Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	believe_v	faith_n	heart_n	5,328	5	5.2153	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B10083	Tracts theological. I. Asceticks, or, the heroick piety and vertue of the ancient Christian anchorets and coenobites. II. The life of St. Antony out of the Greek of Sr. Athanasius. III. The antiquity and tradition of mystical divinity among the Gentiles. IV. Of the guidance of the spirit of God, upon a discourse of Sir Matthew Hale's concerning it. V. An invitation to the Quakers, to rectifie some errors, which through the scandals given they have fallen into.	Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.; Stephens, Edward, d. 1706. Asceticks, or, the heroick piety and virtue of the ancient Christian anchorets and coenobites.; Stephens, Edward, d. 1706. Life of St. Antony.; Stephens, Edward, d. 1706. Antiquity, tradition, and succession of mystical divinity among the Gentiles.; Stephens, Edward, d. 1706. Enthusiasmus divinus: the guidance of the spirit of God.; Stephens, Edward, d. 1706. Apology for, and an invitation to, the people call'd Quakers, to rectifie some errors, which through the scandals given they have fallen into.	1697 (1697)	Wing S5444E; Wing S5444E; ESTC R184630	221,170	486

Nazianzen Ambrose Hierom Austin and many others but it would be too long for this place and occasion And therefore to make short Work instead of that I will here represent their Sentiments in some short Notes of an Eminent and most Learned Annotator who was well acquainted with them and doth sometimes intersperse some of their Testimonies in his Writings It is the Famous Hugo Grotius These saith he upon Mat. 18.10 who dedicate themselves to God with a true Faith and thereupon are accounted his peculiar People God as he doth favour them with a peculiar Providence so he seems to give to each an Angel Guardian to guide and assist them either perpetually or certainly until they come to the full Possession of the Divine Spirit For so I see the Ancient Christians did believe And in his Pref. to his Annot. upon the Epistle to the Romans Into the Heart purified by Faith as into a clean Vessel God doth infuse his Spirit I mean the Spirit of Christ full of Love of God and of our Neighbour and of all Goodness Those who have this Spirit of God and carefully keep it God doth account as born of Him and like unto Him to them he gives a certain Right to Heavenly and Eternal Good Things Neither is the Heart purified but by Faith in Christ nor is the Spirit infused but into a Heart so purified nor doth he plainly own for his any but who are endowed with that Spirit Upon Luke 22.3 As they who religiously obey the Divine Admonitions at length receive the Indwelling Spirit so they who readily consent to the Suggestions of the Devil at length God deserting them become the Slaves of Satan Upon Jo. 5.45 Those to whom the Gospel is Preached become taught of God that is if they would if they be greedy of it if they do not reject the Benefits offered and even forc'd upon them They will have no need to have recourse to Learned Men that from them they may learn the Mysteries of the Old Testament Upon Eph. 1.17 The Spirit of God which is given to Believers doth among other things imprint also Wisdom in their Souls not that of the things of this World of which Philosophers did boast but of those things which conduce to a better Life The same Spirit doth reveal also to those who are his things future and secret which cannot be known by humane Means Upon 1 Jo. 2.20 The Spirit doth suggest to us in all Circumstances both the Precepts of Christ and such Hints or Notices as are meet for the Occasion v. 27. What we are to do in every Circumstance For there are certain Differences which Times Places and Persons require Therefore is there often need of Admonition to hit the way of our Duty See Jer. 31.34 Jo. 6.45 and if you please Seneca Epist 94. And upon 1 Thess 4.9 The Holy Ghost teacheth you concerning all things to be done By how much the more there is of the Spirit so much the less need is there of Prescripts This Place is not to be understood of the General Precept but of special Determinations as all Things Persons and Times do require And Gal. 5.18 Those who are led by the Spirit as now of Age have no need of the Law the Guardian of their Youth And Rom. 8.4 Those who walk after the Spirit he interprets those who having obtained the Holy Spirit do constantly obey its Motions and afterwards v. 5. They that are after the Spirit he interprets those who are possessed by the Spirit of God which doth not now come to pass but by Christ And v. 12. he notes God hath given his Spirit that we should use it and again So great a Guest will be treated with Care otherwise he will bid farewell to his Lodging And to conclude 1 Thess 5.23 Spirit here saith he is that Holy Spirit inhabiting in the Souls of Christians and if it be carefully kept adhering to Souls unto Death and after Death even to the Resurrection and then referrs to what he had said 1 Cor. 15.44 to Hierom upon Gal. 5. and recites to the same purpose the Words of Philo Irenaeus Tatianus Clem. Alexandrinus and Tertullian More might be added but this is enough to shew the Mind of this great Man concerning the Necessity of our having the Spirit of God dwelling in us the Effects of his Residence in Light and Conduct and our Duty how to treat it And that this is also the Belief of the Church of England however some of late have commonly presum'd to speak if not despitefully and reproachfully yet too slightly of so great and holy a Principle of our Religion may appear by the most Authentick Evidence that can be her most solemn Addresses to Almighty God in divers Collects for this very purpose As for all Persons to be Baptized before they be Baptized to give his Holy Spirit to them that they may be born again c. and after they be Baptized to give his Holy Spirit to them that they may continue his Servants and attain his Promises So likewise for all Persons Confirmed to strengthen them with the Holy Ghost and daily increase in them his manifold Gifts of Grace before Imposition of Hands and then again together with the Imposition of Hands that they may daily increase in his Holy Spirit and again afterward that his Holy Spirit may ever be with them and so lead them c. and lastly for all the Congregation upon several Occasions as upon the Nativity of our Lord that they may daily be renewed by his Holy Spirit Upon the 19th Sunday after Trinity that his Holy Spirit may in all things Direct and Rule our Hearts Upon the first Sunday in Lent that we may ever obey his Godly Motions Upon Easter-Day that as by thy special Grace preventing us thou dost put into our Minds good Desires so by thy continual Help we may bring the same to good Effect Upon the fifth Sunday after Easter that by his Holy Inspiration we may think those things that be good and by his merciful Guiding may perform the same and others to the like Effect as upon the Sunday after Ascension Whitsunday the 13th Sunday after Trinity the Collect at the beginning of the Communion Service And at every Morning and Evening Service all are admonished to beseech him to give us his Holy Spirit And in the Coll. for Grace we pray to God that all our doings may be ordered by his Governance and in the Litany to indue us with the Grace of his Holy Spirit to amend our Lives according to his Holy Word In the Ordering of Deacons this Question is first to be asked by the Bishop Do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this Office and Ministration c In the Ordering of Priests the Bishop says Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office and Work of a Priest in the Church of God c. And in the Consecration of a Bishop the

we may know why Christ's Cross should be derided But they hesitating and looking this way and that way St. Antony smil'd and said These things are their own Proof at first Sight And seeing ye lean so much on demonstrative Reasons and therefore are not willing we should worship without rational Demonstration first of all satisfie me about these matters and especially How the Knowledge of God is discern'd by Demonstration of Reasons or by the Energy of Faith and Which is the Elder Faith by Energy or Demonstration by Reason But they answering That Faith by Energy is the Elder and the truly exact Knowledge Very well said St. Antony for Faith springs from the Disposition of the Soul but Logick is one of those Arts which are compos'd by the Soul Wherefore Demonstration is not necessary for them who have Energy by Faith nay 't is superfluous for what we perceive by Faith you build by Reasoning So that oft-times you have not Words to express what we see within Wherefore Energy by Faith is better and firmer than your Sophistical Syllogisms 49. We Christians have not this Mystery by the Wisdom of Greek Reasonings but by the Power of Faith given us by Christ Jesus from God And that ye may see what we say is true behold we who have not so much as learnt to spell do believe in God known by his Works and a Providence over all things And that our Faith is operative within is evident for we are supported by Faith in Christ but ye by Sophistical Strivings of Words Your Spectre-Idols are brought to nought but our Faith is extended every where Notwithstanding your Syllogisms and Sophisms ye don't perswade any from Christianity to Paganism but we who preach Faith in Christ weaken your Superstition knowing very well That Christ is God and the Son of God By your Oracles ye don't hinder the spreading of Christ's Doctrin but by but Naming Christ Crucified we chase those Devils whom ye honour as Gods where-ever the Sign of the Cross is there Magick is weak and Sorcery has no power Tell me Man Where are your Oracles Where are the Inchantments of the Egyptians When did all these cease and vanish before the Cross of Christ was Does this therefore deserve so much Derision or Do not rather the weak things that are brought to nought and baffled by it This also is strange to observe Your Followers were never persecuted but honoured by Men in the City but Christ's Disciples are persecuted and yet they multiply and flourish more than yours Your Tenets though celebrated and applauded are broke whereas the Faith and Doctrine of Christ though derided by you and often persecuted by Kings has fill'd the World When did the Knowledge of God shine so bright or When did Temperance and eminent Virginity appear so much or When was Death so despis'd as since the Cross of Christ But no one doubts of this when he sees the Martyrs despising Death for Christ's sake and whole Churches Virgins keeping their Bodies pure and undefil'd for Christ's sake Which are powerful Signs and such as do shew that the Christian Faith is the only true Faith for Piety Lo ye at this very moment don't believe but seek Syllogisms from Logick but we as our Teacher speaks 1 Cor. 2.3 Not by the Perswasion of Wisdom in Greek Eloquence but by Faith do effectually perswade those that were us'd to the Artificial Structures of Reason See here are some afflicted with Devils for at that time there were some such present do ye by your Syllogisms or Magick or any other Method that you please to chuse and by invoking your Idols cleanse them or your selves or if ye cann't lay aside your Quarrel against us be unprejudic'd and ye shall see the Power of Christ's Cross And having said so he invok'd the Name of Christ and sign'd the Afflicted Persons with the Sign of the Cross a second or third time and the Men were presently whole and in their right Minds and gave Thanks to God and the Philosophers were amaz'd at the Understanding of the Man and the Miracle which he did But Antony said Why do ye wonder at this We don't do it but Christ by those who believe in Him Do ye therefore believe and ye shall see that we have not an Art of Reasoning but a Faith wrought by Love for Christ which also ye may have and when ye have it ye will not seek Demonstrations of Eloquence but then ye will reckon Faith in Christ sufficient These were St. Antony's Words but they estranging at this went away saluting him and owning that they were benefitted by him 50. And now St. Antony's Fame reach'd the Ears of Kings and Princes for Constantine Augustus and Constantine and Constans his Sons having heard this writ to him as a Father and entreated him that they might receive an Answer from him But he did not set an high Value on their Letter but was the same Man that he was before they sent to him When the Letters were brought to him he call'd the Monks and said to them Don't wonder that the King writes to us for he is a Man but rather that God has writ us a Law and spoke to us by his own Son Wherefore he was unwilling to receive them saying He knew not how to answer such Letters But being warned by the Monks that they were Christian Princes and if they were neglected might be offended he suffered them to be read and sent an Answer Commending them because they ador'd Christ and advising them of Matters relating to their Salvation as that they should not regard present Grandeur but rather bear the future Judgment in mind and should know and remember that Christ only is the True and Eternal King And he also counsell'd them to be courteous and to take care of Equity and the Poor When they receiv'd this Letter they were very glad He was so obliging to all that all look'd on him as a Father 51. After this he return'd to the inner Monastry and stuck to his former Exercise very often as he was sitting or walking with his Visitants he was very silent as 't is written in Daniel Dan. 4.16 and after an hours pause he would discourse with the Brethren very regularly But those that were with him frequently perceiv'd some Vision Once he told all the Affairs of Egypt to Bishop Serapion who was sometimes within with him and saw him engag'd with a Vision Another time as he was sitting he was as it were in an Extasie and frequently groan'd in the midst of his Theory and in an hour's time returning to his Friends he first stood and pray'd trembling and then kneelt and continu'd so a good while and when the Old Man rose he wept The Company trembling for Terrour requested to know the Reason of it and were so importunate with him that he was forc'd to speak after he had fetch'd a great sigh Better had it been for me if I had dy'd before I

into the Carnal part cap. 17. v. Col. 9. cap. 26. Abbot Daniel concerning the triple State of Souls Cass Coll. 4. cap. 19. ACcording to the Doctrin of the Scripture there are Three States of Souls the first Carnal the second Animal the third Spiritual which we read thus noted-out by the Apostle for concerning the Carnal it is said I have given you Milk to drink not Meat for then ye were not able neither yet indeed are ye for ye are yet Carnal 1 Cor. 3. And again While there is among you Emulation and Contention are ye not Carnal ibid. Concerning the Animal it is thus mentioned The Animal Man perceives not the things of the Spirit of God it is Foolishness to him 1 Cor. 2. But of the Spiritual But the Spiritual judgeth all things but is judged of none ibid. And again Ye who are Spiritual instruct those who are of that sort in a Spirit of Gentleness Gal. 6. And therefore we must be diligent that when by our Renunciation we have ceased to be Carnal that is have begun to separate our selves from the Conversation of Worldly People and to cease from that manifest Pollution of the Flesh we strive presently with all our Might to acquire the Spiritual State lest flattering our selves because we seem according to the outward Man to have renounced the World or to have forsaken the Contagions of Carnal Fornications as if by this we had gotten the top of Perfection we should thenceforth become more remiss toward the Emundation of other Passions and more slothful and being detained between both not be able to attain to the degree of Spiritual Profit supposing that it is abundantly sufficient for us for Perfection that in the outward Man we seem separated from the Conversation and Delights of this World or that we are set free from Carnal Corruption and Mixture And so being found in that Tepid State which is reckoned the Worst we shall understand that we are to be vomited out of the Mouth of the Lord according to his Sentence saying I would thou wert Hot or Cold but because thou art now Tepid or Lukewarm I will begin to spue thee out of my Mouth Rev. 3.15 c. Abbot Isaac concerning PRAYER Cass Col. 9. THE End of every Monk and Perfection of his Heart tends to a continual and uninterrupted Perseverance in Prayer and as far as is permitted to Humane Frailty strives after an unmoveable Tranquility and perpetual Purity of Mind For the Enjoyment of which we unweariedly seek and continually exercise as well Labour of the Body as Contrition of Spirit And there is between these a certain reciprocal and inseparable Conjunction For as the Structure of all Virtues doth tend to the Perfection of Prayer so unless all these be bound and compacted together by the toping of it they can by no means hold out firm and stable For as without them cannot this perpetual and continual Tranquility of Prayer of which we speak be acquired and perfected so neither can those Virtues which prepare for it without the Continuance of it be accomplished Wherefore neither can we rightly treat of the Effect of Prayer or enter to the principal End of it which is accomplished by the Employment of all Virtues by a hasty Discourse unless first all these things which for the obtaining of it are either to be cut off or to be prepared be in order enumerated and discussed and according to the Instruction of the Parable in the Gospel those things which belong to the Building of that Spiritual and more sublime Tower be counted and diligently prepared for it Which notwithstanding will neither profit being prepared nor rightly admit those high topings of Perfection to be built upon them unless first all refuse of Vices being cast out and all dead rubbish of Passions dug up the most firm Foundations of Simplicity and Humility be laid upon the sound and solid Earth of our Heart that Evangelical Rock upon which this Tower to be built with the Employments of all the Spiritual Virtues may be both unmoveably established and raised up to the highest Heavens by the Consistence of its own Firmness cap. 2. And therefore that the Prayer be made with that Fervour and Purity it ought these things are by all means to be observed First The Solicitude of Earthly things in general is to be cut off Next not only the Care but not so much as the Memory of any Business or Cause is to be admitted Detractions idle Talk much Talk Jestings are likewise also to be cut off Anger above all things or the Perturbation of Sadness are to be throughly rooted out The pernicious Food of Carnal Concupiscence and the Love of Money is to be plucked up by the Roots and these and the like Vices which are visible even to the Eyes of Men being cut off and wholly thrust out and such a cleansing of the Rubbish which is perfected in the Purity of Simplicity or Singleness of Heart and Innocence first made the unshaken Foundations of a profound Humility which may bear a Tower reaching to the Heavens are first to be laid then is the Superstruction of Spiritual Virtues to be built upon it and from all Discourse or Reasoning and light Wandering is the Mind to be restrained that so it may by degrees be elevated to God and to Spiritual Intuition For what-ever our Soul conceives before the Hour of Prayer of necessity it will occur to us while we pray by intrusion of our Remembrance Wherefore such as we would be found while we Pray such ought we to prepare our selves to be before the time of Prayer For from the precedent State is the Mind formed in Prayer c. cap. 3. The Quality of the Soul is not unfitly compared to a light Feather which if it be not spoiled by some wet from without happening to it by the levity of its own Substance with the help of a gentle Breath is as it were naturally raised up on high and to the Heavens But if it be aggravated with the Accession of any wet it is not only not raised up to any Aerial Flights by its natural Mobility but will be depressed down to the very Earth by the weight of the Wet received So also our Mind if it be not aggravated with contracted Vices and Worldly Cares or corrupted with the Humour of noxious Lust being lifted up as with the natural Advantage of its Purity will with the least Breath of Spiritual Meditation be elevated on high and forsaking low and Earthly things will be transported to those which are Heavenly and invisible So that we are very properly admonished by our Lord's Precepts See that your Hearts be not at any time over-charged with Gluttony Drunkenness and the Cares of the World Luk. 21.34 And therefore if we would our Prayers should pierce not only the Heavens but what are above the Heavens let us take Care to raise our Mind purged from all Earthly Corruptions and cleansed from

Antony therefore becken'd to him and desired him to carry him back to the Tombs without disturbing any of them Accordingly his Friend carried him 8. And when he was return'd thither shuting down the Tomb-top he tarried within there as before and not being able to stand because of the Stripes the Devil gave him he pray'd lying prostrate and after he had pray'd he said aloud I Antony am here I don't run away for your Stroaks or Terrours For though you inflict more upon me nothing shall separate me from the Love of Christ. Then he sung that of the Psalmist Though Hosts encamp against me yet shall not my Heart be afraid Thus did Antony think and speak But the envious Enemy and hater of all Good wondering to see him appear so confident in spight of all that he endur'd sounded his Hounds together and being burst with Envy said See here we have not tam'd nor tir'd this Man either with the Spirit of Fornication or with our Stripes and Buffetings on the contrary he is grown the more daring against us let us therefore set upon him some other way for the Devil has always new Schemes ready at hand to promote his malicious Designs Wherefore not long after they came and made such a great Noise in the Night-time that the whole Monastery seem'd to be shook and the Walls of the Cell to be broke through by the Devils transforming themselves into the Shapes of all sorts of Beasts Lyons Bears Leopards Bulls Serpents Asps Scorpions and Wolves every one of which mov'd and acted agreeably to the Creatures which they represented the Lyon roaring and seeming to make towards him the Bull to but the Serpent to creep and the Woolf to hare towards him and so in short all the rest according to their Natural Motions so that Antony was tortured and mangled with them so grievously that his Bodily Pain was greater now than before However he was unmov'd compos'd wakeful and himself He groan'd indeed for Bodily Pains but he had a sober undisturbed Mind and as 't were laughing he said If ye had any Strength it would be enough for only one of you to come against me but because the Lord hath enervated you therefore ye thus try to scare me by a Multitude and which is a manifest Indication of your Weakness ye have put on the Shapes of irrational Creatures If ye have any Power if ye have receiv'd any Authority don't delay but seize me But if ye have not Ability Why do ye trouble both me and your selves in vain My Faith in God is a sufficient Seal and Security of his standing by me The Devils therefore having assaulted him a long while to no purpose gnash'd their Teeth at him for they found they mock'd themselves more than they mock'd him 9. Moreover the Lord did not forget Antony's Bravery at this time but came to his Help for as Antony look'd up the Roof of the Cell was as it were open'd and there was a Beam of Light shooting down as it were upon him whereupon the Devils straitway became Speechless Antony's Pain too presently ceas'd and the Roof clos'd again Now Antony being sensible of the Ease that had been sent him and that he had gain'd Breath and respite from his Dolours spoke respectively to the Vision and said Where wast thou before Why did'st thou not appear at first that thou might'st asswage my Pain And a Voice said unto him Antony I was here but I waited to see thy Behaviour under this Tryal and since thou hast valiantly gone through it and hast not been conquered I will always be thy Helper and make thee famous in all Places Having heard this he rose and prayed and grew so strong that he perceived he had more Strength now in his Body than he had before being now near the 35th Year of his Life 10. The Day following as he was walking out he found himself stronger bent to the Exercise of Religion and he went to that Old Man whom I mention'd before that Night and would fain have co-habited with him in the Desart But the Old Man refusing because of his Age and the Unusualness of the thing Antony immediately fled into the Mountain Now the Enemy again observing his Zeal and being willing to retard it laid the semblance of a large piece of Plate in his way Antony perceiving his Craft and spying the Devil in the Dish chid it after this manner Whence should this Dish come hither This is no beaten Road neither is here any Traveller's tread If it had been lost 't is too big not to be recover'd again presently Doubtless it would have been found if they had return'd and doubtless had any one lost it he would have return'd because the place is so solitary This is certainly one of the Devil's Tricks But however thou shalt not impede my Holy Purpose so May it perish with thee No sooner was the Word utter'd but the Plate dis-appeared like Smoak before the Fire 11. Another time he saw not only a resemblance but real Gold thrown in the way Whether it was a bad Spirit or some good Power that laid it there to try the Heroe and to shew the Devil that he did not value real Money he neither told me nor do I know any more of it then that it was really what it appeared to be Antony wondered at the Abundance of it and leaping over it as a Man in a Fright over a Fire never stood so much as to look back upon it but run away so fast and so far that he was latent a considerable Time after And now St. Antony continuing still more and more intent upon his Purpose placed himself in an empty Castle that was on the other side of the River though before he came 't was full of reptile Creatures yet when he went in the Serpents left the Place as though it had been haunted by an Enemy Here after he had stopp'd up the Entry he laid in Bread enough to serve him half a Year which the Thebans often do nay sometimes they will continue without moulding a Year together and having a continued supply of Water within he winded up his Soul to God There he continued always in his Monastery having entred it as a Holy Chancel neither stirring out himself nor taking Notice of Comers only once in six Months he took in some Loaves at the top of the House 12. Some of his Acquaintance came often to him and because he would not let them in liv'd often without doors whole Days and Nights by him and seem'd to hear a tumultuous rout within bawling and wailing from within and crying Get away from our place What have you to do in the Wilderness since you countenance none of our Devices Those that were without thought it might be some Travellers that had got into him by Ladders at the top of the Castle but after they had leant down and peep'd thorow a little crack and saw no body they

great Modesty and Solidity h●● vindicated Mystical Divinity against the Quarrel ●● one who charged it to be Fanaticism His Charact● may be seen more at large in Mr. Wood's Oxford Actiquities FINIS POSTSCRIPT WHEREAS it is feared by some that what is in the fore-going Discourse related concerning Plotinus and Porphyrius who lived in Gospel-times and yet were not Christians but the latter a grand Adversary of the Christians and of Christianity may too much gratifie some call'd Quakers to their hurt who are great Magnifyers of the Gentile Dispensation I do declare that I should be glad to gratifie any People for their Good but not any to their Hurt And therefore to prevent any such misuse of what I have written for a good purpose which I have mentioned in the end of the Preface they must know 1. That as the Actions of Witches and their Familiars if the matter of fact be evident and undeniable are good Evidence against Atheists and Sadduceans and the Real Inspiration of any Spirit if proved is good Evidence against all such Anti-enthusiasts as deny the Reality of Inspiration and that there is any thing more in it than meerly the actings of Peoples Imaginations so the plain apert Declarations by these Men of the Mystick Divinity which was more occultly delivered by the Ancients is good Evidence of the Tradition and Succession of these Mysteries though they should be found to have erred in the Use and Application of it And for this purpose was that Collection made 2. That though Porphyry and Plotinus and some others of them might receive some Lights Powerful Attractions and Sensible Consolations c. from some considerable Spirit yet was not that the Spirit of Christ or any Good Ministering Spirit not such as that of Socrates under the Gentile Dispensation for Porphy● ridiculed it v. Soc. Hist l. 3. c. 23. but a Spirit of Antichrist and of Satan transformed as appears most manifestly in Porphyry who was a Renagado and Apostate from Christianity and that not upon any Grounds of Reason but upon Passion for some Reproof as Valesius understands it or some more severe Discipline he received from some Christians possibly for some abuse by Scoffing to which he was much addicted and thereupon became not only an Apostate but a spiteful Adversary and the more impudent through the Countenance of the Emperor Julian who was also an Apostate and such another Scoffer This might be abundantly shewed if it was needful here and may be upon some other occasion but this is sufficient for this And this may serve for another purpose in respect of the Quakers viz. to undeceive them and let them see plainly by what Spirit they have been deceived even this very Antichristian Porphyrian Spirit and no better The Spirit I doubt not is the very same or of the same kind only the Appearance is somewhat different more bare-faced then upon the Encouragement of an Apostate Emperor but more covert now in this being a Christian State But as that soon ceased so will this I am well satisfied to the Shame and Confusion of those who obstinately persist in their Errors but especially those who not only are deceived but presume to take upon them to be Ministers of Christ and deceive others when it shall appear that they are only Ministers of this Porphyrian Antichristian Spirit that is of Satan transformed as I nothing doubt but it will in due time and that ere long by undeniable Moral Evidence if not also by manifest Divine Vengeance upon some of the Obstinate which I have sincerely endeavoured to prevent and should still be glad to help them out if they would humble themselves and give Glory to God as their Case doth require otherwise they will certainly be called to account for neglected Divine Favours As for the Gentile Dispensation there is plainly a Fallacy concerning it put upon them by the Subtilty and Fraud of that Spirit which acts so sensibly amongst them For as the Israelites were chosen to be as it were of God's own Regiment and are therefore call'd his Peculiar people yet were they for their Sin delivered over to the Conduct of an Angel Exod. 33. so were other Nations committed to the Conduct of certain Angels probably of inferior Orders And as the Israelites after they were settled in the Promised Land under the immediate Government of God v. Sam. 8.7 were often notwithstanding for their Backslidings and Transgressions delivered into the hands of their Enemies which was plainly a Representation of Spiritual matters so the other Nations though they were committed at first to the Regiment of Good Angels though of an inferior order yet when they came to yield to the Inspirations of Apostate Spirits which was a real though Spiritual Fornication and Defilement were left in theirPower to be abused and ridden and led Captive by them at their pleasure And those who continued under their Conduct to the last without Repentance are like to have their part with them hereafter And this is the Mystery of Iniquity whereby these People are imposed upon by the Subtilty of this Porphyrian Spirit For There is a twofold Gentile Dispensation or two parts of the Gentile Dispensation the one of Grace under the Good Angel which is God's Deputy the other of Judgment under the Apostate Spirit which is God's Executioner of Vengeance And this is it which St. Paul tells us concerning the Seduced by the Spirit of Antichrist that God should send them strong Delusions to believe a Lye because they received not the Love of the Truth that they all might be damned who believe not the Truth Now whatever become of the rest who have not the Favour of the Gospel communicated to them but yet desert not the Conduct of the Spirit by God set over them yet those who have the Gospel in all Simplicity offered to them and either through Pride and Conceitedness or through the Inspiration of any Spirit are drawn from it their Case is very dangerous for no Good Spirit would dare or would offer any such thing and then it must needs be some wicked Spirit in disguise how specious soever his appearance be which for some Spiritual Sin at least if not Carnal or Worldly in them or their Parents hath gotten Advantage of them And such are very officious to offer themselves and very subtile to deceive And their Neglect of the Offers of Grace is like to prove fatal to them But none are in greater danger than they who are so unhappy as to become the Agents and Ministers of such a Spirit whatever they may think of themselves at present This I hope may serve for this Occasion but having for divers Months past been endeavouring by private Conferences with and Letters to the Chief of their Ministers to set this People right in what they are out of the way I intend ere long if no less will serve by the Grace of God to discourse these matters more fully at some