N00620:217
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.
Several of his Books discover him to be a man of great Learning; and some of them manifest a pious Spirit. Gesner saith of his Books concerning the simplicity of a Christian Life, that they are worthy to be read of every Christian man. But he has a little Book of Prophecies and Revelations, in which there are things vertiginous and fantastical. The same with this may justly be concluded concerning diverse Modern Prophets, who were persons piously inclined, but Satan by reason of their Melancholy tempers had a great advantage over them. This is the most favourable construction that we can make of Drabiciu•'s being so imposed on by pretended Revelations, of which we shall under our next Conclusion speak more. Zeiglerus is an other ⟨p. 23⟩famous Instance, who was by some cried up for a person divinely inspired. A strange Impetus coming upon him at Frankfort, he threw down the Emperors Arms, upon which the Magistrates of the City sent him to the Hospital, supposing (as well they might) that he was out of his wits. It was revealed to him that Rome would be destroyed in the year 1627: That Frederic the K. of Bohemia, should become a King over thirteen Kingdoms: That the Jews being converted, one of them should be an universal Monarch over all the World: That a general Council should meet at Constance, and continue sitting twelve years. It was also revealed to him, that he should go over into England, and as being sent from God require King James. I. to assist the Protestant Churches abroad. In obedience to his divine Mission he came into Holland, but before he could reach England, he heard of K. James's death. Yet this Zeigler was Caetera vir probus et non indoctus, as V••tius (in his Disput de Prophetia p. 1080.) does acknowledge, & does therefore ascribe these extravagant Fancies and Revelations to the power of Melancholy, with something of a crazed intellect. I omit to speak of that Fantastical Monk Campanella, who in his Metaphysics writes, that the Devil once appeared to him, and held a disputation with him. And (de sensu rerum & Magia l. 3. cap. 10.) he says, that when ever any danger did attend him, he heard a voice in the Air calling to him by his name, which he believed was an Angel, or such ⟨p. 24⟩a good Genius as did attend Socrates.