N00620:205
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.
All these things considered, I conclude, that it is not impossible, but that Holy Angels may appear to some persons. And in case it should be really so, it would be a daring and dangerous boldness to entertain them with contempt. We should rather say as the Pharisees (who in that had the truth on their side) Act. 23.9. If a Spirit or an Angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God. If this be taken with what follows, our having conceded thus far will do us no harm.
Conclusion II. Some Circumstances attending extraordinary Apparitions pretended to be Angelical, have demonstrated them to be Diabolical, others have rendered them justly suspicious. Let the Appearing Spirits ⟨p. 14⟩pretend never so much to be good Angels; if they suggest any thing which is contrary to right reason, or the light of nature, they are certainly Devils. Hence Mahomet's Angel, from whom he pretended to receive his new Religion was a Devil: For in the Alcoran there are contradictions, and therefore falsehoods which cannot proceed from a good Spirit: No good Angel ever told a lye. Hence that Spirit which shall be once found in a Lye, comes not from Heaven. If he […] say, such a thing shall happen, which yet does not come to pass at the time prefixed, or that he will do or not do such a thing, and yet shall act contrary, or shall in any thing falsify, to be sure that is no good Angel. Or, if it does persuade to any dishonest thing, it is an Evil Spirit. By this it was manifest, that the Spirits which Dr. Dee and Killet were so familiar with, supposing them to be good Angels, were unclean Devils: for although those Spirits did for a long time pretend to great Sanctity, they did at last advise to filthy Nicolaitism. Or, if the seeming Angels shall endeavour to establish any notions in Religion not grounded on the Scripture, they are not from Heaven. This showeth, that the Apparitions so frequent and so much boasted of amongst the Papists, were in truth Diabolical Illusions: For the design of them was to confirm the notion of Purgatory, the worshipping of Images, praying for the Dead, and such like Doctrines, which the Scripture condemns: Spirits pretending