PR 0 LEG 0 M EN A. Sea:. J. Of the Occalions of them, lA ''""'""'"onofAngelJ i1 a point botb Scriptural and Pra/Jical : that atbingiJ, HO Chrijlian tlOttbtJ tbat ever l y t beard of; only the manner of minij!rati01t may fiem ftrangetothem who are HOt throughly acg:tainttd with tbe fubjcD. I perceive by wlw batb been told me ~y apreciotu Friend, tbat fuel, ai have latelydifcuft of AngtlJ, ha'ZIC met with tht ce1t]Urcof tHore curUus conjellure,. th•n of evidence i11 their difcourfi , reafon not reaching " the SubjeGI, and S<ripture not fPeoking diftin/Jly of it. I deny 1101 but fome may have met with tiMt cenfure i1t rcjpc{] of fome Con– 94 trovtrfiCJ the depwatiOit ofAnge!I ; yet in other things not controverted, I verily be• lievc(not,.,ithftandingall wljuru )theyhave brought truth~·bed. It i1 in my mind what nPeter Matryrfai tb, that toenquire of the Angel! accurately and fobtilly iJ, magisad curiofttatem 1.Pet. Mart. no!\ram, quam ad falutem, a>td he wifheth that School·mC>t in their k._notty, thorny, ~laff.r. L.•;· 1 11nd unprofitable difcoMfeJ had obfervcd thin and yet he co~tf•!Jcth, it ii profitable for om.c. 12 ' 2 "' to ~""' lm >' tbe A11gelJ are d•Jiinod to our minijlry, fvr thereby we underfta~td God1 geodlt(fi toward! '" , and ther.efore of ·~~s (faith be) the Script_ure is not _filent. Ye:• of ·this ([•ith 11 Mufculus) the S7np.ture IS very full. Yea the Scnpture ( fattb 11 Calvm ) . fi•ndeth mort upon .th rt, whiChma~es moll to our comfort, and confirmation offaith UMu[cul., •a 10 wit, that the Angds are ditlributers and adminitlrators of Gods bouncy towards U~~\J.j,)i;;;l.r us, and therefore the Scnpture reCiteth, that they watch for our fafecy, Pfa1·9I·ll• ,, 14.p.~. Pfal. 34• 7. Gm. •6· 9, &c. H•wfoever, I approve well of t(Je caution, and it waJ tberefore my refolmiolt tohave altmdmy method, •nd every S•Jlion, where thedifficulty lay,Fir}f, tohave d: liveredmy OIP!l 1entJ > Sec011dly, tohav' b•ck.!d th.sm with [ucb AmhorJ aJ are mofl Urthodox; Thirdly, to bave proved tbcm by Scriptum; Fourthly, to bave given ;,, ExptrifiiCei· But the prefi having receiving my e•pm, went on too fa,1 for me, and ]o.ai preveioled, h•fore I wai aware. A111l;:et I fee. not bm t!Je tping ii done, thougb not fo diftin{/ly in themetl" d at I badpurpofed; if any th111g be wa>:ting, it ii mly tlu citation of {t<eh AurborJ at I moft build upon, and of _tbofe Tex~I of Scrip~ure which they fo n~- me>·oufly circ. lfhall now thertfore lay t;befo~ndatmt, on wb:ch Imak.gzt my wor/;_tofuperjlruf.l, and thii ( jitb I cannot d, it othmvije ) I fhall fin upon the front or 1orch of the following fabric~ tbat all the work._ th;t foliowJ may Jcem lejf ]!range, and become more edifying "the inte!ligwt reader. · Sect. ::.. Ofthe fayi!)gs and proofs of Dr. VJJer, Bi(Mp of Armagh. LE.•JI any thing I write m>y be tbought novel, I appeal unto othcrJ both godly and Orthodox DivineJ. And jir{t let ut be;r wbat 11 01te of our IYorthiu (if not m oft 11 B. 7/(htrlo• worthy) bath [aid of th' Jtveral kJ~tdsofAn}!.eJ.Miniflc4ti1n, The Offices which Angel> dy o!Diriniry. perform toward> mw, are either in this life, or in the life to come. In this life the good Offices which the Angtl, perform towards the godly, ar~ either as intlruinents to bellow on them goOJi things, or to keep them from evil things; the good things partly concern the body, and partly the Soul; for the body, ,. They are u[ed as inf\ruments to bellow thin!\s for the prefcrvation of it, and to bring necdfary htlp• to men in theif diftrdfe, as toElia! and Hagar. 2• They are·appointcd ofGod to be as aguard an.i ~arrifon unto his children to comfort and defend them w>lking in their lawful callings, Pfal. H· 7· and 9 ,, ''· 3• They give an happy flrccelfe to them in the good things they go about, Gen. 24. 7· ~o. v. 4• 1 hey arc appoint- (d as watchmen over the Saints, that by their prcfcnce theymight keep their l:iodies · ll1
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