She pro First, Under what Character fhe endeavour'd What mere to pafs her felf off to the World. And it her her Pretenfions. own Words do exprefs her meaning, and can be rely'd on, the affected to be thought more Infpir'd than either the Prophets or Apoftles. The Apofles understood only in Part, but the in full Perfection. No Expreffion doth fhe more frequently (a) quote and allude to, in order to ufher in her own more compleat and extraordinary Lights. An Infpiration fhe profefs'd fo Wonderful, that render'd all Converfation with Men, all Reading, all Books, pay, the Bible it felf, even the prefence of an Angel, all Meditation and (b) Study ufelefs and impertinent; and I am truly of her Opinion, could fhe make all this good, that never any Mortal was befides her felf under fuch a fort of Conduct and fefs'd to be Direction of the Spirit. Agreeably to this in more Infeveral high Points of Revelation, of the Na-fpir'd than ture of GOD, of our Bleffed Saviour, of the the ProEftate of Innocence, of the Perfections of 4-phets or Apoftles. dam, of the Fall, of the Happiness and Glories of a future State, fhe difcourfes more largely, makes great Additions to the Writings of the Old and New Teftament. For where do we read in any of thefe Books, that nothing but what is Incorruptible and Immortal can proceed from GOD? We cannot read many Pages in the Writings of A. B. without having this inculcated. It is a grand Principle of her Reasoning. Where do we find in the Writings of the Prophets or Apoftles, that Adam was created with a luminous Body, more tranfparent than Crystal, &c. (c) at other times, that c. (a) L' etoile du Marin, p. 71, 242, Z4 there there iffued from the Pores of his Body Gleams of Light, as the Stars in the Firmament, which cover'd his Body with fuch fhining Splendour, as Mortal Eyescould not behold it, but they must dye with Joy and Amaze ment. Again, That he could fly, that he could d walk upon the Water, in the Fire, that he could convey himself into the Heart and Center of the Earth, which would have open'd to him on the leaft Inclination of his Will, and difcover'd all its hidden Secrets and Treasures? No! Prophet or Apoftle fpeaks of thefe ftupendous Secrets, but they were all referv'd for the Difcovery of 4. B. Again, That Adam fin'd be fore his (d) eating the forbidden Fruit. That he had in himfelf the Principles of Generation, and could produce his Like, without the Aff ftance of the other Sex, and that actually One il proceeded from him in this Estate of Purity, before Eve was Created; and he was our Blef fed Saviour; upon which Account he is ftyl'd in Scripture the First born of every Creature, the Son of Man, and is our natural Brother. Thefe and many more fuch extraordinary Myfteries a Man fhall hardly find in the Writings of either A Prophets or Apoftles, but are either Conceits or Revelations of A. B. 'Tis true, fhe fome times fays these Things are contain'd in Scripture, but the Blindnefs of Men's (e) Natural Spirit will not permit them to difcern them but notwithstanding the Blindness of our Spirits, we difcern thefe Things in her Writings, and what should be the meaning of this, that Natural Men difcern that in her Writings, which they cannot difcern in Scripture? It muft furely be, either because thefe Things are not at all 1 (d) L'etoile du Marin, p. 36, 56. (e) Ibid. p. 17, 37, 107, reveal'd I 976 reveal'd in Scripture, (and then it is no Wonder Natural Men cannot difcern them there) or elfe they are not fo clearly reveal'd there.. Either of which, if Infpir'd at all, will infer her more Infpir'd than the Prophets or Apoftles. For if these great Myfteries are reveal'd in the Writings of A. B. and are not at all reveal'd in the Writings of the Prophets or Apoftles, is not A. B. more Infpir'd than either Prophets or Apoftles? Or if Mrs. B's Writings exprefs clearly, what only is very obfcurely exprefs'd in the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles, had not Mrs. B. ftill more clear and extraordinary Revelations than the Prophets or Apoftles? If the Difciples of Mrs. B. affirm, the Apoftles were as much Infpir'd as fhe, altho' they did not deliver thefe Things with as great Clearnefs. I anfwer, The Prophets and Apoftles are Dead, and fo is A. B. and we can judge how far all, or either were Infpir'd, only from their Writings; and if on the fame Points of Doctrine the Writings of A. B. are more clear and intelligible than the Writings of the Prophets or Apoftles, we have all the Grounds we can have of concluding A. B. under more clear and exprefs Infpirations than Prophets or Apostles. Farther; Neither the Infpirations of A. B. nor of the Prophets or Apostles, are of ufe to the World, any farther than they are preferv'd in Writing, and howfar foever the Prophets or Apoftles were Infpir'd, yet if their Infpirations are not fo clearly exprefs'd in their Writings, as the Infpirations of A. B. are in hers, (when her Infpirations concern the fame Things) the Books of A. B.. will be of more use to the World than the Books of the Old and New Teftament. They are equally Infallible, if equally Infpir'd. She fays fhe was Infpir'd; if this be admitted, I fay, her her Books are of greater ufe, becaufe plainer, fuller, more exprefs upon the fame Points of Doarine, as to the Things to be believ'd and pratis'd. For in her Senfe, a Natural Man, can very evidently difcern thefe Doctrines in her Writings, which I could never obtain the leaft glimpfe of, by reading the Scripture; and what fhould hinder, if I did believe her Books of the fame Authority as the Books of the Old and New Teftament, (and I must believe her Books of the fame Authority, if I believ'd them Di vinely Infpir'd.) I fay what fhould hinder me from revering thefe Writings of A. B. beyond the Writings of the Old and New Teftament? They are a better Direction to me than the Scri pture, as the New Teftament is a better Direction to all Chriftians, among other Reasons, because of the Clearnefs and Plainnefs of its Revelations. The Writings of A. B. indeed are not in a higher Esteem with me than the New Te ftament, but that is, because as yet I cannot believe her Divinely Inspir'd; but all her Followers, who believe her Writings Divinely Inspir'd, ought in Point of indifpenfable Duty to preferve, reverence, confult them before the Scripture. And if any Bourignonift does not, I would ask him for what Reasons he does not: Why doth he prefer the Bible before the Writings of A. B? Is it because the Bible hath greater Authority with him than the Writings of A. B? This ought not to be, cannot be, unless the Divine Infpiration of A. B. ftands not on fo good a Proof, as the Inspiration of the Prophets or Apostles, and that he doth not as much regard her Wri tings, or indeed prefer them to the Scripture, muft be owing to a fecret Sufpicion, that their Infpiration is not equally attefted. But this at prefent may be a Digreffion from our Point. We We have no need thus by remote Confequences to endeavour to fhew the Greatnefs of her Pretenfions, her own Words beft explain them. I believe, fays fhe, (a) likewife that we live in AntiChrift's unhappy Reign, when that Paffage, That the Seed of the Woman fhall bruife the Serpent's Head, is to be accomplish'd in full Perfection. Jefus Chrift was partly this Seed of the Woman, but this hath not yet fully bruifed the Serpent's Head. By the Seed of the Woman fhe understands her own Doctrines and Writings. Did ever any of the Apoftles call their Doctrines or Writings the Seed of the Woman promis'd in the Old Teftament? Our Saviour was partly the Seed of the Woman, and he did the Work in Part, but this Promife is to be more effectually accomplish'd in her. I doubt this will magnifie her beyond our Saviour. But I will not draw invidious Confequences, I leave you to put on fuch Expreffions the moft Candid and Charitable Interpretations. B. These Expreffions are furely inexcufeable. A. We are at present confidering her Pretenfions from her own Words. And what can any Man think of fuch as these? That he was foretold in Scripture, and a great part of thofe Writings were fulfill'd in her felf; (b) That she Was the Woman foretold in the Revelations, that had the Church in her felf, that was clothed with the Sun, and the Moon under her Feet.. Do not these Things fhew her under a very great and extraordinary Character? If thefe Scriptures agree to her, and the were intended by them, what poor Things were any of the Prophets or Apoftles to her! I muft remember the minces this (a) Light rifen in Darkness, Part IV. p. 67. (b) Ibid. p. 35. Matter |