than any Degree of Life for whatsoever retains any Form has some Degree of Life The Body therefore is subject to Death and so approaches nearer to nothing wherefore that Life which delighting it self in the Pleasures of the Body neglects God inclines to nothing and this is Wickedness For it loves that which is less than Life because it is Body and because of this very Sin that which is lov'd becomes Corruptible that it by passing away may forsake its Lover because he by loving it had forsaken his God But that the Body of Man which before Sin was the most excellent in its kind is after Sin become so frail and subject to Death tho' it be a just Punishment of Sin yet it discovers more of the Clemency than the Severity of God For thereby we are perswaded that we ought to take off our Love from the Pleasures of the Body and to turn it to the Eternal Essence of Truth And herein the Beauty of Righteousness and the Favour of Good meet together that because we are deceived by the Sweetness of inferiour Goods we might be instructed by the Bitterness of the Punishments c. Thus it is evident that nothing comes positively from God as an efficient Cause but that which is positively from Good and all Evil and Malignity proceeds from Devils and Men which God does yet so moderate and restrain in this time of Man's Trial as many make Man by his Grace come to himself and return to his God and if there be no further hopes of Man he leaves him to himself and so punishes him no otherwise than a Physician does a Sick Man by leaving him to his own Folly and Intemperance when he will neither be ruled by him nor take the Physick he has prepared for him Man does properly damn himself and he receives only the Works of his own Hands O Israel thy Destruction is of thy self but in me is thy help When the Holy Scripture represents God as denouncing a Curse on the Earth the Pains of a Woman in Travail the Labour and Death of Man these are charitable Warnings of some of the natural Consequences of his Sin to dispose him for them and that he might make a right use of them And when the Scripture speaks of the Wrath of God and of the Punishments flowing from it all this is to be understood in a Sense agreeable to the Nature of God as we do those Passages which ascribe to him the bodily Parts and Passions of Men and as by thus interpreting those last Passages there is no wresting of the Scriptures but rather their true Sense exprest 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 sufficiently manifest so neither are the former wrested by giving them a Sense conformable to the Idea of the Divine Goodness and Perfections from whence no Evil Disorder nor Anxiety can proceed and to those Places of Scripture which affirm that God is Love and that Fury is not in him What unsutable and unlovely Representations some have given us of the Divine Nature and Operations and how unfit they are for inflaming Men with True Charity is but too evident from Men Writings and from Mens Lives XIX 4. Her Writings and Sentiments have a great Tendency to a Christian Vnion and Concord amongst the several Parties of Christendom We all seem to be sensible of the Evil and Mischiefs of Schisms and the Hatred Lying Evil-speakings Strifes Wars Fightings Persecutions Deaths which have followed upon them are but too fatal Proofs of it and therefore every Party strives to wipe off the Blame from themselves and to lay it on another But the most useful Thought is to consider how to heal them The Course followed by the respective Parties will never do it Those of every Party judge that Orthodoxy is only on their Side and therefore strive to reduce all to an Union by bringing them to be of their Party and thus their mutual Animosities and Divisions are still heightned But the Writings and Sentiments of A. B. do more naturally and more effectually tend to a Christian Union they teach Men to labour after the Spirit of true Christianity in the Use of the outward Forms and Rites which are consistent therewith of the respective Parties wherein they are without setting up a New Party or judging and condemning another because differing from them in those outward Rites and Forms She shews that the Differences of outward Religions of their Ceremonies and Opinions will neither save nor damn that they are not inseparable from the Essence of Christianity which consists in the denying of our selves the mortifying of our corrupt Nature and the following of Jesus Christ without which we cannot be saved that those 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 these other things are the Sheath and that the Madness and Folly of the Christian World lies in Contending which of us has the best Sheath while the Devil robs us of the Sword the true Love of God and our Neighbour and laughs at 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 the Sheath of his Sword And so little Regard had she to the Interest of a Party that when Lutherans and Calvinists came to be directed by her in the labouring after a Christian Life and Spirit she never enquired about their Opinions nor bid them abandon the Communion wherein they were On the contrary when the famous Dr. Swammerdam who was solicited by his Friend Steno to go over with him to the Church of Rome and to Italy did ask her Advice in it she did expresly forbid him telling him there was nothing but Vanity in the Change of Communions and that he might labour to be a true Christian in the Communion in which he was Did this Spirit prevail amongst the respective Parties how strangely would it sweeten our Minds towards one another our Animosities would quickly cease our Difference would fall of themselves we would be as far from imposing our Forms and Modes of Worship and Confessions of Faith on others or persecuting them who did not conform to them or hating and maligning such as differed from us in their Opinions and Parties as we would be from treating after this manner those who differed from us in the Fashion of their Garments or the Sheaths of their Swords We would find the Apostle's excellent Counsel most applicable in all theses Cases One believes that be may eat all things another who is weak 〈…〉 let not him that eateth despise him that eaâ—◠〈…〉 which eateth not judge him that 〈…〉 One Man esteemeth 〈…〉 Man esteemeth every Day 〈…〉 perswaded in his own Mind 〈…〉 regardeth
it not to ascribe vitious Passion to God to say that he reprobated Man because of the foresight of the Sins which he would commit after his Creation and that he predestinated him to Salvation foreseeing his future Merits Had God need of Man's Merits to save him Can all Men together with all their Merits bring one Ray of Glory to God Is not this to go over to their side who say that Men shall be elected and saved by their good Works and not by Grace only in which they make God a Liar who has promised as they grant that he will save us by Grace To say that God did not create Man for Damnation but reprobated Man after Adam's Sin which had undone them all is most absurd For as all Men were created in Adam so they were also all alike fallen in Adam and all in general reprobated by the same Sin of Adam for he could not have a divided Will one part of it sound and another damn'd there being but one Man only and he had but one Will in which was included the Will of all Men that should ever arise from him And if God had left Adam in the reprobated State wherein he fell all Men had equally remained so And when Adam received the Pardon of his Sin and was admitted to Penitence all Men were still in him and consequently all were restored 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 the Curse without dividing Adam and appointing one part of his Body for Salvation and another for Reprobation since there was but one Man If there had been two it might have been said of Men what is said of Angels that one part of the Angels was damn'd and another confirm'd in Grace but that of one Soul and one Body there should proceed reprobated and saved by the Predestination of God this is odious They who say that God did not predestinate to Damnation but only left one part of Men who were in Adam in Damnation and did elect another part to Salvation do directly contradict the Scriptures for the Scripture says expresly that with God there is no respect of Persons How could he then predestinate one part of Men to Salvation and leave the other part into the Damnation into which they were all equally plung'd since all had equally sinn'd in Adam and one no more than another How then can it be that God who is no Respecter of Persons can damn one part and save another of the same Mass of Persons which have equally contracted the same Sin without Injustice which cannot be in God And tho' he be almighty to save one and damn another as those Casuists say yet he will never do it for he will never do any Injustice For my part says she I would not commit the least Injustice against my Enemies not against the Devil himself How much less would God who is incomprehensibly more Just than I do such an Injustice as to damn one and save another of the Persons who have committed the same Fault even tho it were in his Power They say may not a Man do with his own Goods what he will how much more may God dispose of Man as he pleases who absolutely belongs to him and none can ask him why he saves one and lets another perish This says she seems a weak Argument even in the Comparison for it is not true that a Man can do with his Goods what he pleases he ought to use them according to Justice and Reason and if he do otherwise he will bear his Punishment before God who will not suffer Injustice nor us to abuse our Goods without calling us to an Account at the Day of Judgment How much more will God dispose of Men justly even tho' they belong to him How much less can he commit this Injustice of damning one and saving another of those who have fallen into the same Fault and are equally Guilty It is true God is Almighty and can do what he will but he can never will to do any thing unjustly as this would be which could not be without respect of Persons and this cannot be in God To say that he expresly predestinated one part of them to Damnation is to say that he had not so much Righteousness in himself as that which he requires of Men for he says to them Love your Enemies do good to them that hate you This Counsel would have had no Authority if he himself had reprobated those who are become his Enemies This absolute Reprobation would not be Good but the greatest Evil that could be imagin'd How could he command Men to do Good to their Enemies when he himself would do so great and eternal an Evil for the Fault they had committed against him and that while they were yet in a State of Penitence as they are during this Life where Reprobation shall never have place since till the very last Instant they may find Mercy and Pardon This Reprobation can only have place after Death and not during this Life Because 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 unjust thing to oblige those to Penitence whom he absolutely resolves to damn Men it seems confound the Times when they speak of Predestination and take the present for the time to come For at the Judgment God will separate two masses the one of Elect the other of Reprobates who shall then assuredly be damned because the Time of Penitence will then be past but during this Life there can be no predestinated Reprobates If God has reprobated the Wicked to Damnation he would not give them so many secret and inward Warnings to turn them unto him as all Sinners may know by experience that even when by Sin they have turn'd away from God they feel how oft he recals them by many Occasions and by Checks of Conscience All the Souls who are damned have been often admonished by God both inwardly and outwardly as may be seen in the Holy Scriptures How often did he admonish Pharoah and other wicked Men If it were true that God had reprobated them he would not have been sincere in giving them so many Admonitions to turn them from their Wickedness or at least they were all vain Admonitions since being predestinated to Evil it was impossible for them to do Good Must God tempt Men or render them more guilty than otherwise they would have been of themselves God has declared that as he Lives he has no pleasure in the Death of the Wicked but that the wicked Man turn from his way and live and that he is not willing that any should Perish God then should not be sincere in his words if he had predestinated some Souls to Damnation which cannot be said of God who is Truth it self always faithful in his Promises
that you shall re-establish his Gospel-Spirit upon Earth among Men and Women that a great Number shall follow you to the Desart and out of the Hurry of the World and such like Promises which not being yet fulfilled it follows you cannot die yet since the Work for which God raised you up is not yet done and God will not forsake his Work She answer'd God will not give over his Work neither will he fail in his Promise but I have already seen enough that may save the Truth of his Promise tho' I die I have seen the Accomplishment of it in part by the first Fruits tho' not so perfectly God has already given me several Children I have some of them who are gone to him I have seen some of them follow me in Retiring from the World and hear me with all their Heart and that of all sorts tho' they have neither been in so great Numbers nor so perfect Nevertheless this is enough to have seen by the first Fruits the Truth of the Promises of God which on his Part he never fails to fulfil entirely But when Men do not correspond thereto God leaves them retakes from them his Gifts and seeks out other Subjects fitter to receive the Accomplishment of what he promises Whereas Men at present do render themselves unworthy of it and will not acknowledge nor receive the remarkable Graces that God offers them I greatly fear lest God withdraw his Gifts from them and turn himself to others so I cannot assure you that I shall not die shortly On the contrary when I consider the Ingratitude and Vnthankfulness which Men shew for the Favours of God I doubt if God will not shortly take me out of the World But added she suppose God withdraw me what is your Concern with my Person You ought not for this to leave off to seek God to cleave to him to do the best that is possible for you to enjoy his Spirit and then you shall have no more need of my Person for there is nothing in me to be esteemed nor sought after nor followed but the Spirit that guides me LXXVI So long as her Enemies knew not that she was at Hamburgh she liv'd peaceably enough but it coming at last to the Ears of the Lutheran Pastors they were the more affected with it that one or two of their Hearers relish'd the Truth of her Writings which put them into an extream Jealousie the predominant Passion of Churchmen They set Spies on her Friends who went to see her and having thereby found her Lodging and being certainly inform'd of her being there they assemble in Consistory and conclude to depute two of their number to Morrow Morning to represent this to the Magistrates that they might preserve the City and Religion from being infected with so great an Evil. A. B. was advertised of this and convey'd about Ten a Clock at Night to a little Garret beside a poor Man having sent her Manuscripts before her On the Morrow the Council sent four armed Sergeants to bring her to the Town-House but did not find her She staid fifteen Days in this little Garret from whence she wrote Letters to encourage her Friends But her Enemies persisting in their search for her she resolved to go to Friesland to a Baron who had invited her thither So she parted from Hamburg the 26th of June 1677. LXXVII After several Troubles in her Journey she came at last to the Lordship of Lutzburgh in East-Friesland and being well received by the Lord of the Place sent for her Friends to Sleswick who had endured much from the Rage of the People and Pastors there Reflecting on the Place where she was she judged it proper to live in according to the Designs of God who had already said to her The Perfection that I desire is to have your Heart entirely looss'd from all the Goods of the World 2dly From all the Creatures 3dly From the Love of ones self and to desire nothing but God alone To live in a forgetfulness of all the World To shut up your selves in some Place apart To offer and give up your selves entirely unto God Not to aim at any good things upon Earth To live all in common on the same Revenue and the same Entertainment And that without any other Engagement or Bond but the Love of God and without any other Rule but the Holy Gospel To receive all Souls who are fit and dispos'd for it without regarding whether they have temporal Means or not and this after the same Manner with the Christians of the Primitive Church God had also said unto her formerly upon Occasion of this Petition which she often put up unto him Lord what wilt thou have me to do Separate your selves entirely from Men. Keep silence Possess nothing in Property the Earth is sufficient to maintain your Life Do not entertain your Body but with its own Labour Never give it any thing but its Necessity Let nothing be in the Lodging but that the use of which is necessary Continue always in Simplicity and Poverty of Spirit Have no Priests but for necessity Let nothing be divided among you but let all be common without Preference Manure the Ground Be united as I am with my Father Let it be your only care to loosen Souls from the Earth I will take care of the rest LXXVIII She accepted the Care of a Hospital with which the Baron was charg'd by his Ancestors for a Retreat to Stran ers and the Persecuted and to her great Satisfaction she was freed of this Charge by a Letter from the Baron after having born it about two Years with Trouble and without any Fruit for the Glory of God There came thither some Strangers from Holland Hamburgh and elsewhere to lead as they said a Christian Life with her but really they gave her only much Trouble by bringing Dispositions quite contrary to that Design So they return'd whither they pleas'd While she and hers enjoy'd any Health they applied themselves to the care of Houshold Affairs to a Country Life to Husbandry the feeding of Beasts she sometimes to write and others to translate her Writings or put them in a Condition of being printed She was visited by many Persons even of Quality who came more than once and from several Places to converse with her She wrote here the Letter which makes the Body of the First Part of The Renovation of the Gospel Spirit and the Introduction that is prefixt to it She finish'd there the Second Part which she had began formerly and began the Third which is not finish'd she being employ'd in it when the last Persecutions and Death came upon her she made ready also the best part of her Manuscripts for the Press LXXIX She had there two long Sicknesses the first a continued Fever for some Months and the other a violent Quartan Ague which lasted for sixteen or eighteen Months When she was at the worst two of
Christians I 've sought from my Nativity I liv'd I wrote to shew how such to be Convinc'd the World of â—rrors sins abuses All hate me for 't each one my NAME traduces To death they persecute me every where How should I other Lot than JESUS bear AN APOLOGY FOR M. Antonia Bourignon In Four Parts I. An Abstract of her Sentiments and a Character of her Writings II. An Answer to the Prejudices raised against them III. The Evidences she brings of her being led by the Spirit of God with her Answers to the Prejudices opposed thereunto To which is added A Dissertation of Dr. De Heyde on the same Subject IV. An Abstract of her Life To which are added Two LETTERS from different Hands containing REMARKS on the Preface to the Snake in the Grass and Bourignianism Detected AS ALSO Some of her own Letters whereby her True Christian Spirit and Sentiments are farther justified and vindicated particularly as to the Doctrine of the Merits and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ Non multum Disputandum Nuda enim Veritas seipsam Validissime tutatur probé intellecta genuinâ suâ luce tenebras omnes Dispellit Rob. Leighton Archiep. Glasc Prelect Theol Paraenes p 199 LONDON Printed for D. Brown at the Black Swan without Temple Bar S. Manship at the Ship in Cornhil R. Parker at the Unicorn under the Piazza's of the Royal-Exchange and H Newman at the Grashopper in the Poultry 1699. THE PREFACE I. SVch and so universal are the Prejudices raised amongst all Parties against the Writings and Sentiments of A. B. that the Sight of the very Title Page of this Apology will make some perhaps throw it by which Disdain scorning to look into it others to take it up in Derision and ask What would this Babler say Others to pry into it with an evil Eye with a Design only to carp at it and to pick out here and there some Expressions or Sentiments which differ from the ordinary Systems and put them in such a Dress as may excite the Hatred and Derision of the People II. But being fully perswaded in my Conscience that those Writings do greatly tend to revive the Life and Spirit of Christianity which is acknowledg'd to be so much decay'd and lost amongst all the Parties of Christendom and knowing that there are many well-disposed Persons who are frightned from lookâ—ng into them because of the odious Representations made of them and the Prejudices given them against them who if these Prejudices were remov'd would certainly peruse them with Delight and Profit to their Souls and would sensibly â—eel that the True Doctrine of Jesus Christ and the only way to eternal Life chalk'd out in his Life and Sayings is there plainly and distinctly represâ—nted I shall therefore in all Sincerity without Respect of Parties or Persons write this Apology And I do earnestly beg of Almighty God the Father and Fountain of all Light and Love that he may be pleas'd so to illuminate my Mind with his Heavenly Light and warm my Heart with his Divine Love that I may utter nothing but what flows from or tends to both and that some Rays of both may stream through this Writing to touch the Hearts and Spirits of others III. To dispose Persons to hearken to and to make a right use of an Apology of this Nature it is fit to premise two things First That it needs not prejudice any against A. B. and her Writings so far as not to listen to an Apology for both that they know she is evil spoken of said to be an Enthusiast an Enchantress a Blasphemer a Seducer and the Devil of a Saint that her Writings are said to be full of Heresies Delusions and Errors and that by Persons of all Parties Papists Protestants Lutherans Calvinists Presbyterians Episcopal Persons Anabaptists Quakers and even by the Preachers and Writers and Learned Men of the respective Parties for there is nothing more ordinary than for the most Innocent and the most Vpright to be thus treated Woe to you when all Men shall speak well of you This was the Treatment that Innocence and Truth it self met with our Lord Jesus Christ He was made to pass for a Blasphemer a Sorcerer a Perverter of the Law of God The most Learned and the most Godly in his Age hated him They who in other things stood at the greatest Distance did agree in this Herod and Pilate the Pharisees and Sadducees the Jews and Samaritans So that this may be rather a favourable Prejudice on her behalf at least so far as to allow her a fair Hearing IV. 2. I shall entreat you may not come to read this Apology nor the Writings to which it invites you with an evil Eye They who come to consider Writings or Persons with this Disposition are not capable of understanding them aright themselves or of giving a true Representation of them to others I know no Person tho' never so innocent nor Truth tho' never so clear nor Book tho writ with never so much Plainness Sincerity and Consistency which they who consider with this Spirit may not mistake expose misrepresent and ridicule Nothing more true than our Saviour's Words nothing more confirm'd from daily Experience The Light of the Body is the Eye if therefore thine Eye be single thy whole Body shall be full of Light but if thine Eye be Evil thy whole Body shall be full of Darkness It was from those different Dispositions that our Lord himself and his Doctrine met with such different Entertainment in the World They who were full of Self-love and Esteem and desir'd to love God and the World both to please Him and their Appâ—tites too to get and keep that Rank in the Esteem of Men which they thought they merited and hugg'd the Glosses and Sences they had put upon God's Law by which they had reconcil'd it with the following of their own corrupt Inclinations such look'd on all that Jesus said aud did with an evil Eye they never came to hear him but with a Design to catch him in his Words and they found out ways to put a hard Sence upon every thing The Miracles he wrought they said were done by the Power of the Devil they accus'd him of breaking the Sabbath Day and of countenancing it in his Disciples of Blasphemy in calling himself the Son of God of Pride in speaking well of himself of a Design to destroy the Law and seduce the People by his Doctrine and they made him an Enemy to Caesar in calling himself a King But the sincere and the single-hearted who came with a pure and upright Desire and Intention to understand and to follow the Truth did readily embrace the Doctrine of Jesus Christ the entrance of his Words gave them Light and Understanding and they were so fully satisfied of the great things of God's Law that they were not apt to wrest or mistake his Sayings or Actions in things of lesser moment
after his own Likeness to be his Spouse and not to be his Slave or constrain'd to do his Will for all the other Creatures were subjected under his Will but Man alone was created altogether Free like a little God Sovereign and Ruler over all the other Creatures which God had subjected to Man leaving him Free to use them well or ill according to his Will 3. So soon as Man turn'd away his Affections from God to love himself or the other Creatures he became the Enemy of his God and would not acquiesce in the Designs that God had for Man to take his Delight with him And by this means Man has damn'd himself and by ceasing to love God the Fountain of all Good he is fallen into all sort of Evil which consists in the Privation of all Good 4. Sin coming upon this Master-piece of the Works of God has rendred Man so miserable so infirm ignorant weak that all things over which he ought to rule do master and mischief him 5. Men are now born Children of Wrath and Perdition and are therefore assuredly damn'd by Nature and nothing but the Grace of God can save or deliver them from this Damnation into which they have voluntarily precipitated themselves 6. After that miserable Man had thus destroy'd himself â—esus Christ true Eternal God and true Man comes to intercede for him with his Eternal Father and by his Merits and Intercession has obtain'd for this ingrate Creature the Remission of his Sin and the Grace to do Penitence for it and a time and state of Trial for that End that by a perfect Repentance he may obtain the Favour of God to the End he may return to his Love which he had lost thro' his own Fault since Man was created free to continue eternally in the Love of God without ever falling from it 7. Whereas Man ought to recover this Love of God by his own Choice and his own free Will he must therefore testifie by his Contrition and Penitence the Regret he had to have lost this Love and effectually make use of the Grace obtain'd for him by Jesus Christ employing all the time of his Trial which is this Mortal Life to bewail his Sins and do Penitence for them since by the great Mercy of God he has obtain'd the Grace to do it and has the Means in his hand to fulfil this Penitence in the Curse that the Earth had receiv'd by his Sin so that it must be cultivated and Man must gain his Bread in the Sweat of his Face 8. Man was so corrupted by Sin that he can do no good of himself more than the Devils But Man by the Mediation of Jesus Christ has received this Mercy from God that he may be converted But as long as he follows the Corruption of his Nature he remains in his Devilish State and cannot be saved 9. Man has fallen by withdrawing his Affections from God to place them on the Creatures And no body will be saved but he who returns to the Love of God for which he was created and they who do without this Love do perish eternally 10. Jesus Christ having interceeded with his Eternal Father for Mercy and Pardon to Man became his Pledge and Surety that if his Father would yet allow Man a Time of Trial and Grace he should do Penitence for his Sins renounce his corrupt Nature and return to the Love of God And as Man's Pledge and Surety he took on him our Mortality and voluntarily cloathed himself with our Miseries he bore our Griefs and taking the Form of a Sinner underwent all the Pains due to our Sins as if he himself had been the greatest Sinner and bound to do Penitence tho he was never guilty of the least Sin that by his Merits and Sufferings he might merit for us with his Father the Spirit of Penitence and Conversion which being united to his Sufferings and his Charity which are Sacrifices more agreeable to God than our unclean Offerings and our Works defiled with Sin might be accepted of him 11. Jesus Christ took our Mortality out of the pure Love he bore to Men his natural Brethren that he might withdraw them from Sin and the Way of Predition into which they all walked He became a mortal Man to give us an Example and to teach us by what Means we may recover the Love and Grace of God he did take an infirm Body subject to all sort of Miseries and Death like to ours that he might teach and encourage us to do the Works that he had done in his mortal Body and that we imitating him might enjoy the Pardon and Recovery which his Merits have purchased for us 12. Jesus Christ by his Merits and Intercession has obtain'd Pardon for Man and the Grace of God for all who shall voluntarily embrace his Gospel Law and for no other and therefore none can ever be saved but by the Merits and Intercession of Jesus Christ which will never be applied to any but to his Disciples and Followers 13. Man stands in need of keeping the Commandments of Jesus Christ and the Gospel-Law because of his Frail y and because these are all Remedies of his Evils and by embracing these Remedies he shall recover the Love of God which he had lost thro' his own Fault 14. God is the only Fountain of all Good from whom never any Evil can proceed and Man is the only Fountain of all Evil from whom never any Good can come 15. The only Essential Command is a constant Dependence upon God and the Resignation of our Wills to him and all the other Commands teach us only the Means to attain to this Resignation and how to remove the Hinderances of it 16. The Essence of true Vertue consists in the Love of God and the Essence of Sin in the Love of our selves and of the Creatures 17 All the Actions of God do partake of his three Divine Qualities Righteousness Goodness and Truth and nothing we do can be well pleasing in the Sight of God if it do not partake of the same if it be not just and good and true 18. It is not necessary to Salvation to comprehend in particular the Theory of the Divine Mysteries far less to be wedded to one certain Party rather than another but that denying our selves and turning away our Liberty from the Love of the Creatures and from earthly Things we resign it and all our Faculties into the Hands of God that he may enlighten renew and govern them by his Spirit after which he will produce in the Soul the Light and Graces that he sees necessary for its Salvation This is a Summary of the Essentials of Christianity as they are represented by her and her Morality is a particular Deduction and Application of these Principles to the Hearts and
his Body the Principles of both Natures and in that respect being a compleat and perfect Man which Power was actuated upon ardent Acts of Love to God and a Desire to produce a Creature like himself to love and enjoy his Maker 6. Adam while he was in perfect Innocence did thus produce one like himself who was the First-Born of every Creature the Second Adam and the Son of Man And God being desirous to give to Man a full and perfect Contentment in Body and Spirit and to dwell with him bodily and visibly so that he might Converse with Man as a Friend with his Friend he therefore not only made Man after his Image but he becomes like to Man he unites himself to the Humane Nature in the Second Adam that he might Converse familiarly with Man by an Organ to be seen heard and felt by him conformable to his Nature This is Jesus Christ Eternal God and True Man 7. Notwithstanding of this Adam swimming amidst all sensible Delights the Time of Trial given him being then a State of Delight and Pleasure began to lean too much towards them and to please himself in them without turning his Soul so constranly towards God and so became less sensible of the Motions of God's Light and Love upon his Spirit being taken up too much other ways which encreasing still upon him to prevent his total Degeneracy and that he might not sink so low as to place his Love and Affections on things which were only earthly and material God resolves to make a Help for him he for this end takes one of the Principles of Foecundity out of Man and therewith forms the Woman who being form'd more Beautiful than any of the Creatures and being a more lively Representation of God he might love her in God as God's Image being endued with a Divine Soul as he was and so she might take off his Affections from the other Creatures and raise them towards God 2. As to Man 's total Fall and the Consequences thereof 1. THE Woman who was given for a Help to Man to keep him from a total Degeneracy listning to the Temptations of the Serpent the most subtile and beautiful of all the Beasts turn'd away from God her self and led on Man to do so too both of them shaking off their Dependance upon God and his Will and following their own Wills and breaking a just and easie Command that God had given them forbidding them to eat of the Fruit of one Tree as an Acknowledgement of Homage to their Great Creator and Benefactor and that they held all of him 2. As by turning from the Sun we fall into Darkness and Obscurity so Man much more by turning away from God and setting his Heart upon the Creatures brings an universal Corruption and Misery on himself and on all the Creatures which had been subjected to him Above all Sin corrupted Man's Soul did it the greatest Mischief having damn'd it eternally and made it like unto the Devil For both were created by God to love him and when they both withdraw this Love from God to love themselves or other Creatures they are equally become Devils the one incarnate and the other spiritual depriv'd of all sort of Good and fallen into all sort of Evil. So that if Man will consider himself narrowly he shall find his Soul defil'd with all sort of Sins fill'd with Injustice subject to Lying enclin'd to Covetousness blown up with Pride furious with Anger Lustful Gluttonous Sloathful Negligent with all other sort of Sins which reside in the depth of his Soul Sin so corrupted his Will that he had always a Bent and Inclination to Evil so that all that comes from the Self-will of Man is Sin his Self-will being fill'd with nothing but Self-love Sin has also so corrupted his Reason that it is no longer capable of discerning and judging aright of things It has so darkened his Memory and confounded his Understanding that he takes Evil for Good and Good for Evil without Judgment and Reason From the Corruption of his Soul did flow that of his Body all its Humours and Parts being disordered his glorious Body becomes filthy dark and deform'd in every part of it contracts that gross Crust of Corruption which we now carry about with us and which has seiz'd on every the least part of it within and without so that our First Parents were asham'd of themselves sought wherewith to cover their Nakedness and went and hid themselves The Senses also became gross dull and feeble could discern nothing but the outside of things and the whole Body became full of disorder within subject to the ill Impressions of all the Creatures and at last to Dissolution and Death 3. Man by his Fall brought also a Corruption and Deformity upon all the Creatures which had been subjected to him the Earth became gross and dark barren and unfruitful and all the Creatures became hurtful and mischievous to Man and rose up against him who had shaken off his Allegiance to their Bountiful Creator The Air stifles him the Waters drown him the Fire burns him the Earth Corn and Trees deny him their Fruits without his Care and Labour the Stars send bad Influences on him and he is subjected to Cold Heat Hunger Thirst Weariness and innumerable other Evils being deprived of the Dominion he had over all things and subjected unto them 4. All Men in the World are the Natural Off-spring of Adam and do descend from him both as to Body and Soul so that they must partake of the same Qualities with him being all his Living Images and therefore all Men who were in his Loins when he turn'd away from God sinned in him and do inherit his Corruption and Misery both of Body and Mind as if he had not sinned he had produc'd all Men to Salvation as God created them But every Man for himself would have had the same Liberty that Adam had to remain firm in the Love of God or to turn away from it by placing his Affections on himself or other Creatures He might damn or save himself during this Time of Trial and all who had remained faithful to God would have been saved on the contrary all who had withdrawn their Affections from him to love any other thing would have been damn'd and their Posterity would have been in the same State tho' Adam had never sinn'd So free and independent would Men have been during their Time of Trial which is that in which we live at present and must continue till the Day of Judgment And then being confirm'd 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. ALL Mankind had been thus irrecoverably lost and damn'd as the fallen Angels are if the Son of God our elder Brother had
of the World and of all the Creation worthy of God They let us see the Wisdom and Goodness of God in bringing about his great Designs tho' thwarted by the Perversness and Rebellion of Man They give us some glimpse of the unspeakable Glory to which Man is designed to partake of the Joys of God being united to him in Body and Spirit and to receive the Delights of all his Works They shew us that Almighty God design'd this World and all the Creation for some great End more worthy of him than to serve Devils and Wicked Men as a Theatre and Fewel of their Lusts and Instrument of their dishonouring him It is usual for the Learned to form Theories and Systems of Divinity whereby to give a clear Account of the Doctrines of Faith If Men will be pleased to consider these Sentiments in this View only and compare them with the Systems given us by the Divines of all Parties they may come to be convinc'd that they have a greater Tendency to promote True Christianity XL. And as they are very sutable to the known Articles of Faith so they do not contradict the Holy Scriptures but seem to be insinuated and pointed out in them and to serve to clear Thousands of Passages there which otherwise cannot be conceived as A. B. her self makes appear in several Instances 1. That all things were created Good and Beautiful at first without any Deformity appears both from the Nature of God and from his Word He is Perfect and therefore cannot make any thing Imperfect He is all Good and can make nothing Evil All things therefore have 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 Person much more is God known by his Works for he can never fail or commit a Fault in them which the most accomplish'd Spirits amongst Men may do This is then an Eternal Truth that God created all things Beautiful and Good which the Scripture also verifies when it is said that God saw all that he had made and behold it was very Good Which could not be if there were any Evil in it as a thing cannot be Beautiful if it have any Deformity But we see all his Works now are not Good and Beautiful in the Air are Tempests Whirlwinds c. destroying Men by Sea or Land In it is obscure Darkness nothing to be seen through it if it be not favoured with the Rays of the Sun or Stars The Earth has a filthy colour that sullies all that touches it and is of such gross Obscurity that we can see nothing in it and to make it bring forth Fruit Men must employ the sweat of their Body and after all it brings forth often nothing but corrupt Fruit and if it be not cultivated only Thorns and Thistles The Water often swallows and suffocates Men its greatest Masses are salt or filthy The Fire has in it a black Smoak ready to stifle Men if they were not succoured by the Air it spoils the Eyes of those who steadily look on it and consumes Men Beasts and all other things These things cannot be created by God as we see and feel them because they are neither Good nor Beautiful By a clear Consequence then we must believe that the Air has been created clear sweet and agreeable without these Tempests and so of the rest 2. It is as evident that our Bodies have not been created in the State they are now in in which there is nothing good and beautiful no more than in our Minds and that they have been form'd at first in a glorious State appears by this that it being generally acknowledged that Jesus Christ is to restore 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 Jesus Christ to change our vile Bodies and to make them like to his Glorious Body and we being told that when at his first Transfiguration on the Mount he was pleased to give his three Disciples some Prospect of that Glory and to let some Rays of his Glorious Body stream forth thro' his Mortality it is said his Countenance did shine as Lightning and his Raiment was white as Snow We may think how glorious the Body of Man was before his Fall and shall be when this Mortal shall put on Immortality and this Corruption Incorruption and Death shall be swallowed up in Victory 3. That Man in his first Creation was endued with a Power of producing his Kind appears in that at the Creation of Man it is expresly said that God created Man Male and Female and bid him be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth and tho' it be in the Original he created them in the Plural and not in the Singular he created him Male and Female yet that does not change the true Sence since God created in Adam all Men who were to proceed from him they were all originally in him And Eve was not as yet formed and he had rested from all his Works before he proceeded to the Formation of her how long after it is not known This seems most evident from the Story of the Creation for the Account of the six Days Works is contained in the first Chapter of Genesis and that God saw that all he made was very good but before the Formation of Eve out of Adam we are told of God's resting on the seventh 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 pleasant to the Sight and good for Food his placing Man there to dress and keep it his bringing all the Beasts 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 should be alone tho' before he saw all that he had made and behold it was very good his Resolution therefore to make a Help meet for him and therefore he caused a deep Sleep to fall upon Adam and took one Principle out of him called in the Scripture-stile one of his Ribs and so formed the Woman As from all this it seems evident that the Formation of the Woman cannot be supposed to have been upon the sixth Day without a great Straining of the History so it appears that Adam was at first created in such 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 himself in the Creatures without referring all to God It is therefore said It is not good for Man to be alone tho' before God saw all that he had made and behold it was very good It
say he is our Pledge and by his Sufferings has paid the Penalty due to our Sins having died to redeem us while we will suffer nothing nor share in his Pains being well pleased to have our Debts paid with the Goods of another It is on the other hand a great Boldness in those who think they shall be saved by their own Merits without the Merits of Jesus Christ For if Jesus Christ had not merited for them the Grace to do well they were not capable of having so much as one good Thought or Desire of doing one good Work So that all the Grace they have of doing any Good comes from the Merits of Jesus Christ tho' by Ignorance they despise it as poor blinded ones who can discern nothing thro' the Weakness of their Sight For if Jesus Christ had not come to bring Light to the World no body would have perceived his own miserable State and if he had not interceded with his Father no body would have had the Grace to receive his Light so that without Jesus Christ all Men would have remained lost thro' their Blindness and would never have been able to comprehend by what Means they ought to return to God if Jesus Christ had not come to teach them by Word and Deed. And if he had only taught them by Word as the other Prophets no body would have followed him since they believe even yet that it is impossible to imitate Jesus Christ and to follow the Evangelical Life But he himself has put it in Practice before Mens Eyes that after his Example they must endeavour to satisfie the Justice of God by the Union of his Sufferings and of his Charity which are Sacrifices more agreeable to God his Father than our unclean Offerings and our Works defiled with Sin If one had mortally offended his Equal he durst not of himself procure Peace and the Pardon of his Offence but he would interpose some Mediator who were a Friend of the offended Person to satisfie his just Wrath. But they who would be saved by their good Works have too much Pride to take Jesus Christ as Mediator but with an up-lifted Head they address to God whom they have so often offended that they rather draw down his avenging Hand upon their Heads than the Pardon of their Sins for God resists the Proud and gives his Heart to the Humble If they join'd their good Works to the Humility of Jesus Christ they might peradventure receive the Mercy of God by his Son Jesus Christ but standing up as the Pharisee who thanked God for his good Works they shall no more be justified than he was when he went out of the Temple Because he who is not cloathed with Jesus Christ is not admitted to his Father since before his Coming into the World all Men were Enemies to God So that he who is not cloathed with Jesus Christ cannot be acknowledged for his Friend far less for his Son seeing the Spirit of Jesus Christ is the only Son in which he takes Pleasure and not in another He therefore who thinks to go to God without the Mediation of Jesus Christ will be rejected as unworthy and rash because Jesus Christ is the only Door of Salvation They are Thieves who would enter by the Windows into the Kingdom of Heaven for that only belongs to the Disciples of Jesus Christ In which those greatly deceive themselves who believe that they may enter into it while they despise him or reject his Merits which have opened the Door to all those who will follow and imitate him Yet not to those who esteem Jesus Christ and his Merits but with all this will not embrace Penitence under a Pretext that Jesus Christ has satisfi'd wholly for their Sins comprehending even those which they shall commit in time to come as well as those which they have committed in time past In which Error are the most part of those who are called Christians yea amongst others the most perfect We hear nothing more ordinary in their pious Discourses than to say God is Good he will save us and Jesus Christ died to give us Entry into Paradise And with these fine Discourses every one thinks they are sure of Paradise even tho' they live and die in their natural Motions and Sentiments which is a great Mistake for God tho' he be good will save no body but him who shall satisfie his Divine Justice The Merits of the Death and Suffering of Jesus Christ will never be applied but to Souls which are regenerated in the Spirit of Jesus Christ For he has not suffered but for those who from a natural Life shall enter into a spiritual one For Jesus Christ says that all Righteousness must be fulfilled Now it were not just that they who have forsaken a Dependance upon God to depend upon their own Wills should enjoy the Merits of Jesus Christ without being converted and embracing his Spirit since he came not but to bring Sinners to Repentance and he who continues to persevere in his natural Life cannot repent and so cannot enjoy the Merits of Jesus Christ since it is not for those that he has suffered or merited but only for those who by Ignorance or Frailty have quitted their Dependance upon God and delight themselves in the Creatures without thinking they ought to delight themselves in God alone They lived in the Darkness of Death without knowing it Therefore Christ had Compassion on them and offered himself to his Father promising unto him that they should be converted and do Penitence provided he brought them the Light of Truth by which they might get out of their Darkness and their Errors In this Jesus Christ was our Pledge and answered for our Penitence with which we must be saved and not otherwise Therefore they form to themselves imaginary Ways in the Air who think that Jesus Christ is come to save us in speculative Way or by some incomprehensible Mysteries seeing our Redemption is accommodated to our Capacity But the Devil to divert us from taking the straight Way thro' which Jesus Christ walked blinds our Eyes with imaginary Things that we may never come to the Knowledge of the straight Truth making some believe that they cannot be saved by the Merits of Jesus Christ and others that his Merits will save them even though they use no Endeavours to imitate and follow him Many other Passages might I bring out of her Writings but these may shew her Sentiments in this Matter The Sum of her Sentiments comes to this That Man turning away his Heart and his Affections from God thereby all Communion between God and Man ceas'd and so Man was plung'd into an irrecoverable State of Sin and Misery as well as the fallen Angels if there had been none to interpose for him with God for whose Sake he should shew him Mercy there being nothing now in Man that could move God to have any Regard for him That Jesus Christ true God and
in the way of Salvation How many diverse Accidents have fallen out as to Neighbours which have mov'd him to Contrition as sudden Deaths Slaughters Plagues Fire and other things which no Man can avoid Nevertheless all these Graces and Drawings have met with no Correspondence from Man's Will on the contrary they turning away from the Creator 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 insuppertable Abuse That Man is not satisfied to abuse the Grace of God but he will also make him guilty of his Damnation It is an unspeakable Pride when we feel that we resist his Grace every Moment and yet say our Damnation comes from the want of this Grace instead of giving Sentence against our Baseness and Wickedness which we may so sensibly perceive and feel It were better to smite the Breast and condemn our selves than to argue about the Grace of God since our own Conscience is an irrefragable Witness that Grace has been still given us yea even in the midst of our Sins How many amorous pulls has God given our Hearts to withdraw them from Damnation How many new Graces for our corresponding with some small Grace always when we have cast an Eye to God and lifted up our Hands yea a Finger has he not drawn us strongly to himself and forgiven our Sins What Effort did we ever make to resist Sin without feeling immediately his Help and his Grace Who ever call'd on him without being help'd or sought him without finding him No Body can say it without a Lie for he always delights to do us Good Our Prayers are agreeable to him and our Complaints are pleasant 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 because our Conversion is not sincere and we seek some other thing than God and often think we love him when we love our selves And it is no wonder then that we do not find Grace for we have nothing and can give nothing either to our selves or others God being the only True Good and all that is not God is nothing We are often sorry that we have sinn'd without regarding God but our selves considering the Sins as Evil or disagreeable to Men and this makes us sorry to have committed them on the other side we look on Vertue as beautiful pleasant and honourable this makes us desire it for Good is always Lovely of it self But in these we do not respect God to oblige him to give us his Grace It is rather a Self-love that makes us desire it Yet our Wickedness has the Impudence to say that we seek God and do not find him Is it a wonder if such a Soul feels not the Influence of his God so long as it voluntarily Delights in the Creatures in Contempt of the Creator I cannot express the Resentment I have that we would attribute to God the Cause of our Damnation or that it is for the want of his Grace since I have found that God has often prevented and recall'd me even when I would have forsaken him And if he had not prevented me I would have thrust my self into all the ways that lead to Damnation being gone so far as to say to his inward Admonitions I will never have pleasure in thinking always upon this I would have withdrawn from God and he call'd upon me again inwardly to make me remember him and so soon as I return'd to him he receiv'd me lovingly giving me stronger Grace to withstand all that would divert me from him All Men will find this if they would enter into themselves that God has still prevented them with his Grace even tho' they have been most wicked Why then to Men say when they live ill That they have not the Grace of God if he never fail to give it They ought to say It is my Fault for I have certainly resisted his Grace instead of obliging him to give me more by my Correspondence It is true God gives all the Will to do good and to be saved comes from him as also the Courage and Constancy to persevere 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 selves we fall yet into a greater Error than the former for tho' God should not give us Grace he is not obliged to it by us for he has no need of us But to say that we can do Good and work out our Salvation of our selves is most false For how can a Nothing do any thing that 's Good Man in his Nothing was Nothing If he be since Something it is by the Grace of God He who is all Good out of whom there is no Good will not communicate himself to the Soul but with its Consent he first shews it its Good he gives it the desire to desire it thereafter he offers it If the Soul accepts it it enjoys him if it refuse it it remains depriv'd of it For God never gives his Graces by force nor without the Consent of the Soul unless it yield up it self entirely unto him God deals with the Soul as an honest Lover who designs to espouse his Mistress he serves her he courts her he caresses her and by all means endeavours to gain her Friendship If his Love be agreeable to her she loves him reciprocally and fully enjoys his Person and all his Goods If she disdain this Love and all his Offices of Good-will he withdraws and leaves her tho' with regret having employed in vain to the utmost all sort 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 changes or that he is unconstant on his part but because there is no Correspondence or Agreement on the part of his Mistress God loves the Soul as a perfect faithful Lover he shews her the excellency of his Love by Rays of inward Light which do sometimes warm the Soul with Love to him He excites her by good Motions he draws her by some sweet inward Consolation he gives her Desires to love him he prevents her with many Favours shewing her that he seeks her and would give himself to her by the Vexations that she meets with in every other thing that she would love But if after a long course of so many Favours the Soul comes to reject them and to disdain the Friendship of her God to wed her self to some other thing whether the Love of her self or any Creatures God then withdraws from her and leaves her not that on his part his Love changes or can changes but because the Soul disdains his Friendship to which he would have her to correspond that the love he bears
himself has still his Self will to fight against even to Death Wherefore the Apostle says Our Life is a continual Warfare and Jesus Christ makes appear sufficiently that he had his Self-will to resist even to Death when towards the end of Life he yet prays Not my Will but thy Will Father be done But if you cannot understand these things says she leave them for those who shall understand them take only of my Writings what is good and profitable for your Soul and suspend your Judgment as to the rest till God give you Light for there are many things in them which it is not necessary for the Salvation of many to understand And it is far better to know well how to love God than how to speak well of Vertue Thus it appears with what Force and Evidence she advances this Sentiment and yet how far she is from requiring a Belief of it from all as of necessity to Salvation how clearly she shews that it is so far from dishonouring Jesus Christ or being contrary to his Purity in that State of Trial and Temptations to which he voluntarily subjected himself that on the contrary it manifests the greatness and constancy of his Love to God the ardency of his Charity for Men the firmness of his Adherence to God amidst all Temptations the value of his Merits and Satisfaction for us and the encouragement he has given us by his Example to resist all Temptations and to follow his Steps and to depend on him for Succour and Compassion since we have not a High-Priest who cannot be touch'd with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all Points tempted like as we are yet without Sin In this Passage we see also how expresly she asserts our Redemption by Jesus Christ and his Satisfaction for our Sins They who desire this Matter handled at more length may find it in Oecon. Div. Part 5. p. 21 to 60. and in the Accessory Letter above-mention'd I shall here only add that we ought not to stumble at harsh Expressions when we know the main intent of them as St. Paul says Christ was made a Curse and Sin which seems most harsh There is an ambiguity in the Words Evil Corrupted and Corruption which may either signifie Sin it self or the Effects and Consequences of it So the Will signifies sometimes the Superiour Faculties of the Soul sometimes the Bent and Inclination of sensible Nature to please it self and in this last Sence one may have a Self-will evil and corrupted yet without sinning when he resists it So the Summ of her Sentiment is that Jesus Christ took on him not the act of Evil or Sin but the Impulsions the Inclinations the Temptations weaknesses of the Inferiour Will of sensible Nature not to consent to it in any thing but to resist it and to make all these die in himself by the Power of his Spirit and his Eternal Light and by means most contrary to the Inclinations of sensible Nature that he might the more help and encourage his Brethren to the same Fight and Victory XVII To some her Sentiments concerning the State of Children before they have attain'd the use of their Reason is no small stumbling to wit That the Will of Children is bound up in the Will of the Parents till they have attained the use of their Reason and can use their own Free-will themselves then they are free to choose Good or Evil and to be sav'd or damn themselves according to this Choice But before they come to the use of Reason this Choice is in the Power of their Parents who may save or damn them even as they can give them natural Life or Death because of the strict Union and Sympathy between the Body of the Mother and of the Child in the Womb. If she takes in Poyson the Child dies if Physick it is healed for these two Bodies are but one and the same Substance divided into two parts This is true also as to the Soul so that if a Mother give the Child in her Womb to the Devil it is his till being come to the use of Reason it resists the Devil renouncing him with its Free-will and abjuring its evil Inclinations to become the Child of God And if Fathers or Mothers were true Christians or Persons regenerated in the Spirit of Jesus Christ undoubtedly they would produce also Christian Children in this Regeneration and till they had attain'd the use of their Reason they would always be God's by the Free-will of their Parents but if they become Wicked of their own 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 Just to damn the Child of a wicked one as it is to save the Child of a just Man for he has united inseparably the Will of the Father to that of the Child as he has united the Body of the Child with that of the Mother And if they will condemn this for an Injustice they may as well hold it an Injustice that all Men are fallen in Adam which would be a Blasphemy against God He created at the Beginning all Men in Adam as he did all the Trees of one kind in the first Tree of that kind c. and all things with Seeds for to produce each one their like which will never change for the Works of God are Eternal being created by an Eternal God and Man not being capable of using this Free-will in his Childhood of necessity it must subsist somewhere to be preserv'd till it may reside in the Person for whom it was created As we see the Free-will of all Men was in the Free-will of Adam since all are Partakers of his Sin and Miseries that he brought upon Man for it is most certain that God could not have given to Man an inclination to Evil which he feels from his Birth nor the Miseries of Body and Mind in which he finds himself For God being all Good cannot do any Evil and we must of necessity conclude that the Free-wills of Men were in the Free-will of Adam when he sinn'd And since all Christians believe that all Men sinn'd in Adam why ought they not by the same Consequence to believe that Children sin in their Parents or are damn'd in them The Catholicks believe that all Children are sav'd provided they be baptized and that those Children shall be damn'd who shall die without Baptism but that they shall not endure the Pains of Hell as those who sin with their Free-will It is true as in Paradise there are diverse Degrees of Glory signified by those Words of Scripture which say In God's House there are many Mansions there are also diverse Punishments in Hell but it is not true that all Children dying without outward Baptism shall be
things and entirely resign'd unto him It is not for those Scessers then that I have written this Abridgment but for those who desire in the Simplicity of their Hearts to be helped on in the way to Eternal Life Jesus Châ—ist is the way and we are made believe that his Life is unimitable The first Christians followed him in a Life of Poverty Reproach and Pains in which now we think he neither can nor ought to be followed Here 's an Instance of are in this last Age of the World who as she declares to all that 〈◊〉 is no Salvation without following the Example aâ—◠〈◊〉 of Jesus Christ so she made him her constant Pattern and this her great Work from the Eighteenth Year of her Age to her Death and thereby encourages and invites 〈◊〉 all to deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow him Give her then of the Fruit of her Hands and let her own Works praise her in the Gates AN APOLOGY FOR M. ANT. BOVRIGNON PART IV. CONTAINING An Abridgment of her LIFE To which are added Two Letters concerning the Preface to the Snake in the Grass and Bourignianism Detected by different Hands I. MRs. Antonia Bourignon was born in the Town of Lisle in Flanders the 13th of January 1616. baptiz'd in the Parish of St. Maurice and nam'd Antonia her Father was John Bourignon an Italian by Nation and her Mother Margaret Becquart born near to Lisle they lived in a married State Thirty One Years having Four Daughters of which Antonia was the Third and One Son all of which died in their Childhood except the eldest Daughter who lived till the Thirty Sixth Year of her Age and was twice married She died Anno 1647. Her Mother in July 1641. Her Father married again in October being more than Sixty Years Old and died April 1648. And Antonia remained the only Heiress of her Mother her Sister having died without Children II. When she came into the World her Mother thought she had borne a Monster because her whole Forehead was covered with black Hair even to her Eyes and her upper Lip was fastned to her Nose and so her Mouth stood open they conceal'd her for some Months and the Hair fell off of it self and the Lip was untied by a Surgeon and she encreast in Comliness yet her Mother could not forget the Aversion she had conceiv'd and could not love her as she did her other Children but slighted her from her Infancy and could hardly look upon her the other Children also treated her rudely without her Father's knowledge who then loved her best of all his Children But his Affairs kept him still abroad except at Meals III. This rough Treatment made her retire from childish Plays and be much alone God then drew her powerfully to himself as soon as she had any use of Reason all her Thoughts were serious and her Reasonings seem'd not to proceed from a Child and having been instructed by her Parents when about Four Years of Age of the First Principles of Christianity and of all that Jesus Christ had done and suffered for Men she was desirous to be inform'd in what Country the Christians lived and profest a great desire to go thither and when her Parents mock'd her and told hâ—â— she was in the Country of Christians she said that could not be for Jesus Christ was born in a Stable and liv'd in Poverty whereas they all love to have fine Houses and fine Furniture and much Wealth and therefore she concluded they were not Christians and that she would go into the Country where the Christians do live but no Body understood this Language but turn'd it into Raillery and so she was constrain'd to hold her Peace IV. Finding so little Satisfaction in the World she turned her self unto God by Prayer and he being always ready to be found of them that seek him with their whole Heart especially little Children she from her Infancy had daily Conversation with God he speaking inwardly to her Heart and she thought this Divine Conversation was a thing common to all Then every thing serv'd her for an Occasion to Address to God Thus for Instance remarking that her Father was surly to her Mother and oft-times transported with Anger against her after having endeavour'd to appease him by her childish Embraces she would retire apart and considering how hard a thing it was to be married to a troublesom Husband would say to God My God my God grant I may never marry and she beg'd that instead of being married he would give her the Grace to become his Spouse Her Prayer was so well-pleasing to God that he granted her the full Accomplishment of it giving her from her Infancy the Gift of Chastity and Continence in so perfect a manner that she often said she never had in all her Life even by Temptation or Surprize the least Thought unworthy of the Chastity and Purity of the Virgin State V. Her Sister was much addicted to the Vanities of the World and could not look upon her Retiredness and Aversion from them without Indignation and Displeasure and among her Companions she made all this pass for an Effect of Stupidity and Dulness This made her quit her first Simplicity to follow for some time the Vanities of the World not that her Heart was set upon them but to shew that she had enough of Spirit and was not a Fool as her Sister would make them believe Thus the Devil laid Snares for her to entrap her and the sweetness of her Humour gain'd her the Love of the Young People they converst with beyond her Sister Thus she continu'd to Dress to frequent their Company to recreate her self with them in their Plays Dances and other youthful Divertisements tho' in all Honesty if that may be call'd Honesty which turns away the Heart from God however it past for such in the World Thus she greatly pleas'd her Parents particularly her Father who deny'd her nothing whereby she might appear with Advantage in the World Her Parents were anxious to have her married being Rich and having but Two Daughters and many Young Men would have had her for their Wife but she could never resolve to marry having an Aversion to it Yet she took Pleasure in the Conversation of the Youth till they urg'd her to marry and then she withdrew from them and would discourse with them no more She began also to take Pleasure in the Praises and Esteem of Men because they said she was fair and lovely whereas her Mother had still call'd her ugly and despis'd her on all Occasions VI. But as the World took place in her Soul God withdrew from it by degrees so that she felt no longer that Devotion or Pleasure in Prayer or Solitude which formerly gave her so much Contentment This made her Melancholly and the more she endeavoured to divert it by Company the more it encreast For her Soul was never at rest
does it not deserve that it love him He farther obliges it by more powerful Means For that he might make them see that his Delight is to be with the Children of Men he becomes Man visible and sensible as themselves not being satisfied to have made Man after his Image and Likeness but God is made after the Image and Likeness of Man yea he becomes truly Man to teach them how to love him by material Words and Deeds conformable to their humane Capacities VII Could God testifie more Love for Man than to abase himself yea to annihilate himself to speak according to our Language and to cloath himself with humane Nature What Judgment could conceive greater Testimonies of his Love Or what Means could be fallen upon more powerfully to oblige Man to love him than to become like to Man in Nature to become his Equal in Condition not preferring himself to the meanest Men to converse and be familiar with them as their Brother and Companion yea he subjects himself unto and obeys Man that he might gain his Friendship he serves him even to the washing of his Feet and tho' Man offend him he prevents him always with Friendship le ts a Judas kiss him who contriv'd his Death and at the time he came to deliver him up to his Enemies he even calls him his Friend VIII And for an Evidence that he makes Man his Friend he declares unto him his Secrets and all that he learned from his Father and all this to engage Men to a reciprocal Love He eats and drinks with them draws them by his sweet Conversation teaches them familiarly all the necessary Means to love him gives them a Law all of Love which contains no other thing but the Love of God and our Neighbour All his Gospel contains nothing but the true Means to fulfil this Law of Love He so earnestly presses this Love that he threatens with eternal Damnation if we do not love him with all our Heart with all our Soul and with all our Strength Could he express more powerfully the Desire he has that Man love him while he draws him even by force to his Love IX And to make this Force altogether Lovely he charges himself with the Burthen of Man's Sins resolving out of the Love he bear him to suffer in his own Body the Punishments due for them He suffers Hunger Thirst Weariness travelling through so many Places to seek Man and to help him in his Penitence that he might have no other Care out to love him Is it possible that Man should not acknowledge such a Love Is he so unnatural as not to love such a Benefactor who obliges him by so many so painful Proofs of his Love that they seem to exceed the Bounds of Reason X. Who ever saw Love arrive to such an Excess of Good-will for the Person beloved For a GOD to debase himself to subject himself and to suffer for his Creature that which no Body would do for his Equal and it would be no small Love for one to give his Life for his Friend Which JESUS CHRIST gave for Man who was his Enemy having overcome his Malice by the Excess of his Love And the more that Man is transported to deal hardly with him he is led the more to love him laying down his Life voluntarily the more to oblige him by the Consideration of such a LOVE that surpasses all Vnderstanding that a GOD should be enclin'd to love a Worm of the Earth of which he has no need and which is led even to outrage and offend him instead of being enclin'd to love him XI Ingrate Creature Wilt not thou yield to this LOVE Cruel to thy Self Enemy of thy own Good Wilt not thou bow under this Yoke which is so gentle and lovely It s Captivity is Liberty its Service is a Kingdom its Pains are Delights its Labours are Repose its Griefs are Contentments This LOVE satisfies the Soul fills it with all Happiness comforts it and adorns it keeps it always chearful with its Beloved nothing can offend it What Happiness what Joy what Peace what Delights to the Soul that possesseth this Love It fears nothing it hopes for nothing it seeks nothing it finds nothing Lovely without this LOVE XII How blind and ignorant is he who loves the Wealth the Honours and the Pleasures of this World He is never content nor satisfied For Riches bring along with them a Thousand Cares and Disquiets with an unsatiable Thirst which fastens the Soul to Earth and to Metals and turns it away from God Honours are yet more vain than Riches for they are nothing but Fantastical and Imaginary which give nothing to the Soul that loves them but an empty swelling of Pride which makes the Heart break at the least change of Fortune which vexes and torments them continually with the fear and care of Losing them and tho' they did possess them lawfully and securely yet they are nothing but a Smoak of Vanity since we are nothing and all they who honour us are equally Nothings What Folly is it to look for Glory from all these NOTHINGS and to love Honours so vain and of so short Continuance Pleasures such as they may be give very little Satisfaction to Man in general because they are of so short Continuance in particular for that they are so vile and earthly unworthy of the Nobleness of our Soul which is Divine and Spiritual for to take Pleasure to eat and drink is to level our selves in this Point with the Beasts and often to hurt both Soul and Body seeing these Pleasures do sometimes breed Excesses prejudicial to the Health indisposing both Body and Mind which pay very dear for the Pleasures which they pretend to have in Meat and Drink All the other Pleasures of the Body are always insatiable to him who would please his Five Senses the Eye will never be satisfied with Seeing the Ear with Hearing and so of the rest if Reason do not govern all they will still importune us yea become Insolent and Unsatisfiable To love Play is loss of time to love Hunting is Weariness to love Company is Disquiet The more we would oblige them the more they are dissatisfied And what shall we have after having satisfied all our Senses and given to our Body all the Pleasures that it desires Nothing but Weariness and Remorse of Conscience which will torment the Soul especially at Death We may lawfully use these things but not love them for they are no wise worthy of our Love XIII There is nothing LOVELY and that can satisfie our Soul but GOD ALONE Neither was it created for any other End but to love its god and to cleave to him only All other Goods are false and deceitful Since we cannot live without LOVE Why do we not love this GOD who is ALONE LOVELY So much the rather that he desires it that he has obliged us to it by
Proposal to the Archbishop of Cambray XXIV Pere du Bois and sâ—me Maâ—â—s esteem her XXV The Jesuits disturâ— her XXVI The Bishop grants her desire XXVII The Clergy incensed against her XXVIII 〈◊〉 Bishop retracts his Permission XXIX She waits on her Mother at her Death keeps her Father's House He marries and she retires XXX Lives in great Solitude at St. Andrew XXXI I disturbed by an insolent Youth XXXII Is forced from thence by the War XXXIII Does the last Offices to her Father and succeeds to her Mother's Goods XXXIV Nothing in this contrary to the Laws of God or Man XXXV St. Saulieu accosts her XXXVI She undertakes the Care of a Hospital of Orphans XXXVII Her frequent Sicknesses there XXXVIII St. Saulieu's Persecution of her XXXIX Her Delivery from him and his end XL. She turns her House into a Cloyster XLI The Discovery of the Childrens Sorceries XLII Their Declarations XLIII No ground to disbelieve this Story or that the World swarms with such XLIV The Parents accuse her to the Magistrates XLV 〈…〉 XLVI Malefices to take a way her Life XLVII She wiâ—hdraws to Gaunt and Mechlin XLVIII Is esteem'd by Learned and Good Men there XLIX Particularly by M. de Cort L. Goes to Holland LI. â— sick at Amderdam and is visited by Persons of all Perswasions Tomb. de la fausse Theol. Part 2. Letter 1. LII Wrote here some of her Books LIII Mr. de Cort cast into a Dun geon by the Jansenists LIV. Her Concern for him and his Deliverance LV. They Peâ—â—n him in Holstein LVI Her long Sickness LVII M. de Cort had left her his Rights to Noordstrand LVIII They persecute her therefore LIX She goes to Holstein LX. The Quakers write and she Answers LXI Some Anabaptists of Friesland come to her LXII Their Behaviour LXIII The occasion of a new Persecution LXIV The Pastours of Holstein are alarmed LXV She is persecuted at Flensbourg LXVI At Husum and robb'd of her Printing Press Books and Papâ—rs LXVII General-Major Vanderwyck appears for her LXVIII The Pastors write against her LXIX She lives in great Secâ—ecy and Hazard at Sleswick the People being inflam'd by the Pastors LXX The scattering the Sheets of her Books discovers the Calumnies of the Pastors LXXI The Court gives her Protection LXXII She gives in a Confession of her Faith LXXIII The Church men prevail LXXIV She goes to Hambourg LXXV Her Exercâ—se and Writings there LXXVI She is persecâ—ted by the Pastors there LXXVII Goes to Lutzburg in Friesland LXXVIII Her Employment and Writings there LXXIX Long Sickness LXXX Persecuted anew by her Servant's Sorcerers LXXXI By those who pretended to protect her LXXXII The Pretence for it and the true Cause LXXXIII Goes to Franeker LXXXIV Her Death LXXXV Her Character Matth. 26. 48. 73. Temoign de Vertie Part 1. p. 146. Tomb. de la fausse Theol. Part 3. Letter 1. nu 17 18. Avis salut lett 133. I. The Occasion of the Letter II. Necessary Qualifications in Writers of Narratives und Characters III. These wanting in the Authours of the Preface to the Snake in the Grass and Bourignanism detected IV. The first Authour's rash and spiteful Charge against A. B. V. A. B. Vindicated from the 1 Of blasphemous Priâ—â— Parole de Dieu p. 127. Temoig de verite Part 2. p. 47. Ibid. p. 59 60. Iâ—id p. 81 â—â— VI. From the 2. That she overturn'd Priesthood c. * Sâ— Is 1. VII From the 3 Of Uncharitableness c. * p. 63 161 c. Gen. 6 12. Ps 14. 3. Mic. 7. 2. b Light of the World Part 1. p. 47. c â—emo igâ— de veâ—iâ—e Part 2. p. 71. VIII From the 4 Of 〈…〉 the Design 〈…〉 IX From the 5 Of her denying the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ * p 86 87 c. * See Apâ—logy p. 59 c. Light of the World p. 139. Light of the World p. 142. X. From the 6 Of her Contempt of the Holy Scriptures * p. 159 c. XI From the 7 Of her wild and barbarous Notions * See the Apology p. 72. c. * Ibid. p. 180. c. XII The undiscreet Treatment of M. Poiret pag. 127 c. XIII The Fury of his Zeal wrong levell'd XIV The Doctor the Author of the Narratives the Occasion of all this Noiseâ— XV. Great Caution to be used in judging of Spiritual Things XVI The Falseness of the Charge of a Sect. XVII His Uacharitableness to his Country-men XVIII In both the Narratives he fights with his own Shadow XIX His Disin genuity in his Narrations XX. Appears in his unjust Way of forming her Character 1. By pâ—ecing together half Sentiments from different Places 2. By borrowing pieces of it from her avow'd Enemies * Nar. 1. p. 75. 3. By obtruding false Translations Rev. 4. 14 4. By affirming things as said of her without giving Evidence * Pâ—eface §. 2. * p. 3. §. 3. p. 5. §. 4. 5. By drawing Consequences contrary to their Principles which their Sayings do not infer and they expresly disclaim Nar. 1. p. 18. §. 10. c. La paix de bonnes ames p. 186 c XXI The Dr's great Mistake as to the Regard required to the Testimony of Men. See Apology p. 14. c. XXII The true Reasons why A. B. was highly esteemed not adduced by the Doctor Nor those adduced sufficiently disproved As 1. her Sanctity * See Apology p. 137. The Doctor not faithful in relating the Proofs of her Sanctity * See Apology p. 42 43. XXIII His Reasons against her Sanctity disproved and she vindicated from 1. That of a light and vain Conversation 2. From following her own Humour without any regard to the Principles of Religion 3. From her Disobedience toâ—her Parents 4. From Covetousness because of her Law Suits a Vie exter â— 49. b 〈…〉 c ibid. n. 57. d Viâ— exter n. 52 54. e ib. n. 5 49 51. f ib. p. 180. g ib. and Part de Dien n. 9. p. 163. h Parole de Dieu p. 67. i Vie exter p. 186. k Avâ—s salut p. 86. l Vie Continuè◠cap. 12. p. 128 129. Temoign de Verite Part 2. p 3â—2 303 * Avertis contre les Tremb p 213 c. XXIV 〈…〉 c. XXV 2. Her Knowledge of secret Thoughts not disproved XXVI 3. Her foretelling things to coâ—e not disproved * Apology p. 230. c. XXVII 4. The Supernatural Means of her Knowledge not disprov'd XXVIII 〈…〉 c. 3â— n. 5 6 〈…〉 XXIX Just Remarks upon what 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 Narra 1. p. 75. Ibid. p 76. XXX Some Remarks upon the Second Narrative 1. He persists in his false Representations 2. In his Curtailings and Glossings Nar. 2. p 4. Light of the World Part 2. p. 84. Light of the World Part 1. p. 92. Nar. 2. p. 5. Light of the World Part â— p. 39. 3. Makes Questions upon a false Supposition 4. He opposeth the Truth and joins with the Pelagians Light of the World Part 2. Conf. 13. p. 85. e 1 Cor. 6 17. D. C. Nar. p. 36 37. 5. A just Character of M Poiret and the Narrator's unchristian dealing with him considered Tem. des S. Ecrit p. 387 388. Ibid. p. 402 4â—3 D. C's Essays part 2. pag. 163 164 165. 6 The Narrator's Mistakes as to the comparison betwixt Jes Christ's First birth and the Renovatioâ— of his Gospel Spirit 7 His rash Censure of things he does not understand Narr 2. p. 49. 8. His 〈…〉 〈…〉 I. The Occasion and Design of the Letter II. Remarks upon Doctor Cock bourn's Letter to his Friend 1. H. judging others condemns himself * Letter p. 2. 2. Unjust 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 * Pag. 9. c. â— pag. â—â— 3. The Doctor in Danger by becoming hâ—s own Interpreter * Pag. 30. 4. Not just in making of Characters 5. Makes a Controversie where there is none A. B's Writings valuable for their Plainness Simplicity and Disinterestedness 7. The Doctor 's Prenciples not friendly to St. Paul Etoile du Matin p. 23. 8. His Rudeness to A. b's Friends 9. His Rudeness to the Philadelphian III. Remarks upon the second Narrative 1. A. B's Pretences to Sanctity not so high at he describes them for she does not exalt her self above the Prophets c. She does not pretend to be without Sin or Corruption Solid Vertue Part 2. p. 71. She owns her Failings * 1 Narrat p. 49. In that very passage cited by the Author Vie exter p. 150. * Pag. 6. He most injuriously mistakes and translates some of A. B's words Put malicious glosses upon others * Tomb. dela Faus Theol. part 2. let 14. p. 115. Ibid. Ibid. Pag. 7. Pag. 2. 2. A. B. â—as made no Additions to the Essentials of Christianity * a Nar. p. 11. 3. Her Expression about Moses's Chair no mark of Pride * 2 Nar. p. 11. Pierre dâ— Touche p. 286. 4 Her Pretences to Knowledge not such as he describes them 2 Nar. p. 15. 5. That she requires the same respect to her Sayings as to the Scripture is false 2 Nar. p. 20 22. * Lum en ten part i. pag. 2. 6. The Doctor draws unjust and invidicus Consiquences 1. Instance * Light of the World Part 2. p. 85. Matt. 5. 14. 1. Tim. 4. 16. * Pag. 32. Second Instance * Light of the World Part 2. Conf. 17. p. 128 129 7. The Doctor 's Ignorance of A. B.'s Princâ—ples appears 2. Nar. p. 33. n. 7. IV. A 〈◊〉 Survâ—r of the Doctor 's whole Performance with Reflections on his undisercet Zeal 2 Nar. p 55. Letteâ— p. 21. V. 5. The Writer apologizeth for himself I. God alone Lovely Motives to the Love of God 1. He is the Fountain and Accomplishment of all Good II. 2. The Soul's Likeness to him III. 3. Of the Benefits bestowed by him upon the Soul and Body IV. 4. The Provision he has made both for Soul and Body V. 5. His Mercy to become the Saviour of Man VI. 6. His Inacrnation VII 7. His Annihilation VIII 8. His becoming a Teacher and Prophet IX 9. His becoming a Priest X. 10. That he gave his Life even for his Enemies XI 11. The Advantages of Divine Love XII 12. The Vanity of the earthly Love of Riches Honours Pleasures XIII 13. Nothing Lovely but God 14. Without him all is Folly and Misery
Religion have to one another This then is certainly a remarkable Property of the Writings of A. B. that they give so distinct a view of the Relation of the several Parts and Duties of Christianity to one another and to the whole How some hold the Place of the end and others of the means some of which are so absolutely necessary in Man's present State that without them he cannot attain the End They make appear that the great end of Christianity 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 Doctrine and following the Example of Jesus Christ so that his Commands are all the necessary 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 Gospel-Law teaches Man Poverty of Spirit to shew Man that Covetousness has withdrawn him from the Love of God and that he cannot recover it without ceasing to covet earthly Goods and it teaches Men to be humble in Heart and to choose the lowest Place because they have lost the Love of God by loving themselves and thinking themselves worthy of Honour and Glory while they merit nothing but Contempt and Confusion Jesus Christ chose a poor and mean State in the World lived in Hardships and Unease in Reproach and Contempt and never did his own Will but the Will of him that sent him to show us what are the things that withdraw us from the Love of God and what are the means we must use to overcome them XVIII 3. The Writings of A. B. do give us most lovely Representations of the Divine Nature such as may serve to enflame our Souls with Love and Wonder when we think on the depth and height and breadth and length of the Love of God in Christ Jesus which passeth all Knowledge They shew us that God's very Nature is Love that there is none Good but God that no kind of Evil comes from him but all Good that it was nothing but Love and Goodness that made him create Man so wonderful a Creature that he might communicate himself to him and dwell in him by his Light and Love and that he might oblige him by the greatness of his Magnificence made a world of beautiful Creatures to attend him and to compleat his Happiness and Contentment would needs become like to him as he had at first form'd Man after his own Image And so far was he from designing that Man should destroy himself that he us'd all means to prevent it and to keep him from abusing the greatest Natural Gift he could bestow upon him Liberty of Will and which he could not in justice take back again for the Gifts of God are without Repentance That Man's Baseness and Fall did not alter God's Love but he resolves to recover him again and continues unalterably his first Design of taking his Delight with him that he accepts of the Intercession and Mediation of Jesus Christ 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 order'd them all so as that they might tend to his Good and his Recovery thrust him out of a delightful Paradise into an Earth cursed for his sake and bringing forth Throns and Thistles least the Pleasures of the first should now still bewitch his Heart the more and that the Miseries and Vexations of the last might give him Occasions for Penitence and make him return to his God that God has not forsaken Man but Man has forsaken his God that God by all his Works and by his Operations in Man gives him all sort of Occasions to love him That he is not content to send us his Servants and Prophets to enlighten us but he came himself and became in all things like to us yet without Sin that he might redeem and save us That God tempts no Man but every Man is drawn away of his own Lust 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 greatest Evil in the World That he does not permit Sin but permits Man to make use of his Free-will which being the greatest Treasure he could receive it was not just for God to take it back again and if Man abuse it it is for himself so he may do with his Hands and Tongue which are given him for excellent uses That as God is not the Author of any Sin any Moral Evil neither by Influence nor by Decree nor by Permission but it proceeds wholly from Men and Devils by the ill use of the Liberty and Free-will that God gave them so neither 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 Malignity continue now in this Time of Trial to withdraw Man from the Love of the Creatures that at the Times of the Restitution of all things he will deliver all his Creatures from the Malignity contracted by the Sin of Man and since it is just to render to each one what belongs to him it is necessary that they who will not return to a Dependance upon their God have for their Portion this Malignity of all the Creatures to all Eternity as being the Work of their own Hands That in the Love of God consists all Good and all Happiness and in the turning away from that Love all Evil and all Misery which Men are not now so sensible of because of the superficial and transient Delights with which the Creatures do amuse and tickle them but upon the removal of that they shall 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 pass'd over all because all have sinn'd It is saith St. Augustine God alone the only Truth the only Salvation of all and the First and Supream Essence from whom every thing is what it is in so far as it is for in so 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 Pleasure in the Destruction of the Living for the supream Essence makes every thing to be what it is and therefore it is called the Essence But Death constrains that which dies not to be in so far as it dies for if these things which die should die altogether undoubtedly they would come to nothing But by how much less they partake of Essence by so much they die Now a Body is less