Discoveries of the better and more benign Genii. Yea, 'tis not unlikely, that those warnings that the World sometimes hath of approaching Judgments and Calamities by Prodigies, and sundry odd Phænomena, are the kind Informations of some of the Inhabitants of the upper World. Thus was Jerusalem forewarned before its Sacking by Antiochus, by those Airy Horsemen that were seen through all the City, for almost 40 Days together, 2 Mac. v. 2, 3. and the other Prodigious Portends that foreran its Destruction by Titus, which I mention because they are notorious Instances. And tho' for mine own part, I scorn the ordinary Tales of Prodigies, which proceed from superstitious Fears, and unacquaintance with Nature, and have been used to bad purposes by the Zealous and the Ignorant; yet I think that the Arguments that are brought by a late very Ingenious Author, to conclude against such Warnings and Predictions in the whole kind, are short and inconsequent, and built upon too narrow Hypothesis. For if it be supposed, that there is a sort of Spirits over us, and about us, who can give a probable guess at the more remarkable futurities, I know not why it may not be conjectur'd, that the kindness they have for us, and the appetite of foretelling strange things, and the putting the World upon expectation, which we find is very grateful to our own Natures, may not incline them also to give us some general notice of those uncommon Events which they fore-see. And I yet perceive no reason we have to fancy, that whatever is done in this kind, must needs be either immediately from Heaven, or from the Angels, by extraordinary Commission and Appointment. But it seems to me not unreasonable to believe, that those officious Spirits that oversee our Affairs, perceiving some mighty and sad Alterations at hand, in which their Charge is much concerned, cannot chuse by reason of their Affection to us, but give us some seasonable Hints of those approaching Calamities; to which also their Natural desire to foretel strange things to come, may contribute to incline them, and by this Hypothesis, the fairest probabilities, and strongest ratiocinations against Prodigies may be made unserviceable. But this only by the way.
