Divine considerations treating of those things which are most profitable, most necessary and most perfect in our Christian profession by John Valdesso.

CONSID. XLVII.

Foure signes to know them by, who pretend piety, and the spirit, not having either the one, or the other.

UNderstanding that the false Prophets, of whom our Lord Jesus Christ counselleth us to beware, because they shew themselves as sheep and are wolves, are properly those who having entred themselves into Christian piety, pretend by their own exercises, and by their own industry to obtain the spirit of God, and to become spirituall, and not being able to com∣passe their intent, remain alwayes impious in their minds, although they dissemble and fain piety as much as it may be fained with strange superstitions, and other ceremonies, which have an appearance of piety, and understanding likewise that the cause why Jesus Christ our Lord saith unto us, That we should beware of them, is because they are the most pernitious pestilence that can be for them who attend un∣to piety; inasmuch as having lost the shame of the world, and having renounced honour and outward reputation, and having lost the respect unto God, and to all religion, they do onely attend to do all the dammage that they can to piety, and to those persons that attend unto it, finding the doore open thereunto by the commu∣nication and conversation that they have with such persons. Now desiring that pious and spi∣rituall

persons should know these kinds of wolves that make themselves sheep, and know∣ing them, should beware to converse and deal with them, with that dove-like simplicity which they have obtained through the holy spirit, u∣sing that serpentine wisdome which is naturall unto them; I have considered foure counter∣signes whereby spirituall persons may discover, whether he that comes unto them, comes being called of God, or comes on his own designes being called by his own self love: I would say, whether he that seems to despise that false religi∣on which the men of the world follow, and would apply himself unto that true religion which the sonnes of God follow, comes freed from the deceit by his own wisedome, and by his own humane reason, or purely by the parti∣cipation of the holy spirit. For as I understand, they who come to be freed from the deceit of false religion by humane wisdome, are alwayes impious, and are pernicious to spirituall per∣sons.

The first countersigne is, The great affection to spirituall things, being delighted in them, and exercising them with favour and zeal. And I call spirituall things all those things which are properly of the holy spirit, and are inward and divine, such as are the reading of holy Scripture, discourses of holy things, conti∣nuall prayer, and continuall adoration in the

spirit, that is, for a man to be contented with what ever God doth, holding it for holy, and for just, and for good, as much as the frailty of the flesh permits.

The second Countersigne is, The totall ab∣horring of all those conversations, and of all those readings of men, and of books, in which there is no part of the holy spirit to be seen. For I understand, that a man that hath truly tasted the conversation, and the reading of those persons, and of those books, in which the holy spirit is, cannot tast other men, and other books; that if he do relish them, it is a signe he hath not tasted those other.

The third counter-signe is, To approve the things of the holy Spirit, the conceits, and the knowledges, and the apprehensions, that are ob∣tained by the holy spirit, and that with the mind, and not with the wit. Humane wisdome doth sometimes approve spirituall things not with the mind, but with the wit and by opini∣on, and not by inward sense. And I under∣stand that a man that hath the inward feeling, doth easily know when one approves them with his mind and when with his wit.

The fourth Counter-signe is, The Mortifi∣cation of the mind, and of the body; of the mind in all the affections that are according to the world, (amongstwhich I put especialy cu∣riosity, in what way soever it come palliated,

and adorned, and of the body, in all the appe∣tites that are according to the flesh. Humane wisdome approves and teacheth mortification; but however much it approve and teach it, there never was yet, nor never shall be man, that without the Christian spirit, I would say, with∣out remaining incorporated in Christ, can ob∣tain it in such sort that it may not be easily dis∣cerned by him that shall in part have got it by Jesus Christ our Lord. And therefore I resolve my self in this, that pious and Christian persons may securely admit unto their conversation and acquaintance, those men whom they shall see af∣fectioned unto spirituall things; drawn a∣way and disenamoured from those things in which the holy spirit hath no part; and those of whom they shall see the things of the holy spi∣rit to be approved; and in whom they shall see true mortification: holding for certain, that humane wisdome and hamane craft cannot feigne, or dissemble in all these things, although it may in some of them; which may be easily discovered by pious persons, to whom it ap∣pertains to use the serpentine wisdome, in such sort, that making use of these four counter signes, they shall know those who come unto them making shew of sheep, being indeed wolves, and so doing they shall make use of that help which Jesus Christ our Lord gives.