N00620:160
Angelographia, or A discourse concerning the nature and power of the holy angels, and…
Angelographia, or A discourse concerning the nature and power of the holy angels, and the great benefit which the true fearers of God receive by their ministry: delivered in several sermons: : to which is added, a sermon concerning the sin and misery of the fallen angels: also, a disquisition concerning angelical-apparitions. / By Increase Mather, president of Harvard College, in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel at Boston, in New-England. ; [Two lines from Hebrews]Angelographia, or A discourse concerning the nature and power of the holy angels, and the great benefit which the true fearers of God receive by their ministry: delivered in several sermons: : to which is added, a sermon concerning the sin and misery of the fallen angels: also, a disquisition concerning angelical-apparitions. / By Increase Mather, praesident of Harvard Colledge, in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel at Boston, in New-England. ; [Two lines from Hebrews]
printed by B. Green & J. Allen for Samuel Phillips, 1696
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.
Nevertheless, It is evident, that the Angels fell before man did, for it was the Devil, that did tempt man to disobey the Commandment of God, which could not have been, if he had not himself sinned against God before that. It is yet further clear and evident from the Scripture, that more then a few of the Angels sinned. There were vast multitudes of ⟨p. 111⟩them that fell down from Heaven to Hell. No doubt but one was the Ringleader in that rebellion, whom the Scripture calls by the name of, the Devil, and by the name of Satan, and whom the Jews were wont by way of contempt to call by the name of Beelzebub: That Lucifer, (as he useth though not so properly to be called) who is become the Monarch of Hell, did not fall alone, nor perish alone in his iniquity, there were mighty numbers of them that did join with the great Devil, in the conspiracy against the most High. Hence the Scripture speaks of the Devil and His Angels, Mat. 25.41. His Angels. So that there were many of them, that were concerned in that first Transgression and Rebellion against the Lord. It is said, Ephes. 2.3. That the Devil is the Prince of the Power of the Air. So that there is a Power, an Host, a vast Army of those Evil Spirits, that did join with the Devil, in setting themselves against the Great God. How many, is not for us to say, the Written Word of God not speaking any thing as to the quantity of their number: only it is manifest from the Scripture, that there are far more Angels that have sinned, far more Devils then there are men in all the World. There is not a man in the whole world, but there are Devils to tempt him continually. And if so, they must needs be more in number than men are. We read in the Gospel of no less than a Legion of Devils in one poor miserable man. Luk. 8.30. You read there of a possessed ⟨p. 112⟩man, and Christ demanded of the Evil Spirit, what his name was: The chief Devil among them made answer, It is Legion, for we are many. A Legion is six thousand six hundred and sixty six. Now then, if the Devil has such vast numbers of Infernal Spirits under him; if he has such troops of them, as that he can spare no less than a Legion to afflict, and as it were to keep Garrison in one poor miserable man: what prodigious numbers of Evil Angels must there needs be.