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all thefe it is poflible to glorifie God, we grant, were it fit for us to prefcribe unto God, neglecting thofe that he hath appointed, by what means he fhould be glorified; and could we fecure our felves that in pretending to Gods glory we do not feek our own. I wish that our great undertakersfand reformeds (fuch is their wifdom they think) of Arts and Sciences would ferioufly think of this; they efpecially who take upon themfelves to make all men wife and of one mind, and to reconcile all doubts and difficulties in Religion, and otherwife; in a word, to make Truth to be imbraced by all men. Should thefe men tell us that if they had had the creating of the world, and the ondering of all things (and there be, I think, in the world that have faid little lets) from the beginning, they would have made an other guefs of things then God had done: We would have confiderd of it perchance what might be the ground in any mortal man of fuch wonderful confidence. But fuch being the condi tion of the world, as it is, and fuch of men, naturally, or to fpeak as a Chriftian, fince the fall of adam, and the confequences of it, the curfe of God, &c. to make all men wife, of one mind, good, religious, without an infinite omnipotent power, fuch as of nothing was able to create a world: can any man (fober and wife) hear it; hear it with patience, that thinks it impoffible, yea ftrange, that Caftles fhould be built in the air, or the heavens battered with great guns? And yet fuch books are read, yea and much fet by, by fome men. My judg ment is, That they are to be pittyed (if diftemper be the caule, as I believe it is in fome)that boaft of fuch things; but if wife and politick to get credit and mney (as fome I believe) it is a great argument of their confidence, that there bonany in the word that are not very wife. But to return to Dr. Dee: It might be furic acidcd and proved by examples, that fome men of tranfcendent bolinefs and mortification (in the fight of men) fo fequeftred from the world (fome of them) and the vanities of it, that for many years they had converfed with God alone in a manner; yet through pride and conceit of their own parts and favour with God, fell into delufions and temptations, it not altogether the fame, yet not lefs ftrange and dreadful. Such examples Ecclefiaftical Story will afford, and other books of that nature, but I have them not at this time, and I conceive I have faid enough to this particular.
But of his Praying too, fomewhat would be obferved. His Spirits tell him fomewhere, that he had the Gift of Praying. Truly I believe he had, as it is ordinarily called: that is, that he could exprefs himself very fluently and earneftly in Prayer, and that he did it often to his own great contentment. Let no man wonder at this; I have wed elfewhere that fome that have been very wicked, yea, fome that dyed for blafphemy, and with blafphemy in their mouth to the laft gafp, have had it in a great meafure, and done much mifchief by it. It is no difparagement to Prayer, no more then it is to the beft things of the world (and what better and more heavenly then prayer well ufed?) if they be abufed. And it is commonly obferved,that the corruption of beft things is moft dangerous. What bred thofe pernicious hereticks that fo long troubled the world, and could not be fuppreffed but by abfolute deftruction, but long affected prayers (therefore called Euchites or Meffaliani, that is to fay the Prayers) and Enthufiafms? And as to that point of mard joy and complacency, which fome Schifmaticks and wicked men find inthem-