a Book called the Reasons of the Christian Religion And after added a small Discourse called More Reasons for it provoked by one that called himself Herbert in which also I answered the Lord Herbert de veritate And since then a nameless Sadduce hath drawn me to publish an Answer to him And in my Life of Faith and other Books I have handled the same Subject All which I tell the Reader that he may see why I have taken this Subject as so necessary why I am ending my Life with the publication of these Historical Letters and Collections Which I dare say have such Evidence as will leave every Sadduce that readeth them either convinced or utterly without excuse Surely the certainty of so great a change of our place State Company and Works as Death will certainly and quickly make should possess every Man that hath the use of Reason with such serious Thoughts Affections and Diligence as is quite contrary to a Diverted Careless Sloathful Worldly Sensual and stupid Mind and Life How speedily shall I see the World that I have read of and Preached and talkt and written of O! What a difference will there be between my now hearing of frightful Apparitions and prodigious Acts of Spirits and that sight or knowledge of all their State and Affairs which I shall have and now am going to The sight of Devils and Damned Diveses and unholy Souls will hereafter be no Rarity and if my Soul must pass through the airy inferior Region where these Miserable Spirits now inhabit it will not be as dangerously Assaulted by them but in Triumph For I know whom I have trusted and into the hands of him do I commit my Spirit who hath conquerred Death and Devils and is now the Glorified Lord of all and can use them at his pleasure And those Angels that rejoice at the Repentance of of a Lazarus and now are Ministring Spirits for his safety will be ready in Obedience to our Lord to convey his Soul to Abrahams bosom Yea to be that day with Christ in Paradise He that chaineth up these Devils that they molest us no more as their Malice doth desire will make our passage safe through all their envy and defiled Regions But seeing it is the free will of Man that giveth the Devils their hurting power and they can do us no harm nor maâ—e us sin without our own consent or yielding O! With how careful and constant and resolved watchfulness should we live And how deservedly may every prayerless ungodly Family and person bâ— left for a prey to this devourer And indeed he hath already hurt them more by blindâ—ng and hardening their Hearts than a thousand haunting Apparitions could of themselves have done And when Excellent Zanchy hath said so much to proâ—e that it is by hâ—s very contigâ—ous Substance that the Devil doth work on Soul and Body how dreadful should Temptations and Sin be to us if we would not have the very substance of Devils dwell in us And why do any think it strange to read so much of Possessions and Dispossessions in the Gospel Lord Iesus let me Finish my Course with joy And then receive my Spirit Amen Iuly 20. 1691. Richard Baxter The CONTENTS Chap. I. Of the great and weighty Vses of the Histories of Spirits and their unusual Apparitions and Actions Ch. II. § I. Instance I. The Devil of Mascon 2. Collonel Bowen ' s Story in divers Letters 3. My Friend and Neighbour Collonel John Bridge ' s Story 4. One in London yet living 5. One at Belfast 6. One at Ilchester 7. Mr. Mompesson ' s Story 8. iAt Lutterworth 9. Mary Ellins of Evesham 10. One in Dorsetshire 11. Nathan Crab of Exeter 12. The strange Story of the Devil of Genluce in Dr. Sinclare 13. The Witches hanged in Suffolk and Essex 14. The Brightling Story 15. Lord Breghill ' s Story of one at St. James ' s. 16. Simon Jones of Kiderminster 17. Richard White of Wilden-Hall 18. Mr. Hopkins of Bewdley 19. An Instance now in London 20. Another as strange 21. Mr. White at Lambeth 22. One from Cambridge 23. One at Hunniton 24. Another there 25. Mr. Ch Hatt ' s Story Ch. III. The strange Story of Mr. May Hill Minister of Beckington in Somersetshire Mr. Increase and Mr. Cotton Mather ' s Instances The Story of Mr. Pacy ' s Daughters at Lesto Ch. IV. Many Histories sent me by Duke Lauderdale and one that taught a Minister to speak true Latin and his Detection of some Popish Frauds Ch. V. Of Witchcraft Inst. 1. Alexander Benedictus 2. Benevenius 3. Langius 4. Cornelius Gemma 5. Sidelicus in Skenkius 6. Wolphius 7. Sebastian Brand. 8. Fabricius Hildanus 9. Faelix Platerus 10. Hollerius 11. Petrus Forestus 12. Scribonius Many Instances of the Concubitus of Daemons with Women 13. Many struck by Daemons Scribonius 14. Witches raising Storms 15. Erasmus ' s Story of an Apparition that burnt the Town 16. The Selling of Winds in Lapland and Iseland 17. The Bleeding oâ— muâ—derâ—d Bodies 18. Scriboniusâ—s strange Story 19. Mr. Farmworth of an Indian Sacrifice to the Devil 20. Ludovicus Vives Testimony 21. Zanchy ' s Testimony 22. Melancthon ' s Testimony 23. A wonderful Story of Dr. Henricâ—ab Heere 24. Merik Causabone of Sir Theod Meyerne 25. Divers Instances from Fernelius 26. Sir Theod. Meyerne ' s prudent Iudgment 27. Gerh. Vossius ' s Testimony 28. Lavater 29. Bishop Jos. Hall 30. Cyprian and a strange Story in him from Firmilianus 31. The New England Instances on Mrs. Hutchinson and Mrs. Dyer published by Mr. Thomas Weld 32. Zanchy ' s Opinion that the Devil's Substance is in them that they move 33. Luther ' s Testimony 34. More of Melancthon ' s. Ch. VI. Mr. John Lewis and Mr. John Davis ' s Multitudes of Instances of Apparitions in Cardiganshire and near it of Knockers and Death-Lights Ch. VII Inst. 1. Mr. Tilson ' s Narrative from Rochester 2. Mr. Woodcock ' s Letter and four strange Stories One of Mr. Mun and one of Dr. Lamb and Mr. Barber and one of Mr. Herlakenden ' s House and of the Oundle Well Ch. VIII Of good Angels and some doubtful Spirits Inst. 1. Mr. Tate ' s Case 2. The Bolton Instance 3. The Afric Bishops whose Tongues were cut out 4. Somewhat from De la Cerda 5. Mr. Ketilby Woodhouse ' s Testimony of some saved from Sir Richard Greenvile 6. Of the Books of Prodigies 1662. 7. Of Lightnings tearing Churches 8. Of Whirlwinds and Hurricanes 9. Of Mrs. Britton s Apparition 10. More from De la Cerda 11. Hildanus ' s strange Story of Lightning Ch. IX Inst. 1. Of melancholy Persons Case 2. Of Enthusiasts Instances named of divers sorts Ch. X. Other strange Providences observable on my self on R. C. on Tho. Giles on J. D. Of Death fore-told Instance of Mr. Tiro Colonel Rich and his Lady's Letters of it Of the Glastonbury Thorn divers Letters Of the Kings of England and France Touching
for the Struma Ch. XI A strange Story from Belfast in Ireland fully attested in a Letter from Mr. Tho. Emlin a worthy Preacher now in Dublin Ch. XII A Dublin Instance attested by Mr. Daniel Williams now in London The Conclusion Concerning Angels and how to know bad Spirits from Good by the Matter and their Method And what Instruments Christ and Devils use in their greatest publick Warfare CHAP. I. Of the great and weighty Vses of these Histories of Spirits and their unusual Appearances and Works § I. I Have written this Collection only as an Addition to sufficient Proofs of invisible Powers or Spirits and their Actions towards Men which many in full Treatises have already given the World because how convincing soever those Discourses be Multitudes bred up in Idleness and Sensuality and thereby drowned in Sadduceism and Bestiality never see those Books nor will the Devil consent that they shall have so much Wit and Care of their future State as to make that diligent Enquiry after such Things as the Importance of the Matter doth require Nor will they read them if they have them nor believe the fullest Evidence though they read it pretending that of Persons and Things so long ago and far off they can have no Assurance not knowing what Fallacies may intervene Therefore I have chosen many near to them both for Time and Place of which if they think their Souls worth so much Labour they may enquire to Satisfaction § 2. Though I have taken many out of Foreign most credible Physicians and some from other Historians yet that I may not transcribe too much I desire them that need yet fuller Information to read especially Bodin and Remigius two Judges who condemned Multitudes of Witches themselves and Paul Grillandus and Sprangerus and the Mallei Maleficorum and Zanchy de Angelis Daemon and Danaeus Ioseph Glanvile with Dr. More 's Notes especially the Story in the West of Scotland near like that most convincing one of the Devil of Mascon and Dr. More of Atheism and Mr. Increase Mather and his Son Mr. Cotton Mather of New England their two Books of Witches of which the latter hath most convincing Evidence and Dr. Sinclare a Scot. § 3. I confess it is very difficult to expound the Causes of all mentioned in these Histories But proveâ— Matters of fact must not be denied but improved as well as we can And I confess very many Cheats of pretended Possessions have been discovered which hath made â—ome weak injudicious Men think that all are such Two sorts of Persons have oft been found Deceivers 1. Persons prepared and trained up purposely by Papists Priests to honour their Exorcisms You may find in print the Story of the Boy of Bilson Petrius who afterwards I heard turned Quaker at Bristol detected and shamed by Bp. Morton himself Many such abroad are recorded 2. Lustful Rank Girls and young Widows that plot for some amorous procacious Design or have Imaginations conquered by Lust Though I think when they come to a Furor uterinus Satan oft sets in But he forfeiteth the Benefit of his own Eye-sight who thinks that none see because some Beggars counterfeit Blindness § 4. The Instances tell us 1. That the State Converse Policy Laws of the AErial World or Regions are much thought not wholly unknown to us here 2. And so is the Natural State of the departed Souls of wicked Men as to their having Bodies or no Bodies their Power their Wits their Motions and Passions 3. And also whether they be proper Devils when joyned with them or of another Species 4. And 't is hard to know by their Words or Signs when it is a Devil and when it is a Humane Soul that appeareth 5. Yea it is oft hard to know whether it be the Soul of a good Person or a bad 6. And consequently what distance there is in their Habitations 7. Yea and oft whether it be a good Angel or a bad seeing bad ones may do good deceitfully or by Constraint 8. And 't is unsearchable to us how far God leaveth Invisible Intellectual Powers to Free Will about inferiour things suspending his predetermining Motion though not his general Motion and Concourse 9. Yea we are not fully certain whether these AErial Regions have not a third sort of Wights that are neither Angels Good or Fallen nor Souls of Men but such as have been there placed as Fishes in the Sea and Men on Earth And whether those called Fairies and Goblins are not such But as all these and more such are unknown to us so God seeth it meet for us that it should be so and we should not so much as desire or endeavour that it might be otherwise § 5. But we may know which must suffice us 1. That no Spirits can do any thing but by God's Will or Permission 2. And that God will never permit them eventually to frustrate his Love and Mercy to his People nor to break any one of his Promises to them 3. And that good Spirits are Servants and evil Ones Slaves to Jesus Christ our Redeemer and shall not frustrate his Grace and Undertaking 4. It is surely a wicked sort of Spirits that delight to do Mischief and that lye and deceive Men and that are ambitious to be worshipped and to have Men's Souls and Bodies in their power and make killing and damning Men their Work 'T is evident that their Knowledge and Misery hath not yet changed them by Repentance and made them better 5. 'T is evident that they are Enemies to God and to Jesus Christ for their whole Design is against them and against sanctifying saving Work 6. It is plain that they know that Man hath another Life to live Their Works attest the Immortality of our Souls and the Truth of Christianity in that they maliciously do so much against them They urge Men to renounce God and Christ and his Commandments and Worship their Baptism and all true Service of God They urge Persons to sell their Souls to them and to forsake all that tends to save them Their Importunity to destroy us should teach us the Need of the greatest Care and Diligence for our Salvation 7. It seemeth plain that they are now of a low and base Condition of Nature in that they seek such sordid Employments about Graves and Corps and multitudes of sordid trivial things 8. And it seems that they dwell near us in the Air Earth and Sea and not in the higher glorious Regions 9. And it is apparent that they have a natural Strength and Ways of working unknown to us by the Wonders that they do 10 It is very like that the â—ouâ—s of wicked Men now dwell with them as they must do for ever and are like them 11. I think it most likely that when Witches Men and Women confess their filthy Lying with Devils that it is done more to exercise the Lust of the Witch than of the Devil And that sometimes he doth it by
and had all from the Man himself CHAP. IX IN my Vnreasonableness of Infidelity having many other Testimonies of Satan's War against Christ and his Kingdom I will here mention one which elsewhere also I have mentioned and that is the Case of melancholy distracted and Enthusiastick Persons which clearly prove a Diabolical War I. As to melancholy Persons I think few Men in England have had more advantage to know their Case than I have had I know not how it cometh to pass but in the Country and in London multitudes that are melancholy are sent by their Friends or of themselves come to me imagining that I can counsel them for Soul and Body so that they have taken up a great part of my time And in almost all I perceive besides their Disease that a malignant Spirit by advantage of it doth agitate them incessantly against God and Jesus Christ and against themselves as he acteth Witches to do mischief to others I know that the Disease it self is to the Imagination as disquieting as a Dislocation or Lameness is to a Joint But there is some malignant Spirit that driveth it so importunately to Mischief chief They are constantly tempted to self-tormenting Thoughts to despair and cry Vndone undone and to think that the Day of Grace is past and that they have committed the unpardonable Sin and any thing that may keep their Minds on a tormenting Rack And they are strongly at last tempted to destroy themselves If they see a Knife tâ—â—y feel as if one within them said Now cut thy 〈◊〉 or sâ—â—b thy self Do it do it If they go by a Water they feel as if one urged them presently to leap in And often are they urged vehemently to hang themselves or to cast themselves headlong from some high place And alas many do it And it is so in other Lands as well as here How many doth Platerus in his Observations tell us of that near him in Helvetia destroyed themselves And it is to be noted that unless it be God's Judgment for some heinous Crime it is few of the ungodly Rabble that have any such Trouble and Temptation for Satan holds them faster by presumptuous Unbelief and Carelesness and worldly Love and Pleasure But those that will not be so deceived that he cannot torment hereafter he would torment here Alas divers Persons have I known thus destroy themselves who I have great reason to believe were as really Godly as any that I have known But Satan's Advantage was in their Disease and Temper As he can tempt a Phlegmatick Man to Sloth and a holerick Man to Anger and a Sanguine Man to Lust or sinful Pleasure so can he a Melancholy Man to Despair and Self-destruction and against God 2. And they are impetuously tempted against God and Jesus Christ They are so haunted with blasphemous Thoughts to think ill of God or to deny Christ or the Scripture that they have no rest And these come in at Prayer at Sermon at Sacrament and they have no more power to keep them out or turn their Thoughts another way almost than they have of the Thoughts of another Yea somewhat urgeth them from Day to Day to speak some ill blasphemous word of God or of Christ and if they yield to the Importunity it presently as it were saith within him Now thou art damned There is now no Hope And it is much to be noted that let the Person be Religious or not they usually are all thus tempted alike For worldly Crosses and Discontents do make bad People sometimes melancholy and they also have much of the same Sollicitations So that the manner of their Trouble plainly telleth us that it is of the Devil And yet Physick may do much to cure it because it taketh from the Devil that Instrument or bodily Disposition without which he cannot do his Work And it is not for nothing that in the Gospel the Distracted and Epileptick are said to be possessed of Devils for he may cause the Disease and work by it accordingly when he hath done it I have oft marvelled that the Worst are not as commonly distracted by Sadness as better People But besides the Reason before given there is a peculiar Sin that bringeth this of its Nature and so lets the Devil in and that is Over-valuing some worldly thing and then falling into Discontent and Impatience at the loss or want of it He that breaks down his own Hedge or Wall le ts in the Trespasser or Thief He that cannot take God and Heaven as enough to content him is better without his Idol than to find Content in it 'T is meet that Child be left to cry that will cry if he may not have his Will and that will hurt him worse than crying He that will add to God's Corrections the Self-Torment of sinful Impatience shall find Satan ready to farther his Work God is disobliged when he is not trusted And if we consent not that he do with us what he will he will not do what we impose upon him His Wisdom and not our Flesh and Folly must determine of all his Way and Work II. And there have been many Enthusiasticks that Satan hath notoriously deluded by pretended Angelical Revelation for some great increase of Knowledge You may find many sad Instances in Epiphanius and other Histories of the old Hereticks And few Ages since have been without some such The Madness of Iohn of Leydens Munster Rebels shewed it what Zeal and seeming Fortitude did their deceiving Spirit inspire them with while by Murders they cryed up their new Sion Leo Iuda witnesseth that when the Flesh was pull'd off Clipper dolling with hot Pincers he scarce uttered a Complaint or great regard of the pain Satan's Hand was notorious in the delusions of David George in Holland and of Hacket Coppinger and Arthington here The horrid Wickedness of the Ranters here proclaimed him to be their Teacher When the Quakers first rose here their Societies began like Witches with Quaking and Vomiting and Infecting others with breathing on them and tying Ribbons on their Hands And their Actions as well as their Doctrine shewed their Master When some as propesying walked through the Streets of Cities naked and some vainly undertook to raise the Dead as Susan Pierson at Worcester And usually they disturbed and publickly reviled the most Godly Ministers worse than the most debauched of the Rabble did He that would know how manifestly Satan ruled such Enthusiasts in Germany may read it at large in Beckman's Exercitations and in the Life of Paracelsus testify'd by Opporinus that lived with him as his Servant and others that were affrighted with his Drunken Rage and Satanical Converse And how dangerous it is to desire such Converse with Angels and Spirits as God hath not judged suitable to our Condition here in the Flesh the case of Iacob Behmen and Dr. Pordage here and his Society may tell us His chief Proselyte Companion and Successor whose name I
where I hope to be with Christ Amen One thing more I think meet to mind the Reader of that he may not lose the Benefit of these Histories That is How to discern a good Spirit from a bad The Scripture telling us that three things are the Characters of Devils Lying Malignity and Hurtfulness Ioh. 8. which include all Uncharitableness Revenge and Division we may certainly gather that it is a Diabolical Spirit that promoteth these whatever the Pretences are 1. The Antichristian Errour called Antinomian that would set Christ against Christ and make Men believe that his Death hath made all our Obedience to his Government a thing that shall never do us any good being called Works and all our Sins against his Grace to be so harmless that we ought not to think that we shall be ever the worse for them and that the Elect that live in Perjury and Murder and Adultery or any other Sin are not perjured Murderers Adulterers because now they are Christ's Sins and not theirs with many such Reproaches of Christ called by the Crispians the Exalting of him These certainly are from Devils and God doth notably disown them as the fore mentioned Instances of the Ranters and those in New England mentioned by Mr. Weld do shew And the doleful Form of Mr. Davies Congregation about Rowel in Northamptonshire of the Madness Blasphemies Barkings and Beastility there I leave to the Enquiry of sober Persons Though I am no Witness of it the Reports are such as are not meet to be silenced Mr. Samuel Crispe hath published this Week a Book as against me in defence of his Father telling the World that he understands not what he writeth of and ignorantly defending what I affirm and confuting his Father thinking it a Defence of him I deny not but a Crispian may be a Christian while through Ignorance he believeth not his own Words But he that will but read the Scripture and particularly the Texts cited by me in my Confession of Faith shall see how fully Christ hath confuted Crispe and vindicated his Mediatorial Office II. And all those Principles Passions and Practices that are against the Love and Concord of Christians whatever pretence of an Angel of Light or other Ministers of Righteousness may be their Cloak are undoubtedly from the dividing Devil III. And more evident is it that it is no better Spirit that inspireth all the Slanderers Silencers and Persecuters of the faithful Ministers of Christ and those that make and execute the Laws for the imprisoning and ruining of the most consâ—ionable Christians for their avoiding notorious Sin or at least for doubtful Infirmities incomparably less than these Persecuters Clergy or Laity are guilty of By their Fruits you may know what Spirit acâ—â—â—eth these Men. Wolves Thorns and Thistles are known by Hartfulness Christ's Miracles were Doing Good and Healing But Devil's Work is Hurting and Destroying And let those Men and Women think of it that cannot forgive but are set upon Revenge Mark whether Revenge be not the most ordinary Business of Witches and of Devilized Souls most of these Histories tell it you Therefore Christ telleth us that if we forgive not we shall not be forgiven so contrary is he to the Diabolical Spirit of Revenge though yet he hath just and punishing Governours Were but the Histories of Witches and Apparitions well considered it would help Men to understand that Devils make no small number of the Laws and Rulers that are made in the World and have no small number of honoured Servants and are the Authors of most of the Wars in the World So that the Phrase Rev. 3. The Devil shall cast some of you into Prison should not seem strange And I would I had no Cause to say that this Mark of Lying Malignity and Hurtfulness tells us that many Sermons are made by Devils and too many of the Books written by them that adorn the Libraries of many learned Men. And though Demons do good in order to do hurt yet by this Rule of Judging of Spirits by their Fruits I cannot but think that though there was a Mixture of Good and Bad there was more of the good Spirit than of the Bad in most of the ancient Monks and Hermites that lived so strict and mortified Lives And as I find not only by Erasmus but by the Complaint of Protestant Divines that it was a Desire of Liberty from the Papists Austerities that prevailed with most of the Vulgar to cast off Popery so the Case of many Monasteries their Mortification and Devotion though ignorant doth make me hope that in many such Monasteries there is more of the Spirit of God than among the common worldly sensual sort of Protestants I that must say so of our well-meaning Separatists here must say so of such Papists For I find by the multitude of Instances in Caesarius and others that just as deep Repentance for former Sin doth now bring many to think it safest to joyn with the Congregations which they think are most strict So before Luther's time it was ordinary when God humbled any deeply for their Sin to think that they must presently joyn with such as renounced the World and fleshly Pleasures and minded nothing but Religion and Salvation And thence it came to pass that among the Papists the Monasticks were called Religious in distinction from Secular and other sorts of Men. And as our separating religious Protestants do now demand of such as they admit to their Communion an Account of some special Experiences of God's Work on their Hearts in their Conversion So did the Monasteries by such as they received The aforesaid Author Caesarius will tell you of multitudes of Instances how God converted Sinners and brought them into their Religious Houses What can one think of all this but that as all that we here do is imperfect and faulty and yet pardoned through Christ to the Sincere so among Papists and honest Sectaries there is much that is of God and shall be accepted though Satan by their Ignorance and his Subtilty do obscure and maculate the Lustre of it and turn it into Scandal For such is his Warfare against Christ and his Kingdom in this World God is good and doth good and will have Mercy and not Sacrifice And his Justice doth hurt for a greater Good The Devil is a Do-Evil And if he do Good it is to greater Hurt And Oh that I could get my own and all Readers Hearts sufficiently affected with this Observation That as all our Life is carried on in a Warfare and Satan's Malice is both against Christ and us so his great Work is to draw us into some Sins which shall cloud the Glory both of the Grace and the Miracles of Christ and damp the Comfort which we might have received by all his Mercies If he see an honest Christian zealously affected draâ— him by Temptation of the Flesh into some Scandal or by Ignorance into some false Opinions and that Glory of
THE CERTAINTY OF THE WORLDS of SPIRITS And Consequently Of the Immortality of Souls Of the Malice and Misery of the Devils and the Damned And of the Blessedness of the Justified Fully evinced by the unquestionable Histâ—ries of Apparitions Operations Witchcrafts Voices c. Written as an Addition to many other Treatises for the Conviction of Sadduces and Infidels By RICHARD BAXTER Eph 6.12 We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual Wickednesses in high Places in Celestials Matth 8. 31 32. The Devils besought him saying If thou cast us out suffer us to go away into the Herd of Swine And he said Go. Luk. 10. 18 20. I beheld Satan as Lightning fall from Heaven But in this rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject to you But rather rejoyce because your Names are written in Heaven Heb. 2. 14. Are they not all the Angels ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation LONDON Printed for T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside and I. Salisbury at the Rising Sun near the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1601. THE PREFACE It seemeth hard to unruly Minds that God should keep Intellectual Souls so strange to the unseen World of Spirits that we know so little of them and that our Knowledge of them is no more by the way of â—ente But there is in it much of Gods â—rbitrary Soveraign Power and much of his Wisdom and much of his Justice and also of his Love 1. It pleased him to make Variety of Creatures What harmony would there be without Variety were there nothing but Unity there would be nothing but God And various Creatures must have a various Scituation Reception and Operations The Fishes must not dwell in our Cities nor be acquainted with our Affairs 2. We here dwell in Flesh in Bodies organized for the Souls Receptions and Perceptions and Operations And the Wisdom of God doth suitably dispose of his Communications and give us that measure of Light which is agreeable to our State The Sun must not shine on the Infant in the Womb nor must he there see our Buildings and Tradings and Business in the World 3. We have Light here that is proportionable to our work and interest So much as is necessary to our knowing of our selves and our God and Governour and our Duty and all those hopes that are our necessary Motives thereto Men that will but observe the Operations of their Souls may competently know what a Soul or Spirit is And Men that will but open their Eyes and considerately look about them may as certainly know that there is a God as they can know that there is any Being And Men that cannot but difference Moral Good and Evil and that know the Duty of Children to Parents Subjects to Rulers and Neighbours to Neighbours may know their Duty to God and that the performance of it shall not be in vain And if Men will not know all this which they may know it is just with God to leave them to their chosen darkness and not to know that which further might be known It is a dismal case to havea Soul that will not know it self to be what it is till utter Misery convince him 4. And the God of Love maketh Advantage of our not-seeing the World of Spirits for our Exercise of our higher Intellectual Faculties by a Life of Faith And Intuition a Nobler sort than our present Eye-sight will be seasonable and soon enough when ripeness hath made us ready for it We shall not need all the Organical parts of the Eye which Galen admiringly describeth for our Glorious sight And to see Devils and other Spirits ordinariâ—y would not be enough to bring our Atheists to the saving Knowledge of God without which all other Knowledge is vain They that doubt of a God the most perfect eternal infinite Being while they see the Sun and Moon and Stars the Sea and Land would not know him by seeing Created â—pirâ—ts As to the Originals of this Collection it had its rise from my own and other Mens need When God firâ—â— aâ—akened me to think with preparing seriousness of my Condition after Death I had not any observed Doubts of the Reality of Spirits or the Immortality of the Soul or of the Truth of the Gospel But all my doubts were about my own Renovation and Title to that Blessed Life But when God had given me peace of Conscience Satan Assaulted me with those worse Temptations Yet through Gods Grace they never prevailed against my Faith Nor did he ever raise in me the least doubt of the Being and â—erfection of God nor of my Duty to Love Honour Obey and Trust him For I still saw that to be an Atheist was to be â—â—ad But I fouâ—d thaâ— my Faiâ—h of Supernatâ—ral Revelaâ—ion â—â—st be more than a Believing Man and that if it had â—ot a firm Foundation and rooting even sure Evidence of Verity Surely Apprehended it was not like to do those great works that Faith had to do and to overcome the World the Flesh and the Devil and to make my Death to be safe and comfortable Therefore I found that all confirming helps were useful and among those of the lower sort Apparitions and other sensible Manifestations of the certain existence of Spirits of themselves Invisible was a means that might do much with such as are prone to judge by Sense The uses hereof I mention before the Book that the Reader may know that I write it for Practice and not to please Men with the Strangeness and Novelty of useless Stories It is no small number of Writers on such Subjects that I have read it 's near threescore years time from the fiâ—st occasion And finding that almost all the Athâ—ists Sadduces and Infidels did seem to profess that were they but sure of the Reality of the Apparitions and Operations of Spirits it would cure them I thought this the most suitable help for them that have sinned themselves into an incapacity of more Rational and Excellent Arguments And I have long feared lest secrâ—t unobserved defectiveness in their Belief of the Immortality of the Soul â—nd the truth of the Scripture is the great cause of all Mens other defects There lieth usually the unsoundness of Woridly Hypocrites where it is prevâ—iling and thence is the weakness of Graâ—e in the best though it prevail not against their Sincerity By which Motives I did though it displeased some make it the Second Fart of my Book called the Saints Rest And aftâ—rwardâ— provoked by Clement Writer I did it muâ—h more fully in a Book called the Unreasonableness of Infidelity And after that provoked by the Copy of a paper dispersed in Oxford said to be Dr. Walkers questioning the certainty of our Religion and seeing no answer to it come from the Univâ—rsity Men I wrote yet more Methodically of all in
a Body of gross Air and sometimes may gratifie the Lust of one Witch on another or on a tempted ignorant Wretch He that can bring a Witch in without opening the Door can bring such an one Male or Female into another's Bed 12. It is not impossible that wicked Souls may carry with them hence their filthy Inclinations and Desire to use them 13. It is plain that Devils and wicked Souls are not yet in the utmost of their Misery but are reserved in Chains to the Judgment of the great Day of Christ Such joking and dallying and whistling as the Devil of Mascon and many other used shew this 14. It is clear that whether you call it in State or Place I think both the blessed Souls and Angels are far above these in a higher World or Region and no wonder if they appear more rarely to Men on Earth 15. Yet Angels can be here and do their Office for us without such Descent as shall abate their Joy and Glory and why not blessed Souls too if they shall be equal with Angels The Sun can enlighten every Eye here without losing its higher Residence 16. When revengeful things are done as on Murderers Defrauders c. it seems to be from the revengeful Wrath of some bad Soul especially when it is about Money or Lands it seemeth to savour of the Worldly Mind Yet it is uncertain whether it may not be from the Justice of God and governing Angels sending the Evil Spirits on such Errands A Hawk and a Hound are fitter Messengers to destroy than a Dove or a Lamb. 17. When a Genius sheweth some Kindness to the Soul as his that I mentioned that knocketh at his Bed's Head and about him after every time that he is drunk and one that Bodin mentioneth that was stricken when he said or did amiss it is uncertain to us whether it be a good Angel or the Soul of some former dear Friend that procureth this Leave to try to turn and save the Sinner Or whether Christ and Angels force Satan to do it against his Will 18. Though the unquenchable Fire which is to follow will shew the utmost Severity of God's Justice there is some signification of his Mercy to the Wicked in suspending it so far as to allow them such a Condition as many of these Apparitions signifie by their Words and Deeds 19. Yet here is nothing to encourage their Opinion that think such Souls or Demons are but in via and have another Day of Hope and Means to use in possibility of Salvation And though many are said to have begged of the Living for Mastes and Prayers it is liker to prove a Diabolical Cheat to promote Superstition than that there is a Purgatory-State of Hope 20. Those that are tempted to think that Souls are all one and that Individuation is only by Corporeal Matter and that Individuation ceaseth at Death are by all these Examples fully confuted Devils and wicked Souls have their Numerical Individuation and therefore no Godly Person need to fear the Loss of it Either it is good or bad for us If good shall the Wicked and Devils have it and not the Godly If bad why should it be desired Angels are Individuals and shall not our Souls § 6. These great Benefits we may get by the right Use of these Histories and such others 1. We may learn to admire that Frame of Divine Government that hath Creatures so various to rule and order and maketh one beautiful Frame of all As Toads and Serpents on Earth are not useless nor devouring Fishes Birds and Beasts so neither are Devils nor damned Souls no nor their Sins which God will use though he will not cause 2. We may gather that in Heaven it self there will be an orderly Oeconomy and difference of degrees of Superiority and of Glory when there is so great difference through all the World All shall not be equal to them that shall sit on twelve Thrones Judging the twelve Tribes There are many Mansions in that House even to them that be all with Christ. 3. We have great Cause to be very thankful to God that doth not let loose wicked Spirits against us that they are not here our Terror and Tormentors 4. How great a Mercy is it that we have a Saviour that hath power over them and hath Redeemed us from their Power and from everlasting Damnation 5. We may see that the Angels of God are not useless to us but their Ministry is one of Gods Means for our Preservation and we owe them Love and Thanks for all their Love and Service And it is not through Pride or Insensibility of this benefit that we do not worship them whom we see not 6. If the Devils possessing and tormenting Mens Bodies be so heavy a Plague how much worse is it to have him the Master of their Souls O! How carefully should we resist his Temptations Every Sin that we commit through Love to it or by Wilfulness or Sloth is worse to us and more pleasing to the Devil than to be Tormented so long by him He mist of his aim at Iob when he could not by all his Sufferings draw him to Sin O! how much more miserable is a Worldly Proud Gluttonous Dives Lord Knight or Gentleman and sensual Youth â—iâ—â—racted with Vain Mirth and Lust than one Bewitcht or Bodily only possest by Devils And how much should the most godly be afraid of Sin and of Temptations 7. It is a sensible help as to Convince Brutists and Atheists and Infidels so to confirm the best Believers against all Temptations to doubt of the Life to come and the Immortality of Souls and the future Judgment and Retribution And though it be our shame to need such helps it is a Mercy to have them If a Sadducee will say If one did come from the Dead or I saw such things I would believe should not our Faith be past wavering that have these added to the greater Gospel proofs 8. It 's matter of Comfort to departing faithful Souls that these evil Spirits that are chained up now and not suffered to disturb us shall not hinder our passage to Glory If we must pass through the Air inhabited by Devils and Wicked Souls Angels will Convey us and Christ receive us and it shall not be to our hurt or loss 9. It should always keep the Souls of the Faithful in joyful gratitude for the work of Regeneration Grace Justification and Salvation which was our great Deliverance from Devils And teach us to live as the saved of the Lord. 10. It should warn all to take heed that they be not helpers and Servants to Devils in Tempting and Destroying Souls O! how many do his work that defie his Name All that by wicked example and scandal harden Men in Sin they that Tempt People to Pride and Lust and fleshly pleasures They that draw them into the Company of Vain Lascivious Lustful Ryotous and Ungodly persons They that madly
Prayer and had some respect to the place serving God to cast out the Devil And from that time never was any such noise heard in the Chamber This I had from Mr. Harlakenden's own Mouth and his Servants Ear-witnesses when I was upon the place Ita Testatur Tho. Woodcocke CHAP. VIII Of good Angels and some doubtful Spirits and their notable Actions THis sort of Operations is of more pleasant Consideration than the Diabolical and as convincing of the Agency of Superior Spirits on things below but so many have written of it as maketh my farther Labour needless Let them that would see more read Mr. Isaac Ambrose of our Communion with Angels the Lord Lawrence Mr. Samuel Clark's Mirrour Zanchy de Angelis c. Bodin tells us of one of his Acquaintance that had a good Genius that would always give him notice when he did ill by a stroke and what he should do when he omitted it I pass by old Writers I will mention now but these few I. That of Mr. Tate in Ireland mentioned by Mr. Clark and Mr. Ambrose and confirmed to me by his near Relations that knew of it Dr. Tate with his Wife and Children being stripp'd and forced to flee for their Lives by the Irish when they were murdering Thousands in their Rebellion in 1641. They were wandering in unknown places upon Commons covered with Snow and having no Food and she carrying a Sucking Child and having no Milk she went to lay down the Child to die and on the Brow of a Bank she found a Suck-bottle with sweet Milk in it no Foot-steps appearing in the Snow of any that should bring it thither and far from any Habitation which preserved the Child's Life who after became a Blessing to the Church II. When Prince Rupert march'd with his Army through Lancashire to York-Fight where he was overthrown the Town of Bolton made some Resistance in his Passage and he gave them no Quarter but killed Men and Women When he was gone those that escaped came out from the places where they lurked and an old Woman found in the Streets a Woman killed and a Child by her not dead The old Woman took up the Child and to still its crying put her own Breast to the Child which had not given Suck as I remember of above twenty Years The Child being quieted she presently perceived Milk to come and continued to give the Child sufficient Milk till it was provided for I had the full Assurance of this from my worthy Friend Mrs. Hunt Wife to Mr. Rowland Hunt of Harrow on the Hill who told me that she her self was one that was appointed by the Committee to make Trial of the Case and she found it true and the old VVoman's Breasts to give the Child Milk as was reported And she told me in 1665 that the said Child was at that time alive a Servant-woman in London III. Though I lay no great stress on the Reports of those Papists who corrupt Church-History by Fabulous Mixtures yet many Histories of the Ministry of Angels cited by them out of the Fathers are credible Those that have purged their Legends retain a great number Baronius and De la Cerda and many others are worth the reading by the Judicious that can discern the different Probabilities But to deny all the Ejecting of Devils and the VVonders mentioned by Tertullian Origen Cyprian Chrysostom Augustine Sulpitius Severas those of Gregory Thaumaturgus Martin c. tho' some may be over-aggravated besides those in Historians Eusebius Socrates Sozomen Victor Vticensis Procopius Nicephorus Theodoret c. would be unreasonable and unchristian Incredulity I have formerly mentioned the African Bishops or Preachers who all spake well when their Tongues were cut out by the Command of the Arrian King And Victor AEnaeas Gazaeus and Procopius as I remember all three said they saw them and heard them speak after But one of them saith that one of the Bishops was after drawn into the Sin of Fornication and his Speech went away again 'T is strange if all the Stories in Caesarius should be false IV. De la Cerda saith that Albertine a Jesuit told him that a young Man came hastily to him to confess and told him O Sir saith he I could not stay so strange a thing hath befallen me I and my Companion were resolved in Revenge against one that had wronged me to go after him into the Fields and kill him And while I was setting my Pistol in order that I might not miss a beautiful young Man stood by me and asked me what I was about And when I denied to tell him he told me that he knew my purpose and dissuaded me and in short did so open the Sufferings of Christ for his Eâ—â—mies and what Sins he had forgiven us and bound us to forgive one another that I was melted into Tears and my Mind changed and the young Man vanished away An Angel if true V. I 'll make no Application of it to thâ— Cause in our late VVar but I knew 〈◊〉 many strange Preservations One credibâ—â— Person had a Bullet shot through the feâ— of his Hat and stopp'd at the Lining and hurt him not Another had a small Bible in his Pocket and a Musket-Bullet shot into his Bible which saved his Life The Story of Sir Richard Greenvile's Executions is printed already by Mr. Clark and others To confirm it Mr. Kettleby Woodhouse Sister's Son to Justice Kettleby and to Walter Kettleby the Bookseller's Father a sober credible Man then living in Bewdeley oft told me that he was one of the Five or Seven whose Lives were saved Being Soldiers for the Parliament and taken Prisoners Sir Richard Greenvile commanded them all to be hanged The first Man being turned off the Ladder a new Hempen Rope brake They sent for another and hang'd him again and that brake and as I remember a third Whereupon Sir R. G. saved them all And Mr. Woodhouse all the while stood by the Gallows expecting his Turn and by this escap'd 'T is like it was by an invisible Power VI. In 1662. came out divers Books of new Prodigies most of them as Executions on notorious Sinners and some as Deliverances of better Men. I read them and enquired after the Matter of Fact and I found by what Policy Satan hath perverted History and obscured the Honour of God's Works by causing weak-headed factious Persons to over do I found many of the Strange things there mentioned had sufficient Proof But the Writers dropp'd in many Circumstances and Stories by partial Credibility that were not true And this frustrated the Books and the Prodigies by spoiling the Credit of all the rest VII I know not what to impute it to that Lightnings and Thunder-bolts fall more upon Churches than upon Castles and City Stone Walls or any such Buildings IerseyCastle indeed was torn with the Gun-powder set on fire by Lightning as Heydelberg had terribly been as a Presage of the greater Evil following And what
me There were many People as usual sat up with us I preached from Heb. 2. 18. and contrived to be at Prayer at that Time when the Noise used to be greatest When I was at Prayer the Woman kneeling by me catched violently at my Arm and afterwards told us she saw a terrible Sight But it pleased God there was no Noise at all And from that Time God graciously freed her from all that Disturbance I examined this Person and could find nothing in her Circumstances fit to induce one to any satisfactory Judgment of her Case These Noises lasted about three Months and she was much enfeebled in Body and almost distracted thereby but soon recovered upon the Removal thereof Attested by me Daniel Williams Aug. 2â— 169â— The CONCLUSION Concerning Angels VVHile I consider these unquestionable Evidences of the certainty of Spirits and how much they have to do with Men I cannot but think that we have also much to do with them with the bad to resist them as our Enemies and the Enemies of the Gospel and the Church of God against whom we must continually Watch and Pray lest we fall into the Snares of their Temptations And with the good that we may be meet for their Preserving and Comforting Ministry But in all our Histories it is observable that bad Spirits Apparitions and Actions are far more frequent and more Sensible than good ones which may perhaps to some seem strange Concerning which I consider 1. That Corporeal Crassitude is an abasement and therefore fittest for the more Ignoble sort of Spirits We that dwell here in Bodies are of a lower Order than those of the more high and invisible Regions 2. And the bad Spirits as they have a baser Consistence have also a more base and Terrene Inclination And therefore it is the less wonder that they mind matters of Money and Lands And no doubt but the Souls of wicked Men carry with them much of the Vicious Habits in which they lived here That is of Covetousness and Revenge And they that tell us that such as Dives retain no Love to their Brethren on Earth speak more than they can prove and are not so Credible as Christ that seemeth to say the contrary Some make a state of departed Souls Good and Bad out of their own Inventions which it 's very likely Death will Confute 3. And it is far greater things than Visible Appearances that we constantly receive from Angels more sutable to their Nature and Dignity and to our good Some Men have long Laboured to attain a Visible or Sensible Communion with them and think they have attained it But while they presumptuously desire to pervert the Order of Gods Houshold and Government it is no wonder if in stead of Angels they Converse with Devils that are Transformed into seeming Angels of Light that by Delusion they may Transform such Men into Ministers of Righteousness It is a doleful Instance of the effect of a perverse kind of opposition to Popery and running from one Extream to another to note how little Sence most Protestants shew of the great Benefits that we receive by Angels How seldom we hear them in publick or private give thanks to God for their Ministry and Helps And more seldom pray for it When hear we any Ministers Teach Believers what Love and what Thanks they owe to Angels whereas the Excellency and Holiness of their Natures obligeth us to love them and their Love and Care of us bespeaketh Thankfulness Yea we have Teachers that would perswade Men that this Savoureth of Popery and doth Derogate from Christ And yet if the People Love and Honour and maintain them they take this to be no Derogation from Christ. As if they were more Amiable then Angels or Christ may not use the Ministry of Angels as well as their's The Lord pitty the distracted divided Societies of Christians who in all Countries are fallen into Uncharitable Sects that on pretence of saving the Truth and the Church from the Errours of each other do corrupt both by the Addition of contrary Errours so that it 's hard to find out many Errours of Popery or Ancient Heresie which hath not been avoided by contrary faults in the Corruption of Doctrine Charity or Concord Devils have a greater Game to play invisibly than by Apparitions O happy World if they did not do a hundred thousand times more hurt by the Baits of Pleasure Lust and Honour and by Pride and love of Money and Sensuality than they do by Witches O! that they did not more dangerously Hant the Houses and Souls of Lords Knights Gentlemen and Lustful Youths Who can Conjure them out of Universities and Pulpits out of a Malignant Sclanderous Clergy and Laity out of Worldly self-seeking Carnal Men I have before told you of the Witch Magdalen Crucia who got the Reputation of a Saint by having the Sacramental Bread brought to her Mouth in the sight of all the People by an Invisible Carryer Bodin and many others Record the Story and how to get Pardon she went to the Pope himself and confessed how from twelve years old the Devil had lain with her thirty years and made her the Abbess of a Monastery I fear lest the visible Hand of some Priest do play this Devils part and give the Sacrament to such as more openly serve the Devil all the week and are forced to receive it to escape a jail or do it as a Sacrifice to expiate the guilt of an Ungodly Life If the Devil can get People perhaps Lords and Ladies to spend the Day their precious Hours in Cards and Dice and Feastings and Stage-plays and Masks and Musick and perhaps filthy Lust he will let you say your Prayers at Night and cry God Mercy and perhaps tell him that you Repent that you may Sin on the more boldly the next day And it 's like he will provide you a Ghostly Father as bad as your selves that shall give you the Sacrament as a sealed Pardon and pronounce you absolved and that as in the name of Christ. All these effects of Devils the World abounds with but the effects of Angels are observed but by very few Because even as the Sadduces think that all these Vices and Confusions are only the effects of Mens own pravity and not of Devils not knowing that all such Births have a Father and a Mother the Devil and Mens own Hearts so most good people look so much to God and to Ministers in all that is done on them that they take little notice of Angels that are Gods greater Ministers as if they had little to do with us By this 1. We give not to God the due Honour of the Order of his Works 2. We are guilty of Unrighteousness in denying their Due Love and Gratitude to such Noble Agents 3. We lose the Comfortable Remembrance of our own Communion with them 4. We lose some helps to a Heavenly Mind and Conversation when as it would make the thoughts
a Human Soul and Body And so that Christ hath three Natures a Divine a Superangelical and a Humane But of this oft elsewhere This opinion is reconciling as to the Artans who have affirmed Christ to be a Creature above Angels And if God made such a Creature methinks it should be easie to perswade them that he that is as the Center and more than a Soul maketh all the World to be One though of unlike parts doth primarily unite himself with the first and Noblest of his productions Objection But Scripture saith that Abraham called one of these Lord. Answer That Name both Adonai and Elohun are oft given to Creatures And if the Name of Iehovah be sometimes used as to Angels it is only meant to God speaking by them whom Abraham knew to be present though Invisible and to know all that was said Yet further it was an Angel that appeared to Mâ—ses in the burning the Bush and so that sent him on his work to deliver the Israelites from Egypt and Fortified him with power of Miracles and made him his great promises of Success And yet no doubt it was God and the Text is true that affirmeth both Therefore it must be God speaking and acting by the Ministry of an Angel Commissioned to use his Name It was Angels that gave Mâ—ses the Law in the Mount Sinai For so saith the Scripture But it was God by them who were his Voice and Finger that made and wrote the Tables and spake all the words these were all Great and Wonderful Ministrations God promised Moses that his Angels should go before the Israelites to conquer their Enemies and bring them into the promised Land And he chargeth them not to provoke him for Gods Name was upon him and he would not forgive their Iniquities What greater things could be said than that an Angel shall bear Gods Name and be their Captain and Conquer their Enemies and be their Governour and not forgive their wilful Sins In Ioshuahs War at Iericho an Angel appeareth and professeth himself the Captain of the Lords Hosts Josh. 5. 14 15. and Joshua fell on his face to the Earth and Worshipped him and prayed to him to tell him his Message If Angels be not the Generals or Captains of our Armies we are unlike to Conquer It was by an Angel that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt Numb 20. 16. It was an Angel that chose a Wife for Isaack Gen. 24. 7. 40. The Angel of Gods Presence saved the Israelites Isa. 63. 9. An Angel delivered the three Men Dan. 3. from the Fire and Daniel from the Lions Dan. 6. Angels Preached Christ to the Shepherds An Angel made the pool in Ierusalem healing Io. 5. 4. An Angel Preacheth to Cornelius An Angel delivereth Peter Act. 12. The Angel of the Lord Encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Ps. 34. 7. God giveth his Angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways They bear us up in their Hands lest we dash our Foot against a Stone Psal. 91. 11 12. Rev. 1. Tells us that God first Revealeth his Will to Christ and Christ to Angels and Angels to Iohn and Iohn to the Churches and the Churches to Posterity Yea Angels Ministred to Christ himself when he was hungry Mat. 4. 11. And appeared in his Agony strengthening him Luke 22. 43. Legions of Angels are at his Service And all the Holy Angels will come with him at Judgment and they will be the Reapers at the end of the World Above 260 times are Angels mentioned in Scripture and yet how little notice do we take of their help But is it only our Bodies that they help Can they reach or help our Souls Answ. If Devils can touch our Souls with their Temptations are Angels farther from us or less able to move us to our Duty But are they ordinarily present or know our Case Answ. They rejoice in our Conversion and therefore know it They are present in our Assemblies as Paul intimareth 1 Cor. 11. 10. Say not before the Angel that it was an Errour Eccl. 5. 6. which intimateth the Angels Presence Every Believer hath his Angel beholding the Face of our Father in Heaven Matth. 13 10 and they are not Strangers to their Charge We feel that the Devil is present with us by his Temptations continually in all our Duties molesting or hindering us And are Angels less intent upon their Work It is Michael and his Angels that fight against the Dragon and his Angels to save the Church While such Texts make the Papists think that Angels are always or ordinarily present if they give them not Divine Worship but such as we would do a Prince though I have said before why I approve not of their Doings I dare not as some late Expositors of the Revelation judge the Catholick Church to have become AntiChristian Idolaters as soon as they gave too much Worship to Angels and to Saints We are come to the New Ierusalem to the Innumerable Angels Heb. 12. and must honour them that fear the Lord Psal. 15. And we know that we are translated from Death to Life becauâ—e we love the Brethren And is it so damnable Idolatry to love and honour Angels and Saints a little too much while they give them nothing proper to God I blame their Irregularities but I dare not judge so hardly of them and the ancient Church for this as some do nor think them much better that love and honour Angels and Saints as much too little Some now would call a Man an Idolater that should say as Iacob Gen. 48. 16. The Angel which redeemed me from all Evil bless the Lads They say This Angel was Christ. Answ. Scripture saith it was an Angel Hos. 12 4. saith He had power over the Angel I dare not call God an Angel though Angels may be called Gods as Princes be If Christ had then no Nature but the Divine I should suspect it is Arianism to call him an Angel or Messenger of God If he had a Body then was it Ubiquitary Or had he infinite numbers of Bodies Or could he be but with one in the World at once For my part I have had many Deliverances so marvellous as convinceth me of the Ministry of Angels in them not here to be recited But I am satisfied that there is no less of the Presence and Efficacy of the Father Son and Holy Spirit when he useth and honoureth any Instruments Angels or Men than if he used no Means at all As I will not desire so to alter the stated Government and Order of God as to expect here visible Communion with Angels nor will offer them any unrequired Worship so I would not unthankfully forget how much we receive by them from Christ and how much we are beholden to them and to God and our Redeemer for them And I hope they will shortly be a Convoy to the Soul of this poor Lazarus to Abraham's Bosom or to the Paradise