the followers of the celebrated Mad. Antoinette Bourignon
de la Ponte, a native of Flanders, born at Lisle, in 1616. She was so
much deformed at her birth, that it was even debated whether she should
not be stifled as a monster. As she grew up, however, this deformity
greatly decreased, and she discovered a superior mind, a strong
imagination, and very early indications of a devotional spirit, strongly
tinctured with mysticism. She conceived herself to be divinely called,
and set apart to revive the true spirit of Christianity that had been
extinguished by theological animosities and debates. In her confession
of faith, she professes her belief in the Scriptures, and in the
divinity and atonement of Christ. The leading principles which pervade
her productions are these: that man is perfectly free to resist or
receive divine grace; that God is ever unchangeable in love toward all
his creatures, and does not inflict any arbitrary punishment, but that
the evils they suffer are the natural consequences of sin; that true
religion consists not in any outward forms of worship, nor systems of
faith, but in immediate communion with the Deity, by internal feelings
and impulses, and by a perfect acquiescence in his will.
This lady was educated in the Roman Catholic religion; but she declaimed
equally against the corruptions of the church of Rome and those of the
Reformed churches: hence she was opposed and persecuted by both
Catholics and Protestants, and after being driven about from place to
place, she died at Franeker, in 1680. She maintained that there ought to
be a general toleration of all religions. Her notion on God’s
foreknowledge was, that God was capable of foreknowing all events, but,
his power being equal to his knowledge, he purposely withheld from
himself that knowledge in certain cases, that he might not interfere
with the free agency and responsibility of his creatures. Her works are
very numerous, making eighteen volumes in octavo: of which the principal
are, “The Light of the World;” “The Testimony of Truth;” and “The
Renovation of the Gospel Spirit;” which are much in esteem among the
admirers of mystical theology.
de la Ponte, a native of Flanders, born at Lisle, in 1616. She was so
much deformed at her birth, that it was even debated whether she should
not be stifled as a monster. As she grew up, however, this deformity
greatly decreased, and she discovered a superior mind, a strong
imagination, and very early indications of a devotional spirit, strongly
tinctured with mysticism. She conceived herself to be divinely called,
and set apart to revive the true spirit of Christianity that had been
extinguished by theological animosities and debates. In her confession
of faith, she professes her belief in the Scriptures, and in the
divinity and atonement of Christ. The leading principles which pervade
her productions are these: that man is perfectly free to resist or
receive divine grace; that God is ever unchangeable in love toward all
his creatures, and does not inflict any arbitrary punishment, but that
the evils they suffer are the natural consequences of sin; that true
religion consists not in any outward forms of worship, nor systems of
faith, but in immediate communion with the Deity, by internal feelings
and impulses, and by a perfect acquiescence in his will.
This lady was educated in the Roman Catholic religion; but she declaimed
equally against the corruptions of the church of Rome and those of the
Reformed churches: hence she was opposed and persecuted by both
Catholics and Protestants, and after being driven about from place to
place, she died at Franeker, in 1680. She maintained that there ought to
be a general toleration of all religions. Her notion on God’s
foreknowledge was, that God was capable of foreknowing all events, but,
his power being equal to his knowledge, he purposely withheld from
himself that knowledge in certain cases, that he might not interfere
with the free agency and responsibility of his creatures. Her works are
very numerous, making eighteen volumes in octavo: of which the principal
are, “The Light of the World;” “The Testimony of Truth;” and “The
Renovation of the Gospel Spirit;” which are much in esteem among the
admirers of mystical theology.