An essay for the recording of illustrious providences

Bodinus hath a strange Relation of a Man that prayed much for the assistance of an Angel; and after that for above thirty years together, he thought his prayer was heard; being often admonished of his Errors by a Celestial Monitor, as he apprehended, who once appeared visibly in the form of a Child; otherwhile in an orb of Light. Would sometimes speak to him when he saw nothing. Yet some fear that this Spirit which he took to be his good Genius was a subtle Cacodaemon. Plato writeth concerning Socrates, that he had a good Genius attending him, which ⟨p. 209⟩would still admonish him if he were about to do any thing that would prove ill or unhappy.

Bodinus hath a strange Relation of a Man that prayed much for the assistance of an Angel; and after that for above thirty years together, he thought his prayer was heard; being often admonished of his Errors by a Caelestial Monitor, as he apprehended, who once appeared visibly in the form of a Child; otherwhile in an orb of Light. Would sometimes speak to him when he saw nothing. Yet some fear that this Spirit which he took to be his good Genius was a subtle Cacodaemon. Plato writeth concerning Socrates, that he had a good Genius attending him, which ⟨p. 209⟩would still admonish him if he were about to do any thing that would prove ill or unhappy.

The Story of the Familiarity which was between Dr. Dee and Kellet, with the Spirits which used to appear to them, is famously known. Those Daemons would pretend to discover rare Mysteries to them, and at ••nes would give them good Advices in many things, so that they verily thought they had had extraordinary communion with Holy Angels, whena• it is certain they were deceived by subtle and unclean. Devils, since the spirits they conversed with, did at last advise them to break the seventh Commandment of the Moral Law. Satan to insinuate himself and carry on a wked design, will sometimes seem to persuade Men unto great Acts of Piety.