A discourse of the work of the Holy Spirit in prayer with a brief…

But we treat of Prayer principally, as it is to be performed in Families, Societies, Assemblies, Congregations, where this Mental Prayer would do well to promote the Edification which is attainable in the silent Meetings of the Quakers.

And because this kind of Prayer, as it is called, is not only recommended unto us, but preferred before all other ways and methods of Prayer, and chosen as an instance to set off the Devotion of the Church of Rome, to invite others thereunto, I shall a little more particularly inquire into it. And I must needs say that on the best view I can take, or Examination of it, it seems to be a matter altogether useless, uncertain, an effect of, and Entertainment for vain Curiosity, whereby men intrude themselves into those things which ⟨p. 195⟩they have not seen, being vainly puffed up by their own fleshly mind. For to call over what was before intimated, in things that are Practical in Religion, no man can understand any thing whereof he can have no experience. Nothing is rejected by virtue of this Rule, whereof some men through their own default have no Experience; but every thing is so justly, whereof no man in the discharge of his Duty can attain any Experience. He that speaks of such things unto others, if any such there might be, belonging unto our Condition in this World, must needs be a Barbarian unto them, in what he speaks; and whereas also he speaks of that wherein his own Reason and Understanding have no interest, he must be so also unto himself. For no man can by the use of Reason however advanced by spiritual Light, understand such actings of the Souls of other men or his own, as wherein there is no exercise of Reason or Understanding; such as these Raptures are pretended to consist in. So whereas one of them says, sundus animae meae tangit fundum Essentiae Dei; it had certainly been better for him to have kept his Apprehensions or Fancy to himself, than to express himself in words which in ⟨p. 196⟩their own proper sense are Blasphemous, and whose best defensative is, that they are unintelligible. And if it be not unlawful, it is doubtless inexpedient for any one in things of Religion, to utter what it is impossible for any Body else to understand, with this only Plea that they do not indeed understand it themselves; it being what they enjoyed without any acts or actings of their own Understanding. To allow such pretences is the ready way to introduce Babel into the Church, and Expose Religion to scorn. Some pretending unto such Raptures among our selves I have known, wherein for a while they stirred up the Admiration of weak and credulous Persons;