N00620:192
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.
It is by some supposed that there are Angelical as well as Diabolical possessions. The Jewish Rabbis are of Opinion that the Prophets were acted by Angels. The divine influx (they say) came by their Ministry, who ordered and disposed the word in the mouth of the Prophet according to the mind of God. It is a Celebrated saying amongst them, That every Prophet received his Prophesy by the Ministry of an Angel, Moses only excepted. So Maimon and other of their Masters. They suppose the Reason of that expression in Judg. 5.23▪ to be because Deborah being a Prophetess spake according to Angelical Inspiration. They say that the difference between a divine and a deceitful dream, is, that the former is by the hand of an Angel, the latter by the hand of an evil Spirit. So do they reconcile, Numb. 12.6. with Zach. 10.2.
We in New-England have lately seen not only miserable Creatures Pinched, Burnt, Wounded, Tortured by Invisible Agents, but some Ecstatical Persons, who have strongly imagined that they have been attended with Celestial Visitants revealing secret and future things to them which if it should appear to be Diabolical Imposture, or the effect of an hurt Imagination only, or both, it may (if not timely prevented) be of dangerous Consequence to themselves and others; on which Occasion▪
We in New-England have lately seen not only miserable Creatures Pinched, Burnt, Wounded, Tortured by Invisible Agents, but some Ecstatical Persons, who have strongly imagined that they have been attended with Caelestial Visitants revealing secret and future things to them which if it should appear to be Diabolical Imposture, or the effect of an hurt Imagination only, or both, it may (if not timely prevented) be of dangerous Consequence to themselves and others; on which Occasion▪