the one and onely uncreated and the Angels are created Spirits Substantiae spirituales as Tertullian also calleth them whatever he thought of their incorporeity Here brieâ—ly we must examine what a Spirit is and then what kind of Spirits Angels are SECT I. Spirits Not to search into the different significations of the word Spirit as it is sometimes taken we mean by it here according to the most proper and known acceptation and use of it which is the best rule of speech An incorporeal or bodyless Being endued with understanding will and active power And whatever incompossibility jargon or non-sense some haughty scorners have talked of in the Notion of an immaterial or incorporâ—al substance as if the words flatly contradicted and destroyed each other and were such as however men put together they could never have the conception of any thing answerable to them those who have inured their minds to a more sober thoughtfulness and skill the difference between intellect and imagination find it as clear and distinct and no whit more intricate perplexed or difficult than that which the ablest Philosophers can give us of a Body The immediate Attributes or intrinsick Properties of the one being as plainly and easily intelligible as of the other and naked Essences we have no knowledge of Essence or Being is the common Term under which all things are represented to our minds and we distinguish them only by their proper and peculiar adjuncts or attributes and from thence divide them into their respective Classes of Substances and Accidents entia per se per aliud material and immaterial corporeal or incorporeal res extensa res cogitans or whatever else it is that others chuse to describe them by for I list not here to enter upon that Controversie Theodoret in his Dialogues hath enough to serve my turn Q. What are the properties of the Soul or Spirit A. To be endued with Reason simple immortal invisible Q. What is proper to the Body A. To be compounded visible mortal Spirit stands opposed to Body We read when the Disciples were affrighted supposing they had seen a Spirit Iesus said unto them Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have In the same Phrase as Homer speaks of the Souls of the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to a like purpose the Platonist The Natures of Demons are not flesh nor bone nor blood nor any thing else that is corruptible and capable of dissolution or liquefaction It is remarkably explained in the Nazaren's Gospel cited by Ignatius and Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bodyless Demon or Spirit without a body And accordingly Dr. Hammond here paraphraseth it Ye doubt or suspect me to be a Spirit without a body It is very I body and soul together But lest any should here object that in some Manuscripts the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which also we find elsewhere S. Matth. 14.26 and S. Mark 6.49 a spectrum or apparition though I conceive that supposeth our Doctrine of Spirits they may please to note farther how the Apostle S. Paul contra-distinguisheth these two Flesh and Blood on the one side and Spirits on the other For we wrestle not against flesh and blood saith he but against spiritual wickednesses or wicked Spirits as the Syriac there hath it A Spirit is a Being which we cannot touch with our hands or see with our eyes as we do Bodies which is not the object of our external senses nor can be pointed at with the finger or pictured out to us in its proper nature there being nothing like it in the whole visible world of Bodies and nothing so near of kin to give us any sensible resemblance of it as the wind or animal Spirits are whose force and power we feel but yet cannot behold either of them Whence probably anima and animus were derived from the old Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the most positive best and easiest conception we can frame of a Spirit is certainly by reflecting upon our own Souls For the Soul of man is also a Spirit The Spirit of man within him opposed to his body of Flesh. And they are strangely out who take the measures of man by his outward appearance and Carcase only Solomon speaks of man's dissolution with reference also to his original Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God that gave it Agreeable to which are those excellent Verses of Phâ—cylides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Our Spirit is the Gift and Image of God For we have our Body out of the Earth and as to that part all of us being dissolved into the same become dust again but then Heaven receiveth our Spirit again which came from thence The words of Lucretius do fitly enough express as much provided onely that we construe them in a Diviner sense than he intended Cedit item retrò de terrâ quod fuit ante In terras quod missum est ex aetheris oris Id rursùm coeli rellatum Templa receptant When our B. Saviour had cried out on the Cross Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit He gave up the Ghost saith the Text that is emisit Spiritum he sent forth his Spirit and Ghost is the most proper word for a separated or departed Spirit Accordingly we read of the Spirits of just men made perfect Now the Spirit or Soul within us is the principle of all our thoughts and knowledge of all our will and choice of all our Life and motion These then are the proper attributes of a Spirit Understanding Will and Vital motion or self-activity and power of moving other things And this notion we shall find applicable both to God and Angels When we speak of God we must think of nothing material 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither dimensions nor colour nor figure nor any other bodily passion We may indeed define him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the most conspicuous Beauty but not a beautiful Body He is a Spirit and the Spirit of Man his imperfect image And by so affirming we not onely exclude him from the number of visible sensible and Corporeal Beings whose Understanding and Knowledge is infinite who wills and nills chuseth and refuseth according to that infinite Understanding and Knowledge who hath Life in himself and acts according to his will and choice a Being of most soveraign wisedom goodness and power Such is the Idea of the most excellent Spirit Thus Anaxagoras defined him Infinitam mentem quae per scipsam moveatur and thus he is described by Cicero Mens soluta libera segregata ab omni concretione mortali omnia
time they were made is somewhat dubious and uncertain That it was within the six dayes is concluded I think generally because in them as the Scripture saith God finished all his works and after rested upon the seventh creating no new Species of Beings Certain it is also that it was before the making of Man and some conceive before the visible Creation too the Apostasie of a great part of them preceding Man's fall in Paradise which they contrived Others place it upon the First days Creation when the highest Heavens are supposed to have been made with the Primogenial Light and with them these heavenly Inhabitants and Children of Light and this is conjectured the rather from that of Iob where the Morning Stars are said to have Sang together and the Sons of God to have shouted for joy at the laying of the foundations of the Earth which cannot be understood of the fixed Stars in the Firmament for they were created after the Foundations of the Earth were laid upon the fourth day but of the Angels who are call'd as was said before the Sons of God and resembled here to Morning Stars for their brightness and glory in such a metaphorical or borrowed sense as Christ is also call'd the bright morning Star The LXX indeed varies a little from our Reading but then for the Sons of God puts expresly the word Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Stars were made all my Angels praised me with a loud voice which the Latin follows and therefore Saint Augustin infers upon it jam ergò erant Angeli quando facta sunt sidera That the Angels were certainly in being before them God most probably first made these Spirits and then bodily Beings and then after united both together in Man who is a complex of Spirit and Body according to that of the Lateran Council Deum ab initio temporis utramque ex nihilo condidisse creaturam Angelicam mundanam deinde humanam quasi communem ex Spiritu corpore constantem wherewith agrees the saying of Damascen That being not content with the contemplation of himself alone he made the Angels the World and Men to participate of his goodness and bounty and it was but meet as he argues out of Greg. Nazianz that the intellectual substance should first be created and then the sensible To which I will only annex that excellent passage of Seneca quoted by Lactantius out of his Exhortations Deus cum prima fundamenta molis pulcherrimae jaceret ut omnia sub ducibus suis irent quamvis ipse per totum se corpus intenderat tamen ministros Regni sui Deos genuit When God laid the first Foundation of this most beautiful Fabrique the World that all things might go under their respective Guides although he were every-where himself present yet he made the Gods i. e. Angels as Ministers of his Kingdom Moses it is confess'd in the History of the Creation takes not express notice of them by name Only they are thought by some included in Fiat Lux Gen. 1.3 Let there be Light So Saint Augustin who refers the Division too made there between the Light and Darkness Exodus 4. to the difference between the holy and impure Angels that is Angels of Light and Darkness But by others rather in that of Ch. 2.1 Thus the heavens and the Earth were finished and all the hosts of them And in like manner the Psalmist hath it By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth Now the Angels are elsewhere stiled The host of Heaveâ— 1 Kings 22.19 or Heavenly host Saint Luke 2.13 and the Rabbies call the upper Heavens The World of Angels the World of Souls and the Spiritual World SECT III. Intellectual and Free Powerful Agile and Immortal Now what kind of Spirits the Angels are I will shew farther in these four particulars I. That they are intellectual Spirits endued with understanding and Free-will and of a vast knowledge II. Of great power and might III. Of extraordinary speed and agility IV. Immortal and such as cannot Die Of each of which succinctly First That they are intellectual Spirits call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Plato and Plotinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Psellus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by others and therefore also stiled intelligentiae endued with Understanding and Free-will being the off-spring of God as hath been said already and after his Divine Image in a more perfect manner and degree than we Men are An undoubted proof and evidence of their Intellectual Being and Freedom of Will or Choice together we have in the Law given them by God And that there was a Law prescribed them is undeniable in that we read of some of them that sinned and by so doing fell from their first estate and place of happiness of which I may have occasion possibly to speak further afterwards Now sin is evermore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the transgression of a Law and where there is no Law there câ—â— be no transgression And God is said not to have spared the Angels that sinned Both sin and punishment therefore suppose them Intellectual and Free-Agents none but such can take cognizance of a Law and none but such deserve a severe punishment as Iustin Martyr tells us giving an account of the most righteous doom both of Men and Angels from the liberty of Will wherewith God hath furnished them Again they are God's Messengers and Ministers by whom he gave his Laws to the Israelites of old and revealed many things to his Prophets as shall be declared in another place which argues them sufficiently to be as they are termed Intelligences that is understanding and spontaneous Beings And certain it is Their intellectuals are much beyond the most improved of humane kind ' According to the degree of immateriality say the Schools is the degree of knowledge They have both a more excellent quickness and subtlety of natural understanding and a greater improvement made of it This seems intimated in the first Temptation Gen. 3.5 Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil The Chaldee there saith as Princes and Ionathan's Paraphrase as Angels And our blessed Saviour as I before suggested plainly supposeth a greater measure of knowledge in them than in Men when he saith Of that time knoweth no man no not the Angels Saint Matth. 24.36 And according to the wisdom of an Angel is a Standard of the highest elevation 2 Sam. 14.20 The Ancients call'd them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. from their knowledge Hence the Author of Hesiod's Allegories calls Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h. e. maximae sapientiae virum and Plutarch in his Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calls Plato by the same name whom others stiled Divine quasi quendam Philosophorum Deum Cicero 2. de nat
sentiens movens In like manner Angels are Spirits that is living and understanding Beings capable in a more eminent way and manner than our Souls are by reason of their bodily cloggs and impediments of Knowledge Will and Action The Soul separated from the Body is the clearest representation we can have of a Spirit or Angel Whence Bellarmin saith very well that an Angel is Anima perfecta a perfect or compleat Soul and the Soul is Angelus imperfectus an imperfect and incompleat Angel Onely the Soul of Man perhaps hath that intrinsic habitude and inclination unto Body which the Angels have not The Soul saith Dr. More consider'd as invested immediately with that tenuious matter which is her inward vehicle hath very little more difference from the aerial Genii or Angels than a Man in prison from one that is free or a sword in the scabbard from one out of it or a Man that is clothed from one that is naked A Soul is but a Genius in the Body and a Genius a Soul out of the Body Thales Pythagoras Plato and the Stoicks call these Beings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 souly Substances if I may so speak and the Peripatetick School generally Formas abstractas separatas so that we may pertinently enough stile them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most sacred Choire of bodiless Souls or Ghosts S. Chrysostom I am sure frequently names them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodiless Powers Hereunto well agrees the distribution which Apuleius gives us of Daemons or Genii viz. such as were sometime in an humane body and such as were always free from the bonds of Bodies And so Plutarch in the person of Ammonius the Philosopher makes two sorts of them Souls separated from Bodies or such as never dwelt in Bodies at all Of the former sort he makes 1. The Soul of man etiam nunc in corpore situs even now in the body Whence some conceived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dici quorum daemon bonus i.e. animus virtute perfectus est And so M. Antoninus often calls the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 2. s. 13. l. 5. s. 27. c. and so others also speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h.e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas ex innominato 2. The humane Soul emeritis stipendiis vitae corpore suo abjurans dismiss'd and parted from its Body by death whom the ancient Latines as he saith call'd Lemures Lares Larras and Manes To which purpose also Max. Tyrius tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diss. XXVII The Soul laying down or putting off its Body becomes forthwith of a Man a Daemon And such as these also as Plutarch notes they called Heroes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De placit But then for the latter sort he adds There is yet a more excellent and noble kind of Demons than these two specified qui semper à corporis compedibus nexibus liberi which were alwaies exempt from the fetters and ties of Body and of this sort and number saith he Plato supposeth every man to have a select witness and keeper And these he desines to be Genere animalia ingenio rationabilia animo passiva corpore aerea tempore aeterna A Definition I shall not stay to examine Saint Augustine sufâ—iciently exagitates and quarrels with it and especially for ascribing to them those passions which arise in us from folly or misery with whom Fulgentius consents in the same particular But I have offered enough to explain the notion of a Spirit and so of Angels from a reflection upon our own Souls which was the thing I aimed at They pass 't is true sometimes in Scripture by the name of men Thrâ—e men appeared to Abraham Gen. 18. So at our blessed Saviour's Sepulchre Behold two men in shining Garments Saint Luk. 24. Ovid hath it of Iupiter himself Et deus humanâ lustro sub imagine terras And Homer whom Apuleius in his Apology calls omnis vetustatis certissimum Authorem relates of these lesser Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is That in the habit of divers Pilgrims they perambulate Towns and Cities and take inspection of the good and evil doings of men Which calls to my mind that of the Apostle Hebr. 13.2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares But this was only say some because they assumed the likeness of men In specie virorum apparebant And so the Devil saith Drusius is call'd Samuel whose form he appeared in and he quotes it for one of Saint Augustine's Canons Specie's rerum appellantur de nominibus ipsarum rerum The appearances of things are call'd by the names of things themselves And whereas we read of the Angels eating Gen. 19.3 the Hierusalem Thargum hath it videbantur ac si ederent ac biberent And they seemed or appeared as if they eat and drank And so the Angel said to Tobit's Son and Daughter All these daies I did appear to you but I did neither eat nor drink but you did see a Vision Sed ità vobis videbatur as the Latin renders it Saint Augustin indeed glosseth on it Not that he imposed on the eyes of Tobias and others but that he did not eat in the same manner as they did or thought him to eat to wit out of a necessity of receiving nourishment or bodily refreshment But Theodoret having proved the verity of our blessed Saviour's Body from his feeding on Butter and Honey his Mother's Milk and other meat and drink agreeable thereunto starts this Objection of Abraham's Guests the Angels and answers it to this effect If any one shall out of folly urge the nourishment that was in Abraham's Tent let him know that he speaketh foolishly For those things seemed to be done but were consumed in another manner which he best knows that consumed them But if any one should also foolishly grant that the incorporeal nature was partaker of these Kates yet he can never find hunger or thirst there I need not explain the contents of this censure 'T is undeniable that we find many things in Sacred Writ spoken of Angels which border upon Body But then we must know it was the property of the Jews Language as a learned Man observes indeed of all other to give denomination to things unseen from analogical and borrowed expressions of things visible And here we may remember the saying of Saint Augustin concerning them Locutiones humanae etiam in eos usurpantur propter quandam operum similitudinem non propter affectionum infirmitatem They are sometimes clad in the dress of our passions as God himself is to shew forth a likeness of working but not of infirmity As also the admonition of Saint Chrysostom that when we hear
of the Seraphim and Cherubim turning away their Eyes and covering their Faces with their Wings we should not think that they have Eyes and Faces for this saith he is the Figure of Bodies but that the Prophet doth hereby signifie to us their knowledg and vertue But after all whether these Spirits the Angels may not yet for a time really assume a Body and make use of it or whether they have not also some corporeal Vehicles of their own wherein they reside of a more refined nature and substance than any elementary matter we converse with such as Epicurus calls his quasi corpus I shall not dispute so it be granted me that they themselves differ from them as the Soul from it's Body or the Inhabitant from the House he lodgeth in The supposition I confess of Vehicles doth most facilitate the account of their determinate locality motion and appearances and converse yea and the corporeal punishment expresly allotted in holy Scripture to some of their number in the infernal flames And it cannot be denied but that several of the Fathers have reputed them after a manner corporeal but then it was chiefly comparativè in respect of God who is the most simple and absolute Spirit Invisibilia illa quaecunque sunt habent apud Deum suum corpus suam formam Tertul. adversus Praxeam s. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damascen Comparatione Dei corpora sunt nostri spiritus Gregor 1. Tom. 1. moral in Job l. 2. c. 2. quam distinctionem secutus est Beda alii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazianz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serm 2. Vide Zanch. de operib Dei part 1. l. 2. c. 3. Otho-Casman Angelograph part 1. c. 3. And to this opinion the second Nicene Council under Constantine and Irene inclines allowing God only to be perfectly incorporeal but none of the creatures so ex toto though the Angels are there confess'd to be not so grosly clothed as we verùm tenui corpore praeditos aereo â—ive igneo and their chief reason is quod taliter circumscribuntur sicut anima quae carne clauditur whereas God is infinite and unbounded But yet many of that Council consented not thus much as Carranza notes being of the belief Angelos omninò esse incorporeos whom they of the Lateran Council seem to have followed And so the Jewish Rabbies conceived of them too as Creatures that have form without matter or body Most certain it is that they are a sort of Beings above humane Souls in their greatest perfection and yet we have sufficient evidence that this lower rank of Spirits within us are immaterial and incorporeal even from their known and familiar operations abstracting and self-reflecting thoughts simple apprehensions of notions Universal Mathematical Logical Moral and remote from sense inferences and deductions from them compared and compounded in propositions syllogisms c. which I shall not here enlarge further upon Lucretius himself who asserts the Soul to be corporeal is yet forced to invent a fourth substance besides the wind and heat and air which he cannot find a name for and therefore calls nominis expertem and which is as he saith anima quasi animae the Soul of the Soul As Aristotle was constrained to excogitate a fifth essence nomine vacantem out of which the Soul was made distinct from the four Elements Cicero 1. Tuscul. In a word needs must the Angels even considered with their Vehiclâ—s whatever they are be of another nature from those bodily â—ubstances we are acquainted with when we read of a Legion of them together in one man and a Legion as Hesychius computes it is 6666. SECT II. Created That they were created by God is evident from that place of the Apostle to the Colossians By him were all things created that are in Heaven and in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him where as Theodoret well notes passing over things visible he more distinctly and particularly mentions the Orders of Things invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers And to a like purpose Theophylact. And from that of the Psalmist who when he had call'd upon the Angels by name to praise God as well as the Sun and Moon and Stars and Heavens adds this reason concerning them all in common as Saint Augustin rightly observes For he commanded and they were created he hath also established them for ever So also Iustin Martyr in expos Fidei de rectâ confess p. 372 373. Who also observes that when the Apostle had mentioned Rom. 8.38 Angels Principalities Powers c. he adds to make up the list complete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor any other creature thereby sufficiently intimating the Creation of all these id p. 375. And accordingly as Theodoret further adds we have them named first in the Benedicite or song of the three Children among the Works of the Lord which are to bless praise him and magnifie him for ever From hence also they are call'd Sons of God in holy Scripture agreeably to which Hierocles stiles the Heroes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Max. Tyrius gives this as a Law or Maxim universally acknowledged throughout all the World That there is one God the King and Father of all and that the many Gods are the Children and Off-spring of this one God Therefore is he named by the Apostle the Father of Spirits viz. in a more peculiar manner than of other Beings they partaking most of his Image and likeness So Iupiter too among the Heathen Poets is often paraphrased by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divûm Pater atque hominum Rex Sator Deorum And the Angels in Apollo's Oracle own themselves derived from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This their production by God is the foundation of their natural necessary and perpetual subjection to him dependance on him and being imploy'd by and under him with reference to which also some apply that of Saint Paul to Timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King of the AEon's or Angels And if so we may expound Hebr. 1.2 too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom also he made the AEons But I am rather of Theodoret's mind that the word doth not import so much aliquam subsistentem substantiam any distinct sort of Beings as distantiam quae tempus significat Time or Age and 't is used in Scripture comprehensively for quicquid in saeculis unquam extitit the whole world Hebr. 11.3 omnia quae facta sunt in tempore as Primasius hath it all things that were made in time To be sure that famous stile of Dominus Deus exercituum Lord God of Sabaoth or of Hosts hath a more special reference unto these Beings than to the Hebrew trained Bands as a late Author applies it But now at what
produce objects capable of the continual communications thereof and that we might be surrounded with variety of particulars by piece-meals to take notice of and honour him whom we cannot at once and altogether conceive aright of Natura homines humo excitatos celsos erectos constituit ut Deorum cognitionem coelum intuentes capere possint sunt enim ex terrâ homines non ut incola habitatores sed quasi spectatores superarum rerum atque coelestium quarum spectaculum ad nullum aliud genus animantium pertinet ut Balbus â—pud Ciceronem 2. de Nat. Deorum Quod Ovidius pulchrè docet 1. Met. Pronaque cum spectent animalia caetera terram Os homini sublime dedit coelumque tueri Iussit erectos ad sidera tollere vultus But now whereas other Creatures are his Works and so retain some impressions of their Author the Angels are his most lively Images that nearest of all resemble him and therefore we who ought as hath been said to glorifie him in and for all his works are the more unpardonable if we observe or admire him not in these which make the nearest approach unto his Divinity and read unto us the clearest notions of his Excellencies and Perfections Bellarmine hath intituled the best of his Writings being most satisfactory to himself and useful to others De Ascensione mentis ad Deum per scalas rerum creatarum that is Of the Mind's ascent to God by the Ladder of the Creatures A Iacob's Ladder and the ninth step he takes ex consideratione Angelorum from the contemplation of Angels These indeed are every-where ascending and descending in that Ladder Well may we cry out O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the Earth Thou hast set thy Glory above the Heavens There are the greatest expressions of it viz. in this glorious Host of Heaven He telleth the number of these Stars and calleth them all by their name Great is our Lord and of great power his understanding is infinite Ps. 147.5 6. Thus the Levites taught the Children of Israel to glorifie God Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever and blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise Thou even thou art Lord alone Thou hast made Heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their Hosts the Earth and all things that are therein Nehem. 9.5 6. And the Prophet Isaiah in like manner calls upon them Lift up your Eyes on high and behold who hath created these things that bringeth out their Host by number He calleth them all by their names by the greatness of his might for that he is strong in power not one faileth Isa. 40.26 In the spiritual nature knowledg power goodness holiness immortality and glory of Angels we have competent relief towards the improving our Meditations about that infinite and eternal all-knowing all-mighty and transcendently holy and glorious Spirit who is the Father of them And it is obvious for every one to infer If these Beings are so excellent above us as hath been declared then how much more perfect and complete is that God who made them and all things else Before whom the whole World is but As a little grain of the balance yea as the drop of the morning-dew that falleth upon the Earth as the Wise-man speaks Wisd. 11.22 and to a like purpose the Prophet Isa. 40.15 Of whom therefore I cannot speak more fitly than in the excellent words of Novatian the Roman Presbyter in his Catholic Book of the Trinity The mind is too little to think and all â—loquence justly dumb in the uttering of his Majesty For he is greater than our mind and it cannot be conceived how great he is Whatever we think or speak is far below him We may indeed in some sort with silence muse upon him but cannot sufficiently explain him For whatsoever we say sheweth rather some creature or excellency of his than himself What can we speak or think worthily enough of him who is beyond all our speech and sense Vnless perhaps by this one way we â—nderstand in our mind so far as we are able what â—od is if we conceive he is that which for excellency and greatness can never be understood fully by us or enter into our thoughts to comprehend For as the bodily ey-sight is weakened by poring on the Sun so that we cannot fixedly behold his bright Orb overcome with the lustre of his radiant beams so the more intense our mind is in viewing God the more darkned it becomes in its thoughts about him For what can one say worthily of him who is more sublime â—nd hiâ—h than all sublimity and height more profound than all profundity more lucid bright and splendid than all light brightness and splendor more strong and powerful than all strength and power more beautiful than all beauty truer than all truth greater than all Majesty or greatness richer than all riches wiser and more prudent than all wisdom and prudence juster than all justice better than all goodâ—ess and more merciful than all mercy For all sorts of vertues must of necessity be less than the God and Parent of all vertues and in a word it may be truly said he is that which nothing can be compared unto above and beyond all we can say of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Max. Tyr. Diss. 1. The knowing Angels who better understand his perfections than we Mortals do yet Cover their faces with their wings before him Isa. 6. Nempe sicut homines solem conâ—ra tueri non audent ità Angeli Deum Grot in Loc. as not able to look upon the brightness of his Majesty and for an expression of their reverence towards him and if any upon Earth presume to make more bold with him 't is wholly from their ignorance In velata facie reverentiam tantae Majestatis cogitâ— Fovâ—rius For as Saint Chrysostom speaks upon this very occasion having mention'd the admiration and reverence of the Angels towards God by reason of their more excellent wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The extension and increase of knowledg will advance proportionably our fear and reverence To conclude this Inference learn we from hence to admire and fear and love God exceedingly To admire him whose Creatures are so admirable and whom the most knowing of his Creatures do most admire To fear him who hath such powerful Hosts at his commandâ— and to love him who is yet so good as to make all things even Angels themselves to serve us SECT VII Why and how the Ministry of Angels is to be obliged by us In the last place let us do what we can to oblige and secure the Ministry of Angels to our selves which is as hath been declared so many ways and upon so many accounts beneficial And here I need not offer any thing new by way of motive or inducement when 't is our apparent Interest so to do that
temperato imbre qui deciderat q. d. ex massâ quadam terrae madefactâ as Vatablus hath it but the Soul ignis de Caelo a fire or spark taken from Heaven And agreeable to this first Production of Man is the description which Solomon gives us of his dissolution Eccles. 12.7 whereof I have spoken in the foregoing Treatise comparing it with Phocylides and Lucretius Ch. 11. § 1. from whence we learn saith Drusius how far this wise-man was from their Heresie who think that the Soul of man is mortal and doth unà cum corpore interire perish with the body A Note I shall have occasion to make farther use of by and by And Elihu in the Book of Iob phraseth man's dissolution much like Solomon If he i. e. God gather unto himself his spirit and breath all flâ—sh shall perish togethâ—r and man shall turn again to his dust But enough of this digression I proceed to our Author's second Reason 2 saith he because I find Solomon the wisest man making this Question Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the Earth Eccles. 3.21 How well now doth this second Reason hit and accord with the first There he told us from Iunius and Tremellius the plain distinction between the spirit of man and the souls of other Animals as a more Divine Being and here he starts forthwith upon it a sceptical doubt or question out of Ecclesiastes that seems plainly to confound both together And he sets it off too with the commendation of Solomon's Eximious Wisdom as if he had given us in it the inward sense of his own wisely-searching mind We had need of good assurance of our Authors right belief in this matter to construe his meaning in this alâ—edgment It were seasonable here to immind him of his own saying in another case It is a very froward and perverse way of arguing to make one place of Scripture to clash with another And to bring into his memory one of his Rules for the interpretation of H. Scripture That there be a due comparing of the Antecâ—dents and Consequents in the Context that the purpose scope theme arguments disposition and method may be perfectly and maturely considered otherwise by the slighting or omitting any one of these partiâ—ular points the whole place may be mistaken and an errour easily fallen into Turpe est doctori According to this good Rule therefore I will endeavour an Explication of this Text of Solomon's which the Friends of Atheism Epicuâ—ism and Profaneness are fond enough of and our Author it seems leaves them to chew the Cud upon The entire period runs thus I said in my heart concerning the state of the sons of men that God might manifest them and that they might see that they themselves are beasts For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth the beasts even one thing befalleth them As the one dieth so dieth the other yea they have all one breath so that a man hath no preheminence above a beast for all is vanity All go unto one place All are of-the dust and all turn to dust again Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the Earth These words now at the reading of them may be thought by some to herd Man absolutely as a Fellow-commoner among the Beasts But if we duly consider them together with the Context and the several constructions which they admit of otherwise we shall be able to satisfie our selves and others to the contrary The wise Solomon in the Verses immediately precedent to this discourse rationally infers a future Judgment of God from the irregularities and disorders apparent in Humane Judicatories Vers. 16 17. I saw under the Sun the place of Iudgment that wickedness was there and the place of Righteousness that iniquity was there I said in my heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work Now what can be more directly cross and destructive to this Pious Inference of a Judgment to come which shall rectifie and set streight the enormities of Earâ—hly Tribunals than an Opinion that Men are as the Beasts and so are not accountable for what they do or end their accounts with this present life and therefore need not at all trouble themselves with the fore-thoughts and fears because they are not in a capacity of being call'd to a future reckoning What I say can be more contradictory to his Religious scope and purpose than this Some other sense then we must of necessity fix upon Iunius and Tremellius whom I the rather mention for our Author's sake tell us that the Wise Man having before express'd a true account and judgment upon those oppressions confusions and disorders which he had observed under the Sun doth here subjoyn judicium ex sensu carnis profectum another-guise sentence or opinion arising from Carnal Sense And this whole period say they is Narratio carnalis disceptationis ac judicii a Declaration of Carnal Reason only in the case Thus therefore they read the words Dixeramego cum animo meo secundum rationem humanam I said with my heart according to humane reasoning thus and thus And then of the 21 Vers. particularly they add Ironica confutatio quâ utitur caro adversus piam doctrinam de differentiâ inter animas eventu ex morte It is an Ironical or Mockconfutaton which the Flesh useth against the pious Doctrine of the difference between Souls and that which follows upon death q. d. I hear I know not what whisper'd of the substance of Man's Soul that it is heavenly and that it goes to Heaven at death And on the other side that the soul of beasts is a certain Earthy faculty so adhering unto body that iâ— cannot be separated without it's own destruction But who I wonder hath seen the one or other either or both of these It is a more certain course therefore to pass a judgment of both from those common facts and events which are before our eyes Thus far they And this also is the perswasion of Munster that these things are here spoken secundum stultam opinionem pecuinorum hominum according to the foolish opinion of bruitish men who conceit that the whole Man doth perish by death as other Animals and therefore repute it the chiefest happiness to increase themselves in all voluptuousness while they live seeking their portion in this life only To which purpose also it follows immediately by way of inference Vers. 22. Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoyce in his own works for that is his portion for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him As the Apostle reasons in behalf of a future state 1 Cor. 15.30 32. Why stand we in jeopardy every hour c. Let us