Spiritual intelligence

"Against the reasoning it would be in vain to argue, as the Protestants did in their confessions, and elsewhere. "that if the saints heard the prayers of "their votaries, they must be omnipotent." There was hardly a protestant among them, that in those days, would venture to deny the indubitable maxim of St Austin, and having once placed the saints in heaven, nothing would disparage them so much as to suppose they had not as much spiritual intelligence as the Devils."

"I often hear the women set out this intelligence as entirely spiritual, and disdain to put the interest of the senses they have into consideration; everything there serves; but I can say that I have often seen that we have excused the weakness of their understandings in favour of their outward beauty, but have never seen that in favour of a mind, how mature and well-disposed soever, any one would lend a hand to a body that was never so little decayed. Why does not some one of them take it into her head to make that noble Socratical bargain between body and soul, purchasing a philosophical and spiritual intelligence and generation at the price of her thighs, which is the highest price she can get for them ? Plato ordains in his Laws that he who has performed any signal and advantageous exploit in war may not be refused during the whole expedition, whatever his age or deformity may be, a kiss or any other amorous favour from any woman whatever..."

"Widow, I have been a meer Stranger for these Parts that you live in, nor did I ever know the Husband of you, and Father of them, but I truly know by certain spiritual Intelligence, that he is in Purgatory."

"Intellectual, (Lat.) belonging to the Intellect, Spiritual."

"It is Gods delight to converse with Men. I was for many Years in the opinion that Men did sensibly hear the voice of God. I have since learned from experience that this is not true; for their actions in every way aimd and directed to the Earth, to the honors, riches and Pleasures of this Life, which would be impossible for one that heard the voice of God to do. This Voice is not heard with the Ear of Flesh, but by the Spiritual intelligence, because God is Spirit and the Soul Spirit and they do more sensibly understand one another in Spirit, than by any Vocal words."

"That there is one living and true God, the Father almighty, who is unoriginated, independent, and eternal, the creator and supporter of all worlds ; and that this God is one spiritual intelligence, one infinite mind, ever the same, never varying."

"While a man of superior spiritual intelligence might penetrate quickly into the nature of mind-and- heart-in-itself... the less talented must learn how to do good and avoid evil in thought and intention, until his mind-and-heart-in-itself becomes clear and manifest."

"Being watchful over oneself while alone is to have a mind which is watchful over its own knowing. It is the same whether one is with others or by oneself. Even when one is with others, ones private thoughts are not known by others. When pursuing the solitary knowledge of ones mind, there are no external restrictions. Having no depraved thoughts, allowing no self-deception, making the will sincere - this is the meaning of being watchful over oneself while alone. When a thought arises in ones mind, one spontaneously knows if it is good or evil-this is knowing. Knowing is the spiritual intelligence of the mind. It is originally without good or evil. Thus it illumines good and evil. It is like the mouth not having the five flavors, yet being able to distinguish them; or like the ear not having the five sounds and yet able to distinguish them. To take solitary knowledge as ones ruler and to watch over it - this is the meaning of honoring the virtuous nature."

"According to the Taoists and Buddhists, as far as the individual self is concerned, it may be divided into a physical body and a spiritual intelligence, the latter being primary. Extending this idea upward, they regard this spiritual intelligence as the primary factor in Heaven and Earth, from which they go on to seek for whatever lacks shape and form, regarding it as genuine existence, whereas whatever possesses shape and form they look upon as illusory. As for the Sung Confucianists, they regard the physical body and spiritual intelligence as equally personal and private whereas Principle, for them, is derived from Heaven."

"An invisible spiritual intelligence is an object too refined for vulgar apprehension"

"The diabolical kingdom consists of those who are in the love of dominion from love of self and thence in foolishness; for this love is opposite to celestial love, and its foolishness is opposite to celestial wisdom; but the satanic kingdom consists of those who are in the love of dominion from the pride of their own intelligence, and thence in insanity; for this love is opposite to spiritual love, and its insanity is opposite to spiritual intelligence."

"History must be so revised that while the Ultimate spiritual Intelligence is not yet denied, yet any definite knowledge of it in historical terms must be carefully eliminated. They will admit that all religions have a basal truth — viz., the existence of the spiritual."