in the cloister she came under the influence of the writings of St. Francis de Sales, which determined her suhsequent course. En- thusiastic in temperament, endowed with extraordinary gifts, she soon came to regard herself as the recipient of visions, revelations, and inspirations by which she was impelled to write, and, in the first instance, to devote herself to the conversion of Protestants. Failing in this, she considered it her vocation to become the mother of spiritual children, by bringing them to adopt her views of the inner life. To this object she devoted herself with untiring energy and great success, her adherents, secret and avowed, being num- bered by thousands, or, as she supposed, by millions. She thus drew upon herself, although devoted to the Church, the displeasure of the authorities, and was imprisoned for seven years in the Bastile and other prisons in France. The latter years of her life she spent in retirement in the house of her daughter, burdened with physical infirmities, hearing mass every day in her private chapel and com- municating every other day. • Her principal works were, " La Bible avec des Explications et Reflexions, qui regardent la Vie In- terieure," " Moyen court et tres-facile de faire Oraison." This little work excited great attention and great opposition. She was obHged to defend it in an " Apologie du Moyen Court," in 1690, and " Justifications " in 1694, and in 1695 she was forced to retract thirty-five propositions selected therefrom. She pubHshed an alle- gorical poem under the title " Les Torrens." Her minor poetic pieces called " Poesies Spirituelles," in four volumes, are greatly admired for the genius which they display.
Archbishop Fen^lon, one of the greatest lights of the Gallican Church, espoused the cause of Madame Guyon, and published, 1697, " Explication des Maximes des Saints sur la Vie Interieure." As the title intimates, the principles of this book are derived from the earlier Mystics, and specially from the latest of the saints, St. Francis de Sales, who was canonized in 1665, only thirty-three years after his death. Although Fenelon carefully avoided the ex- travagances of the Mystics of his own day, and although he taught nothing which men venerated in the Church had not taught before him, his book forfeited for him the favour of the court, and was finally condemned by the authorities at Rome. To this condem- nation he submitted with the greatest docility. He not only made no defence, but read the brief of condemnation in his own pulpit, and forbade his book being read within his diocese. To this his conscience constrained him, although he probably did not change his views. As the Pope decided against him he was willing to
88 INTRODUCTION. [Ch. IV.— Mysticism
admit that what he said was wrong, and yet what he intended to say he still held to be right.
§ 6. The Quakers or Friends. This widely extended and highly respected body of professing Christians constitute the most permanent and best organized repre- sentatives of the principles of Mysticism which have appeared in the Church. They have existed as an organized society nearly two centuries and a half, and number in Europe and America several hundred thousands.
A. Their Origin and Early History.
They took their origin and name from George Fox, who was born at Di'ayton, Leicestershire, England, in 1624. He received only the rudiments of an English education, and was by trade a shoemaker. From boyhood he was remarkable for his quiet, se- cluded habits. He devoted his leisure to the reading of the Scrip- tures and meditation. The age in which he lived was one of corruption in the Church and agitation in the State. He was so impressed by the evils which he saw around him that he lost confi- dence in the teachers of religion and in the ordinances of the church. At last he felt himself called of God, by direct revelation and inspiration, to denounce the existing Church, its organization and officers, and to proclaim a new and spiritual dispensation. This dispensation was to be new only relatively to what had long existed. It was designed as a restoration of the apostolic age, when the church was guided and extended by the Spirit, without the intervention of the written Word, or, as Fox and his followers maintained, of a special order of ministers, but every man and every woman -spake as the Spirit gave them utterance.^
They were called Quakers either because they themselves trem- bled when under the influence of the Spirit, or because tYiej were in the habit of calling on those whom they addressed to quake in fear of the judgment of God. The designation has long ceased to be appropriate, as they are characteristically quiet in their worship, and gentle toward those who are without. They call themselves Friends because opposed to violence, contention, and especially to war. At first, however, they M'ere chargeable with many irregular- ities, which, in connection with their refusing to pay tithes, to take oaths, and to perform military service, gave pretext to frequent and long continued persecutions.
1 One of the most important works of William Penn bears the title, Primitive Christian- ity revived in die Faith and Practice of the People called Quakers.