Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 13
PRINCIPLES CONCERNING GOOD AND EVILL SPIRITS. XIII.
CONCERNING THE CREATION OF AL things in generall, we hauehave alreadie ſpoken: now it followeth, that we deale of the thinges created in particular, and firſt of ſpirituall ſubſtaunces, as beeing the Creatures, that draw neereſt vntounto the nature of God.
1 SPirits then are ſubſtances, created of nothing without bodies, and inviſible; yet finite in regard of the proprietie of their nature; good indeed, but ſo, as they wer created by God, of a changeable goodnes. Of this ſort, are thoſe which we call Angels, and the ſoules of men.
2 All Angels were at the firſt created good, and endued with an vnderſtanding of moſt ſurpaſsing excellencie; and being of nature moſt ſimple next vntounto God; they were al at once created in the beginning, & not to take encreaſe by any propagation.
3 The name of Angels, is attributed to thoſe Spirits, to declare their office; namelie, that they are, as it were, the meſſengers and officers of God; eſpeciallie thoſe of them, that continued in the truth: of whom we will ſpeake in the firſt place.
4 The names of thoſe, doe partlie ſhewe the excellencie of their nature, as when they are called, SERAPHIM and CHERVBIM, and partlie declare, the dignitie of their ſeruice wherevnto they are ſent; of which ſort, are the names of MICHAEL, GABRIEL, RAPHAEL, ſpoken of in the Scriptures.
The like names of Angels, mencioned in the bookes of CABALISTS and PAGANS, wee holde to bee counterfeit.
5 And as for the diſputation cōcerning their degrees, that of all other things is moſt vaine, and ſo is the queſtion concerning the time of their creation: ſeeing that the lord hath not opened this miſterie vntounto vsus.
6 Of theſe Angells, ſome thorough Gods grace, hauehave continued in the truth, that is, in that bleſſed and permanent ſtate wherein they were created, attending as diligent ſeruants vponupon God, that they might be readie, to execute his commandements, both for the furthering of the ſaluation of the Saints, & alſo for the execution of the juſt judgments of God.
7 In the performing of theſe commaundements, they hauehave often times appeared trulie viſible, and palpable, by taking vponupon them the ſhape of a man, or ſome other form, being for a ſet time, clad with true bodies, to bring to pas bodily actions: It being the will of God, that they ſhould thus far frame themſelues vntounto the capacitie of men. But whence they tooke theſe bodies, and whether they faſhioned them vntounto themſelues, with all ſuch like points as are laied vp onelyonly in the ſecret counſell of God; we hold it vnlawfull for vsus to ſearch.
8 Now the reſt of the Angels, the number whereof, are alſo exceedinglie manie, wilfullie and willinglie changing themſelues, and departing from the truth, hee being their guide and Captaine, as it were, who is peculiarlie named Sathan, (that is, the aduerſarie of God) and the Deuill, are by the juſt judgemēt of God, of thoſe that were moſt good become moſt euil; but not bereaued of vnderſtanding and judgement: Wherefore alſo they are called by a Greeke name, foreign or foreign, that is, endued with knoweledge. And for this their ſinne, they are juſtly adjudged by the Lord, vntounto aeternall torment, without any hope of merciemercy.
9 And although, theſe wicked Angels, do with all their might, reſiſt God; yet are they wholie ſubject vntounto his gouernement and power; the Lord vſing their wickednes and malice; partly, to chaſtice his owne, and partlie, to execute his judgementes againſt the enemies of his name; in ſuch ſort, as hee turneth their wicked endeuours, and purpoſes, vntounto the cleane contrarie part, euen vntounto the ſaluation of his children, and to his own glory.
The Lord then in ſuch ſort, doth vſe them, as inſtruments (though euill) that are at his commaundement, but ſo, as they can neuer be properly called the ſeruants of God, becauſe their worke is alwaies euil; although he bringeth his good worke to paſſe by their meanes.
10 Theſe, as alſo their Prince, who from the beginning was a murtherer, as far as in them lieth, doe deſire the deſtruction of men both bodie and ſoule.
11 Their operations alſo are wonderfull, when God giueth them power to hurt: In ſo much, that after a ſort, they may ſeeme to worke miracles.
12 But if we cal thoſe miracles, which are done againſt all order of nature, the Deuils can worke no ſuch: no, nor yet anie of the good Angels; Becauſe, this is onlie the proper power of God, which can in no wiſe be communicated with any Creature. The miracles therefore, which ſeeme to be wrought by Deuils, are either meere deluſions, or els, wrought by the ſecret operation of nature, (which is better known vntounto them, being euill Spirits, then to any men) and therefore, they hauehave but the ſhew of miracles.
13 Theſe euill Angels alſo, ſeeme to foretell thinges to come: in which reſpecte, they hauehave long ſince, bewitched men, and depraued the true worſhip of God, as farre as in them lay. But to ſpeake properlie; they cannot foretel any thing to come, becauſe, this alſo is the peculiar worke of God onelyonly.
14 Nowe, howe they are able to worke in the hearts of men, and to ſturre vp their thoughts, that is; whether they alwaies do the ſame, by the meanes of ſome thing laied before man, or without anie object, wee thinke it to be a curious queſtion, and it may be ſuch, as men cannot diſſolue. But our part is, that wee bee very carefull to enarme our ſelues againſt theſe temptations, with all our might, by continuall praiers.
15 But we affirme out of the word of God, that the deuils are diſperſed through all parts of the worlde, both aboue and beneath, doing all the euill they can, euen vntill, that Sathan and his Angels, togeather with all curſed reprobates be caſt into hel, there to be tormented with eternall fire.
We doe therefore condemne the MANICHAES, and the PRISCILLIANISTS, who defended that the Diuels were euill by nature, and created ſuch at the firſt, by a certaine euill God: the SADVCES alſo, who together with that HERMES TRESMEGISTVS vtterly denied that there were anie angels: And ORIGEN likewiſe, who with PLATO affirmed, that thoſe ſpirituall minds, as often as they offended, were fallen and thruſt into bodies: APELLES the heretick alſo, who ſaid, that the bodies which the Angels tooke vponupon them, were neuer created: and LACTANTIVS FIRMIANVS, who dreamed that Angels were not preſentlie at the beginning of the world, appointed to guide and protect man: In ſumme, wee condemne all thoſe, who either make them coaeternall with God, or attribute vntounto them, the worke of the Creation, as did SIMON MAGVS, CERINTHVS, SATVRNINIVS, and CARPOCRATES.
Defended by IOHN IAMES COLER of Tigurine.