A26888:332
The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls…
The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls of the malice and misery of the devils and the damned : and of the blessedness of the justified, fully evinced by the unquestionable histories of apparitions, operations, witchcrafts, voices &c. / written, as an addition to many other treatises for the conviction of Sadducees and infidels, by Richard Baxter.The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls of the malice and misery of the devils and the damned : and of the blessedness of the justified, fully evinced by the unquestionable histories of apparitions, operations, witchcrafts, voices &c. / written, as an addition to many other treatises for the conviction of Sadduces and infidels, by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for T. Parkhurst, 1691
Treatise › Chapter 8: Of good Angels, and some doubtful Spirits, and their notable Actions.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
IX. Though Porphyry, and Proclus, and Jamblicus, tell us, that bad Demons will oft speak for good Actions and against bad, in Pride and Subtlety to be thought good; yet it is hard to think that it is not rather a good Spirit, that speaks for some notable good Work, where no by-End is discernible. As that mentioned by Mr. Glanvil and Dr. More of Dr. Briton's Wife, whose likeness appeared after Death to her Servant-Maid, and showed her a parcel of Land that was as part of her Brothers, and told her▪ it belonged to the Poor, and was unjustly alienated from them; and bid her tell the Possessor, that he must restore it; and gave her a Secret to tell him if he refused: And upon the angry refusal, when he heard the Secret, he yielded and restored the Land to the Poor, who now possess it.
IX. Though Porphyry, and Proclus, and Iamblicus, tell us, that bad Demons will oft speak for good Actions and against bad, in Pride and Subtilty to be thought good; yet it is hard to think that it is not rather a good Spirit, that speaks for some notable good Work, where no by-End is discernable. As that mentioned by Mr. Glanvil and Dr. More of Dr. Britton's Wife, whose likeness appeared after Death to her Servant-Maid, and shewed her a parcel of Land that was as part of her Brothers, and told her▪ it belonged to the Poor, and was unjustly alienated from them; and bid her tell the Possessor, that he must restore it; and gave her a Secret to tell him if he refused: And upon the angry refusal, when he heard the Secret, he yielded and restored the Land to the Poor, who now possess it.
X. The said Heathen Philosophers say, that they are all bad Spirits that seek to be worshipped, and that to procure it, they will seem to be Religious, but will tell many Lies for one Truth, and that lying is a chief mark to know them by. By this I suspect that there are bad Spirits that come to speak for the getting so many Masses to be said for them to deliver them from Purgatory, and such Pilgrimages to be performed: And those that tempt the People to Pray to them and to Honour them; for their Services and Prayers for them, of which their Legends abound with Instances: De la Cerda concludeth his Book of Angels with Forms of such Prayers: And what Office hath not such? De la Cerda, lib. 23. citeth Miraculous Appearances of the Cross, and so do many others, which I leave to the Readers Judgment. As also the Lady of Lauretto's Miracles, and others such, which many write of.