!lDb;ccttons anfltJrretl. Re""erend "Brotber, I Received yours, and with it yonr append\x,aQd folllc iheets ofyour Book; and am glad you haveillullratcd, and t;toght men to improve the Doctrineof'[be Miniftra– ti011 of Ange!J. And I am forry that necellity forceth me to fail your expectation, and tell you that UIJaVC\ydahle avocations prohibitc me to gi·;e you thofeProofsofmy affertion which you dc!ire. In this haft I may ot1ly take notice of the flare of the cOil• trover!ie, and gi1•e you but a touch upon thofe Reafons that ocurr at prefent tor my opi· 11ion, and a word of the confcquencc and ufc. ,. I fuppofe I may lay tharnur Brethren are agreed with us in all th.efe followingPro– pofitions. 1• The objective extent of miniflry of Angels is to benefit of fouls and bodies; this you have proved, and they deny not. 2·. The Scripture more frequently mmtioneth their Miniftrations for the bodies, then immediatly for, or on the Iouis of men. 3· How they have acceffe untd the foul, or I'Obler faculties; whether Spirits intuitively behold Spirits, and immcdiatly operare on them, and converfe with them,as animated bodi<o.I.Jehold and operate on each or her; and wh~t meafure -of power An• gels have on fouls ; arc qudlions that we are all unwilling to determine, and take it to be our duty in modefly to proleffe our ignorance of, as of rhings unrevealed; however in fame rhi11gs we may humbly venture \tpon Come conjectures. And we all difclaim >nd naufeate the prclumptwn ot the School·men, that fili their writings with lo many confident affertious,and copious difputations,about uncertain or unprofitable points,con– ccrning the nature and miniliry 'ot Angels. Much more do we all deteli rh' prtfump-' tion, pride, and vanity of the ancient Hereticks,aud rhe Enthufialis,and Phanaticks of lactcr times, that prc.tend to a lpccial acquaintance with the orders, and operations of Angds beyond what is rcveakd, and glory in this as the excellency oftheir Religion, or feveral Seers+The Mi~illry of Angels is eminently and chiefly for the lilecr a11d Church, for aU tbi11gs ·are theirs. 5· Yet cloth their Minilhy extend to others; when mercies are to l>e <Onveyed to them, or God to havc [pecial honour by them : God bath not limi– ted this mini11ration to the EkCT,as he bath not limited mercy in the general to them: fuch common mercy as hevouchfafeth other3 he may fometime give them by the Mini– Jhy of Angds, efpccially when it tendeth to the benefit of the Church. 6· There is an extraordinary Miniftration of Allgtls in cafes of extraordinary revelations, v.itions, dreams, deliverane<s, prefcrvations, and ofother wonders, which all Chritlians'do ac– knowledge. 7· As <0 his proximity to the Object and effects, Gpd dorh all hitWI\rks lmmediatly, immediati6ne & -zrirtutiJ& }itppofiJi, he is intimior intimo noflru, nearer us than we are to our {elves: no creature imerpofeth b:tween his cffence and us, [o as IQ caufe or prove a dillonce; And if God make ufe ofmi!lioosol intlrumentsand means,. he is yet ncvcrthekfs the only prime cauf~ ; and dot has much ro it himfelf, as if he had ufed no intlrument all; there is no. more of God in an cffeCl: produced without means, than iu an effect produced by meam ; nor is there Jefs of G9d becaufe he maketh ufe of intlroments; bur it is certain that (though God in the fcnfe aforefaid cloth all immediatly) yet as immediate figniticth without any fecond caufe, fo he dothnot all im– mediatly. 8. It is therefore no diminution to the honour of God, that he ufeth the Miniflry ofAngels in the collation ofany of his favours to mankind: had it been a difho– nour to God toprodlfce any thi.g.out of himfelf, OJ to a/J Ly any thing, or to reve~l him– felf in any thing, he had nevermadetheworld, which helJlade to his g\orr.;and notto his difhonour; he hatb never rhe kfs, becaufe hegivetb; nor cloth ever the leffebimfelf, becaufe he ufeth his creatures in the work: it is his glory to be a communicative good. 9· We mufl be careful that we gi~e not to Angels or to any creature any pare ef the fer vice or honour proper to the Creator, though we acknowledge all that to be in them, and by themwhichis(oindced. to. We mt:(llnotdireCl:our]>rayersu8to Angels, as being uncertaiR when and how far they au prefent, and having no ordor for it from our common Lord ; a11d it being a thing that might cafily draw'us to Idolatry, which Angels are greater enemies to than we, abbhorringmore torob,their Maker. 1 1 • Jt is a dangerous arrogancie to effefr. a vifible Com!flunio.n wit};l Angels here on earth; or to defire ir as the highell attainment in Religipn ,, tq have_extraoi– _ dln~ry co~verlc wrih them;feeing our Communion.with God )lirpfelfthat is our happi• ncffe ; and that converfe with Angels is beli for us, which moll promofcth Oflr fruitioi>. of God, and .God knoweth beHer then we what tlw js' ;md therefore as he • · hath
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