10. c. 6. This is the Design of a Solitary this ought to be all his Intention that he may come to possess in this Body an Image of future Beatitude and begin in this Vessel to fore-tast the Earnest of Heavenly Conversation and Glory This I say is the End of all Perfection that the Mind so extenuated or refined from all Carnal Dust may be daily elevated to Spiritual things till all its Conversation all its volutation of Heart may become one continual Prayer And as I said a little before All our Love all our Desire all our Study all our Endeavour all our Cogitation all that we see all that we speak all that we hope may be God and that Unity which now is of the Father with the Son and of the Son with the Father may be transfused into our Sense and Minds that is that as he loves us with a pure and indissoluble Charity we also may be joyned to Him in a perpetual and inseparable Charity cap. 7. For the Attaining and Practice of this he recommends from Experience of the Seniors the continual or frequent mental repetion of that verse Psal 70. Deus in adjutorium meum intende Domine ad adjuvandum me festina in our Liturgy O God make speed to save us O Lord make hast to help us and largely shews the use of it at all times and upon all special occasions Abbot Theodore concerning the right Knowledge of the Scriptures Cassian lib. 5. HE was indowed with very great Sanctity and compleat Science not only in the Active Life but also in the Knowledge of the Scriptures which he acquired not so much by Study of Reading or Humane Learning as by Purity of Heart for he could hardly either understand or pronounce so much as a few Greek Words When he sought the Explanation of a certain obscure Question he persisted indefatigably in Prayer seven Days and Nights until he knew the Solution of the Question proposed by the Revelation of the Lord. cap. 33. When certain of the Brethren admiring his eminent Light of Knowledge inquired of him the Sense of certain Scriptures he said A Monk desiring to attain to the Knowledge of the Scriptures ought by no means to imploy his Pains upon Books of Commentators but rather restrain and keep all the Industry of his Mind and beat of his Heart to the purifying of his Carnal Affections which being expell'd presently the Eyes of his Mind the Veil of his Passions being once removed will begin as it were naturally to contemplate the Mysteries of the Scriptures For they are not published to us by the Grace of the Holy Spirit that they should be unintelligible and obscure but they become obscure by our Fault the veil of Sins over-clouding the Eyes of our Mind which being again restored to their Natural Sanity the Reading of the Holy Scriptures will even alone abundantly suffice to the Contemplation of true Knowledge nor will they need the Instructions of Commentaries as these Eyes of Flesh need the Doctrin of none to see if they be free from Suffusion and Dimness of Sight For therefore is there so great Variety and Errors arisen amongst Interpreters themselves because the most running to Interpret them without using any Diligence toward the Purgation of the Mind by reason of the Grossness or Uncleanness of their Heart thinking things divers or contrary either to Faith or to themselves they could not comprehend the Light of Truth cap. 34. For this see in Smith 's Select Discourses The true Way and Method of attaining to Divine Knowledge Abbot Serapion of Discretion Cass Coll. 2. cap. 11. WHEN I was a Child and lived with Abbot Theon this brutish Custom was imposed upon me by the Enemy that after I had eaten with him at the ninth hour I did every day secretly convey one Bisket into my Bosom which I did after without his knowledge eat in secret Which Theft though I did constantly through my accustomed Incontinence commit yet when I had gratified my Appetite coming to my self I was more tormented with the Guilt of my Theft than satisfied with what I had eaten And when I was every day compelled to the grief of my Heart to perform that most troublesome work imposed as it were by Pharaoh's Task-Masters instead of Bricks upon me nor could extricate my self from this their most cruel Tyranny and was ashamed and confounded to discover the secret Theft to my Senior it came to pass by the Hand of God who was pleased to rescue me out of the Yoak of this Captivity that certain Brothers desired to come to the Cell of the Senior for Edification sake And when they were refreshed and a Spiritual Conference was begun the Senior answering to their Questions discoursed of the Vice of Gastrimargy or Gluttony and of the Domination and Slavery of Thoughts kept secret and did explain their Nature and most dismal Power so long as they were concealed I by the power of this Conference being prick'd and terrified with an accusing Conscience as believing that these things were spoken for that Cause that the Lord had revealed the Secrets of my Heart to the Senior I began first secretly to sigh then the Compunction of my Heart increasing breaking out into Sighs and Tears I pull'd the Bisket which by that evil Custom I had secretly stolen to eat out of my Bosom where it was conceal'd and proferring it to them I did prostrate upon the ground with Supplication for Pardon confess how I did every day eat in secret and with abundance of Tears did implore them to beg my Absolution from this hard Bondage of the Lord. Then said the Senior Be of good Comfort Child Thy Confession hath obtained thy Absolution though I hold my Tongue For thou hast this day gotten the Victory of thine Enemy more powerfully beating him down by thy Confession than thou thy self wert cast down by him through thy Concealment Whom not at all checking either by thy own or any others Reprehension thou didst suffer to domineer over thee till now But now after this thy Confession that wicked Spirit shall not be able to disquiet thee nor shall the filthy Serpent any longer hold a hiding place in thee being drawn-out into the Light out of the Darkness of thy Heart by a salutary Confession The Senior had not finished these Words and behold a Burning Lamp proceeding from my side so filled the Cell with the smell of Brimstone that the Stink of it would not suffer us to remain in it And the Senior resuming his Admonition Behold saith he our Lord hath visibly proved to thee the Truth of my Words that thou shouldest see with thy Eyes the Instigator of thy Affection driven out of thy Heart by a salubrious Confession and shouldst know that the detected Enemy should no longer at all have place in thee by his manifest Expulsion And so it is according to the Sentence of the Senior the Domination of that diabolical Tyranny in me is
saw that Vision Then they urging him to be particular he said Wrath will seize upon this Church and it will be betray'd to Men who are like Brute Beasts for I saw the Lord's-Table encompass'd with Mules standing round about it and Hounds barking within and all manner of Beasts making a disorderly Noise Ye saw how I sigh'd I heard a Voice saying My Altar shall be abominated This was the Old Man's Vision And about Two Years after there was an Incursion of the Arians and the Plundering of the Churches when they took the Holy Vessels by Force and made them be carry'd by Heathens forcing them out of their Shops to joyn with them and doing what they pleas'd in their Sight Then all of us knew that the Noise which the Mules made pre-signignify'd to St. Antony what the Arians now like Wild Beasts are a doing But as soon as he had done saying that he went on and said My Children don't be cast down for as the Lord was angry so will he again heal and the Church will quickly again recover its Beauty and shine as it us'd and ye shall see the Persecuted resettled and Impiety again retreating into private Lurking-holes and true Faith deliver'd boldly every-where with great Freedom Only take heed not to defile your selves with the Doctrin of the Arians for their Doctrin is not that of the Apostles but the Doctrin of Devils for they are not of a right Judgment but Barren and Irrational like the Brutishness of Mules 52. Neither should ye be Faithless or distrust such Wonders being brought about by a Man for 't is our Saviour's Promise John 16.23 24. If ye have Faith but as a grain of Mustard-seed and shall say to this Mountain remove it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible to you And again Matt. 10.18 Verily verily I say unto you if ye shall ask any thing of the Father in my Name he shall give it you Ask and ye shall receive 'T is he that saith to his Disciples and all that believe in Him Heal the Sick cast out Devils Freely ye have received freely do ye give Antony did not Cure Majesterially and Self-ascribingly but he made his Prayer to and nam'd the Name of Christ so that it was manifest that it was not he himself but the Lord working and shewing Love to Men by Antony Only Prayer and Exercise was St. Antony's for the sake of that he sat on the Mount and rejoyc'd in the Contemplation of Divine things 53. He was very much troubled to see himself disturb'd by so many and when he was dragg'd to the outer Mount For the Judges desir'd him to come down into the outer Mount because 't was not possible for them to come into the inner Mount because of the Multitude of Clients that follow'd him entreating him that they might but just see him But he first refus'd to come to them However they tarry'd and sent some Persons that were in Custody to allure him to come upon their account Being therefore necessitated by Compassion when he saw them waiting he came to the outer Mountain This troublesome descent of his was not Useless but very Advantageous to a great many He did good to the Judges by minding them to preferr Equity before every thing and to fear God and to know that with what Judgment they do judge they shall be judg'd Now the Judge and others urg'd him mightily to tarry there some time and discourse concerning Matters relating to Salvation But he having done Violence to himself at the request of the Judge and the Necessitous in coming down told them he could not tarry with them any longer and appeas'd their Urgency with him by a pleasant Simile As Fishes die upon dry Ground so Monks when they converse with you grow loose and faint Wheresore we must hasten to the Mount as Fishes to the Water lest by tarrying without some time we forget what is within The Judge having heard this and such like Sayings from him wondred and said This Man is truly a Servant of God for Whence should such a private Person have such and so great Understanding unless he were belov'd by God 54. But there was a certain great Officer Namely Balacius who bitterly Persecuted us Christians because he was bigotted for the detestable Arians He was so cruel that he strip'd the Virgins and scourg'd the Anachorets naked So Antony writ him a Letter to this Effect I see Wrath coming upon thee cease to persecute the Christians lest it fall upon thee and take hold of thee in an instant for it will come But Balacius grinn'd scornfully flung the Letter on the Ground and spat upon it and abus'd the Messenger and bid him say to Antony Since you are so solicitous for the Monks I will also give you your self a Visit And before five Days expir'd Wrath seiz'd upon him for Balacius and Nestorius the under-Governour of Egypt went out together on Horseback to the chief Seat or Mannor of Alexandria call'd Chaerea now the Horses were Balacius's and the gentlest of all that he kept and before they came to the Place began jocularly to repartee together as they us'd to do and on a sudden the gentler of the Two Horses which Nestorius rid bit Balacius and fell upon him and mangled his Thigh with his Teeth so he went strait-way back into the City and dy'd in Three Days time They all admir'd to see Antony's Prophecy so soon fulfill'd This was his Way of Admonishing the Bitter and Obdurate 55. Others that came to him he instructed so excellently that they forgot their Law-Suits and call'd those Happy that retir'd from a popular Life He behav'd himself in the case of the Oppress'd as if he himself not they were the Sufferers He had Power enough to do good to all insomuch That many Souldiers and others who had Possessions laid aside the Burthens of Life and presently became Monks In short He was as it were a Physician bestow'd upon Egypt by God What griev'd Person did not go back Rejoycing from him What Person came to him Mourning for Deceas'd Relations and did not lay by his Sorrow What angry Person came and was not turn'd into Love What Poor Man who saw and heard him did not despise Riches and find Consolation in his Poverty What Negligent Man went away from him and was not stronger and more Fervent What Youth came to the Mount and saw Antony and did not presently deny his Pleasure and love Sobriety Who came to him tempted by Devils and was not reliev'd Who came troubled in his Thoughts and had not his Mind made serene by him For this was one great Benefit of Antony's Exercise namely That as I said before having the Gift of discerning of Spirits he knew their Motions Neither was he ignorant which way their Affection and Impetus bent And not only he himself was not impos'd upon by them but he also comforted those who were troubled in Mind and instructed
Evil. For Evidences of their Love of Vertue which was their Second general Canon they prescrib'd Freedom from Love of Money Freedom from Love of Glory and Freedom from Love of Pleasure Continence and Patience also Needing but little Simplicity cheap and spare Diet Freedom from Swellings of the Mind regular Obedience and Stability and all other Habits of the like Nature For Indications of their Love of Man which was their third general Canon they taught Benevolence Equality which is better than the highest Pretences in Words and having all things Common of which it may not be unseasonable to speak briefly In the first place then you must know no one has a House of his own but what does as equally belong to all for because of their cohabiting together in Multitudes their Houses are open to all Comers from other Parts in case they are those that like the same way of Living They have all one Refectory common Banks and Expences and common Cloaths common Victuals and common Lodgings One common united Roof and one and the same common Diet and Table is what you can't find amongst any others of them and perhaps no where else at all In the Evening when they have received their Hire they don't keep it to themselves but bring it and cast it in in the midst before all for the common Benefit of those who want to make use of it Those also that are Sick are not neglected because they are not able to help themselves having common Banks laid up in readiness for the Healing the Sick so that they may be at extraordinary Expence on such extraordinary Occasions without fear They revere honour and take great Care of their Elders maintaining and cherishing them in their Old Age by their Manual Labour and many other means in all Plenty and Security OF THE THERAPEUTS OUT OF PHILO HAving spoken concerning the Esseans who were zealous of and studiously exercis'd in an Active Life more exactly than all or to speak indeed more tolerably than very many others I come now keeping close to the thread of my Design to speak as much as is true and pertinent concerning those who have embrac'd a Contemplative way of Living And here I shall add nothing of my own to set off my Narrative as Poets and Oratours whose ends of Writing are mean and who are at a loss for good and excellent Matter 'T is Truth and that only which I unfeignedly love and salute how unwelcome soever this Method may be to the Artificial Speaker But in my Entrance on this Subject I find a great Contest with my self however the Greatness of the Vertue of those Men ought not to be the Cause of Silence in those who don't think it fair that what is admirable should be conceal'd What the Purpose of these Philosophers was their very Name discovers for they are called Therapeuts and Therapentesses from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either from Healing and more truly than other Physicians since they profess a nobler Medicinal Art than that profess'd in the City for that only heals Bedies but this cures Souls of Diseases very severe and hard to be cur'd Souls beleagur'd and oppress'd with Pleasures and Lusts Griefs and Fears irregular Desires and Follies and Iniquities and an infinite Multitude of other Passions and Vices Or from Worshipping because they have been taught by Nature and Holy Laws to worship the Being which is Better than Good and Smpler than One and Ancienter than Vnity Those that enter upon the way of Living which the Therapeuts use don't do it out of Custom or at the Instigation of any Persons but because they are ravish'd with an Heavenly Love and struck powerfully by the Deity and feel Spiritual Exultations of Joy in their Souls and will not be at rest till they see the Object they long for Wherefore because through their desire of an Immortal and Blessed Life they reckon themselves Dead to this Mortal Life they leave their Estates to their Sons or Daughters or any other Relations making them their Heirs cheerfully and with a free Mind Those of them which have not Relations leave them to their Friends and Acquaintance The Greeks celebrate Anaxagoras and Democritus because they being smote with the Love of Philosophy let their Estates be devour'd by Sheep I admire those Men because they themselves were above Riches But How much better were those who not suffering their Estates to be devour'd by Cattle apply'd a Remedy to the Needs of Men and made the Indigent Rich for that was an inconsiderable not to say Mad Act for which Greece admir'd those Men But this is a sober Custom which shews much Consideration Prudence Humanity and Sweetness of Disposition What can Enemies do more than devour and make the Countries of their Enemies bare of Corn Fodder and Trees that being brought into the straits of Necessity they may yield Just thus did Democritus serve his Kindred contriving as it were with his own Hands Streights and Poverty for them not designedly perhaps but by not fore-casting and having in his Eye the Benefit of others How much better are these though the Efforts of their Affections for Philosophy were not less than his These preferr'd an extensive Concern and Generorosity of Mind before Contempt of their Friends benefitting others with their Estates and not making a corrupt use of them that they might benefit both themselves and others others by ample Estates themselves by Philosophizing because the Cares of Money and Lands devour much Time But 't is an excellent thing to be frugal of Time since as the Physician Hippocrates said Life is short but Art long But to proceed in our Narration When they quit their Estates and are no longer caught by any Baits they depart without ever turning back and leave their Brethren Children Wives Parents numerous Relations friendly Intimacies and Engagements and the Countries in which they were bred and born because Custom and Familiarity are very attracting and have the greatest Power to ensnare And when they do thus they do not remove into another City like miserable unfortunate Servants who instead of Exchanging Slavery for Liberty only exchange their Masters for indeed such are they who part with one Estate to purchase another in some other City for every City much inhabited though it be govern'd by Good Laws is full of unspeakable Tumults and Hurries which any one that is once led by Wisdom can't away with But they live and exercise themselves without Walls in Gardens and By-Fields seeking after Solitude not out of a morose affected Disgust against Men but because they are sensible Mixtures are unprofitable and hurtful by reason of the Dis-agreeableness of their Manners This sort of Men are in all parts of the habitable World and indeed 't was but fitting that both Greece and the Barbarous World should partake of this perfectly good Sect. They abound in Egypt in every one of their Provinces and especially about Alexandria But the principal of
and that both these have the Nature of their different Spring and Fountain for from Falshood flow numerous and divers Idea's or kinds of Evils but from Truth a great Abundance of both Humane and Divine Goods The manner of their Feasting is thus For Seven Weeks together they assemble together which they do not only out of Respect to the Number Seven but also to the Power of it for they know it to be a chast and Virgin Number This Festival is a Preparatory to the greatest Feast viz. Pentecost so called for its belonging to the Number Fifty which is the most Holy and Natural Number because of the Power of a right-angled Triangle which is the Principle of the Production of all things When they are met together array'd in White as soon as the Ephemereuts for that is the Name they call their Beadles by give the Sign all of them before they sit down to eat standing in a very decent Order with all Gravity do with their Eyes and Hands lifted up to Heaven their Eyes because they have been taught to see things so worthy of Veneration their Hands to signifie that they are not guilty of Eating any Food before out of pretence of Necessity pray to God that their Banquetting may please Him and be according to his Mind or according to understanding The Seniors sit down according to their Admissions for they don't reckon those who have liv'd many Years and are very Ancient the Seniors there but on the contrary they look upon them as Young Children if they have but lately been enamour'd with that way of Living but they count those who began betime in the Flower of their Age to betake themselves to the Contemplative part of Philosophy which indeed is the best and Divinest part their Seniors though their Youth be not yet expir'd The Women also are at the Feast with them many of which are very Ancient and Virgins out of pure Love to Purity not out of Necessity as some of the Priestesses amongst the Greeks who live so upon that Account rather than out of free Choice No these live so because of a true Zeal for and desire of Wisdom for having a fervent desire to live by Wisdom they make no account of Bodily Pleasures neither do they desire Mortal but Immortal Off-springs which only a Soul that truly loves God is able to bring forth out of its self for 't is God who has shed into it the Intellectual Rayes of the Father by which 't will be able to contemplate the Decrees of Wisdom When they sit together the Men sit on the Right hand and the Women on the Left If any one supposes that softer Seats than ordinary though not so costly were prepared for such Noble Virtuous Exercisers of Vertue let him know that they have cheap sort of Carpets made of some Leaves and Barks of Trees that grow there on which they lean a little for they remit something of the hard way of Living that the Lacedoemonians use though in all respects they study Frugality and have a strong Antipathy against the Philtres of Pleasure They are not waited upon by Slaves for they look upon the keeping of Servants to be a Custom against Nature for she made and brought forth all Men free But the Iniquity and unreasonable Covetings of those who have affected Inequality the Ring-leader of all Mischief have brought Camps into the World and set the stronger Men on Fire to exert their Strength against the Weak Here as I said is no Servant but Free-Men give all necessary Attendance which they do heartily and with all readiness even to the Prevention of Request for the Juniors of the Company which are appointed from Meal to Meal do with all Diligence serve those who have arrived to a great pitch of Vertue just as Natural Sons do with great Pleasure and Emulation serve their Parents reckoning these their common Parents to be nearer related to them than their Parents by Blood since nothing is nearer than Integrity to those who have right Minds Those that wait come with their Garments loose about them lest there should be the least Appearance of Servility amongst them at this Feast I know some will laugh at the Hearing of this but they are such as do those things for which they ought to weep and lament At those Feasts no Wine is brought in but only very clear Water cold Water for the most and warm Water for the Tenderest of the Old Men. Their Table is pure from all Bloody Creatures Loaves are their Meat and Salt is their Sauce The most dainty of them indeed make it more palatable with Hyssop for Right Reason charges them like Priests to sacrifice Sacrifices without Wine and to live upon them for Wine is an incentive of Folly and chargable Dishes provoke Lust which is the most Insatiable of all Beasts And so much for the First part After the Guests are sat in the Orders forementioned the Waiters do stand decently in Order ready to serve There is no Drink brought but every one calls for it as he wants it and which is more than any thing already mentioned no one dares Belch or fetch his Breath indecently But some body either offers a Query upon some place of the Holy Scriptures or solves something propos'd by another without any Solicitude about the manner of the Solution for not one amongst them desires Fame by fine Speaking But every one loves to see another more exact and when they see him so not to envy him though they are not so accute themselves They have all the like Desire to learn Sometimes one of them takes more time when he teaches repeating and dwelling upon what he says that he may imprint his Notions on their Souls for many times the Mind of the Auditors being not able to keep pace with the Interpretation of one that speaks too closely or too fast falls short of comprehending what is said the rest look with their Faces upright upon him who speaks in one and the same Posture and give Notice of their Understanding and Comprehending what they hear by a Nod or a Look They discover their Commendation by the continued Cheerfulness of their Aspect but a Doubt is signify'd by a stiller Motion of the Head and their Right hand 's little Finger The Juniors also that wait give no less Attention than those that sit at Table Their Expositions of the Holy Scriptures are Allegorical Hints for the whole Constitution of their Law seems to them like an Animal in which the literal Expressions are the Body and the invisible Sense infolded in the Words the Mind wherein the Reasonable Soul begins distinctly to consider the Properties thereof as through the Perspective of the Names after it having beheld the admirable Beauties of the Notions and unveil'd the Symbols has brought to light the deeper or more recondite Sense to those who from a small hint are capable of tracing obscure Truths by the Light of those that
what they do Whom they apprehend more remiss they do not presently reprove but dissemble what they hear visit him more often and Beginners they rather provoke at first than compel to Prayer The Work of the Day is settled and being delivered to the Decane or Tithing-Man is after carried to the Steward who himself also doth every Month with great Reverence give account to the General Father of all By whom also the Provisions when made ready are tasted and because none may say I want a Coat or a Cassock or a Mat he so orders all things that none should ask none should want But if any begin to be Sick he is carried to a larger Room and is so taken Care of by the Ministery of the Old Men that he desireth not the Delicacies of Cities or the Affection of his Mother Upon the Lord's-Day they apply themselves only to Prayer and Reading which indeed they do at all times when their Work is done They do every Day learn something out of the Scriptures Their Fast is alike all the Year except Lent in which only it is permitted them to live more strictly From Easter to Whitsontide their Suppers are changed into Dinners whereby both the Ecclesiastical Tradition is observed and they do not charge their Stomach with a doubled Portion of Food Such doth Philo an Imitator of the Platonick Stile such Josephus the Greek Livie in the second History of the Captivity of the Jews relate the ESSEANS to be St. Austin concerning the same UPON John 10.11 I am the Good Shepherd But there in Egypt how he is the Good Shepherd those who know do confess those who know not let them inquire how Great a Flock he hath there together how Great a Number of Holy Men and Women wholly contemning the World he there hath That Flock hath so increased that it hath expell'd Superstition even from thence all the Superstitions of Idols which were so powerful there hath it expell'd Serm. 50. de Verb. Dom. c. 10. St. Austin concerning the Anchorets and Coenobites and Holy Nuns of his time DEservedly hast thou O Catholick Church the most True Mother of Christians so many Hospitable People so many Officious so many Merciful so many Learned so many Chast so many Holy so many so Inflamed with the Love of God that in the greatest Continence and incredible Contempt of this World they are delighted with the Desart What I pray you is it that they see who cannot not love Man and yet can live and not see Man Truly that what-ever it is is more excellent than Humane things or any thing of Man in the Contemplation of which a Man can live without the Sight of Man This of Anchorets and then a little after of the Coenobites Who knows not that a Multitude of Christians of most exquisite Continence are daily more and more diffused throughout the whole World and especially in the East and in Egypt which you can by no means be ignorant of I 'll say nothing of those whom I mentioned a little before who being most retired wholly from all sight of Men are content with Bread alone which at certain times is brought to them and Water inhabit the most barren Desarts enjoying Communication with God to whom they adhere with pure Minds and are blessed with the Contemplation of his Beauty which cannot be perceived but by the Intellects of Saints I say I will say nothing of these for they seem to some to have forsaken Humane Affairs more than they ought who understand not how much their Minds do profit in Prayer and their Lives for Examples to others whose Bodies we are not permitted to see But I think it long and superfluous to discourse of this For this so great a height of Sanctity who doth not of his own accord think it to be admir'd and honoured who by our Speech can think so Only they are to be admonished who vainly boast themselves that the Temperance and Continence of the most Holy Christians of the Catholick Faith hath proceeded so far that it may seem to some that it should be restrained and recalled within Humane Bounds So far above Men are their Minds thought to have ascended by those who are displeased at it But if this exceeds our Ability to bear who will not admire and applaud those who having contemned and forsaken the Allurements of this World are congregated into a common most chast and most holy Life spend their Days together living in Prayers Lessons Conferences not puffed up with any Pride nor troublesome with any Obstinacy nor pining with any Envy but modest bashful quiet do offer up to God their Lives most agreeable among themselves and most firmly adhering to Him from whom they received this Power a most grateful Present None possesses any thing of his own None is burthensome to any one They work those things with their Hands with which their Body may be supplied and they not be hindered from God But the Work it self they deliver to those whom they call Deans because they have the Over-sight of Tens that none of them may be touch'd with any Care of their Body neither in Food or Rayment nor any thing else needful for daily Occasions or for any change of Health if it happen as is common But those Deans dispensing all things with great Care and making ready what-ever that Life doth by reason of the Imbecility of the Body require do yet deliver all over to one whom they call the Father But these Fathers are not only most holy in their Manners but most excellent in Divine Doctrin eminent in all things They direct without any Pride those whom they call Sons with great Authority of Command and with great Readiness of Obedience in them They meet all at the end of the Day every one out of their Cells while yet Fasting to hear that Father And they meet before each of the Fathers at least Three Thousand Men for many more live under one They hear with incredible Attention and deepest Silence signifying the Affections of their Mind as the Speech of him who speaks moveth them either with Sighing or with Weeping but Modest and without Noise Then they refresh their Bodies so much as is sufficient for Health and Salubrity each restraining his Appetite lest it be greedy even of those few and mean things which are provided In like manner they abstain not only from Flesh and Wine for sufficient allay of Lusts but also from those things which do so much the more excite and provoke the Appetite of the Stomach and of the Palate by how much they may seem to some more clean Under which pretence a filthy Desire of exquisite Dishes without Flesh is wont to be ridiculously and filthily defended Truly what-ever is redundant above necessary Provision for there is much redundant by the Work of their Hands and the Strictness of their Meals it is with no less Care distributed to the Poor than with what it
encumbred with it any longer His Moveables he also Sold and gave the Money to the Poor 3. And having reserv'd some small matter for his Sister the next time he went to Church he heard our Lord say in the Gospel Matt. 6.34 Take no thought for the Morrow And therefore without any more delay he e'en went out immediately and distributed that too among the Poor And having given her in Charge to some experienc'd and trusty Virgins to be Educated in their Cloysters he betook himself to an Ascetick Life without doors keeping a very close eye upon himself and leading a very rigid and absteinous Life for at that time there scarcely were any settled Monasteries in Egypt neither did any Monk live in a remote Wilderness But whoever had a mind to order himself very severely exercis'd himself in some solitary Place not far from his own Town At this time there was an Old Man in a neighbouring Village that had obliged himself to a solitary Life from his Youth St. Antony having observ'd him was inflam'd with Emulation and at first continu'd alone in some place or other that was hard by the Village And where-ever he heard of any studious and zealous Courter of Vertue like a provident Bee he would be sure to go and find him out never returning to his own Abode till he had seen him and could bring something back with him which might serve for part of a Viaticum to bear up his Spirit in his Progress to Heaven After he had continu'd thus some time he squar'd his Mind with such exactness as to resolve never to return again to the Place where his Ancestors Seat was nor so much as to bear the secular Concerns of his Relations in his Memory any longer that he might intirely apply his Mind and Affections to a vigorous Assiduity in Asceticks And therefore he wrought with his own Hands because 't is written 2 Thess 3.10 Let not the Idle eat Part of what he got by his Labour he subsisted on himself and part of it he gave to the Poor He Prayed continually because he had learnt that we ought to pray incessantly in private He attended so diligently to the Scriptures when read that nothing fell to the ground from him but he held it so fast that his Mind was as good as a Library to him For the sake of his Demeanour he was belov'd by all He submitted with great readiness to all virtuous Persons whom he visited He would with great diligence by himself mark every virtuous Person 's Vertue for which he was peculiarly Eminent and stamp them upon himself In one he would observe an Obligingness of Carriage in another an unwearied Fervour in Prayer in a third Calmness of Spirit in a fourth great Condescention and Charity He would very affectionately eye this Person 's great Sprightliness Vigilance and moderate use of Sleep and another Man's Affability Delight in the Scriptures and Readiness in Conferences on Spiritual Subjects Here he admir'd one for his Fortitude Magnanimity Patience and Courage there another for his Fastings hard Lyings upon the Ground and other such like Arts of subduing the Body But principally and above all he would seal on his Heart and Soul that Piety and vehement Affection for Christ and stream of mutual Love which was very obvious and legible in them all Thus he us'd constantly to go back to his own Cell always fraught with such useful Observations as these making himself the Repository of all those Excellencies he could spy in others whence he was wont to elicit and display them in a bright and exemplary Conversation All the Contest he had with those of the same Age with himself was to be second to none of them in Christian Discipline In which sort of Victories he behaved himself so modestly that no body fretted at him for Envy but rather on the contrary took delight in taking Notice of him insomuch that the whole Neighbourhood that had any regard for Vertue and all with whom he convers'd observing his Goodness us'd to call him Theophiles or God's Friend The Elder calling him Son and the Younger Brother 4. But the Devil who is envious and hates every thing that is commendable could not endure to see such a noble Purpose in so young a Person but made it his Endeavour to thwart all his Designs to his Disadvantage At first he strove to bring him off of his Ascetick Course of Life by throwing into his Mind a Remembrance of his Estate of the Nearness of his Relations and a Solicitude for them a Love of Money and Desire of Glory great Varieties of Pleasure and other such Recommendations of the Methods of the World as also Thoughts of the Ruggedness of Vertue and how much Labour it costs a Man to obtain it and to mention no more of the Weakness of his Body and the long Remainder of his Life In short the Devil rais'd a great deal of dust in his Thoughts that by bemudding and disordering his Mind he might make St. Antony let go his Design But as soon as the Enemy saw himself too weak to foyl St. Antony's Resolution and quite contrariwise that he himself was emasculated by the Holy Man's Steddiness supplanted by a mighty Faith and fall'n by reason of his continual and earnest Prayers he assum'd a new Boldness and Confidence in those Weapons which he knows every Man carries about him in his own Flesh against himself for here he mostly lies in Ambush against the Souls of the Young Accordingly he renews his Assault against the Youth Night and Day attacking him with great Turbulence insomuch that standers by could easily discern a Combat between them for the Devil threw filthy Thoughts into his Mind and the Young Man routed them out as fast by Prayers the Adversary us'd his Policies to make his Body dissolute and rebellious on the other hand St. Antony fortify'd his Soul and us'd his Body hardly and kept it under by Faith and Fastings and Tears and earnest Addresses to God But still the Devil though worsted was very hardy and appeared to him in the Shape of a Woman represented Beautiful in all respects only to impose upon St. Antony But Antony by placing the noble Extract of his Spirit and intellectual Power in a clear view before himself quench'd this Firebrand of Deceit Nevertheless the Devil would yet be hinting the Softness and Affectingness of this Pleasure on the other hand Antony like an enraged and exasperated Person by revolving in his Mind God's Menaces of Fire and the Toyl of those Furrows which the never-dying Worm ploughs in the Consciences of the Damn'd escap'd free without being hurt or so much as sing'd by his Temptations All which dash'd the Enemy mightily out of countenance for he that once thought of being equal with God himself was now slighted and baulk'd by a Young Man and he that generally vaunts and vapours so insolently over Flesh and Blood was now over-thrown by a Man
Antony therefore becken'd to him and desired him to carry him back to the Tombs without disturbing any of them Accordingly his Friend carried him 8. And when he was return'd thither shuting down the Tomb-top he tarried within there as before and not being able to stand because of the Stripes the Devil gave him he pray'd lying prostrate and after he had pray'd he said aloud I Antony am here I don't run away for your Stroaks or Terrours For though you inflict more upon me nothing shall separate me from the Love of Christ. Then he sung that of the Psalmist Though Hosts encamp against me yet shall not my Heart be afraid Thus did Antony think and speak But the envious Enemy and hater of all Good wondering to see him appear so confident in spight of all that he endur'd sounded his Hounds together and being burst with Envy said See here we have not tam'd nor tir'd this Man either with the Spirit of Fornication or with our Stripes and Buffetings on the contrary he is grown the more daring against us let us therefore set upon him some other way for the Devil has always new Schemes ready at hand to promote his malicious Designs Wherefore not long after they came and made such a great Noise in the Night-time that the whole Monastery seem'd to be shook and the Walls of the Cell to be broke through by the Devils transforming themselves into the Shapes of all sorts of Beasts Lyons Bears Leopards Bulls Serpents Asps Scorpions and Wolves every one of which mov'd and acted agreeably to the Creatures which they represented the Lyon roaring and seeming to make towards him the Bull to but the Serpent to creep and the Woolf to hare towards him and so in short all the rest according to their Natural Motions so that Antony was tortured and mangled with them so grievously that his Bodily Pain was greater now than before However he was unmov'd compos'd wakeful and himself He groan'd indeed for Bodily Pains but he had a sober undisturbed Mind and as 't were laughing he said If ye had any Strength it would be enough for only one of you to come against me but because the Lord hath enervated you therefore ye thus try to scare me by a Multitude and which is a manifest Indication of your Weakness ye have put on the Shapes of irrational Creatures If ye have any Power if ye have receiv'd any Authority don't delay but seize me But if ye have not Ability Why do ye trouble both me and your selves in vain My Faith in God is a sufficient Seal and Security of his standing by me The Devils therefore having assaulted him a long while to no purpose gnash'd their Teeth at him for they found they mock'd themselves more than they mock'd him 9. Moreover the Lord did not forget Antony's Bravery at this time but came to his Help for as Antony look'd up the Roof of the Cell was as it were open'd and there was a Beam of Light shooting down as it were upon him whereupon the Devils straitway became Speechless Antony's Pain too presently ceas'd and the Roof clos'd again Now Antony being sensible of the Ease that had been sent him and that he had gain'd Breath and respite from his Dolours spoke respectively to the Vision and said Where wast thou before Why did'st thou not appear at first that thou might'st asswage my Pain And a Voice said unto him Antony I was here but I waited to see thy Behaviour under this Tryal and since thou hast valiantly gone through it and hast not been conquered I will always be thy Helper and make thee famous in all Places Having heard this he rose and prayed and grew so strong that he perceived he had more Strength now in his Body than he had before being now near the 35th Year of his Life 10. The Day following as he was walking out he found himself stronger bent to the Exercise of Religion and he went to that Old Man whom I mention'd before that Night and would fain have co-habited with him in the Desart But the Old Man refusing because of his Age and the Unusualness of the thing Antony immediately fled into the Mountain Now the Enemy again observing his Zeal and being willing to retard it laid the semblance of a large piece of Plate in his way Antony perceiving his Craft and spying the Devil in the Dish chid it after this manner Whence should this Dish come hither This is no beaten Road neither is here any Traveller's tread If it had been lost 't is too big not to be recover'd again presently Doubtless it would have been found if they had return'd and doubtless had any one lost it he would have return'd because the place is so solitary This is certainly one of the Devil's Tricks But however thou shalt not impede my Holy Purpose so May it perish with thee No sooner was the Word utter'd but the Plate dis-appeared like Smoak before the Fire 11. Another time he saw not only a resemblance but real Gold thrown in the way Whether it was a bad Spirit or some good Power that laid it there to try the Heroe and to shew the Devil that he did not value real Money he neither told me nor do I know any more of it then that it was really what it appeared to be Antony wondered at the Abundance of it and leaping over it as a Man in a Fright over a Fire never stood so much as to look back upon it but run away so fast and so far that he was latent a considerable Time after And now St. Antony continuing still more and more intent upon his Purpose placed himself in an empty Castle that was on the other side of the River though before he came 't was full of reptile Creatures yet when he went in the Serpents left the Place as though it had been haunted by an Enemy Here after he had stopp'd up the Entry he laid in Bread enough to serve him half a Year which the Thebans often do nay sometimes they will continue without moulding a Year together and having a continued supply of Water within he winded up his Soul to God There he continued always in his Monastery having entred it as a Holy Chancel neither stirring out himself nor taking Notice of Comers only once in six Months he took in some Loaves at the top of the House 12. Some of his Acquaintance came often to him and because he would not let them in liv'd often without doors whole Days and Nights by him and seem'd to hear a tumultuous rout within bawling and wailing from within and crying Get away from our place What have you to do in the Wilderness since you countenance none of our Devices Those that were without thought it might be some Travellers that had got into him by Ladders at the top of the Castle but after they had leant down and peep'd thorow a little crack and saw no body they
from Experience and Custom Wherefore if the Devils do so they neither deserve Admiration nor Attention for What Advantage can it be to know such things before-hand if they be true for such Knowledge as this neither contributes to Vertue nor Good Manners No one is judg'd for what he does not know of this kind nor benefitted by having learnt it But every Man is judg'd by God and himself whether he has kept the Faith and observed his Commands To this we should give great Attendance Our Exercise and Contention should be not to fore-know but to walk well-pleasing in God's Sight And we ought to Pray not that we may fore-know nor to request this as the Reward of our Exercise but that our Lord may work with us towards our obtaining a Victory over the Devil But if we find our selves solicitous to fore-know indeed let us be pure in our Minds for I do believe that a Soul in every respect pure and brought to its primitive Frame may become so discerning as to see by the Revelation of our Lord both more and remoter Events too than Devils Just so the Soul of Elisha saw Gehazi 2 Kings 5.25 and the Hosts standing before him 6.17 18. When therefore they come in the Night and are willing to tell things or say We are good Angels believe them not for they lye Or if they praise your Exercise or call you Happy believe them not neither submit so far to them as to hear them But rather cross your selves and your Families and pray together and ye shall see them vanish for they are dastardly and dread the Sign of our Lord's Cross because by that our Saviour made them bare and publickly exposed them Col. 2.15 Moreover if they grow more and more Impudent and leap about wantonly in various Shapes don't be afraid or attend to them as good Spirits for by God's Assistance 't will be possible nay easie to distinguish between the Presence of a Good and a Bad Spirit For the Appearance of Holy Spirits is not with Disturbance and Disorder Matt. 12.19 for He will not strive nor cry neither doth any one hear their Voice But a Good Spirit visits in such a sweet and delectable manner that Joy and Transport and Confidence presently cover the Soul that is visited For the Lord is with them who is our Joy and the Power of God the Father Besides too when they visit the Thoughts of the Soul are free from Consternation and Wavering For the Soul being enlightened by such a Vision views with Ease the Spirits that appear Furthermore it has a certain desire of Divine and future things seizing it and is willing to joyn with the Spirits and to go out with them And if those to whom they appear be afraid of the Vision they presently take away the Fear by Love as Gabriel did from Zachary Luke 1.13 As also the Angel which appeared to the Women at the Divine Tomb Matt. 28.5 A Testimony of this Truth too is that saying of the Shepherds in the Gospel Luke 12.10 Be ye not afraid for the Fear of Good Men is not a Fear of Pusillanimity but it proceeds from the Sense of the Advent of superiour Beings So much concerning the Nature of the Vision of Good Angels But the Incursion and Appearance of Evil Spirits is disturb'd with Noise and Clamour and Brawling like the Hurlyburly of untaught Boys or High-way-men whence proceeds Timidity of Soul Confusion and Ataxy of Thoughts Grief Hatred of Asceticks great Despondence Tediousness Remembrance of Relations and Fear of Death in short Lusting after Evil things Wearisomness of Vertue and Disorderliness of Morals Wherefore after you have been frighted with a Vision if your Fear be presently taken away and there succeed in the room of it a Joy unalterable and you find within your self Chearfulness and Confidence and Refreshment and Composedness of Thought and all the other things which I mentioned before as Manlyness and Love towards God take Courage and pray for Joy and Steddiness of Soul discovers the Holiness of the Spirit that is present Thus Abraham when he saw the Lord exulted John 8.56 And John when he heard a Voice from Mary Mother of God leap'd for Joy But if there be Confusion in those that appear and Noise from without and Wordly Phantasies and Threatnings of Death with the other Disorders above-mentioned then know that 't is the Sally of Wicked Spirits Let this be a Common Rule If the Soul be fearful there are Enemies in sight for they are Devils that don't take away that Fearfulness as the great Arch-Angel Gabriel did from Mary and Zachary and the Angel that appeared at the Tomb from the Women But Wicked Angels when they see Men afraid they encrease their Phantasies that they may dread them the more and so at last they assault them and jeer them and bid them fall down and worship Thus they deceiv'd the Gentiles By this Means they that were not Gods were falsly called Gods But our Lord has not suffered us to be deluded by the Devil whom he rebuked when he was exciting such Fancies in Him Luke 4.8 Get thee behind me Satan for 't is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve Let therefore the crafty one be more and more despised For what our Lord spake he spoke for our sake that the Devil hearing the same Words from us may be overturned by the Power of the Lord who so rebuked them then 19. But when we have cast out Devils we should not vaunt neither when we have cured Diseases should we be lifted up or admire one that casts out Devils or despise one that does not cast them out But let every one mind every one's Discipline and either imitate or emulate it or rectifie it For doing of Signs and Wonders is not our Business This belongs to our Saviour Hence Luke 10.20 He saith to his Disciples Rejoyce not because the Devils are subject unto you but because your Names are written in Heaven For our having our Names written in Heaven is a Testimony of our Vertue and regular Life But to cast out Devils is the pure Gift of our Saviour who gave it Whence we read Matt. 7.22 that to those who glorying not in their Vertue but in Signs said Lord have we not cast out Devils in thy Name and in thy Name done many Wonders Our Saviour said Truly I say unto you I know you not for the Lord knows not the ways of the Ungodly In short as I said before we should always pray for the Gift of discerning of Spirits that as 't is written 1 John 4.1 we may not believe every Spirit 20. I thought indeed now to have concluded and been silent of what concerned my self and to have contented my self with giving these Memento's But that ye may not think I speak these things idlely but do declare them from Experience and a Knowledge of the Truth therefore though I become as a
Fool thereby however the Lord knows the Purity of my Conscience and that I do not do it for my own sake but out of Love to you and to encourage you I will further acquaint you with some of them As oft as they applauded me when I in the Name of the Lord cursed them when they would be fore-telling the Overflow of the River and I ask'd them What need you concern your selves about that when once they came threatning and surrounding me like Souldiers accoutred and hors'd and another while fill'd the House with Wild Beasts and creeping Creatures and I sung Psal 19.8 These in Chariots and they on Horses but we will rejoyce in the Name of the Lord our God they were presently routed by the Mercy of Christ Another time when they came and made an Appearance of Light in the Dark and said We are come Antony to lend thee our Light but I prayed shutting my Eyes because I disdained to behold their Light presently the Light of the Ungodly was put out A few Months after they came singing and talking out of the Holy Scriptures but I as though Deaf hearkened not to them but prayed that I might abide unshaken in my Mind After this they came and made a Noise and hiss'd and danc'd but as soon as I prayed and lay along singing by my self they presently began to wail and weep as though they were spent But I glorified God who pluck'd down their Boldness and expos'd their Fury Once there came a Devil very tall in Appearance that dar'd to say I am the Power of God and I am Providence What would'st thou have me bestow upon thee But I spit upon him and having nam'd the Name of Christ endeavoured to beat him nay and I seem'd to beat him and he immediately at the Naming of Christ as great as he was disappear'd with the rest of the Devils And when he came as I was fasting in a Monk's Habit with Loaves in his Arms and said Eat and take some Refreshment you toyl more than you need otherwise you will grow weak for you are a Man But I observ'd his Stratagem and rose up to Pray which he not enduring to see presently fail'd and going out of Doors disappear'd like Smoak As oft as he laid Gold before me to touch it and see it I fell to Psalmody and then he would pine As oft as they beat me with Stripes I said Nothing shall separate me from the Love of Christ and after that they beat one another However it was not I that vanquish'd them but the Lord who said Luke 10.18 I saw Satan falling like Lightning from Heaven Now I my Children being mindful of the Apostle's Saying apply'd this to my self that ye may learn not to faint nor be afraid of the Devil and his Agents And since I have been a Fool in telling this receive from what I have said a Spirit of Fear and believe me for I don't lye Once one of them knock'd at the Door of my Cell and when I opened it I saw a tall Figure and when I asked him Who art thou He answered I am Satan said I What makes you be here He answered Why do all the Monks and other Christians blame me undeservedly Why do they hourly curse me said I Why dost thou trouble them said he I don't disturb them But they trouble themselves for I am weak Surely they have not read Psal 9.7 O thou Enemy Destructions are come to a perpetual End and thou hast destroyed Cities I have no longer a Place an Arrow or a City There are now Christians every where and at last the Desart is fill'd with Monks Let them preserve themselves and not curse me to no purpose Then I admiring the Grace of the Lord said unto him Thou art always a Lyar and never speakest Truth Thou hast spoke the Truth to me now against thy Will for Christ being come has made thee weak and bare After he had heard the Name of our Saviour which scorch'd him so that he could not endure it he disappear'd If therefore the Devil himself owns that he is weak 't is our Duty always to despise him and his Agents Thus ye see how many Wiles the Enemy with his Hounds has against us But I having learnt his Weaknesses have shew'd my Contempt of him those several ways which I have mentioned to you Don't let us sink in our Minds or form or entertain Fears within our selves saying Lest the Devil come and overthrow us and of a sudden take us up and throw us down and put us out of Order Let us have none of these Thoughts nor be Sorrowful as though we were perishing But rather let us rejoyce and be glad as being in the Number of those who shall be sav'd and consider with our selves that the Lord is with us who have triumph'd over Devils and put them to flight and let us always think that the Lord being with us our Enemies can do us no harm for they deal with us differently according as they find us differently dispos'd and according to the Thoughts which they find within us Thus if they find us dastardly and disturb'd they form strange Fancies within us just like Cut-throats and Robbers they presently seize upon the place which they find unguarded Whatever we think of our selves to that they will be sure to add If we are dejected they encrease our Timerousness by injecting Fancies and Threats and so the miserable Soul is tortured by them But if they find us rejoycing in the Lord and discoursing of Matters that do relate to Him seeing the Soul fenc'd with such Thoughts they are confounded and turn aside because all things are in the Lord's Hand and a Devil prevails not against a Christian When the Enemy saw Job immur'd thus he run away from him But when he found Judas destitute of these he took him Captive So that if we would despise the Enemy we should always think of the things that relate to the Lord and our Souls would be always rejoycing in Hope and we should see all the Devil 's ludicrous Tricks be like Smoak and they themselves rather flying than pursuing For as I told you before they themselves are very fearful always expecting the Fire prepared for them Take this therefore for a Sign not to be afraid of them When any Spirit appears faint not for Fear But be the Vision what it will first boldly ask Who art thou and Whence and if it be the Appearance of a Good Spirit thou wilt presently be strengthen'd with Plerophory and turn thy Surprize of Fear into Joy But if it be a Diabolical Appearance it presently fails when it sees thy Mind strong for thy asking Who and whence art thou is a Sign of the Ataxy of thy Mind Thus Joshua the Son of Nave Josh 5.13 learnt by asking and the Enemy was not conceal'd when Daniel ask'd Antony having discours'd after this manner they all rejoyced insomuch that their Love of Vertue was
encreas'd and the Negligence of some was shook off and the Opinionativeness or Self-Conceit and Vain-glory of others ceas'd and all were perswaded to despise the Devil's Treachery admiring the Grace that was given to St. Antony by our Lord for his Exercise 21. The MONASTERIES now were like so many Sacred Tabernacles full of Divine Choirs singing and delighting in Holy Conferences and Fasting and Praying and exulting in the Hope of future Goods and working to give Alms and Exercising mutual Love and unanimous Symphony among themselves So that you might see there of a Truth a Land of Piety and Righteousness by it self For there was neither an Injurious nor an injured Person neither any Complaint of the Oppressour But a Multitude of Asceticks having one and the same Ardour for Vertue insomuch that one amongst the rest of the Spectatours seeing such Monasteries and regular Discipline could not forbear crying out as we read Numb 24.5 6. How goodly are thy Dwellings O Jacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel As the shady Vales are they spread forth and as the Parks beside the Rivers and as the Tents which the Lord hath fix'd and as the Cedars by the Waters side 22. St. Antony therefore oft retiring himself into his Monastry daily grew Vigorous in Exercise and groan'd longing for Mansions in Heaven because he long'd for them and observ'd the frail Life of Man When-ever he was about to eat or drink or sleep or serve any other Bodily Necessities he blush'd for he thought upon the Dignity of his Intellectual part So that oftentimes when he was going to eat with other Monks and call'd to Remembrance his Spiritual Food he refus'd and retir'd to eat alone thinking he should blush if he was seen Eating by them When he eat alone 't was purely out of Necessity Sometimes though very seldom he eat with his Brethren But though 't were with Blushing he took the Liberty to acquaint his Brethren for their Benefit that they should lay out their Leisure rather on their Soul than their Body lest it be weigh'd down by the Pleasures of the Body which ought to be in Subjection to it For our Saviour has said Take no thought for your Life what you shall eat nor for your Body what ye shall put on Do not seek what ye may eat nor what ye may drink neither aim at high things For all these things the Nations of the World seek for your Father knows that ye need them and all these things shall be added unto you 23. Not long after the Emperour Maximinus Persecuted the Church and some Holy Martyrs being carried to Alexandria he left his Monastry and followed them saying to his Friends Let us also go and combat or see those who do for he was Ambitious of Martyrdom But not being willing to deliver up himself he ministred to the Confessors in the Mines and Prisons and shew'd great Diligence in the Court of Judicature comforting and spurring on those that were call'd to it and attending them till they were Crowned Martyrs Wherefore the Judge observing the Fearlesness and Assiduity of Antony and of those that were with him ordered that no Monk should appear in the Court nor so much as live in the City so that all the rest seemed to abscond that Day But St. Antony took this so much to thought that he wash'd his Scapulary the cleaner the Day after and stood foremost on an high place before the Judge's Face And though all Persons admir'd at it and the Governour as he pass'd by with his Train took Notice of it yet he stood unmov'd shewing the Readiness of the Christians to die For as I said before he wish'd to die a Martyr and appear'd very much griev'd because he did not But the Lord preserv'd and reserv'd him for our Benefit and the Advantage of many more that he might be a Teacher to many by the Exercise which he learnt out of the Holy Scriptures for the bare sight of his Discipline inflam'd many others to imitate his Life Wherefore he again visited the Confessors as he us'd and as it were bound up together with them he labour'd to serve them But after that Persecution in which the Blessed Bishop Peter suffered Martyrdom ceas'd he pilgrimag'd and retir'd again to the Monastry where he was daily a Martyr in Conscience and fought the Combats of Faith For there he us'd himself to much and stricter Exercise for he always fasted His inner Garment was Hair-cloth his upper of Leather which was the Habit he wore to his dying Day neither washing the dirt off his Body no nor so much as his Feet unless they were wet by chance when he waded thorow Water on a Journey 24. Now when he had thus retir'd and resolv'd to continue in that State some time without ever going abroad or entertaining any Company There came to him one Martinian a Colonel who had a Daughter troubled with a Devil and was very troublesome to him and after he had stood a long while knocking at the Door and entreating him to come and pray to God for his Daughter Antony would not suffer him to break open his Door but leaning out of the top said Man Why dost thou stand crying thus I am a Man as well as thou If thou believest pray to God and 't is done presently The Colonel therefore pray'd to God with Faith and went his way and his Daughter was cleans'd from the Devil Many other things did our Lord by him Wherefore we do not read in vain Matt. 7.7 Ask and it shall be given you For many that were Sick and only sat without the Monastry by Faith and Prayer were Cur'd But as soon as he saw himself thus disturb'd by a great many People and not permitted to retire according to his Purpose and Desire and fearing lest from what the Lord did by him he should be lifted up or any one else upon that account should think of him beyond what he ought he thought and was resolved to go to the upper Thebais where no body knew him and having took some Loaves of his Brethren he sat down by the River Banks watching for a Vessel to get over In the mean while came a Voice from Heaven saying Antony Whither goest thou and wherefore Antony without any Commotion or Disorder of Mind for he was us'd to such extraordinary Occurrences said Since the Multitude will not let me be at rest here I have a mind to retire in the upper Thebais and so much the rather because they require things above my Strength Then reply'd the Voice Should'st thou go thither thou would'st have double the Trouble to undergo But if thou would'st be quiet indeed go into the inner Wilderness But Who said Antony shall shew me the way for I don't know it And the Voice presently directed him to some Sarazens that were travelling that way Whereupon Antony made up to them and requested to walk with them to the Wilderness They as it were by the
Order of Providence receiv'd him readily By that time he had travelled with them three Nights and three Days he came to a very high Mountain Now under the Mountain there was fine clear cool sweet trembling Water and without the Plain a few Wild Palm-Trees that had been neglected Antony as being sent thither by God was in Love with the Place for this was the Place of which the Voice that spake to him upon the Banks of the River gave him Notice Having at first took with him some of his Fellow-Travellers Loaves he tarry'd alone in the Mount no Body at all conversing with him There he kept looking upon it as his own Home The Sarazens having observ'd his Intent and Proposal to himself in Living there designedly pass'd often that way and gladly supply'd him with Bread He had also a little Refreshment from the Palms 25. And afterwards the Brethren like Children mindful of their Father took care to send to him But Antony considering that some were toyled upon the account of bringing him Bread and being willing to spare the Monks that trouble deliberated with himself how he might prevent it and so at last desired those that came to him to bring him a Spade and a Mattock and a little Corn. When he was supply'd with Materials he walk'd a little way and having found a little piece of Arable Ground he Till'd it and having Plenty enough of Water to water it he sow'd his Grain there and thus ever-after he was supply'd with Bread enough every Year rejoycing because he was troublesome to none and could keep himself without being burthenfome to any one After seeing some coming to him again he Till'd some more Ground and Planted a few Herbs for the Refreshment of any tir'd Traveller At first the Wild Beasts of the Desart came out of pretence for Water and damag'd his Standing-Corn One Day therefore he pleasantly took hold of one of the Beasts and said to them all Why do ye hurt me since I don't hurt you Get ye gone in the Name of the Lord and come no more near this Place again and from that time they as it were receiving his Command never came again So he kept alone in the inner part of the Mountain attending to Prayer and Exercise But his Brethren came and ministred unto him entreating him to let them come once a Month and bring him some Olives Beans and Oyl because he was now grown Ancient Whilst he lived there how many Conflicts he under-went not with Flesh and Blood but with Devils his grand Adversaries we know very well from those who went to him who heard Tumults Voices and Noises like those of the trampling of Horses and clashing of Arms and saw the Mount full of Wild Beasts in the Night and him as it were Fighting and Praying against them But he emboldened the Hearts of those that came to him and strove upon Bended Knees in Prayer with the Lord. And 't is worth our while to consider with Admiration that he though all alone in such a great Wilderness was not afraid of the Devil 's Assaulting him nor of the Fierceness of many Wild Beasts and Creeping Creatures but did literally as 't is written trust in the Lord like Mount Sion having a Mind unmov'd and void of Fluctuation So that as 't is written Job 5.23 the Devils fled and the Wild Beasts were at Peace with him The Devil therefore as David sings Psal 34.16 gnash'd upon him with his Teeth when he saw him But Antony was comforted by our Saviour and continu'd unhurt notwithstanding all his Subtleties and Stratagems The Devil sent all the Beasts and Snakes out of their Holes and Dens gaping upon him and threatning to bite him But he understanding the Device of the Enemy said to them all If ye have received any Authority over me I am ready to be devour'd by you but if ye are suborn'd by the Devil tarry here no longer but get ye hence in an Instant for I am Christ's Servant and they fled at his Word as fast as from a Whip 26. A few Days after that as he was at work for he always took Care to labour one standing at the Door train'd after him with his Heels some of his plyant Twigs which he had wrought together for he made little Baskets and exchang'd them with those that came to him for what they brought him and as he stood up he saw a Beast down to the Thighs like a Man but with Legs and Feet like an Ass Antony only sign'd himself with the Sign of the Cross and said I am a Servant of Christ If thou art sent hither against me lo I am here But the Beast with his Devils fled so fast that he fell and dy'd for Haste Now the Death of the Beast signisy'd the Overthrow of the Devils for they did all they could to bring him out of the Wilderness but could not prevail 27. Soon after this he travelled with some of his Brethren Monks that came to see him and requested him to come and live with them a little while Now the Monks had a Camel to carry their Loaves and Water for that Desart was Waterless neither was there any drinkable Water thereabouts but by the Mount where his Monastery was and thence they had the Water that they took with them Wherefore their Water failing them whilst they were upon their Way and the Heat being very great their Lives were in Danger for having search'd all the Places thereabouts and found no Water they were not able to walk any longer but lay down upon the Ground and dismiss'd the Camel to shift for its self despairing of their own Lives Now the Old Man seeing them all in Danger was very much troubled and groan'd and having stept a little way aside and knelt and pray'd the Lord presently made Water spring forth out of the Place where he had pray'd and they all drank and reviv'd and fill'd their Bottles and having sought the Camel found him for as it happen'd the Halter twin'd about a Stone and held him fast so they brought him water'd and loaded him and travell'd safe to their Journeys End And as soon as he came to the Outer Monasteries they all came and saluted him as a Father And now there was Joy again in the Mountains and a new Emulation of Proficiency and Consolation by mutual Love and Faith It rejoyc'd Antony mightily to see the Forwardness of the Monks and his Sister grown old in Virginity and become a Governess over other Virgins In a short time after he return'd to his own Mountain whither many that were Diseased came to him 28. He would be continually charging all the Monks that came to him to believe in the Lord and love Him and to keep themselves from filthy Thoughts and carnal Pleasures and as 't is written in the Proverbs not to be deceiv'd by the Fulness of the Belly and to avoid Vain-glory and to pray continually and to sing before
3. The Prayer here acknowledged to be the most effectual Instrument to procure Divine Light is a Pure Recollected Intime or most inward Prayer of the Spirit 4. Here are no new Speculative Verities or Revelations of Mysteries pretended no private new-found-out Interpretations of Scripture bragg'd of 5. Here the Established Order of God's Church and the Vnity essential thereto is not prejudiced Yea the Inspirations expected and obtained by Pure Internal Prayer do more firmly and unalterably fix Souls under this Obedience and to this Order and Vnity 6. Our Lights teach us to attend only to God and our own Souls and never to interess our selves in any Care or Imployment about others till evidently God's Inspirations force us and External Authority obliges us thereto 7. Our Lights make us to fear and avoid all Super-eminence and Judicature all sensual Pleasures Desires of Wealth Honor c. 8. And lastly Our Lights if they should chance sometimes to be mistaken by us no Harm at all would accrue to others and not any considerable prejudice to our selves because as hath been said the Matters in which they direct us are in their Nature indifferent and are ordered only toward a more perfect Loving of God and withdrawing us from Creatures § 33. The contrary or different Characters of phanatick false Lights I pass by for brevity sake Out of Father Baker himself he produceth these amongst others Such contemplative Souls are not of themselves much inclined to External Works except saith Father Baker which our Author leaves out when God calls them thereto by secret Inspirations or engageth them therein by Command of Superiors but they seek rather to purifie themselves and inflame their Hearts to the Love of God by Internal Quiet and Pure Actuations in Spirit by a total Abstraction from Creatures by Solitude both external and especially internal 〈◊〉 disposing themselves to receive the Influxes and Inspirations of God whose Guidance chiefly the endeavour to follow in all things * Tr. 1. S. 1. c. 2 §. 3. And The propeâ— End of a Contemplative Life is the attaining unto aâ— Habitual and almost uninterrupted perfect Vnion with God in the supream point of the Spirit and such an Vnion as gives the Soul a Fruitive Possession of him and a real Experimental Perception of the Divine Presence in the Depth and Centre 〈◊〉 the Spirit whith is fully possessed and filled with him alone not only all deliberate Affection saith Fa. Baker to Creatures being excluded but in a manner all Images of them also at leasâ— so far as they may be distractive to the Soul And he adds The Effects of this blessed Perceptabâ—â— Presence of God in Perfect Souls are unspeakabâ—â— and Divine For he is in them both as a Principal of all their Actions Internal and External being the Life of their Life and Spirit of their Spirits and also as the End of them directing both the Actions and Persons to himself only He is All iâ— all things unto them A Light to direct securely all their Steps and to order all their Workings even those also which seem the most Indifferent the which by the Guidance of God's Holy Spirit do cause a farther Advancement of them to a yet more immediate Vnion He is a Shield to protect them in all Tentations and Dangers an internal Force and Vigour within them to make them do and suffer all things whatsoever his pleasure is they should do or suffer They not only believe and know but even feel and tast him to be the Vniversal Infinite Good By means of a continual Conversation with him they are reduced to a blessed State of a Perfect Denudation of Spirit to an absolute Internal Solitude a Transcendency and Forgetfulness of all created things and especially of themselves to an Heavenly-mindedness and fixed Attention to God only and this even in the midst of Employments to others never so distractive and finally to a gustful Knowledge of his Infinite Perfections and a strict Application of their Spirits by Love above Knowledge joyned with a Fruition and Repose in Him with the whole extent of their Wills So that they become after an inexpressible manner Partarkers of the Divine Nature yea One Spirit One Will One Love with him being in a sort Deified and enjoying as much of Heaven here as Mortality is capable of The special Means for obtaining such spiritual and extraordinary Favours from God are doubtless very desirable to be known and these our Author sets down in the Words of O. N. who purposely writ in Answer to him upon this Subject viz. besides a watchful Guard saith he for keeping the Conscience clean as much as may be not only from Mortal but also Venial Sin Much frequent and continued Vocal or Mental Prayer much Solitude and Mortifications of our Flesh and Abstraction of our Thoughts and Affections from any Creature much Recollection and withdrawing from abroad into our selves much Meditation on such selected Subjects as may rather inflame our Affections than increase our Science and when once we find these enkindled the Endeavouring a Quiescence as much as we can from former Discourse those actions of the Brain and Intellect now hindering the Heart and Will and the bringing of our selves rather to a simple Contemplation to exercise Acts of Love adhere to sigh after and entertain the Divine Object thereof And here saith he if his Divine Majesty please to advance us any higher to such Unions with Him as are not in our power and wherein we receive rather than act and he operates in us rather than we our selves we embrace them with all Humility and Gratitude if otherwise we acquiesce in our best endeavours and longing after him with Patience though enabled also to these only by his Grace This our Spiritual and Mystical Masters teach us and thus after this way which these Men stile Fanaticism and Enthusiasm we endeavour to procure a more strict Acquaintance and Converse with God and herein to follow the Example of our Fore-Fathers Elsewhere saith our Author he Fa. Baker describes the Progress towards this State of Perfection thus That he who would come to it must practise the drawing of his External Senses inwardly to his internal there losing and as it were annihilating them then he must draw his Internal Senses into the Superior powers of the Soul and there annihilate them likewise And those Powers of the Intellectual Soul he must draw into that which is called the Vnity and to that Vnity which alone is capable of perfect Vnion with God must be applyed and firmly fixed on God wherein the perfect Divine Contemplation lyes It is true these words are in Father Baker but they are but what he saith we read in other Authors and besides he adds Now whether such Expressions as these will abide the strict Examination of Philosophy or no I will not take on me to determine Certain it is that by a frequent and constant Exercise of Internal Prayer of the Will
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