Aphorismes of Christian religion: or, a verie compendious abridgement of M. I. Calvins Institutions set forth in short sentences methodically by M. I. Piscator: and now Englished according to the authors third and last edition, by H. Holland.

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Title: Aphorismes of Christian religion: or, a verie compendious abridgement of M. I. Calvins Institutions set forth in short sentences methodically by M. I. Piscator: and now Englished according to the authors third and last edition, by H. Holland.
Author: Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.
Publication: At London :: Imprinted by Richard Field and Robert Dexter, and are to be sold in Pauls Churchyard, at the signe of the Brasen serpent,; 1596.
Rights/Permissions: This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
Subject terms: Christianity -- Early works to 1800.; Theology, Doctrinal -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item: http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A17599.0001.001
Cite this Item: "Aphorismes of Christian religion: or, a verie compendious abridgement of M. I. Calvins Institutions set forth in short sentences methodically by M. I. Piscator: and now Englished according to the authors third and last edition, by H. Holland." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A17599.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 2, 2024.

Pages

CHAP. IIII. Of the Angels. (Book 4)

I. APHORISME.

THe Angels are a 1.1 spirituall b 1.2 creatures, which c 1.3 minister vnto God the creator.

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II.

Of the Angels, some are good, some are euill.

III.

The good Angels are they which haue stoode and continued in their perfection, wherein they were created, and haue re∣ceiued their a 1.4 confirmatiō: & therfore are euer ready b 1.5 to glorifie God in all obedi∣ence: for which cause they did appeare in certaine winged pictures (which are cal∣led c 1.6 Cherubins and d 1.7 Seraphins) formed like men to the people e 1.8 of Israell, and to the Prophets f 1.9 Esay & g 1.10 Ezechiell, to signi∣fie their chearefulnesse and readinesse for the execution of Gods decrees.

IIII.

The Lord vseth their ministerie & ser∣uice, both to make relation of his will vn∣to a 1.11 men, specially the b 1.12 godly, (and hence it is they haue their name): & to gouerne c 1.13 the world, in asmuch as they d 1.14 protect the faithfull against all daungerous euents, the snares also and assaults of their ene∣mies, (which are euill men and Angels,)

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punishing e 1.15 the wicked, and f 1.16 chastening ••e godly: and for this cause are they cal∣••d g 1.17 thrones, dominions, principalities, ••owers and might.

V.

The good Angels are exceeding many, but the number is not expressed in Scrip∣ture.

VI.

When the good Angels were to deli∣••r any message from God vnto mē, they ••peared in the likenesse of a 1.18 young men, ••y beautifull in sight, and sometimes ••ning with some excellent brightnesse. ••omtimes they haue appeared in firie bo∣••es, either like men, as in the vision of Esay in the Temple:b 1.19 or like horses and harrets, as in the translation or transpor∣••tion c 1.20 of Elias, and in the protection of Elizeus d 1.21 against the Syrians. They ••ue also appeared somtimes when men ••aue seene them with their eyes e 1.22 waking: ••nd sometimes to men in their f 1.23 sleepe: and sometimes also when men watched, ••ut yet ouertaken with some great g 1.24 asto∣nishment

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of minde. The first kind of these apparitions is called in Scripture 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, h 1.25 a vision: the 2. and 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a i 1.26 sight. But yet other whiles the k 1.27 one is taken for the other.

VII.

And albeit the good Angels be verie excellent both for maiestie and a 1.28 glory, yet it is great wickednesse to b 1.29 worship them, because they are creatures, and our felow-seruants.

VIII.

The vse of this doctrine is; that in dan∣gers we aske of God the protection of the holy Angels: and that we be assured, that they shalbe ready at hād for our good ac∣cording to Gods a 1.30 promise.

IX.

So farre of the good Angels. The euill Angels are they which by their contuma∣cie and disobedience against God, haue a 1.31 fallen from that blessed state or perfectiō wherein they were created: and so become euill: euer since maliciously inclined to hurt both the glory of God and the salua∣tion of men.

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X.

They be called in Scripture, euill a 1.32 spi∣rites, b 1.33 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, horrible, or terrible, because when they appeared, their very sight did strike some terror in them which saw thē. And c 1.34 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, destroyers, because they intend nothing more then the destruction of mē. And these names are found in the old Te∣stament. And in the new,d 1.35 they are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because of their knowledge to dis∣couer things secret: and vncleane e 1.36 spirits, ••ecause they prouoke men vnto all kinde of filthinesse and vncleanesse, being mixt with such vnclean mē to commit abhomi∣••ations. They are also called f 1.37 principali∣••ities, powers, princes of the world, the gouernors of the darknesse of this world, ••pirituall wickednesses, or euill spirites, because they worke mightely in the re∣probate.

XI.

The euill Angels also are verie a 1.38 many, but the Scripture speaketh not of any cer∣taine number.

XII.

Their prince is called in Hebrue a 1.39 Sa∣than,

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that is, an aduersarie, because he is the very enemie of God & his children: & b 1.40 Beelzebub, or c 1.41 Bahal-zebub, that is, the master or prince of flies, either because in Ekron in times past, that idoll droue away flies, or had the forme of a flie. In Greeke his name is d 1.42 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a deuill, that is, a slan∣derer, because he falsly accuseth and char∣geth God & his children for their wordes and for their workes:e 1.43 and f 1.44 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; that is a wicked one, for that he euer goeth about mali••iously to disturbe the faithfull: and g 1.45 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Tempter, because he temp∣teth Gods people, indeuouring to bring them to sinne and so to destruction. He is also called theh 1.46 prince of the world, & that great i 1.47 Dragon, and the old Serpent. The rest are called his k 1.48 Angels.

XIII.

And albeit Sathan and his Angels bād themselues against God and his children, & that the deuill oppose himselfe as much as he can in will & desire: yet can he not ef∣fect any thing, to hurt the faithfull, or a∣gainst the will of God. For the Lordes power curbeth him, and keepeth him so

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safe bounde that he executeth onely such things as are a 1.49 giuen him of God in cōmis∣sion. Neither doth the Lord permit Sa∣than or his Angels to destroy b 1.50 his elect, but onely to exercise c 1.51 them with tempta∣tions.

XIIII.

The vse of this doctrine of wicked spi∣rites is, that we may be more watchfull, to auoide their snares and practises: and that we may prouide our selues of such ar∣mour as may be strong & of good proofe, to beare so many and so strong enemies: and principally that knowing our owne ignoraunce and weakenesse, we may cry vnto God for strength, and for protection against all their illusions & assaultes: & as for weapons to fight with the deuill, they are without vs, as Gods promises & pre∣ceptes, or within vs, as faith and prayer, & obedience to Gods word.

Notes

a 1.1

Psal. 104.4.

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b 1.2

Heb. 1.7. & last Eph. 6.12. Heb. 1.7. Coloss. 1.16.

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c 1.3

Heb. 1. v. last 1. K. 22.20. &c

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a 1.4

Math. 18.10. & 22.30.

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b 1.5

Psal. 103.20.21.

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c 1.6

Exod. 25.18. &c. 1. king 6.23. and 29.

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d 1.7

Es. 6.2.

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e 1.8

Exo. 25.18

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f 1.9

Es. 6.

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g 1.10

Ezech. 1.

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a 1.11

Num. 22.32.33.

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b 1.12

Gen. 19.13 Iudg. 13.3.4.5. Dan. 8.16.9.21. Luke. 1.13, & 26. c. 2.10. Math. 1.20. c. 2.13. & 19.20. c. 28.5. Act. 1.10. Reuel. 1.1.

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c 1.13

Col. 1.16. Ephe. 1.22.

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d 1.14

Psal. 34.8.91.11. Gene. 14.19. & 16. c. 32.1. 1. King. 19.5.2. King. 6.17. &c. 19.35. Dan, 3.25. & 6.23.

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e 1.15

Gen. 19 2. King. 19.35. Act. 12.23.

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f 1.16

2. Sam. 25.15.16.

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g 1.17

Ephe. 1.21. Col. 1.16.

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a 1.18

Gen. 18.2. and 4. c. 19. 2. Heb. 13.2. Iudg. 13.6. &c. Mar. 16.5 Luke. 24.4. Act. 1.10.

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b 1.19

Esay. 6. Ezech. 1.

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c 1.20

2. King 2.2.

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d 1.21

2. King 6.

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e 1.22

Gen. 18. & 19. Luk. 1.11. and 28.

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f 1.23

Math. 1.20

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g 1.24

Reu. 1.10.

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h 1.25

Luke. 1.22 & 24.23. Act. 26.19.

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i 1.26

Act. 10.17 19. & 11.5. &. c. 16 9.

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k 1.27

Math. 17.9 Act. 10.3.

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a 1.28

Math. 28.3. Act. 1.10. Dan. 10.5. & 6.

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b 1.29

Reu. 19.10. &. c. 22.8. & 9 Col. 2.18. Iud. 13.16.

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a 1.30

Psal. 34 8. & 91.11.12.

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a 1.31

Iohn. 8.44. Iude. 6. 1. Pet. 2.4.

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a 1.32

1. Sam. 16.15. &c.

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b 1.33

Leuit. 17.7

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c 1.34

Deut. 32.17.

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d 1.35

Math. 9.34 &c. 1. Cor. 10.20. 1. Tim. 4.1. Iames. 2 19. Reuel. 9 20.

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e 1.36

Math. 10.1

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f 1.37

Ephe. 6.12.

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a 1.38

Luke. 8.30.

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a 1.39

Iob. 1.6. &c. 2. Zach. 3.1 Luk. 10.1••. & often in the N. Testamēt.

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b 1.40

Mat. 12.24.

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c 1.41

2 King 1.2

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d 1.42

Mat. 25 4.1 Iohn 8.44. 1. Iohn 3.8.

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e 1.43

Iob. 1.9.

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f 1.44

Math. 6 13 Ephe. 6.19. 1. Iohn 3.12.

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g 1.45

Math. 4.3. 1. Thess 3.5.

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h 1.46

Ioh. 12 31. &c. 14.30. & 16.11.

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i 1.47

Reu. 12.9.2

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k 1.48

Mat 25 41 ••. Cor. 1.7.

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a 1.49

1. Kin. 22.20 &c. Iob. 1.6. and 2.1. Math. 8.31. and 32.

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b 1.50

Mat. 24.24 Luke. 22.31.32. Io. 10.28.29.33. Ro. 8.35. &c.

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c 1.51

Math. 4.1. &c. Ephe. 6.12. &c.

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