The World Bewitched, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. That ſome of the Heathen Opinions upon this ſubject, have in proceſs of time, crept in amongſt the Chriſtians.
Sect. 1. WE muſt not wonder that great, part of the Doctrines above mentioned, have not yet been baniſhed by the light of the Goſpel. For what Man naturally conceives, is not always darkneſs, neither is the illumination which the Holy writ affords to the underſtanding, always efficacious; ſo that a Chriſtian, often better knows what he ought to know, then he does what he ought to do. This plainly appears, in that Man is readier to ſearch after the Truth by his reaſon, than to put it in practice by his Virtue. The cauſe of it is, that our natural curioſity that has contributed to the fall of our firſt Parents, has been ſince increaſed and ſtrengthned by the effect of the fall it ſelf; and that it drives us on ſo much the more to deſire to know much, as our underſtanding is become leſs capable of true conceptions. But the corruption of Man allows him not to make ſuch Progreſſe. And therefore we muſt imagine, that whatever is practiced amongſt ſuch or ſuch People, eſpecially as to Religion, always and only proceeds from their belief and Doctrine. This will quickly be known to us, if we take the trouble of conſidering Chriſtianity, ſuch as it formerly was, and ſtill is at this preſent.
Sect. 2. I ſhall name ancient Chriſtianity the ſix firſt Centuries before the Pope and Mahomet aroſe: However, I ſhall not conſider it as it was eſtabliſh'd by our Lord and his Apoſtles, which will be done more conveniently hereafter, but with relation to the ſucceſſion of times: In the mean while a careful diſtinction muſt be made between the Opinions of the Church, or of the Chief Doctors of her Communion, and the Errors of thoſe ſhe has condemn'd. We muſt afterwards take notice of what certainty may be had both of the Practices and particular Senſe of thoſe that have been branded for Hereticks. For we pretend not to impute to Chriſtians what has been rejected by the generality of them, nor to charge the Hereticks with whatever is ſaid of their Errours. Now, one may, methinks, take for Opinions generally received in the Church, thoſe that have been taught by their Chief Doctors without being contradicted by the others, as far as it appears by any Writing, though they muſt not for that be taken for Articles of Faith. And likewiſe, though the Hereticks ſhould have been charged, as to the Doctrine, with ſome Opinions they owned not, yet 'tis not conceiveable that they ſhould have been falſly accuſed of Acts of Magick, the poſſibility of which they did not ſo much as believe. After that Obſervation let's ſee what the moſt famous Chriſtians of the Primitive times have believed, as to Spirits and their Operations, and at the ſame time what they relate of other Sects and People.
Sect. 3. Following ſtill the ſame Order, I ſhall firſt ſpeak of the Angels, and then of the Souls ſeparated from their Bodies. I ſhall paſs by the firſt Century, in which the Apoſtles lived, becauſe in my ſecond Book I take their Writings for the Rule of Faith, and for the Fountain whence Truth muſt be drawn. But we muſt examine thoſe that have followed them from Age to Age, and ſee what was their Opinion upon thoſe two Points, without preſuming it was grounded upon Rule, or Eccleſiaſtical Aſſemblies, which appears not. And though thoſe two Points are of the higheſt conſequence, yet every one had ſtill liberty to expreſs his particular Opinions. However, for other Opinions of leſs conſequence, and I durſt almoſt ſay of nothing, Men have been dealt with as Hereticks, and the whole Chriſtian World muſt be call'd together to come to a concluſion. And therefore I ſhall only make uſe here of ſuch Explications of the chief Doctors, as I have read my ſelf, which I ſhall endeavour to tranſlate faithfully, and word for word, as much as poſſible.
Sect. 4. We ſhall firſt hear in the ſecond Age, Tatian, Clement, and Juſtin, concerning the Nature of Angels. Tatian indeed aſcribes not a groſs material Being to the Angels, and yet he ſeems to attribute to them ſome Corporeal Being. Here are his own Words that ſeem very ſtrange. All Demons are ſo as that indeed they have nothing Carnal, but their Compoſition is Spiritual, and as a Fire and Light. The Nature of their Bodies can however be penetrated by none but ſuch as are endued with the Spirit of God. What he adds afterwards is more Conſonant to Reaſon, That the Demons are not the Souls of Men. He believes not however that Souls are ſimple Natures, but that they are compoſed of parts foreign becauſe he believes they cannot be conceived as Corporeal, without having a Body, and that the material part cannot riſe without the Soul. Several Doctors of that time ſpeak very near the Words, tho' they explain not themſelves ſo openly, ſo that they muſt not be look'd upon as very far from that Opinion, as will more plainly appear, when we mention the fall of the Angels.
Sect. 5. Clemens Alexandrinus in his 6th Book of Miſcellanies, ſhows, that he holds the Angels for the Inſpectors of Men, and thoſe that inſpire Wiſdom into them, that each Country, and perhaps each Man, has his own. A little after he ſays, foreign. God has diſtributed amongſt Angels the Inſpection and Care of each City and Nation. He ſays alſo, foreign. The Divine Power diſtributes good by the means of Angels, whether they be viſible or inviſible. Juſtin favours that ſupppoſed viſibility of the Angels, or at leaſt he tolerates it, ſince he aſſerts in his 4th Apology, That God entruſted the Angels with the Conduct of the other human Affairs under the Heavens, ſome of whom fell off, becauſe of their Converſation with Women, from which iſſued the Demons foreign, pag. mihi 44. St. Athanaſius, who was of the ſame mind, explains thoſe two things more at large in his Ambaſſy. As to the firſt, he ſays, That God created the Angels to take care of the Affairs of Men that are under their direction, ſo that God takes indeed a gen…ral view of all things, but as to the particular Inſpection, he has left it to the Angels conſtituted over them. As to the ſecond, he ſpeaks the ſame Language with the others, that the love of Women made ſome Angels fall into Apoſtaſie, whence proceeded a ſort of Demons.
Sect. 6. Juſtin that enters more into particulars, as to what concerns Demons, declares that he knows none that has that Divine Power of preſerving, and rewarding ſuch as obey him; and therefore, that he knows none likewiſe that has the power to avenge himſelf upon the Diſobedient and Rebels. This he teaches in his 42th Queſtion, having ſaid before in the 40th, That a Wicked Spirit that has been once expell'd cannot torment him any more whom he had before poſſeſs'd. In the aforeſaid 42th Queſtion, he ſays, That when a poſſeſs'd ſeems to break his Bands and Fetters, it is the Demon that does it who has that ſtrength himſelf, but cannot communicate it to the Body of any Man. This is very particular, and it will be fit to call it to mind again in another place, wherefore I deſire the Reader to obſerve and remember it.
Sect. 7. Irenaeus explains himſelf but obſcurely concerning the State of Souls after this Life, when he ſays, at the end of his Book, That they go to an inviſible place God has prepared for them. But Juſtin in his ſecond Apology, pag. mihi 58. explaining himſelf more at large, goes alſo more out of the common road; for he affirms, that the Souls of the Dead have ſome power over the living, ſaying, That Men being ſeized and caſt down by the Souls of the deceaſed, are ordinary call'd poſſeſt and furious. It muſt be obſerv'd here, that having ſpoken immediately before of human Souls ſeparated from their Bodies, foreign, though the Latin Interpreter has uſed two different Words, viz. firſt Animae, the Souls, and then Manes, the Ghoſts. Mention i… …ade of the latter in his ſecond Chapter of this Book, S. 14. But in my Opinion, the ſame word cannot be taken in two different Senſes at the end of one period, and the beginning of the following. He muſt therefore aſcribe to the Soul of the deceaſed, of whom he undoubtedly ſpeaks in his firſt period, all the Operations upon the living, which the Heathens uſed to attribute to other Spirits call'd Demons, for he there ſpeaks of the Heathens.
Sect. 8. Origen, who lived in the third Age, had ſtrange Notions concerning the Angels; ſometimes he gives them a Nature but equal to that of Men: For Writing of the Light, which St. John in his firſt Chapter, ſays to be our Saviour, he ſeems to believe that it was equally communicated to Man and Angels, as may be ſeen more at large in his third Volume on St. John. But in another place he makes ſo great a diſtinction betwixt Angels and Men, that going from the firſt of Creatures endued with Reaſon, to the laſt, he puts the Angels as betwixt God and Men: For he teaches, on 1 Sam. 28. that the firſt Creatures are thoſe which the Holy Writ names Gods; The ſecond, thoſe that we call'd Thrones; and the third, thoſe that bear the name of Principalities. Afterwards he calls in Queſtion, Whether Man is the laſt of rational Creatures, or whether ſuch Creatures as dwell upon Earth, amongſt which he ranks all the Demons, or at leaſt part of them, are inferiour to Men? that's his Opinion in his firſt Vol. St. John.
Sect. 9. He again intimates elſewhere, that as Men who have had the fear of God in this life become Angels after their Death, as 'tis read in St. Matth, 22.30. though there it is not properly, they become Angels, but they ſhall be like Angels: So that the preſent Angels might formerly have been Men: Moreover, he imagines that Angels and Men may diſpute which are more perfect, eſtabliſting betwixt the Nature of thoſe two Subjects, the ſame difference which our Saviour puts between the firſt and the laſt, St. Matth. 19.30. and ch. 20.16. he aſcribes to Angels, not only the Subregency of the World, in his tenth Homil. upon Jeremiah, and conſtitutes, as well as other Doctors, Guardian Angels upon that Principle; but he perſuades himſelf that their Virtues and Devotions may increaſe, as thoſe of Men, proportionably to thoſe of the Perſons they keep. Afterwards he deſtines ſome to watch over little Children, and others over the Adult, grounding his Opinion upon St. Matt. ch. 18.10. where mention is made of the Angels of little Children that ſee the face of their Heavenly Father.
Sect. 10. He has this particular Opinion concerning the Stars, that they may have Light and Intelligence, and though he expreſſes not himſelf ſo plainly upon that, yet 'tis a neceſſary conſequence of his Principles, for upon the Words in the Hebrews, 2.9. That Chriſt has taſted Death for all: He ſays firſt, that by that all muſt not ſimply be underſtood all Men, but whatever, is capable of Reaſon, foreign. and amongſt thoſe, foreign, Rational Creatures, he reckons the Stars a little after, and upon that foundation he is not afraid of making our Lord, not only the Redeemer of Men, but alſo of Stars that have likewiſe ſin'd, becauſe 'tis ſaid, the Stars are not pure in his ſight. Job 25.5. he repeates the ſame at the end of his 2d Volume upon St. John, denying however that their Influences ſhould hurt Men, notwithſtanding what is read of Lunaticks, Matth. 17.14, 15. Writing upon Geneſis, he likewiſe rejects Aſtrology, to which he believes that ſome Angels having forgotten their Duty, have perſuaded Men to addict themſelves.
Sect. 11. Tertullian in his ſecond Book againſt Marcion, ſays, as to the original of Devils. He has made the Angels that are Spirits, now, in as much as the Devil was made by God, he is an Angel, and belongs to his Maker; but inaſmuch as he has not been made by God, viz. as a Devil, or a Slanderer, it follows, that he has made himſelf ſo by forſaking God, and withall deceiving himſelf. That Language is ſomewhat obſcure. Origen ſpeaks not better; for in his firſt part upon St. John, he ſeems to recite a Riddle concerning the Dragon, as having been one of the firſt created by God in a Bodily ſhape, and before Man. He ſtrains the Words of God to Job, ch. 40, v. 15. for he takes them as they are now read in the Greek Bibles, as though there was this or that Dragon, (whereas the Hebrew Text has Behemoth, that ſignifies a great Beaſt) Tranſlating the Verſe thus, This is the beginning of what God formed, which he mad: for a matter of laughter to his Angels.
Sect. 12. Tertullian explains himſelf more plainly as to the knowledge he aſcribes to the Devils, when he in his fifth Book againſt Marcion ſpeeks thus. Servants cannot know the Reſolutions of their Maſters, and therefore the Rebellious Angels, and the Devil their leader, can much leſs know the deſigns of God, whence I would willingly take occaſion to aſſert, that the greater their Crime has been the more remote they are from the knowledge of their Creator. So far only he goes, as to the Secrets of God. But as to thoſe of Men, we hear the Doctors of that Age giving to the Demons a power over Bodies and Souls. St. Cyprian eſtabliſhes both, ſpeaking of Idolatry. Spirits, (ſays he) deceive us; they diſturb our Life, and our Sleep, inſinuating themſelves into our Bodies, raiſe terrour in our inward Thoughts, bruiſe our Members, impair our Healths, and cauſe us Diſeaſes. Tertullian is of the ſame Opinion in his Book, of Paſſions. The Malice of that inveterate Enemy never leaves him quiet, but it encreaſes his Rage when he ſees Man fully deliver'd. In his Apologetick, Chap. 20. he gives a more particular explication of what he believes as to the Aſſaults made by Demons upon Soul and Body. He thinks, That having a very ſubtile and thin Eſſence, they are ſo much the apter to act in an inviſible and inſenſible manner. He ſhows thereby, that he conceives created Spirits as the thineſt and ſubtileſt of all Bodies, and therefore explains his meaning by this Compariſon. As it happens that a flame inviſible to us burns Corn, and the Fruits of Trees when they are in flower, or withers them whilſt they bloſſom, or corrupts them when the Flower falls off, and they are formed; or as an infected Air communicates it ſelf in a manner unknown to us, ſo the ſuggeſtions of the Devil, by a ſecret contagion, ſeduce the depraved underſtanding of Man.
Sect. 13. Origen believes, that the Souls of Men exiſted together, before they came to animate the Bodies; which he eſtabliſhes upon St. Matth. Chap. 20. from Ver. 1, to 16. and in his 6th, Vol. upon St. John, having before propoſed in his 5th, Chap. the common Opinion of the Chriſtians of his age, he aſſerts, acco… to the ſenſe he gives to the Holy Writ, that … the Soul muſt be diſtinguiſhed from … the Spirit of Man from the … …ys, that the Soul may app… her ſelf … evil, but that the Spirit …f Man can … …e…f only to evil. In his 19th Chapter, he d…es on occaſion of the ſepalation of the Soul at the point of death, that he believes ſhe is taken out of the Body by ſome Spirits, ordained for that purpoſe; and that the Spirits who have that imployment, are of a more noble Nature than the Soul they fetch. He puts a very ingenious ſenſe upon the Words of our Saviour, in St. Luke, Chap. 10. v. 20. and John, Chap. 10. v. 18.
Sect 14. Tertullian's meaning, as to the ſtate of Souls after this life, to the day of the Reſurrection, is, that they are in a certain place, known by the name of Abraham's Boſom, and ſituated betwixt Heaven and Hell, as he writes hi his 4th Book againſt Marcion, That there is a certain and determined place call'd the Boſom of Abraham. If you ask where that place lyes, and how long the Souls are to ſtay there; he will anſwer, as to the Firſt Queſtion, Sinum dico Abrahae, regionem etſi non Caeleſtem, ſuperiorem tamen Inferis. I call Abraham's Boſom a a Region ſuperior to Hell, tho' it properly belongs not to Heaven. As to the other he will ſay, Refrigerium praebiturum animabus juſtorum, donec conſummatio rerum reſurrectionem omnium plenitudine Mercedis expungat. The Latin phraſe is ſomewhat obſcure, but it matters not to Tranſlate the words ſo much as to give the Senſe, which is, That it will be a place of refreſhment for the Souls of the juſt, until the conſummation of all things comes and brings on the Reſurrection, in which every one ſhal1 be obliged to give account, and then receive a full reward.
Sect. 15. He calls in this place, the Subterraneous places, Inferos, Hell, becauſe he puts the place of Abode of the Damned, under the Earth, or in a great Gulf, contained in the bottom of the Earth, and believes, that for their puniſhment they ſhall go to burn in a material Fire: For about the end of his Book of Penitency, he calls Hell Theſaurum Ignis aeterni; The Treaſure of Eternal Fire. Through the Chimneys of that Fire, come out ſometimes frightful flames during Earthquakes: and immediately after, he calls that Abyſs of Fire, Magni alicujus & inaeſtimabilis foci ſcintillas miſſilia & exaercitoria jacula. The ſparks of a prodigious great and unexpreſſible Fire. St. Cyprian ſpeaks ſo obſcurely about the end of his Letter, againſt Demetrian, upon that ſubject, that it ſeems he threatens the Soul with corporeal puniſhments, it being a conſequent of the Series of his Reaſoning. Hell, ſays he, ſhall Eternally burn for the Damned, and the puniſhment of a devouring fire, and moſt glooing flames, will neither ſuperſede nor ſuſpend their Torments; there the Souls with their Bodies, are deſtined to infinite pains. He ſeems to mean thereby, that the Souls and Bodies ſhall have one and the ſame ſhare; for otherwiſe, he would have declared, what peculiar ſufferings the Soul is to undergo.
Sect. 16. In the 4th, Age, we ſhall firſt hear St. Athanaſius he alſo believes, that the Angels are not all of an equal Dignity, of which he gives a formal explication according to his meaning, on the 31ſt. Queſtion to Antiochus, where having ſaid ſomething as to the Orders of the Angels, he proceeds thus. Becauſe thoſe Orders are called Legions and Armies, we muſt thereby underſtand ſuch Orders as are eſtabliſhed to teach, to defend, provide, adminiſter, help, as alſo ſuch Orders as receive the Souls, and remain by them. Now, as the difference betwixt the Celeſtial Orders, is known to us, we muſt likewiſe know which is their State, and what Knowledge they have. The Thrones, Cherubims and Seraphims are taught immediately by God himſelf, as being the neareſt to him, and raiſed above the others: Theſe teach the inferior Orders, and theſe again, others that are under them. The laſt of all are the Angels (taking that Name in a particular ſignification, and determin'd to a certain Order of Spirits, diſtinguiſhed from all others;) and theſe are the Teachers of Men. 'Tis eaſie to perceive that St. Athanaſius has taken this from the Writings of Philo and other Jews, as 'tis related above, Chap. 12. Sect. 4, 5, 8, 9, 10. But whatever it be, St. Athanaſius being the Author of the Confeſſion of Faith, ſo much commended in our Churches, and quoted in the 9th Article of the Low-Dutch Confeſſion of Faith, as a pattern of Orthodoxy, we cannot but admit what he has written upon the preſent matter, as the common Opinion approved of, and received by the Principal Doctors of that Age,
Sect. 17. I grant that ſome very exact Criticks believe not this work of Queſtions to be Athanaſius's: but there is no leſs controverſie, as to the true Author of the Confeſſion aſcribed to that Father. However, both muſt needs be very Antient, and the former cannot be of much later Date than the age of Athanaſius; ſo that the proof drawn from thence, to ſhow what was the Doctrine of that time, is ſtill of the ſame force. At leaſt, none doubts but St. Baſil contemporary with St. Athanaſius, has written the three Firſt Books againſt Eunomius, and therefore his Teſtimony will be admitted with leſs difficulty. After St. Athanaſius, or ſome other, whoever he may be, has deſcended from God through the ſeveral degrees of Angels, to Men; St. Baſil comes to teach us how we are to conſider the Holy Angels of God in their different Orders and Adminiſtrations. He ſays, at the beginning of his 3 Book againſt Eunomius, That all the Angels have indeed the ſame name, and are of the ſame nature; but that ſome preſide over whole Nations, and others take care of every faithful perſon. Now, as much as a whole Nation is to be preferr'd before a ſingle Man, ſo much is the Dignity of an Angel committed over a whole Nation, above that of another Another Angel, who has only the keeping of a ſingle perſon.
Sect. 18. However, St. Auſtin, who writ very near 50 years after St. Baſil, expreſſes not himſelf ſo freely upon this matter in his Manual, Chap. 58. We cannot, ſays he, preciſely tell what paſſes amongſt thoſe Bleſſed Societies above, nor what difference there is betwixt perſons, &c. And as to the ſignification of thoſe four words, in which the Apoſtles ſeem to comprehend all the Heavenly Societies, ſaying either Thrones, or Dominions, Principalities or Powers, they ſhall prove as they can, what they aſſert; for my part I freely confeſs I know nothing of it. St. Jerom his contemporary, for they both lived betwixt the 4th, and 5th, Century, ſeems not to be ſo reſerved; but on the contrary, undertakes to prove what St. Athanaſius and St. Baſil had aſſerted, whereas St. Auſtin ſeems to doubt of the Truth of their Opinions; ſaying in his Commentary on the 46th Chapter of Iſaiah. For many paſſages of the Holy Writ, teach us, that each of us has his Angel, eſpecially that of Matth. Chap. Ver. 10. Take care leſt you deſpiſe one of theſe little ones, for their Angels, &c There are therefore in his Opinion, Angels for particular perſons. He likewiſe names in his Commentary on the 47th Chapter,—Pag. mihi 476. Tom. 5. Angelos praeſides Judaeorum. The Angels preſiding over the Jews. And upon Daniel, Chap. 7. ver. 2. he ſaith, I hold the four Winds to be Angelical Powers, to whom the principal Kingdoms have been entruſted, according to what is written, Chap. 32. ver. 8. where inſtead of theſe words, the moſt High eſtabliſhed the bounds of Nations, according to the number of the Children of Iſrael, he reads according to the number of the Angels of God, to ground his Opinion thereupon.
Sect. 19. St. Auſtin ſeems ſo modeſt upon the difference amongſt the Angels, is perhaps too reſerved in what follows; for immediately after what he ſays, he ſpeaks of the Stars in too dubious a manner, ſaying, I ſee likewiſe nothing certain upon that point, whether the Sun, Moon, and other Stars muſt be comprehended in that Society; tho' ſome hold them to be luminous Bodies without Knowledge and Senſe. He ſeems not inclinable to that laſt Opinion, but is more apt to believe that the Stars are a kind of Angels, or at leaſt, of living and underſtanding Creatures, without daring to determine, whether they are part of the four Orders, to which he applies the names contained in St. Paul's paſſage before quoted; whence 'tis eaſy to infer, that he was taken up with the Intelligences of Ariſtotle.
Sect. 20. St. Jerom explains himſelf openly, as to the Miniſtery of the Angels upon the 9th Chap. of Daniel, Angelorum duplex officium eſt aliorum qui juſtis praemia tribuunt, aliorum qui ſingulis praeſunt Cruciatibus. The Angels diſcharge 2 ſorts of functions, ſome are eſtabliſhed to diſtribute rewards to the juſt; and others, to inflict puniſhments on the Damned. It appears by the ſeries of his diſcourſe, and by the paſſage of the Holy Scripture, at which he aims; that he equally aſcribes thoſe 2 things to the good Angels, according to that Opinion, that there happens neither good nor evil without the Miniſtry of the Angels of God, and conſequently he attributes nothing to the Devil.
Sect. 21. Lactantius ſhows what were the Opinions of his time, concerning the Devil, of whom he makes a very large deſcription, in the 7th Book, of his Inſtitutions, eſpecially Sect. 8. which deſerves, I ſhould give the ſhort of here. He ſays, That God produced a Spirit altogether like him that was endued with the Virtues of his Father. He ſeems, that thereby he ſhould underſtand our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Afterwards he created another Alterum, not Alium, that preſerved not the perfections of his Celeſtial Original, becauſe, according to the meaning of …actantius, he envyed that firſt Spirit, who remained faithful and obedient to God his Father: Wherefore the latter bears the name of Diabolus, Criminator, Accuſer and Slanderer. The Author ſtops there and ſpeaks no more of it, but Sect. 14. He ſays, that God, for that Reaſon, has granted to the Devil, power over the Earth, ab initio, from the begining; but to prevent, the Devil from ſeducing Men, he ſent Angels to defend them, advertiſing them withal, not to ſtain themſelves by their Converſation with Men, but the Devil ſeduced the very Angels ſo far, that they mixt with Women, and were caſt down from Heaven to Earth. If it were ſo, that old proverb would be verified, That there would be no Devils, if there were no handſom Women.
Sect. 22. One thing's eſpecially obſervable, that Athanaſius in his Firſt and Second Book againſt the Arrians, is the firſt Author, as far as we know, that applies to the fall of the Devil, that paſſage of Iſaiah, Ch. 14. v. 12. How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Morning Star? which is undoubtedly ſaid of the King of Babilon, becauſe of the great figure he made in the World. Now the Morning Star is called in Greek foreign, and in Latin Lucifer, which words are ſtill to be read in the Greek and Hebrew Bibles, whence ſeveral that have followed St. Athanaſius have taken occaſion to give the name of Lucifer to the Prince of the Devils, which name he ſtill bears. If thoſe who underſtand not the Latin Tongue, knew that is the name of the Morning Star, they would never beſtow it upon Belial, ſince it agrees ſo well to our Saviour, who calls himſelf the bright and Morning Star, Revel. Ch. 22. v. 16. to which St. Peter undoubtedly alludes in his Second Epiſtle, Ch. 1. v. 19. Where he ſays, That the Morning Star muſt ariſe in our Hearts. And our promiſes in another ſenſe, to give us The Morning Star, Revel. 2.28. So that the name of Lucifer is ſo far from being that of the Prince of the Devils, th…t it is the moſt Chriſtian name to be read in the Bible.
Sect. 23. Let's go back to Lactantius, he ſays that Monſters were generated from that odious conjunction of Angels with Women, that are half Angels, or rather, Half Demons, or half Men, thence he infers, Duo genera daemonum, unum caeleſte, alterum terrenum. That there are 2 ſorts of Demons, one of Celeſtial Demons, and another of Terreſtrial; by Celeſtial, he ſeems to underſtand Aerial; but after the word Terrenum, there follows immediatly, Hi ſunt immunedi malorum quae geruntur auctores, quorum idem diabolus eſt princeps. Theſe are unclean Spirits, Authors of all the Evil that happens in the World, the chief of whom is the Devil already mentioned. From this paſſage may be clearly perceived, that he takes for Demons, thoſe very ſame Spirits whom the Heathens made their Gods, as has been ſeen Ch. 2. Sect. 9 to 13, which ſtill confirms more and more what I have aſſerted, Ch. 5. Sect. 4, 5. That the Heathen never adored Demons, but in as much as they believed them to be Gods.
Sect 24. The ſame Lactantius tells us, that the Demons are indeed Spirits, but Spiritus tenues & incomprehenſibiles, Spirits of a thin ſubtle matter, and imperceptible. This we have heard before from Origen and Tertullian. He explains himſelf very clearly, as to the power he aſcribe to their underſtanding, ſaying, That they know many future things, but that it is not poſſible they ſhould diſcover the depths of the ſecrets of God. We have already heard Tertullian confirming this propoſition, by his Reaſonings. However Lactantius believes, that Divinations by the Contemplation of the Stars, by the Inſpection of the intrals of Beaſts, and by the Obſervation of Birds, of which mention has been made; Ch. 3. Sect. 4, 5, 7. Are Diabolical Inſpirations, and therefore holds, that they are ſtill capable of diſcovering to Men many future things.
Sect. 25. St. Jerom as far as I can conceive, conſtitutes not the ſame difference of places betwixt the Spirits. Yet he believes, Ex Pauli dictis ad Ephe Cap. 2. ver. 2. & 12. colligi Diabolos in aere vagari ac dominari. That from what S. Paul writes to the Epheſians may be inferr'd, That the Devils are wandering in the Air, and …igning there. And writing upon the 6th Ch. v. 12. to the Epheſians, he explains more at large, that propoſition, as containing the common Opinion of the Chriſtians of that Age. This is the Opinion of all the Doctors, That the Air which is betwixt the Heavens and the Earth, ſeparating both from what it call'd the Vacuum, is fil'd with powers contrary to each other. We muſt yet examine hereafter whence the Principalities, Powers, and Dominions of this World, have received their powert? His Opinion upon this laſt Queſtion is, that they have it from God himſelf, and that they exerciſe it more or leſs, as a leſs and greater pain is inflicted upon 2 different Criminals, according as 'tis reſolved to make their life more or leſs bitter; he alſo ſuppoſes, that the unclean Spirits, as well as the Holy Angels, are divided into certain Orders; which Opinion of his may be ſeen in his Commentary on the 3 Ch. of Habakuk, As Chriſt is the head of the Church, and of every particular faithful Man; ſo is Belzebub the chief of all the Demons, who exerciſe ſo many cruelties in this World; and each Troop of Demons has it's particular Chief, and Captain under him.
Sect. 26. Lactantius muſt yet inform us what in his Opinion, the Demons were able to Operate, in reference to Men. We ſee Sect. 14. that his Opinion in general, is, That the Corrupted and Contagious Spirits wander'd through the World, endeavouring to comfort themſelves under their loſs, by procuring the ruin of Mankind. Immediatly after, he explains in particular, how they hurt Soul and Body, They attack, ſays he, The Souls by their craft deviſes, and the ſnares they lay before them; they ſeize upon them by their deluſions, and by leading them aſtray, they ſtick to every private perſon, and are always at his elbow, creeping into every houſe, from door to door. And in relation to the bodies, as thoſe very Spirits are, according to him partly corporeal, and partly extraordinary ſ…tle, and conſequently imperceptible, They inſinuate into Human Bodies, without being perceived, act privately within their Bowels, impair their Health, cauſe Diſeaſes, caſt terror into the mind by Dreams, overturn it, make it ſtray, and force Men by ſuch vexations, to have recourſe to them. It ſeems however, that he intends to aſcribe that power to the Devil, only over the Heathens; becauſe he diſputes againſt them, and that they were thoſe that had recourſe to the Demons, as believing them to be Gods; for over the Chriſtians, the Ancient Fathers attributed not ſo much power to them.
Sect. 27. We may learn from St. Athanaſius, what were the Opinions of his time, as to the Souls ſeparated from their Bodies after Death. In the Book before quoted, queſtion 32. he asks, Whether the Souls after their ſeparation, have knowledge of what is done amongſt Men, as the Holy Angels have; he anſwers, Yes at leaſt as to the Souls of the Saints, but not as to thoſe of Sinners; for their continual torments take them ſo much up, that they have no leaſure to think upon any other thing. The 33th Queſtion is, What is the employment of the Souls departed from their Bodies, Anſwer, The Soul ſeparated from the Body, is uncapa? ble of doing either good or evil. However he ſays a little after, That the Souls of the Saints, animated by the Holy Ghoſt, praiſe God, and bleſs him in the Land of the Living. He aſſerts, Queſtion 35. That after Death, the Souls never come to bring news of the ſtate of the Deceaſed; which would give occaſion to many cheats, becauſe wicked Spirits might feign, that they are Souls of the Deceaſed, that come back to diſcover ſomthing to the Living. I deſire the Reader to obſerve this very attentively, for it will be convenient to reflect upon it hereafter.
Sect. 28. St. Auſtin gives us a more large information, for thô he does not expreſly reject Purgatory, yet he confutes it every where, as appears from ſeveral places of his Writings, that have been quoted by one of my predeceſſors, Andrew Landſman, in his Book of the Apoſtaſy of the Church of Rome: yet this Father in the 69th Chapter of his Manual, expreſſes himſelf thus, 'Tis not incredible, but ſomthing like may happen after this life, and it may reaſonably be enquired whether it is ſo, and what proof may be brought for or againſt this Opinion, viz. that ſome of the faithful, come ſooner or later to the Eternal Felicity, paſſing through a certain purging Fire, in which they ſtay longer or ſhorter, as they are more or leſs enamour'd with corruptible things; however in that number, are not comprehended thoſe of whom 'tis ſaid, that they ſhall not poſſeſs the Kingdom of God, unleſs by a convenient Repentance, they obtain forgiveneſs of their Sins.
Sect. 29. We come down to the 5th Age, in which we meet with Theodoret, who ſufficiently explains, as to our deſign, the Opinions of the Doctors of his time concerning good and bad Angels; for he propoſes to us what he thinks of the Angels, properly ſo call'd, as well in reference to their Nature, as to their Underſtanding and Adminiſtration. As to the firſt point he holds, that though they are not Corporeal, yet they are Circumſcribed, and contained in a certain determinate place; as he aſſerts in his 3d Queſtion upon Geneſis. The Reaſon of this Opinion is, that he ſuppoſes every Angel has ſome proper Adminiſtration, and is entruſted with the care either of a Nation, or Perſon; but he makes ſtill a more particular diſtinction in his 10th Expoſition upon Daniel, putting a Man under the guard of a common Angel, and a whole Nation under that of an Angel of a Superior Order. As to their Underſtanding, he briefly explains his Mind in theſe Words. Let none be ſurpriſed at what I aſſert, as to the Ignorance of the Heavenly Spirits; for they neither know future, nor other things, it only belonging to the Divine Nature; but as to Angels, Archangels, and other Coeleſtial Spirits, they know no more than what they learn; and therefore the Holy Apoſtle ſpeaking of them in the the third Chapter to the Epheſians, v. 10. ſays, That to Principalities and Powers, in the Heavenly Places, &c. See his Commentary on the 24th Pſalm.
Sect. 30. Theodoret ſpeaks afterwards of the Demons in the ſame manner, for he holds them not capable of making true Predictions. He ſays, upon Ezekiel, Sect. 8. That the Demons know nothing before it happens, unleſs it be by gueſſing, and yet they venture to foretell. He nevertheleſs owns, in his tenth Book of Oracles, that the Spirits have foretold ſomething true, but by the Stars: For, ſays he, whatever the Gods of the Heathens ſay, if it happens that they ſpeak agreeably to the Concatenation of things, they muſt needs gather that knowledge from the Stars, which undoubtedly was done by ſuch Gods as declared ſome things that afterwards fell out. 'Tis evident, that by Demons he underſtands in general, wicked Spirits, who cauſe themſelves to be venerated as Gods, and gave falſe Oracles to keep up their Authority, and the Credit in which they were amongſt the Heathens. That Opinion was the moſt common amongſt the Ancients, and is in being even to this day, as we ſhall ſhow hereafter.
Sect. 31. The Opinion of that time upon the original of the wicked Race, was, that they iſſued from the Converſation of the Angels with Women. Severus Sulpitius relates it not as a particular Belief, or, as received by ſome Doctors only; but as a Story credited by all Chriſtians; for at the beginning of his Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory, he preſumes to aſſert it upon the Authority of Joſephus, as much as if he had been preſent. His words are; In that time, that is, after the Birth of Noah, Mankind multiplying exceedingly, the Angels whoſe abode was in Heaven, being enamour'd with the Beauty of young Virgins, plunged themſelves in unlawful pleaſures, forſook the Supream Region, whoſe Inhabitants they were, and ally themſelves by Marriages with mortal Women, by that unhappy Cohabitation, and their depraved Morals, they corrupted Mankind by degrees; and from thence the Giants are ſaid to be born; for the mixture of ſuch different natures muſt needs produce Monſters.
Sect. 32. As to the ſtate of Souls ſeparated from their Body, the Angels, and wicked Spirits, this Age affords nothing but what has been obſerved, ſpeaking of the foregoing Centuries. Wherefore we deſcend to Gregory the Great, who in the 7th Century joyn'd his particular Opinions to the former. He was Biſhop of Rome, and his Memory is ſtill in great Veneration in that Church, tho' he took it very ill that John the Father, Biſhop of Conſtantinople, and his Contemporary, ſhould have preſumed to take upon him the Name of Ʋniverſal Biſhop, to which he believed not that any Biſhop had a right, and even held it for a Mark of Antichriſt. Beſides, 'tis not without Reaſon, that the Roman Church makes ſo much of him: For he has taken care to provide her with many Legends ſo ſuitable to her Humour and Palate, and upon which ſhe has put ſo great a value, that ſhe multiplies them every year. And indeed, St. Gregory was not contented with the Fables of Origen, and other Doctors, of which mention has been made, but he admitted whatever had been propoſed hitherto as Doubts and Queſtions, which he paſſed into Determinations and Decrees: And, as tho' what had been maintained before had not been ſufficient, he thought fit to add ſomething of his own: So that ſince his time there were not only 9 Orders of Angels, but they knew alſo the Degrees of each, viz. Angels, Archangels, Virtue, Powers, Principalities, Dominions, Thrones, Cherubims, and Seraphims; as is to be found in his 34th Homily upon the Goſpels. The Schoolmen that have followed him fail not to take much pains to treat of each of theſe Angelical orders, and to break their head with them, in which I intend not to imitate them.
Sect. 33. It muſt be obſerved that at that time the curioſity to know whither Souls went after Death, gave occaſion by degrees to invent Purgatory; the diſcovery of which has been ſo far finiſhed amongſt the Papiſts, that they go now thither by thouſands. Boetius, a Roman Conſul, who lived about 63 years before the Pontificate of Gregory, begun, in his 4th Book, Proſa 4. to give ſome Notion of that place, by the Anſwer he makes to the following Queſtion. Does there in your Opinion remain no puniſhment for the Soul after her ſeparation from the Body? To which he Anſwers: Yes doubtleſs, and even 'tis not a ſlight Pain; for I hold; that ſome Souls are very ſeverely puniſhed, whereas others are purified by Grace. As to Gregory himſelf, who from a Souldier became Pope, he blows heat and cold from the ſame Mouth, with as much ſicklineſs and levity as the Wind, againſt the Cuſtom of the Popes, who uſe to decide ſo poſitively and boldly. Upon the 7th Chapter of Job, giving advice to a Sinner, he ſaith, That there is no human Eye (that is no Grace of the Redeemer) that caſts looks upon the Soul, after ſhe has laid off the Fleſh. And farther he adds; That when Holy or wicked Spirit receives at the point of Death, a Soul departing from her bodily Priſon, ſhe remains for ever, and without hopes of any Change, in the hands of him that has taken her; ſo that when ſhe's once raiſed to Glory, ſhe can never fall again into Pain and Torments; whereas when ſhe is once caſt down into the Eternal Abyſs, ſhe can never come out of it: Upon the 10th Chapter he ſays again; He that is Condemned and deliver'd to puniſhment by reaſon of his Sins, and brought to the place of Execution, has no longer hopes of Mercy or Forgiveneſs. But this Pope does not always maintain this Theſis; for he ſpeaks thus in the 4th. Book of his Dialogues, Chap. 39. Sed samen de quibuſdam levibus culpis eſſe Purgatorius Ignis duplicate page duplicate page credendus eſt: However it muſt be believed that there is a Purging Fire for ſome ſmall Faults. Upon the Penitential Pſalms, he explains himſelf more at large. Poſt mortem carnis alii aeternis deputantur ſuppliciis, alii ad vitam per ignem tranſcunt Purgationis. After the death of the Body, ſome are condemned to endleſs Torments, and others go to Life through a purging Fire.