Paradice , and fuffered the Malediction and Curfe of his Sin to fall upon the Creatures in a great meafure ; that they all might afford him Vexation in- ftead of Pleafure, and fo he might have occaiion of do- ing Penitence, becaufe he had turn'd away his Heart and ArTec/ctons from God, and fet them on the Creature. < 3. The Part I. Her Accejfory Sentiments. 5 r * 3. The Son of God having undertaken the Recovery 3 JLifi of Mankind, out of pure Love and Companion, he pro- •/ /*«"'- vides means and remedies according to the different UNC f en ' dates of their Maladies. The Firft Command he gives J°) n d lo:m - Man, as a neceffary mean of his Recovery, is a Life of R cnom , 1 Penitence and Labour, to eat his Meat in the ivveat of del'Lipr. his Face 5 but Men multiplying their Sins, he multi- Ev. pi-f plied his Commands, as fo many means to turn them p. 44,45, from their Sins, and gave them variety of Precepts to &c make them think upon God in all their A6tions and Words, fo that their Hearts might be in a continual Elevation to him. But they cleave to the Letter of the Law, withoutcomprehendingtheSenceof it, and turn'd away yet more from the Love of God , placing their Affections on the Creatures, the Riches, Pleafures, and Honours of this Life, pleafing themfelves with the out' fide of their Rites and Ceremonies. f 4. When all other means prov'd unfuccefsful, Jefus 4 JefuJ Chrift tries the laft Remedy : Men were not capable in c f ri ^ their Mortal State, of being taught by him in his Glo- c J oat ,? f rious Body. He had obtained of his Father to give them £/£(■„ in Spirit, good Thoughts and Motions, yea, Divine and Jl rt Jf t Supernatural Light jbutall this was not capable to convert t0 r ,^"r* them, or to make them fenfible they were in a State of i 3irH Damnation, becaufe of each one's inveterate habit to follow their brutifh Nature. There was need of a Mean, V Eroi/e vifible and fenfible to their Corruption, to move their du Matin. Hearts, otherwife they had all been loll without a fence P- I22 j of their own Mifery, all perifhing without perceiving * 25, & G ' it, by a damnable Imitation of one another \ thus all fcy°£r running in the Broad Way to Hell. Having therefore E * JJ r obtain cl from his Father, Mercy and Pardon for them p 'g m l upon their Repentance, Jefus Chrift refolves to become ^ 0m a Mortal Man. He therefore cloaths himfelf with our Mortality, and bringing along with him his Divine Light to enlighten them , and his Divine Love to enrlame them, he becomes in all things like to Corrupt Man, yet n . without Sin ; he teaches them by his Word, and \£» by A^ Example, how they fliould mortifle their Corrupt Na- ture, do Penitence, and recover the Love of God ; he charges himfelf with the miferies and frailty that Sin has brought upon Humane Nature, taking on himfelf all their Maledictions, and the Puniiliments due ro & a * thtir 52 Her Acceffory Sentiments. Part I. 1 their Sins, which he did bear and fuffer as if he had been c the greateft of all Sinners, living a Life of extream c Poverty, Labour, Contempt, and Pain, undergoing a ' fhameful, painful, and accurfed Death, andfoobtain- c ing Pardon for all who fhould thus follow his Steps. 5. We are c 5. God made his Will known to good Men j toths taught now c ancient Patriarchs, and Prophets, by the Organ of the by the l Glorious Body of Jefus Chrift. But fince Men were Light of < taught by Jefus Chrift in his Mortal Body, there is no Truth. and c neec j t0 f ee or under {tand by his Glorious Body. They Tj C i Jr •' navc received the Light of Truth, fo that they need bodily Vij- , no| . bodjIy y iflons ^ tQ underftand the Wil ] Qf God- . c Jefus Chrift fpeaks now to them in Spirit and in Truth, Renouv. l enlightning Souls with his Divine Light, inwardly by de T Efpr/ his Holy Spirit, which operates in Souls difengagd from Ev.part 2. c themfelves , and from ail earthly ArYe&ions, acting in p. 99- c them fvveetly and powerfully, when the Soul is in Peace c and Tranquility of Mind. It hears then as a foft Wind, ' which furrounding it with Joy,makes it fee what it ought * to do, and avoid both for its own Conduct, and for thac 1 of other weil-difpos'd People. XXXVL 4. iyfs to the Prefent State of the World, the fenfstate Summ of her ^fecejfory Sentiments are, 1. No true 1 I- THAT all Men have corrupted their Ways, and chrifliaw c i that there are no True Chriftians in the World, at prefent. c truly mortified to corrupt Nature, and regenerated in Acad des. ' ^ ie ^oveof God, an ^ the Spirit of jefus Chrift. Theol. part 1. cap. 9. 2. Chri- c 2. That the prefent State of Chriftevdom is a perfect , flendom < Babel y our Language being confounded j and the Buil- a Babel. < ders do no t underftand one another. Confuf. des Ouvr. de Babel. 3 The Do- e 3. That we have glofted away the Laws and Doctrine Brine of « f jefus Chrift by our Expositions, as much as the jefutchrift t Scribes and Pharifees did Mofcss Law by their Tradi- ghfed « t j ons# Tomb de lafaufTe Theol. part 1. let. 1. < 4. That Part I. Her Acceffory Stntimtnts. ^ 1 4. That we live prefently in the Reign of Antichrift, 4. Anr r 1 and that he rules in Spirit through all the Earth, by his thrift ( Three Antichriftian Qualities, which he fheds into Man's ragmmw. 1 Nature, Injuftice, Malice, and Hypocriiie, under a cover j ,r ? .. ( of Religion ; in Oppoiition to the 1 luce Divine Qua- ^ u j^^ n 1 lities, Righteouihefs, Goodnefs, and Truth, which Jefus p c g ' ' 1 Chriftcame to plant in the Hearts and Lives of all his 10 o. ' 1 Difciples. That Men feduce one another under fair A ' , 1 Appearances. That Sin is mask'd with Holinefs , and r>cou I cover'd with Hypocrilie, LJoht ^ the World, part r. p. 31. part 3 p. 19. * 5. That the Source of all the Evils in the Church, is $. The ' in the Corruption of the Paftors and Churchmen, and churchmen that the Abomination of Defolation is in the Sanctuary. the source 4 That all the Degeneracy of Chriitians comes from the °f a!l the [ pegeneracy of their Guides. ^ ll - . lemoign de Verite. part 2. p. 50, 7$/ • 1 6. That the Wickednefs of Man now being Univer- 6. God's i fai and come'to a height, (greater than in the Days of l*ft :/«■ fettion than thofe of the Primitive Church* did. That Renouvr. he will ftx\d his Holy Spirit to hy before us thofe means da V Efpr, of Salvation which Jeius Chrift taught us while on Ev. Pret. Earth, that we may clearly fee how far we are eitranged p- 125. E q ' from $4 Her <^4cceffory Sentiment t. Parti. c from thern , and to give us the Light of the Truth, 4 that we may fee the way to return, and to take up again 1 the fame Gofpel-Means, and recover the Dependance 1 of our Will on God, without which none can be faved. - And God will give the full Understanding of all that has ' been delivered in his Name, from the Beginning of the 1 World, both by the Holy Prophets, and by Jefus Chrift ' and his Apoftles, or other Saints his Difciples. «. AndwiU l 2. The Original Defign of God in the creating of Man, juffil his c being to take his Delight with him/ for which End he not purpofe of ' only made Man after his own likenefs, but he alfo be- hvingwith l came Man, that he might live with him in perfect Refem- Man for- « blance to all Eternity) and this being now fufpended unto tvt-r on < jyj an becaufe of his Sin, until that he have accompli- Earth. < p^ j^ p en j t ence to which he is (ubjecled by Sin ; yet I^ioht of ' ^ nce ^°d does noC change, nor will ever alter his Defigns, tbeWorld ' ^is timQ °f Penitence being fmiflied , Man will enter part r. ' again into Communion with God , as if he had never p. r45. c offended him. He will fpeak to God Face to Face by his part 3. ' Humanity, which will be rendred immortal, as well as p. 83. * is that of Jefus Chrift, that they may delight them- L«D?rn!- c fdves perfectly together upon Earth, whiigh will then ere Mefc- « be rendred Paradice, by the lovely Prefenceof God, who ricorde, c f Q .. ^jg g nc j b ecame Man, anc j j n tne £ nc j f tne World P '57* i w jii come jn Glory upon Earth, to Live and Reign for * ever with Men ; which is as it were The Sum of all the 1 Defigns that God has over Men , and the Alliance he has 4 often pr.mifed f o make with Man, 3. And re- ' 3. All the Works of God are Eternal, and nothing 'new all his l that he has made mail ever perifh. And in the End of Work* into « t \{ ls World, at the Coming of Jefus Chrift in Glory, all their pri. c tn i n g S (]iall be renewed and reftored into that primitive pitive /«- c j nre grity, in which they were at firft created. All the ifgrity. t £ v -j c | iat j s j n t j ie c reatures> tne p ru j c f Man's Sins, Notjv. * fnall be wholly taken away. Ai; Nature fhall then put Cid.p.93, c off the Corruption, Darknefs, and all the Disorders, io». c with which it had been tainted fince Adams Sin : All Renouv. ' flw'U become Bright, Glorious, and Luminous; all Cor- 4e 1* Efpr. l ruptiort mail be removed from the Body of Man, and Er.part ?. ' K ma ^ ke re-ellablifh'd in that glorious perfect State in p. 131, ' which it was at firft created, And the Soul become per- r^ ( feclly pure, (hall take its Delights with God, and the /> with Heaven and Earth, end all the other Creatures. 'For Part I. Her Acctffory Sentiments- 55 For God created them for thofe Ends, and for no other Light of thing, that Man might have his full perfect Contentment theWorld of Body and Mind in that Life Eternal, wherein jefus P art *■ Chrift (hall reign always in Body and Soul, wirli the P H*- Bodies and Souls of the Blefled, who fhalJ be united in Spirit unto God, and in Body unto the Body of Jefus Chrift. 1 4. After the Judgment , when God fhall take all 4- ^ndtht Malignity from the Earth, and from all the Creatures \ Malignity the Venom from Serpents, Scorpions, and other poy- b*"'Wd fonous Beafts ; Maladies and Infirmities from the Bodies v om ali - of Men and Beafts, and VVeakneffes from Spirits ; All Le Nouv. this (hail be reduced into fome corner of the Earth, ciel. all in a mate, that thefe Malignities may act together p. 127, upon the Bodies of the damned, and that the Works 128,. 129. of their hands be rendered unto them. For God never Renouv. made any of all thefe Evils : He created all things de V Efp. Good. Men only by their Wickednefs have given Ma- Ev n S« lignity unto all created things, and therefore it ought to P art 2 - appertain to them, and to be rendered to them by the p * * 32 ' Right of Juftice, which will come to pais at thejudg- ?? 3 ; ^ ment ; when the Bodies of the Wicked fhall rife alio, t hf\yarlJ that none of the Works of God may perilTi , and fhall p;nt x be fent into that miferable Corner with all the Evils p. 153. which fhall be removed from the BlefTed, and from the Earth, from Plants, Beafts, and all the Elements ; that all thefe things may ferve them only for Delight and Pleafure, without being able to do any more Evil, as they were in the Beginning of their Creation, and all their Malignities which they have contracted by the Sins of Men, fhall be rendered unto their Authors 1 5. God having at the Firft Creation endued all living >■ W*» re- Creatures with a Power of producing their like, and fl* reti ta Man in his perfect State, being endued with the fame hu rir f £ Power of producing his like, without the help of ano- Stat f- ther, he fhall be re-eftablifli'd into the fame State ~ 0, . ,e da again : So that in the Kingdom of Heaven there will be l ar '"' eternal Propagation, but altogether Holy, altogether Lic?hV of Pure and Deified, without concupifcible Appetite, but the World by pure Acts of Love to God, which will extend p 3rC r . it felf to the Production of New Creatures, to the p. j<5q. Glory of their Creator, There there is not Male and E 4 ' Female, %6 Her Jeeeffory Sentiments. Parti, 1 Female, they neither marry nor are given in Marriage^ c but are as the Angels in Heaven. XXXVIII XXXVIII. This a*, a Sum of her Acceflory Sentiments, ihefe Sen- anc j they who fhall confider them without prejudice will tmentsnot hardly think, that for them fhe deferves to be treated damnable. e j tner as an Heritic^ or as a Mad IVhimfical Woman. It has been already faid, that fhe does not propofe them as Articles of Faith, neceflary to be believed by all ; that according to. St. Auguftine , thele only are damnable Doctrines which tend to deftroy Charity, the Love of God, and Our Neighbour, which it is evident thofe Sen- timents do not, and it were eafie to make appear that many other Doctrines and Pr aclices do, which pals among many for very Chriftian. XXXIX. XXXlX.BeBdes it is evident that thefe Sentiments tend to Thy dear c ] ear anc ] con fi rrn a [] tn e Truths andDo&rines of Chriftian:- the Do tv ^ ?nc j t0 en( ] car them to us. They fhew us the great De- cfoifii ^ gns °^ Goc * s Love in the Creation of Man, the excellent nit! ^ tIte * n which he made him, and the Happinefs to which ! r he defign'd him. They make appear evidently , that ali our Evil is from our felves, and all our Good from God. They mew us the Ground and Reafon why Man's Re- clemption was fet about, and not the fallen Angels , why jefus Chri/l took fuch Intereft in Man, became Intercef* for and Surety for him ; and why his Mediation was ac- cepted by God his Father ; and why after other means effay'd, he at Jaft cloa&rul himfelf with Man's Mortali- ty; why the following of his Counfels and Example, is indifpenfibly neceffary to Salvation. < They represent to us the horrid Corruption that Man is fallen into by Sin, both as to Soul and Body, and all the Creation by him ; and how mad we are to gratifie our corrupt Incli- nations, and to love this prefenc World. They direft us to a right life of the Rods and Judgments of God, and awaken us to a fence of our prefent State, wherein all the World lies in Wickednefs. They give us a profpeel: of the World , and of all the Creation worthy of God. They let us fee the Wifdom and Goodneis of God in { bringing about his great Defigns, tho' thwarted by the Perverihefs and Rebellion of Man. They give us fome glimpfe of the unfpeakable Glory to which Man is de- signed, to partake of the Joys of Gpd, being united to |ii m in Body and Spirit; a*id to receive the Delights of ;. ,, . ... a jJ Part. I. The Agreement of her Sent imtnt /, cVc. £7 all his Works. They fhew us that Almighty God defi^n'd this World and all the Creation for fome great End more worthy of him, than to ferve Devils and Wicked Men as a Theatre and Fewei of their Lufts , and Inflrument of their difhonouring him. It is ufual for the Learned to form Theories and Syftems of Divinity, whereby to give a clear Account of the Doctrines of Faith. If Men will be pleafed to conftder thele Sentiments in this View only, and compare them with the Syftems given us by the Divines of all Parties , they may come to be convine'd that they hav£ a greater Tendency to promote True Chriftianity. XL. And as they are very futable to the known Articles XL. 1 of Faith, Co they do not contradict the Holy Scriptures, 77 ^ * r * but feem to be insinuated and pointed out in them, and con f onant to ferve to clear Thoufands of PalTages there, which £ *f e m X otherwife cannot be conceived , as A. B. her (elf makes cri $ turci - appear in feveral Inftances. 1. That all things were created Good and Beautiful at r - Jht9 *j. e firft without any Deformity, appears both fromthe Na- Be ,f u ^ °* ture of God, and from his Word. He is Perfect, v d Mtta *W- therefore cannot make any thing Imperfect. He is all Nouv. Good,and can make nothing Evil: All things therefore have Ciel. F* 8o ° been made by him perfectly Good and Beautiful, for the Workman is known by his Works. A rare Painter or Writer is known by his Pictures or Writings, tho we do not know his Perfbn ; much more is God known by his Works, for he can never fail or commit a Fault in them, which the mod accomplifh'd Spirits amongft Men may clo. This is then an Eternal Truth, that God created all things Beautiful and Good, which the Scripture alfo veri- ties , when it is faid, that God faw all that be had made, Gen. 131,. and behold it was very Good : Which could not be, if there were any Evil in it j as a thing cannot be Beautiful if it have any Deformity. But we fee all his Works now are not Good and Beautiful j in the Air, are Tempefts, Whirlwinds , &c. deftroying Men by Sea or Land : In it is obfeure Darknefs, nothing to be feen through it, if it be not favoured with the Rays of the Sun or Stars. The Earth has a filthy colour,^ that fullies all that touches it, and is of fuch grofs Oblcurity, that we can fee nothing in it ; and to make it bring forth Fruit, Men muft employ she fweat gf their Body, and after ally it brings forth often 58 The Agreement of her Sentiments Part I. often nothing but corrupt Fruit ; and if it be not cul- tivated , only Thorns and Thirties. The Water often fwallows and furTocates Men ; its greateft MafTes are fait or filthy. The Fire has in it a black Smoak ready to itifle Men, if they were not fuccoured by the Air ; it fpoils the Eyes of thofe who fteadily look on it, and con- fumes Men , Beads , and all other things. Thele things cannot be created by God as we fee and feel them, be- caufe they are neither Good nor Beautiful : By a clear Confequence then, we muft believe that the Air has been created clear , fweet and agreeable, without thefe Tem- pefts; and fo of the reft. 4. As a 2. It is as evident that our Bodies have not been created the Beauty in the State they are now in, in which there is nothing pf Man's good and beautiful, no more than in our Minds ; and that P fy they have been forirfd at firft in a glorious State, appears by this, that it being generally acknowledged that Jefus Chrift istoreftore Man to that primitive Perfection both of Body and Mind, in which he was created ; and the Scriptures telling us, That we look from Heaven for our Lord jefus Chrift, to change our vile Bodies, and to make them like to his Glorious Body ;and we being told that when at his firft Transfiguration on the Mount, he was pleafed to give his three Difciples ibme Profpect of that Glory, and to let fome Rays of his Glorious Body ftream forth thro' his Mortality ; it is faid, his Countenance did [bine as Lightning, and his Raiment was white as Snow, We may think how glorious the Body of Man was before his Fall, and mall be when this Mortal mail put on Immor- tality, and this Corruption Incorruprion, and Death fhall be fwallowed up in Victory. 3. As to 3. That Man in his firft Creation was endued with a Power Mans be- of producing his Kind, appears in that at the Creation of sng crca- fyj an [ t \ s exprefly faid that * God created Man, Male ted to pro- and Female, and bid him be fruitful and multiply, and re- duce his pfetrife the Earth, and tho'it be in the Original, he created * • them,m the Plural, and nor in the Singular, he created him Etoile du Male and Female *, yet that does not change the true Sence, Mar. p. 64, face God created in Adam all Men who were to proceed 6B. from him, they were all originally in him. And Eve was "^Gen.1.27. not as yet formed, and he had reftedfrom ail his Works be- fore he proceeded to the Formation of her, how long after it is not known. This feeins moft evident from the Story of Parti. with the Holy Scriptures, &c. $9 of the G eation, for the Account of the fix Days Works is contained inthefirlt Chapter of Genefis, and that God f ax* that all he made was very gtod\ but before the Formation Gen. 1.3 1. of Eve out of Adam, we are told of God's retting on the feventh Day from all his Works which he had made; of his planting a Garden, and there making to grow out of the Ground every Tree that is ple?fanc to the Sight and good for Food j his placing Man there to drefs and keep it \ his bringing all the Beads of the Field and Fowls of the Air before Man, and Adam's giving each of them a Name ; his finding it now not good that Man Jbould be alone, tho' Gen. 2 iff. before he faw all that he had made, and behold it was very good ; his Refolurion therefore to make a Help meet for him, and therefore he caufed a deep Sleep to fall upon Adam, and took one Principle out of him, called in the Scripture- (tile one of his Ribs, and fo formed the Woman. As from all this it feems evident that the Formation of the Woman cannot be fuppofed to have been upon the fixth Day, without a great Straining of the Hiftory; fo it appears, that Adam was at firft created in fuch a State of Perfection, as to need no Help for the Production of his Kind, and that the Formation of the Woman from him, was upon his beginning to decline from his God, and to delight himfelf in the Creatures, without referring all to God. It is therefore faid, It is not good for Man to be alone-, tho' before, God [aw all [that he had madc^ and behold it was very good. It feems therefore now that all was not good as he had made it, that Man began to abufe the Free Will that God had given him, to be lefs ardent in his Love and Dependance upon God, and to lean towards the Creatures ; and therefore to prevent his total Fall, he makes a Help-meet for him, gives him a Companion endu'd with an immortal Soul and the living: Image of God as himfelf, that in Loving this living Image of the Divinity as himfelf, his Affection might be raifed and ftrengthened in the Love of God. 4. That jefus Chrifl: was come immediately from Adam, T ^ at j Sa and that God in him did afTume the human Nature before J Ui chnd the Fall of Man, is insinuated by thole Inftances in the came of Holy Scripture, that he is calVd peculiarly the Son o/Adain. Man, there being none other fo but he, the fecond Adam\ R en ouv. that he is faid* to be the Firft-bom of every Creature, none de 1' Efp. of the Creatures having produced any of their Kinds be- fore 6o The Agreement of her Sentiments Part I. Ev. part 2. fore Adam; that the Lord converted familiarly with Adam y P- ?8. and fpoke with him Face to Face, and he heard the Lord Etoile du walking in the Garden and hid himfelf. Thus it was God Ma " n ;^ in the human Nature, JefusChrift, that fpoke to Adam y P- 3 2 >33- to Noah, to Abraham, to Jacob, to Mofes, to the Patri- archs and the Prophets. The Interpretations which by latter Writers are given of thofe Apparitions, are an evident Straining of the Text ; as to fay, that it is a created Angel, a Simple Creature, who {ays, (a) I am the God of thy Father, the God of Abraham, — And Moles hid his Face y (V,)Exotl. for he was afraid to look^upon God. It (b) was he who 3.2.-6. in Perfon did lead the Ifraelites by Day in a Pillar of a (£)c.i3 21 Cloud, and by Night in a Pillar of Fire, (c) out of which he fpake to Mofes Face to Face, as a Friend fpeaketh to (Oc.33.9, his Friend. Thus, (d) after the Idolatry of the Golden ii. Calf, hethreatned not to go up any longer in the mid ft (d) c. 33. of them, but to fend an Angel before them. And when 2» 3- Mofes defired to fee his Glory, (e) he was covered with the Lord's Hand while he paifed by, and permitted only (e) lb. v. t0 £ te fa s Dac k Parts, hecaufe he could not fee his Face * 2 > 2 3« and live, (the Weaknefs of our corrupt Nature not being able to behold that Glory without being divTolv'dJ and yet this Divine Body, tho* covered with a Cloud, made fuch Impreffion by the Rays of its Glory on the Body of Mofes,(f) as that after forty [days Conversation his Counte- nance did fhine. And the ancient Fathers were fo fcn- C/)ch.i4. fible that all this could not be faid of an Angel, that 28 > 35- many of them were in the Opinion, that the Son of God did affume a human Body before he was incarnate, and therein appeared to Adam and the Patriarchs j (b Juftin Martyr , Tertullian , Irenzus , &c. A very pious and Dr. Scot's learned Divine of the Church of -England has of late Chriftian made appear, that Jefus Chrift immediately after the Life. Fall of Man became the Media.tior and Surety of a New part 2. Covenant, and fo, under the mod high God and Father, vol. 2. did immediately rule and govern his Church and People ; p. 23 3 to and that therefore, 1. There was a certain extraordinary 2 5 8 ' Angel, who frequently appeared and fpoke to the Jewifh Patriarchs, who is fometimes called Jehovah, who ordi- narily aflumed to himfelf Divine Appellations, and to whom the holy Men rend red Divine Flonours, Vows and Sacrifices; and that he appear'd to them in the Form of a Man, i- That he was a Divine Perfon, and no crea- ' tec! Parti. with the Holy Script ares ■, &c. 6l ted Being. 3. That he was that Divine Perfon that defended upon Mount Sinai, and from thence removed into the Ta- bernacle, and thence into the Temple. 4. That he was not God the Father. 5. That he was God the Son, who ap- peared to the Patriarchs, Job.%. 56,58. brought Ifrael out of Egypt and defcended on Mount Sinai, Heb. 12. 16. Epb. 4. 8. Pfal. 68. led them thro' the Wildernefs into Oh naan, iCor. 10.9. dwelt in the Jewifh Tabernacle and Tem- ple,?^: 1 2.4 1 . compared with Jf.6.\. and was that Jehovah and DivineLord and King who under the mod high Father presided over the Jemjh Church i^.5,14, with If.6o. I. If. 41.4. and 48. 12. with Rev. 1. 2,17. and 2. 8. and after his coming into the World he ftill retained his Right and Title of King of Ifrael, Matth. 2. 2. Job. 1. 49. and 12. 15. Zech. 9. 9, 14, 15. Job. iS. 33, 34, 35* 36, 37- Now it being evident, that immediately after the Fall of Man, Jefus Chrift became a Mediatotfr and Surety for him 5 that he took the immediate Care of his People, and often ap- peared to them in the Form of a Man ; is it not as agree- able with the Analogy of Faith and the Holy Scriptures, to fay, he was truly fo, than to affirm that he took only the Appearance of a Man, till he cloathed himfelf with our Frailty and Mortality. Befides this is a wonderful Inftance of the infinite VVifdom anil Goodnefs of God, that fo many of the Angels having fallen from their firft State, and fo all Intercourfe between God and them broken off, to prevent the Fall of Man, or if he fhould fall, that there might be a way for his Recovery, and that there might be one for whofe Sake and Mediation he might pardon Man and conferr new Graces on him; that therefore the Eternal Son of God mould unite himfelf to Man's Nature, and become Man, while Man was yet in his Integrity and Innocency, fince afterwards the Divinity would not have united it felf to frnful Man, and lb all In- tercourse between God and Man fhould have been broken off, as it is between him and the Fallen Angels. 5. That Sin did ftrangely deform the Body of Man, j.Tfof and that it became quite another thing than it was before, Sin did appears by this, that Man after his Sin, was afham'd of 'fir angel/ himfelf, faw his Nakednels, and was afham'd of it, and deform fought fomething wherewith to cover it j whereas therd Man - was nofuch Shame before, no more than the Sun can be afliamed that his Light and Glory is not covered with Clouds and Darknefs. 6 That 62 The Jgr cement ef her Sentiments Partf. 6, And the 6. That Sin has alio derorm'd the Creation, which is to Creatum. be reftored to its primitive State, isexprefly pointed out in ( }Rom* *^ e Holy Scriptures, we being told (a) that the Creature o * J was mac ^ e fufyfl: to Vanity, and that the whole Creation (b)v ' ii. Sr oan eth and travelleth in Pain together until now, and that (c)v.2i. it [ball be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God. 7. That aH 7. That all Men are the Natural OrF-fpring of Adam, Men are as to their Souls as well as to their Bodies, feems to be a fropagatei moft juft and true Sentiment. We fee in this vifible World 0/ Adam, Q ft has endued ail living Creatures with a Power to pro- both as to ^ uce t h e j r ]ik 6j f rom tne meaner* plant to the moft perfect Soul and Animal Ail kinds of Birds, Beafts, and Fifhes produce 3> their Off-fpring, of the fame kind of Body, Life and Spi- rit with themfelves, endued with the fame Power of pro- ducing their like, which Life and Spirit, even the Learned as well as the Vulgar, begin again to acknowledge to be fomewhat elfe than meer Mechanifm. This Production all the Art of the World cannot imitate, but it is derived down from the rlrft of every Kind, to the relpeclive Series of Individuals of that Kind, thro* all Generations. That all Men do thus derive their OfF-fpring from Adam as to their Bodies, no body will deny ; but the general Opinion of the Learned has been, that our Souls are immediately created or infus'd by God into our Bodies, and that we do not derive them from our Parents, and fo from Adam. But as God has endued Man with a Power of producing the Bodies of his OrT-fpring, (b alio it feems evident, that he has endued Man's Soul united to his Body with a Power of producing Souls united to Bodies , which receive alfb from their Conftituents the fame Power of producing 0- ther Souls united to Bodies, and that altogether like them- felves. There is no Contradiction in the Nature of the Thing, and the Bleiling of Multiplying given to Man, is as unlimited as that to the other Creatures ; and the Scrip- ture fpeaks of the Children in the Parents Loins, and by this we eafily conceive how the Corruption of Man's Na- ture is communicated to his Pofterity, without any Blemifh in the Holinefs and Righteoufneis ot God -, for he having created Man Holy and Righteous with a Power to produce his like, had he continued fo, the Souls which proceeded from him, had been fb too *, but he being corrupted in his Nature, he could derive no other to his Pofterity. For Pro- Part I. tvitfj the Holy Scriptures y &c. 63 Propagation is redoublingof the fame Being,andof the fame State in which it is. But on the other Hand, if Souls are not derived from the Parent, but immediately created by God, Children may be left laid tcbe the Off- fpring of their Parents than the Voting of the other living Creatures are from them : lb that they all do more perre&ly produce their Kinds than does Man. But above all, this will never fatisfie as to the other great Truth, That all Souls are now impure and corrupt from their Original, and Children o/Eph. 2. 3. Wrath by Nature^ as the Scripture fays. It were blafphe- mous to fay, That God creates Souls impure, ignorant and corrupt, and it is no left evil to think that God creating J them pure and holy, does immediately put them into Bo- dies, where they nofooner are, but immediately they are thereby reputed fo corrupt and guilty, as to merit an eter- nal Separation from God. The devout and profound S. AngHftine was fo fenfible of the Difficulties in this Mat- Aug. de- ter, that he was undetermined what Side to take, and pro- lib. srb. fefled that he had feen nothing that cleared them, and 1- 3 -• 21. he was for bearing with one another as to a Difference of h en ; Sentiment in thefe Things. It is abfurd to conclude this Epur.Hie- Sentiment to be falfe,becaufe we cannot conceive how Souls j 0n n ac * fhould propagate Souls, without communicating of them- de .° n S' felves in whole or in part; if the lad, they are divisible *™™' and not fpiritual \ if the firft, they fhould ceafe to animate their former Bodies : this is to reafon about Souls from the Idea's we have of Bodies. Do not we experience ten thoufand things in the World, tho J we cannot conceive how they are? We fee the Soul produces Thoughts, and one Thought produces another,and this in infinitum. Now it is eafie for God to make, that in certain Circumftances the Divine productive Vertue of the Soul fhould beget a Thought which has in it a Principle of Activity as it felf has, and that this Principle after its Production fhould not depend any longer on the producing Soul, but fubiift by it felf. 8. It has been judged the greateft Uncharitablenefs 8. That for her to declare to the World , that there are no True thtre art Chriftians, whereas in Truth it is one of the greatelt Acts m tru -' of Charity. If a number of Perfons were defperately Chr/Jhan. Sick, and their Diilempers had fo craz'd the moil of them, that they were not fenfible of their own Sicknefs and Dangers, tho' they perceived fbfficienrty the Illneisof their ihbcu:* : 54 The Agreement of her Sentiments Part I Neighbours ; would it be Uncharitablenefi to awaken therri and tell them of their Danger, and direft them to the true Remedies ? even tho] fome of them were uiing the pro- per means and tending to recovery, it were certainly a Kindnefs done them all. She does not fay that there are frorisS— }££ among Chriftians, who have good Purpofes and good TJefires, and who are good in Comparifon of the Wicked, A . . but none who are truly regenerately into?the Spirit of Jefus- ffheol Chrilt# Snefa ? s >* Tobe arrue Chriftian, is, to imitate ELf° c o t ^ ie A&ions °^ J e ^ os Chrirt, and to obey his Inftru&ions: tf } " '*' Thus Jefus Chrift fays, To enter into the Kingdom of Hea- ^ht of ven , we mud become as a little Child j we mud take the jfcui'world kft Place ; we muft do Penitence ; we rauft be poor in , P«iV nit °^ Antichrift prevails among all the Parties theWorid o ^ thrift endom^ and that thereby the Devil has with more conf * Cunning, and more irreelaimably pofleft Men with his Spirit, and efpecialiy the Well-meaning, fo that the Har- lots, and openly Wicked, will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven fooner than they, becaufe their Wickednefs being manifeft, they are by the Grace of God more readily con- ,.-v verted, whereas in thefe the Spirit of the. Devil being goh- f-5 72 The Agreement of her Sentiments Part. I. be the Light of the World, and the Salt of the Earth, are thus become Darknefs and without Savour, how great is that Corruption ! And how great is that Darknefs! Thofe of every Party do plainly difcern this Evil in the Guides and Leaders of the opposite Parties , but our Self-love blinds and hinders us from confiderjng it in our feives. This is not to be understood but that there are Pallors of good Inclinations and right Intentions amongft thefeveral Per- fwafions, *and therefore what is faid ought not to be applied to them ; but that this corrupt Spirit of Pride, Vain-glory, Envy, Hatred, Strife, Avarice, the Love of Money, Flat- tery, cunning and worldly Politicks , the pleafing of the Appetites and Self, with an Averfion to the Humility, Sim- plicity, Poverty, Contempt, and Crofs of Chrift, prevails among the generality in all Parties, under a Cover of Religious Rites and Opinions, and fo ferves ftiil to cor- rupt Cbriftendom the more, is a fad Truth that cannot be denied. il.Tbat&e 13. That we are in the lad Times, that the Wickednefs are now in of Men is as great and univerfal as in the Days of Noah y theTimt 0/ that the Abomination of Defolation is in the Holy Place, that we are now in the time of the laft Judgments of God 'fragments. ^ KV \{ 1(: \\ he will fweep the Wicked offrhe Earth; and which (hall be more dreadful and terrible than any thai; ever were 5 A. B, does ^0 fenfibly make appear in her Wri- Li«ht of tings, particularly in the Light of the fVorld^ ' That they rhe World. 1 are real Enemies to Mens Souls who feoff at them, and part 1. ' divert People from laying them to B&trt. She makes Con. 2,29, l appear, that Iniquity is fo great and univerfal, that there J ' is no more Faith nor Law among Men. People ftudy 1 nothing but to deceive their Neighbours ; the Father can- 4 not fruit his Son, nor the Son his Father ; the Brother c riles up againft his Brother. Friendfliip is only feigned ; 4 Bufmels is full of Deceit and Fraud ; nothing but Pride 1 and Ambition reigning in the Hearts of all Men. Judges * are without Equity; Priefts without Sincerity; Cloi- * iters fiAd vvith Avarice, and the Devout full of Malice; ' which has been at all times in fame particular Perfons, * but is at prefent lb multiplied, that it poffefles almoft all . * Men ; And Charity" is not only wax'd cold, but alto- their frozen and dead in the Hearts or Men. That the c Signs of the laft Times are all fully accomp.Iifh'cl, par- ticularly rhpfe in iThn.^.i.&c. and Matt. 24. Thafc * -Mens Part I. with the Holy Scriptures, &c. 7} Mens Lives are the open Book in which thefe Truths are written, and the Holy Scriptures are the equitable Judge which pronounces the Sentence. That People feoff at this and no Body will believe it, is a moft certain Evidence of it. For Jefus Chrift fays, that it (hull be as in the Days of Noah, they were eating and drinking, and marrying, and giving in Carriage, and knew not unlit the Flood came arid too\ them all away, &c. She makes ap- pear how the Abomination and Defolation is in the Holy Place , if Envy were loft, it might be recovered in Cloifters ; if Avarice were dead, it would be revived by the Priefts , Vain-glory and Pride is no where fo prevailing as among the Clergy : In a word, Simonies and all other Sins abound in that Place which ought to be Holy : That thefe are the Stars which fail every Day from Righteoufnels and Truth, for fome worldly Inte-' reft, or humane Refpe&s. She makes appear, that Men do not now embrace Penitence, nor defire Amendment, that they rather grow every Day worfe, and cannot fuf- fer that their Faults mould be truly fhewn them : That at all times there have been wicked Perfbns, but when all in general do forget him, it is to be believed that aflu- redly we are in the laft Times, and that the Judgment is given out, becaule the Meafure is full : That God can- not fuffer an univerfal Evil, without an univerfal Cha- ftifement ; and now Men having generally all of them abandoned their God, have, in doing this, given Sentence of the general Deftru&ion of the VVorld , which mall not be recalled, becaufe the Will of Man is not inclined to return to God, but rather to be the more eftrang'd from him, if the Plagues mould yet be delayed : That there- fore the irrevocable Sentence is given to purge the whole World by divers Plagues of War , Peftilence, and Fa- mine, which are framed of the Three Means, which have caufed Men to abandon God ; Their Want of True Love to one another ; their Love of this prefent Life, and their being addicted to their fenfual Appetites ; the Plea- fures of the Mouth and Belly. She (hews, that many Signs have appeared in the Heavens ; fearful Comets, me- nacing great Evils ; Fire has burnt many Cities ; many have been fwallowed up by Earthquakes : That thefe did affright fome at firft, but (b foon as the Devil had leifure S to make his Adherents ftudy to find out Reafons, fhew- i ME 74 The Agreement of her Sentiments Part I. * ing that thefe were Natural things, he has made the fear * of all thefe Threatnings of God, fent as the Forerun- c ners of his Juftice, to evanifh out of Mens Minds ; fo 1 that no Body is converted to God, nor embraces the Spi- * rit of Penitence ; but they mock at God's Warnings, 1 faying, Thefe are but Natural things. She asks thefe Ear- * flatterers, If God ought not to fend his Plagues, but by 1 Supernatural things, and to make Chimera's in the Air ? * He who has created all the Elements, muft he not make 1 ufe of them to chaftife the Offences which we commit 1 againft him ? Is there not need of I^atural things to 1 make our Bodies fuffer, which are likewife Natural ? The 1 Deludge was made by a Natural Rain ; and the laft * Plagues will be made Peftilence, War, Famine, and Fire, 1 all Natural things, becaufe the Heaven, the Earth, and * all the Elements ought to rife up againft us to avenge the e Offence that we do againft their Creator and ours, &c. I have tranfcrib'd all this, becaufe I think the prelent Age ought to lay thefe things deeply to Heart. It is a moft Remarkable Providence, that a fimple illiterate Maid fhould give Warning to the World of the Approaching of the laft general and dreadful judgments of God ; and give fuch clear Grounds for it, from the Word of God, and the State of the World j and declare that fhe is comman- ded by God fo to do ; and that now, fince her Removal, both the Wickednefs of Men, and the Signs and Judgments of God, have been ft ill encreafing. There have been fuch fignal and dreadful Earthquakes in many Places, fwallow- ing up many Thoufands ; fuch univerfal Wars , deftroying I&Bt/L there Hundreds of Thoufands, the Fire of which feems only to be covered a while , to break out into a greater Flame ; fuch peftilential Difeafes in many Places, particu- larly in France, Scotland, America, {weeping off vaft Num- bers ; and now moft grievous Dearth and Famine, which for One Year fcourged France, but for thefe Three laft Years has moft fignally vifited Scotland, and now this pre- fent Year being the Fourth, is like to come to fo ireat a heighth as to threaten an utter Defolation, Mens Hearts failing them for fear ; all obferve fuch a general Change of Seafons, that the Heavens, the Air, the Earth, and all the Elements do frown upon us, and deny their wonted kindly Influences and Means of Life, fo that this laft Plague threatens to vifit other Nations likewife; yet the reft of Part I. with the Eoly Scriptures , Sec. 75 Men, which are not killed of thefe Plagues da not repent of the Works of their Hands, fo that we have juft ground to apprehend that thefe are but the beginnings of Sorrows. Mat. 24. S. It is high time for us then to awake out of our Stupidity,to repent and do works meet for Repentance,that we may not be found among the Scoffers in the laft: Days, who fay, Where is the promt fe of his coming ? For tho' thefe were not 2 ™ et ' 3- 3* the laft Plagues and Judgments, yet as A. B. fays, as ( if I remember rightly) Vincentius of Terrara preached in his time to one City, That within a few Years the laft Judg- ment would be, and tho 1 it was not, yet many thereby were led to Repentance ; fo, tho' thefe were not the laft general Judgments, yet they will be the laft particular Judgments to ma»y Thoufands, and it is a good Office to awaken Men thereby to Repentance. 14. That the Works of God fhall notperifh but endure I4 That for ever, and fhall be wholly renewed and freed from all Cor- the Works ruption, is exprefly declared in the Holy Scriptures, where of God /hall we are told (a) that the Creature itfelf aifo fhall be deli- not perijb, vered from the Bondage of Corruption, into the glorious Li- but be re- berty of the Children of God : And (b) that according to ^wed. bis Promife 7 we look^ for new Heavens and a new Earth, W R°m« ■wherein dwelletb Righteoufnefs. And (c) it is faid, I John*'* 1 - faw a new Heaven and a new Earth ; for the fir ft He a- ' ' 2 et * ven and the firfl Earth were faffed away. And (d) we j\ r' are told, that the Heavens mutt .receive Jefus Chrift until 2 * the time of the * Reftitution of all things , which God hath rj\ V a fpoken by the Mouth of all his holy Prophets face the World 2J , began. See If. 65. 17. 66.22. 15. That Jefus Chrift will come and Reign in Glory with That jefus the Saints and Blefled for ever upon Earth appears from chrift via many exprefs Teftimonies of Holy Scripture. Thus Da- reign for vid {a) invites all Creatures, to rejoice and be glad before g ver on the the Lord, for he comes to judge the Earth j the World fhall Earth v;*k be eftablifhedthat it fhall not be removed \ with Right eouf- t !°\^ e ( f ed ' nefs fhall he judge the World, and the People with his Truth. W p f- 9& Thus (J?) it is faid, that the Kingdom and Dominion^ and V!\ J?*' the Greatnefs of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven fhall Udn -7v be given to the People of the Saints of the mo ft High, whofe Kingdom is an ever laft ing Kingdom, and all Dominions fhall f . 7 . ferve and obey him. Thus it is faid [c) The Lord my God ( g & c * * vethiyymGict, Renafcemia, Secundus Ortus Refiauratio. fhall, 7 6 The Agreement of her Sentiments Part I. (hall come and all the Saints with him. And it /hall come to pafs in that Day, that the Light /ball not be clear nor dari^ But it /ball be one Day which {hall be known to the Lord) not Day. nor Night And the Lord /hall be King over all the Earth ; In that day /hall there be one Lord, (d)Ktv.$* and his Name one, (d) Thou has~b redeemed us to- God 9,10. by thy Blood, out of every Kindred, and Tongue, and People, and Nation, and haft made us unto our God Kings and ( is a juft and true Reprefentation which may juft, and be more fuDy and fatisfyingly had from her own Writings, they who And I fhall leave it to all impartial Readers to confider give con. w hether the Character which fome have been pleafed to trary Re- g j ve of fe r Sentiments, as heretical, blafphemous, ridicu- ^tUm**' * ous anc * extrava 8 ant > De i u ^ an d e Q ua ^ t a °d tf lt be not the notfa7r ^• e ^ u ^ t ratner of their Miftakes and Prejudices than a plain 3 and fair Account of her Doctrine and Sentiments. The excellent Mon(ieurP^W,in hisPenfies Chretiennes, gives it as the mofteiTential and diftinguifhingMark and Character of true Religion, that it makes its chief Precept and the great andleflential Duty of Man to be, To love God with all our Hearts; and this, lie fays, is the peculiar and firfgular Character of the Chriftian Religion in Contradiftin&ion to all others. And if we fhall impartially compare the Do- zy ctrine of Chriftianity as it reprefented in the Writings of A. B. with the Accounts of it delivered to us in the Sy- ftemsof Divinity of the refpe&ive Parties in Chriftendom, f I think it will evidently appear that it is a moft diftinguifh- Jnat ing Character of the former, the/ it makes the Love of God the great End of Religicn,and all the otherDuties of it means to bring us to that Endj and that the other thV they cannot omit, when they give an Account of Chriftianity, to mention this as one of its great Precepts ; yet they fb fhuffle and confound Doctrines, and give it fiich a Place in their Syftems, as may make People lay greater Strefs on other things, and give them Ground to hope they may be faved without it, or without conforming our Lives to the Rules and Life of Jefus Chrift which lead to it. The End of the Firjl Part, ( 79) APOLOGY FOR M. AN7.B0VRIGN0N. - PART IL An Anfwer to the Prejudices raifed agdinjl her Sentiments and Wri- tings. I. /"H'^HERE is nothing more ordinary than for Peo- \> pie, upon light and weak Grounds, to take up 7 % ere *' * P Prejudices againft the Perfons and Sentiments £'*T*/ . of others, and to judge rafhly^ and inconfide- Di JP°fi no * rately of them ; and this is a Fault to which People of all "J" ge Tempers are fubjecl:. The Learned, the Dogmatical, and the Abettors of Parties cannot endure any thing that feems to Jeffen the Credit of their Sentiments or their Party ; they prefently raife a Hue-and-Cry, and do all they can to animate the People. Thus the Scribes and Pharifees were full of Spite and Prejudice againft our Lord Jefus Chrift, and infpir'd the People with the fame Spirit. ^ The gene* ralitj of Men fee with other Mens Eyes, and judge with other Mens Underftandings ; they cannot be at the pains to weigh and collider things impartially themfelves, but they So There is a great Difpcfttion to judge rtfoly .Part II. they truft to the Skill and Sincerity of thofe who pretend to judge for. them; and fuch for the moft part judging rafhly, and by their Paffions lead the Multitude to do fo too. Yea, even Per fens of good Inclinations, and who have a true Zeal for God and Divine things, are apt to commie the fame Fault. Thus St. Paul, before he was a Chriftian -, being a Man full of Zeal, and of great Learning, and hear- ing that there were Perfbns rifen up who would deftroy the Law and feduce the Simple, and that they worshipped the firft of thefe Impoftors who was hanged on a Tree, and that thefe new Upftarts were but a Rabble bigotted with that new kind of Folly, which was like to hazard the Law of God ; and this being told him by all his Matters and Teachers, the Priefts, the People, his Kinsfolks, and Friends, inftead of informing himfelf without Prejudice Hi thofe Men , their Doctrine , their Behaviour ,* which would have prevented many falfe Steps, he is carried to reproach, and hate, and perfecute them, that he may main- tain the Truth of God, and cut off Error and Herene, and the Seduction of the People. Now what has fallen out in former Times, may fall out in this, and the moft innocent Perfons and Writings, may meet with the moft univerfal Reproaches and Prejudices. It is certainly the Devil's In- tereft that it fhould be fo, and we fee how fuccefsful his Attempts have been in former Ages. He ftill made it his Bufinefs to get on his fide thofe who fet up to be the Guides and Leaders of the People, and by this means always to opprefs, blacken, and difcredit Truth and Innocence. II. II. Now the Perfon and Writings of A. B. have been The Wri* loaded with as many Reproaches and Prejudices as any tings and j n tins Age *, and that both in her Life time, and fince her Perfin of Death. Where-ever fne went, the Church- men of the re- A. B.thus fpe&iveParties breath'd nothing but Fire and Faggot againit reaud. j^ « n ^^ p am p' n } ets anc ] pipits, made her to pais for the worft of Herecicks, and her Writings for a Sink of all Herefies and Blafphemies ; and thus it was eafie to infpire People with Rage and Fury, fo that if they could have ~ had her to have fton'd her to Death, they would have thought tyd they had done good Service, and no fooner is one of her Wri- tings trandated into Englim for the fpiritual Good of well- difpofed Souls, but immediately fome are pleased to found the Trumpet, and to cry out, H'refi? and Blafphemy, Errors and Delufions $ and this is enough to frighten a whol§' Part II. The *»]*ft Me.tfurcs cfber AAverfariei. 8 i whole Illand from looking into thefe Writings , and to breed an Averlion againft thofe who efteem and value them, becaufe of the Truths of God contain 'd in them. It was a remarkable Providence that flie met with fuch Oppolition from all Parties, while fhe lived, whereby as fhe difcovered impartially the Evils of the refpecftve Sefts and Parties into which Cbriftendom is divided ; fo alio me clearly vindicated her felf from being guilty of the Errors and Herefies of which they accused her, diicovered the im- pudence of their Calumnies and Slanders, and removd from well-difpos'd Perfons the Prejudices which had been given them again!!: her. We need only then give a fhort Account of what was laid to her Charge, and her own Vin- dication of her felf; by which, her Sincerity, her Innocency, her diltincl: and mod rational Knowledge of the Truths of Religion, her Orthodoxy, and the Subfervency of her Writings to the great Ends of Chriftianity, will I hope appear to all unbiafs'd Readers. III. But firft let us premife the Complaint fhe makes in III. general of the unjuft Meafures of her Adverfaries ; how the unjufi void they were of true Charity and Equity. What ever Meafures Good or Truth was inconteftably in her Writings, they tfkerAfc conceal'd it, they leflen'd it ; whatever was capable of be- tofiritk ing turn'd to an Evil Sence , they perverted it \ they pick'd out half Sentences here and there throughout her YVritings, and on thefe they put a Sence which fhe never intended, concealing in the mean time what went before or after,that 'might ferve to clear the true fence and meaning of the Ex- preflion. Any Doctrine of Chriftianity that was not fo fully expreft in one Place, they were ready to accufe her of denying it, tho' fhe mod clearly aflerted it in another. They were ready to catch at her Words, and to interpret them according to the Nicenefs of the Schools, not consi- dering the fimplicity and plainnels with which fhe wrote, fhe being intent to make known the Truth to ail fincere and weD-difpofed Souls, without regarding that nice and captious Wits would be ready to carp and quibble upon this or the other Word, and not allow her to explain her felf. In fhort, the great End of Chriftianin being to bring Men to the Love of God, and the Mortification of their cor- rupt Nature and Self-will, and this being the Butt of all her Writings, as is moft evident to any who pleafes to lead them, fhe makes appear that her Adverfaries cannot G be 22 Their Spirit and Temper. Part If. be Lovers of the Truth or of God, tha? their Aim is not to maintain the Truth and oppofe En or ; elfe tl ey would rejoice to fee this great End of Religion totx. c ;.e Butt and Subftance of fo many Writings, ami that there are uneon- teftably contain'd in them io great a number of Divine Truths, all tending to this End They would own and acknowledge this, they would wiih to meet wich the Truth every where, even in the things which feem'd to them obfcure and difagreeable to it 5 they would i ie if thefe were more clearly explained in other Fiates, and if they might well bear a Sence that were agreeable to this great End of Religion ; or if even the Errors which they thought were contain d there, were no ways deltru&ive of the true Love ©f God, and fo for the fake of them the whole Writings need not be forbidden and difcredited. |V. IV. They may be convinced of the Injufticc of the fhcirsprit Meafure, by considering only how hard they would think and Tem- it to have their own Writings fo treated ; how odd it would fer like feem to them if one fhould deal with the Sacred Scriptures that of the after that Method ; and what wretched Conclufions an Ene- Scribesand m y f Chriftianity might thereby draw from them; and Pharifees. tnat [£ \ t had been their Luck to have beerrbred up at the Feet of Gamaliel, among the Jewifh Rabbies, or with Porphjr, among'the Philofophers, the Spirit and Meafures by which they judge of Perfens, Sentiments, and Wri- tings, would have animated them as much againft Jefus Chrift himfelf - 7 and had they come but Sixteen Hundred Years fooner into the World, and been leaven d with the fame Spirit, they mould have been lifted among the Philo- Jud&uss and the Porphjrs, and overlooking the Subftance' of the Dcclrine and Life of Jefus Chrift, would have pick'd out a half Sentence here , and a Word or two there, and fome PafTages of his Life that prejudiced Minds would be readied to judge hardly of, and wreft them to fuch a Sence, and give all fuch a Turn, as might make him pafs for a Blafpherner, a Seducer, a Subverter of the Law of God, a Teacher of Doctrines that would turn the World upfide down ; one Self-conceited, who fpoke well of himfelf, and ill of others who were more learn'd and pious than him- felf; in a word, give fuch a Character and Narrative of him, patched up of fome fhreds of- the Story of his Life and Do6trine written by his own Difciples, and drefs him up m fuch a mock-Robe, as might make him and his Docirine Part II. Prejudices cleared : I . Of the Holy Trinity. the Object of the Scorn and Hatred of the People. I know People flatter themfelves with the Opinion, that it were impolfible for them to have treated Jefus Chrill at this rate, as the Scribes and Pharifees in our Saviour's Days imagin'd, that had they liv'd in the Days of their Fathers, they would not have perfecuted and kill ci the Prophets as their Fathers did; and yet our Lord mews them, thtry have the fame Spirit ; tho' they feeirf d to honour the Prophets * by building their Tombs, and garni jhing their Sepulchres, Matt. 2?, and faying, Jfrve had been in the Days of our Fathers, we 29, 30. would not have been Partakers with them in the Blood of the Prophets. Yet they perfecuted thofe who were then fent amongft: them; and that the fame Temper and Spirit reigns now iri the World, A.B. makes appear in her Wri- tings, and her Enemies did difcover it in their Practices. V. But it will be laid they had good Reafon to treat her V. as they did : We come therefore to confider the Prejudices Prejudibes raifed againft her Doctrine, and they have not been want- dwsd. ing to reprefent her as the Groffeft or Hereticks ; but Wif- dom isjufiified of her Children, And, I. They accufed her of denying the Holy Trinity, and r. of tfo ground their Accufation upon this, that fhe did not ap- Holy TrU prove of the Word Per Jon, to exprefs the Diitin6tion of nit }- the Trinity, and us'd to explain it by Companions and Similitudes. Whereas fhe declares, That fhe believes in one Divine Effence, the moll Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft ; that the EfTence of God is - incomprehenfible, and fo is the My fiery of the Trinity ; Antic!?. that it is a great Prefumption in Men, who cannot com- ^com- prehend that which is in themfelves, what their Memory, part 2 '- Underftanding, and Will is, yet to imagine they will eafily p ' 9> IQr comprehend what is in God : That our Soul, which is no- thing but a filly Creature, is yet invisible and incompre- henfible to us, tho J it be in us, and tho' we perceive and Feel it to a£t and operate , that no Body can comprehend what a Soul is ; and yet Men are fo prefumptcus as that they will needs know what is in God, and what the Three Perfons of the Trinity are, which are in him ; and that not for to honour or love him the more, but that they may be able to talk and difpute well of them, and to draw evil Confluences from them : That God made St. Ah- Fierce Ai guftin know that this was incomprehenfible by any Crea- Touchy cure, when once walking by the Sea- fide and labouring to p - \ li i i Hndtfftatof 11 *' 84 Of the Holy Trinity. Part II. underftand it, hefaw a Child running to fetch the Water of the Sea in his Hands into a little Hole, which he obfer- ving and asking the Child what he did , he replied he would have all the W ater of the Ocean brought into that little Pit ; at which St. Auguftin fmifd, faying, Ton can never do this, my Child, give over this "Undertaking, The Child replied, If ball fooner do this than you {hall understand, what you would comprehend with your ZJnderfianding ; and Antich. tnen evanifrf d. It is true fhe makes ufe of Similitudes to Decouv. eX p re f s it by, as, That there is in God the eternal Under- P* 2 ' ^ ftanding, the eternal Word, the eternal Love, or Heart ; n .314122. ag t ^ £re j g j n j^ an t j ie Underftanding, the Speech, and the Heart .- That there is in Man the Underftanding, the Me- mory, and the Will, which is a Figure of the Holy Tri- nity ; that God, One inEffence, has in himfelf Three efTen- tial Qualities which are diverfe , Righteoufnefs, Goodnefs, and Truth ; and that nothing can be done by God but with Righteoufnefs, Goodnefs, and Truth altogether, and if one of thele Qualities be wanting, it cannot come from ^ G d, who is indivifible in thefe Three Qualities; which #W- may be calfd Perfons : That fhe does not pretend thereby to give adiquate Notions of the Myftery of the Trinity, which me declares is incomprehenfible ; but that inftead of the dark, dry, and barren Speculations of the Schools thereabout, we may consider thofe Three Divine Quali- ties, without which God never does any Work. And to find if we are the Children of God, we mull: fee if we par- take from him of thofe Three Qualities of the Righteouf- nefs, Goodnefs, and Truth of God ; and if we do not find them all Three together in our Souls, we ought not to perfwade our felves that we are the Children of God ; for as we approach unto him by Love, accordingly thofe Three Qualities encreafe in the Soul ; and as we find our Souls to be eftranged from Righteoufnets, Goodnefs, and Truth, accordingly we are eflranged from God. In ufing Simili- tudes thus to exprefs the Holy Trinity, fhe does nothing Antich. • k uc wnat St. Augujtin, and other of the Ancient Fathers Decouv. nave done; and fhe is far from faying, that nothing elfe is pare 2. comprehended in the Holy Trinity ; but that we ought n . j. to be taken up with fuch ufeful Confiderations of what is in God, rather than feed our Minds with fruitlefs Specu- lations, which tend only to nourifh Debate and Curiofi- ty. And when once fome of her Friends told her that the Part II. Of the Divinity of Jefus Chriji 8 5 the Churchmen accus'd her of miking the whole Afyftery Lavice of the Holy Tinny to con fi ft in the Right eoufnefs, Goodnefs % Continue *nd Truth of God; flie anfwered exprefly, They Ije in foP- 5* 5 3> fiying. They laid to her, that the had laid in the mean *** time more than once, that Righteouthefs , Truth, and Goodnelb were the Trinity that was in God ; fhe replied, I had no defign to /earth into the Depth of this My fiery, and to fay that all did confiji in this ; but that this was the moft pro- fitable and the mo ft favitig Con f deration that we could have in the matter of the Holy Trinity, of which the ordinary Spe- culations arc eft en rafh and unprofitable, and for the moft part injurious to God. ' She did not deftre to life often the Word Pierce de ' Perfbn, becaufe fhe look'don that as a Word proper to Touch. * created Beings; that Jefus Chrift is indeed a Perfi n in P- *»*• ' God, being truly Man as we are. Vet fhe fometimes ex- 1 prelfes the Myftery by the Word Perfons : In Teritoign, de 1 Vcrite, Part 2. p. 199 Jke fays, I do not believe that there is 1 any Body living upon Earth , who does more honour * the moft Holy Trinity than I do. And 1 believe firmly ' One only God in Three Perfons, as I have done from rny c Childhood. And how could I deny the Divinity of * Jefus Chrift, fince it is feenby all my Books that 1 I 4 Jefus Chrift for True God and True Man both together, ' even from the Beginning of the World \ winch is to < honour him more, than to believe that he is God and 4 Man, only fince he was born in Bethlehem, and charg'd ' with our Miferies and Sorrows? VI. They accus'd her alfo of denying the Divinity of vr. Jefus Chrift, tho* there' be nothing moreFalfe, as appears of the Dim through all her Writings. She declares exprefl} in the Pro~v imt y °f fjfion of her Faith, that fhe believes that Jefus Chrift is J e J^ c hrifl t True Eternal God and True Man. And in Antich. Dccouv. Part 2. p. 66, 67. fhe fays, * That Jefus Chrift True (an is * alfo True God, that his Humanity is moft ftri&ly and * infeparably united with his Divinity ; which is ciic Trqe * Gcd and the Eternal Word that created aii things and * and faves in Chrift. In the Third Part, p. 26,27. ftie * tells how Antichrift has led fome to deny the Divinity of < Jefus Chrift, and not to pray to him ; and .hews, char he « is God and Man can fave us immediately, if we wifl fol- i low him ; that he is the True Eternal God who alone cap < fave as being God ; and he is our Mediator;, our Ma $ our Phyficiam as Man, who is become our Pledge and G 3 ' Sui U Of the Stiisfatfion of Jefus Chrift. Part II. c Surety to obtain our Deliverance; Co that they are wret- 1 ched Creatures , who lay they will not pray to Jefus * Chrift , fince the Salvation of all Men depends on him, c and without him no Body can be favd. VII. VII. They affirmed that fh : denied the Merits of Jefus js to the ChirftjOr any Sat faction made by him for the Sins of Men ; Merits and anc j tn [ s Calumny they have of late renewed ; affirming Satis fafli* that ilie falls in with the vileSocinian Herefies, and even en of jefus outdoes them. What Socinian has ever taught, That Man c.jrijt. fry ^' IS g- m wou i(l Ijave perifhd eternally, and never have ob- tain d Pardon \ Ijad it not been fur Jefus Chrift, true eternal God, and true Man, and for his Merits, (the Force and Dignity of which proceed from his ZJnion with the Divinity) and. that he has alfo obtain d for Men , Time, Grace, and Means to enjoy this Pardon, and the Effetl of thofe Merits 5 And that he cloath'd himfelf with our Mortality^ and fatis- fiedfor our Sins on his part ; that we, in imitating him, might enjoy the Pardon and Recovery/ which his Merits have pur- chased for us \ And yet this is the Subftance of the Do- ctrine of A. B. upon this Head, as appears through all her Writings; as in Temoign, de Verite, Part i.p. 201, 202, fhe fays, * Your Preachers fay, that I reject the Merits of ' Jefus Ghrift , tho' in truth I efteem them more than any * Body in the World. 1 believe I cannot befav'd but by the * Merits of Jefus Chrift, yea, that none was ever fav'd from 6 the Beginning of the World but by the Merits of Jefus Chrift ; for if Jefus Chrifl had not merited Pardon for 1 all len, with God his Father, after Adam had finn'd, c all Men had remained in a Loft Eftate, as the Devils have i done, becaufethey had no Interceffor with God to obtain . l Pardon for their Sins as Men have had ; who having * Jefus Chrift for their Brother, obtained by his Means the c Remiflionof their Sins. I mean not, that Jefus Chrift ' has not alio larisfied for the Sins of Men fince Adam, fee- c ing for them exprefly he cloatlfd himfelf with our Mor- * tality, and came into the World to Redeem us from 1 Eternal Death, into which all Men had wilfully precipi- c tated themfelves, and funk themfelves into a Forgetful- c nefs of God, living according to the Motions of corrupt ' Nature, as the Beafts ; which Jefus Chrift perceiving, he 1 came from the Bofom of his Father unto the Earth to * recal them : He comes to fhew them the State in which * they were, and how they had abandon d their God to * delight Part II. Of the Satisfaltion of Jefus Chrift. 87 delight in other things than in him, and by what means they might recover the Grace of God to attain toSalvation: And he himfelf does before them the Works that they ought to do after his example : And becaufe they had turn'd away from the Love of God, to love the Goods and Riches of this World, Jefui Chrift came in Poverty, that Men might embrace it after his Example : And be- caufe Men had forgotten God , through the Efteemthey had of rhemfelves, jefus Chrift came in all Humility and Sufferings to give them an Example : And becaufe Men had left off their Obedience to God , to follow their own Wills, 'efus Chrift came to fhew that he is Obedi- dient, even to the Death of the Crofs, that he might teach Men how they ought to be fubjeft and obedient even to Death : And Jefus Chrift has done all this, with many other things, for the Love he bear to Men, and that by fuch Means he might draw them to his Father ; that he might live with them to all Eternity, giving himfelf thus in Sacrifice for the Redemption of his Brethren. ' But this Sacrifice was not offered for Men who do not believe in him, and do not the Works that he did ; nor for thofe who will needs wilfully continue in their Sins after having known the Law of the Gofpel, &c. And in Antichr. deconv. Part 2. p. 76. ' They have,/Tt;i Jhe fometimes argued againft me, that I deny the Satis- faction of Jelus Chrift; But I believe this is becaufe I do not hold.thatjefus Chrift has fatisrTd for Men after the Manner that they hold it ; to wit, that Jefus Chrift has fatisfied for aU Men, and that they mall be faved by his Sufferings; without being obliged to fuffer rhemfelves; which is a great Error, becaufe the Sufferings of Jefus Chrift will never be applied to any but thole who fhail follow his Life and Doctrine. < - But becaufe, on the one hand , Men are apt to pervert the Doftrine of the Merits and Satisfaction of jefus Chrift to encourage the Indulging of their corrupt Nature, and others to defpife it, and think they can'fave themfelves, I think it will not be unacceptable to fhew how £he difcovers the Evil of both, as in many of her Writings, fo particu- larly in Antechr. decouvert. Part 3. f . 45, 46, &c. l Thofe c Perfons, fays Jhe, (fhefpeaks of thofe who defpife Jefus c Chrift, and think they can fave themfelves without him) ' perifh thro 3 Fride , as well as they who fay that Jefus • " F4 Chrift 83 Of the Sattfifttw of Jefus Chriji. Part II. ? Chrift has fatisfied all for them. All of them fall into c the fame Sin of Pride and Ingratitude, tho* by different ' Ways. The one is proud to believe that he fhall be faved f by his own Works ; and he is alfo very unthankful that * he will not acknowledge what jefus Chrift has done for * him, requiring his Benefits with Contempt and Irreve- 1 rence. And the others commit the fame Sin of Pride, in c prefuming that they are God's fclecl:,and his Children, to c when Salvation appertains, tho' they do not labour to ' obtain it ; and they fall alfo into the Sin of Ingratitude, i in that they will not render unto jefus Chrift what he has c paid for them. They know that he was their Pledge and '.Surety, yea, that he effectively paid the Penalties due to * their Sins, yet they will not ufe any Endeavours to make 5 Reftitution to him. Would it not be a great Ingratitude ' for a Perfoii to fay to him who had paid his Debt, as his ' Pledge and Surety, That knowing his Debt is paid he £ refblves to live in Idlenefs, without taking Care to return • c the fame Payment to him who had paid it for him ? Such f . a Perfon would be look'd upon by us as wicked and un- 1 thankful > while we think our felves the Children of God c in doing the tame things to the Perfon of Jefus Chrift. 1 We fay he is our Pledge, and by his Sufferings has paid * the Penalty due to our Sins, having died to redeem us ; 4 while we will fuffer nothing, nor fharein his Pains, being c well pleafed to have our Debts paid with the Goods of ' another. * 7~Itis, on the other hand,a great Boldnefsin thofe who 1 think they {hall be faved by their own Merits without the 4 Merits of Jefus Chrift. For if Jefus Chrift had not me- 4 rited for them the Grace to do well, they were not capa- 1 ble of having fo much as one good Thought or Defire of ' doing one good Work. So that all the Grace they have c of doing any Good, comes from the Merits of jefus Chrift, * tho 1 by Ignorance they defpife it, as poor blinded ones 6 who can difcern nothing thro' the vVeaknefs of their ' Sight. For if Jelus Chrift had nor come to bring Light * to the World, no body would have perceived his own ■ miferable State; and if he had not interceded with his Fa- * ther, no body would have had the Grace to receive his ' Light; fo that without Jefus Chrift all Men would have 1 remained loft, thro' their Blindnefs, and would never have [ been able to comprehend by what Means they ought to return Part II. Of the Satisfaction of Jefus Christ 89 * return to God, if Jefus Chrift had not come to teach 1 them by Word and Deed. .And if he had only taught ' them by Word as the other Prophets, no body would ' have followed him ; fince they believe even yet that it is * impoffible to imitate Jefus Chrift, and to follow the Evan- 1 gelical Life. But he himfelf has put it in Practice be- 4 fore Mens Eyes, that after his Example they mult endea- 1 vour to fatisfie the JufKce of God by the Union of his i Sufferings, and of his Charity, which are Sacrifices more * agreeable to God his Father, than our unclean Offerings f and our Works defiled with Sin. 4 If one had mortally offended his Equal, he durft not c of himfelf procure Peace and the Pardon of his Offence, 1 but he would interpofe fome Mediator who were a * Friend of the offended Peifon, to fatisfie his juft Wrath. c But they who would be fived by their good Works t have too much Pride to take Jefus Chrift as Media- c tor } but, with an up- lifted Head, they addrefs to God c whom they have fo often offended ; that they rather draw c down his avenging Hand upon their Heads than the Par- 1 don of their Sins ; for God refills the Proud, and gives 1 his Heart to the Mumble. If they joined their good 1 Works to the Humility of Jefus Chrift , they might 1 peradventure receive the Mercy of God by his Son Jefus 1 Chrift j but {landing up as the Pharifee who thanked 1 God for his good Works, they fhall no more be juftified ' than he was when he went out of the Temple.- Becaufe 1 he who is notcloathed with Jefus Chrift is not admitted e to his Father ; fince before his Coming into the World 1 all Men were Enemies to God. So that he who is not c cloathed with Jefus Chrift cannot be acknowledged for 4 his Friend, far lefs for his Son, feeing the Spirit of Je- 1 fus Chrift is the only Son in which he takes Pleafure, * and not in another. He therefore who thinks to go to c God without the -Mediation of Jefus Chrift, will be reje- 1 6ted as unworthy and rafh, becaufe Jefus Chrift is the only 1 Door of Salvation : They are Thieves who would enter ' by the Windows into the Kingdom of Heaven, for that c only belongs to the Dilciples of Jefus Chrift. 4 In which thofe greatly deceive themfelves, who believe 1 that they may enter into it while they defpife him or re- * je& his Merits, which have opened the Door to all thofe * who will follow and imitate him ; Yet not to thofe who efteem go Of the Satisfaction ofjefus Christ. Part Ii: efteem Jefus Chrift and his Merits; but with all this, will notembracePenitence, under a Pretext that Jefiis Chrift has fatisfi'd wholly for theirSins,comprehending even thofe which they {hall commit in time to come, as well as thofe which they have committed in time pad. In which Er- ror are the moft part of thole who are called Chriftians, yea, amongft others the moil perfect. We hear nothing more ordinary in their pious Diicourfes, than to fay, God is Good,he will fave us ; andjefus Chrift died to give usEntry into Paradife. And with thefe fine Difcourfes every one thinks they are fure of Paradife, even tho' they live and die in their natural Motions and Sentiments, which is a great Miftake ; for God, tho J he be good, will fave no body but him who fhall fatisfie his Divine Juftice. The Merits of the Death and Suffering of Jefus Chrift will never be applied but to Souls which are regenerated in the Spirit of Jefus Chrift : For he has not fuffered but for thofe who from a natural Life mail enter into a fpi- ritual one. For Jefus Chrift fays, that all Righteoufnefs muft be fulfilled. Now it were not juft that they who have forfaken a Dependance upon God to depend upon their own Wills, mould enjoy the Merits of Jefus Chrift without being converted and embracing his Spirit, fince he came not but to bring Sinners to Repentance \ and he who continues toperfevere in his natural Life cannot re- pent, and fo cannot enjoy the Merits of Jefus Chrift, Hnce it is not for thofe that he has fuffered or merited, but only for thofe who by Ignorance or Frailty have quitted their Dependance upon God, and delight them- felves in the Creatures without thinking they ought to de- light themfelves in God alone. They lived in theDarknefs of Death without knowing it : Therefore Chrift had Com- panion on them, and offered himfelf to his Father, pro- mifing unto him that they mould be converted and do Penitence, provided he brought them the Light of Truths by which they might get out of their Darknefs and their Errors. In this jefus Chrift was our Pledge, and anfvvered for our Penitence, with which we muft be faved and not otherwife. i Therefore they form to themfelves imaginary Ways in the Air, who think that Jefus Chrift is come to. fave us in a ipeculative Way, or by fome incomprehensi- ble Myfteries, feeing our Redemption is accommodated ! to Part II. Of the Satisfaction ofjtfus Chrift. 9 1 to our Capacity. But the Devil, to divert us from ta- king the ftraight Way , thro* which Jefus Chrift walked, blinds our Eyes with imaginary Things, that we may never come to the Knowledge of the ftraight Truth, ma- king fome believe that they cannot be faved by the Merits of Jefus Chrift ; and others, that his Merits will lave them, even though they ufe no Endeavours to imitate and fol- low him. Many other Paifages might I bring out of her Writings , but thele may fliew her Sentiments in this Matter. The Sum of her Sentiments comes to this, That Man the Sum of turning away his Heart and his Affections from God, there- her Sen- by ail Communion between God and Man ceas'd, and fo timents, as Man was plungd into an irrecoverable State of Sin and Mi- t0 ^ e Sa - fery, as well as the fallen Angels, if there had been none '"/<*#"» to interpofe for him with God , for vyhofe Sake he fhould ^tl'jf fhew him Mercy, there being nothing now in Man that > ' could move God to have any Regard for him : That Jefus Chrift, true God and true Man, infinitely beloved by his Father, full of Love to him, and of Charity and Com- panion for Man, ardently intercedes with God for him, that he would have Mercy on him. His Father could re- fufe him nothing that was confident with his Righteouf- nefs and Truth. It was not juft that he fhould receive Man into Favour, if he fhould continue ftill to turn away his Love from God to the Creatures and to himlelf ; nor had it been juft and fafeto have reftor'd him prefently to the fame State of Divine Communion and Joy from whence he had fallen; it was neceftary he fhould feel firft the Evil of Forfaking his God, that fo his corrupt Nature might be mortified, and he eftablifti'd in the Love of God. God then for the Merits and Interceflion of Jefus Chrift, par- dons Man upon Condition he turn again to the Love of his God from the Creatures and himfelf; and for this End he communicates again to him his Light and Grace, and allows him a Time of Trial wherein he is to do Penitence for offending his God, that thereby his corrupt Nature and his Love to the Creatures and himfelf may be throughly mortified, and he return and be eftablifhd in the Love of God. Jefus Chrift accepts of the Terms, and becomes Surety for Man that he fhali fulfil them, and applies himfelf with ardent Love to bring Man back again to God. The Delights of the Creatures being that which had turn'd away 9* Of the Satisfattion of Jefrs Chrijl. Part IL away Man's Affections from God, it was juft and necefla- ry that he fhould deny himfelf to them, and make an en- tire Sacrifice of all thofe Delights and of his Lufts after them to the Love of God : To make which the more eafie for him, the Earth was accurfed for his Sake. Jefus Chrift coming now to interpofe with God, to bring him back to his Duty, leaves no Means unelfay'd to erf equate it; of inward Light and Grace, and outward Laws and Ordinan- . ces, according to Man's State and Circum (lances. When the Corruption of Man's Nature had refifted and baffl'd all thofe Means, yet nothing being able to quench his Love, he at laft cloaths himfelf with Man's mortal Nature, puts on all his Infirmities, becomes in all things like to him, yet with- out Sin, and, as if he had been the greateft Sinner, does Pe- nitence for him, denies himfelf to all Honours, Riches, Pleafures,Sciences,Eales,Accommodations 5 Self-feeking,and Self- will, lives and dies in perfect Poverty, Contempt,and Pain, makes an entire'Sacrifice of himfelf, his Life', and all things of theWorld unto his God; and this,both that by his Doctrine and by his perfect Example he might ihew Man what Way to return to God, how to do Penitence for his Sins, how to deny himfelf and take up his Crofs, and to make a Sacrifice of himfelf and all unto God; and by doing all this in Man's Nature,tofhe whim how pra6licable it was, and alfo that for the fake of this pure and perfect Oblation of himfelf, done from fo great Love to God and Charity to Man, God might be ft ill moved to have Mercy on Man, to grant him his Grace, and to accept of his Penitence, united to this Sacrifice of Jefus Chrift : What Jefus Chrift has done and furlered for Man on Earth has infinitely heightned his Merits and the Power of his Intercellion with God, fo that he obtains for Man, Pardon, and Grace, and Time to re- pent, and the being received into perfect Favour with God, upon his Penitence, as if he had never finned ? Jefus Chrift has fatisfied on his part the Juftice of God, but they only receive the Benefit of it who follow his Example in denying themfelves, and taking up their Crois, and do thereby mortifie their corrupt Nature and return to the Love of God. It is in this Sence that we alfo muft fatisfie God's Juftice, not that we can make any Satisfaction to God pro- portionabie to our Demerits. Not that we can merit his Pardon or Salvation ; but it being juft with God not to re- ceive Man into Communion again with him till he do Penitence Part II. Of the Satisfaction of Jefus Chrifl. Penitence for his Sins, and thereby mortihe his felfifh and carnal Affections; not that God ftands in need of this, but that it is abfolutely neceflary for Man's Recovery, we can- not expect Salvation without fatisfying in this manner on our part. /The Satisfaction of Jefus Chrifl for our 'Sins may be ta»- fcSn in two Sences, by way of Merits, or by way of Dif- charge : The Firft way, That he has thereby merited Par- don, Grace, and Salvation for aiJ who mail follow his Ex- ample, is moil true : The Second, by way of Difcharge , That Jefus Chrift has fo fully fatisfied the Juilice of God, for the Sins of his Eiecl, that nothing is required of them but to believe and rely on his Merits, and nothing due from them, but by way of Gratitude, as if God Hood in need of their Services ; or that they need do, for the mortifying of corrupt Nature, as much only as their Love and Care for the World and themfelves will permit, and truft in ChrihVs Merits for the rell. This, I fay, is mod falfe, Chrift ha- ving merited for us Grace to mortifie our corrupt Nature, and Pardon, and eternal Life, if we return to the Love of God.) Again, there is a twofold Subftitution, cr the having one in our ftead to fatisfiethe Juilice of God for us: There is a Subftitution of Self-love , and another of Charity, or the Love of God : The Firft is, when we defire to gratifie our fenfual and corrupt Nature, and follow our own Wills and Lufts, and are very well pleased to hear that there is one has fufTeredfor us, and fatisfied God's Juftice ; fothac we are content to believe in him and hope in his. Merits, going on in the mean time to indulge our corrupt Na- ture, excufing our felves becaufe of our Frailty and Weak- nefs, and that we cannot dootherwife ; but our Saviour Jefus Chrift has made an Atonement for all, and we hope in his Merits. This is a Falfe, Diabolical, and Antichriftian Subftitution , as A. B, makes abundantly appear through all her Writings. The Subftitution of Charity, is when out of a deep Sence of our Bafenefs and Undutifulnefs to God, and the Propensity of our Natures to continue fo ftill, and to graririe our corrupt Inclinations , we apply our felves by his Grace to deny our felves, and to make a Sacrifice of all thatYdear to us to Gcd, in leading a Life of conftant Penitence; but feeing our Penitence bears no Proportion to the infinite Greatnef* and Goodncls of that n 54 Of the SaiisfaEtion due hy Mix. Part IT. God whom we have offended , we rejoice to know that there is one of perfeft Purity, and in full Favour with God, who for us has made a fuitable Oblation of himfelf, not to difcharge us from a Life of Penitence, but to obtain Grace for us to do it, and Acceptance of it with God, and ihew us how to perform it : To him we file, and for his fake we beg for the Acceptance of our imperfect Penitence, and defire it may be united to his Sacrifice and done in his Spi- rit, that he, dwelling in our Hearts by Faith, may com- municate himfelf to us with all his Graces and Merits, It is in the former Sence only that A. B. declares againft the common Doctrine Of the Satisfaction of Jefits thrift, as if it were a Subftitution of a total Difcharge, difpenfing with the Obligation that lies on us to live a Life of Peni- tence, and not at all in the Second. They who read the Writings of A. B. will fee that this is the Summ and Subftance of her Sentiments on this Head, and that any fimple Expreffions which feem harfh by themfelves are to be interpreted by this Meafure. And they who confider by what Principles the Generality of theChriftian World do, I do not fay fpeculate and talk, but live and aft, and what Encouragement the Doftrine and Gloffes of Men has given thereunto ; and how, tho* they live in a perfeft Contradiction to the Life and Spi- rit of Jefus ChriH, yet they hope and believe they mail be faved by his Merits, will fee how neceflary and how feafonable it is to inculcate thofe Truths upon the Hearts of Men. VIII. VIII. But becaufe it gives great Offence to fome, that bfthe'sa-fi e f a JSi Tho J Chrift has fatisfied all for us on his part, yet tisfaftion that the Merits of his Satisfaction will not be applied to dm by us, unlefs we our felves do fatisfie the Jultice of God for Man. our Sins, and in order to our Purification \ I fhall fet down her Sentiment more particularly in this Matter : We fome- times ftumble at Words and Terms when we grant the thing it felf upon the matter, and it is like this is the cafe with many here. Le Te- i. Then, {he fays , That no Man could merit Eternal moign. de Life, tho' Adam had never finn d ; for all our good Works Verice. are DU t. Temporal, and bear no proportion to eternal Hap- part i. pinefs. Heaven and eternal Life is the free Gift of God, P- 8 3- which he prepared for Man before he created him , and fo he could not merit it. He does not therefore bejtow.it Part II. Of the Satisfaction due by Man. 9 5 for our Merits, but for his great Mercy, and for the Love Renouv. he bears us : He is no Merchant, and will not fell his Para- de 1'Efpr. dife at any price, but will give it freely ; and he has no Evang- need of our good Works or Penitence, but becaufe of our avaoc - Corruption and Infirmity we have great need of them, prop - without which we muft perifh. n * 55« 2. That we having forfeited Gods Favour and eternal Preface, Life, Jefus Chrift has merited for us Pardon, Grace, and n. 33, 40, Life Eternal, upon Condition that we receive and corref- 47, 6 7- pond with the Pardon and Grace offered, and turn again io 3> n*> to God with all our Hearts, and embrace the Means that *39> H ; are necellary for this End, without which in Juftice, Par- don, and Grace could not be demanded for Man ; and for our Performance of this, Jefus Chrift becomes our Pledge and Surety. 3. As fuch he cloaths himfelf with our Mortality, and undergoes all the Parts of this Penitence himfelf, that he might merit Grace and Pardon for Man , and might ftrengthen and direct him how to embrace this Penitence, and to follow his Example. 4. Upon his Interceftion, and obtaining of Grace and Par- Le Te- don for Man, the Love of God is not immediatly conferred moign. de Upon Man, but the Grace of doing Penitence , by which he Verite. might recover it. And this was a greater Mercy to Man, ^ arc T * . than if God had limply pardon d him, and reftor'd him to "• * 9, ' his Zwf, without fuffering the Earth to be accurfed, or all ** to be corrupted by Sin ; fince it is to be fear'd Man would have quickly fallen back again into new Sins, finding him- felf as before in all forts of Delights, fuch as Adam had. For we lee how Men now turn away their Hearts from God to love the Creafures and themfelves, even when they fee they are fo wretched, weak, and imperfect, fubjeft to all forts of Maladies and to Death, and that all the Crea- tures now do them mifchief, whereas formerly they ho- noured and obey'd them as their Lord ; and tho* they fee themfelves and all the Creatures fo filthy, corrupt and mi- ferable, yet they cannot abftain from loving them to the Prejudice of the Love they owe to God. How much more would Man have done fo, in cafe he had remained as beau- tiful and perfect after his Sin, and all the other Creatures had continued as lovely as before ? ft is to be rear'd he would not have remained in the Love of God, if he had recovered it after his Sin by the pure Mercy of God with- . out 9<5 Of the Satisfaction due by Mm. Fart II, out the Condition of doing Penitence; or without all the other Creatures their being accurfed in him ; fince we fee Men do yet love this Life that is fo miferable, and the Crea- tures that are fo wretched , and Man feels in himfelf Con- tradictions, Griefs, Difpleafures, and all forts of vicious Paflions, which he cannot govern by his Reafon ; and yet his Spirit is become fo brutifh, that it loves thofe Miferies and Imperfections, tho' he find nothing in himfelf or the other Creatures, but what is worthy of Contempt and Hatred : Yet he loves and efteems them to the Contempt of the Love of his God ; who knowing the Bafenefs of Man's Heart, has given him Penitence as a neceflary Mean to withdraw his Affections from this wretched Life, that he may turn them to his God, who will have Man to love him only. And for the fame Reafon he has permitted all. the Creatures which were fubjeft to Man, to contract with him the Malediction of Sin ; that by this Mean, occafion might be given to Man to return to the Love of his God, the only lovely Object. 5. Since this Penitence contains the neceffary Means to recover the Love of God, and we cannot do this fo long as we love Self and the Creatures, and this corrupt Love can- not be mortified fo long as we gratifie our Senfes, and our Appetites, and enjoy a Paradife here; and our Lufts can- not be fubdued without feeling the Bitternefs, Anguifh, Griefs, and Pains of them, to extinguifh the Sence of the unlawful Pleafure and Delight we took in them ; Peni- tence Therefore is, 1. The turning away our Hearts and Affections from every thing that hinders the Love of God. Love not the Worlds &*c. 2. And in order to this, the avoid- ing all the Occafions that may fofter the Love of other things, and continually ftriving againft and doing Vio- lence to Self-love, Self- will, and Corrupt Nature. He that mill come after me, faith our Lord, let him deny himfelf. And, 3. The embracing willingly the Anguifh, Bitternefs, and Pains, the Afflictions both inward and outward, that rauft | be endured for the purifying of our Hearts, and bringing us to the Love of God; and let him take up his Crofs. Renouv. 5. j e f us Chrift has taught us how to undergo this Pent- de r Efpr. tence ty ^j s i} 3rine, and by his Example; and follow Ev. Prcf. me ^ 7. it Part II. Of the Satisfaction due by Man. £7 7. It is moft unreasonable to think that we are dif- cbarg'd from this Penitence, becaufe Jefus Chrift did thus live and fufTer for us ; for we muft have the Spirit of Chrift ; our Old Man muft be crucified with him ; we muft be con- ^J formed to his Image ; we muft fuffer with him, if we would reign with him. His was meritorious, and expiatory, and exemplary ; ours is abfolutely neceflary for our Purifica- tion : By his he obtain d Pardon and Grace for us, and changd the Eternal Punifhment wedeferved, into a Tern- iWULjf* poral Penitence for our Purification and Recovery; and to fay we cannot undergo this Penitence, is to have no Faith in his Merits; to believe that it is enough that he did undergo this for us, is the greateft Indignity done him, and the greateft Cheat that we can put upon our Souls ; it is to belie, and be falfe to our Surety and our Pledge : It is like Bankrupts to fwagger and rant it out with our Cre- ditor's Goods ; becaufe our Surety has paid the Debt for us : It is to make Jefus our Slave to lufrer all manner of Afflictions, Poverty, Reproach, and Pain for us, that we may go to Heaven in the pleafant and oroad Way of Ho- nours, Wealth, and Pleafures : It is to be well pleas'd that the Phyfician has provided wholfome and neceflary Phy- fick for our Recovery* and has taken it himfelf for our Direction and Encouragement ; but tho' we be fick to Death we will not tafte it our felves, becaufe of the Bit- ternefsof it, believing that we (hall Recover nevertheless; becaufe the Phyfician has taken it. Jefus Chrift led this Life of Penitence for us in his vifible and mortal Body,, r that he might fhew us how ready he is ftillto Undergo it* in every one of us by his Spirit. 8. God has no need of this our Penitence, but we ftand ReruHrr. in need of it to recover the Love of God. He does not cc- de P Ef|k vet our Wealth, or Honours, or Friends, or Eafe, in that Evang. he requires of us to be poor in Spirit, to deny our felves, avant- to take up our Crofs and follow Chrift, to forfake aD things, P r0 P- fince he created all things for Man, and would be well plea- a t4i 1$° fed he could enjoy them ftill. But Man is become fo mi- ferable that he cannot enjoy thefe things without letting his Heart upon them and turning it away from God ; and therefore Jefus Chrift has given this his GofpeLLaw, with- out which no body can recover the Love of God. It is a fad Miftake then to think that there is no neceflity of good Works, but only by way of Gratitude and Thankfulnefs , H ttf 98 Of the Satisfaction due by Man. Part II. to God, as if he had need of our Acknowledgments, or as if we could make him Prefents of our Good Works to thank him ; which cannot be faid but in Contempt ot the Riches of Gcd, who pofTefTes all in himfelf and feeks no- thing without himfelf, and needs not that we fhould give him any thing; all the good Works that Men can c*o, are for no other End but to refill and overcome the Ev.Isof their Corruption. And they are as neceflfary for our Sal- vation, as Bread is for the Life of the Body ; for we can- not be faved without fubduing our Corruption, and no Body can do this but by 'be means of fuch good Works, and fuch Penitence as (tine and mortifies the Vicesand Sins which this Corruption has brought into the Soul. Le Te- 9. It is a Pride to glory in our Penitence, fince it is en- moign. dt joined us for our Sins ; it ought rather to fill us with Hu- Vence. rnility and Confufion , for in the Beginning it was not fo. p. 1. n.107 God created us to live in all forts of Delights without any Pain. All this beautiful World was created to ferve for Pleafures to the Body of Man, and God himfelf was the Delight of his Soul. But Sin only has changed that excel* lent Order, and made Man fubie£> ro that over which he ought to rule, becaufe he had withdrawn his Subjection from God. Our Sins have occaftontd the Law of Penirence, which Jefus thrift came to teach us by Word and Deed. Light of This Penitence does notconfift in 1 adergoing Pennances theWorld chofen by our ielves and after our Fancy, by which the part 2. Devil would drive us headlong and excitr i;s to Vain-glory, eonf. ir. anc j vvhich ufually make Men preiumptuous , believing themfelves to be better than others, and that God is obli- ged to them for their good Works, as the Pharifee. All this proceeds from Self-love •, but trpe Penitence confilts in taking patiently whatfoever God permits to beta II us, ei- ther to our Body, Eftate, or Mind, and willingly tofuffer it in the Spirit of Penirence to fatisfie for our Sins j for every Moment there falls out Occafions of buffering and and SubmiiTion, fb that we need nor feek for them, h is neceffary that we pra&ife this Rejlgnation of our Will to God, for accomplishing the faving Penirence which he has enjoined us, and for the Exercife of all fort of Vertues. Renouv. 10. Since then the Juftice of God could not permit that He r Efpr. Pardon and Grace mould be given to finful Man, but upon E^- P 2 - Condition that he turn away from Sin to God, and in order nroj,ro6 t0 that live a Life of Penitence, and co-operate m& 'he Spirias Part If. Of the Satisfaction due by Man. gg Spirit of Suffering, Self-denial and Mortification, which God will communicate to him if he (incerely defire to be laved ; it is neceflary that Man fat i> fie this Duty which is iojtifi before God, and which the Juftice'of God requires, as well as the Nature of the thing it felf. I his is that which fhe calls Mans Satisfying God's Jttftice on his Part ; this is that from which the Satisfaction of Jefus Chrift does n t pro- cure us a Difpeniation, for then he had neither been juft to God nor us ; but he merited the Acceptance of it at God's Hands, and Grace and Strength for us to perform it, and taught us how to undergo it. If People are nice and cap- tious, and will needs carp at Words and ExprefTions, as Satisfaction and the Satisfying the Juft ice of God, while they underftand what is meant by them, no body will contend with them about them provided they grant the Truth and Reality of the thing; that no body will be faved by the Merits and Satisfaction of Jefus Chrift, without the Mortifi- cation of their corrupt Nature and the Recovery of the Love of God. It is a good Consideration which is now generally af- £* eft Ju* figned, why God thought not fit as Governour of theft;*'* ^* World to pardon Rebellious Man without the Intervention c ^ rit "do of an expiatory Sacrifice in the Life and Death of Jefus aim B£m 'S* Chrift, that Men might thereby fee tftf Evil of Sin, and ™ tatis Gods infinite Hatred and Abhorrence of it, and fo might ~™ tia j be diverted from continuing in it or returning to it. It is ^tqwnilm for the very fame Reafon, that God thought not fit to par- bommm don Man for the Sufferings of Jefus Chrift, unlefs he alfo inferiwum follow him in a Life of Penitence and Sufferings ; for we dukedine are not fo fenfible of what others furTer , neither does it decern fit- breed in us fuch an Abhorrence of that which has occa- w, ama- fioned their Sufferings, as when we fufter the iike Pains r 'tudine and Evils our felves, without which we have as fuperficial a f an ^um Senfe of them as of the Aclings on a Theatre. And there- Jf «"&"»"»■, fore to give us the more lively Senfe of the Sufferings of X* ^"^ dc Jefus Chrift, and to enrlame our Love to him, and to work ]^ ra in us the greater Deteftation of Sin and of cur corrupt CI ** Nature, God thinks fit that we fhould feel in our Souls the Evil and the Bitternefs of Forfaking him, without which they can never be purified nor come to fee Gcd. IX. There is another Prejudice which has fome Affinity j£ to this, and which the generality of Proteftants are prepof- of a State feffed with, and that is becaufe fhe affirms that there h a ofPurrfc+ H % Scare i oo Of a State of Purification after this Life. Part II. tion after State of Purification after this Life for fuch Souls as are this Life, truly converted unto God, and yet are not wholly purified from their Corruption, and fo are not immediately capa- ble of enjoying God. All corrupt Doctrine has generally fome Fond of Truth, with which they mingle many other things that tend to promote Men's worldly Interefts; the Wealth of the Clergy, and the Dependance of the People, Thus in the Church of Rome they have founded a Purgatory in a Place near to Hell, where Souls are tormented by a material Fire, from whence they are delivered by fome Soul- Mattes, fome fuperftitious Ceremonies, the dying in a Cordeliers Habit, and a thoufand Fopperies of this Nature. But that Souls which die truly converted unto God, and yet have not attained to fuch a State of Purity as to be ca- t/Etoile P^ble °f enjoying him, (hall undergo a State of Purifica- du Matin. tlon before they can fee God, is more than probable. The Let.25,26. $ um °f ner Sentiments as to this are, 1. That is evident, Le $Te- none can enjoy God who are not in a State of fo perfect moign. de Purity,that there remains in them no Degree of Corruption Verite. neither Actual nor Habitual: For no unclean thing can pi. 11.53, enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: There is no Fellow/hip 66, between Light and Darknefs: And they are only the pure in Heart who /hall fee God. 2. It is certain that they who are truly converted unto God, are in a State of Grace and Salvation, tho' Sin be yet in him, and the Old Adam is not yet dead. If a Perfon full of Sins and evil Habits be in his Heart and Defires truly turned unto God, he receives him into his Grace, tho J his habitual Sins are not yet rooted out ; much more him who is greatly advanced in the Mor- tification of his corrupt Nature, but has not yet attained to a State of perfect: Purity. 3. It is as certain that Con- verfion and Regeneration are not one and the fame thing. The firit being the turning away from Evil to Good, from Sin to God ; the fecond being the Renovation of the whole Man after the Image of God, a Creature altogether new, whofe Will is wholly refigned to God, who lives no longer but Chrift lives in it. 4. It is in Grace and fpiritual things as it is in Nature and bodily things: All things ad- vance to their Perfection by Degrees, and not in an Inftant. God does all things in Order, in Number. Weight and Mea- sure, and conformably to the Nature of the Beings he has formed. We are firft Children before we are Men, and ws advance by Degrees to the Stature and Wifdom of Men^ and -, Part II. Of a State of Purification after this Life. I o i and put away Childifh Things. But if the Child come forth of the Womb void of the bodily Life, it remains fo ftiU. We are told of Children, and Youth, and Men in Chrift Jefus, and we muft not think that all thefe States are attain d to in an Inftant in the fpiritual Life no more than in the bodily. 5. It cannot be denied but that many who are faved do go out of this World truly converted un- to God, but yet not throughly renewed and purified 5 and as, on the one hand, God will not rejeel: and caft away fuch Souls as feek him with ail their Heart ; fo on the other hand in this State of Impurity they are not capableof en- joying him : And therefore God in his infinite Goodnefs, Truth, and Righteoufnefs, will place them in fuch a State as whereby all their evil Habits may be wholly rooted our, all their Corruption fubdued, all their Filthineis cleanfec), and they purified as God is pure 6. This fo great and fo extraordinary a Change cannot be fuppofed to be wrought in an inftant, nor yet without mod fenfible Pain and La- bour ro the Soul in whom this Change is wrought. The Soul is of a moll: fenfible Nature, and when freed of this mortal Body that ftupifies it, its Senfibilities muft be infi- nitely more lively and piercing; and therefore the Sentiment of being deprived of the glorious Prefence of God which it ardently thirfts after, and of having within it Difpofitions repugnant to this Enjoyment, which a Ray from God manifefts it to , cannot but give it unfpeakable Pain and Anguifh. We fee here no fenfible Being that is in Difor- der can be reftored to its right State without Pain and Trouble j a broken Leg, a disjointed Member, a Part of the Body ulcered, corrupt Humours, cannot be rectified without Pain and Trouble. If all the Parts and all the Members of a Body were diflocated , corrupted and di£ ordered, the Pain and Trouble that would be felt in the reftoring of that Body would be unfpeakably greater. All this is but a faint Image of the State of the Soul ; all its Fa- culties are more corrupted and difordered than it is polTible for the Body to be; the Restitution of which by the Ope- ration of the Divine Grace cannot be performed even in this State of Stupidity without much Pain and Anguifh, but after this Life when the Soul is fully awakened , it is fup- ported by the Divine Grace to undergo this Change, rut with Dolours beyond Comparifon greater. No living thing can pafs from one State' to another without great H 1 SenfV ro2 Of a State of Purification after this Lift. PartIL Senfibility, can enter into a new Element, unto which it is not entirely conformable, without furTering its Impreftiqns With Pain; weak and fickly Eyes cannot endure great Light without Pain, nor a weak Body ftrong Nourifhment without Trouble. So a Soul falling into the Element of Eternity of the Divine Light, and of the Fire of the Di- vine Love, if ic be yet weak and ill difpofed, if it have yet many contrary Difpofitions, many things to be conlumed, many Habits ro be rooted out \ this cannot be done with- out great Sufferings. Not that God chaftifes in Wrath; nor that he delights to torment the Soul ; but that the Soul, full of contrary Difpofitions, full of Darknefs.cannot receive his Light, ncrieelthe Flames of his Love, without mod feniible and dolorous Sentiments , till by the Force and Continuance of thefe Impreflions they have banifh'd out ail that is contrary to his Divine Light and Love, which then transforms the Soul wholly into its own Nature. It is unreadable to oppofe that Paflage of Scripture, that the Blood ofjcfus Chrifl cleanfeth from all Sins ; for the Mea- ning of it is not, that becaufe iefusChrift ha? fhed his Blood, we ought to be cleanfed from our Sins without Mortifications and Sufferings, but the quite contrary \ for the Blood of efus Chrift is the Grace that he has merited by his Blood ; whereby we may be, purified from our Sins by Sufferings, and by a Conformity to his Sorrows and Death And when this is not fully done here, it continues to be done in the other Life, as the Soul is capable to admit it, and its Indifpofition requires.. This is a Doctrine very agreeable to the Tenour of the Holy Scriptures, which tell us, that God will render to eve- ry Man according to his Works ; that no unclean thing can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ; that only the pure in Heartenly fliail fee God. The Sence of it feems to be imprinted in the Spirits of all Men, from the Sence they have of the Purity and Righteoufnefs of God. and their Confcionfheis of their own Impurity. The Heathens , Jews, Turks ^ and Chrtftians have been perfwaded of it, thofe of the Antient Church both Greekjind Latin. It is a Doctrine that molt powerfully engages to lead a Life of Penitence here, in which the Anguifh and Pain of Purifica- tion is far lefs fenfible, and whereby a Soul may {till ac- quire new Graces and Capacities of Attaining to a higher Degree of Glory j whereas the Sufferings of Purification after Part II. Of a St Ate of Purification after this Life, i oj after Death are unfpeakably more fenfible, and the Soul is not capable of advancing to a higher State. It affords alfo great Conflation to truly fincere and pious Souls who feekGod unfeignedl}, but arefenHbleof the greatnefs of theit Corruption, to know that God will not caft them off, nor deny them his purifying Grace here and hereafter, till he have made them fit Temples for himfelf to dwell in ; and will Itili fo fupport them in the moft dolorous Puriiication, with a full Acquiefcence in his righteous Will, that they would not denre that it were other wife, but will fay with Job , Tho he flay me, yet will I truth in him, I mall conclude tbr with a Paflage of the moft learned and pious Dr. Williim Forbes, fometimes Bifhop of Edlnborough, who difproving the Popifh Purgatory, and owning that the Gree\ Fathers and many of the La- tins were for a State of Purification after this Life, tho' he fays without Pain ; he concludes thus : Ad Contraverfiaw c . « banc tollendam vel fait em mi%endam Rmanenfes Opinio- f r»}* nem J nam de Purgatono pumtivo , quum minis cert is fideratio- Fundamentis nee in Scripturis, nee in prim or urn ficulorum ne s m ode- Patribus, nee in prifcis Conciliis nltatur, ut fupra demon- {} x & « u . ftratum eft, pro Fidel Articulo nee habeant Ipfimet , tieque rificse. aliis obtrudant. Prot eft antes etiam, quibus Opinio ifta im- $.266,267 probatur, & quidem Jure Meritoque, Herefeos tamen am Impietatis aperte eandem ne damncnt. Sententia vero com- muni Gracorum, atque etiam quorundam Firorum doclorum in Latina Ecclejia de Pur gator io expiatorio ( quod fiium Ptirgatorii Nomen proprie loquendo meretur ) in quo fine Poems Gchennalibus, Anima Sanltorum, quorum quafi media quadam Conditio eft, in Ceelis quidem, fed in Coclorum Loco fill Deo noto, magis magifque ufque ad Diem Vifionis Del dart, fruentes ConfpeUu & Confirtio Humanitatis Chrlfti tfr fanflorum Angelorum perficiunt fe in Dei Char it ate per fervida & amorofa Sufpiria , ut fupra ditlum eft % nutri pertinaciter obluflentur. Sua enim atque ea qui- dem baud exigua probabilitate mlnlme deftituitur. There are others who give unjuft Reprefentations of her Sentiments concerning Predeftination, Grace, and Free-will ; I fhall therefore give a juft Account of them from her own Writings, and in her own Words, and no Reader needs think ftrange nor load her with Reproaches upon that Head, if he find that in fbme things they differ from the Doctrine which he has been accuftom'd to H 4 hear* 1 04 Of Predeftimtiofi. Part IF. hear, there are fuch differences of Sentiments upon thefe Subjects, even among Perfbns of the fame Communion. X. X. As to the Do&rine of Predeftination, me fays, That Of Pre- God did certainly create all Men for Salvation, and none deftina- f or Damnation : That God being infinitely Good without tion. an y mixture of Evil, and his Nature Love, nothing can come from him but what is Good j but if he had created a Mais of abfoluteiy reprobated, he would * ave made Evil things : That Predeftination to Damnation could not come from God, fince the Damnation of a ^oulis the greateft Evil in the World j that this had been to give them occa- fion to curfe him to all Eternity, looking on him as very unjuft toward them, for having predeftinated them for Damnation before they had received a Being, without ha- ving merited or demented any thing ; That in Truth and 3Tomb. de Juftice fuch might have faid , Why didfi thou not leave me la fauf£ into nothings rather than to have created me for an eternal *Theol. Damnation* What had I done before I had a Bei^g to render Part 2. * me thus Miferable t ? For it had been far better I had never \ Let. 3. y een created, than to have created me only for Damnation. I/Acad. How cruel is it to hear that God mould predeftinate a des fcav. Mafs of Reprobates ! This is to proclaim God wicked in \pieoJ. j-^g Creation of Man ! For elfe he would not have created p. loCh.i. a ^ a (- s f Reprobates to be Miferable to all Eternity, do what they will ; he could noc create them for Damnation , but out of pure Maiice ! A greater Blafphemy cannot be uttered againft God than this* For it (hocks all his Qua- lities of Goodnefs, Righteoufnefs , and Truth, without which he can never do any thing. If he had created one part of Mentor Damnation, he mould not have done a juft thing ; fince thole Reprobates did not merit Damnation before they had a Being, and could not in Juftice be repro- bated without having deferved it : Neither could he exer- cife his Goodnefs in decreeing the Damnation of any thing ; fince this Damnation is the greateft Evil in the World. And how mould he be true in reprobating thofe of whom he fays, that his Delight is to be with them, fince they are the Children of Men. Le Nouv. This is inqonfiftent with the original Defign of creating Giel, Man, and the manner of his Formation. He made him to p. 2 5, &c. r a ke his Delight with him ; and that Man might love and enjoy his God , he form'd him for that End after his own Image, He created one Man only> and in him all Men. * • Would Part II. Of Predeftinatton. 105 Would he predeftinate to Damnation a Creature whom Le Te- he made to take his Delight with him , before he had a moign. do He took not two MaiTes of Earth, to create the one of them for Salvation, and the other for Damnation ; but one Mafs only, with which he created one Man only for Salvation, creating in him all the Men that ever were or fhall be; he created them all in general in the State of Innocence and Salvation, and for this End gave abundance of Graces both bodily and fpiritual, and that equally to all, without Ex- ception of any, giving to all a Divine Soul and Free-will, that they might be capable of all manner of Good. And feeing he thus created all Men in Adam, he could not have created any for Reprobation, but all for Salvation. Is it not to afcribe vitious PaflTions to God, to fay that jj g ^ ^ he reprobated Man becaufe of the forefight of the Sins the world which he would commit after his Creation ; and that he p art 3. predeftinated him to Salvation, forefeeing his future Me- Conf 22. rits ? Had God need of Man's Merits to fave him ? Can all Men together with all their Merits bring one Ray of Glory to God ? Is not this to go over to their hde, who fay, that Men (hall be elected and faved by their good Works, and not by Grace only ; in which they make God a Liar, who has promifed ( as they grant ) that he will fave us by Grace ? To fay that God did not create Man for Damnation, but reprobated Man after Adams Sin, which had undone them all, is moft abfurd. For as all Men were created in Adam, fb they were alfo all alike fallen in Adam, and all in general reprobated by the fame Sin of Adam ; for he could not have a divided Will, one part of it (bund, and another damn d ; there being but one Man only, and he had but one W ill, in which was included the Will of all Men that fhould ever arife from him. And if God had left Adam in the reprobated State wherein he fell, all Men had equally remained fo. And when Adam received the Pardon of his Sin, and was admitted to Penitence, all Men were ftill in him, and confequently all were reftored to Favour, upon Condition of performing the Penitence that God enjoyn'd in Adam. So that God could not leave one part of Men in *he Curfe, without dividing Adam , and appointing one part I c 6 Of PrtAeftimttion. Part II. part of his Body for Salvation, and another for Reproba- tion 5 fmce there was but one Man. If there had been two, it might have been faid of Men, what is faid of An- gels, that one part of the Angels was damn'd, and another confirm J d in Grace ; but that of one Soul and one Body there fhould proceed reprobated and faved by the Predefti- nation of God, this is odious. They who fay that God did not predeftinate to Damna- tion, but only left one part of Men who were in Ad^m in Damnation, and did ele6t another part to Salvation, do directly contradict the Scriptures •, for the Scripture fays exprefly, that with God there is no refpetl of Perfons, How could he then predeftinate one part of Men to Salvation,and leave the other part into the Damnation into which they were ail equally plung'd ; fince all had equally linn'd in Adam y and one no more than another e How then can it be that God, who is no Refpe6ter of Perfons, can damn one part and fave another, of the fame Mafs of Perfons, (which have equally contracted the fame Sin) without Injuftice , which cannot be in God 2 And tho' he be Almighty to fave one and damn another, as thofe Cafuifts fay, yet he will never do it, for he will never do any Injuftice : For my part, fays fhe % I would not commit the leaft Injuftice againft my Enemies, not againft the Devil himfelf. How much lefs would God, who is incomprehenribly more Juft than I, do fuch an Injuftice as to damn one and lave another of the Perfons who have committed the fame Fault, even tho* it were in his Power. They fay, may not a Man do with his own Goods what he will \ how much more may God difpofe of Man as he pleafes, who abfblutely belongs to him! and none can ask him, why he faves one and lets another perifli. This, fays fhe , feems a weak Argument even in the Companion ; for it is not true that a Man can. do with his Goods what he pleafes, he ought to ufe them according to Jufticeand Rea- fbn; and if he do otherwife,he will bear his Punifhment be- fore God, who will not fuffer Injuftice, nor us to abufe our Goods without calling us to an Account at the Day of Judgment. How much more will God difpofe of Men juftly, eventho J they belong to him? How much lefs can he commit this Injuftice of damning one and faving ano- ther of thofe who have fallen into the fame Fault, and are equally Guilty? It is true God is Almighty, and can do what Part II. Of Predeftination. 107 what he will, but he can never will to do any thing unjufl:- ly, as this would be, which could not be without refpect of Perfons, and this cannot be in God. To fay that he exprefly predeftinated one part of them to Damnation, is to fay that he had not Co much Righte- oufnefs in himfelf, as that which he requires of Men ; for he fays to them, Love your Enemies, do good to them that hate you. This Counfel would have had no Authority, if he himfelf had reprobated thofe who are become his Enemies. This abfblute Reprobation would not be Good, but the greateft Evil that could be imagined. How could he com- mand Men to do Good to their Enemies, when he him- felf would do fo great and eternal an Evil, for the Fault they had committed againft him, and that while they were yet in a State of Penitence, as they are during this Life, where Reprobation fhall never have place, fince till the very laft Inftant they may find Mercy and Pardon. This Re- probation can only have place after Death, and not during this Life. Becaufe this is the Time of Penitence, in which, if Men were certainly reprobated, they could have no part ; and it would be a very rigorous and unjuft thing to oblige thole to Penitence whom he abfolutely refolves to damn. Men it teems confound the Times when theyfpeak of Pre- deftination,and take the prefent for the time to come. For at the Judgment God will feparaten*vd MafTes,the one ofElecl:, the other of Reprobates, who ftiall then afturedly be dam- ned, becaufe the Time of Penitence will then be paft ; but during this Life there can be no predeftinated Reprobates. If God has reprobated the Wicked to Damnation, he would not give them fo many fecret and inward Warnings to turn them unto him ; as all Sinners may know by expe- rience, that even v/hen by Sin they have turned away from God, they feel how oft he recals them by many Occasions, and by Checks of Confcience. All the Souls who are dam- ned have been often admonifhed by God both inwardly and outwardly 5 as may be feen in the Holy Scriptures. How often did he admonifh Pharoah and other wicked Men ? If it were true that God had reprobated them, he would not have been fincere in giving them Co many Ad- monitions to turn them from their Wickednefs, or at lead they were all vain Admonitions, fince being predeftinated to Evil, it was impoflible for them to do Good. Muft God tempt Men, or render them more guilty than otherwife they would have been of themfelves i God io8 OfPredeftinatio». Part II. God has declared that as he Lives he has no pleafure in the Death &f the fVickedy but that the wicked Man turn from his -way and live \ and that he is not willing that any fhotild Perijh. God then mould not be fincere in his words^ if he had predeftinated ibme Souls to Damnation j which cannot be faid of God who is Truth it felf, always faithful in his Fromifes ; and no fooner is a Sinner converted, but he receives him with Joy, according to the Parable of the Pro- digal ; and therefore it is laid, there is Joy in Heaven at the Convtrfion of a Sinner , more than over Ninety and Nine righteoHs Perfons : All this fhews that God is fo far from predeftinating any Soul to Damnation, that even he him- felf comes to feek and to fave thofe who would damn them- felves, as appears by the Good Shepherd that left his many Sheep to go and feek^the One Sheep that had gone aftray i and brings it bacl^on his Shoulders with Joy, After all this, who can doubt that God has created us all for Salvation, and none for Damnation, which proceeds only from Mens Self-will, and not at all from the Predeftinatron or Pre- tence of God ? This Do&rine of Predeftination to Damnation is, {he fay*) a moll blafphemous and dangerous Doctrine, robs God of the Honour due to him, fhocks all his Attributes of Righteoufnefs, Goodnefs, and Trurh, renders him very unlovely to his Creatures •, ■gives thofe occahon atio think they are reprobated to fpend all their Life in bhfpheming God, for creating them to Damnation for no Faulc of theirs, before they had a Being, and not rather leaving them into nothing, and difcourages them from ail hndeavours of becoming better, (ince of necelTity they mutt be dam- ned however ; and it encourages thofe who think they are predeftinated to Salvation to a Libertine kind of Life, fince they are perfwaded that notwithftandin^ of this they fhall be faved, and God will fome time or other bring them to Repentance. It feems Men have taken up thefe Sentiments that they may attribute to God the Caufe of their Damnation, and not to themfelves, which is a horrible Pride and Blafphe- my ; or to flatter their Wickedneis in excufin ■'., it by Adams Sin , and that they may not fulfill the Penitence that God has enjoyn'd them by him. And being full of Patfions themfelves without Righteoufnefs, Goodnels, and Truth, they would give Authority to their Wickednefs, by making a God Part If. Of Vrefcftinmon. 109 a God to go before them, in the matter of their PafTions. And as they fee thofe who rule over Men do according to their Inclinations, difgrace or favour them, fo they would make God as partial, faying , that he damns fome, and faves others according to his Fleafure \ which will never be, for God is no more fubjeft to Paflions than to Change. Yet neverthelefs Men are ready to colour this Doctrine with Paflages from the Holy Scripture, efpecially fome Ex- pretfions mifunderftood in the Epiftles of St. Paul. The Apoftle Peter when he touches this very Subject, and tells us the realbn of the Long-furTering of God, becaufe he is not wilting that any jhould Perifh, but that all jhould come to Repentance, he adduces St. Pauls Teftimony to confirm the Truth of it, and tells us that he has (aid the fame in his Epiftles, but withal warns us that^ there are fome things in them hard xm be underftood , which the Unliable wreil to their own Deftru6tion, pointing out it feems to this very Subject. The neceflary Duties of Chriftianity are plainly fet down in the Holy Scriptures, and other things cannot be well underftood but by the fame Spirit that endi- ted them ; and the Rule already mention d for interpreting the Holy Scripture may be of great ule, viz.. That we fo interpret it as may coniift with the known Perfections of the Divine Nature, and may lead us to the Love of God, and to a fence of our own Nothingnefs j and if there be multitudes of Places of Holy Scripture that do plainly lead us to this, and fome few that are apt to be wrefted to a Sence contrary to all thefe, we ought certainly to inter- pret them by thofe plain Paflages of the Holy Scripture, which do clearly reprefent the Perfections of God. Thus fheinftanceth in that Expreftion, Jacob have I loved, and Efau have I bated, and makes appear, that to take it in the Sence of an irrefpe&ive and abfolute Predeftination and Reprobation from all Eternity, is inconfiftent with the Nature of God, and the other plain Directions of the Holy Scripture ; which {hew that God has no refpeft of Perfons. She fays, That ail the things of the Old Tefta- ment are Figures of the New, and that Jacob and Efau are the Figure of a Perfon fan&ified, and of him who lives according to corrupt Nature ; of the Soul that loves its God, and the Soul that loves it lelf. This is the Efau and Jacob, which the Scripture underftands by thofe Twins come from One Womb \ for all Men who are born fince the ; no 0/ FnwiU. Partly the Sin of Adam, bring with them into the World the good Spirir of Jacob , and the Evil of Efau : For God gave Adam his good Spirit when he created him , and there- after the Divil by the Confen t of the Will of Adam and Eve produced there his Evil Spirit, fo that thofe two are engendred in the Soul of all Men hefore they come out of the Womb: They reiide in the Womb of the Free-will that God has given us, and there ftruggle before they are in a State to do Good or Evil, as Jacob and Efau did in their Mother's Womb, which of them fhould get out fidt. All Men proceeding from Adam do derive from him all his Qualities by Nature and Grace (as the Seed and Plant mull ftill be of the Nature of the Tree and Stock from whence it comes,) an Inclination to Good being the Inltincl he retain d of the Grace of God, and an Inclination to Evil the Inftinft which he retained from the Corruption of his Corrupt Nature. Sothefetwo Spirits live in Men before they are born, as we fee the natural Inftincl: of Beafts as foon as they are form'd, as a Duckling come out of the Shell can fwim and duck in the Water without being taught by its Mother ; fo this Evil Spirit of Efau gives all Men this natural Inftinft to Evil, which they ftill follow if the Spirit of Jacob do not conftrain them to Good, and hinder them from Evil. Hence comes the War which Man feels throughout all his Life, and according to the Victory fo is his eternal Lot. This Evil Spirit of Efau always gets firft out of the Wombs of our Free-will, which is rather inclined to the things we fee, than to the Good that is invifible ; the Pleafures of our Senfes, rather than the divine and inward Pleafures, which we cannot perceive 6ut at a great Diftance, and through Darknefs. This we cannot hinder till we have attain d the uieof Reafbn, when we ought by all means to labour that the Spirit of Jacob may get the uppermoft in difpite of wicked Efau. Thofe things are true both in the Nature of thefe two Children, and in that of the two Spirits. But Men not undemand- ing the Scriptures, do wreft and explain them to a Sence difhonourable to God, and blafphemous of him. XT. XI. But it may be faid, if there be no fuch Predeftina- O/ Fret- tion, how then comes any Man to be damnd ? How came will. Sin into the World f Can any thing fall out againff, the Will of God, and which he has not decreed to fall out 2 As I live, faith the Lord, I delight not in the Death of a Sin- ner Tart II. Of Free-will. in tier. Let no Attn fay when he is temped, that he is tempted Academ. of Cod. Olfrael/ thy Dejiruttion is of thy f elf . God did^eScav. not decree that Man fhould fin, nor that he would per- Theo!. mit him to fin, but took care by all meansto prevent it ; P- 1 cb.r,*. and has fpard no Mean to recover him from it. But Man has wiltullv deftroyed himfelf. God ere ite • him out ot pure Love to delight himfelf in Light of him, and therefore to make this Love perfect and com- the Wot Id pleat, hr cr- ited him altogether Free and Perfect. He £ art > would no» bound nor limit the Will of Man , whom he^ 01 "* 2 > would need- make after his ownLikenels, to be his Spoufe, 2t ' 22m and not his Have ;>r conftrain d to do his Will, as are all the other Creatui ft. But Man was created altogether Free, as a little God, Sovereign and Ruler over the other Crea- tures, and free to ufe them well or ill, as he would. If he had received on 'y a limited Will, he would have Le Nouv. had no Divine Quality for God to take his Delight with Ciel p.67. him ; for that two Beings may find Contentment together, Renouv. there muft be a Proportion and Sympathy between them, ^e l'Efpr, God cannot take his Delight with any Creature of a boun- Evang- ded Will, he himfelf being an infinite God ; there mull: be avant> in Man fome infinite Quality by which he may unite him- P rop * felf to God, and that is an abfolute Liberty of willing, which n * "' » nothing can conftrain. This was the mod precious thing 2 4> 2 5» 3 l - that God could give to Man, for by it he was made like to God ; for otherwifehe fhould have been a limited Creature in whom God could not take^ Pleafure. Could God take Delight in a thing fo unlike himfelf J Could fo powerful a God unite himfelf to fuch an impotent Creature that had not Free-will to love him > God having no Bounds nor Li- mits, could he take Pleafure in a Creature whofe Will was bounded 2 And could a limited Will attain to the Love of a God without Limits ? This is the only thing that makes Man capable of being united to God. We fee in Nature the Alliance is not true and agreeable, if two Perfons be not united in their Wills in God ; if there be Force, Limi- tation, or Conftraint on either fide, the Contentment can- not be compleat. This is the Figure of the perfectly Free Union that the Soul ought to have with God j and if the Soul were conftrain d or fore'd to this Union, God could not take perfect Delight in it. Where there is Conftraint, there can be no perfect Love ; the Free Confent and Co- operation of two united muft necefiarily concur to make the Love compleat. As ii3 Of Free-nill. PartIL As God gave this Liberty to Man when he created him* fo he will never take it from him ; for his Defigns are un- changable , all his Works are Eternal, and his Gifts are without Repentance. Both Devils and Men mall have their Free-will to all Eternity, elfe they could not do Evil, for God never retraces what he has once given; he will never retake thofe Divine Qualities, the Divine Soul and Eternal Liberty, and cannot bound them, becaufe he can- not be changeable in his Gifts, nor can he take away what he has been pleas'd once to give. If it be eftablifh'd among Men to lay no longer Claim to a thing given, how much more ought we to hoid,that God lays no Claim to the Free- will of Devils and Men, to whom he voluntarily gave it. The Devils and damned Souls will never ufe their Liberty to do well, being fo habituated to Evil and in the Element: of it ; as the Hoi/ Angels and Blefled Saints will never ufe their Liberty to do Evil, it being fwailowed up in God. From hence ir is evident, that God did not predeter- mine Man from all Eternity to Good or Evil by any abfb- lute Decree ; for this is to conftrain that which he would have to be Free, to ranverfe the Order he had (b wifely eftablifh d, and to take from Man the mod precious thing that he gave him. If he had made Man a limited Crea- ture, he would have predeftinated all Men to Salvation, fb that none of them mould have perifhed. For all that God makes abfblurely dependent on him, is always Good with- out any mixture of Evil ; and it can never be that a limited Creature can do Evil, fince God can create nothing that is Evil. God endued Man with fuch an unlimited Free-will, that he would not only not predetermine him, but alio not forefee how he mould difpofe of that Free-will, that he might not thereby limit it, or oblige Man to do what he had forefee n. His Power and Wifdom is as great, (yea far more confpicuous ) in forming him thus Free , and letting him fully enjoy the Liberty that he had given him, than if he had limited him by Fore-fight and Pre- deftination God being Almighty can fave or damn as he pleafes, and no body can withftand him, for all are fubject to him; but he neither does, nor ever will do it, but in the Ways which his powerful Wifdom and the Love,hehas conceived for Man,have refolved upon, whom he would needs create like PartIL Of Free-Will. 113 like unco himfelf by the abfolute Free-will he gave him, and would neither conftrain him to Good, nor hinder him from Evil ; but would have him his by pure Love, with the free Confent of his Will, that he might delight in him, and Man alio might voluntarily delight in the Love of his God. Thus we fee how Sin came into the World, and how Man damns himfelf. God neither willed it nor permitted it, that he might bring Glory to himfelf -> (a molt blafphe- mous Sentiment) but, againft the Will of God, Man abu- fed the molt precious Gift that could be bellowed upon him, his Free-will, and turned away his Love from God, and placed it on himfelf and on the Creature. God does not permit Man to do Evil, but by all Means reft rains him. He permits him only to ufe the Free will he has given him j and, having endued him with an immortal Soul, and anjeternal Liberty, he can no more take away this Liberty without deftroying his Nature and making him ceafe to be Man, than he can make a Circle to be a Square without de- ftroying the Nature of a Circle. God, bv giving Man Free- will to make him capable tf the greateft Good, is no more the Caufe of Man's Sm and Reprobation, than a Curler would be the Caufe of a Lord's murthcring of his Brother, becaufe it was done with a Weapon which he had made for himofwell-temper'd Steel, of a fharp Edge, and for good UferJ. It would be a cruel Malice to accufe the Cutler of the Murther j the Malice is infinitely greater to Uy, that God created us for Damnation, or is the Caufe of ic, be- caufe he has given us Free-will. ' You fee, faith S. Auguftin, how * much Good is wan- * VjAgi * ting to the Body where the Hands are wanting , and € yet he makes ill ufe of his Hands who acts any thing that Carport, cui defunt Manns & tamer. Mambus male utitur, qui eis operator ve I feva vel turpia. Sine Pe dibits ali quern fi affff Ceres \ fa- terers deefje Integritati Corporis plurimum bonum y 0- t onsen eum qui ad nocendfan cuipiam, vel feipfum dehoneftandum Pedibus uteretur y wale uti Pedibus no ft negares, Octilis hanc Luc em videmus i Formafq\ internofcimus Corporum \ Octilis tamen pier iq\ pier aq; agunt turpiter % & eos militare cogunt Libidini: Et vides quantum bonum dejit in facie Ji Oculi defint : Cum autem a if tint, quis loos dedit j mfi honor urn om- nium Largitor Dcus. Quemadwodtm ergo, ijhi prohas in Corpore, & non intuens eos qui male his utuntur , Lvidas ilium qui bacc ckdit bona : Sic liber am volant atem fine qua nemo potcfl rech vivere, op- p&riii & bonum effe & Divinities datum , & f otitis eos damnandos qui I hoc uantum deft ii 4 " Of Tree-Will. Part II. hoc bono male utuntur, quam^ eum qui dederit^ dare non debuiffe fa- tearis. Cum in Cor fore ergo Oculum concedas e(Je aliquod lonum y quo amijjo tamen ad refie vivendum non impeditur, Voluntas libera tibi videtur nullum bonum^ fine qua retle Nemo vivit ? — Non \ enim quicquam tarn firme atque intime fentio quam me habere Voluntatem y eaque me mover i adaliqud fruendam: Quid autem meum die am pror- fus non invenio, fi Voluntas qua volo & nolo non efi mea ? quapropter cui tribuendum efi, Jiquid per UUm Male facio 1 nifi mihi ? Cum enim bonus Deus mefecerit, nee bene aliquid faciam nifi per Voluntatem ad hoc potius datam ejje a bono Deo fat is apparet : Aiotus autem quo hue atque illuc convertitur, nifi ejfet voluntarius, atque in no fir a potius Po- teftate, neque laudandus cum ad Superior a, neque culpandus Homo ejfet cum ad inferior a detorquet quafi quendam cardinem Voluntatis : Neque cmnino monendus ejfe'tj ut ffiis negletlis ' otter na vellet adipifci, atque ut wale nollet vivere, vellet autem bene. Hoc autem monendum non ejfe Hcminem quifquis exifiimat, de Hominum numero exterminandus eft, S.AuguiideLibero arbitr. Lib. 2. c. 18. f Ibid. Lib. 3. c. 1. is bafe or filthy with them. If you fhould fee any with- out Feet, you would confefs there is much wanting to the Perfection of the Body ; yet you would not deny but that he,who fhould ufe them, either to hurt any one, or to his own Difhonour, makes an ill life of his Feet. With our Eyes we fee the Light, and difcern the Forms of Bodies. — ■ Yet many acTt Evil with their Eyes and make them the Inftruments of Luft ; Yet you fee what a Defecl: there is in the Face without the Eyes. Now where thefe are entire, who is the Giver of them but God the Giver of all Good, vyherefore as you approve of thofe in the Body, and without regarding thole that mifufe them, give Praife to God that gave them: So it is neceflary that the Free-wiD, without which no one can order his Life aright, muft be both Good and alfo the Gift of God. And you muft confefs that thofe rather are to be condemned that make ill Ufe of this Good, than that he fhould be Impeached who gave it. Since then in the Body you grant the Eye to be a Good, which yet if it were wanting there would be no Hinderance to our li- ving well j How can thatfeem to you no Good, without which none can live aright ? For there is nothing thai: 1 do fo firmly and intimately feel as that I have a Will, and that by it I am moved to do this or that. And I fee not why I jQiould call it mine, if the Will where- c with Part IT. Of Grace. 115 1 with' I do will and not will, is not mine. Wherefore to 1 whom mult it be attributed^ I commit Evil thereby, but * to my felt* i For fince God hath made me, and I cannot c do any thing well but by the Will \ it doth thence fufh- 1 ciently appear that the VVill was given rather tor this 1 End by the good God. And unlefs that Motion were c voluntary and in our Power, whereby the Will is turned ' hither and thither, Man would be neither worthy of * Praife when he lifteth it up to Things above , nor of 4 Blame when he wrefteth afide as it were a certain cardi- c nal Point of the Will to Things belcw : Neither were * he to be admoniilied, that neglecting thefc temporal, he * fhould feekto gain Eternal Things; and that he fhould c refufe to live ill, and chufe to live Well. Butv/hofoever * thinks that Man is not to be admonifhed to this, ought 1 not to be fuffered among Men. XII. But if Ada n have Free-will, can hedoGocdofhim- ^\\ [elf without the Grace of God; or if he turn away from God, of Grace, can he recover again without God's Grace, or is God partial in his Grace, denying it abfolutely to fome r and beJjtomxg it on others t In all this, thefe are her Sentiments. As to the fir ft , God is the Author of all Good, and Man And. de can never do any Good of himfelf,but by the Grace of God, Sc v The with which God requires that Man by his Free-will fhould olc S P- 1 - cooperate, that he may give him more Grace. r fo con- c - *• ceive how God gives his Grace to Man, and how he muffc co-operate therewith , we need but confider the Order that he has placed in Nature as to the human Body. It is he who forms it independantly from the Creatures ; 10 that Parents cannot add one Hair to the Head of their Infant. Yet he brings no Men into the World but by the Co- opera- tion of two Perfons, who are fo united as that two Bo- dies are made one Flefh ; as Hearts and Wills ought to be one in Chrift Jefus, for the Forming of the Holy Church. God might have created all Men of the Duft of the Earth ashedidy^w, or made them generate as Fifhesj but he wills this Conjugal Cooperation, to maintain his Charity among his Creatures, and produces no Men by any other Way, tho* he be Almighty. Even fo he gives his Grace to Man, that he may love him and work out his Salvation. It is he alone who gives this Grace, and Man contributes nothing to it, nor has ever merited it. Neverthelefs this , Grace liberally given ,will never produce its Efteft, without i 2 n6 Of Grace. Part It. the Coftfent of the Free-will of Man and his Co-operation, tho' he can add nothing to Grace , which comes imme- diately from God, as does alfo the Generation of Men. But the Ordinance of God will ftill (land, and Man ought not to ask the Reafbn of it, or to fay, that the Grace of God ought to operate alone ; or which is worfe, to fay that Man can do Good of himfelf. Thefe are Sayings as raiTi as prefumptuous, whereby Men would give Laws to God, and would have his Grace to operate alone. And to attribute to Man the Power of doing Good, without being prevented by his Grace, is a Pride furpaftlng that of Z»- cifer, who would only equal himfelf to God ; whereas Man who would do Good of himfelf, preferrs himfelf to him, and will not take him for the Co-operator of his Good , but will affume the Power of doing it by himfelf. That we may conceive how all Good comes from God, and that Man can do no good of himfelf, we are to confi- der, that Man being created to enjoy God, and to enjoy all his Works, is made up of many feveral Faculties, Capaci- ties or Vetfels, as it were , fitted for receiving and being filled with their refpe&ive Goods from God and the Crea- tures, and is endued with a Free-will, whereby he may turn thefe Faculties to their refpective Objects, or turn rhem away from them as he pleafes. We may conceive this as to fpiritual things, by confidering the Cafe as to bodily things. Thus his Eyes are formed to receive the Lightand all the Objects which it prefents. The Light furrounds him, he opens his Eyes and receives it ; or he fhuts- them, and keeps it out, and walks in Darknefs ; or he en- cornpaffes himfelf with a thick Wall that he may not behold the Light ; or he does that which makes them blind, and fo his Darknefs comprehends it not.Has he reafon to boaft him- felf becaufe he opens his Eyes and beholds the Light as if he were the Author of it, or had given himfelf the Power to behold it; ortoaccufe the Light, when he fhuts his Eyes againit it , or makes himfelf Blind. The Delight and Good he receives is not from himfelf, but from the Lights nor yet the Power of beholding it ; and the Evil cr Pri- vation of it is purely owing to himfelf. Even fo God's Delight is with the Soul, as the Light is to fhine into the Eyes, if it ruin to him he fills it with Good; if it turn away f&ra him,, k is all Mifery and Darknefs, As lenj. Part II. Of Grace. 117 As to thtfecond^ if Man now by his own Free-will can in his corrupt State do Good and turn to God ; floe fays, There is no Good but what comes from God , and no Good can proceed from corrupt Man , more than pure Wine can come out of a filthy VeiTel full of lincleannefs. The Scripture tells us , a Man takes out of the Treafure of his Heart that which is in it, to wit, from an evil Heart Renouv. evil Things. For the Heart poflefs'd with Self-love, clea- de *' Sa- ving to its Corruption, is filled only with evil Things, from ^ Vm Plct - whence nothing but Sin and Evil can proceed. It is a 13, 22, great Errour to think that Man by his Free-will may fave A 1 himfelf fince he was corrupted by Sin, as well as when he j^eo] was in the State of Innocence. This is a great Self prefum- p , c , | ption, for Men to boaft of a Grace and Vertue, which they have bafely loft by their Wickednels and Sin, which has fill'd them with all Evil, and deprived them of all Good ; feeing Sin, having feparated them from God the Fountain of all Good, has plung'd them into ail fort of Evil, which is the Privation of all Good. And he can of himfelf no £j g i, f f more recover God, than he that walks in grofs Darknefs the World can fee the Light. And, being corrupted in all his Facul- par r j. ties, he can no more Love God, than a blind Man can enjoy Conf. 8. the Light; and being enclined and habituated to Evil, his Free-will of it felf will notdefift nor change from it. So that without the Grace of God , Man can do nothing, but fin, which he does of himfelf; for God does not re- tract the Liberty that he gave him in Creating him, which being now bent to Evil, can freely do Evil againft the Will of God, and without his Concurrence or Permiffion : But he can in no wife do Good without the Grace of God, not only that which he received at his Creation, but alfo Grace concurring effectually in all our Actions. So that it is Grace alone that works in us all our good Works and our Salvation: For Man has nothing of himfelf but the Li- berty to adhere to Good, which he received at his Creation, and which will never be taken from him. Yet this Grace i$ not fufficient to work out his Salvation, if God do not con- tinually give him new Grace: For, having once refifted the firft Grace, he would never more recover it ; having volun- tarily abandoned it; and his Cafe would have been like that of the rebellious Angels whom God juftly abandoned and fufpended his Graces upon the firft Rebellion of their Will, which he might as jultly have done to Man, if the Love I 3 be Ii8 Of Grve. Part II. he bare him had not far furpals'd that to the Angels, which appears by the Graces he has imparted to him fince his Sin ; for inftead of reprobating and condemning him to Hell, he gives him new Grace that he may recover again. Acad, de As to the third \ They do not know the Love that God Theol. has for Man, who fay that their Reprobation proceeds from p.i. c. 1,2, the Want of his Grace ; for it is never wanting on God's Part, even towards the moil Wicked, and if it do not produce its Operations, it is becaufe the Sin and Wicked- nefs of Man refifts it : Even as the Sun by his Nature darts his Rays as brightly on the Dunghill as on a Dia- mond, yet the one receives more Splendour than the other, becaufe of the Difference of the Objects which receive them; the fame Sun makes the Dunghil to ftinkand the Diamond to fparkle, yet he gives no more of himfelf to the one than the other. The Property of God is to give continually new Grace to Man, to the Sinner and to the Juft ; yet if it do not operate on the Wicked, his Sin hinders it; the fame Grace that makes the Juft to Ihine, makes the Wicked more fil- thy, he making life of it to fin the more. It is impoflible for him to perceive this, becaufe of the Opposition which his Sin makes, rendring him infenfible of it, even as a thick Cloud before the Sun will neither let us fee his Light nor feel his Heat. The Sun never ceafes to fhine and give heat in all Seafons ; and God does notceafe always to give his Grace, but our Oppohtion hinders the Operations and Ef- fects of it in our Soul, purely thro' our own Fault; for if we were faithful m little things he would place us over great things. Ke created Adam in a Grace as bright as the Sun at Noon- Day; his Soul beheld and rafted his God. But after that, by his Rebellion he oppofed his Will, this Sin fet it feif againll the Grace of God, as a thick Wall before the Sun, which hindred the Seeing and Feeling irs favourable Influ- ences. God did not ceafe to give his Grace to Adam after this Sin as before ; but the Wall that this Sin had built up between God and him, keeps him from- feeing God any more, or receiving his Grace to operate as before. So long as this Sin is between God and our Soul, its Eyes are blinded, and its Underftanding darkned as to Good, and it knows not whither it goes; and therefore it was faid, Ad,m } where art thoti ? after he had finned : For having loft "• ■ < the Part II. Of Grace. 119 the Light of Grace, no body knows where he is, nor can find the Way to recover it; iho' Grace is not wanting on Gods part, no more than the Sun is wanting in Light, tho' he who has a thick Wall between him and it has no more Benefit than if it did not mine. It is only by the help of a Candle that he can difcern the Objects that are about him ; fo it is only fenfible Lights and Grace, fuch as are to be perceived by the Senfes, that can make him difcern inward Good ; his Heart is fo fix'd to the Earth by his Sin, that he cannot perceive Divine things but by the help of Material ones. And if his Free- will do not choofe the Good which he may know by this Mean, he can never work out his Salvation. — Thus the Sinner has always fome fenfible Grace fufficient to raife him again, as Difpleafure for his Sin, the Difquiet it brings, Remorfe of Confcience, or the Fear of his Damnation 5 which are fo many fenfible Graces that God gives him, whereby to call him back again, making him fee as it were by the help of a Candle, the Miferies that his Sin has brought upon him, with a defire to rife again, and to re- cover the Grace of God. Thofe fenfible Graces are more than fufli:ient ro work out Mans Salvation after a great many Sins, provided his Free-will be effe&ualy refblved to detelf and abandon his Sins with a (Irong Refinance, which breaks down at leaft fome Stones of the Wall that is oppos'd to Grace ; that he may perceive as it were by a chink, ibme fimll Ray of that enlightning and warming Grace loft by Sin, which will give him new force to break down mor'e and more of this Oppofition to 'Grace, if fo be the Soul be faithful and force it felf according as the Light manifefts it felf. It is thus, that the Kingdom of Heaven fuffers Violence ', and that the Violent take it by force ; for if the Will do not Violence to it felf, to forfake its Sins, when Reafon makes it fee the Evil they bring, and it feels Vexation of Spirit, with the fear of Damnation, (all which are fenfible Graces which Sin never deprives him of; no more than of his Free-will to effectuate this Defire of getting out of his miserable State: Unlefs his rebellious Will do yet refill thefe fenfible Graces, and wilfully ftifle thofe Troubles and Fears, be- caufe it loves the Pleafure of its Sin, more than the Love of its God; this will harden the Heart, and fo thicken the I 4 Wal| 1 20 Of Grace. Part II. Wall of Oppofition to Grace, making it at laft uncapable of being faved. It is certain God cannot reprobrate any Man without cearipg to be the Fountain of all Good, and Man cannot fave himfelf. fince he is a Nothing who can do Nothing, His Salvation can never come from himfelf, no more than his Damnation can come from God ; for he created all Men for Salvation, and none of them mail perifh for want of his Grace, who never fails to give to every one what is neceffary for his Salvation. It is true, he fometimes makes particular Elections, as of the Bleffed Virgin Mary fox the Mother of his Hu- manity, St. Paul for his Difciple, and fome others ; but he does not encreafe his Grace to them, but according to their Co-operation with the Firft, with which they drive to refill vicious Inclinations, and to break the Wall of Op- pofition to Grace, that they may receive inward Light in greater Abundance, which comes into their Souls from the Abundance of his Grace, fo that they can no longer refill it ; for their Sins being removed, Grace has its full Ope- ration, dilating it felf into ail the parts of the Soul, and there ft confumes all that is Imperfect , yea, the leaft In- clinations to Evil ; fothat Grace dwells and rules in all the Faculties of the Soul without any Impediment:, and at laft deifies it, by yielding up entirely its Free will unto the full Power and Liberty of its God who gave it. Thefe, are the Souls whom I call the Bleti of God, becaufe they can no more perifh ; and thofe whom I call the EleEb who have chofen to follow God by the help of his Grace, are all others who have chofen to follow Good and to forfake Evil, Thefe laft may perifh, not having entirely relign'd "their Free-will into the hands of God, nor broken down the Wall of Sins which refill his Grace ; but they abide in the Poffeffion of this Free-will, which fometimes enclines them to Good, oft-times to Evil, co-operating fometimes with Grace , and falling alfo ibmetimes into Sin, from whence they arife again by the effort they make to break down that Wall of Sin, which they know to be oppofite to Grace, by the Difquiet it brings into the Soul, by checks of Confcience, and at other times by the Attractions they have to Good, and the fear of Damnation, which are fo many Evidences that they have chofen to follow God by his Grace, for if this Grace were not, they would not feel Remorfe PaxtIL Of Grace Remorfe of Confcience, nor a defire to return to God after their Sin. They are therefore Ele6t, not that they have elected themfelves, for they could not have chofen God before they had a Being ; but God who always was, may have elected them from all Eternity, fince all is ftill pre- sent to him, both what is part, and what is to come i but he has chofen them conditionally, in cafe they co-operate with his Grace, and no otherwife ; leaving their Free-will ftill to aft, without which he forces no Body. But when he has re taken^ the Free-will which thofe firft Elect would yield up to him, then he conftrains them by the force of his Love, and of his Grace ; fo that they can no more forfake him s This is not of themfelves, but by the force of his Love, which he manifefts to them ; binding them to himfelf by an infeparable Bond of mutual Love ; fo that the Soul becomes fo united to him, that it can no more forfake God than he can forfake it without Infidelity, which can never be in God, nor yet the want of his Grace. And if a Soul (in after having received much Grace from God, (as it fometimes falls out) cer- tainly it has not effectually yielded up its Free-will unto its God, but only us'd it felf to co-operate with his Grace; to which if it abide faithful, it affuredly works out its Sal- vation, which it has chofen to do by thefe Graces ; but if it come in the End to refifl them, it may perifli, notwith- Handing of much Grace received : For this Election is not Abfolute, but Conditional. How many great Saints have attain'd to great Perfection , with this Election of obeying God, by the help of his Grace ? Having co-operated with the Talents which they have received and gained by them, God has at Iaft let them over all his Goods ; as he has promis'd in his Gofpel to the Faithful, and from the Unfaithful he caufes to take the Talent to give it to him who will put it to Profit. This falls out daily as to our Souls. He affuredly gives them his neceffary Grace, if they correfpond to it, he encreafes it ; and the more they have, the more they fhall receive ; their being faithful to one meafure of Grace procures al- ways greater, and that infinitely ; for the Bounty of God is great, that he delights continually to give and to en^ creafe his Gifts. But if the Soul refill the firft Graces, it lofes them; and hinders the effect of others which would have followed, had it not been for this Refiftance. t To I2i Of Grace. Part II. To lay the Blame of this Refinance upon God is a great Injury done him ; iince he gives liberally without being obliged to it. If he would with-hold the Grace of co- operating with it , it were better for him to with-hold the firft Grace than to render the fecond Grace of co-ope- rating therewith ufelefs. God does nothing in vain, if he give Grace to be faved, he gives at the fame time Grace to co-operate to this Salvation; and if Man refill this Co- operation, this is only from his own depraved Will ; for no Body can damn us but our felves. It is true, the De- vils may tempt us many ways, but they can never force our Free-will. Wicked Men may advife us to Evil, but we are ftill free not to believe or follow them. Nothing can conftrain the Free-will that God has given us to choofe Good or Evil. We but flatter our felves when we fay or believe it. He flatters himfelf yet more who believes it is for want of the Grace of God, that he does no Good , and works not out his Salvation. He deceives himfelf and be- lieves Falfhoods, which he may eafily difcover if he will ferioufly examine his own Confcience , and remark how oft God has prevented him with his Grace, which he has refitted. How many good Thoughts God has put into his Mind, which he has rejected ? How many fecret inward Motions, which he has neglected ? How many good Books and holy Admonitions which might help him to Salvation, which he has defpiied f How many occafions favourable for his Salvation, which he has us J d for his Damnation ? So many Profperities, to make him acknowledge the Love and Care that God had for him ! So many Adverfities to recai him from his Sin, and to fet him in the way of Sal- vation ! How many diverfe Accidents have fallen out as to Neighbours, which have mov'd him to Contrition, as fud- den Deaths, Slaughters, Plagues, Fire, and other things, which no Man can avoid ! Neverthclefs, all thefe Graces and Drawings have met with no Correfpondence from Man's Will, on the contrary they turning away from the Crea- tor, have turn'd to the Creature to love it more than God. And which is more, they will lay the Blame of all their Damnation upon him for want of his Grace ; a horrible and infupportable Abufe ! That Man is not fatisfied to. abufe the Grace of God, but he will alfo make him guilty o^ his Damnation. *It is an unfpeakable Pride, when we feel PartIL Of Grace. 12 J fe.el that we refill his Grace every Moment, and yet fay , our Damnation comes from the want of this Grace, in- fteadof giving Sentence againil our Bafenefs and Wicked- nefs, which we may fo fenfibly perceive and feel. It were better to finite the Breaft and condemn our felves, than to argue about the Grace of God , fince our own Confcience is an irrefragable Witnefs that Grace has been (till given us, yea even in the midit of our Sins. How many amorous pulls has God given our Hearts to with- draw them from Damnation ? How many new Graces for our correfponding with fome fmall Grace ; always when we have caft an Eye to God, and lifted up our Hands, yea. a Finger, has he not drawn us ftrongly to himfelf and for- given our Sins? What Effort did we ever make to refill: Sin, without feeling immediately his Help and his Grace? Who ever calVd on him without being help d, or fought him without finding him ? No Body can fay it without a Lie, for he always delights to do us Good, Our Prayers are agreeable to him, and our Complaints are pleafant. He wills not the Death of a Sinner, but that he be converted and live. If we do not always feel the Effects of his Mercy, it is be- caufe our Conversion is not (incere, and. we leek fome other thing than God ; and often think we love him, when we love our felves ; And it is no wonder then that we do not find Grace, for we have nothing and can give nothing either to our felves or others ; God, being the only True Good, and all that is not God is nothing. We are often forry that we have finn'd without regarding God, but our felves, confidering the Sins as Evil or difagreeable to Men, and this makes us forry to have committed them ; on the other fide, we look on Vertue as beautiful, pleafant, and honourable ; this makes us defire it, for Good is always Lovely of it felf. But in thefe we do not refpecl: God, to oblige him to give us his Grace. It is rather a Self-love that makes us defire it. Yet our Wickednefs has the Im- pudence to fay that we feek God and do not find him. Is it a wonder if fuch a Soul feels not the Influence of his God, Co long as it voluntarily Delights in the Creatures in Contempt of the Creator. L cannot exprefs the Refentment I have that we would attribute to God the Caufe of our Damnation, or that it is for she want of his Grace 5 fince I have found that Gcd has often j 24 Of Grace, PartIL often prevented and recalled me, even when I would have forfaken him : And if he had not prevented me, I would have thruft my felf into all the ways that lead to Damna- tion, being gone fo far as to fay to his inward Admoniti- ons ; / will never have fie afar e in thinking always upon this* I would have withdrawn from God, and he called upon me again, inwardly to make me remember him ; and fo foon as I returned to him, he received me lovingly, giving me ftronger Grace to withftand all that would divert me from him. All Men will find this, if they would enter into themfelves, that God has ftill prevented them with his Grace, even tho* they have been mod wicked. Why then do Men fay, when they live ill, That they have not the Grace of God, if he never fail to give it ? They ought to fay , It is my Fault , for I have certainly refifted his Grace, in fie ad of obliging him to give me more by my Correfpondence, It is true God gives all ; the Will to do good, and to be faved comes from him, as alfo the Courage and Conftancy to perfevere in it. It is God who does all in us. Sin only is our Work. All Good comes from God, who is pleas'd to give it us. If we think we have Good of our felves, we fail yet into a greater Error than the former } for tho' God mould not give us Grace, he is not obliged to it by us, for he has no need of us : But to fay that we can do Good and work out our Salvation of our felves, is moll: falfe. For how can a Nothing do any thing that's Good J Man in his Nothing was Nothing. If he be fince Some- thing, it is by the Grace of God. He who is all Good, cut of whom there is no Good, v/ill not communicate himfelf to the Soul, but with its Confent he firft fhews it its Good, he gives it the defire to defire it ; thereafter he offers it. If the Soul accepts it, it enjoys him; if it* refufe it, it remains depriv'd of it. For God never gives his Graces by force, nor without the Confent of the Soul; unlels it yield up it felf entirely unto him. God deals with the Soul as an honeft Lover who de- fi^ns t© efpoufe his Miftrefs ; he ferves her, he courts her, he careffes her, and by all means endeavours to gain her Friendfhip. If his Love be agreeable to her, fhe loves him reciprocally, and fully enjoys his Perfon, and ail his Goods. If fhe difdain this Love-, and all his Offices of Good- Will, he withdraws and leaves her 3 tho' with regret, having employed Part II. Of Grace. 125 employed in vain to the utmoft all fort of means to oblige her to love him. He endeavours then to forget her, and to efface her out of his Memory ? not that his Love chan- ges, or that he is unconftant on his part j but becaule there is no Correfpondence or Agreement on the part of his Miftrefs. God loves the Soul as a perfect faithful Lover, he fhews her the excellency of his Love, by Rays of inward Light, which do fometimes warm the Soul with Love to - him. He excites her by good Motions ; he draws her by fomefweet inward Confolation; he gives herDefires to love him ; he prevents her with many Favours, fhewing her that he feeks her and would give himfelf to her by the Vexations that fhe meets with in every other thing that (he would love." But if after a long courfe of fo ma- ny Favours, the Soul comes to reject them, and to difdain the Friendfhip of her God, to wed her felf tofome other thing, whether the Love of her felf or any Creatures ; God then withdraws from her, and leaves her ; not that on his part his Love changes, or can change ; but becaufe the Soul difdains his Friendfhip, to which he would have her to correfpond, that the love he bears to her might be perfect, and that he might fully delight himfelf in her 5 not that he can delight in her for her felf, being a Subject too remote from his Greatnefs , but for the Love he bears himfelf: But (he only receives all the Advantages of thh Love ; for fo foon as fhe gives her full Confent to the Love of her God , fhe enjoys him and all his Graces in fueh Abundance, that if God himfelf did not hold her in Life, fhe would expire with fo many Coniblations iurpa&ng her , natural Strength. What hinders all Men from enjoying this Abyfs of Hap- pinefs? Nothing but Sin alone/ And what is Sin? No- thing but the turning away from God, to turn to the Crea- tures. They give divers Names to it, and yet all are bur one and the fame thing, to wir, a turning away from God to love the Creature. Thus I havefet down at fomeJengtbj in her own Word?, her Sentiments about thefe Matters -, wherein fhe makes appear that all Men were created by God for Eternal Hap- pinefsand to enjoy him, and therefore that God has noc by an Eternal Decree reprobated any Man for Darr na- tion, but is defirous that all fhould be laved. That he gave Man irrevocably a Liberty and Free-will which lie 12*6 OfGrdce. PartlL not limited by predetermining the A6ts of it from all Eter- nity, or by any other manner of way ; becauie he would have him to love him freely, and from a molt willing Choice. That Sin came into the World neither by the Will, nor Decree, nor PermiiTion of God , but by Man's abufe of the Free-will which he had irrevocably given him, the greateft Natural Gift that could be beftow'd upon him. That Man notwithstanding of his Liberty can of himfelf do nothing that is truly Good without the Grace of God, there being nothing Good but what comes from God. That in his Fallen Eftate he cannot of himfelf return a- gain to God, without his preventing and concurring Grace. That he denies his Grace to none, not to the mod Wicked. That Man in his Corrupt State not ^being capable of his mod inward enlightning Grace, he fails not to recal him by fenfible Graces, Providence, Fears of Hell, Remorfe of Confcience, good Defires and Purpoles, &c. That God requires Man's Co-operation with his Grace, to which he enables him, and will thereupon {till give him more Grace. That if he deny this Co-operation with God's Grace he deftroys himfelf , and puts a flop to the Operations of the Divine Grace. That if he entirely and abiblutely yield up his Free-will into the hands of God, to be wholly directed by him, he then takes him into his immediate Direction, enters in that Soul and makes his abode with it, it does not fo much live as Chrift lives in it, it is one of his abfolute Elect and cannot fall away. Sure they who confider thefe things without Prejudice, will fee how futable they are to the Nature of God ; how truly they reprefent his Power, and Righteoufnefs, and Wifdom, and Holinefs, and Love* and Impartiality, and Conftancy, and Sincerity, and Truth, and what a Confiftency there is between his Attributes and his Providence ; how clear it is that Man's Sin and Damnation is owing entirely to himfelf, and all his Good to God ; what reafon we have to be deeply humbled, to diftruft and deny ourfelves, and what great encourage^ inent to Prayer, to turn t© God with all our Heart, and entirely to depend upon him. They will fee how clearly the Difficulties about Providence are refolv'd, which are fo unaccountable by the other Syftems. They who defire a full view of all this, and an Anfwer to the Objections made againft ir, will find it done with great Evidence and Clear- ness in M. Poirets Oeconomy Divine ^ particularly Tom, 7. Dc la Providence Vmverfeile, XIII. A no- Part II. Of the Divine Prefcience. i zj XIII. Another Prejudice againft the Sentiments of A. B. XIU. is that concerning the Divine Prefcience, to wit, that God of the D«- w ould not and did not abfolutely and determinately fore- *j«w Prt- ice the Sin and Fall of Adam j and this fome aggravate as •£"*"• a horrible Blafphemy againft the Omnifciency of God, that he did not know or forefee from all Eternity in a moft determinate manner all things that fliall come to pals in the World. Would Men confider things calmly and with- out Paflion, they would not be fo rafh in cenfuring others, and the often Experiences they may have of the weaknefs of their own Underftandings, and how often, and how greatly they are miftaken thcmfelves, may make them lets pofitive and dogmatical than they are. A. B. fajs, l That L 1 Etofle ' God having created Man after his own likeneis, he there- d " Matia * fore made him altogether free, without any Exception P* x $7 * or Conftraint. That he might be Iovd by Man moft 1 freely and willingly, and that fo God might take his 1 Delight in fo free and voluntary a Love from Man. He c therefore would not only not predetermine him in his c Actions, but would not limit his Free-will fo far as to 4 forefee how he mould difpofe of the fame. Not but that * by his Almighty Power he could have forefeen and known * all ; but he would not fo far limit the Liberty he had * given, as that it fhould be neceflitated by any fuch fore- c fight. Even, fays fhe, as if a Man, becaufe he loves his c Wife and finds her Wife, would give her anabfolute Pef- * million to difpofe of his Goods without his being deti- c rous to know how (he fhould do it. Now as this is a Principle that does not in the leaft infringe any of the Divine Attributes, fo it clears the Riddles of Providence, and fhews how fo great a part of the Creation has dege- nerated, and Sin and Wickednefs overfpread the World, and that without any manner of Concurrence on God's parr, not the leaft Blemiih on his unfpotted Righteoufnefs, Goodnels, Holinefs, and Purity. Whereas in all the other Syftems it is acknowledged by all unbyafs'd Perfons, that there are infuperable Difficulties how to reconcile the Righteoufnels and Goodnefs of God, his Hatred of Sin, his Sincerity and Truth, with the Events and Myfteries of Providence; and whatever Difficulties are brought againft Godsabfolute Predetermination to all Mens Aclions how wicked and hainous foever,.have no lefs force againft his determinate Prefcience of them. The Two greareft Ob- jeclions i 2 8> Of the Divine Prefcience. Part fit. jections againft this Sentiment of A. B. are, that, i. It encroaches on God's Omnifcienc?. 2. That it is incon- fiftent with Prophecies and Predictions of future Events, To clear the Firft, It is to be considered that God is infi- nitely Self-fufficient, and (lands not in need of any other Being in the Worlds nor the Idea of any other Being to make him infinitely Perfect. So that all Beings befides himfelf and all their Idea's are the refult of his Arbitrary Will and Pleafure, and are therefore form'd of fuch Na- tures and Perfections, as he in his infinite Wiflo'm and Goodnefs, was freely pleased to grant. It was free then to God to form the Idea's of other Beings or not, to create them or not, to give them Liberty or not, to determine, to forefee all their Acts or not, all this was indifferent to God, who is Self-fufficient and ftands not in need of any thing befides himfelf. God having created Man perfectly free in his Light and Love, did forefee in the general all the poffible ways, how he might determine the Liberty of his Acts ; but would not determine them nor forefee them determined, and far lefs determine or determinately forefee that Man would turn away from God, and that by fuch Ways and Actions, all determined and foremen. Now it cannot be faid that God could not form a Man with fuchf a Liberty. This would be indeed to deny his Omnipo- tency, there is no Contradiction in the Nature of the thing, and therefore it Was not impollible to God. Now fuppofe that God determined fo to do, and actually did form Man in this Nature, then his not roreieeing determi- nately how he would difpofe of this Liberty is not a denial of the Omnifcience of God. Such a forefight is not an Obje£t of Knowledge. Our Concerns have no more relation to his abfolute Perfections in himfelf, than the dim Light cf z Candle has to the Sun. His Knowledge of us , as well as his forming us, is but the effe6t of his Arbitrary Will. Befides, if it be faid that God cannot make a Contradicti- on to be true; Will we therefore affirm that fuch deny his Omnipotence ? Not at all, for this is not the Object of it ; even fo , to fay that the indeterminate A6iions of free Agents are not determinately forefeen, is not to deny Om- nifcience, becaufe this is not the Object of it ; yea, to affirm the contrary is to afcribe to God a Knowledge that is not conformable to the Nature of things \ for to know £ thing determinatelyjthat is 5 in its owrt '-Nafsre indeterminate Part II. Of the Divine Vrefcknce. 1 39 ever till the free Agent determine himfelf, is to know it contrary to its Nature, and not as it is in its fclf. The Divine Decrees being the pure effect of his Good Pleafure, without any neceffity in himfelf, it was free for God, either to decree from all Eternity, all that he fhould bring to pafs in all Events, and all Circumftances in all Ages of the World. ^ Or other wife having efbblifhed . his general Purpofes in creating of the World, to deter- mine himfelf as to particular Events and Circumftances in effectuating and bringing about the fame according to Occurrences in the Correfponding of free Agents through- out the feries of Ages. The former looks like the erta- blifhing a Fate, to which not only all the Creatures but God himfelf is fubje&ed, and by which he has bound up his own Hands to all Eternity. And it lays an eternal Re- ftraint both upon his Liberty and Power. If the other be: granted, which is moffc futable to the Nature of an Infi- nitely Free, Wife, Good, and Powerful Being, and is the greateft encouragement to Prayer, and a continual Depen- dance upon God, then all the reft of the Firft Objection falls to the Ground. The Learned Dr. Henry More, declares for this Senti- Divine rnent upon the very fame Reafons. He fhews that as no Dialogue Body thinks the Omnipotency of God maimed, becaufe Parc i- he cannot do thofe things that imply a Contradiction .• So P- 2o > if the certain Prefcience of uncertain things imply a Con- 8l > &** tradi&ion, it may be ftruck out of the Omnifcience of God, and yet God will neverthelefs be as Omnifcient as he is Omnipotent. That this is no Impediment to his ordering the Affairs of the World, for that eternal Mind that knows ail things poffible to be known, comprehends all things, and fo has laid fuch Trains of Caufes as fhall mod certain^ ly meet every one in due time in Judgment and Righteoufc riefs, let him take what way he will. That the Perfecti- on of Knowledge is to know things as they are in their Nature, and therefore to know a free Agent which is un- determinate to either part, to be fo undeterminate, and that he may choofe which part he will, is the moft per feci: Knowledge of fuch an Agent and of his A&icn, till he bs perfeftly determinate and has made his Choree. And there- fore to know him determined, before he be determined, Or while he is free, is an Imperfection of Knowledge, oc rather no Knowledge at all, but a Miftake and Error •• And: 130 Of the Divine Prefcieme. Part II- ifideed is a Contradiction to the Nature of God, who can . under (land nothing but according to the diftinct Idea's of things in his own Mind. • And the Idea of a free Agent is undeterminatenefs to one part before he has made his Choice. Whence to forefee that a free Agent will pitch upon fuch a part in his Choice, with Knowledge certain and infallible, is to forefee a thing as certain even then when it is uncertain j which is a plain Contradiction or grofs Miflake. And as to the Second Objection, that this is inconiiftenc with Proprieties and Predictions of future Events, he fhews, That there is ftill room enough for Millions of certain Predictions, if God thought fit to communicate them fo throughly to the World. For tho' the Souls of Men are free, yet there are infinite numbers of Actions, wherein they are certainly determined ; Such are the Actions of all thofe, that are deeply lapfed into Corruption, and of thofe few that are grown up to a more heroical State of Good- nefs. It is certainly foreknowable what they will do in fuch and fuch Circumftances. Not to add, fays he, That the Divine Decrees, when they find not Men fitting Tools, make them fo where Prophecies are peremptory, or un- conditionate. This he tells, lie propofes by way of EfTay, rather than that of Dogmatizing ; and when fo worthy and pious a Member of the Church of England, fo rational a Defender of the Faith of jefus Chrift, againft the Socini- ans and Deifts, thought fit to offer this as an Effay for the clearing of thofe Myfteries, it may teach others to be more Sober in their Characters and Cenfures. But this matter of the Divine Prefcience, and of the certainty of Divine Predictions and Prophecies is at large and mod diftinctly treated of in M. Point's Oeconomie de U Providence, Chap. 10. upon more Juft and Divine Prin- ciples than thofe which make the Introduction of Sin and Wickednefs into the World , neceflary for the Glory of God, for accomplifhing his great Defigns on Mankind, and for the Manifeftation of his W ifdom, Mercy, Juftice, and ©ther Glorious Attributes ; a molt curfed and blafphemous Principle. The former are moll Juft Reprefentations of the Truth, and Righteoufnefs, and Goodnefs of God ; the latter moil contrary to aii of them : A diftinct Account of the former Principles is to be had beft from the Book it felf, Tart IT. Of the Vcffibility, &c.' i ? i felf, and I am perfwaded a fincere and impartial Enquirer into Truth will thank me for the Advertifement. XIV. Another Errour in her Doftrine, they fay, is that XIV. {he affirms, That it is poflible to keep the Commandments of the Pof of God, and to imitate J efus Chrift, and to attain to a fibility of State of Perfe&ion. One would think this fhould not kte P^g **>' be reckoned a Herefie amongft Chriftians, who profefs to C ^ m f n ! J°*V are not grievous ; for yphatfoever is born of God over- \j? % \ * cometh the World, (d ) Whofoever Is born of God doth W fr not commit Sin, for his Seed remaineth in him, die- i It * 1 is an impious thing to fay the Commands of the Spirit 1 are impoffible , Bafel. in verba Mof Attende tibi, &c. 1 We deteft, (fays S. Auguftin * ) the Blafphemy: of thofe * Sernr, 4 who fay that there is any thing impolTible commanded by 2 9 f • d& * God to Man,and that the Commands of God may not be temp. * obferved by every Man. This D06I rine has no dangerous Confequence, provided, 1. it be not founded on a Pre- emption of Man's Strength, but only in the Power and Strength of the Holy Spirit. 2. That they who h?.ve not attained to Perfection, yet are not excluded from Salvation, if they be in the Way to Perfection and tending to it. K 4 3. Thy %l6 Of the Pfffiilitj, &c. Part XL $. r That it be not faid that in that State there is not a Pojlibility of Sinning, yea, and of peddling. 4. That it be acknowledged that this is not a Perfection of Degrees, *Luk.r. free of all Imperfection, Yea, the Scripture tells us * of 5,6. fome that walked in all the Commandments of the Lord, blamelefs. But that the contrary Doctrine has mifchievous and mod damnable Confequences, has been madeappear. M. Poiret Were i c not better, fays one, how imperfect fo ever we Oeccno- are, yet to hearken to thofe rjncere and generous Souls, mie df- that we may be animated by Hope, and ftrengthened in vine. God, to become what we are not yet ; than to give ear Tom. 6. to cowardly Seducers, who as the guilty Spies in Afofes's V 467, Time make the Peoples Hearts to melt, anddifpofe them 468,4.69, j^ t j ie j r diabolical Lyes and Calumnies to rebel againft If'' God, and to return into Egypt? It is true, fay they, the Land is a good Land, flowing with Milk and Honey, but the Cities are great and ftrong, and there are mighty Giants there, and a ftrong People, we cannot overcome them, for they are ftronger than we. It is true, fay they, at prefent, the State of Regeneration and of perfect Chriftianity is an excellent thing, full of Divine Joy and Delight ; but it is of hard Accefs ; there are high Walls of Difficulties; Sin and the Devil are ftrongly fortified in the Hearts of Men ; there are ftrongPaflions and a profound Corruption there; we can never overcome this which is ftronger than we, who being fo frail,cannot exa£Hy do that whichGod has commanded us for that End. Thele are the execrable Tongues,and the living Interpreters of the Will of Satan, whom they will curfe tp all Eternity, who have been fo unhappy as to hearken to them, and to live in Sloth, and be feduced by their Means. Let us go up, let us go up, faid Caleb and Jofhua y wifely, let us go up boldly and pofitefs this Land, certainly we fhall be ftronger ; if we ftrive to pleafe the Lord, he will bring us into it, and will give it to us. Let us not rebel againft the Lord ; let us hot fear thofe Enemies, we fhall confume them as Bread ; God will not defend them, and he is with us ; therefore let us not fear them. Thus we ought to animate all well-difpofed Perfons and let them fee that the Ways and the End of Chriftianity are very poftible with the Grace of God. — If this Method had been taken, the Doctrine of Chriftian Perfection and its Pra- ctice would not have been fo ftrange and forare a thing. Part II. Of Impeccability. 137 XV. I fhall here mention another Accufation, as having XV. Relation to this, from which fhe clearly vindicates herfelf- Ofimpec- and that is, That they faid fhe believed herfelf impeccable, *»bility t and that her Friends did fo \ at haft , that jhe never mt t0 h actually finned, no, not in Thought ; and that jhe derived no *i tatn fi l * Guilt and Corruption from Adam. She vindicates herfelf * " Li J e - from this Accufation in a Letter to Serrarius, l In the Tomb, de eighth Place, you accufe me, fays fhe, very falfcly, in f. Th. faying that I fay, or that 1 believe I am impeccable, and part 2. cannot fall any more ; for in Effect I have no other Fear p. 1 1 y, but that of not abiding faithful to my God ; and I can- 1 16, &e. not endure thofe who fay or believe that there is a State of Perfection in this World in which Perfons are impec- cable. I look on this as a great Errour and Self-pre- fumption. Is it potfible that I mould hold my felf what I blame fo much in others ? I fay God ought to be ferved with Fear and Trembling ; and I never demand of others what I do not firft my ielf ; If I fay that God ought to be ferved with Fear, 1 frill do it firft j and I am fure if God did withdraw his Grace from me, I mould fall prefently. 4 You have been prefent feveral times when I related to many how I fell, after that I had been from my Youth prevented by the Grace of God ; yet being grown up, I let my felf be carried away to follow the Vanities of the World, and refitted the Infpiration of God, which drew me to the contrary; and becaufeof this RefiilanceJ defer- ved that God mould withdraw from me, and I began to pleafe my felf in the Pleafures and Divertifements of the World, and the Praifes of Men , fo that this Fall was the Caufethat I gave my felf to great Mortifications of Body, to Watchings, Tears and Prayers, for the Space of about 7 Years. This Story was told many times to your Di- fciples and in your Pretence. Now if I relate fo freely how I fell fo bafely from fo exalted a State of Grace in which God had put me, how could I fay or believe that I could not hll any more, or think my felf impeccable I fince what a Perfon has done once, they may do many times. The State of Integrity, in which I was before my Fall, might raiher have rendred me impeccable, than that in which I live after it. c I do not believe that ever any Creature on Earth can be impeccable during -this miferable Life, where there c art 1 58 Of Impeccability. Part II. are fo many Stones of Stumbling, a S. /V/«* the Apoftle, a David according to God's own Heart, a Solomon filled with the Holy Spirit, with fo many others, have com- mitted grofs Faults and great Faults , after having re- ceived great Grace from God : Should I be fo Ignorant as to believe that I could not fall any more or tail of the Grace of God ? I may do it affuredly every Moment, if I mould withdraw my Converfation with God, to con- vert with mySenfes; for God forces no Body, having given to all Men Free-will, with which they mail acl: fo all Eternity ; and as long as this Will abides ftVd in God, it is impoilible that the Perfon fall \ but if this Will withdraw it felf from a Dependance on its God, it falls eafily, even tho' it had been exalted as high as a Sera- phim. For this Caufe I faid, I have no other Fear in the World, but that of not abiding faithful to God ; becaufe I know that fo long as I fhall be united to him I cannot fall; but if I withdraw my (elf from him I fhall fall at the firft Step,- as an Infant that cannot walk. And yet you dare fay, that I call my felf im- peccable, and wten I ask where I have faid or written fuch things? You teD you draw it from my Writings by Confequences, But I would gladly ask you if in cafe I had drawn by Confequences out of your Letters or Words,that you are a wicked Man, would it be lawful for me to go and publim it from Town to Town, as you do the ill and abufive Confequences that you fay you draw from my Writings, without letting me know where, how, in what Place, and by what Words I may have given Matter for drawing of fuch Confequences, directly contrary to the true Sentiments that I profefs. c I know not with what Confcience you can do this, and fay that it is for Good, that you may warn Perfons that I believe my felf impeccable, and that I exalt my felf and fo forth ; but tho J indeed there were in me any fuch thing, it would neither be good nor neceffary to advertife fo many Perfons of it. For Firft my Imperfections can- not defile them, it is I that mud: account for them to God, and my Words cannot wound them, becaufe all thofe whom you fent to me are Perfons who have their Five Senfes, and a good enough Judgment to difcern if what I fay be Good or Evil, and to take only that that may ferve them for Good, letting ths reft alone, fo that it is * no(j Part II. Of the Infer mr Will of J efts Chrift, &c. 139 4 not neceffary for you to go tell them the Faults which 1 your Fancy has imagin'd. Your procedure is very con^ 1 trary to that of Jefus Chrift, who faid to the People, * fpeaking of the Pharifees, Hypocrites, do what they bid 1 you, but do not as they do. You will grant I fay very good * things, as the Truth is, but you would annihilate that * Good, by the Evil, that you untruly fay is mine. The ' Evil that was in thefe Pharifees was not powerful enough J to difcredit the Good that was in their Words ; but you 1 make my imaginary Sins mount to lb high a degree, that 1 they are capable of difcrediting all the Good, even that * which you confefs to be there. If you were Juit, you c would make a right Judgment of what yon ought to do c and leave 5 and if you had Goodnefs, you would procure 1 to all thofe Perfons the Good that they might receive by c the Light which God gives me, and if you had Truth, * you would not perfwade them to believe a Lie in this, I that I fay I am impeccable. Thus, as on the one hand fhe evidently fhews the Duty and Poflibility of obeying the Commands of God, and of tending to Perfection by his Grace only, fo fhe as plain- ly fhews her Abhorrence of the Prefumption of being im- peccable in whatfoever ftate in this World. XVI. Another Sentiment which gave no fmall Offence XVI. was, that fhe fays, When Jefus Chrift took on him our °f the ^ Mortality, his inferiour Will or Self-will was Evil, fo that/« r/w J* ra he behovd never to follow, but always to refill it. This 9 f ^ ut they cry out on as a Blafphemy and a great Difhonour ffVj !*' done to Jefus Chrift ; but whofoever reads without Preju- VV j.J dice the Sixth Letter of the Second Part of Solid Vert ue//jP e and the Acceffory Letter in the end of that Part, will fee how rafhly they condemn her. There fhe fays y i That Jefus Solid Ver- Chrift was united always to his Heavenly Father in his tue. Superiour part, is moft true. I have written that he ne- Part -2. ver contracted Sin, tho' he contracted all the Maledi&i- Lett - <>• ons of Sin, after he cloathed himfelf with our Mortality. Accel. But he refolving to become a Mortal Man, fubje&ed him- Lett# felf to all the Miferies both of Body and Mind, which Sin had brought into humane Nature, and according to this, he felt in his natural Will a Rebellion to the Will of God in Sentiment, but never in Confent, and refilled this Rebellion, which he felt in his Corruption; for he fays, / came not to do my own Will, but the Will of him that fent m. Now if his own natural Will had teea ib infepara- : M* 04 1 Of the Infer lour Will Sf Jefus Chrijl Part IK i bly united to the Will of his Father, to what purpofe would he have diftinguiftYd thefe two Wills, fince they were but one. For he gives us fufficiently to underhand thereby, that his own Will was Evil, fince he would not follow it ; but that of his Father which alone he knew to be Good ; for there is nothing Good bur God, and Jefus Chrift himfelf had nothing Good in him but what God did operate there ; fo that as he was Uod, he was moft Good, mod Wife, and mod Powerful ; but as Man, he was every way frail as all other Men, fince he volun- tarily cloathed himfelf with their Miferies in the Womb of the Virgin, and became then truly Man of the cor- rupt Race of Adam : And in this corrupt mafs he felt a Rebellion of his Will againft the Will of God, which ail Men feel in themfeives. And therefore he behov'd to refill his own Will, and contradict, it wich fo much Vehe- mence , that he fweat Blood in the Garden, where he fays alio to fhew his wreftings, my Soul is heavy even unto Death ; and to his Father, Not my Will, but thine be done, after his own Will had pray'd, If it be pojfible , let this Cup pafs from me ; and even being on the Crols, he fays, My God, my God , why hafl thou forfaken me 2 — Could he fay in Truth that he was forfaken by his Fa^ ther, if he had not found in his Inferiour part the fepara- tion of his Will from that of God \ he could not believe nor fay that he was forfaken of his eternal Father, fince his Superiour part was never divided from him one Mo- ment : For if it had been never fo little feparated, he had certainly fallen into Sin as other Men ; whereas it may be (aid to the Praife of Jefus Chrift, exclufively of all other, that he never finn'd, and that his Soul remain'd ftill pure and immaculate in the Frailty and Rebellion vyith which he charg'd himfelf, for the Love he bare to us, doing as a moft faithful Brother, who throws him- felf into a Sink of Uncleannefs to draw out his Brother, whom he fees perifhing without Succour and Help. For Jefus Chrift according to his humane Nature is truly our Brother, come of Adam our common Father, and he faw in the Bofom of his Father, that we were all loft in the Sink of our Self-will. Therefore he would needs throw himfelf into it, to draw us out and fave us from thofe Dangers. Would you think it a dishonour if your Brother mould voluntarily throw himfelf into a Sink to get you out of it, when without his Help we could not c Recover, Part II- inclined to pleafs it felf. 141 * Recover, but mud perifli for ever; would you not ra- 1 ther oe obliged to honour fuch a Benefactor, and toefteem 1 as Jewels the Filth that he had contracted to deliver you * from Death ? How can you think that this is to difhon- c our Jefus Chrift t All thd(e things are fo clear that it * is a wonder how Men find Difficulty in them ; but they * judge of God and his Works as they would of their c Equals, and would attribute Honour to Chrift by the * Contempt they have for his Perfon : Seeing he would 1 not be fo valuable in his humane Nature, if he had not c therein a Will rebellious to the Superiour part of his * Soul ; for in that cafe he would have had nothing to fight * again ft, and confequently could not carry the Victory, 1 which belongs only to victorious Combatants, and not to c thofe who are in Quiet, and without Enemies. And if * Jefus Chrift had not charged himfelf with our corrupt € Will, he could not endure andfuffer, for in this cafe all 1 his Sufferings would have been infenfible, by the infepa- 1 table Union with God, who is ImpalTible as well as 1 Immortal. And of neceffity this Divinity of Jefus c Chrift behov'd to be in fome way feparated from his 1 Humanity , for to work our Redemption : For abi- c ding in this perfect Union with the Divinity, he could * not fatisfie for Man, fince Man himfelf owes this Satis- * faction to the Divinity^ feeing he alone had done Evil ' againft the Will of God, he alfb ought to repair it, but ' God ought not to fatisfie himfelf for guilty Man, fince * being Independent on all things, he has no need of Men 1 nor of their Satisfaction ; but Jefus Chrift as Man, being ' the true natural Brother of Men, would needs for the * Love he bare them, charge himfelf with the Miferies and ' Sins into which they had wilfully plung'd themfelves. * And I think, Sir, you will find in the Scripture that Jefns * Chrift was even made Sin for Men. c Not that ic is to be underftood that Jefus Chrift ever * finn d, or actually followed the rebellious Will of his hu- * mane Nature. But the Inferiour and Mortal part gave c him Combats and Affaults which Jefus Chrift behov'd to * refill:. — Jefus Chrift alfo could not in Juftice fay to Men as 1 he does, Be ye Followers of me, if it had not been f b ; fince c their rebellious Wills could not attain to the Perfection 1 of a Will altogether holy and united with that of God. [ And if God required of Men the Imitation of Jefus ' -■ ~ i Chrift, 142 Of the Inferior Willof Jefus Chrift^ &C. Part II. c Chrift, in cafe he had not had Rebellion in his humane * Nature, he fhould have required of them impoflible * things, as fome erroneous Peribns would maintain, fay- 1 ing and preaching that it is impoflible to keep the Com- J mandments of God, or the Law of the Gofpel, and tho* 1 thefe are Blafphemies againft God, many believe them, * becaufe this Doctrine flatters their Corruption, and lets c them live quietly in their Sins and Negligence, on this ' falfe Suppofition, that they cannot keep the Commands c of God, nor imitate Jefus Chrift. ' The Willof Jefus Chrift himfelf, hisApoftles* and all c Perfons living in the World, even tho' they were rege- 1 nerated in the Spirit of Jefus Chrift, have ail of them * their natural Evil- wills, and all their Vertues and Per- * fe&ions confift in refilling them manfully, which they c muft do even till Death j for tho 3 they have overcome * their own Wills by force of Refiftance, yet it is but a- 1 deep or mortified , and may be awakened or revive 1 by diverfe Accidents. Therefore a regenerate Perfbn 1 himfelf has ftill his Self-will to fight againft even to * Death : Wherefore the Apoftle fays Our Life is a conti- 1 nual Warfare , and Jefus Chrift makes appear fufficiently c that he had his Self-will to refift even to Death, when to- * wards the end of Life he yet prays, Not my Will, but thy 1 Will, Father, be done. * But if you cannot underftand thefe things, fays (he, * leave them for tho(e who fhall underftand them ; take * only of my Writings what is good and profitable for * your Soul, and fufpend your Judgment as to the reft, till * God give you Light ; for there are many things in them * which it is not neceffary for the Salvation of many to un- ' derftand. — And it is far better to know well how to i love God , than how to fpeak well of Vertue; the reajon- Thus it appears with what Force and Evidence fhe ad- abknefs c/vances this Sentiment, and yet how far fhe is from requi- b»r Senti- ring a Belief of it from all as of neceflity to Salvation, how went in clearly (he (hews, that it is fo far from difhonouring Jefus this. Chrift, or being contrary to his Purity, (in that State of Trial and Temptations to which he voluntarily fubje6ted himfelf ) that on the contrary it manifefts the greatnefs and conftancy of his Love to God, the ardency of his Cha- rity for Men, the firmnefs of his Adherence to God amidft all Temptations , the value of his Merits and Satisfacti- on Part If. Of the State of Infant s\ 143 on for us, and the encouragement he has given us by his Example to refill all Temptations, and to follow his Steps, and to depend on him for Succour and Compallion, fince we have not a High-Priell who cannot be touched with the Heb.4.1 j, feeling of our Infirmities, but was in all Points tempted like as we are, yet without Sin. In this PafTage, we fee alfo how exprefly fhe aflerts our Redemption by Jefus Chrifl;, and his Satisfaction for our Sins. They who defirr this Matter handled at more length, may find it in Occon* Div. Part 5. p. 21, to 60. and in the Acceflbry Letter above- mentioned. I fhall here only add, that we ought not to (tumble at harfh Expreflions when we know the main intent of them, as St. Paul lays, Chrifl: rvas made a Curfc And Sin, which feems mod harfh. There is an ambiguity in the; Words, Evil, Corrupted, and Corruption, which may either fignifie Sin it felf, or the Effects and Confequences of it. So the Will fignifies fometimes the Superiour Facul- ties of the Soul ; fometimes the Bent and Inclination of fenfible Nature to pleafe it felf, and in this lafl Sence one may have a Self-will evil and corrupted, yet without fin- ning when he refills it. So the Summ of her Sentiment is, that Jefus Chrifl: took on him, not the act of Evil, or Sin, but the Impulsions, the Inclinations , the Temptati- ons, weaknefles of the Inferiour Will, of fenfible Nature, not to confent to it in any thing, but to refill it, and to make all thefe die in himfelf by the Power of his Spirit, and his Eternal Light, and by means moil contrary to the Inclinations of fenfible Nature, that he might the more help and encourage his Brethren to the fame Fight and Victory. XVII. To fome, her Sentiments concerning the State of XVIT. Children before they have attained the ufe of their Reafon, of the is no fmall Humbling ; to wit, That the Will of Children is State ef bound up in the Will of the Parents, till they have attained Infants the ufe of their Reafon, and can ufe their own Free-will „ themfelves, then they are free to choofe Good or Evil, and V fc . c ? . to be fav'd, or damn themfelves, according to this Choice. u ' * tm * c But before they come to the u(e of Reafon, this Choice ^ c Jj^ ' is in the Power of their Parents, who may fave or damn c them, even as they can give them natural Life or Death ; c becaufe of the (Iricrfc Union and Sympathy between the 4 Body of the Mother and of the Child in the Womb. If \ fhe takes in Poyfon,the Child dies \ if Phyfick,it is healed ; ' for 144 Of the State of Infants. Part IL 1 for thefe two Bodies are but one and the fame Subftance * divided into two parts. This is true alfo as to the Soul^ € £o that if a Mother give the Child in her W omb to the 4 Devil, it is his, till being come to the ufe of Reafon, it * refifts the Devil, renouncing him with its Free-will, and 1 abjuring its evil Inclinations to become the Child of God. * And if Fathersor Mothers were true Chriftians, or c Perfbns regenerated in the Spirit of Jefus Chrift, uhdoub- * tedly they would produce alio Chriftian Children in this * Regeneration, and till they had attain d the ufe of their, * Reafon, they would always be God's, by the Free-will of ' their Parents j but if they become Wicked of their own 1 Wills after this, they are free to do it, and their Parents ' cannot hinder them. ' I know many doubt of a Child dying in Infancy can ' be damn'd, but it is for want of Divine Light that they * do not comprehend the Works of God, with whom it is * as Juft to damn the Child oi' a wicked one, as it is to * fave the Child of a juft Man ; for he has united infepa- * rably the Will of the Father to that of the Child, as he * has united the Body of the Child with that of the Mo- c ther. — And if they will condemn this for an Injuftice, € they may as well hold it an Injuftice that all Men are fal- * len in Adam, which would be a Blafphemy againft God. i - — He created at the Beginning all Men in Adam, as he 4 did all the Trees of one kind in the firft Tree of that e kind, &c. and all things with Seeds for to produce each * one their like ; which will never change, for the Works c of God are Eternal, being created by an Eternal God ; •■ and Man not being capable of uftng this Free-will in his 1 Childhood, of neceflity it muft fubfift fomewhere to be * preferv'd, till it may reftde in the Perfon for whom it 1 was created : As we fee, the Free-will of all Men was in € the Free-will of Adam, fince all are Partakers of his Sin * and Miferies that he brought upon Man ; for it is mod 6 certain, that God could not have given to Man an incli- * nation to Evil, which he feels from his Birth, nor the * Miferies of Body and Mind in which he finds himfelf 6 For God being all Good, cannot do any Evil ; and we ' muft of necefltty conclude that the Free-wills of Men * were in the Free-will of Adam when he finn'd. And * fince all Chriftians believe that all Men fmrid in Adam, * why ought they not by the fame Confluence to believe, J tips • Part II. Of the State of Infants. 145 that Children fin in their Parents, or are damn'd in them. ' The Catholicks believe that all Children are fav'd, pro- 1 vided they be baptized, and that thole Children Hull be 1 damn'd who fhall die without Baptifm, but chat (hey * fhall not endute the Pains of Hell, as thole who fin with 1 their Free-will. It is true as In Paradife there are diverfe * Degrees of Glory, fignified by thofe Words of Scripture, ' which fay, In Gods Houfe there are many M-wfims, there c are alfo diverfe Punifhments in Hell ; but it is not true 1 that all Children dying without outward Baptifm fhall c be damn'd : For this is but a Teftimony of the Faith c which the faithful Chriftian has in his Soul, which he c declares to all Men by the means of the Water of ouc- c ward Baptifm ; but if this living Faith is not in the 1 Man's Soul, this outward Baptifm will ferve him for no- c thing. This is theReafon why Anabaptifts will not bap- 1 tize Children ; but they themfelves feem to have no more 1 Faith when they are grown Up, than when they were * Children, for the Scripture fays, He who believes in Jefm 1 Cbrift^does the Works that he di'd> which they do not ; whieff 1 fhews they do not believe in him tho J tney are not bap- 1 tiYd till they come to the ufe of Reafon. So the Soul oh 1 Man cannot receive Salvation by the means of outward 1 Baptifm, when he has not in him living Faith , or his c Parents for him, if he be in Childhood. The Catholicks 1 then have no ground to believe that all Children who are c baptized fhall be faved, and that they who die without 4 Baptifm fhall be damn d, fince this depends upon the c Free-will of their Parents ; who offering willingly their i Children to God to become true Chriftians, they are ac- ' cepted of God by the Will of their Parents, and willatTu- 1 redly be faved if they die before the ufe of Reafon : And * if others by their Parents are offered to the Devil, and to * Sin, and die in their Nonage, they will be damned by the ' Evil will of their Parents, even tho' outwardly they re- 1 ceive the Baptifm of Water , which without Faith is * null, and Faith without Baptifm in diverfe cafes does t fave. We fee with what ftrength of Reafon fhe declares this Sentiment, and tho' there were nothing elfe but the Confi- deration of our cafe in Adam, it ferves to confirm itj for there is no partiality in God, no refpedt of Perfons, he a6ls L by 14S Of the State of Infants. PartlL by the fame Meafures , and the fame Rules , with Crea- tures of the fame Kind and Qualities. The reafon- The Offence we take at this, proceeds from our Igno- abknefs e/ ranee of God and his Works, and the Defire we have to this Semi- extenuate the Guilt and damnable Effects of our Unchri- ™ ent - ftian Care of our Children. When God created things at L'Ocon ^ r ^' ^ not eftablifh them in the Diforder in which we Divine now ^ ee tnem > but all good and excellent in their refpe&ive p art ' kinds. When he eftablifh/d the Propagation of Man to p 29^ come from Man, it was not that they might communicate loo, &c. Imperfections to one another, but the Perfections he had given them; and God's wile and admirable Conducl: in this, is thus in fome meafure reprefented. W hen he created free and intelligent Beings, it was not poffible but that at firft they muft be frail and capable of falling away , for then they had no Habits to Good, which confiding in frequently repeated Acls, and being acquired thereby; intelligent Creatures at firft were not ftrengthned in Good, and thro 1 their weaknefs they might abufe their Liberty and fall away. God having feen this come to pafs in an infinite Number of Angels, and defiring to fettle other Creatures in their room, thought how he might place others who from their Birth or Being might have Habits to Good, and fo being thus eftablifh'd in it, might not fo eafily fall away. If then all thofe Creatures fhouid come from one Source that were habitually Good, then they who came of them fhouid be born all with an habitual ftrength to Good, and they en- ereafing and ftrengthning their good Habits, thofe who de- fcended from them fhouid be yet much more eftabliftfd and invincible in Goodnefs, and fo on by a continual Gra- dation. But to accomplish this charitable Defign, the firft Creature of that kind muft be produc'd in the com- mon Lot, without an habitual Firrnnefs , but in a State actually Good, and fuch care taken to prevent his Fall, as that God bodily converfes with him. If therefore Man do not correfpond to this Care, it is purely his own fault, who of his Free-will has changed into a Source of Mifery that which ought to have been a Source of Communication of Good. Now the fame Reafon for which Men were to come of one another by Propagation, is the Reafon alio why the Lot of Children is the iame with rhat of the Parents fb long as they have not the life of their Liberty. If Pa- rents had rernain'd in the Perfection in which God plac'd them, Part II. Of Reafon. 147 them, and encreas'd in it according to his Eftabliilimenr, this had been a great Happineis tor their Children, who had thus been Partakers of habitual Good even from their Original \ but if the contrary did afterwards happen, this is neither from the Decree nor Defign of God, but purely the fault of Man, with which Gods Decree has no concern, Now fuppofe that God has appointed that Men mould de- fcend of one another by Propagation, it follows immedi- ately and naturally without the intervention ot a New Decree, that the Lot and Liberty of the Children fhould be bound up in the Parents fo long as they are not in a Stare to make ufe of it freely themfelves. As long as an Effect is in its Caufe, it is one and the fame with its Caufe t And as long as it is not like to its Caufe, and is not Inde- pendent on it , it is alfo in it ; for it goes out from it, but according as it has it felf apart the natural and necefTary Faculties and Fun6frons for its own Conftitution, and for its individual Government, as its Caufe has, to be naturally compleat. If therefore it have not as yet the free Conduct of it felf, (being found to be a free Agent) it is as yet in re- gard of that in its Caufe or in its Parents. Not that for fome Years after a Child is born, his Free-will is yet in an inherent manner in his Parents, and that it muft flow from them into the Child, when he is farther advanc'd in Age But that the Parents produce a Body and a Soul in a Stare imperfect enough, fo as yet to need their Care and Opera- tion, fo to fpeak, for fome Years, before the Subject which hitherto is imperfect become perfect. And fo long as it is not, it belongs yet naturally to the producing Caufe, which is obliged to have a care of it, as a part of it felf, as in effect it is. Hence alfo comes the Right which Fathers and Mothers have of educating their Children, which is not a Right that is pofitive or may be difpenc'd with, or which fimply regards the Body ; but a natural indifpenfible Right, which much more refpecf s the Sou! than the Body. XVIII. Another great Prejudice raised againft her was, XVIli that fhe fpoke fo meanly of Reafon, did not look on it as ofReafin. the furpeam Faculty of the Soul, nor the Exercife of it as the beft Employment, and thought there were fuch dan- gerous Fruits of Sciences, and humane Learning, and the ' means of acquiring them. In the Thoughts of M.- Pafeq/, there are, I remember, excellent Reflections about the Three different forts of Grandeur, which have their diffe- h 2 Of Redfon. Part II rent Empires, Dignities, Honours, &c. and may be call'd Divine, Rational, and Earthly ; the Grandeur of Charity or the Love of God, that of Reafon, and that of worldly Empire and Honour. Alexander and others have excelled in the laft, and feem Great to the Eyes of Fleih ; Archi- medes and others have excell'd in the fecond, and feem Great to the Eyes of Reafon. Jefus Chrift appear'd in none of thefe Grandeurs, had neither Learning nor world- ly Greatnefs, and was of no regard neither to the Eyes of the Flefh, nor thofe of the Great Philofophers , and of Reafon ; but O / how Great was he in the Eyes of Cha- rity / how Meek and Humble, and Parent and Self- denied, in a Life of abfolute Poverty, Contempt, and Pain for the Love of God and Men. Now all the Writings and Anions of A. B. tending to draw Men into this Kingdom of Cha- rity and the Love of God, whkh is of a quite diftincl: Rank and Order from that of humane Reafon, as well as of worldly Greatnefs, it was no wonder that (he put no great Value on the one more than the other, they being both unspeakable Hindrances in the way to it, and the iecond more than the third. La Sainte * She {hews that there is in the Soul a Principle far above vifiere. i humane Reafon, and that is Divine Faith, which does Tomb, de e not confift in believing only with the underftanding the ]* faufle -fheol. Part r. Let 12. Twelve Articles of the Creed, which may be done by a humane Faith, as we believe the recital of fome Hiftory when a Perfon worthy of Credit relates it; this gives not to the Soul any Divine Vertues, which God only can ope- rate in us. Faith is a Divine Light which God infufes in the Soul, which makes us to know and defire Eternal things , and defpife Temporal. It is not a natural Qua- lity, as our Reafon, but a Divine Quality, which pro- ceeds from God, as the Beams do from the Sun, as no- thing can make us fee the Sun, but the Sun himfelf. It was communicated to ail Men at their Creation, loft by their Fall, renewed by the Merits and Grace of Jefus Chrift. When it fliines in our Souls, it warms them with the Love of God and Men who bear his Image and Like- nels, and produces Charity : And this Charity regulates all our Life, and gives weight and meafure to all our Acti- ons*. For Divine Faith is always living and operating ; It partakes of all the Divine Qualities, Righteoufnefs, Goodnefs, and Truth, So that he who has Faith in his ' Soul Part II. Of Re a for?. 149 Soul cannot be Unjull, nor a Liar, nor a Deceiver, nor Wicked, nor leek his own Intereft, his own Glory, his own Pleafure or Satisfa6iion ; leeing all thefe refpe& time and earthly things. Humane Reafon is an Inftriour Prin- ciple that may indeed convince us that there is a God, the Author of Nature , who made and fuftains all things, but this cannot produce in our Souls, Faith and Cha- rity, Vertues derived immediately from God , and not from Nature, or the Understanding of Man, which is a frail Creature limited to Earth and Time. And to think to know or comprehend God by the natural Underltand- ing, is a greater Folly than'the Heathens committed in worfhipping the Sun. € Ail Men being now void of humane Faith, take up with a humane Belief, and divide, and difpute, and quar- rel, and hate, and defpife one another, without knowing wherefore, and without perceiving that the Folly they have in themfelves is more to be defpifed than what they require in their Brother. The active Exercife of our Reafon,when deprived of the Light of Faith, ferves but the more to confound and dar- ken us, it keeps us in a vain Amufement, makes us neglect the neceffary means of obtaining Divine Faith, blows up the Heart with Pride, makes us defpife the mod Divine Truths when they do not accord wicn our Principles, and value our felves beyond others \ tho' hum- ble ignorant Perfons are more to be regarded, as being more difpofed to receive the Light of Faith, than thofe Learned who have drunk in the Doctrine of Men. She blef- fes God that preferv d her from this, for then flie fhould have been uncapable of receiving that of the Holy Spirit. JefusChrift call'd the Simple and Ignorant to be his Dif- ciples and Apoftles, it was they whom he train'd up to inftruct and teach others the way to Salvation. When a Learned Nicodemus came to him, he told him, that unlels he became as a little Child he could not enter into the Kingdom of God.He founded no Colleges nor Academics to train up his Followers in all forts of Learning, but taught them by Word and Deed to deny themfelves in all earthly things, and to take up their Crofs and follow him. True Religion is preferved or received by the forne means by which it is at firft inftituted and eftablifhed. I 3 Thay [i 5 o Of Reafon. Part II ? They who fay in another cafe that Chrift being more faithful than Mofes^ in all the Houfe of God, who yet left not a Pin of the Tabernacle unmade, and therefore he furely could not be wanting in ordering what was fit for his Church, may examine their own Meafures by this Rule. She fays, l The Schools and Doctrine of Men have cor- rupted the true Sence of the Scriptures , and by their Learning authorize ail forts of Sins ; that it feems the Schools are exprefly inftituted to forge Cafes of Confci- ence capable of leading Men to Hell. For what need is there to Glofs the Gofpel, and the Life of Jefus Chrift ? They are clear Truths which jefus Chrift taught by Word and Detd, that we muft be poor in Spirit, humble in Heart, defirous to fuffer Perfecution for Righteoufnefs fake,and to do to others as we would have them do to us 5 but to corrupt all thefe things, the Learned make GloffeSj that it is not againft Poverty of Spirit to labour or trade that we may get Money , and make fome Fortune in the World, and to flatter Men the better to their Ruine, they add by Word , that we muft poflefs Riches as not poffef- fing them ; which is a great Deceit, for Men are not now fo difpos'd as thofe of the Old Teftamenr, who received Temporal Goods from God as a Bleffing to employ them to his Glory, not having their Hearts any ways wedded to them, as thofe of our Time, who inceffantly covet Riches, deiiring ftill more and more. It is an infallible Truth that ail who would be faved muft love God with all their Heart. And if we ask thole Divines if it be not lawful for a Man to love his Father, Mother, Wife, Chil- dren, Kinsfolk, Friends, yea his Country, Money, Houfe, Honour, Divertifements , Meat, Drink, Cloaths , and every other Creature; they will anfwer, yes ; becaufethey love them themfelves,and yet imagine they fulfil theCom- mand of God, of loving him with all their Heart ; and to difguife this Lie the better; they will fay, We muft not love ail thefe things inordinately, giving us to under- ftand thereby, that our Hearts may be well divided intofo many different Affections without finning, which has fo authorized the neglect of the Command of loving God with all our Heart, that no Body thinks it is needful. They live and die in the Love of all forts of Creatures and yet think to be fived ; for their Divines have found [ out PhiloibphicU Reafons to maintain this. ' Yet 3 fart II. Of Rcafon. i 5 , c Yet, fie fays , what fhe has written of the Learned, is Appel. de ' not that fhe will defpife Learning or the Study of Sciences Dicu. * and Languages ; Since all thefe things may ferve for the Pate *• 1 Glory of God, when we will apply them to thole Ends; P 5 8 > 59- 1 and moral Vertuesgive Advantage to divine Vertues.For 1 a well bred Perlbn will ftill be more docile in the Practice ' of true Vertue, than one ill-bred ; and one of good Lear- 1 ning will be more able to underftand and receive true 1 Vertue than a rude and ignorant Perfon ; fo that what, * f u ) s fi e -> makes me fear that few of the Learned and of c the Great fhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, is that * I fee in effect that very few of them are humble in Heart, * and that it is impoflible (fpeaking naturally) that they 4 fliould not efteem themfelves more than another, as ha- 1 ving more ground for it. And unlefs by Divine Vertue , < a Learned Perfon know the Mifery and Ignorance into 1 which Sin has plung'd him, he can never be without Self- ' efteem and Prefumption of Spirit, which things God re- 4 lilts, and does not give them his Grace ; for of necelTity c they mufl: be humble in Heart to enter into the Kingdom c of Heaven. But becaufe this Sentiment, concerning the Nature of The Na- humane Reafon, is fo contrary to the common Opinion of *w and the Learned, I fhall here briefly reprefent it in a Light and °^ der °f Method conformable to our ways of reafoning and enqui- . Facul ' ring into things; as it is mod rationally and fully accoun- tl * s y ted for by M.Poiret in his Treatife De Eruditione, to which I J? n ' . refer thofe who defire to enquire farther into it for full £ e ^d ' Satisfaction. ^ y^ f am p. The Original Ends of God's creating Man being to p er fic. &" enjoy him and all his Works, the one as his EfTential Hap- f a if a> pinefs, and the other as AccefTory, he therefore gives him an Immortal and Divine Soul and a Material Body, and en- dues thefe with futable Faculties capable of enjoying this twofold Happinefs; the one material and fenfible, his bodi- ly Senfes by which he might take in the Beauty and De- light of all the Creatures ; and the other Divine and Spiri- tual, his Understanding, by which he might be capable of enjoying God and Divine things, and of receiving his Light and Love. 2. Thofe Faculties are patfive, and do not by any activity of theirs, produce their Objects, but only are laid open and £urn'd to them to receive them. Our Eyes do not form L 4 the i $*, Of Reafon* Part II. the Light, but only paffwely receive it and the Beau- ties of the other Creatures; and in the Night, tho* we open and turn them about never (b earneftly, we meet with no- thing but Darknefs. So is it as to our fpiritual Faculties and their Objects. 3. Thofe refpe&ive Objects when they are prefent to their refpective Faculties, do make fo ftrong and vivid an Irnpreilion on them, that in their Abfence we are capa- ble of forming to our felves in our Minds, Images and Pictures of them, and of compounding, or dividing, or comparing thefe Pictures together, and of forming Pro- portions and Confutations about them, and according as thefe paflive Faculties have received due and vivid Imprefli- ons, or hint , or none at all, from their refpe&ive Objects, we are accordingly capable of forming true or falfe Pictures of them. And this is the active Faculty which we call Reafon. 4 The Knowledge we have by the Impreffions from the Objefts themfelves in our pafTive Faculties, is a loving, (b- lid, real Knowledge, making us enjoy the Object, and the Delight, and Happinels it can give us. The Knowledge we have by the Exercife of this active Faculty of our Reafon, • is a dead, dry, barren, fuperficial Knowledge, that com- municates nothing to the Soul of the Delight and Reality of the Objects themfelves. We fee what a difference there is between beholding the Sun, and forming to our felves Idea's and Pictures of him in his Abfence ; the firft enligh- tens, warms, delights, directs us, lets us fee the Beauty of all the Creation ; the other affords nothing of this *, and if we had ftill been Blind and never feen the Light, even the very Pictures of it, we fancy to our felves, would be falfe as well as fuperficial. Now it is juft the fame as to the fpiritual things •, the natural Man perceives not the things of God, they feem Foolifhnefs to him. His Idea's and Reafonings about them are like a Blind Man's Reafoning about Colours, and tho' they were never fo Juft, yet they cannot make him Happy, nor to enjoy the Object, them- felves, no more than a Man's drawingthe Pictures of Light, Fire, Meat, and Drink, can enlighten, warm, and nourifh his Body. Our Souls muft be turn'd to God and taken off from all other things ; And bleffed are the pure in Heart, for they [ball fee God. _ The Knowledge we have by Rea- fon then is a fuperficial, barren, and dead Knowledge, does Part II. Of forming a ntvo Sett. 155 does not bring to the Soul the true and living Knowledge of God. They who give themfelves up to it,do really deny God, make their Reaion their God, are guilty of a more dangerous Idolatry than they who worfhip the Sun ; and how univerfal this Evil is now in the World, he that runs may read. The true and living Knowledge of God is to be had only from God, our divine Faculties muft be turn'd to him, and turn'd away from other Things, that they may be enlightned by him ; they are in our corrupt State more dead and defiled and vitiated than the weakeft or moft blinded Eyes, and Reafoning will not recover them, more than it will give Eyes to the Blind. Phyfick is indiipen- fably neceflary to heal them, and the Laws and Life of Jefus Chrift tranfcribed into our Hearts and Practice is the only Remedy for them. XIX. They accufed her that fhe defigned to form a XIX. new Seel: and Party, and fo to encreafe the Divisions and of forming Schifms in Chriftendom ; whereas no body did more de- 4 new Seel, plore the Divifions of Chriftians than fhe. She faw that Schifms and Seels ferved only to deftroy true Charity, the Love of God and Men, and brought in nothing but Ha- tred, Envy, and every evil Work, under a Cover of diffe- rent Forms and Opinions : She defired nothing but to re- unite Chriftians in one, in the Spirit of Jefus Chrift, and to have obtained that, would have been willing to have fpent to the laft Drop of her Blood. She protefted a hun* dred and a hundred times, that me would eftablifh no Party nor draw any after her, but fend all to Jefus Chrift, and to the Practice of the Doctrine of the Gofpel. She fhunned the Converfation of Men, and liv'd always fhut up in a Chamber j fhe wiihed never to fee any Body, pro- vided they were all united to God. To fet up a Seel:, is to leave a Society and a certain publick Worfhip where Perfons were once Members, and to eftablifh another, to which they draw by human Motives as many Perfons as they can, and acknowledge them as Members of it when they make a verbal Profeflfion of this new Worfhip, and are joined to thofe Perfons and their Opinions. Now fhe eftablifh'd no new Worfhip, nor new Exercifes, nor Laws, • nor Rules that favour of a Se&, but only by her Life and Writings, calVd on People to return to the Love of God, and to imitate the Life of Jefus Ghrift, in which State they were not, and without which they could not be faved, In satjhe de- fpifed not Sermons, Sacra- pients, Pa flours. Le Te- moign. de Verite. part 2. p. 199,200 That (he defpifed not Part II, In her Letter to M. Reinboth, Superintendant in Holftein t I am very far, ftys Jhe> from making a new Church, as fome maliciouily (lander me, for I bring no new thing, and Novelties are very difpleafing to me. 1 am careful therefore not to introduce any; but I labour to advance in a Gofpel-Life and to pra&ife it. And all myWritings, and all I faid formerly to well-difpofed Perfons, aimed only at this, and I forbear now to fpeak to them, becaule I found it was unprofitable. Your Preachers wrong me greatly when they cry out that I draw their People from them ; for in the ten Months I have been in Ho/ftein, I have not made Acquaintance with fo much as one Per- fon, not fo much as with my Landlady ; fo that I give them no ground to fay or think that I drive to rjraw Peo- ple to form a new Church, or teach a new Doctrine ; feeing that which Jefus Chrift left us, is the moll perfect, and the laft that God will fend unto Men. No new thing needs be invented ; but we Jfhould labour to per- fect our felves in it, and to put it truly in Practice inftead of Difputing about it ; for all thefe Difputes are raifed by the Devil, to bring Hatred, Divifions and Difcords a- mongft Chriftians, whereas the Church of God mould be united in Peace and Love, in the meek Spirit of Jefus Chrift ; and it is now divided in as many Parties as there are different Seels, which is lamentable, and difturbs the Peace of Chriftian Souls, and makes that they do not love one another ; tho* Jefus Chrift has fo earneftly re- commended to them to love one another: They are all partial, and only love the Party which they have under- taken to ftand by, or defend : This proceeds from anAn- tichriftian Spirit, and not from the Spirit of Chrift. XX. They libeild her, that fhe defpifed Sermons, Sacra- ments, Paftours, Priefthood, and all Government; which were all moft horrid Calumnies. c This, fays /he, ( in her 1 Letter to Dr. Nieman, Superintendant in Holftein) is a ■ errofs Calumny; for I wifh with all my Heart that both 1 Church and State may continue in Vigour ; for otherwife 1 there would be no Knowledge of God in the Land, nor 1 Commonwealths maintained. Seeing Preachings and 1 Sacraments prefer ve amongft Men the Memory of facred 1 things ; and States keep their People in their Duty by 1 Juftice, or elfe there would be nothing but Confulion, ' and the Good would be deftroyed by the Wicked, if ' there Part II. Sermons, Sacraments, Paffoursfac. 155 there were no Government and Magistrates to rule and govern them. 1 indeed defpile the Abufe of Churches, and Sermons, and Sacraments,but not the Ufeof them,nor the Eflence of thefe, which are eftablifhed by God, as is alio Government and Magiftracy. And there is a great Difference between the defpifing a thing in it itlf, and the Abufe that is made of it. For it is one thing to fay that every Seel: abufes the Holy Scriptures, and another tolly that the Scripture is of no Worth, or to defpife it becaufe many abufe it. Now it feems Buchar- d'is would make People believe that I defpife all thefe Holy Things, when I defpife only the Abufe of them, as true Chriitians ought to do, who lay to Heart Gods Honour: They ought to lament when they fee Men to degenerate as to the Love of God, that they feem to hold meerly to the Bark of the things ordained by God, without fquaring their Lives by them. 1 They fay I defpife the Sacraments and other Offices of Piety ; while I believe there is no body that efleems them more than I do; For the Quakers accufed me, by their defamatory Treatife, That I had an abominable Do- Urine, fending Perfons to Churches, Sermons, or Sacra- ments, or other outward Solemnities ; defiring to infer from this, that I had not the Spirit of God, fince I ftiil lefteemed thofe outward Devotions, and alfo incited others to make life of them as Means to approach un- to God. * Your Preachers may read what I have written in that Advertiiement upon this Head, fo that I need not en- large my felf farther here, but will fatisfie them as to what they fay, That in ejfetl J defpife the Sacraments and other outward Devotions, becaufe I do not go my felf to the Church nor to the Sacraments \ and they will needs reject all that I fay in the Praife of Holy Things, becaufe I do not obferve them my felf to give an Example to others ; and would infer from thence, That I fpeak with Diffimulation in praife of Holy "Things, and not fmcerely as I think^ in my Heart, This convinces me that they no ways know me. For if they only knew me outward- ly, they would fufficiently fee that I am fincere, and not at all feigned or difTembled ; fo that if I had in my Heart a Contempt for the Sacraments and other outward Devo- tions, I would openly declare it by Word and Writ ; for ' I have 1^6 That (he defpifed not Part II. I have overcome the World, and am not afraid to tell the Truth of what I know. 1 I have indeed written againfl the Abufe of the Sacra- ments and other outward Solemnities, but I never fpoke againft the things themfelves, feeing they are good, and have often ferv d me as Means of Union with God. But if I do not go now to the Church or Sacraments, it is not out of Contempt of Holy Things, but becaufe I have no longer fo great need of outward Means of Union with God as I had formerly, when the Converfation of Men, and the Diverfion of the Cares of temporal Affairs did divert my Attention from God. I retired then to Chur- ches, and approached the Sacraments, that I might be the more recollected and united to God. But fince God has given me the Grace to find this Recollection in my little Chamber, and to entertain my felf in Spirit with God in Solitude, I have not thought it fo neceffary to ufe thefe outward Ceremonies , which fometimes would ferve me for a Diftra6tion to my inward Recolle- ction. ' This is partly the Reafon why I have left them off ; but this is not all : For if I had the Freedom to go to Church, I would go to it on the Days commanded, and would receive the Sacrament at the Times appointed : Since I am under the Ordinances of the Roman Church, Jefus Chrift teaches me to obey the Laws both of God and Men, as he himfelf did on Earth, obeying Cafar and other Superiours , tho' they were fometimes evil, but their Ordinances good, as I have particularly fhewn in the faid Advertifement. — But I cannot go to Church without hazard of my Life, and it is not lawful for me to expofe my felf to fo evident Dangers, and Neceffity has no Law. There are Perfons in the Roman Church who do as your Preachers, and fay that I am become a Heretick, and therefore would think they did God good Service to take away my Life, and have even watched di- vers Occafions to murther me, which God difcovered to me timoufly that I might avoid them; and if I would yet go to their Churches, I think I fhould not come out alive, but they would ftone me as they did $. Stephen, for having fpoke the Truth. And being born and brought up in the Roman Church, it is not permitted me to go to another without (inning mortally (according to their Or- ' dinancen 4 Part II. Sermons , Sacraments, P aft ours, &c. 157 * dinances ) fo that by Force I muft ftay in Solitude and 1 not go to Church, which I fuffer willingly, and comfort 1 my felf that fo many Fathers Hermits were fo agree- 1 able to God while they lived in the Defarts, and did not ( ufe the Sacraments nor other outward Solemnities. 1 And in her forecited Letter to Mr. Reinboth. As to Le Tc 1 what you tell me, fays fhe, that you wifh /had not moign. dc 1 touched the Ecclefiajiick State, I could not omit it, fince Vericc. 1 for them particularly that Work was made ( The Light Part 2. 1 of the World) and they ought all to thank God that he P- 74i7*- 1 has permitted their Faults to be known, that they may * amend them while they are yet in this World. But in 4 order to this, they muft really defire to become true Chri- ' ftians, fuch as I have delcribed them ; for otherwife they 1 will take God's Admonitions for the Reproofs of a Wife, 1 which they will not endure. I pardon them, for they * do it out of Ignorance, thinking thefe are Novelties, tho' * they be the ancient Truths of God , but a iittle grievous c to thofe who live according to the Motions of corrupt Na- * ture. For it would always bear Rule, be praifed and ' efteemed, and cannot endure Reproof, nor hear its Faults, * without taking the Alarm or avenging it felf, oppoiing 1 ftill the Truth that reproves it, and will not acknowledge c its Fault. This is the Way of a natural Man, who has 1 not yet overcome himfelf, in which your Paftours feern * yet to be nVd ; fince they would blame me for fpeaking * the Truth of the Degeneracy of the Ecclefiaftick 1 State, of which too much cannot be fpoken , and they 1 themfelves ought to publifh it if they were free of Pai> c fions, and regarded more the Glory of God and the Sal- { vation of Souls. But impartial and difinterefted Perfons 1 are no longer to be met with. Every one looks to his ' own Advantage, his own Glory and Profit ; and when * they are in this State I need not wonder if your Pa- 1 ftours blame me, fince I bring them no Profit, Advantage, c or Vain- glory. c This is not that I will not honour or prefer Church- 1 men in their Dignities, fince I efteem them as the Lieute- * nantsof God, of which I have fpoken fufficiently in the * Advertifement againft the Quakers. For I always diftin- * guifh the State from the Perfon. I honour Priefts, Ma- c gillrates, Judges, and other Superiours, becaufeGod has [ eftablifh'd this Order upon Earth ? without which, Men * would i 5 8 That Jhe defpifed net Part II; c would be much more diforderly. But I cannot honour the c Faults of all thole Perfons who are placed in State and ' Dignity, fince they feem to me more heinous in fuch, * than in the Common People; and I remark that Jefus 1 Chrift defpifed wicked Prieits and Judges, more than he ' did private Sinners; for he difmifs d the Woman taken * in Adultery, faying only to her, Go, and fin no more. He 1 called an Ufurer to be an Apoftle ; he fuffered a Magda- 1 len, a common Sinner, to kits and follow him. But he * does not fo treat the Pharifaical Priefts or Judges and Su- * periours, but gives them publickly many Reproaches and ' Contempts, calling them fo often Hypocrites, whited * Sepulchers, Generation of Vipers, and faying they made * clean the out-fide of the Cup and Platter, but within c were full of Corruption and dead Mens Bones. ' And if you had liv'd, Sir, in the Time of Jefus Chrift, c and heard him thus defpife and condemn the Priefts and * Superiours, you would have taken Offence , that he c blamed fo particularly the Ecclefiaftick State, fince you * take Offence now that I blame the Faults which God has ' made known, to be univerfally in that State. And if you 4 believe there are amongft others fome good Men who are * not guilty of the Faults that I have marked in that 1 Light of the World ; it is not of them that I fpeak, fince t I will not blame the Office in it felf, feeing God has 1 eftablifhed it, and Jefus Chrift himfelf honour 'd it, even € in wicked Perfons, whom he reproved for many Faults ; 4 for after he had healed the Leper, he commanded him 6 to go fhew himfelf to the Prieft. It is not to be believ'd € that this was to a holy Prieft,fince he was of the fame Sy- c nagogue with thofe who out of Envy crucified Jefus * Chrift ; but he Would teach the Refpecl and Honour 6 that ought to be had to the Prieftly Dignity, tho' the ' Vices of the Perfons placed in that Dignity are much * more difpleafing to God thantheVices of others, and they 5 will certainly be more punifiYd in Hell for their Digni- * ties and Offices which they have unworthily diichargedo c Therefore I had more ground to touch the Ecclefiaftick ? State than any other on that Occafion, when I was con- 1 verfing with Ecclefiaftick Perfons: For it would noc ' have touched them lb nearly to have fpoken to them of 1 the deplorable State in which Lawyers , Merchants, 5 Phyficians, and other tecular Perfons do now live, fmcc c Kb*' Part II. Sermons, Sacraments, Paflours, eVc. 159 1 the Vices of others could not be corrected by thofe 1 Church- men, and they might well correct their own £ Vicv c which I difcover'd to them to be crept into the Ec- c clefiaflick State j for they mult account for this before the * great Judge. 4 I never repented of having touched on that Occafion ' the Ecclefiaftick State, fince this is the chief Caufe of ' the Degeneracy of Chriftendom : For if the Priefts had c continued true Chriftians and Difciples of Jefus Chrift, ' undoubtedly they would yet draw to that State of Chri- e ftianity a great Number^ of People after them. But * when we fee the Heads of the Chriftian Church degene- * rate from that Spirit, and that they will not fo much as c hear their Degeneracy fpoken of, what can be hoped for c from the People, but that they will become ftill worfe, * as Experience makes appear, &c. Thus it appears how far fhe is from overturning or de- fpifing Priefthood and the outward Ordinances , how plainly fhe diftinguifhes the Offices and Dignities from the Perfons, the Ufe of Divine things from the Abufe of them ; and that fhe as much honours the former, as {he expofesthe Evils of the latter, and why it is the Church- men on all fides raife fuch a Hue-and-Cry againft her. I defigned once to have fet down here her execellent Vindi- cation of the Sacraments and outward Ordinances, and the Dignity and Reverence of the Priefthood from the Re- proaches of the Quakers,in her Advertifement againft them. But left it fhould make this Paper fwell too much, I have for born it. XXI. They accufed her that fhe rejected and defpifed XXI. the Holy Scriptures ; from which fhe vindicates her (cl^in Nor reje- many Places. ' This, 'fays Jke, is the greateft Falfhood of &ed the 1 all; for I faid from the Beginning, that if my Life and Holy Scrip. * Words are not conformable to the faid Scriptures, they tures - c ought not to believe me r This I have often repeated Tomb, de * fince, and fay it over again now, and on all fit Occafions, lt[* u f c * I tell every one that the Sence of the Scriptures is the rhe ® 1 - 1 Nourifhment of Souls. It feemsto me, fays fhe, ^j*£f \ c a very ill thing to forbid Chriftians the Reading of the t he world. c Bible in the vulgar Tongue, fince it muft teach us all p 3 j t , * that we ought to do and forfake, &c p. for# 1 The only Good, fays fhe, that remains in the World Lurn. net c !Sjthat the Text of Scripture remains in its Integrity, that en renebr. 4 theP.a. p.81. 160 Nor njeffed the Holy Scriptures. Part IL c the Devil has never had Power to change and falfifie it> * but to oppofe it only by theGloffes and Inventions ot 1 Men, who endeavour to accommodate it to the modern c Corruption, but in vain; they cannot change it, fince * they who will follow Jefus Chrift may yet find it entire, 1 and draw in its Fountain ail that is written by the Ap'o- * ftles, Prophets, and other Souls filled with the Holy Spi- c rit. In this the Promife of Jefus Chrift is fulfilled, That 1 Hell fhall never be able to pluck k out of the Hands of ' the Chriftians, that it may ferve for Food and Nourifh- ' ment to all true Believers, who not flopping at the bro- ' ken Cifterns of human Learning, fhall draw out of the * Fountain of living Water to the End of the World. In a Word, thro' all her Writings fhe recommends the Reading of the Holy Scriptures, looks on it as one of the greateft Miracles of Providence that they have been prefer- ved uncorrupted and entire, to be a ftanding Teftimony againft the Profeffors of Chriftianity, while their Lives are a flat Contradiction to them. That the Doctrine of Jefus Chrift contained in the Gofpels is the laft Doctrine that is to come into the World, and fully directs us the Way to eternal Life, and defires that her Life and Doctrine may be examined thereby, and no Regard had to it but in fo far as it is conformable thereunto; and that fhe aims at nothing but to perfwade People to embrace in their Life and Spirit, the Life and Do&rine of Jefus Chrift contained in the Gofpel. It is true, fhe did not give her felf to reading of the Holy Scriptures, being immediately and inwardly taught by God the fame Truths which are contained in them. Every one, fays Jhe, ought to ufe the Means that lead them beft to the Love of God, becaufe the Ways to this Love are divers, fome attain to it by the Means of reading ferioufly the Holy Scriptures, others by humble afliduous Prayers, others by Solitude and retiring from human Converfation, and fo of many others. It is of fmall Moment to know by what Means others have at- tained to this Love of God, provided we take the Means that are moft fit for us to attain to it alfo. Tomb, de * There are divers Ways, as there are divers Sins which hfaufTe * are Hindrances in thofe Ways, which every one ought to Theol c oppofe, according as he knows them to be in himfelf, Part r. * without offering to make one general Law and Rule p. 17,18, f whereby Part II. Nor rejefled the Holy Scriptures. x6i c thereby to lead all to God ; for he who is not immedi- 1 ately inftru&ed by the Holy Spirit, would do very ill, 1 if he fhould not make ufe of the reading of the Holy 1 Scripture, or if he fhould not fearch for thofe who fpeak 4 by the Holy Spirit ; for this would be to tempt God to c Will that he fhould inftruft all Men immediately, while c they are fo taken up with, or wedded to the Affairs of this 1 World. , And on the contrary it would be very ill done, 1 if one fhould make ufe of Reading or other outward 1 Means, when he has withdrawn from all Creatures, and * finds the immediate Conduct of God. Such a Soul ' would oppofe the Holy Spirit, and would hinder the ope- * ration of his Graces, if it fhould make ufe of Reading 1 or other outward Means, becaufe in this State it ought * not any longer tp aft, but to be paflive, and follow the € . Spirit, who guides it it, without operating any more it ■ felf. In doing this, fhe is far from defpifing or reje&ing the Holy Scriptures; when I am with a Friend and converfe with him by Word of Mouth, and he anfwers me after the fame manner, we will not then make ufe of Writing or Letters, and yet it cannot be concluded from thence, that I reject or defpife his Letters} this way of Communica- tion by Letters is moil agreeable, but it is for the Abfenr. They who fee and converfe with one another make no ufe of Writing, but they do not defpife it ; they have i more fpeedy and delightful way of communicating their Thoughts. Thus A. B. having inward and immediate Con- vention with God, had no need of the Scripture for to know his Will, fhe learned it from his own Mouth v and enjoy *d his Prefence, but they who have not recovered that Divine Converfation, muft have Recourfe to the Scriptures, and other outward Means,according as they find them help- ful to bring them nearer to God, till they attain ia the Enjoyment of himfelf. And this is very agreeable to St. Atigtiftins De&rineiri his excellent Treatife de Dottrina Chrijtiana. i He * there- * #'** .* fore who is eftablifh'd in Faith, Hope, and Charity, and itwfi*'* fpe & Cha- rit ate Subnixus, eaque inconcujfe retinens, non indiget Scriptxris, rtifi ad alios hfiruendos, itaque mttlti per hac tria in Solitudine fine Cedicibus Fivuvt, undt in Mis arbitror jam completum ejfc quod dictum eft ; five Prophetic evacua* buntur, five Long** cejfaiunt , five fcientia deftruttur, &c. Aug. de Do&r, Chr. Lib. i. Cap. 3$. M inviolably i6z That there are no True Chrifthnsfec. Part II. 1 inviolably retains them, needs not the Scriptures, unlefs 1 it be to inftruct. others. Therefore many live in the De- 1 fart by thefe Three without Books. Hence I think that 1 in them is already fulfilld that which is laid ; whether 1 there be Prophecies, they fhall fail* whether there be * Tongues, they fhall ceafe j whether there be Knowledge, * it fhall vaniih away. XXII. XXII. That me declared fo pofitively, that there are no that there True Chriftians at prefent upon Earth, and that God would are no Tru e make her tjje Inftrument of renewing the Spirit of the chriftians, Gofpel is another grievous Prejudice againft her ; this was &c. often objec/ted to her, and is anfwered by her in many Places of her Writings. It was not Uncharitablenefs, but great Charity to Mens Souls, that mov'd her to declare this to all the World. She was perfwaded that none were True Chriftians but they in whom the Spirit of Chrift did live, whofe Affections and Defires were let only on things Eternal, and not on things Temporal ; that one could not be a True Chriftian by ferving God and Mammon both, by joining the Love of God and Self-love, feeking to pleafe Men and to pleafe God too. She met with many of good Tomb.de Inclinations, but none who were truly Regenerated. ' She Ja fau/T <■ did we i] ) asjbefajs, to tell this, and me had done a great Theol. i £ v ji j n f a yi n g tne contrary ; for to have faid fo to others Fart 2. < cou ld no t have profited them, even tho' it had been true \ & *H- * it could not encreafe their Holinefs, but rather give them 1 occafion of Vain-glory, Nature being tickled with lit- ' tie. But when we are told that we are not True Chri- * ftians, we have reafon to ufe the means to become fo, and c to humble our (elves before God, that we may obtain his ' Grace. If there are True Chriftians, they will become ' no lefs for this Saying; and if there are none, at leaft s fome will be awakened out of their Security and en- ' deavour to become fo. If A. B. had faid, that God by an unchangeable Decree from all Eternity had predeitina- ted the greateft part of the World to Damnation, it might then indeed be faid that fhe is void of Charity to God and Man .-But when me declares that God is not willing that any mould perifli, but that all fhould come to Repentance, and yet that ail Men were living in a Contradiction to the Life and Spirit of Jeftis Chrift, fhe could not do them a more charitable Office than to warn them of their Dan- ger. Will they fay the Pialmift was uncharitable, and damn'd Part II. Thdt there are no True Chrifiians^ &c. 163 damn'd all the World, becaufehe tells us, the Lord looted ?h\. 14. down from Heaven upon the Children of Men, to fee if there 2, 3. tv ere any that did under ji and and feck God ; they are all gone ajide, they are altogether become ftithy, there is none that doeth Good, no not one. Every Man ought to weigh the Truth or Falfhood of this Saying as to him'elf, and (ee if he can make this particular Exception to the general Saying, , There is no True Chriftians upon Earthy 5 let him fet at the Foot of it, Except I my felf. And if his Conference dare not write down this Exception* he has reafon to thank the Chanty that put him to the Trial, without regard whe- ther it be true or falfe as to others, which will avail him no- thing fo long as it holds as to himfelf. And as to the other part of the Prejudice, that God will That God make her and her Writings the Mean of the Renovation of wuldmake the Gofpel Spirit: She fays , * It is God who enlightens *£??& Understandings, who warms Wills with his Love, who li ^ nin S t produces Charity in Souls ; in fhort, who is the only *J Mean Giver of all Good ; without any Creatures being able to '/ 7i*?/ caufe to be born in the Soul of another the Spirit of Re- ™xJ t H" generation, which is to live a^ain to God, and to die to Gofpel. ones felf. This is a Mafterpiece of the Works of God Tomb, much more rare and precious than the Body of Man, and de faaft neverthelefs he will not do it but by the means of Crea- Theol. tures, who fhall be fubjeci to him and will hear his Pare 2. Voice ; who will make others Partakers of the Light p i6' s which God communicates to them, that by it they may i^ 2 - be enlightned and know their Errors and the Way to be- come True Believers. The Understanding , the Speech, and the Hand of fuch fpiritual Mothers is the Matter with which God will beget his True Children, making them comprehend his Truths by the Words, Writings, and Actions or thofe who (hall receive the Word of God im- mediately, who are few in number , becaufe Men are now fo diverted in the Affairs and Bufinefs of this World, that they cannot hear the Voice of God, tho' he fpeak continually to their Hearc. And to fuppiy their Weak- nefs and the Wandrings of their Spirit, his great Good- nefs caufes to fpeak and v rite by fenhble and vifible Obje&s, the things which may render all thofe True Believers who truly defire to become fo. And that her Writings are of this Nature, full of Divine and Saving Truths, Simple and Solid, Milk for Babes > and Meat for M % ' ftrcrrrg 1 64 That, thtre are no True Chrlfikns y &c. Part IX 1 ftrohg Men, futed for all Capacities and all Ages ; they * manifeft themfelves, as the Light does to thofe who are 1 not Blind. Temoign. And as to their reproaching her, that being a Woman, yet de vence.y^ would frefume to inflrutt the PVorld, when St. Paul Part 2 . would not fu iter a Woman to fpeak in the Church, and ?' 43 > 44, therefore calling her in Contempt an Old Wife, {he fatd, *' 6l - That for her being a Woman fhe could not hinder it. fince no Body forms themfelves ; they rauft ask God, if they would know why he created her a Woman and not a Man, that fhe her felf had been difpleas'd at it, but fince God made her know it was his Pleafure, fhe was content ; for fhe lov'd rather to be a little Atom in the Will of God, than a whole World in her own Will. And when fhe began to teach by her Writings, it was by an exprefs Command of God, which fhe long refilled, for which fhe begs Pardon ; for fhe could not refolve on this becaufe fhe was a Woman, who has never fo much Authority in matter of Do&rine as a Man. — But fhe came over all humane Refpe&s, and exposed her felf to all their Mockeries. She fays, If the Truths of God mud be rejected becaufe they are dictated by a Woman, all the Great and Learned that ever were in the World ought alio to be rejected, feeing all are equally come of a Woman. Why fhould they then defpife their Origin , fince God does not defpife it, but makes ufe of them to operate his greateft Marvels, and always Figures fhe Church, his Spoufe, by a Woman. Women are as capa- ble of receiving the Graces of God as Men, there being no difference between their Souls, and the bodily difference refpe&ing Nature only ; in which even Woman ought to be more regarded than Men, feeing when God would needs become Man, he would have a Woman for his Mother, but not a Man for his Father, and he has done his greateft Wonders by the means of Women. What Triumphant Victory did Judith obtain againft Holof ernes ; and Eft her in the Deliverance of God's People ? — And whereas it is faid, it is not permitted Women to teach, theApoftle, fhe fays, ordains the aged Women to teach the younger, and to in- ftruft their Children and Family in the fear of God, and both in the Old and New Teftament we read of many Women-Propheteffes foretelling things to come. And the Apoftle fays, it is an honour to a Woman to prophefie with her Head covered. She fay s t they ought to let God fpeak Part II. Thst there are no True ChriftUns, &c. 16 5 by a Woman, if it be his Pleafure, fince he fpoke in for- mer Times to a Prophet by a Beaft ; that he beftows his Graces and Wifdom on whom he pleafes, and Man ought not to ask him why he does fo. That before God it is not Man or Woman that fignirles any thing, but the Spirit of Righteoufnefs and Truth : That they ought not to regard whether fhe be Man or Woman, but whether what fhe fays be Juft and True: That fhe writes by an exprefs Command of God, doing this as fecretly as fhe can, fhut up in her Chamber : That Men are now lefs difposd to receive his Divine Light than Women, fince their Hearts are blown up with Pride, to apply all Glory and Autho- rity to themfelves, inftead of referring it to God, and can- not endure that a fimpie Woman as fhe, fhould fpeak of Divine Things, leaft their Learning fhould be lefs eiteena'd. So thofe Great Philofophers will not let God do his Marvels by the means of a Virgin, but will oblige him to operate by Great Divines, not remembring that he has faid, * He l C° r - P has chofen the weak things of the' World to confound the things 2 ?> 2 ^- thap are mighty , and the foolifh things of the World to con- found the wife, and bafe things of the World, and things which are defpisd , yea^ and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are, that no Flejb fhould glory in his Prefence* And thus he deftroys the Wifdom of the Wife, and brings to nothing the Underftanding of the Prudent ; fo that it /hall be faid, where is the Wile, Where is the Scribe, where is the Difputer of this World 3 This they will acknow^ ledge was the way of God's Dealing in former Times, and why would they have him to alter it now, when the Pa- yors, Doctors , and Teachers , the Learned, the Scribes, and the Difputers of the Age, are as full of their own Wif- dom, of their humane Studies and Learning, as ever the Scribes and Pharifees, the Wifemen and Philofophers were when God rais'd up Publicans and Fifhermen to con- found their Wifdom and Learning by the Simplicity of their Words. That it is not St. Paul's Meaning that God may not ' Tim - 2 - thus communicate his Light and Truth to a Woman as IT ' I2 - well as Men, for the Good of others, is evident from the ! ' ,4 ' Sayings themfelves. In his time, when the Faithful met pj^/g together, it was not as now, when a Man who has his ^ pokier Head full of Learning declaims an Hour or two alone, p 2lj ° 2u very often with Conceitednefs enough, to the People, who 2 y M 3 muft \6f> Accufations ag/tinsi her of Pride. Part XL trnift take for good Coin all that he (ays is fuch, and which he ftimps with Paflfages of Holy Scripture. But then there were mutual Conferences where each of the Faith- ful were allowed to tell their Sentiment, or ask that of his Brethren and Elders ; but that all might be done in Or- der, St. Paul ordains that their Women might not be of the number of the Interlocutors, either by telling their own Thoughts, or asking thofe of others; but that they fhould do this a: Home, 'and even there fhould not pretend to tea:h their lusbmds, but learn of them. It is evident thei, hv fpea.9> rr 9 . 100. Part II. Of her affixing Doctrines on other s, 8cc. 1 7 j Ancients. Thus S. Paul throughout all his Epiftles fpealflf often well of himfelf, propofes him felf and his Vertue for a Pattern and Example. So that you fee one may fpeak well of themfelves, and not from a Spirit of Pride or Self- glorying, as our Lord Jefus Chrift, David, S. Paul, and other Saints have done. Falfe Humility fpeaks meanly of ones felf to cover its fecret Pride, and to get the Reputation of being humble. True Humility fpeaks the Truth in Simplicity, whether of ones felf or others, without regar- ding that the World will Cenfure it as an Effe6tt)f Pride and Vain- glory. By this Spirit the Saints were acled, from this Principle A. B. fpoke thus of herfelf, and that I dare lay, withlefs Pride and Vain-glory than others have written againft her. XXIV. Some accufe her of great Injuftice,in affixing Do- XXIV. ffrines, Sentiments and Opinions, upon Parties and Per- of her sf- fons, which they do not own ; She, fay they, makes Men fajH &** more guilty than they are ; fhe imputes to particular ar ™" in Perfbns, to Do&ors, and even to whole Parties , Senti- -? rs h ' , ments, Vices and Sins which they have not, and of which J *? all think them innocent. With this alfb the Enemies of * n * m Jelus Chrift did reproach him, that he falfly imputed to them Evils of which they were innocent, as Murther: Thou haft a Devil who feeks to klU thee i Jefus Chrift tells Joh. 7. to, that we mult not judge according to Abearance, but righ- teous Judgment. In an unregenerate State Men do not know themfelves ; but they think they are what they are not, and what they truly are, that they will not believe, and they wholly difclaim it. The Jews, no doubt, were aftonifh'd when the Prophets imputed to them atheiftical, profane, and Epicurean Sentiments, as the Denying of Di- vine Providence, and the Immortality of the Soul, and ma- king their chief Happinefs to confift in being wicked. No doubt they would cry out againft them as Calumniators, and imputing to them Sentiments quite contrary to what they had. It is like this was not their Doclrine, nor the Sentiments according to which they reafoned, far lefs the Subject of their publick Inftru6tions. And yet God by his Prophets reproaches them with it, as if they had taught it in expreis Terms. Ez^k[el fays of them *, They jay the £ ze k 9 « Lord fceth not. Efay accufes them that they had Bid, lf. a2 ! 13 Let us eat and drinks, for to morrow we muft die-, we 2 8. 15. have made^ a Covenant with Death ^ and with Hell we are at Agreement ', 1^4 ®f ^ er Ivjuftice to others. Part II. Agreement; for we have made Lies our Refuge, and under Mai. 3.14. Falfhood have we hid our felves. Malachy : It is in vain for us to ferve the Lord, we will call the Proud Happy, &cl This was not true in the Sight of Men, but it was true in the Sight of God, who law that there were no living Im- preflions in their Hearts of the Divine Providence, of a happy or miferable Eternity, of the great Happinefs of Vertue, &c. There are generally two forts of Principles and Senti- ments in Men, which do widely differ from one another 5 one by which they reafon , and difcourle, and preach, and write Books, and teach Doctrines ; and this is their fpecu- lative Principle. The other is that by which a Man acts and governs both his inward Affections and his Life. This laft only is a Man's true Sentiments and Principle, tho' for the mod part this is unknown to the Man himfelf. S. Paul, before his Converfion, and e'er he was enlightned by the Holy Ghoft, would have been highly offended with any that fhould have call'd him a Blafphemer, a Perfecuter of God,and good Men, and the Chief of Sinners, as imputing to him Crimes and Sentiments of which he not only thought himfelf innocent, but that thofe very things were Vertues In the Sight of God ; tho* when God opened his Eyes, he found he had been truly fuch. So ftrange is the Blindnefs of corrupt Man ! Therefore" when God would deliver Men from Death, he flops not at the outward Appearance, and what Men fay, and at their dead Reafonings and Sentiments, who may tell him, We teach Vertue, we preach good Works , we recommend Mortification of the Old Man, we detefl Se- curity and Prefumption, &c. while in effect their Lives are regulated by quite contrary Principles, and their Hearts live in another Element; and therefore he warns them of that which is hid within them, and which they do not yec perceive, and tells them, that tho' they prcfefs to know him^ yet by their Works they deny him, being abominable, difobedient, and to every good Work^ reprobate. Now it is according to this Meafure that A B. fpeaks of Men and Parties, and of their Sentiments. When a whole Society lives according to Principles, the contrary of which they affirm with their Mouths, it is certain this may be imputed to that Society. When thegreateft part of particular Perfons in that Society have certain Sentiments, as to I ter theipfelves that they are in the State of Grace, or prec 3 .mated to Salvation, it is certain Part W.Of tvrongExplicAticns of thzHolyScriptures* 175 certain that the Society, in the grofs, may be faid to have thefe Sentiments. If, while they live in a worldly and yj j e prc £ carnal Manner, yet they commonly believe they fhall be apolog. faved by the Ufe of the Ceremonies and Sacraments, this is Le Tc- to be reckoned the real Sentiment of the Society in grofs, moign. de thoVthe Speculations of fome particular Perfbns and Do- Verire. dors do not fay fo. It is the People that makes the Church, Part 1 . and not a imall Number of learned Heads. It is the living P- 9°- and inward Principles, Inclinations and Difpofitions of the Spirits and Hearts of the People that makes the Sentiments of the Church, and not fome vain Theories of the Lear- ned, which are oft-times dead and barren in their own Hearts. When in a Society fome particular Perlbns teach exprefly evil Doctrines, as the Juftifying of horrid Mur- thers, or that we may be faved without the Love of God, and direct Souls according to thefe Doctrines ; if the whole Body of fuch a Church, knowing this, do not openly and loudly extirpate fuch a Doctrine by their Councils or other proper Means, undoubtedly fuch a Society, and particu- larly they who prefide in it, are reckoned by God as if they themfelves authoritatively taught and maintained thefe de- teftable Maxims. Now if what A. B. fays as to theJPrinci- ples, Sentiments, and Evils of Parties or Perlbns be exa- mined by thefe Rules, it will appear that fhe imputes no- thing to them falfly. XXV. Another Accufation brought againft A. B. is, that XXV. fhe gives wrong Explications of feveral Parages in the Holy of wrong Scripture,asher applying that ofS.Pau^We know in part foe. Explica- te a greater Degree of knowledge and Illumination than uons °f God will give in this laft Age of the World. Pier under- the Hol y (landing the Words of our Saviour, Job. 12, 23. of his Scri 2 tUTet < glorious Appearing in the End of the World, when the Context fhews it is meant of his Death and Sufferings; her lingular Exposition of the Lord's Prayer, as containing things that we are to obtain only in Perfection when Chrift comes to reign in Glory. We fee what Expofitions the Apoftles give of the. Scriptures of the Old Teftament, and the Fathers, of both the Old and New, which oft-times feem very different from the Sence that naturally offers. S. Auguftins Rule, already mentioned, has Place here, * That whofoever gives Inch a Sence of the Scripture as < ferves to promote the Love of God and our Neighbour?, < which is the great End, tho' it cannot be made appear ' that i *]6 OfwrongExplications oftheHoly Scriptures.Va.xtll. 4 that the Pen- man of the Scripture did fo underftand it in * that particular Place, he does not err damnably, nor does Aug. de --Hie make a Lye. But that other remarkable Rule he gives, Doft. Chr. ferves fully to remove this Accufation. 4 That as to all the Lib.3x.27' Sences that are given of the Holy Scripture, which are 4 not repugnant to the Truth, it is to be believed they * were intended by the H©ly Spirit. That when many * Sences are given of the fame Words, if it appear from * Other Places of the Scripture, that they are agreeable to 4 the Truth and to Faith, there is no Danger. For perhaps 4 the Author of thofe Writings did perceive the fame 4 Sence of them ; and certainly the Spirit of *God, Who i wrought by him, forefaw without doubt that this would * occur to the Reader and the Hearer, yea, took care that it 4 fhould occur. For what more liberal and bountiful Provi- * fron could be made by God in theDivine Oracles, than that 4 the fame Words fhould be underftood in many Sences, all 4 which the other no lefs Divine Writings might confirm: M. Weye- * Agreeable to this, we have a Divine Maxim of a pious ri Effata. C Writer of the laft Age. That, according to the State EfE 1. ' ^at Man is in, fo he underftands the Holy Scripture? 4 if he be as yet in the State of Nature, he explains it of 4 Natural Things ; if he have afcended higher, he under- 4 ftands it of more fublime Things j and the higher State 4 he is advanced to, he ftill finds fo much the more fublime 4 Teftimonies of things in the Scripture. Inferiour things 4 are the Image and Similitude of the fuperiour : If a Manr 4 therefore be in the loweft Degree, the Scripture propofes 4 low things to him ; but if he be placed in fuperiour De- 4 gree?, it points out to him higher things. 4 When Paul fays, Not in Rioting and Drunkenne/s y not 1 in Chambering and Wantonnefs, &c Rom. 13. 19. this 4 concerns a Man according to the different State of this 4 Life, either literally or fpiritually: If he live carnally ,it is 4 to be underftood of the vifible Fleflt : If he lives fpiri- 4 tually, it denotes alfo the Flefh, but a more fubtile Flefli, 4 to which he muft likewife die. But before he die to it, 4 he muft firft live to it; but he cannot live to it until he 4 be firft dead to the more grofs Carnality. 4 It is impoflible that a Man can conceive this fublime 4 Way of Dying until he have attained to that Degree ;' 4 but if any attain it rather in the Contemplation than as to 4 the true Eflence of things, there is great Hazard of Erring, 4 TW Part W % Ofmong v xfli cations of theHoly Scriptures. 177 c The carnal Life fpiritually underftood, is moft clearly c exprefs d in that rich Alan who was cloathed in PttrpLe y 1 and fared fumpttiouflj; while ontheothet hand Lazarus c was lying poor, and hmgry, and nJ^d, and full of Sores, 1 But what's the Event? Riches are reduu^ into die ex- 1 treameft Poverty, and extream Poverty is exchanged for ' the greateft Riches. We ought to confider that the Holy Scriptures are dif- penfed by the Spirit of God,, to afford Life ana ivounfh- ment for Mens Souls, according ro all;the different States of Men, and all the feveral Ages of the Church, to the end of the World ; and as the fame Holy Spirit that endited them gives the true Understanding of them only to hum- ble and (imple Souls, fo he gives them different JLegrees of Light and Notices from them, accordi. ,0 to the diffe- rent States they are advanced to, when it is: for their own fpiritual Profit only ; or according to the diiierent States of the Church, when it is for the fpiritual Good of the reft of Mankind, and when he is to accomplifh the things he has foretold 5 and all thpfe Sences are intended by the Holy Spirit, one of them always being not only true in it Mf y but alfo a Figure and Similitude of what is to follow, and the full Sence of them cannot be had till the Perfection and Completion of all things. We fee an Image of this in Natural Things. Thus the Buds of Fruit- trees in the Winter-feafon are ; very fmall to Appearance, and feerri nothing but a little dry Excrefcence ; but when the Spring comes, firft the. Leaves break forth, and after them the Flowers and Bloffoms, and laft of all the Fruit, which by Degrees advances to Ripenefs and Perfection ; ail which are not new formed, but were originally in the Bud, even in the Winter-feafon, and were difcoverable by mag- nifying GlafTes, fo they are only an Evolution and Difplay- ing of what was all formerly fhut up in the Bud, according to the different Seafons. Thus from the fmall Eggs of In- fects there break out firft Caterpillars and fmall Worms, which afterwards calling Skins, put on another Shape, and at laft break forth into Butterflies, or Flies of their refpe- 6t.ive Kinds, which is no Transformation, but an Evolution of Parts which were formerly wrapp'd up within the Ca- terpillar^ as it were in Swaddling-cloaths ( as Dr. Swam* merdam moft ingeniouQy difcovers ) and were no doubt ajfo originally within the little Egg. So the fame Seed N &2 178 OfwovgExpliaticns oftheHoly Scriptures. .Part IL of the Word of God, which to the natural Man feems dry and infipid, does by the Warmth and Operation of God s Spirit diiplay different Degrees of Light and Truth, accor- ding to the different Degrees by which the Soul advances towards God, or the Periods of Time in which things are to be accomplifhed, the Difplaying of one Degree flill making Way for another. Thus God in his Wordhas pro- hibited Idolatry ; when all the Heathen Nations were given to the Wcrfhipping of Idols, and the GrofTnels and Rude- nefs of the Jewijh Nation was fuch,that they were eafily led to imitate them, the Commandment was underftood no farther. But when afterwards in our Saviour's Days they had afufficknt Averfion from the worfhipping of outward Idols in Groves or Temples ; but in the mean time their Hearts were ftt upon Riches and this Worlds Goods, the Commandment was farther explained, and they were told that that was Idolatry, and that they could not ferve God and Mammon. And as the Soul is weaned from this Idol andadvances to another State, the Spirit of God does there alib difcover to it other more fpiritual things which it is ready to worfhip inftead of God, and fo the Sence of God s Law is difplayed to it, far beyond what could be at firft conceived. So true is that of the Pfalmift, / have Jeen an end of all Perfections , but thy Commandments is excee- ding broad. This, with thole who are not difpofed to cavil, will ferve to clear A. B. as to this Accufation form/ d againft. her. And as to thePaflages mentioned, as 1 Cor. 13. $.&c. tho 3 ulti- 'mately it is to be underitood of the Life to come, yet it is no Abfurdity, to fay that it may imply alfoa more plenti- ful Light and Communication of God's Spirit in after- times. S.Augufjtin, we fee, gives an Interpretation of it Aue c?e rating even co tn ^ s prefent Life. ' They, fays he, who Do& Cftr ' n?tVe Faith, Hope, and Charity, and do firmly cleave to L.i. c 3©.' ' them, do not need the Scriptures except for Inftru6ting ' c others. And therefore many live by thefe Three in the 1 Defart, without Books. Whence I think that Saying is 1 already fulfilled in them; Whether there be Prophecies, * they fhall fail ; whether there be Tongues, they fhall 1 ceafe ; whether there be Knowledge, it fhall vanifh 1 away. AstoJ^. 12. 32. I think it will be granted that the full Completion of it is not yet come to pafs, but is that we look for. As for her Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Part II. Of Tautologies And Repetitions. i 79 Prayer, no Body who loves not to carp, will be fcandaliz'd at it. She fays, ' That in it is comprehended all that we Light of 1 can ever ask of God for his Honour and our Salvation ; ^ e *J° r *y * all the Adorations we owe to God j all the Thankfgivings ^ 0lv * we can render him ; all that we may or ought to* ask of 'him for our felves or for all others : And therefore tho' it contain all the things that relate to our Pilgrimage in our way to Eternal Blifs, and fo may be underftood in that Sence likewife, as fhe does fo interpret it in other Places* yet iince it contains all that we ought to ask of God, and nothing in Perfection is granted here, and God will not make us ask the things which he has no Mind to grant, it is moll reafonable to conclude that this mod excellent Prayer in its compleat and per feci: Sence refers to a future State, which he would have us always to long after, (as the Jews did Jerufiilcm when they were by the Rivers of Babylon) and in which we fhall obtain in Perfection the effecl: of our Requeits. XXVI. Some are greatly difgufted becaufe they think XXVI. her Writings are full of Tautologies and Repetitions, and °f Tduti* without exaclnefs of Order and Method. Had fhe put her lo i> ies . a ™ Thoughts in an orderly Syftem as the Learned do, ; they Re P c(itl ' might have look'd into them ; but when the fame things °^ s . : t y are faid over and over again, this paffes in their Stile for ^ruth S Cant, and they naufeateit. I take Cant for a multitude of chnftfen Words without any True and Divine Sence, and not How- Religion, ing from an inward Life and Spirit, and of this there is By Mad, but too much in the World. But the Writings of A. B. P. i.S. 3. are of another Temper ; and no Body will naufeate them c. 2. and f; upon this Head, but they who have a fecret Difguft for the Oecono- Holy Scriptures. God's Ways are not as our ways : When m ) e ® im we write, we feekour felves, we ftrive to difcover our Rea- vine - p -« fon and our Learning, and itudy what may pleafe the Co- £'.■*' " riofity, the Fancy, and the Nicenefs of others. The Holy ace * Writings are moft unlike to ours, both as to Matter, and Manner, and Method, and Stile; they are not written to pleafe the Learned, the Orator, the Pkilofopher, the Cri- cick, the Curious; but to bring down every lofty Imagina- tion, and tomortifieour Self-conceit, to Comfort the Hum- ble and the Afflicted, to give Light and Knowledge to the Poor and Simple, and to fend the Rich away empty. They , repeat again and again the great and neceflary things of God's Law, to mortifie our Nicenefs and Curiohty, and to N 2- 180 Of her making a Mahumetan Paradife. Part If. beat them in upon us by all means, while we think it e- nough to know thefe things , tho J we are not fo happy as to do them. Now Writings that partake fo much of this Spirit, will not be defpis'd oh this Head by any fincere Chriftkn. JCXVII. AXVII. Some endeavour to render her Sentiments ridi- ofher ma- culous concerning the State of the BlefTed in the Life to king *Ma- come ; and they fay fhe eftablifhes a Mahumetan Paradife, humetan Eating and Drinking, apd Generation in the Kingdom of Paradife. Heaven, making the Earth to become that Heaven, and that it fliali be st Place of all fenfaive Delights Vnto the pure all things are pure 5 but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing pure ; but even their Mind and Con- fcience is defiled. I would gladly ask fuch, if Adam had continued always in the State of Innocence perfectly Pure and Holy , whether they would have called his State a ' Mahumetan Paradife, and a fenfual Life. If there were no ConcupiTcence in Man's Nature, but a mod ardent* pure, and habitual Love cf God, the Beauties and Delights of all the Creatures would ferve to enflame the Soul (till the more with the Love of God. There needs no more but to underftand her Sentiments, to be convinced of the im- pudent Falfhood of their Reproaches. She fays then, That the Earth, and all this vifible World beine wholly renewed and reftored to that glorious State m which it was at firft formed, (of which in the Firft Part) ihail be the Seat of the Kingdom of God with Men for ever , where Jefus Chrift, God-Man, will reign with the BlefTed, both as to his Divinity and Humanity. That Hea- ven, as to the Soul, is the Prefenceof God, and we are in Heaven when we are in God, and God is in Heaven as he is in the Souls of his Saints, as Augufiin interprets, Our Father which art in the Heavens ; but as God has given us both a Body and Soul, he has given us alfo a Paradife of both, the Soul can have its compleat Paradife in the Pre- face of God, but the Body mult have a material and bo- dily one, like it felf : For this end, the Earth, and ail this viable VV orld, and all that therein is, were created, and for She fame Reafon God would have become Man, tho' Man had never finn'd, that he might live with him both bodily and lpii itually, and to make his Happinefs compleat. And therefore he being unchangeable in his infinitely Wile and Good Defignsj he will certainly make, not an imaginary, but Part II. Of far miking a Mahumetan Paradije. 181 but a real, divine, and corporeal Reparation of all things to lalt for ever ; tor his Recompences are Eternal, and will purge away from all the Creatures the Malignity and Cor- ruption that Sin has brought upon them. And in this State every individual Saint being reftored in Body and Soul to the State in which Adam was in his greatelt. purity before the Woman was formed out of him ; fhall pro- duce his like of himfelf alone through all Eternity, from a Principle of the Love of God, and by an ardent Defire that there may be ftill more Creatures to love and praife the Divine Majefty. This then fhall not be a corrupt, luil- ful, and fhameful Propagation, like to that of this cor- rupt World, but altogether Pure, Holy, and Glorious; as we fee in a manner an earthly Figure of it (till in all the Plants and Trees. In the Refurrcftion they neither marry Matt. 22, nor are given in Marriage -, but are as the Angels of God 30. in Heaven. Now what is there in all this, unworthy of God, or un- stable to the State of the BlerTed , or contrary to the Holy Scriptures, or to the Nature ot things ? It is certain none of the Works of God fhall perifh, but all fhall be reftored to their primitive Perfection. The* Scripture tells us there fhall be a new Heaven and a new Earth. Whole Habitation would the Earth have been if Man had never finn'd , and if the Earth had never been accurfed ? And whofe Habitation fhall it be when it is renewed and made a new Earth ? When Men fancied all the Works of God to be fhut up as ic were in a round Sphere, and the Earth to be its Centre, and the Planetary and Starry Heavens fo many firm and folid Orbs moving round about it, and the Empyreal Heaven above all, this Sentiment about the Earth might have been thought abfurd. But in the Age we live in, wherein is made known the vaftnefs of the Uni- verfe, and that all the nVd Stars are probably Suns and Centres of different Syftems of the whole, and aU the o- ther Planets as well as our Earth among which ic moves, replenifh'd no doubt with variety of living and intelligent Beings, we have reafcn to admire the Providence of God in giving Difcover;es to a (imple unlearned Woman, of the State and Habitation of the BlefTed, futable to what is now known of the Frame of the Univerfe, which is alfo fully confirmed from the Holy Scriptures, as was fhe-wn in the Firfi Part - 7 and does fo clearly demonilrate the imchange- N 3 &!; 1 82 Of her making ^Mahumetan Paradife. Part IT, able Wifdom and Goodnefs of God , who having created Man in a Pure and Happy State, and the Delights and Beau- ties of this World for his Acceflbry Felicity ; and the Devil by his Craft and Subtiky having perverted both, and made this Earth for many Ages nothing but Scenes of Wicked- nefs and Mifery ; yet God by his infinitely Wife Conduct and Providence brir^o about at laft the perfect Renovation of Man, and of his Habitation, the Earth, and of all the Creatures, and makes it an Eternal Paradife of unfpotted Purity and Biifs .* Whereas on the other Hand it is moil unaccountable how infinite Wifdom and Goodnefs, who changes not, after he had forrn d Man and this World in fo excellent a State, and both are corrupted by the Devils, iliould continue the Earth for fo many Ages, to be the Theatre of iheir Wickednefs, and then entirely deftroy it. Might it not then be (aid, as fhe expreffes it, That God had created the Ear.h and fo many reafonable Creatures, only for the Glory of the Devil and his Adherents, if he did not renew the Earth, and make it bring forth Fruit for bis Glory. And as to Man's Propagation of his like to all Eter- nity; if Man had continued Pure and Holy, I am furethis would not have been thought a fenfual State. A Power to produce a Creature that is capable of loving and enjoying God, is an att.onifhing Perfection ; only Concupifcence has now fo polluted our Hearts that we cannot think of this, but our Imagination prefently defiles it, and we joyn it to the feniual Idea's that Sin and Luft have brought into the World, and cannot conceive how the one can be with- out the other % judging of things according to our Corrupt Nature ; and we prefently cry out.A Adahumetm Paradife \ Which truly difcovers only the Filthinefs and Corruption of our Hearts, and not the Impurity of the Sentiment, but only, that to the Impure nothing is pure. If there were a Creature perfectly Pure and Holy, and if God en- dued it with a Power of producing its like, this Producti- on would be no A 61: of Concupifcence, but an Aft of the mort ardent Love of God. This is the State, fbefays, the .Saints fiiall be in to all Eternity, which, whatever be of fhe Truth of it, is no Mahumetan Paradife *, and as there remarkable Places of Scripture cited for the Proof of ir. ( io the Reafbn fhe aiTigns is very weighty, to wit, That the. Works of God are Eternal, and his Gifts with- out Part II. The Conclusion. I S3 out Repentance; and if there were no fuch Frodu&ion to all Eternity, a very fmall number of Men would blefs him for ever, whereas fo many reafonable Creatures are become Adherents to the Devil. It mult needs be then, that the Generation of the BleiTed multiply eternally, as the Generation of the Miferable has 'multiplied temporally from the Beginning of the World. And why mould we think it abfurd to fay, that Angels do thus produce their like to all Eternity 1 We fee here in this vilible World that all Creatures who have any Degree of Life, from the highed to the lowed, are endued with this Power of producing their like ; ail the Plants and Trees, all the Beads, Birds, Fifhes and Infe£ls, and the reafonable Creature, Man, both as to his Soul and Body, as has been made appear ; and you know the Rule cf Analogy is ot great weight as to all the Works of Nature. And there- fore unlels we fhould fuppofe God to act unlike himfelf, as to a higher Degree of living Beings, we have all the Reafon that the Nature and Analogy of things does fugged, to conclude that Angels alfo do produce their like, to all Eternity. XXVin.lt is not pcdible to forefee all the Prejudices that XXVIIT. People may conceive, or that may be fuggefted to them TheConclw againd the Writings and Sentiments of A. B, far lefs to An- P m - fwer them all particular!y,in this Apology.] have confidered only the mod Remarkable of thofe which do ufually oc- cur, and have for the -mod part fet down her own Anfwers in this, the former, and the following Parts; which tho' ic has made it the longer, yet I hope it will make it the more u&ful. I am not afharrfd roCopy ; for I write only Narratives and not Originals. IF others write Originals when they pretend to write Narratives , I fhall not envy them. I am only forry that fome are at fuch pains to deter Men from perufing thofe Writings which may be mod ufeful to help them in the way to Eternal Happinefs. If they will not make that good ufe of them themfelyes, they need not hinder ethers from profiting by them j Thou- fands perhaps would be awakened to a deeper fenfe of the neceffityof mortifying and dying to their Corrupt Nature, who would never be dumbled at the things which they carp at, but pals them over. Whatever are her lingular Sentiments, fuch as this lad mentioned, you may look up- on them all if you pleale as Dreams and Romances, but N 4 The Conckfion. FartIL flnce the neceffary Duties or Chriftianity, and the plain. Way to Eternal Life, are fo clearly, fo forcibly, and fo divinely inculcated, and preft in all thole Writings, and no ftrefs laid on thole other things ; O / that the Love of God, and of Mens Souls, and our own Salvation, may con- (train us to the ferious practice of them our {elves, and make us carefully to avoid the being an Offence and Stum- bling- Block to others. O fit ant am ad hiberen: diligentiam ad extirpanda vitia 7 & Virtutes inferendas, ficuti aamoven- dasiqttaftiones ! tunc von fierent tanta mala & fcandaU in ppulo. Tho. a Kemp, de Imitat. Chrift. /. i. c . 3. n t 5, The End of the Second Part, ( i8 5 ) APOLOGY FOR M. ANT.BOVRIGNON. TIM I | ■ . WIIMIIH I »!■■«■ I I I I III I I II 1 PART. III. i— — M— i— — — — — II ■ | font dining the Evidences which /he brings jbatjhe was led by the Spi- rit of God. With her Anfwers to the Prejudices againfi the fame. To which is added, A Dijfertation of Dr. De Heyde, on the fame Subject. I f.^Nthe Age wherein we live there needs no greater I. Prejudice againft a Perfon , his Sentiments , and Pretence tt Writings, than for him to declare that he is imme- Divine in- diatly led by the Spirit of God. This is enough tofP iration > make us rejeft all he can fay, without any farther Enqui- a & reat ry. We ptefently conclude he is Brainfick, Hypochon- T f driack, Melancholly and Craz'd, at lead as to that Point, *'' however Rational he may be in other things ; or other- wife that he is a Knave, who defigns to put a Trick upon Mankind ; and that all who efteem him are as much Fools or Knaves as he. II. The 1 86 Pretence to Dhine InfpirAtion, Part III. II. II. The Wife and the Learned of the World, and from For diffe- them the generality of Men are enclind to think fo, upon rent Rea- different Grounds and Principles. i ms - r i. Some disbelieve all Revelation from God, and con- i Somedij- c j uc j e t ^ as a jj ot j ier Creatures have natural Powers gi- KeveLtton Ven t ^ iem t0 gU ^ e t ^ ieni t0 t ^ ie Enc * anC * Per ^ e ^l° n °f tne i r Being, fo has Man ; and that there is nothing neceiTary for him to lead him to the End and Perfection of his Being, but only the right life and Improvement of his Reafon. 2. others, 2. Others are convinced of the fhortnefs and infufficien- Any fince cy of Humane Reafon, to lead Man to Happinefs; and of ckrijl and the Truth and NecetTity of Divine Revelation : But then hu ^2 Qm God having fpoken at fundry times and in diverfe manners P les - unto the Fathers by the Prophets, and in thefe laft Days by his only Begotten Son, and all this being confign'd in Writing to be a (landing Rule to all Generations, and con- firmed by mod fatisfying Evidences to be from God ; they conclude that we muft not look for any to be thus imme- diately infpir'd and enlightned by God now, by whom he fhould fpeak to us, and that any who pretend to it are Impoftours, or^Brainfick Perfons, who will needs ape what they read or hear of in the Holy Scriptures, and fancy they are fuch Perfons immediately enlightned by God, as they read of in thofe Holy Writings : and to own any now as infpir'd by God, is to render the Scriptures ufelefs, to give way to a Private Spirit, and to all manner of Confufion and Impofture. 3. Both , 3. And both thefe are the more confirmed in their Sen- confirm'd timents, by feeing the many falfe Pretenders to Divine In- fromfalfe fpiration, which have been in the World. The Devil ftu- Pretences ^ies always to ape and counteract God, and fince he can ioDivire ea ^j y trans f orm himfelf into an Angel of Light, he mod: ¥&*** effeaually undermines the True Religion of Jefus Chrift, by appearing to be for it, and under a Cover of Religion, he infinuates into Mens Minds his Infernal Qualities of Pride, Hypocrifie, and Unrighteoufnefs ; and one of the Difguites under which he a£ts, is that of a Pretence to Di- vine Infpiration, and the being led by the Spirit of God. And this he has done in all Ages, both before and Rnce the Coming of Jefus Chrift. lie rais'd up among the Jews falfe Prophets, and that efpecudly when there were any truly infpir'd by God, that thofe laft might be difcredited and Fart III. a gre.it Prejudice in this Age. 1 S 7 and defpifed, becaufe of the Impoltures of the other : And this is alfo one of the Artifices he had ufed among Chri- stians, through all the Ages of the Church, and particu- larly in this laft Age, fetting up whole Orders and Societies of Perfons who pretend to be immediately enlightned and guided by the Spirit of God, tho' the quite contrary ap- pear by their Life and Spirit. And thereby he not only infatuates ibme, but makes them alfo fuch a Stumbling- JBlock to others, as to make (bme of them to defpife all Revelation from God, and to look upon it as an Impofture, and others to be altogether prejudice! againft any who may be truly infpir'd by God, in this prefent Age, tho' the Evi- dences were never fo Unconteitable and Convincing ; how- ever, they own the Divine Authority of the Holy Scrip- tures , becaufe the Convincing Reafons which prove it, have not the Prejudices of a contrary Education to with- ftand them. And thus the Devil is become mod fuccefs- ful in Difparaging and putting out of Credit with the Wife, the Rational , and the Learned , all immediate Infpi- ration by the Spirit of God in .this Age of the World, tho' it were ever fo clear and evident. III. As for thofe who are Enemies to all Divine Revela- III. tion, it is a folly to think of Convincing them that God No great has been pleas'd to communicate to any in this Age, the Hopes of immediate Knowledge of his Will by the Light of his convincing Holy Spirit; for if they believe not Mofes and the Pro- the fi r ft , phets, jefus Chrift, and hisApoftles, neither will they be [ ho eno f b perfwaded, tho' one fhould rife from the Dead. Yet if they )\ e *™JiL were fincerely, and truly rational, and not fantaftically fo, ^ e "a(io°n if it would certainly aftonifh them, and awaken their Confi- tru j y R ^ deration to fee a Chain of Sentiments, fo well connected, ona !. fo agreeable to True Reafon, fo worthy of God, fo (u ta- ble to his Divine Perfections, fo clearly pointing out the Nature and Duty of Man, the great End of his Being, and the true way to profecute it, fo plainly unfolding the My- fleries of Providence, and the part , prefent , and future State of the World \ fo far beyond all that ever any, or all of the Philofophers have faid of former or later Ages ; and that declared by an illiterate Woman, void of all Study and Learning^ without converting with Men cr Books, but living retir'd from the World, in a continual Dependance upon God, and Elevation of her Spirit to him, and in a Conformity of her Heart and Life to thofe Sentiments : alld 1 88 That God (hot* Id immediately enlighten SotdsY&vt III. And if xthey are not greatly partial and prejudiced, they mull neeMs acknowledge that here is the Finger of God. The fecottd But they who own the Holy Scriptures to be the Word cannot f God/' and that the Penmen of them were infpir'd by * bi lnr tim ' xh ^ n ° l y S P irit > that Hol y Me « of God fcake of old time pfible or as. they were mov d by the Holy Ghoft, tho* there were tmpro a- t ^ Qn ^ a j^ e p rop i iets among tne People, as there fball be now falfe Teachers among Chriftjans ; they can neither think it impoffible nor improbable that God fhould even in this Age immediately enlighten and guide by his Holy Spirit, Souls truly denied to the World and to themfelves, and wholly refignd to him. IV. IV. For God having created Man after his own Image, God crea* t0 i ove anc j t0 en j y n j s Maker, and that he might take his ted mnt0 Delight with Man, his Soul was originaUy defignd for ""uhim ^ od>s Tem P Ie and DweUing^place, that he might refide C (df to™im m ltj and $ * c w * tn ^ Light and Love. And tho' Man and the ' by turning away from God, did wilfully deprive himfelf things of °^ this Happineft, yet through the Merits and Interceflion Cod cannot of Jef us Chrift, God has pity on him, and continues to be under- profecute his firft Defign of taking his Delight with him ; $1ood but And this is the End of all his outward Difpenfations to- by the spi- ward Man. Therefore, fays St. Chrjfojiom , ' We ought rit of God. « i n all things to lead fo pure a Life, as that we fhould no St. Chryf. c wa y S neec j tne help f Letters, but inftead of them m A r i ( ^ ouId ufe the Grace of the Holy Spirit > thatthe HoI y Mtt ' Sp * rit mi S nt wr * te u P on tne Ta ^ e °^ our Hearts, as they V* a - i wr j te U p 0n p a p £r# g ut f mce we nave thruft this Grace 1 from us, let us at lead: rrjake ufe of the fecond Mercy. But c that the firft was far more fublime, God makes appear 1 both by his Words and Deeds. For he fpoke to Noah, 1 and Abraham, and his Pofterity, and to Jofeph, and Mo- c fes not by Scripture, but by himfelf, becaufe he found 1 their Hearts Pure. But when all the People of Ifrael 1 did degenerate into the Sink of Vices, then Scripture and € Tables were given them , by which they were warn'd. ' And we fee this happened not only to the Holy Men of c the Old Teftament, but alfo of the New. For Ch rift; 4 did not deliver any Writing to the Apoftles, but inftead c of Scripture promifed to give them the Grace of the Ho- £ ly Spirit : He, fays be, will teach you all things. And € that you may know that this is far better than the other, c hear what' the Lord fays by the Prophet ; And I, faith 1 the 'Part III. ndto, is neither impoflible nor improbable. 189 i the Lord, will make a New Covenant v?ith you : I vviH put my Laws in your Minds, and write them in your Hearts, and they fhall be all taught of God. St. Paul alfo, i to fhew the Excellency of this, fays, he had receiv'd the c Law not in Tables of Stone, but in fleifhly Tables of the « Heart. But becaufe in procefs of time many had ftray'd i from the right way, they needed therefore again that c Warning that is given by Scripture. Confider then what < a Degree of Madnefs it is, that when we ought to lead t a Life of fuch Integrity and Perfection, as not to need t Scripture, but fhould yield up our Hearts to the Holy t Spirit for Paper to be writ upon ; how is it, I fay, if < when we have loft this firft Dignity, and ftand in need of t the lefler, yet we will not ufe aright even this fecond Re- medy for our Salvation. Thus he begins the Preface to his Homilies on St. Matt, fhewing, that if Mens Hearts - • were pure, God would fpeak inwardly to them by his Holy Spirit; that he has done fo to pure and well-difpofed Souls both under the Old and New Teftament ; and that the Scriptures are a fecond Remedy which God makes ufe of becaufe of the Blindnefs and Impurity of Mens Hearts. ¥ . Thus St. Auguftin * likewife makes appear that the Scrip- D ^ c f~ e tures, and all the outward Difpenfations of the Gofpel do r£ ' ^ lead us to this, and that a pure Heart, and a good Life are M ' ' neceflary Difpofitions for it. St. John fays, that (a) In the (*jj h nr Beginning re as the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Xj 4 - 9 ' Word was God. In him was Life, and the Life was the Light 1^. of Men, and the Light fhineth in T>arknefs, and the Darl^- nefs comprehended it not. That was the true Light which* ligheth every Man that cometh into the World. And the Word was made Flefh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his Glo- ry, the Glory as of the only Begotten of the Father) full of Grace and Truth. 'And our Saviour fays, He (b) thzt hath my n\ j^- Commandments andkeepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and , 4 2 1 2 2 be that loveth me [hall be loved of my Father, and I will love 2 j, him, and will manif eft my f elf to him. And when one of his Difciples ask'd how he would manif eft himfelf to them and not to the World* Jefus faid, If a Man love me, he will keep my Words ; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and wake our abode with him. And the Apo- itle allures us, (c) thac tht things of God cannot be known but ( c ) 1 Cor. by the Spirit of God, and that the natural Man receiveth nvt 2. 14. j the things of the Spirit of God } for thy are Foolijhufs to him % 190 Ihxt Godfbouldimmediately enlighten SotthVari III, him, neither can they know them , becaufe he are fpiritually (d) Rom. difcerned: He tells us likewife, that (d) they who are in 8. 9, 14. Chrift Je fus, the Spirit of God dwells in them \ and that if they have not the Spirit of Chrifi, they are none of his ; and that being led by God 's Spirit, they are his Sons. So that all who are truly regenerated, are led by the Spirit of God. V. V. They whom God employs for the Good and Salva- 0/ which tion of others, he not only endues them with the Light they whom and Grace neceffary for their own Conduct and Salvation, he employs but alfo with Divine Light and Wifdom that may make to fa foolifh things of the World to confound the Wife and 1 kings «the Mighty. Elijha, a Labourer of the Ground ; Amos 7 -> 9 Kines a Herd(raan; David, a Shepherd ; John, and James, Peter, ' j * and Andrew, Fifhermen j Mathcw, a Publican. Simpli- Jer. 29! c ^y anc * humility of Heart were the chief Qualities which 26, 27. recommended them to his Choice. They were generally Amos 7. defpis'd, rejected, and condemned by the People of the 14. Age wherein they lived. Above all, they were peifecu ted Matt. 1 1. by the Paltours and Priefts who had the Dexterity by their '8- Learning and Subtiity to wreft and criticize upon their Joh. 8. 48. Words and Writings, and turn them into Herefies and Blaf- phemies, that they might make the People abhor and per- fecute them ; and it was in the following Ages after their Death, that Men began generally to efteera and honour them. VIII. The Part III. nov, is neither impoffible nor improbable. 191 VIII. The Holy Perfons thus infpir'd by God, were far Vllf. from defpifing his Word and the Holy Scriptures j thefe They d*. they could not contradict, for the Spirit of. God cannot fP is '<* no * contradict himfelf; but they {hew People how greatly the W9rd - they ftrayed from them in their Life and Practice. They m ^ 0rcil ' did not 'contemn his Ordinances, but they made appear ^ n J", ** how Temple and all was an Abomination to God, fo lcng / ec f ar ^ as they who profefs'd to be his People and to worfhip him p eop i es ^ by them, did live wickedly and neglect the weightier^/ of Matters of the Law. They were far from making any them. Schifm, or fetting up a New Sect and Party ; but they plainly told both the People, and the Priefts and Paftours, their Sins and Degeneracy, and warned them to flee from the Wrath to come. IX. There were not wanting at the fame time falfe Pro- IX. phets to oppofe and deftroy the Credit of the true, and The Devil they wrought Signs and Wonders to procure Belief ; but rais ' d u f the Truth and Sincerity of the one was ftill difcernable from f a V e Pr0m the Paint and Falfhood of the other, by fuch as were truly ? he r ts t0 °?~ fincere themfelves : And he that did the Will of God %&£%, would know of the Doctrine, whether it were of God, or J£j * whether Men fpoke of themfelves. They who were truly led by the Spirit of Gcd liv'd as they fpake, they required not of others what they did not fir ft themfelves ; they did not flatter the People in their Vices, nor promife them Peace, Peace , when fudden Deftruction was near ; nor did they feek themfelves. X. As God did thus immediately enlighten by his Holy x. Spirit fome pure and well-difpofed Souls before the Com- Itisneithft ing of Jefus Chrift, and after his Afcenfion, fo it is nei- impcflihh ther impotfible nor improbable that our infinitely Good nor impr». God fliould (hew the fame Mercy in after Ages. It is not faMe that againft his Nature, no more than it is againft the Nature the s f tri * of the Sun to fend his Light and Heat through ail where °[ God Clouds and Walls do not fhut them out, for his Delight M^'«-- is to be with the Children of Men. Neither has he declar'd ™J-'Xul any where- that he will not do it •, as for the Curfe de- ^f ^* nounc'd, Revel. 22. 18. againft thofe that ftialj add co the MS M g as things contain'd therein, upon which fome underitand as t e f ore t fa fuch a Declaration from God, as it relates only to chat Coming of Prophefie , fo it lays a reftrainr on Men only, and not on Jefus God, as appears by comparing ic with that of Be/n.4.2. ch>. . 12,32. If it be fold that no immediate Revelation for the Inftruftion [192, Thrt Godfhould immedidtety enlighten 8ouls?axt III. Inftru&ion of Mankind is to be expe&ed after the Days of the Apoftles, becaufe the Will of God , and the Way of Salvation were clearfy and fully declared by Jefus Chrift; if this Argument were good, it would follow that the Do- ctrine of the Apoftles is not to be received as a Divine Re- velation, but in fo far as it contains a Relation of that which was delivered to them by Jefus Chrift, whereas it is certain they delivered to the Church many other things immediately taught them by the Spirit of God. Where- fore from the Fulnefs, Clearnefs, and Perfection of the Doctrine of Jefus Chrift we may well infer that there fhall be no Revelation of a New Doclrine or a New Religion sifter it ; but neverthelefs, an immediate Revelation ten- ding to explain and illuftrate the Doctrine of Jefus Chrift, fo vindicate it from the falfe GloiTes of Corrupt Teachers, and to awaken and excite Men to follow and obey it, may be both ufeful and necefTary. The Jewifh State did no more call for his Mercy , than does ours : Have we the whole Will of God and our Duty confign'd to us in Writ? So had they : Was it that from time to time their Faith and Hope might be (trengthned and encouraged in the Approach of the MeJJiab ? the fame need have we, who are bidden hope and look for his Coming again in Glory, and yet in thefe laft Days there are Scoffers walking after their own Lufts, and faying, Where is the Promife of his Coming ? Was it becaufe of the great Degeneracy both of the Prieft and People, that they needed inch extraordi- nary MeiTages and Warnings from God ? So do we : Ought we to reject all who lay any Claim to Divine Inspiration' Without any farther Enquiry, becaufe there are in this Age many Impoftours, Enthufiails, who faKfy pretend to be led by the Spirit of God, and are not? So might they Were they m Circnmftances to difcern thofe who were truly led by the Spirit of God, from thofe who were acled by a Lying Spirit ? So may we. So that from the Nature of God , the Methods of his dealing with Men, and the prefent State of the World, and of Mankind, this appears to be no impoluble nor improbable thing. XI". XI. Nay, there are ftrong Prefumptions on the other There arc fide, that God will fliew his Mercy to Mankind. vVe are ffrong Pre- forbidden to believe every Spirit, but are bidden try the functions spirits whether they are of God or not. If none are infpir'd '**? h by God, what need is there to try any, but to rejeel all ? TVlll HO it. * * " \fiTg Part III. nov, is neither iw( office nor i»proh r fe. iqf) We are told that in the laft Days God will (<•) pour out of(a)Jotl z. his Spirit upon all Flcjh. And when the Apoftle S. Peter -8. (b) applies this Prophecy to the Ddcent of the Holy fO A&. :. (J h oft upon the Apoitles in the Day of Penjtecoft, he l °> l 7> meant not thereby to limit that Prornife to that Time, as If it had its full Completion, but to fhew that then it be- gan to be fulfilled, and that Jefus being now afcended to his Father, and having received the Prornife of the Holy Ghoft, had flied forth this upon them. And it evidently appears that he did not limit it to that Time, but fhew that that was rather the fit ft Fruits of it, and that it was to be fulfilled and continued in all After ages ; he faying exprefly, (c) Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the / £ \ ^^ „ Name of Jefus Chrijt, for the Remijjim of Sins, and ye ,g *#. fhall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghoft. For the Yron.ifc is unto you and to your Children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call. Which was as it were a Preludium and firft Fruits of what they might ex- peel. For it is not God's Manner to prornife largely and liberally, and to perform meanly and fp'afingly j and the Number of Perfons on whom the Gifts of the Spirit were poured out in thofe Days was toofmall to fill up the Ex- tent of Joel's Prophecy, efpecially if we compare it with and interpret it by other Prophecies of the fame Nature, k will appear that this is a Mercy which God dexigns to com- municate in a higher Meafure after the coming of Jefus Chrift than formerly. For he has promifed that he mil put his Law in their inward Parts, and Write it in their Hearts, •— And they fhall teach no more every Aiayi his Neighbour , Jer. j 1 . and every Alan his Brother, fayivg^ Know the Lord, for they 33, 34. fhall all know me , from the leaf of them unto the great eft of them, faith the Lord. And we are told that the Earth fhall . f be full of the KnowL dge of the Lord, as the Waters cover the a ' llf w Sea. So that the Reafon why this is Co little experienced among Chriftians now adays, is notbecaufe the Lord's Hand is fhortned, that he cannot do it, or that this was a Mercy to be fhewn only to the firft Chriftians 5 but becaufe our Sins have feparated between us and our God. XII. There have not been wanting in the feveral Ages XII. of the Church, fome pure and holy Souls extraordinarily There have enlightned by the Spirit of God , as Anthony , and Paulsen fome the Hermit, and many others of the Ancient Fathers f uc k in ail af the Defart; and in the later Ages, Thaukrus y Tfa- *&'• Q mas 1 94 Thrt God fbould immediately enlighten SoulsYzxt IlL mas & Kempis, and fome other extraordinary Perfons, as they who read theirLives or Writings without prejudice may fee. XIII. It is generally believed by all Proteftants that we are at prefent in the Reign of Antichrift ; and it is generally XITT. ownd by all, That before the End of the World there will The prefint be a Deftru6tion of the Antichriftian State, and a glorious and future State of the Church of [ Jefus Chrift in Purity and Holinefs, state of the without which the Converfion of the Jews and the bring- World calls j n g j n f the f ulnefs of the Gentiles cannot be hoped for. for it. A u the Prophecies both of the Old and New Teftament If. ri ^° V omt at this , and their Defcription of it is fo great & c# and magnificent, that it were abfurd to apply it to any E- c i2. i \ vent nas fallen out already; for in DivineThings the Reali- se. J ' ty of them does vaftly tranfeend the moil magnificent De* c. 6o. r, 2, fcriptions that can be given of them. There is nothing more 19. 2/, plain from the Holy Scriptures and the State of the World, 22, &c. than that the glorious Times foretold by the Spirit of God c. 1 1*9,1 i, are not yet come. And confidering the great Corruption of c. 30. 26. t h e World, and how unlikely it is, that by human Wifdom £•■44- 3- or Reafon fuch a Change will be wrought (iince the World Jer. 3 1.3 1, ^ wifdom knows not God ) there is all Ground to believe Ez-k 3 % anc ^ k° pe t ^ at ^ w ^> ^ v an extraor dinaryEffufion of his 35,26,27- s P irit > Drin g aD0Ut f° great a Change, c. 39 29. c. 47. 1, 12. Zech. 12. 8. Matth. 11. if. Rev. 11. 8, 15. c. 21.2, 5,4, 6,12,14,15, 16,17. XIV. XIV. There being a two-fold Coming of Jefus Chrift, characters and a double Completion of Prophecies in relation to of the spj- both ; therefore as the Preaching of John the Baptift was tit of Eiias tne f] r ft Coming again of Elias, fo many judge the Prophe- to come. C y i m p 0rts a second Coming, not of his Perfon , but of Dr. H. M. fbme in his Spirit to reftore all things. Jefus Chrift telling us Divine (even after John was beheaded) that Elias will come indeed Dialog. anc j re ftore all things. To this Purpofe a very fincere En- Dial. y. q U j rer i nt0 tne Prophetick Stile, takes out of the Prophe- P-35 5>359 c i es anc ] Hiftory concerning Elias and John Baptift, a Cha- racter of that Spirit of Elias that mult renew the World .- (a) Mai 1 ^ at lts ^°^ rme mu ft be (a) that of cafting away all Cor- . 122. rapt ion, Infincerity and Hypocrijie. ( b) Declaring against (b^if.&o.i a ", Dijiortion or Perverfion of the Simplicity of Chriftian 4, $. Truth by proud or politick Ferfons, (c) which will be no (c) Mai. fitlarian Spirit, to rend and tear, but a reconciling Spirit 4.5. Rev. 16. 16. Matth. 17. io, 11. to Part III. #01', is neither impofjible nor improbable. 19^ to folder together the Affections of Alen 1 Which will nei- ther abrogate what is authentic^, nor introduce what is new, but be 4 Refiorer only of what ufeful Truths and Pratlices may feem to have been loH in the long Delate of Ages, (d) And perhaps of fuch clear and plainPrinciples as may five (d) Kings the mo jt concerning Difficulties that human Reafonis fubjecl l8 - 8 >9> to be entangled with. He is that Voice in the Wildernefs , **?• Prepare ye the Way of the Lord, and make his Paths ftraight : Ma ** n -1» that they fhall be of a Spirit fepar ate from the World, and *' c " untainted and unfophifticated by the unwholfom Converfeof Aden : That this Spirit will appear rough and rude to the World \ becaufe it will Jo freely and impartially reprehend the World, and declare the Truth in all Plainnefs and Simpli- city of Heart ; with an holy Boldnefs and ZJn daunt ednefs of Courage to witnefs to the Truth, and a raifing of Alen out of a falfe Security from external or carnal Refpetls, as did the Baptifi, the Sadducees and Pharifees; with d vehement Jealoujie in behalf of the Purity of God's Worfhip, againfi all Poly the fin and Idolatry ; and ujtng only the Power of the Spirit from on High, to oppofe all Weapons of any €arnal Warfare, Chara&ers which one would think had been purpofely defign'd for the prefent Subjeci. XV. Thus then we ought to be fo far from looking on XV. it as an abfurd or impoflible thing that any mould be ex- We wgfo traordinarily and immediately led by the Spirit of God in " ot ta re " this laft Age of theWorld, that we have Ground rather to£** a j} hope and look for it, if God fhall find Subjects capable of it. f^-T 7 " We ought not therefore in Prudence indifferently to reject ^^™ all that come to us,as from God,gwith a Thus faith the Lord, tion a ^ or in their Mouths ; for by fo doing, we may chance to repulfe blindly ta God's Meflengers, and refufe to hear from him that which receive a- may be of great Importance to our Salvation : Not ought ny, but to we on the other hand, to receive blindly all as fuch, who try them. pretend to be led by the Spirit of God, (ince many -falfe Prophets do and mail arife and deceive many; but we ought to follow the Apoftle's Advice, apd try the Spirits, whether they are of God or not. Yet this does not oblige us to go and find out and enquire into the Grounds of every Pre- tender, which were an infinite Labour and Expence of Time in aa=.Age that abounds witi? Multitudes of Pre- tenders. We> are difpenfed from that when the Falfhood of the Pretention difcovers it felf by fome plain Mark or Sign, as the wicked or even worldly Life of the Pretender, O a his ig6 The Evidences A.B. brings of Part IIL his Difowning the Holy Scriptures, or denying or oppofing any eflential Truth of Religion. But when there are no fuch evident Marks of the Falfhood of one's Pretenfions to immediate Revelation, but they are back'd with fuch Confederations, and attended with fuch Circumftances as make the Truth of them probable , we are concern d in Prudence to give our felves the Trouble of Enqui- ring into them, and tho' upon Tryal they be found empty, we muft not think our Pains loft ; becaufe it is better to be at fome Pains in Examining a falfe Pretention to Reve- lation, than to reject a true one , becaufe we would not give our felves the Trouble to enquire into it. XVI XVI. Seeing then the Pretenfions of A. B. to Divine The Preten- Infpiration are of this laft Sort, and that by the Teftimo- fans of A. °y of one of her moft furious Enemies. There are Perfons B. dtferve who have the Reputation of Sence, Probity and Learning, this En- who look upon her as one immediately enlightned by the qttiry. Spirit of God, and feeing the Things that me declares to tis are of the greateft Moment, and do moft nearly concern us, we ought in Prudence to hear and weigh the Evidences brought to make appear that fhe is immediately led by the Spirit of God, and fee whether they be fuch as may be- long to Impoftours or to deluded Perfons, and what Marks are given whereby we may difcern thofe who are truly in- fpired by God, from Impoftours, falfe Prophets, and fuch as either a6ted by the Spirit of the Devil, or the Heat of their own Imaginations. I mall fet down thofe Marks and Evidences in her own Words. XtW. XVII. ' Sufpefr, fays fhe, all that I fay to you as from ASumm of 1 God, in cafe that you obferve my Life, my Manners and the Evt- ' my Actions are not all conformable to thofe of Jefus dences fhe c ChrihV, and that my Doctrine is not entirely like to the hnngs of < HolyScripture j forifitisGod that fpeaks to me,he is un- beingled < changeable, he never changes ; what he faid to his Apo- • fed ' ^ esanc * n * s Difciples, is the fame thing which he declares nt of God. i nQW i nwarc jly to the Soul. There can be no Change in ' God. Lum. nee c Befides this, the Word of God is Living and Operative, en tenebr. ' The Operations that you feel inwardly of my Words Part i. ' ought to be a fure Evidence to you, that it is God; for P- 2 , 3. c ; it would be a kind of Idolatry to attribute That to the c Creature which belongs to the Creator. 1 am a pure No- J thing, but God is All in me ; he teaches me, he acts, he * fpeak* Part III. her being led by the Spirit of God. 1 97 * fpeaks in me without Nature's contributing any thing, 1 but as_ a fimple Organ, as a Pencil contributes to the Arc 1 of a fine Painter. 1 Your natural Spirit is capable of judging this ; for 1 where fhould a little Girl Iearrt all the Law of God, 1 which is imprinted in the Marrow of my Bones withouc * Study and without Books ? ' — If I perceive the mod fecret Thoughts of your 1 Heart, from whence can this come, but from God only? 1 Confider always what Properties the Spirit of God has in 1 himfeif, and the Spirit of the Devil, and do not believe 1 every Spirit ; for this is the Time of the Reign of Anti- 1 chrift, and he has great Dominion over the Spirits of * Men now, deceiving them with falfe Appearances under 6 the Pretext of Goodnefs and Vertue > and transforms * himfeif into an Angel of Light, to feduce the Well«- c meaning. I intreat you to take good heed and remark ' rather the Life and Behaviour of the Perfon who fays he 1 has Communication with God, than his Words; for the 1 Devil can fpeak well of Divine Secrets as when he was 1 an Angel. He has not loft his Lights, but they ferve him 1 for a Hell; therefore he tempts the beft by Divine * Lights, but he cannot give them in Effect the Proper- * ties that the Spirit of God brings along with him : Read [ them with Attention. The Properties of Gcd. 1 He is Truth. ' He is the Way. c He is Life. c He who lives in God walks always in Truth. 1 He who lives in God is conformed to the Life of 4 Jefus Chrift. f He who lives in God walks in Sincerity of Spirit and 1 Simplicity of Heart. * He who lives in God fears nothing. 1 He who lives in God feeks nothing, f He who lives in God hopes for nothing out of God, i for he finds all in him. O 3 '&* 198 The Evidences A.B. brings of Part III, 1 1 The Properties of the Devil. i He is the Father of Lies, the Mafter of Inconftancy, ' the Inventer of Hypocrifie. c He who is of the Devil deals in Lies, ' He who is of the Devil is inconftant. ' He who is of the Devil is difTembled, counterfeit, 1 hypocritical. * He who does an unfeemly thing hates the Light, ' that his Deeds may not be known. • He who is of the Devil feeks Darknefs for fear that ' he be dhcovered. ■ He who is of the Devil is haughty, proud, and de* * firous of Honour. ■ He who is of the Devil has a Deference to none. Tomb, de .' The fareft Mark to know true Prophets, is to remark la faufT f ^ tnev wno ca ^ themfelves fuch are true Chriftians, Theol. ' foce of Neceffity they muft firft be this , before they Part r. c can be true Prophets, r— Examine if they have the P- 77; 78. c Qualities of a true Chriftian, and if they truly know * God. — He who truly knows him, loves him, and he can- 1 not love him without partaking of his Divine Qualities ' and being transformed into them : As God is good, righ- 1 teous and true, fo will he be who truly knows and loves ' him. If we fee in t-hefe Prophets any thing contrary to 1 the Goodnefs, Righteoufnefs and Truth of God, we muft * not believe that they are fent from him, becaufe he who ■ is his Friend is always transformed into him, and par- c takes exprefly of his Three Qualities, Righteoufnefs, 1 Goodnefs and Truth , bringing them forth in all his A Works. ' They alfo are not true Chriftians who are not true Di- 1 (ciples and Followers of Jefus Chrift. To be his Difciple ' we muft do as he did ; and to be his Follower we muft ' depend in all things on God as he depended ; and be * willing, for the Salvation of our Neighbour, to endure c hard Treatments, Affronts, Pains, yea, Death. And if * they who call themfelves Prophets are not pofTefs'd with f this Sentiment, they have not true Charity, are not true ? Chriftians, nor the Difciples of Jefus Chrift. ! —You Part III. her being led by the Spirit of God. 199 1 — You may ask me if I do not believe that I am a true Chriftian \ I wiU anfwer, My Belief may perhaps deceive me ; but if you do not obferve in me the Qua- lities of Charity, the Fruits and Gifts of the Holy Spi- rit, and the Eight Beatitudes, you ought not to believe it : For thefe Marks are infallible to a truly Chriltian Soul ; fo that they who have them not, or at lealt do not labour to obtain them, cannot be call'd truly Chri- ftian, far lefs Prophets, fay what they pleafe. * The Affectation of Defiring that People believe them, is a Sign that they leek their own Glory : For the Pro- phet of God afTe&s nothing and forces nothing. He only declares his Commiflion to him to whom he is fent, as a Meflenger that has no Concern in the Contents of the Letter that he carries. Therefore they ufe to make themfelves be believed ; the Defires they have that their Prophecies may come to pals, and their Ea~ gernefs to a<5fc in their Defigns, fhew that they feek their own Satisfaction ; For the Friend of God acts al- ways with Meeknefs and Indifferency, leaving all the Succefs of his Commitfion to God \ 'and he is as content with his own Confufion as with his Honour, feeking and aiming at no other thing but to have fatisfied him who fent him. c If thofe Prophets were of God, they would all fpeak Ibid.p.76. conformably and alio with Conftancy ; for there can be no mutablility in God ; what he laid to the Ancient Prophets, he fays yet now adays to the Souls which he poffefleth. They can be no new Prophecies, for God has foretold all from ancient Times; but he gives now the understanding and clearing of thefe ancient Prophe- cies to Souls refign d to him. Neither do they bring new Laws or Inftruciions, becaufe jefus Chrift has brought the laft which is the Gofpel, and he teaches all things in Perfection, and what Men ought to do and avoid, that they may return to a Dependance upon God , from whence they have ftrayed; and this fo perfectly, that he has perfectly compleated all the Laws and all faving In- ftrucf ions : So that if any would teach another thing, he is a Seducer and ought not to be believed. ' But when one comes from God to awaken Men,that they may confider how they are fallen from the Doctrine of Jefus Chrift, and how far they are eftranged from a De- 4 \ pendancy 200 TheEvidtvces A.B. brings of Part III. pendance upon God, making this appear to them by eter~ nal 1 ruths and by fo clear Reafons, that all Men of found judgment may comprehend it; thefe things ought not to be rejected becaufe they are good in themfelves, and cannot but profit thofe who believe them, tho' they fhould come from the Mouth of a falfe Prophet, yea of the Devil himfelf. We ought not then to iticklb much at examining the Inftrument from whence thofe Truths came, to know if it be true and good, and aim at God's Glory and the Salvation of Souls. For God makes u(e fometimes of Perfons who are imperfe&l and vicious, yea, of the Devii himfelf, to declare to us the Truth that is neceflary for us, that we may not pretend Igno- rance, or blame God for our Damnation, as being wan- ting to warn us. He therefore fometimes makes Beads, wicked and poflefs'd Perfons to fpeak, that they may manifelt his Will to us ; but we mult not therefore make reckoning of the Beafts, Devils, and wicked Perfons, but Profit by the Things that God makes known to us by them, when that which they fay is good and true. 1 If a Soul be truly poffeft with the Holy Spirit , he diicovers himfelf fuffic-iently by his Operations. He brings forth there always his Fruits, he brings thither in- fallibly his Gifts, by which we may truly know that it is he. Tho' he be an invifible Spirit, he is feen and (en- fibly comprehended by his vifibie Works, and by the Operations he works in the Soul and Underftanding of him who poffeiTes him, which may be clearly feen in the Converfation of the Perfbn who lays he poflefles him. For he muft be Charitable, joyful, Peaceable, Patient, Perfevering , Good, Gentle, Meek, Faithful, Modeft, Continent, and Chaft. The Holy Spirit cannot be in a Soul without producing thofe Fruits, no more than the Sun can be without giving Light to the Earth, which feels irs Heat and Splendour, tho' it does nor comprehend the I ilcnce of the Star.- — There may be Fruits in the Soul refembling thefe/ which are only Senfualities and Self- love, and Moral Venues, tho' they may take the Name of the Fruits of the Spirit, they are vain, becaufe they refpeft only the prefent time. They who do notpof- fefs the Holy Spirit cannot difcern if he refide in another, but by the Wifdom of the lame Spirit, which is known by the Holy Scriptures,without which there is nothing but ( Darknefs Part III. htr being led by the Spirit of God. 201 Darknefs and Ignorance. If we would difcover that a Soul has True Charity, we muft fee if its Works are accompanied with the Conditions of that Charity de- fcribed by St. Paul. 1 That we may give Credit to the Sayings of thofe who Ibid.p.ij. fay they are led by the Holy Spirit, we muft firft fee if what they fay be conformable to the Holy Scriptures ; for the Holy Spirit is Uniform through all. He infpir'd the Prophets of the ancient Law, and thereafter the Apo- ftles and Difciples of Jefus Chrift, as he does Souls living at prefent upon Earth. There muft be a Conformity in Subftance between all thole Infpirations, if they proceed- ed from one and the fame Holy Spirit. All being but the fame DoCfrine and the fame Spirit, in which there can never be any Deceit , becaufe the Spirit of God is un- changeable, always contiftent with himfelf; and no Bo- dy can be miftaken in following what is conformable to the Gofpel, even tho J it were declard by a wicked Per- fon, yea, by the Devil himfelf. ' But if fome one declare fome particular thing refpefr- ing the Salvation or Damnation of any, they muft fee from whence this Knowledge comes. If fuch have it by the Light of the Holy Spirit, they muft believe it as the Scripture *, or elfe they be in Hazard of being forfaken by God, for defpifing the Warnings which he often gives us by fome one of his Friends, whom he makes ufe of to declare his Will to thofe who would not hear it fo par- ticularly themfelves : As he did to David by the Prophet Nathan, to declare his Sin to him of which he was be- come infenfible, and fo many others whom he has with- drawn from the way to Hell, by the Warnings of fome Souls enlightned by him ; as he does fometimes yet at prefent. 1 A True Prophet never feeks himfelf, defires not to Ibid.p. 17, pleafe Men, aims at nothing but to fatisfie the Will of God, thoitcoft him his Life. He fpeaks of his Com- mitfion without fear or refpeft of any. He has no fofc Words that flatter the Ears, but hard ones that pierce Hearts. He declares the Truths that reprove Men more willingly than thofe which commend them. A True Prophet rejoyces more to be hated than lov'd, becaufe he fees then he is more conformable to his Mafter, who J in doing Good was hated and perfecuted by Men. — There ! i$ 202 The Evidences A. B. brings, &c. Part III. c is not a more certain Mark than the Reproach and Con- 1 tradi61ions of Men, whereby to difcern a True Prophet 1 from a Falfe ; for Falfhood always flatters, and (b is lo- c ved by the People, who are willingly flattered, ifcid.p.sr. < The Holy Spirit can have no regard 'to what pleafes c or difplf afes, but to what is pure Truth without refpect c of Perfons.-— And if there remain any doubt if it is ' the Holy Spirit who fpeaks by a Perfon who fays fo, we * muft try if that Perfon poffefs the Twelve Fruits of the c Holy Spirit, his Seven Gifts, and the Eight Beatitudes; 1 fo you fhall fee vifibly in them the Holy Spirit , by his * infallible Operations. Thus you fee what excellent and true Marks and Cha- racters fhe gives, whereby we may try whether any be tru- ly endued with the Spirit of God or not ; and the more her Doctrine, Life and Spirit are enquired into by the Lovers of Sincerity and Truth , the more they will abide this Touchftone : And it will dill the more clearly appear that her Doctrine is the fame in Subftance with the Gofpel ; her Life and Spirit a Tranfcript of it ; that the Law of God was written in her Heart, from whence her Doctrine came as from a Fountain of Living Water fpringing up to Everlafting Life, and was not derived from the broken Citterns of humane Learning , Converfation , Study, and Books : And that her Words are fharp and piercing, iearch- ing into the Heart and Confcience , and far from foothing and flattering the Corruptions of Men. XXVIII. XVIII. M. Pafcal has given it as a diftinguifliing Marfe AiPafcalV and Character of the Chriftian Religion, in Contradicti- diflinguifb on t0 a [j ot h er Religions of the World, as an Argument ingMark f j ts £)j v i ne Authority and Original, that it makes Cha- • .a % " r * tv > or tne ^ ove °^ ^od * ts P rmc 'P a l & n d> a °d Man's chief Tholh Tf ^ utv ' which no other Religion does. And I think it may the'chrL ^ e g' ven as a diftinguifhing Character of the Doctrine of Jlisn Rett* ^- B- ns De ^ n § a true Reprelentation of Chrirtianity, in gion. Contradiction to mod of the Syftems of the Doctrine of Jefus Chrift, which have been advancd in this Iaft Age of the World, tha"t fhe makes Charity, or the Love of God, the great End of that Religion, and the Precepts and Life of jefus Chriit,the neceflary Means ro bring us to that End, and when this is fo clearly difcovered and reprefented to us by an illiterate Child , without the ufe of any humane Helps, and our falfe Glofles, whereby we have perverted the Part III. Prejudices anfvctnJL , &c. 20 j theDo&rine of Jefus Chrift, are laid open to us ; to afcribe this to Natural Judgment, Heat of Fancy, any Humane or Diabolical Means, or to think to confound it with our BurToonry and Criticks, is a Spiritual Infatuation like that of the Scribes and Pharifees. XIX. Now all that has been or can be oppofed to thofe XIX. Evidences of A. B. her being led by the Spirit of God, The Preju* come under thefe Two Heads, viz. it is either affirmed that #&* *- thefe Marks and Characters are not fufficient Evidences, & a ' ln fi heT even tho* me had them, or that they do not all belong to ^ /w | le * m her. I (hall give you then her own Vindication of her felf y.*™ ^'j in anfwering fome Prejudices relating to thefe Heads. 'propofe/ Firft then, they objected that there could be no fuffici- r a J d J cUar ^ ent Evidence of her being led by the Spirit of God, unlefs ed h her " ihe were endued with the Power of working Miracles. In j £ if Anfwer to which ihe fays. ijhexoant ' It is a great Ignorance to defire to fee Miracles that we of Mir*. * may believe that a Soul is poffeft with the Holy Spirit ; ch$ an- 1 for the Devil at this time can eafily do Wonders. Jefus fared. * Chrift has affur J d us that in the laft Times many falfe Tomb, de 1 Prophets will arife that {hall do great Signs and Won- !i/ au ? e 1 ders. And we live now in the Reign of Antichrift. They Tneoi. * who ask now for Miracles deferve to be feduc'd by Satan ; *• ' for what need is there of them, fince God is not to fend ^' ir " 1 into the World a New Dodlrine. The Gofpel Law is the * laft and moft perfect of all Laws. Nothing New will 1 come to inftruct Men, except the fulfilling of the Gof- 1 pel Law, which was fufficiently confirmed by Jefus Chrift * and his Apoftles, who needed then for the Hardnefs of * Mens Hearts to work outward Miracles, becaufe of their ' Unbelief. For thofe Perfbns, Signs were wrought that * were vifible to their Senfes. But now Men are fufficient- 4 ly confirm'd in the Gofpel Law. There are no Chriftians < incredulous in this Point. And therefore Miracles would 1 ferve to no purpofe now , fince nothing is taught but * what Jefus Chrift and his Apoftles taught, and this is be* J lieyed both by good and bad Chriftians. 1 I think you have not the true Touch ftone to difcern if Ibid. p.' 13* * a Perfon has the Spirit of God, when you would try him * by Miracles ; for the Spirit of Satan may do great Signs * and Wonders in the Perfbns where he dwells. I have 1 feen Perfons poffeft with that unclean Spirit who would I have done admirable things, Some were Blind for fome Years, £04 Prejudices iwfmred : Part III. c Years, and recovered their Sight in an Inftant; others * were Dumb, and recovered their Speech by fupernatural 4 Means ; others did hang and flee vifibly in the Air, before * all the People ; others were without Pulfe and Motion 4 for feme Nights and Days , and in an Inftant would 1 arife and walk chearfully. Are not here the Dead raifed, L the Sick healed, the Blind recovered to their Sight, the * Dumb to their Speech, and Bodies fufpended in the Air * by the Power of the Devil > How could you judge then e by Miracles if a Perfon be led by the Spirit of God, or 1 of the Devil t c You will tell me that you would try the Spirit of God by 1 true Miracles, and not by fuch as come by the Interventi- * on of the Devil. I ask by what means you fhall difcem 1 between thele, fo long as you have not that Holy Spirit 1 which would learn you all Truth ? Then you would di- : fcem all things, and would not need to ask Miracles to i know if another be guided by that true Spirit. For Faith 1 alone would give you Evidence enough. When the s Pharifees ask'd Miracles of Chrift, and he had done fome, c they faid prefently, he had a Devil, and that he caft out t Devils by the Power of Beelzebub who was more Power- c ful than the inferiour Devils. Do you not think that the 1 fame would happen now, and if I alfo wrought Miracles, 1 would they not undoubtedly fay that I were a Sorcerefs, r - which were even to be feared ; fince now there is no more c need of Miracles, except to bewitch Mens Spirits with c Admiration, our Faith being fufficiently confirm'd, and 1 the Gofpel Law verified. There is nothing wanting but 1 that it is not put in practice ; and there is no need of Mi- ; racles to allure all Chriftians that they cannot be fav'd 1 without the practice of it, fince Jefus Chrift and his Apo- 1 ftles have fo itrongly affirrrfd it. One muft deny the Gof- : pel to believe that he can be fayed without imitating Jefus 1 Chrift, feeing he fays, that he is the way, and that he who 1 enters by him Jhail be faved, that he alfo is the Door ; and 1 that we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but ■ by him. What Miracles will you require, Sir, from one 1 who does no other thing but repeat the fame Words ' which Jelbs Chrift and his Apoftles pronoune'd, and fays * no other thing but that to be a Chriftian we muft have ? the Spirit of Jefus Chrift, I I have Part III. Firjf, The r»a»t of Miracles* 3o$ * I have done no ill to any Body, nor faid any other c thing in Subftance.but that Men are fallen from the Faith, c and that they have by their Sins drawn down the Judg- 1 ments of God upon their Heads ; that of neceflity we ' muft be converted to God, and take up the Spirit of the * Chriftians of the Primitive Church, or otherwife we are * not True Chriftians. AD thefe Truths are fo clear that * all Men ought to become filent and confounded by them ; 1 filent in that they cannot bely the Truth ; and confoun- 1 ded to fee that they are fo far from God, and the practice 1 of True Chriftians. But being unwilling to yield to this * Truth, and to be afham'd that their Degeneracy is laid 1 open, they will not be filent, but ftrive to reproach thofe 1 who tell this Truth , and tempt them with Foreign * Qu^eftions and Arguments, even demanding of them out- 1 ward Signs and Miracles, as if they were of the Ef~ 1 fence of Vertue, while they cannot give the leaft Ray of * Vertue to him who works them ; for True Miracles come * from God, and not from the Perfon that does them, who 1 is only his Inftrument to fhew to Men that which God c operates. — So that you cannot be affured that a Perfon * has the Holy Spirit, even tho' he fhould work outward * Miracles, fince Judas did them as well as the other Apo- 1 ftles, and yet was a Devil. We need another Touchftone c to know the Spirit of God, for St. Paul fays, tho we could 1 Cor. 13. * remove Mountains, and bad the Gift of Prophecy, all this i, 2. 4 would be nothing without Charity. Ibid.p.26* 1 It is a great Blindnefs to (eek for Miracles, and outward * Signs, that we may believe that a Soul is guided by the ' Holy Spirit. It were better to fearch in the Scriptures * what Gifts and Fruits the Holy Spirit brings always along * with him, and obferve if they who fay they are endued 1 with the Holy Spirit have in them thofe Gifts and Fruits, 1 for then it is certain they arepofteft with the Holy Spirit, c for all thefe things are Supernatural and Divine. * Not that I would exclude True Miracles from Souls ibid.p.i;. * that love God j for they would certainly do them in this ' prefentTime, as much as the Apoftles did them in their c Days, if it were necefTary for God's Glory, who will al- * ways do the Will of thofe who love him in all Times 4 and Places: But I have faid all this, to make appear to 1 you that this is the leaft Favour that Gcd dots in this I World to a faithful Sowl, that it has the Gift of Pro 4 piiccy 2©6 Prejudices afffwsred :Tbat all might be Part III* 1 phecy or of doing Miracles ; and that thefe things ought ' not to be valued in refpec~l of Faith and Charity which 1 unite Souls to God. Thefe are True Miracles with re- * fpe6l to the Souls of their Neighbour,they reftore to them * Sight,Health, and Life, and with thofe Philofophers Stones * of Living Faith and Charity, they change earthly Soul* 1 into the pure Gold of Divine Charity. Thefe are the 1 True Miracles which fhall be done in this Fulnefs of c Time, to prove the force of the Holy Spirit, by the Cure e of Souls more worthy beyond Comparifon than Mortal * Bodies. The Summ of what me fays on this Head is this, That it is not neceffary that every one who is immediately taught by the Spirit of God mould prove the fame by outward Miracles ; that they are neceflary only for the Confirma- tion of a New Doctrine : That fhe declares no other Do- ftrine than the Gofpel of Jefus Chrift, which our Lord and his Apoftles have lufficiently confirmed already : That to demand Miracles now, is to tempt God, and to expofe our felves to be deluded by the Devil; who we are told will in thefe laft Times by his falfe Prophets do Signs and Ly- ing Wonders, which without the Spirit of God cannot eafi- ly be diftinguifhed from true Ones r That they are not the fureft Touch (tones of one's being guided and taught by the Spirit of God, but the Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit, particularly Living Faith and Charity ; and that by thefe the Spirit of God does greater Miracles in converting and healing the Souls of others, than all outward Miracles on Bodies would amount to : And that in thefe laft Times, God will manifeft the Power of his Spirit by working thefe Miracles on Souls , by turning them away from things Earthly and Temporal , to things Heavenly and Eternal. There were many of the ancient Prophets of whom we do not read that they wrought Miracles, and their Pro- prieties were generally for After-times , and not fulfilled in their own Days ; yet the People were bound to receive them as fent from God 7 and there were fufficient Evidences for it in their Doctrine and Lives. Befides, it was no lefs than a Miracle , and beyond the Power Men ; or as he fpoke to Jacob in the Virion of a Ladder, 3°°- upon which Angels did afcend and defcend ; or as he fpoke to Jofeph in a Dream , faying to him , Take the Child and the Mother, and flee into Egypt: For I cfufft not rely upon all thefe things, in which the Devil and the Fancy of Man may mingle themfelves, and make fuch things be feen and heard, as if they came from the Spirit of God. But I fix on the folid Truth of God, on his Righteoufnefs, and on his Love, becaufein fuch things the Devil can have no hold. I have fometimes had Dreams and Virions coming from God, as I may after- wards make appear by Experience ; but I do not rely on thefe Dreams and Virions, unlefs the fame things that I have feen and dream'd be confirmed unto me by a fecret Notice, (Intelligence,) after the manner that I converfe ordinarily with God. For fo foon as the Soul is free of all Image, and delivered from the agitation of its Pafiions, and the Imagination ceafes to operate ; then I hear the Voice of God, and his Reafoning, not with my Ears, but with my Underftanding. And after this manner he makes me fee and hear ail that I need to know both for my own Conduct, and that of others; which many have experience and found that I have told them the moll: fecret things of their Hearts, which neither Mentor De- vils could kilovv, P £ * Never a 1 2 Prejudices anfmred : That all might be Part III. Tomb, de c Never amufe your felf with Difcourfes, Vifions, or Re- la faufle c velations made to you or others, if you do not perceive Theol. « afTuredly that they are accompanied with the Qualities Part 4. < f t h e Goed Spirit of God, or other wife you will be cali- ph 5 7» c ly deceived. Remark always if what you fay or do be c accompanied with the Righteoufnefs , Goodnefs , and 1 Truth of God, and then you fhaU afTuredly hear God c fpeak to your Soul. For if you walk in thefe Quali- 1 ties, you will be in God, and the Devil can deceive you 1 no longer by Illufions, or falfe Imaginations ; as he will * eafily do, fo long as you do not poflefs thofe effential * Vertues of the Righteoufnete, Goodnefs, and Truth of 1 God, in which you ought always to walk, if you would e not be feduced by Satan. Part r, ' The Devil' can give Vifions , Ravifliments, or fuper- p. 60, 70. * natural Extafies to Sorcerers ; yea, make them foretel c things to come, being a fubtile Spirit, and forefeeing a- 1 far, and by conjectures, what will come to pafs, and he 4 may make them fall out by the means of his Sorcerers ; c who being powerful and numerous, may by their Power 1 and Authority bring about what has been Fore told. * Therefore it is fit to receive nothing for Truth, but c the things which lead us to a more flricrb Union with God, c and Denial of our felves. Thefe things are always Good, 1 even tho J they fhould come from the Devil himfelf, we * cannot be deceived in believing them. Lum. nee c I can never have the leafl doubt as if it were an evil en tenebr. l Spirit that communicates himfelf to my Underflanding ; Part 3. l for the evil Spirit could not in my Judgment produce p. 18 f l fo good and foconftant Operations, fuch as the Love of * God, and the Hatred of ones Self; Moreover he could 1 not feparate the Soul from the Pleafures of this Life, ' nor remove from it the coveting the Riches and Honours * of the World ; nor give it a full Contentment in the ' want of all humane Confolation , nor yet Joy in Hard- c fhips and Contempt. All thefe things cannot come from 1 the Devil, for he is too oppgfite to all thefe Vertues, * and leads ordinarily to all fort of Evil ; tho' at firft he 1 cover them with Vertuts. The End of his Operations 1 make appear fufficiently the Deeds of the Author, and c make knov\ n the Workman by his Works. Thus you fee how certain Marks fhe gives whereby to diftinguifh true from falfe Enthufialin j the Conduct «and Infpiration Part III. from the Devii y or her own Imagination. 213 Infpiration of the Spirit of God from the lllufions of the Devil, or Ones own Imagination, and how Men may pre- ferve themfelves from being impos'd upon by the laft : That where a Soul is truly purified, and the Communica- tions of God's Spirit are to the inferiour Understanding, without the ufe of the Imagination or Senfes, or the im- printing on them Images, Virions, or Voices, there neither the Devil nor Man s Imagination can- have any hold \ that the Devil cannot work on the Imagination of fuch, as he does on Wicked and Brain- lick Perfons : That when Viri- ons, Voices, and fenfible Raptures are communicated to fiich, that they may be aflured that they are from God, they ought to apply to him in that inward way in which he is pleas'd to communicate himfelf, the Soul being delive- red from the agitation of its PatTions, and the Imaginati- on : That the Spirit of God brings along with him Peace and Tranquility of Soul, and his Divine Qualities of Good - nefs, Righteoufnefs, and Truth, and his Operations are both good and abiding \ but the Spirit of the Devil difturbs the Understanding, robs it of Tranquility and Reft, and that which proceeds from that Spirit carries always with it the Qualities of the Devil, Injuftice, Malice, Hypocrifie. Thefe are the diftinguifhing Evidences for ones felf. And for others, that they may not be imposed upon by any pre- tending to be led by the Spirit of God, when it may be they are guided by the lllufions of the Devil or their own Fancy \ that there is no Hazard of being miftaken, if we follow that only which is conformable to the Gofpel, th \ it were declared by a wicked Perfon or the Devil himfelf; that there cannot be a furer Teftimony that cne is led by the Spirit of God, than if he produce in them his Fruits and Gifts, and impart to them the Divine Qualities of Righteoufnefs, Goodnefs, and Charity, and by their means produce the fame good Effects in others : That the evil Spirit may fometimes move to do a good thing to draw Evil out of it, but can never do that that is Jult, and Good, and True altogether, which comes from God only ; and tho 5 the Devil cover his Wickednefs at firft with feem- ing Vertues, yet the End of all his Operations fhew from whom they come. Thus A. B. lays no ftrefs on Virions, Extafies, Raptures, or other Sensibilities to which the Imagination contributes, and where the Devil and Fancy may impole, but upon the P 3 immediate 2 1 4 Prejudices anfwered : That all might be Part III. immediate Notices of God to the Underftanding ; and for the Truth of this and her Sincerity in it, appeals to the Fruits of God's Spirit, and the Divine Qualities which he had implanted in her Soul, and by which (he constantly ileer'd all her Anions : And that no Body may be deceived by her declaring things as Truths from God which are not ; ihe defires they may receive them only in fo far as they are conformable to the Gofpel, and then there is no Hazard of being deceived, thofe Truths being fo well confirmed already, and fo neceffary for all who would be faved j and in fo far as they lead us to a more itricl: Union with God, and Denial of ones felf. And thefe are always Good; tho* the Devil mould declare them, we cannot be deceived in believing them. ^ xl - XXI. 3. It was faid, that ihe was a Woman of a fine 3 ' I** f' 1 natural Spirit, of a clear and piercing Judgment, and a ^th iff? ^ ve ^ y Itnagination, and being retired and thoughtful, it •fa great was n0 wonc ^ er tn0 ^ e nac ^ c ^ ear anc ^ extraordinary Natural Thoughts and Sentiments beyond others; all this might 'judgment be the EfTeft of the excellency of her Natural Spirit, and anfasred. not from the Spirit of God. This Thought always readily occurs to thofe who upon the reading of her Writings are convinced of the excellency of her Sentiments, and it was objected to her felf. I fliall here fet down her own Anfwer. Tomb de ' You ought to have, mort Charity for me, than to call ^t, ' me W ! I e -> an< ^ °f a E> 00 ^ Natural Judgment , when you Theol. < judge that / am Proud, for your faying, ferves only to |" * make me more fo. I have always faid, that I am nothing 1 * > c but a fimple Child,* and now I hear Divines and the ' Learned fay, that I have a great Natural Spirit, which 4 makes me lay and write things which (b many Perfons do c admire. — I have always referred them to the Spirit of e God, who produces them immediately in me, and now c you would have me fo Prefumptuous as to believe that £ all this comes from my felf, or from my Natural Judg- c mtntl I mould be a wife Girl indeed, if I had found * out Co many excellent Truths, without School or Study, 4 without Books, and without Mafters. I believe it is Ig- c norance that makes you fpeak fb, and that you know c not what the Spirit of God is, nor what a Natural Spirit j and cannot diftinguifh that which comes from Na- c ture, from that which comes from Grace, as not being imciently advanced in the Wifdom of the Holy Spirit. * lam O'c Part III. the Effect of a great Natural Judgment. 2 1 5 4 I am afraid my Judgment may offend you; but I will make it appear to you, that it is molt true, and that you have not yet penetrated nor difcovered how the Spirit of God a6b ? and how the Spirit of Nature a&s ; and not having this Touchftone which difcovers fine Gold from the Counterfeit,youea(ily take the one for the other : You will needs hold the rank of Matters, whereas it were your Happinels to be good Scholars. To fhew that I have more Charity for your Soul, than you have Ill-will for mine, I will declare what the Spirit of God is, and what the Natural Spirit is, that you may no longer be mifta- ken. I will tell you what Operations proceed from both thefe Spirits, and how they mult be animated. The thing is clear and certain, eafie to be underltood by thofe who will ufe their Reafon, and they who do not ufe it are Beafts, for nothing diitinguifhes a Man from a Beait, but Faith, and Reafon. 1 I fet down therefore for the chief Mark and Ground of difcerning Spirits, that the Spirit of God has this Qua- lity, that he never a&s and operates but for things Di- vine and Eternal, or tending to Eternity ; and that the Natural Spirit never a&s nor aims but for things Earth- ly and Temporal : For all that is from Nature tends to its Centre, which is the Earth and Time, where Nature is bounded to delight it (elf, without knowing or tending to any other thing, but what is conformable to Nature. ' When you would know then if it be Nature that di- rects the Actions of a Perfon, remark only if by what they fay or do, they aim only at things earthly and tran- fitory ; in this cafe you may well judge, that they have but a Natural Spirit, and not the Spirit of God, fince this never a6h but for Divine things tending to Eternity. So that when you fee Perfons labour to gain Money, or to have Pleafure and Satisfaction* in this World, it may be abfolutely faid, they have but Natural Spirits, and cannot thereby find God , nor Life Eternal ; for tho* they flatter themfelves, and fay, that they trade, only to make a right ufe of their Wealth ; and itudy, that they may make a right ufe of their Learning ; all this is but for Time and earthly Things, proceeding only from the Natural Spirit that cloaks it felf with the Spirit of God, for this Divine Spirit never tends but to Divine Things. P 4 Mf 2\6 Prejudices a&fwered : That it might be Part III # 1 If you had obferved, Sir, that that fine Spirit which you attribute to me, had been applied to get Wealth oi to gain Praife, or to Convention, to take Pleafure with Men, you would have had fome Reafon to fay that I had nothing but a natural Spirit ; or if you had difcovered in my Words any Ornament of Language to make me be efteemed Eloquent; or in my Writing any Affectation of fpeaking well, that I might be praifed ; thefe would be all Marks of a human Spirit. — *- ' I would gladly ask you, Sir, if you have ever feen me acted by this natural Spirit? Fir It, if I have ever done any thing to gain Money ? Or, if I have defrYd any fen- fual Pleafures, or fed my feif with Praifes, or lov'd the Converfation of Men ? Have you not rather perceiv'd that I ask nothing of any Body ? For I can fay in Truth, that if they would give me Riches I would not accept of them, for my own Goods are a burthen to me, and the two things I hate in the World are, Honour, and Sin ; the Converfations and Divertifements of the World are a Wearinefs to me ; and if I affected to be prais'd for my Words or Writings, I would ftudy to fpeak well, to write well, and to fpell well ; whereas I have nothing but a fimple vulgar Language, nakedly to tlgnifie my Thoughts, without Curiofity or any Circumfpeftion. And tor my Writings, do you not fee they are without any Study or Ornament, full or Faults of Writing and Orthography, without any human Regard or Reflection, * Do you think I have not enough of Spirit to correct all thefe Faults, and to learn in a little time to write and fpell perfectly, that Men might fee my Skill ? I am far from thefe Sentiments; for I would never learn any thing of Men, becaufe I defired not to be prais'd by them; One would have freely taught me Orthography, another Poety, another the Mathematicks , another the Latin Tongue ; and I defpis'd all this, to content my felf with writing on my Knees, on a little piece of Board, the things that God fheds into my Spirit, without defiling to make any Reflection to fee if I wrote well or iil,or if what I fay will pieafe one or difpleafe another, whether they will be well received and approved, or defpis'd or cenfur'd : I have no other aim in Speaking or Writing but eternal things, without caring for temporal and earthly things; ; no Pretentions upon Earth , but only that of p£a- Part III. the Effetf of 'a gvtxt Natural 'Judgment. 217 fingGod, and ftirring up my Neighbour to his Love. This cannot proceed from a Natural Spirit which is con- fined to earthly things, and cannot aim to pleafe God, nor at eternal things ; for Nature cannot find its Plea- fure and Satisfaction in a God which it does not fee and feel: What is beyond Senfe, is not Food agreeable to Nature, more than precious Stones can be Food for Hor- tes; for neither of thefe are Aliments proportioned to the Nature of either : For the Natural Senfes will no more be filled with God and things Eternal, than a Horfe will be fatisfied with Jewels for his Food, but he loves the Grafs and Hay far better, as Food more futable to his Nature. 1 Even fo it is of the Natural Spirit and Senfes, they do far more efteem things earthly and fenfual, than God, who is an Invifible Spirit ; or things Eternal , which they do not perceive and feel with their Senfes. Whence we may draw a fure Confequence, that he who does not feek or defire the Goods and Pleafures which tickle our Senfes, has the Spirit of God, and lives fupernaturally; and he who feeks nothing but God and things Eternal, cannot have this from a Natural Spirit ; and when you will needs fay that my Writings proceed from a Natnrai Spirit, you muft prove that they aim at fome Profit, Pleafure, or Praife from Men. If I defired to Profit by them, I would endeavour to pleafe them, and to gain their Friendfhip ; and if I defired to take Pleafure among them, I would draw them to me as you do ; and if I de- fired their Praifes, I would fpeak that which they would willingly hear, and would not fay, that they are not true Chriftians : For if I would fay, that all who have vifited me are vertuous Souls and true Chriftians, undoubtedly every one would efteem me, and greatly praife me; but when I do the quite contrary, I fhew it is the Spirit of God who acls in my Writings, fince they aim at nothing but to make known the Truth of God, which alone can guide Souls to eternal Life, and that the fame Writings fpeak nothing but of defpifing earthly and temporal things. There cannot be a more evident mark of Diftindtion between the actings of the Spiri of God, and that of Na- ture, than what is affign'd by her ; the laft tending only to things Temporal, and the other to things Eternal *, and that 2l8 XXII. 4. That fhe afcribed all her Mi fakes to the Spirit of God anfwered* La vie Continue p. 271. I/Avea- •jJement des Horn, Part 2. p. 1 71 foe. Prejudices anfrvered : That (he afcribed PartllF. that the Spirit fhe was guided by had this conftant Ten- dency to God and Eternity, and not to Honour, Praife, Wealth, or Pleafure, or any Temporal and Earthly things, appears by the whole Courfe of her Life and Converfation. XXII. 4. It was alledged as another Preemption, that fhe could not be led by the Spirit of God, but by her own wild Imagination, that they fay fhe was ready to afcribe to the Spirit of God, even ail her Miftakes in writing or citing of Paftages of Scripture, naming Peter for Paul, or the like ; and for an Evidence of this, they cite the Story concerning M. Noel, a Divine in Flanders, who when he rlrft read fome of her Writings, they being full of Faults of Orthography and Language, and not (0 methodically ordered, and the fame things often repeated in different places, tho J after a different manner; he offered to put them in a better Order and Stile, without changing the Effence of the Truth *, but when fhe ask'd Counfel of God, it was (aid to her : What rafhnefs is it for Men to offer to Correal the Works of God. All this may be very true, and yet it does not follow, that fhe afcribes all her Miftakes to the Dictates of the Spirit of God ; yea, fhe plainly affirms the contrary, and that all the Miftakes and Errors fhe falls into, are from her felf, and not from God. ' When you ask, fays fhe, If there be anything humane in my Motions, Words, and Deeds \ This Queftion feems to me Ridiculous. Since being a humane Creature, as well as others, I muft have natural Motions and Facul- ties as others have ; other wife I fhould be an Angel, or a Statue of Wood, Stone, or Metal , which Inftruments God never makes ufe of for declaring his Truths to Men. But the Devil has oft fpoken by iuch Oracles. But God fpake by his Holy Prophets, Natural Perfons as others are, .who through their natural Frailty did often commit very great Faults ; yea, fometimes grofs Sins- Muft we doubt if Mofes had the Spirit of God, and that he fpake to his People by him , becaufe he was incredulous, and rendred himfelf unworthy of entring into the promis'd Land? Mail we not believe the Holy Scripture endited by Solomon, becaufe he fell into Idolatry ? Or ought we to doubt if David had the Spirit of God, becaufe he. fell into Adultery and other Sins ? Truly this would be very extravagant, and render all the Works of God fufpecled and doubtful, b:cau(e of the Frailty of Men. For in the 4 New Part III. all her Miftakes to the Spirit of God. 2 I 9 New Teftament, does not the Apoftle make this Di- ltinction of his own Spirit from the Spirit of God ? When he fays, It is I who fays or does this-, and elfc where, It is the Spirit of God whofiys it. Even Jefus Chrilt, had he not the Spirit of God in him, and the Natural Spirit both ? W hen he prays to his F.ather, that his own Will might not be done. If he had not had a Natural Wi U, he would not have prayed thus. And it could not be the Spirit of God that made him fay : If it be pojfible let this Cup pafs from me \ Nor which made him doubt that he was forfaken of his Father in the very brink of Death : of necefftty thefe were (imply natural Motions which mov d him to all thefe things, and not at ail the Motions of the Holy Spirit. 1 Why .would they then have me of another Stuff than the Prophets, Apoftles, and Jefus Chriit himfelf ; and hinder that my natural Motions mould not act. any more in me, after that I have received the Holy Spirit? Muft I become immoveable in Body and Spirit , that I may move no longer naturally? Muft the Spirit of God. make all the, Functions of my Spirit and Body to ceafe, that he alone may operate in them . ? Truly God would make ufe of a ftrange Figure, againft his Ordinary, fince he always makes ufe of humane Creatures to fpeak to Men, and to make known his Will to them by Organs of thole like themfelves. And for this Caufe Jefus Chrift took a truly humane Body, that by means palpable to their Hu- manity, he might make himfelf to be underftood and obeyed. And the Body and Spirit of Jefus Chriit did acl: humanly. And the Apoftles a6ted in many things ac- cording to their natural Motions , and in many things were miftaken; for we read that the Apoftles being one A£ls 12. night afjembled, after that they had received the Holy 12, 13.6?. Spirit, when St. Peter was in Prifon ; from whence being come out miraculoufly, he k'?ocl(d at the Gate where they were ajj'ewbled, and the Maid, Roda, told them he was at the Gate, they thought with one common Judgment that the Maid dream J d, faying, to her, that Jhe was a Fool. All the Motions which this Holy Aflembly had, could not come but from Nature. Muft we conclude from thence that they had not received the Holy Spirit, or that they had loft him becaufe of fuch Miftakes, or becaufe they acted according to their natural PaiTions or Functions in this Opinion. \ I think £20 Prejudices anfmtei: That {he afcribed Part III. 1 I think we fhould commit a great Sin ro believe any fuch thing, or to fufpeft the Holy Spirit in them, becaufe they are miftaken in fome things ; for thele Faults and Miftakes are annexed to humane Nature fince Sin ; which has fo blinded Man's Underftanding, that he is oft-times miftaken in that which he fees before his Eyes : But the Holy Spirit can never be miftaken in any thing, nor in- fpire things that are not true. And it would be an abo- minable thing to believe it, or to judge that a Perfon were not guided by the Holy Spirit, becaufe he is miftaken in fome indifferent things. For the Holy Spirit does not teach the Soul that he poffeffes all the Circumftances of that which it ought to do and fay ; but he teaches it the effentlal things of Right eoafnefs, Goodnefs, and Truth, in all that it ought to do or avoid. And it is the Bufinels of the Underftanding to comprehend and fearch out the means to attain to thefe Ends ; whetting its Spirit and all the Faculties of its Soul, that it may rightly accomplifli in all things Righteoufnefs, Goodnefs, and Truth. And if tfiofe natural Functions were made to ceafe acting after this manner, the Holy Spirit could do nothing by the Perlbn, who is the vilible and feniible Organ, an In- ftrument of God, without which Inftrument he cannot make grofs and natural Men to underftand him. There- fore the Angels themfelves have fometimes taken humane Bodies, to make themfelves be feen and perceived by Men, according to their natural Sight and Sentiments. 6 Now it is true that God has given me his Holy Spirit promifed by Jefus Cbrift, which leaches me all Truth, but yet it is not true, that he teaches me in particular all the Words that proceed out of my Mouth, nor all the Let- ters or Syllables that 1 write, far lefs all the Motions of my Body ; for this is done humanly by my own Spirit or my vilible Body. For if the Holy Spirit did dictate to me all the Words that I muft pronounce, or all the Words that I muft write, I could never commit Faults in Speaking or Writing, which I do often commit, not knowing fometimes where to rind Words to exprefs my felf well, nor Orthography to write well ; which I have declared in my printed Writings, faying ; It is the Spirit that teaches me the Dotlrine which I write, but as {or the Faults which are in the Pen or the Words, it is I who com- mits thsmj and not the Holy] [Spirit \ which may fatisfie all \ captious Fart III. allltr Mijlakcs to the S fir it ofGcd. 221 captious Spirits, who feek to difcredit the Wifdcm of God, by the Faults that I might have done Naturally; Since the Proverb fays, that all Men do fail and mi flake tbemfelves, and the Perfett are in Heaven, becaufe there are no Perfect ^s but in God alone. 1 And it would be to tempt him, to require of a human Creature the Perfection of all things \ fince this apper- tains to God only, and not to Men , who have only a limited Perfection, eyery one his Talent ; one the Perfe- ction of fpeaking well, another of writing well, another of ringing well, with other natural Gifts, which do not come immediately from the Holy Spirit, tho* he makes ufe of all thofe Gifts, when they may fervefor the Glory of God, and when the Perfon offers and refigns them up to his Government. For Example : God has given me an Ability to compofe my Writings, and it is his Will that I do it for his Glory, and the Good of Souls. Thefe things come in Subftance from the Holy Spirit; but it is my natural Hand that writes it, and my natural Spirit that conceives it, which may commit accidental or ma- terial Faults ; but there can be no Faults in the thing it felf; every one may afluredly believe and follow that, without amufing himfelf whether I have any Defecl in the Manner, or if there be any thing of natural mingled with it, finceGod makes ufe of Mature and even or irs Defects, to teach Men to feek thofe things that are above, and not the things that are uyon the Earth. 4 For all that fine Learning,and (ludied Words', yea thefe Niceties of the precife Truth of Terms, are things en Earth, efteemed by vain Men, who feek Praife and Cu- riofities more than the EfTence of the Means of their Sal- vation, and the Holy Spirit vvill not encourage rhefe Niceties, but infpires always Simplicity. For this Caufe I do not reflect upon theMiftake that I oft times commit of naming Peter for Paul, or Wood for Stone. It is enough to me that I make the Subftance of the thing be underitood, that Men may return to the Love of God. And he having permitted me to caufe to be printed all my Writings, has not appointed in what Time, by what Perfon, in what Place, or by- what Means I might do it. I muif. therefore apply my natural spirit to find out thele Means. I have writ of it to my Friends, and adver- tifed them that it was the Will of God that this fhould ! be 222 Prejudices anfa'ered : That {he afcribed part III. k be done for his Gldry. And if I had not a&ed naturally \ in this, thefe Perfons could not know this'exprefs Will of ' God,becaufe they are not yet fo difengaged that they may * hear the Voice of God. Ought I therefore to hold my ' Peace and not to write, becaufe the Holy Spirit does not f dictate to me all the Words, and becaufe I make ufe of 1 thofe which I fpeak in my homely vulgar Language ? * And mult I prove otherwise than by my Words, that it is 1 the Holy Spirit who a£ts in me 2 They who consider this without an evil Eye, will, I am perfwaded, be convincd that fhe is far from attributing her Miftakes and Defects to the Dictates of the Spirit of God, and that yet it might be very well faid to him who was defirous to reduce her Writings to a greater Exa&nefs, free of all Miftakes, What Rafbnefs is it for Men to offer- to correal the Works of God? For God thinks fit to chufe Tveak^andfooiifb things to confound the wife and mighty, and to make his ft rength appear in their weaknefs ; that when we fee the great and fubitantial Truths of God declared by one of fuch Simplicity, without Difguife and Affectation, without all Human Learning, and the Artifices and Ex- a&nefs whereby we recommend our Writings to the World, we may clearly fee that it is not her own Natural Spirit, that by its Induftry and Application fearches out and dis- covers thofe Divine Truths (tho' its Defects and Weaknefs appear in applying to declare them to the World) but that it is the Spirit of God. And as they who are very intent upon the cultivating of their Minds with Human Learn- ing, are very unconcerned as to fine Cloaths and other out- ward things, about which others are very nice and ready to laugh at their unfafhionablenefs ; fo one who is wholly ta- ken up with the great and fubftantial Truths of God and Eternity, and intent to imprefs them on the Hearts of Others, has no regard to nicenefs of Words and Terms, is not curious to avoid little Miftakes about letter and acci- dental Matters; but earned only to inculcate to them the great things of Eternity. And that this was the Difpofition of A. B's Spirit, appears thro' all her Writings. It may be Jofhuah knew not whether it was the Sun or Earth that ftood (till ; and Efay thought that Hez,ekiah ivould undoubtedly die of his Difeafc ; and S. Matthew that Jeremy had written that which Zachary had faid, and that there were two Thieves who upbraided Jefus Chrift on Part III. all her Mi/lakes to the Sp : rit of God. 223 on the Crofs, tho' S. Luke tells it was but one of them j and jefusChrift himfelf, that there were Figs on a Fig-Tree when there were none. But what, will tome fay, is not this to take from the divine Writers their Authority and Force. This is as ridiculous as if a Man dying for Hunger would not take the Bread offer d him, under a Pretext that he who offer d it was miftaken in fome Words when he offered it ; as that he faid it was bak'd fuch a Day, whereas it was on another Day 5 or that it came fromP^r's Houfe whereas it came from Johns \ or that the Corn it was made of came from France , when it was from Ger- many ; from whence the poor famifh'd Man would fancy that the Bread could not nourifli him, that it was not good, that they who were miftaken in this, might be miftaken in taking, it may be, Poifon or Tares for Corn, or Arfnick for Meal. But what, ought fuch Miftakes to be imputed to the Holy Spirit? God forbid ! they belong only to the Crea- ture. And when it pleafes the Holy Spirit for fo faving Ends, as to recommend Simplicity, the ftudy of Purifica- tion, the cleaving to the one thing needful ; to teach thofe who defire to be enlightned by God, that they mult leave off the ways of humane Exa&neis and Speculation, and of confounding the linderftanding with a Thoufand barren and needlefs Curiofities, which certainly devour. much pre- cious time, without making us well-pleafing to God, or advancing one ftep in his Love, but have rather turn'd us away from it,and occupied and blown us up with thefe ufe- lefs Vanities : That the Holy Spirit,I fay, fhould permit, for fo faving an Advantage, fome Miftakes which regard Acci- dental, Foreign, and AccelTory things, to remain fbrne time in the Instruments which he makes ufe of molt cer- tainly and infallibly in the rhings that concern the way to Heaven ; What is there in all this that derogates from the Glory of God, the Salvation of Souls, or the Divfne Authority of thofe fent by God to guide Man without fail to this fupreamEnd. Th -Difference that is obferved amongftPerfons infpired by God, and fometimes of the fame Perfon from himfelf con irs from this, that they have not the fame Gifts by Nature, or are not equally enlightned, or the fame Perfon is not fo much at one time as at another, even touching Divine Things, when they are Acceflbries. Thus the Apoltles knew 224 Prejudices anfwered: That {he tout radioed Part II f; knew not from the Beginning that the Gentiles would be called to the Gof pel, and therefore at firft they lived exact- ly after the Manner of the Jews. But when God gave and encreafed this Light, they acted and fpoke otherwise; muft we conclude from this, , that they were firft deceived, or that the Holy Spirit did not infpire them, or did not in- fpire them aright ? Not at all. But that at firft it was not neceflary itfhould be made known to them, till the faving Doctrine of the Gofpel were eftablifhed among the Jews. So that we niuft hence conclude only that the Holy Spirit gives and encreafes his Light as he fees it expedient forMen's Salvation. Thus A. B. in her younger Tears had not re- ceived the Light which refpects the glorious State in which Adam was created before Eve, and therefore fpake of A- dam then according to the common Opinion, but after- wards in a more fublime Manner. XXIII. XXIII. 5, It was again objected to her,, that fhe con- 5. zft*'/fc*tradic1ed both the Holy Scriptures and herfelfj and there- Tj^r fore COuId n0t be led ^ the S P irit of God - To this &* I Sri ^ reF ! Iied J ' That thlS Cann ° C be trUe indeed ' if her Wri " turu'and * r * n S s encnted b Y tne Spirit of God, who cannot con- ker.fdf C trad i& himlelf; for God is Yefterday and to day the anfwred. * & me > unchangeable, and always equal to himlelf, from 1 whom no Variableness nor Contradiction can proceed. But Avertif. < jf ner Adverfary would examine all the Holy Scripture T° tr M ' a / cer t ^ ie banner ne nad done ner Writings ,■ he would 1 rembl. « £ nc j manv more f uc h f^eming Contradictions in the Bible, P' " c For indeed there are many more according to the narrow 1 Apprehenfion and fhallow Judgment of Men, who being c earthly and carnal^ cannot underftand fpiritual things, * or thofe endited by the Holy Spirit, and they forge in * their little Brains Errours out of moft folid Truths, and 1 Contradictions out^of the greateft Conformities. c From hence have fprung fo many Errours, Schifms, ( and Divifions in the Church of God ; becaufe every one 1 would underftand the Scripture after their own Mode, * they have invented fo many different Religions; and ' each fays, This is founded on the Holy Scripture : tho* 1 very often they have different Sentiments, and contradict 1 one another in the fame Truths, while every one thinks 1 he underftands them aright. Tho' they are uncapa- c ble of underftanding Divine Things ; for the fame Spirit ' that endited the Holy Scriptures, gives the Underftanding * of Part III. contradicted the Holy Scriptures, cVc. 22 $ of them ; and when the Spirit of Man undertakes to do It, he ftill falls from one Errour into anorher, and lofes himfelf in that great Ocean of Divine Wifdom, which he cannot underftand nor comprehend. 4 — It does not trouble me that there appears to be Contradictions in my Writings to the Judgments of Men, fince they will hardly find two Prophets fpeak the fame Words upon the fame Matter ; and the four Evangelifts do not relate the fame Things after the fame Manner ; Muft it therefore be faid that there are Contradictions in the Holy Scriptures, as this Benjamin Furly fays there are in my Writings? ■ — God commands to honour Father and Mother \ and Jefus Chrift lays we muft hate Father and Mother j adding, that he who does not for fake Father and Motherland all things, cannot be his DifcifU. How will this Benjamin reconcile thefe two PaiTages. — For, to honour Father and Mother, is a thing quite contrary to the hating and forfaking them. And Jefus Chrift fays that he is not come to bring Peace upon Earth, but War between Father and Son, &c. And elfewhere he fays, my Peace I give you, In one Place he fays, Drunkards and Gluttons fhall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ; and elfewhere he fays, that that which enters into the Mouth does not defile the Soul. 1 — Truth is invincible and does not dunge, for all that maybe thundered againft it; but it is the more eftabli- fhed when it is oppofed and contradicted by ignorant Perfons, as this Benjamin, who cannot difcern Truth from Lying and from Contradictions. 1 He confounds one time with another, and will needs give general Rules for all forts of Occafions ; and when thefe Rules are not punctually obferved at all times, he thinks that Perfons do change or contradict themfelves. And if he had been an Apoftle of jefus Chrift when he lived upon Earth, he would have often reproved him ( as at prefent he does me.) For when Jefus Chrift was afraid of his Enemies, he bids his Apoftles buy Swords, and if they wanted money to do it, that they fhouldfell their Gar- ment s\ and a little after he commands to put up the Sword, and threatens that he who ftrikes with the Stvordy fhall be ftrucken by it. — - If this Benjamin had been in S. Peters Place when he cut off Malchus's Ear, he would certainly have been difpleafed at Jefus Chrift, and Q ■ blamed 226 Prejudices anfwered : That (he contradicted Part IlF. * blamed him for Inconftancy and Contradiction , becaufe ' he could not difcern the time when he ought to ftrike, 1 and when he ought to forbear. He reproaches me that 4 I have written fomewhere, that I might fay fomething 1 that is not true, without lying or finning. He does not c consider that there are material Lies which are not Sins. « He would have Words precifely fpoken, which are * true according to his Caprice; for it is a chief Ankle of 4 the Quakers to juftifie" themfeives before Men ; for they 4 ftudy precife Words, that they* may not commit a mate- 4 rial Lie, and they dare not call a Christian by that Name, * without adding as thej call them, fearing to Lie by calling c him a Chriftian when he is not truly fuch.; — 4 For my part I am far from thefe Maxims, for I never 4 regard the pronunciation of Words, but the Eflence of 4 the Truth of the things which I advance. If I exprefs 4 them in this or that Term, it is all one to me, provided 4 I deceive no Body, and that I make the things to be un- 4 derftood which 1 would fignifie. ^ But there is this difTe- * rence between the Spirit that guides me, and the Spirit * that guides that Se£t 5 that they would be efteem ct by 4 Men for good Men, and for the Peop le of God; whereas * I am not concernd how they efteem me, for I am con- * tent with the Teftimony of my own Confcience, and * feek not the Approbation of Men, far lefs will I fay any * Words to the end they may think that I am Juft and gui- 4 ded by God. It fuffices me that I know it, and God 4 knows it j for it is written, He who would fleafe Men is not 4 the Servant of Jefus Chrift. Therefore 1 will freely fpeak 4 a material Lie, when I believe the thing is true : for Ex- 4 ample, I have often faid that I was Two Years youn- 4 ger than I find I am fince I causd one to fearch the 4 Regifter of my Baptifm. ^ I grant I have thus made 4 many material Lies, yet without finning thereby or ly- 4 ing', fmce a Lie is a Deceit or Falfenefs of the Heart tha£ 4 kills the Soul; which I could not do by faying that I 4 was Two Years younger ; for I aim'd not thereby to 4 deceive any Body, nor to fpeak againft the Truth. I 4 have uttered many fuch material Lies. I love ra- 4 ther to poflels the Eflence of Truth in the bottom of 4 my Soul, than to fpeak verbally true Words through * Hypocrifie. 1 For Part III. the tidy Scriptures, and her Self. 227 ' For what elfe is it to call Men by the Name of C 1 ans, 2nd to add to it as they call them than Hjpocrifie, and 1 Contempt of the Truth , fuch as the Jews had, when 1 they laid to Pilate, that he ought, to w; ire on the CroCi 1 of Jefus Chrift, that he was King of the Jews, by adding 1 to it, as be [aid; which Pihte would not add, faying on- 1 ly, What is written, is written; as I alfo anfwer to t'lis ' Benjamin, when he would teach me to fpeak Words 1 which are true before Men : For I know well that all 1 whom I call Chriftians, are not truly Chriftians before 1 God ; yet I will not learn from the Quakers to add to 1 the Name of Chriftian, as they call them; fince this feems 1 to me fuperfluous, and I have no other Intention in cal- ' ling them (imply Chriftians, but to male it be understood c of whom I (peak, to wit, that I fpeak not of the Jews 1 or Heathens, but of thofe only whom 1 call Chrjftians, * yet without defign to maintain that they are true Chri- 1 ftians. Since I declare clfewhere, that I know no true 1 Chriftians, it cannot be understood that I know them c for true Chriftians, becaufe I call them by that Name ; c but I conform my felf in this, to the Dilpofition of thofe * who hear me, and not to the Truth of what they are : 1 Which if I would follow, I behov'd fometimes to call c thofe nominal Chriftians , Atheifts , or Antichriftians , c which fcarce any Man would underftand ; therefore to 1 make my felf be^nderftood, I muft ufe common and 1 ordinary Terms, and pronounce them as briefly as I can ; 1 fince "we muft give an account of every idle Word, I ought c not to add ufelefly to the Name of Chri/l/ans, as they call 1 them, fince it is underftood well enough of it felf, with- € out pronouncing thofe Words as the Quakers do. To make appear how fully fhe clears her felf as to Con- tradictions which they were ready to impute to her, I (hall here adduce one Inftance. l I understand , fays fhe , by Avis fs- yours, that my Writings have had fome good Operation l ut - P- 8 4» in your Soul; but withal that you have found (as it feems 8 S- &'• to you) fome Contradiction in them, in that I fay abfa- lutely, that to be a true Chriftian one muft abandon all that he pojfeffes, and neverthelefs you find in one of my Letters, that a Man muft keep his Goods for his Necejfi- ties , fince the World is now without Charity y and they would leave the Juft without help in his need, %i i Both 2 1 8 Prejud ces afff&ered : Thr.tfbe covtradifled Part III. 4 Eoth thefe things are moft true, and- do not at all 4 contradict one another ; for a Man muft abfolutely a- 4 bandon the Love of earthly Goods, if he would become * a true Chriftian. jefus Chrift has very often affirm' d this 1 Truth in his Gofpel, and faid, that he who does not renounce 4 all that he pojfeJJ'es cannot be his Difciple. I bring no No- * velties, when through all my Writings I prefs this Neceffi- 4 ty of forfaking all things to be a Difcipleof Jefus Chrift, 4 fince Jefus Chrift, his Apoftles, and all who have recei- 4 ved the Holy Spirit, fay the fame thing, and there is but 4 one Truth, which is God, which fays through all the 4 fame thing : So that they whofpeakotherwife, are Liars 4 and Seducers of the People, who flatter Men to deftroy 4 them, under the Pretext of GlofTes , and falfe Reafons 4 which they draw from the Holy Scriptures, without any 4 Ground.- — This I have declared fufficiently in my Wri- 4 tings, as you have well obferv'd and approved as you 4 fay ; feeing I very much blam'd a Woman of Friefland, 4 who was yet careful what fhe fhould eat and drink, and 4 wherewithal fhe fhould becloathed, after fhe had refoi- * ved to become a true Chriftian, as you have remarked in 4 the Second Letter of the Fourth Part of La lum t nee en 1 tenebres. And 1 am (till of the fame Sentiment, that 4 when one relies upon temporal things, and wiil not vo- * luntarily abandon them to follow Jefus Chrift, he cannot 4 be his Difciple ; and that Woman will never be one, fo 4 long as fhe is not difengag' d from temporal Goods : Tho' 4 flie be now gone out of her Country with a defign to em- 4 brace a Gofpel Life, fhe cannot attain to it,becauieof the * AfTeclicn fhe has ftill for her Eafe and Conveniences, * which proceeds from Self-love, being anxious for the * temporal Part, and fearing Want. And I can aflure all 4 thofe who are ftill in that Difpofition, that they are not 4 true Chriftians. 4 But when I wrote to one of my Friends, in the 24th. 4 Letter ot the Fourth Part of La lum. nee en tenebr. as 4 you ailedge, that he ought to keep his Goods for his own 4 NeceffitieSy or that of others ; without leaving them to his * Friends, or giving them to the Poor now adays : I had rea- c fon to do it, becaufe this Man was more difengag'd in his 4 Soul from temporal Wealth than that Woman, and had 4 already refolv'd to abandon them all, fo that his Heart 4 wa§ free to poffefs them, as if he did not poilefs them : 4 which Part III. the Holy Scripture^ anihtrSdf. 229 1 which a Perfon wedded to them could not do,tho' it feems * to him he couli, and he will fry fo wirh his Mouth \ 4 for there is nothing more deceitful than the Heart of Aitw\ 4 which none knows hut God, and he to whom God reveals it. 4 And I had reaibn to advife this Man to keep his Goods, * and that Woman that (he mould not care for the Mor- 4 row, without any Contradiction in my Advices ; but in 4 the Difpofition of thofe Two Perfons whom you men- * tion: Since the one was free to poffcfs Wealth without * (inning, and not the other ; and a good Ph) lician ought 4 always to confider the Original of his Patient's Difeafe, * if he would heal him. For if he ordain ihs fame Phy- * iick for all forts of Maladies, he would kill more than * all the Executioners together.- So you muft not think 4 that there is a Contradiction in my Two Letters menti- 1 oned by you, but that there are Two divers Remedies for 4 Two different Difeafes ; to wit, one Remedy againft the 4 Love or Delire of earthly things; and another againft 4 too great Liberality or Indifcretion. Again, A. B. fays fomewhere That no Body ever was or can be faved but bj the Merits of Jefus Chrift, and fome Pages after in the fame Treatife, fne fays, that no Body can be faved by the Merits of another : This feems con- tradictory, as well as thofe Two Proportions, the one o f St. Paul, and the Other of St. James ; Man is juftified by Faith without the Works of the Law ; and Man is jnfiifcd by Works and not by Faith only. This lalt Contradiction s reconciled by faying that St. P<*#/underfta:nrls that the Prin- ciple which admits in us that true Righteoufnefs which God places there, is Faith ; and that Works are not that Principle : But St. James means that that Principle which admits in us the Righteoufnefs of God, is Faith ; but that Faith is not deftitute of Works, for if Faith were without Works, it were a dead Faith , which would jafiirie no Body. Thus thefe have no Contradiction, and yet are har- der to reconcile than any Paflases of the Writings of A. B. Thus as to the forecited Paffige , when fhe fays, that no Body is faved but by the Merits of Jefns Chrift , her meaning is, that jefjs Chrift is the Author and meritori- ous Caufe of the Salvation of Men, who will accept of this Salvation by the ways that God teaches them ; and when fhe (ays, that no Body can be faved by the Merits of another^ this fignifies that none who wiil not co- operate to their Salvation by the ways that God pre bribes them, c. n be Q^ 3 iavcd 2 3 XXIV. 6 That the predictions fat down in her Wrl tings did not corns to pafs. /in f wed. Joh. a Cruce. Afcenfus Montis Carmeli. Lib. 2. Cap. 19, ao. Prejudices an/wired : That thtPrtditiionsY&xt III. faved by the Merits of Jefus Chrift, or that the Merits of Jefus Chrift will not fave thofe who will not follow the way of Salvation. Thus you fee how eafte it is for critical and captious Spi- rits to find Contradictions where there are none j that the Holy Scriptures themfelves have many feeming Contra- dictions, tho' none in Truth j that they who are led by the Spirit of God write in great Simplicity, regarding the Effence and Subftance of divine Truths, and not the nice- nefs of Terms 5 and how captious Spirits may mifinter- pret them ; and divine Truths had need to be read andcon- fidered with the fame Spirit that dictates them , at leaft with a (ingle Eye ; for to an evil Eye they look as the Cloud which guided the Israelites did appear to the £gyp- tian'/j tho 3 ir was all Light to. the firft, yet to the kit it was all Darknefs and Confudon. XXIV. 6. It is farther objected , If thefe Communi- cations are from God, how comes it that they have not their AccOimplimaieht, according as it was promised to her. The Apoftls foretold that in the la(t Days there Jhould come Scoffers walQpg after their own Lufts, and faying, Where is the Bromifi of his Coming* For fince the Fathers fell afleep, all things coninue as they were fince the Beginning of the Creation. For the removal of this Prejudice, there is ad- duced an excellent PaiTage of a Devout Author, which I fhall tranferibe here like wife, fince it gives fo great Light in this Matter. ' The Virions and Words of God, fays that Author, tho' ' they are always true and certain in themfelves, yet are 1 not always fo after our way of underftanding them, and * that for Two Reaibns, the one proceeds from the Imper- 1 feclion of our way of underftanding them ; and the o- c ther from the Reafons and Grounds upon which the di- * vine Words and Virions are eftablifTi'd ; for oft-times 6 they are Comminations, and of a conditional Nature, or * Condition; for Example, that iuch fhall amend, fuch a £ thing (hall be done ; tho' neverthelefs the divine Word, * to take it in the Letter, is abfolute, and does not exprefs < this Condition. Thefe two things I prove by Authorities * of Holy Scripture. * Firft, it is evident that the Word of God is not always, c and does not alway scome to pafs, after our way of under- * (landing it,becaufe of the weaknefs and imperfe&ionof our 1 Underftanding. Part HLfet down in her Writings dil not comt to pafs 1 5 1 Underftanding. For God being Immenfe and Profound, it is no wonder that in his Words and Revelations then} is ordinarily a fenfe and meaning far beyond our com- mon way of conceiving them , and which fhall be fo much the more true and certain in themfelves, the lefs probability and certainty th- Teem to us to have. We rind very often in the Scripture that the Ancients found many of the Divine Words and Prophecies to fall out quite otherwife than they conceiv'd and hop'd for after their grofs way of underftanding them: For Example. 4 God faid to Abraham, after he had led him into the Land of thzCanaawitesJ will give thee this Land. Gen. 13. ' 15, 17. and he often repeats this to him; neverthelels Abraham waxed Old, and God did net give it to him : therefore when God faid to him the fame Words once again , Abraham feeing no erfe^t of them , ask'd him, Lord, whereby [ball I know that I Jhall inherit fr\ Gtn 15. 7,8. Then God made known to him, that it was not his Perfon .that fhould pofTefs that Land, but his Chil- dren and Pofterity, and that not till after 400 Years. Abraham thereby underftood that God's Promife was mod true in it lelf, becaufe God giving it to his Children, and that out of Love to him, this was to give it to him- felfi Abraham was therefore miftaken in his way of conceiving it, and if he had a&ed at firft according to his way of underftanding that Promife , he might have really deceived himfelf, the Promife not being expreOy annext to that time. And they who had feen Abraham die without pofleiTing that Land, after that God had pro- mised it to him, might have remained confounded, and believed that it was falfe. 4 This alfo befell Jacob , when J'feph made him come from Canaan to Egypt, with ail his Houfe, to lave him from the general Famine ; God appear'd to him in the way, and faid to him, Fear not Jacob, go down into Egypt ', I will go with thee, and I will fur el) bring thee up again, Gen. 46. 3, 4. Yet this came not to pafs, as we would have taken it, after our way of conceiving things ; for we know Jacob died there : It was irt his Pofterity that this was to be accomplifrfd, and it was long after that God brought back his Race. Now he who had known whilft Jacob liv'd, that God had made this Pro- mife to him j would without doubt have b.liev'd and Ct4 [ though^ 2 j 2 Prejudices anfivered : That the VrtcliBlonsYzxx. III # ' thought that Jacob going down to Egypt in Life, muft e by the Favour of God come out of it in Life alfo. Yet 1 he would have been miftaken, and would have wonder'd ' to fee him die in Egypt without feeing any Accomplifh- * ment of what he might have hoped for. We may there- 1 fore be miftaken in the Words of God, which yet are 1 mod true in themfelves. 4 We read in the Hiftory of the Judges, that all the ( Tribes of Ifrael being affembled to fight againft Ben- c jamin, and to punifh a Crime to which they had con- * fented, God having appointed who fhould fight firft, £ they were Co perfwaded of the Victory, that having been 1 defeated with the lofs of 22000 of their Men,, they were * greatly aftonifh'd at it, and wept before the Lord till Mid- c night ; for they could not conceive, how having looked on 1 the Victory as fo certain, they fhould be fo greatly de- * feated. And having ask'd, if they fhould fight again } c And God having anfwered them, ifes ; they reckoned at c this time the Victory to be altogether certain : But being 1 put to flight again with the lofs of 18000 Men , they £ were fo amazed that they knew not what to think of it, c when they faw that with 40000, and withal the exprefs c Command of God, they could not ftand before 26000. € But they were miftaken in their way of conceiving God's c Word, who would needs chaftife and humble them, by 1 allowing them to fight, yet without promising them the c Victory, except at the third time, when they overcame, € but with much pains, and a ftratagem which they be- * hov'd to make ufe of. * After this and many other ways, it falls out that Souls € deceive themfelves, as to the Revelations and Word of * God, taking it too literally. Gods main defign when 1 he fpeaks, is to fhew and give the Spirit which is con- ■ tain'd and hid under thefe Words, which Men after their £ way of conceiving do not fo eafily comprehend, for it is c much more ample than the Letter, beyond its Bounds 1 and Extraordinary. So that whofoever will tie himfelf * to the Letter of God's Word, and to the Appearances of * the divine Vilions, do what he will, he cannot mifs to be ( much miftaken, and to come fhort of, and be confoun- 1 ded as to the full and true meaning, becaufe he has fol- * lowed his way of conceiving, and has not given place to c the Spirit, emptying himfelf of his own Sentiment ; the 'Letter Part lll.fet down in her Writings did not come to pafs. 2 J J Letter kith, f*J* St. Paul, bat the Spirit quickneth. On a Cor.3.6. this Occafion therefore, we ought to loofe our felves from the Letter, and yield to a Faith , which will make our Sentiments pafs for Darknefs : For this Faith finds the Spirit, which Senfe cannot comprehend. For this Caufe, the Sayings and Predictions of the Prophets did not fucceed to many of the Children of Jjrael according to their Hope, for they took them too much in the Let- ter; and becaufe they came not to pafs as they under- ftood them, they afterwards defpis'd them, and would no longer believe them, fo as to mock and make a by- Word of what the Prophets faid to them. Even Jeremy him- felf thought he was much miftaken, when he faw not the Effect of the p,ood Promifes that God had made to his People ; Ah ! Lord God, furely thou haft greatly de-J e *- 4- I3 - ceived this People, and Jerufalem, faying, Te {hall have Peace, whereas the Sword reacheth unto the Soul. The fame Difficulty of not being able to comprehend the Word of God, according to our way of conceiving it, befel the very Difciples of Jefus Chrift, who had con- versed with him, they were miftaken and thought them- felves deceived , witnefs the two, who after his Death, going to Emmaus fad and without hope, faid, Wetrufied Luke 24. that it had been he who fhottld have redeemed Ifrael, and be- 2I » fide all this, to Day is the third Day fince thefe things were done. And even when Jefus Chrift afcended into Heaven, fome ask'd him, if at this time he would reftore Ifrael. ^ s *• "• The Holy Spirit makes many things be faid in another Senfe than Men underftand it, as in what he mzdcCaiphas fay, concerning Jefus Chrift, that it was expedient that one J°" n l u Man Jkoxld die, that the whole People perifh not \ which he fpoke not of himfelf, and underftood in another manner, and for a quite different end than that of the Holy Spirit. 4 Thus we fee we may be eafily miftaken by our way of underftanding the Words and Revelations of God. They are an Abyfs and Depth of Spirit, which our na- tural Senfe cannot comprehend. We muft free our Mind from our way of conceiving things, and place it in the Liberty of a Faith which may make it reckon its own ways of conceiving obfcure and dark. There we fhali receive the Abundance of the Spirit, Wifdom, and Un- derftanding proper for conceiving aright the Words oi God, which no Man that is not Spiritual can compre- * hend> 2 J 4 Prejudices anfrvercd : That tber^rzdictions Part III. hend or judge of, they being Divine. He cannot judge even reafonably of them, and if he judge of them accor- ding to the outfide, he is not Spiritual : For tho 5 they be covered with this outride, yet he cannot underftand them; as St. Paul fays, that the natural Man does not conceive the things -which are of the Soirit of God, for they are foolifbnefs to him, and he cannot under ft and them, becaufe they are Spiritual : But the fpiritual Man difcerns all things. It is a rafhnels therefore to give our ielves the Liberty to treat of Divine things by a way of comprehending them naturally, when they require a Difcerning that is Super- natural to Senfe. * Let us conceive this alfo by fome Examples : Suppofe a Holy Perfon fees he is persecuted by his Enemies, and God fays to him, / "will deliver thee from them all, (lee Jer. i, 1 9. J this Prophecy may be true , tho' his Ene- mies kill him, (as it happened to that Prophet :) there- fore he who fhould underftand this Prediction in a tem- poral way , fhould be deceived ; for God might have fpoken of the true and chief Deliverance and Victory, which is Salvation, by which the Soul is victorious and delivered from all its Enemies, in a far more true and profitable way than the temporal and outward Delive- rance. And in this Senfe, that Prediction was more true and ample, than the Man would have conceived it to be, if he underftood it only for this temporal Life • For the Words of God do comprehend always the principal and moft ufeful Senfe, and Man may underftand them af- ter his way according to the lefs principal Senfe, and Co be miftaken. (Add, that if a Perfon to whom God has given fuch a Promife, be the Head of a Family or Society, bodily or fpiritual , the Promife may concern his Chil- dren, or thofe aflbciated with him bodily, and may be fulfilled in them, tho' as to the Death of the Head, the Promife is annihilated.) Even fo if a Soul defiring to die a Martyr for?God, receive this Word from him, Thou fhalt be a Martyr, it may fall out that the Perfon fhall not die a a Martyr, and yet the Promife remain true ; for it will be accompliflid according to the principal and elTential part, God giving him the Love and Recom- pence of Martyrdom, making him a Martyr of Love, gi- ving him a Martyrdom lengthned out in Labours, the continuance of which will be more troublefome than I Deathc Part lU.ftt dwn in her Writings did not come to psfs. 2 ] 5 Death. In which he will accomplifh both the defireof the Soul, and his own Promife ; for the defire of the Soul was not (imply that kind of Death, which of it felf would fignihe nothing without God s Friendfhip j but to render to God the Service and the Love of a Martyr : The other, becaufe God will give molt perfectly the Reality and Rccompence of this, the' by other means. God has promifed to fulfil the Defire of the Righteous, be- caufe their Defires are juft and true, If therefore God do not fulfil them during this temporal Lite, it is cer- tain he will do it after this Life, and in a moll; perfect manner ; fo that the Promifes do (till remain molt true. 1 The fecand Caufe why divine Words and Y 7 ifions, tho* always true in themfelves, yet neverthelefs are not al- ways certain as to us, is becaufe of the Reafons, Motives, and Grounds upon which they are built, fince they may change, the EfTecl: does not follow. We muft therefore be- lieve that thefe things will infallibly come to pafs, fo long as that fhall remain which moves and incites God : for Example, to punifh, as if God (aid, Within a Tear I will fend fuch a Plague upon this Kingdom y the Ground of this Threatning is a certain Tranigreffion which they com- mit in this Kingdom againlt God. If therefore the TranfgrefTion ceafe or vary , the Punifhment may alfo ceafe or be changed. Neverthelefs the Threatning was true, forafmuch as it was founded on an actual Fault, and it would have been executed, if the Offence had continued. This appears in what happened to the City of Ninevah y whither God fent the Prophet Jonah to de- nounce from him y Tet Forty Days, and Ninevah Jh*ll be deftroyed. Which neverthelefs was not fulfilled , be- caufe the Caufe of this Threatning ceas'd, which was the Sins of the People , who immediately repented ; other- wife this Denunciation from God would certainly have taken efte6t. The fame thing as to the matter of divine Threatning we fee in King Ahab y whom God threatned by the Prophet Elias with a great Judgment, Him, his Houfe, and Kingdom. But becaufe he rent his Gar- ments with Grief, covered himfelf with Sackcloth s fafted and lay in Sackcloth and Afhes, humbled and af- flicted himfelf, God immediately tells him by the fame Prophet, that he would not fend that Evil in his Days. Where we fee , becaufe Ahab changed , the Threatning and Sentence of God ceas'd alfo, * From 2 J 6 Prejudices anfrvered: That the Predictions Part III. ' From hence we muft conclude, that tho* God reveal or * fpeak affirmatively to a Soul any thing in Good or Evil 1 concerning it felf or others j this may change more or lefs, c or none at all, according to the Change of the Affection or c Difpofition of that or thefe Souls, and according to the c Caufe and Reafoo that God looks to ; and this will not be 1 fulfilld after the Manner that we look forit,even without 1 knpwingfometimes wherefore, but God only knows. For * tho J he fay, and teach, andpromiie things many times, * this is not that they are to be underftood, received » or c pofTeffed at the fame time, but that they are to be after- c wards underftood, or when it fhall be fit to give Clea'r- c nefs in them, or when the Effect: fhall follow ; as this c fell out often even to the Difciples of Jefus Chrift, of Job. 1 2. 16 t w h om $ p jgto f ays . ihefe things underftood not his Di- 1 fiip/es at the fir ft , but when Jefus was glorified, then remem- 1 bred they that thefe things were written of him. There 1 may pafs many particular things after this Manner, which 4 cannot be underftood before their Time. 4 To fhew this in the Matter of the Promifes of God, 1 which are not fulfilled to thofe to whom they were made * for want of good Difpofirionsj we read in the Book of 4 the Kings, that God being provoked againft the High- 4 Prieft Eliy becaufe of the Sins of his Children whom he 4 did not correct, (ent to tell him thefe Words by Samuel; i Sam.20. i J faid, indeed, that thy Houfe and the Houfe of thy Father 3**. < fhouldwalh^ before me for ever, (as to the Priefthood ) but 4 now the Lord faith, be it far from me. For this Office be- 4 ing founded on this, that he ought to glorifieand honour 1 God, and God having promifed the Continuance of it to * him upon the fame Ground , prefuppofing that on his 4 Part he would not be wanting in his Duty, it came to 4 pals that Eli coming Ibort in his Zeal for Gods Honour, * who, as the Lord complains of him, honoured his Sons 4 more than God him felf, diftembling their Sins for fear of ■ dishonouring them; it fell out, I fay, that Gods Pro- * mife failed him alfo, which would have been firm, if they * had remained firm in their Piety. 4 We muft not therefore think that Divine Vifions and 4 Revelations, tho 5 true in themfelves, ought to fall outin- 4 frllibly as they found, particularly when by the Order of 4 God they depend upon human things, which may vary, I change, be omitted, or not. Now God knows when Re- * velations Part III. ftt down in her Writings d'd not ccme topafs. 237 velations are thus annex'd to Conditions and Difpoiitions which depend upon Men, and he does not always difcover it, and oftentimes he fpeaks or reveals the Thing without faying any thing of the Condition, as he did to the Nine- vites, to whom he foretold determinately, that they fhould perifh within Forty Days. Sometimes alfo God declares this Condition, as he did to Roboam : Jf thou keep my Commandments as my Servant David, / alfo will be with thee, and mil build thee a ft able Houfe as J did to David. 1 But whether he declare thefe Conditions or not, it ap- pears by what has been faid hitherto, that we cannot be allured by the natural Way of Perceiving,that we are not miftaken in the Underftanding of Divine Revelations. They will fay, it may be, Why then does God commu- nicate them ? It is to make them be underftood in their Time, by the Order of him who has told them ; and he fhall conceive them to whom it fhall pleafe God to give the Underftanding of them [yea, even thofe fhall fee the Ratification of them who fhall be in the Difpofitions re- quifire and annex'd to thofe Declarations.] Laying afide this, People expofe themfelves to great Dangers of Error and Confufion, when they will needs judge determinately and abfolutely of them, by what feems and appears ac firft outwardly of them. 1 The Prophets knew this very well, they who had God's Word in their Mouth, and to whom it was heavy and grievous to carry it to the People ; becaufe a great Pare of the Predictions did not fall out according to theSence of the Letter [nor fo foon as they look'd for them] which made the Prophets fo ridiculous, that Jeremy faid, I am in - Deri (ion daily, every one mocketh me ; for fine e I fpahe, /J er ' a6 - ©» cried fit, J cried Violence and Spoil) but the Word of the Lord was made a Reproach unto me, and a Deri (ion daily. Then I faid 1 will not make mention of him, nor fpeal^ any more in his Name. And the Reafon why Jonah fled when God lent him to denounce the Deftru&ion of Ninevah, was, that he could not comprehend afluredly the Truth of the Divine Words, ncr determinately un- derftand their Sence. So for fear they fhould mock at him, if this Prophecy came not to pafs, he chofe rather to flee than to prophefie ; and having prophefied, he abode [ forty Days without the City, to fee if his Prophecv ' fhould 2j8 Jon. 4. 2 Avertif. contr. fe TVembl. h 96. XXV. that jhe 3j?.f s impo- fed upon by lmpoJlors t is no Argu- ment that Jhe had not the Spirit of God. Prejudices an/n ercd : Part III. c fhould be fulfilled ; which when it was not, he was fo far • ' grieved, as to fay to God in his Complaint ; I pray thee, 1 O Lord) was not this my Saying when I was jet in my 4 Country ? Therefore 1 fled before unto Tarfhifh, for I know 1 that thou art a Gracious God and a Merciful. And the * Saint being grieved, prayed to God that he would take * him out of this World. Muft we therefore be aftoniflVd * if the things that God reveals to his Friends do not fall * out as they might have conceived them, and far lefs as * others underftood them ? For fuppofe God declare unto * them fome Good or Evil for them or others ; if thefe * things are founded on certain Difpofitions of Spirit, the * Obedience of thofe Souls as to God, and a certain Per- * feverance, and that this muft fail out upon thefe Con- * ditions ; yet it is not certain for this, that the Event fhall * fail out as the Words found, fo long as the Condition and * Perfeverance are uncertain and do not appear. Here is more than fufficient for folving all the Difficul- ties that may occur in the Writings of A. B. as to any Pre- dictions. And as to the Promifes and Declarations of God how abfolute foever they may feem in Words , yet the Completion of them is not to be look'd for, when there is not a Correfpondence by an entire Converfion unto God, in thofe to whom they are given. God does not retract his Promifes, but he leaves them to whom they were gi- ven, takes his Talents from them to give them to others, till he find fuch as will profit by them. A. B. has decla- red all that has been faid on this Head, in Two or Three Lines. ' God, fays fhe 7 is always True and cannot Lie: ' But Men do not underftand his Language,or do not know 1 the Time of his Predictions, or they hinder the Effect of * his Promifes by their Sins or Indifpofitions. XXV. In the laft Place it is given as an Inftance that A. B. was not led by the Spirit of God, and that fhe had not the Gift of Difcerning if Spirits were of God or not, in that fhe was deceived for many Years by S. «SW/>»,and others. It is to be considered, that the Holy Spirit does not confer his Gifts upon thofe in whom Self-will does yet reign, and who are guided by it, but on thofe only who are dead to their own Wills. When thefe are endued with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, they do not exercife them accor- ding to their own Will, or as they pleafe, but they are re- fignd to God, that he may do in them, and by them, when, Part III. That (he was imptfed upon by Impoflors. 2^9 when , and how he pleafe. For Example : St. Paul had without doubt the Gift of Miracles ; he ftruck (a) Elymas (a) A&s Blind, raifed the Young Man that fell down dead, and 13- 20.28. healed others. And yet neverthelefs when he was taken he made none Blind, that he might efcape from his Per- secutors, neither did he miraculoully heal Lpapbirtts, Tro- phimus, Timothy, (b) And even fo when the Light of God, (^) Phil.i, the Gift of Knowledge, &c. is given unto the Saints ; they 27. do not therefore difcover all things in that Light and by Tic. 4 20. that Gift, according to their Will ♦, but being dead to their u Tim. % own Will, and refign d to the Will of God, they difcover 2 3* in that Light of God, thofe things only which he is pleated to manifeft unto them in it : fo that if God in his YVifdom fee it convenient for them that they be ignorant of the Evils of fome with whom they converfe, whether to §xer- cife them , or that fome external things may be done to them by thefe Hypocrites, or for other Ends known to his infinite Wifdom \ then without any Prejudice to the Light of God, or the Gift of Difcerning of Spirits, they fhall not know thefe Hypocrites, till God be pleas'd to bring that Gift into a6t, as to that Matter, which he ufes to do when he fees it neceflary 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 ma- naged by, Mens Self-will, or Self- wifdom, and from hence to conclude, that that Perlon to whom the inward Dif- pofition of others was known for fome time, did not only want the Gift of Difcerning Spirits, but that alfo it is from hence evident that it cannot be known from fuch a Perfon s Life and Doctrine that he was led by the Spirit of God, fince he did embrace in others that which was but Ap- pearance and Impofture only, for Truth : For (c) David^ , c xpfa.