The Deputation of Angels, Title page – Table of contents
THE DEPUTATION OF ANGELS, OR, The Angell-Guardian:
I. Proved by the Dim light of Nature, clear beames of Scriptures, and conſent of many Ancient and Modern Writers, untainted with Popery.
II. Cleared from many rubs and miſtakes; the Criticall queries of Antagoniſts examined, untyed.
III. Applyed and improved, for our information in many other Truths, conſolation in our Adverſities, and Reformation of our Lives.
Chiefly grounded on Acts 12.15. IT IS HIS ANGELL.
By ROBERT DINGLEY, M. A. and Miniſter of the Word at Brixton in the Iſle of Wight; formerly Fellow of Magdalen Celledge in Oxford.
Zanchy writing of this Subject, ſaith, Univerſa Eccleſia ſemper ſic ſenſit. Zanch. Tom. 3. cap. 15.
And Rivius thus, In eadem nunc ſententia perſto nec deduci inde me unquam patiar. Rivius de Praeſid. Angelico. l. p. 717.
London, Printed by T.R. for Edw. Dod, and are to be ſold at the Signe of the Gun in Ivie Lane, 1654.
To the Right Honourable Colonel SYDENHAM, A Member of the Councel of State, and Governor of the Iſle of Wight; AS ALSO To the Lord Commiſſioner LISLE, with the truly Honoured Colonell ROBERT HAMMOND, and Major BOWRMAN, Deputy Governor of the Iſle of WIGHT, The Author of this Treatiſe unfainedly wiſheth all Temporall and Eternall FELICITY.
May it pleaſe your Honours,
THE Lord having fixed my Meditations on the Doctrine of Angelicall Deputation, and now by his Providence calling them to the Light, that they may be weighed in the Ballance of this diſcerning Age; Your Honours may juſtly excuſe this my Dedication therof to your Peruſal & Protection: The Lord hath made you eminently active, and instrumentall in your ſeverall Capacities and Places for the Promotion of his Glory: Yee have been the faithfull Friends and vigilant Protectors of this Iſle, and ſo have been employed in Angelicall Services; Many Favours alſo yee have multiplyed on the unworthy Author of this poor Treatiſe. Go on, Right Honourable, to do worthily for Sion; to undermine Atheiſme, Profaneſs, and Hereſie, and whatſoever is contrary to ſound Doctrine and the power of Godlineſs, and the grand intereſt of CHRIST. Learning and Religion do begin once more to lift up their Heads; ſober and unbyaſs'd Chriſtians do bleſs GOD for the laſt great Change of Civil-adminiſtrations;Auguſt. de Civ. Dei lib. 1. Cap. 7. I may ſay of it what Austine ſpake of a particular Paſſage of Divine Providence, Quiſquis non videt, caecus; Quiſquis videt nec laudat, ingratus; Quiſquis laudanti reluctatur inſanus. By it an happy Period was ſet to very ſtrange Deſigns, our Liberties and Properties ſecured, the Ʋniverſities and faithfull Miniſters not a little encouraged; Peace concluded with the Nether-lands, and many Nations who ſcorned us before, do now apply themſelves by Agents and Ambaſſadors unto us; Nay, the Heavens alſo have Relented, and after a very long and growing Drought, have rained Corn, Milk, and Honey upon us; and who questions but now our Burdens and Taxes will be leſſened? and that by degrees, ſomthing will be done towards the building of the Temple; viz. The curbing of inſolent Hereticks and the ſetling of Doctrine and Diſcipline in the Church: So that we ſee it is never in vain to depend on God, who can bring Light out of Darkneſs, and ſaith to the proud Waves, Thus far and no farther! John Baptiſt the Voice was a breeding when Zachary was Dumb; Mans extremity is the Lords opportunity. Most men now are of his opinion, who ſaid, Parliaments, if frequent, are good Phyſick, if continuall, are bad food: They are Bona peritura, and like ſtanding Pools, they cannot keep long without Corruption, and an ill Cream of Selfiſhneſs and Faction. Experience alſo hath ſhewed, that the ſame perſons who contemn the Miniſtry and cannot indure ſound Doctrine, but heap unto themſelves Teachers after their own luſt; are alſo Deſpiſers of all Superiority and Government Politicall. But whither is my Cockboat floating? the whole Fabrick is little and deſpicable, the Poarch therefore may not be to great: The good Lord encourage your Hearts and ſtrengthen your Hands, that yee may be Patrons of Virtue and Patterns of Piety. So wiſhes and prayes,
Your Honours very humble Servant in the Lord, ROBERT DINGLEY. From my Study in Brixton, Iune 1654.
TO THE Ingenuous Reader.
TWas the high Glory of Tullies Speeches,Nieremberg. Hiſt. Nat. lib. 1. cap. 19. Nihil addi poſſe; And of Demoſthenes Orations, Nihil demi poſſe: Yet doubtles imperfections were found in both; and I ſuppoſe this is only Applicable to the Word and Works of God, which are ſo perfect that nothing may be added or diminiſhed; Though Momus thought to mend the Bull by putting Horns on his ſhoulders, and Alphonſus King of Arragon that he could correct the Heavenly Orbs.
As for this poor Treatiſe, be pleaſed to take notice that I walk in untrodden places where little hath been ſaid before me; Thou art here therfore to expect but a very rude and imperfect Draught of Angels Deputation, if I handle it not Prout Dignum rei, but prout datum mihi (as Bernard in another caſe) Let the Reader conſider he hath liberty to add what is materially omitted, and may lawfully expunge what is needleſly inſerted, or will not ſuit with the Analogy of Faith. Puer aliquando elegantioris formae charactares exarat quam adultus, ſi peritus ſcriba ducat manum: And tis eaſy for any one to write in the beaten road of common places, where every Author doth overflow, and is ready to guide the hand of him that writeth. I here preſent thee with a ſecret vein of Gold, which hath coſt me ſome digging; And let my abſence from publick Libraries be conſidered: I acknowledge this Doctrine is not commonly received by Proteſtants, who (I humbly conceive) might reject it chiefly in oppoſition to the Sea of Rome, Ariſtot. Ethie, lib. 1. Sen. de Ira. lib. 3. cap. 41. Drexel. de Rect. Intent. lib. 2.wherin ſuch a multitude of Monſters do ſwim: But Ariſtotles Apothegme will not ſoon be forgotten; Amicus Socrates, Amicus Plato, ſed magis Amica veritas: Nor that other of Seneca; Nihil opinionis cauſâ, omnia Conſcientiae faciam. A man will take the Fly out of his Glaſs, before he drink the Wine; And we have here rejected the Popiſh additions to this truth. Howſoever others may interpret my Deſign, I appeal to God, that I intend not to gratifie Romaniſts, or derogate from Calvin and other Learned Proteſtants. Recta intentio eſt illa Midae virgula, quae quicquid tangit inaurat. If a mans conſcience be clear Chriſtall without duſt or ſpot, Nec laudes curat nec vituperia, It is no matter though hoarſe Ravens make a noiſe, though Dogs ſnarl, and Serpents hiſſe, if the Nightingall of a good conſcience and ſincere intention, ſing and warble ſweetly in the Boſom: Ingens Solatium eſt, Praecipuè Horâ quae de Annis omnibus fert Sententiam. And ſo Reader, the Door is open, Peruſe and then Cenſure:
I am Thine, in the Lord, and ſervice of thy Faith, ROBERT DINGLEY.
Reader,
THe Author of this Work is a good man, and it ſhould ſeem by this labour of his, that he aimes to be much better, to be as holy as Angels, which is a bleſſed Ambition. Angels never (as Devils) appeared in the form of Beasts, Dogs, Cats, Rats, &c. When they appeared as men, twas with ſome ſparkling Glimpſes of their own Glory; To teach that Man ſhould ſtrive to aſcend to the Glory of Angels, and not to abaſe himſelf by a bruitiſh behaviour. Angels can work no Miracles. Pars Naturae non ſuperat Naturam. Angels cannot convert men, but they can and do joy at this Thing; And being ſuch Well-willers to our greateſt good, ſhould be beloved of us: Twas Christ, the Angel of the Covenant, that ſtirred thoſe Waters of Betheſda, and cured ſo many by them; And therfore whilſt thou readeſt and admireſt Angels, take heed thou doſt not paſs by this Angel, who will come ſuddenly with his innumerable Train, to gather men from the four Winds, and to range and fix their ſtate for Eternity. There is both Learning and Sobriety in this Authors Endeavours, worthy of a far better friend to the Bride, then is,
Thine unworthy Servant in the Goſpel, N. LOCKYER.
The Authors quoted in this Treatiſe.
CLem: Alexandrinus:
Bp: Andrews.
Tho: Aquinas.
Ariſtotle.
Atetius.
Auguſtine.
Paul Bain.
Baſil.
Baxter.
Bernard.
Beza.
Bolton.
Dr. Boys.
Brentius.
Brightman.
Brinſley.
Bucan.
Martyn Bucer.
Bullinger.
Ant: Burgeſſe.
Calvin.
Camerarius.
Chemnitius.
Dr. Cheynell.
Chryſoſtom.
M.T. Cicero.
Corbet.
Daille.
Damaſcen.
Danaeus.
Bp: Davenant.
Mart. Day.
Diodati.
Doway Tranſl.
Drexelius.
Euſebius.
Dr. Featly.
Fuller
Gerhard.
Dr. Goodwyn.
Dr. Gouge.
Greenham.
Greenhill.
Gregory Nyſſen.
Gregory Nazianzen.
Hugo Grotius.
Bp. Hall.
Dr. Hammond.
Hierom.
Hienſius.
Hilderſham.
Hez: Holland.
Hugo Cardinalis.
Joſephus.
Iſidore.
Lactantius.
Diogen. Laertius.
Lawrence.
A Lapide.
Edw: Leigh.
Lightfoot.
Pet. Lombard.
Mart: Luther.
Magirus:
Marlorat.
Pet. Martyr.
Mede.
Melanchton.
Menander.
Mendoza.
Mornaeus.
Muſculus.
Nierembergius.
Oates on Jude.
Origen.
Pareus.
Stephanus Paris.
Perkins.
Pierius.
Piſcator.
Plutarch.
Dr. Prideaux.
Rivius.
Roberts.
Salkeld.
John Reynolds.
Salmeron.
Secundus.
Seneca.
Joſ: Shute.
Dr. Sibbs.
Sleidan.
R. Stock.
Suarez.
Tacianus.
Corn: Tacitus.
Tertullian.
Theatre of Gods Judgments.
Theodoret.
Theophylact.
John Trap.
Vegetius:
Ludocius Vives:
Voſſius:
Weems:
Wendeline:
Dr: Whittaker:
Dr: Willet:
Wilſon:
Zanchy.
The Contents of this Treatiſe.
A Generall ſurvey of the whole Story of Peters impriſonment and eſcape
1. The Coherence opened, and three Points raiſed therfrom; viz.
1. Whileſt the Saints have been praying for a Mercy, God hath cast it in.
2. Deliverance may be ſo wonderfull as to paſs our beliefe or expectation. 3. Angels have aſſumed the ſhape of men.
2. The Text it ſelf, IT IS HIS ANGEL.
Four quickning conſiderations to heed it.
The ſeverall expoſitions of the Text.
The Theſis laid down and explained.
Three Preparatory Conceſſions; viz.
1. Many Myſteries about Angels.
2. We abhor the Worſhiping of Angels.
3. When we ſay one Angel chiefly attends an elect perſon, we ſuppoſe this is done in an ordinary way.
The Point, that every Elect hath his Guardian-angel is proved three wayes.
1. By the dim light of Nature, where it is ſhewed, 1. That what the light of Nature teacheth in Religion, is well to be heeded. 2. That it hath held forth this.
2. By the clear beams of Scripture, chiefly three, all Objections anſwered.
3. By the joynt conſent of many Orthodox, Pious, and Learned Wrighters.
A digreſſion of Novelty in opinions.
Twelve Queſtions or Objections of ſuch as cannot well digest our Truth, examined, untyed.
1. Ʋſe of confutation of four Popiſh additions to this Truth.
2. Ʋſe of information in many particulars; as, 1. The vaſt number of Angels. 2. The goodneſs of our gratious God. 3. That tis very probable Communities have their Angels. 4. And perhaps every Reprobate, one evill Angel.
3d. Ʋſe of Admonition to many duties. viz.
1. To baniſh all ſlaviſh and baſe Fears.
2. Deſpiſe not the pooreſt and meaneſt Saint.
3. Make ſure of Chriſt, the Head of Angels.
4. Chiefly admire and truſt in God that made them.
5. Grieve not your Guardian-Angels.
6. Imitate the Angels, as in other things, ſo chiefly in this, by Guarding and Regarding the people of God and the houſhold of faith. 1. In generall this ſpeaks to all men.
2. More eſpecially to Magiſtrates and Miniſters.
1. To Magiſtrates, whoſe Office and duty it is to guard the Saints, and provide for their peace and ſafety. A neceſſary Digreſſion, that Hereticks muſt not by them be guarded in ſowing Tares; where yet ſomwhat is pleaded for the poor Jews.
2. To Miniſters the Shepheards and Overſeers of the Lords Flock; They ſhould watch over their particular Congregations committed unto their care, and be like unto Angels in twelve things.
4th. Ʋſe of Rich conſolation to the Saints, both in life and death.