Preliminary Obfervations, By the TRANSLATOR. ADDRESSED то BRITONS and PROTESTANTS. Defigned to obviate fuch Misapprehenfions, as otherwise might be too readily conceived. SOME, OME, perhaps at the very first, may be forward to cry out, "What a Papift!-Represented a fervant "of Chrift, acting under his commiffion!-A Popish "woman too!-Away with it." I would request thefe, if I could interpose a few words timely, not to be hafty in judgment; not to condemn without deliberation. It was a fiery zeal in the Jews against Christ himself, which caufed him to be fo hastily condemned to die. As I would gladly remove every ftumbling block from the threshold, and open the way to a profitable perufal of the following excellent life, I fhall give due confideration to the two objections here started. I. As to the first, let it be remembred, that the apostles of Chrift, after they had fo often heard the doctrines of his kingdom from his own lips, and beheld his wonderful works; after they had been fent forth by him, and wrought wonders under his commiffion; had been witneffes of his refurrection from the dead, and afcenfion into glory; had been favoured at the feast of Pentecoft with the miraculous effufion of the Holy Ghost, and in confequence thereof raised up into eminent fervice in the conversion of thousands; yet by all this did not not lose their Jewish prejudices, refusing to eat what the law had prohibited, as common or unclean. How careful then should we be to lodge fome grains of allowance for the prejudices of other fervants of Chrift, who have been alike fincere and devout in his fervice! The apostles retained a veneration for the ordinances and precepts of Mofes, 'till an extraordinary vifion was feen neceffary to wean them from it. By this Peter was prepared to visit Cornelius and his household; which to the others appeared a heinous offence, 'till the account he gave reconciled them to it, and made them rejoice on behalf of the Gentiles: So ought every true christian to rejoice on behalf of such of the Papists, as have faithfully followed Chrift, what way foever he was pleafed to lead them. Even fuch as, through his great favour, are more enlightened would do well, in a moderate frame of mind, to refpect them: For tho' they don't fee fo far, or fo clearly, they are truely valuable if faithful to what they fee. In fome things it pleases God to reveal what, when, and to whom he fees meet: And, when revealed, fidelity is required. Probably France might not yet be duely prepared for fuch a reformation as England has been bleft with; and not worthy of it. Let Britons then, who love the chriftian religion, from reading the following life, learn the more to prize the privileges which kind providence has rendered their birth-right. We are affured by divine authority," that God is "no refpecter of perfons; but in every nation he that "feareth him and worketh righteoufnefs is accepted "with him."* Tho' papifts in general are dark, fuperftitious and cruel; yet fome few there have been even among them, deftitute, afflicted, tormented for righteoufness fake, of whom the world was not worthy: fuch undoubtedly was M. Guion. * A&ts x. 34. 35. + Heb. xi. 37. 38. And What What book of divinity, after the bible, is now more in ufe among chriftians of all denominations, than that. of Thomas a Kempis, who was a strict member of the church of Rome? And what is the reason thereof, but that his lines are found to be lively and experimental, edifying, and fuiting the inward concern of every true christian? But on this fubject I forbear to enlarge, as in the following sheets we shall meet with others of the like good fpirit with him. It is true indeed that this lady retained a veneration for the rites and inftitutions of that which (under the deep impreffions of a ftrict education in it) fhe esteemed to be the only true catholic apoftolic church: She therefore thought it her duty to be exemplary, zealous and conftant, in the pious obfervance of them: Yet the both faw and suffered by the corruptions and abuses in them, and in their minifters, priests and confeffors. What renders her memory honourable, is the dedication of herself to ferve God in purity of heart and life, during a courfe of fifty years, viz. from the twentieth of her age to the end of her days. The reader may find, for his own encouragement, that her devotion to her Creator became fixed, and continued immoveable. He may obferve a progreffive advancement in christian experience, in the fimplicity and fpirituality of the gofpel a growth of ftature and ftrength in the divine life; an exemption from human or flavish fears, in the midst of imminent dangers, both by fea and land; far from shrinking when the fwelling floods of perfecution rofe high, and beat vehemently against her, a readiness to meet them, a holy truft in the regard and all-fufficiency of her God, a willingness to fuffer in and for his cause; and therein a patience, peace, and joy, which brought the fure evidence of the divine fpring from whence they flowed. I would not therefore have any to make fo light of these most weighty matters, as, merely because she was born and lived a papift, to treat her life and memory with contempt, as this is what the worst of papists violently, and the generality of papifts ignorantly, have done, why should any proteftants think it beft to imitate their practice herein? So much for the first objection. II. As to the second, allow nie to observe, that far too many have entertained an unreasonable prejudice against the female fex. As proteftants profefs to form their judgment of divine things, by what is laid down in the facred records; if we infpect them, in the old teftament we find fome of the females honourable, and propofed for patterns in their conduct to future genera tions, fome of them elected of God for propheteffes; and one of them, viz. Deborah, both for a judge and a mother in Ifrael. Again the prophet Joel was favoured from Heaven with a certain forefight, that God would pour out of his Spirit on all flesh, young and old, male and female; that from hence both fons and daughters fhould prophefy, &c.+ Some indeed are for confining the accomplishment of this * A friend of mine, in a letter to me on this fubject, writes thus, "It is really attended with edification, to obferve how true "piety may flourish, tho' growing up with tares of fuperftition, "&c. I own, my mind is, let them grow together; § left, whilft the "tares are plucked up, the corn fhould be damaged; and divine "providence is well able to preferve the fincere hearted from fuf"taining any harm. I have often thought the Almighry might permit Lady GuION to be blinded in fome things, not effential, "in order that he might be the more useful amongst her own com"munity; if fo, the fame good end might be answered in one "nation, as well as another. "I have many years been in poffeffion of, and well acquainted with, all that Lady's works; and have earnestly defired in my "heart they might wear an English drefs. - I doubt not but divine " providence will give its fanction to what fo eminently displays an inward vital fpirit of true godliness, that muft recommend itfelf to all Wifdom's children." t Joel ii. 28. § That is, let them not be thrown out, in abridging the Work. this prediction to the memorable day of pentecoft, inmediately after our Lord's afcenfion: But, to prevent fuch a limitation of it, the eminent apoftle Peter at that time, expreffed himself to the people in these terms, "The promise is unto you, and to your chil"dren, and to all that are afar off, even as many as "the Lord our God fhall call."* Pursuant hereto, it pleased the Lord, both among the converted Jews and Gentiles, to dignify fome of the female fex, and to authorize them to act under his commiffion. Philip the evangelift and deacon had four daughters who were propheteffes.† The apostle Paul in his laft chapter to the Romans, names feveral women who were faints, and laboured in the Lord, as Prifcilla, Junia, Tryphena, Tryphofa, Perfis, Julia. In his first epiftle to the Corinthians, chap. xi. 5. 6. he directs how women, who pray or prophefy, fhould conduct themselves in the exercise of thofe gifts. What he means in this epistle, by prophefying he explains, chap. xiv. 3. to be Speaking unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. In his epistle to the Galatians he writes chap. iii. 28. that male and female are one in Chrift Jefus. In his epiftle to the Philippians, chap. iv. 3. he speaks very affectionately of women who laboured with him in the gofpel. All this very evidently fhews that, far from degrading and defpifing that fex, we ought highly to efteem fuch of them as have, with an ardent, exemplary, unfhaken fidelity, devoted themfelves to the fervice of their Creator. Such an one doubtlefs was the elect lady, to whom the apostle John writ his fecond epiftle. And as the celebrated Abbe Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambray, who with fine talents joined a deep humility, and a fervency of love to God and mankind, honoured both the life and the doctrines of Lady GUION, fo far as to fuffer difgrace for it; at least it laid the foundation of that charge against him, on which was grounded the order of the King of France fór his baC2 nishment 4 * A&s ii. 39. † Acts xxi. 8. 9. |